7999. 'A purchase paid for with silver' means who is in possession of some spiritual truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a purchase' as that which is acquired and made one's own, dealt with in 4397, 4487, 5374, 5397, 5406, 5410, 5426; and from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with in 1551, 2954, 5658, at this point spiritual truth since a slave who was bought means in the internal sense the natural man, and the master who bought him therefore means the spiritual man. No one can know what this really implies unless he knows in what way the spiritual buys the natural for itself, that is, acquires and makes it its own. When a person is being regenerated his internal and external, that is, his spiritual and natural, are at variance with each other at first; for his spiritual desires the things of heaven, whereas his natural desires those of the world. But at this time the spiritual is constantly entering the natural and bringing it into agreement. This is done by means of truth; and what the spiritual brings into agreement with itself within the natural is said to be 'bought with silver', that is, acquired and made its own by means of truth.

2971. 'The field and the cave which was in it' means as regards the good and truth of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church and also good itself which constitutes the Church (that which is celestial - or good that stems from love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour - is compared to 'the ground' as well as to the field, and is actually called these, because that which is celestial - or good - is the recipient of the truths of faith; and these truths are compared to and are also actually called 'seeds'); and from the meaning of 'a cave' as the truth of faith which is enveloped in obscurity, dealt with in 2935. It is said to be in obscurity because it is with spiritual people, see 1043, 2708, 2715.