4507. 'And whatever was in the city, and whatever was in the field they took' means every truth and good of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the city' as doctrine, and so the truth of the Church, dealt with in 402, 2268, 2449, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493, and from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church in regard to good, and so as the good of the Church, dealt with in 2971, 3310, 3766, 4440, 4443. Consequently 'whatever was in the city, and whatever was in the field' means every truth and good of the Church.

4492. 'All who went out of the gate of his city' means that they departed from the doctrine of the Church among the Ancients. This is clear from the meaning of 'going out' here as departing from, and from the meaning of 'the gate of the city' as doctrine, dealt with in 2943, 4477, here the doctrine of the Church among the Ancients, since it was the gate of 'his', that is, Shechem's, city. For 'Shechem' represents the truth of the Church among the Ancients, 4454, the phrase 'the Church among the Ancients' being used to mean that which descended from the Most Ancient Church, as also stated already. The implications of this will be evident from what follows next.