277. This is the internal sense. Anyone who keeps rigidly to the letter apprehends no more than this, that man was to obtain bread from the ground by means of hard work, that is, with sweat on his brow. 'Man' here however is not used to mean one individual but the Most Ancient Church. Neither is 'the ground' used to mean the ground, nor 'bread' bread, nor 'garden' garden, but things which are celestial and spiritual, as has been shown quite adequately.