5913. 'And your flocks, and your herds' means natural good, interior and exterior. This is clear from the meaning of 'flock' as interior good, dealt with in 2566, in this case interior natural good since the flocks belonged to Israel, who represents spiritual good from the natural, 5906; and from the meaning of 'herd' as exterior natural good. The reason why 'herd' means exterior good and 'flocks' interior good is that the animals which constituted a herd, such as oxen and young bulls, were signs, when used in sacrifices, of external forms of the good of charity and also of the forms of good present in the external man. But the animals constituting flocks, such as lambs, sheep, she-goats, were signs of internal forms of the good of charity and also of the forms of good present in the internal man. Consequently people in whom these forms of good are present are referred to in the Word by the single term 'flock', and the one who leads them by the term 'pastor' or 'shepherd'.

9098. Verse Exodus 21:37 ¹ When a man steals an ox or a member of the flock, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for the ox, and four of the flock for the member of the flock.

'When a man steals an ox or a member of the flock' means whoever takes away from someone his good, exterior or interior. 'And slaughters it' means [if] he wipes it out. 'Or sells it' means, or if he alienates it. 'He shall repay five oxen for the ox' means the corresponding punishment, carried to a great degree. 'And four of the flock for the member of the flock' also means the corresponding punishment, carried out in full.

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