9724. 'And shovels, and basins, and its forks, and its tongs' means known facts that act as containers and serve every purpose. This is clear from the meaning of vessels generally as the items of knowledge or known facts that the external memory possesses, dealt with in 3068, 3069, and - in regard to things of a holy nature - as the cognitions of good and truth which serve as means by which to worship the Lord, 9544. Such also is what the vessels for ministry around the altar mean. But each particular vessel there means the known facts that relate to some specific purpose, so that all the vessels there mean the known facts that serve every purpose.

4854. 'He and his companion Hirah the Adullamite' means that falsity was present with it still. This is clear from the representation of 'Hirah the Adullamite' as falsity, dealt with above in 4816, 4817. When therefore the expression 'his companion' is used, the attachment of falsity to that Church is meant, that is, that falsity was present with it still.