4397. 'And he bought the portion of the field' means making the good that springs from that truth its own. This is clear from the meaning of 'buying' as making one's own, and from the meaning of 'the portion of the field' as good springing from that truth. For 'the field' means the Church as regards good and so means good itself, see 2971, 3196, 3317, 3500, 3508, 3766.

3766. 'In the field' means provided for the Churches. This is clear from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church as regards good, dealt with in 2971. In the Word the Church is meant by the expressions 'land', 'ground', and 'the field', though each has a different shade of meaning. The reason 'the field' means the Church is that like a field it receives the seeds of goodness and truth; for the Church has the Word, the source of those seeds. This also is why everything included in the field means some aspect of the Church, such as that which is sown, that which is harvested, standing grain, wheat, barley, and everything else. And each of these too has a different shade of meaning.