7457. 'We will go a way of three days into the wilderness' means that they would remove themselves altogether, so as to be in freedom. This is clear from the meaning of 'going a way of three days into the wilderness' as removing themselves altogether. That this is the meaning follows from what the internal sense above contains - that they could not worship God in a place nearby, in the presence of those from hell, dealt with above in 7452, 7454-7456. So they would have to remove themselves altogether, so as to be in freedom.

4499. 'Each took his sword' means falsity and evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'a sword' as truth engaged in conflict and consequently the defence of truth, and in the contrary sense falsity engaged in conflict, and consequently the vastation of truth, dealt with in 2799. The reason why 'a sword' at this point also means evil is that Levi was implicated, who represented charity, and so good. When good is turned into evil it uses falsity from evil to fight with, in which case anything it does is evil.