4440. 'And his sons were with his cattle in the field' means that his descendants dwelt in their own semblance of religion. This is clear from the meaning of 'his sons' as descendants; from the meaning of 'cattle' as external truths, dealt with in 1435, ¹ 4391; and from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church, dealt with in 2971, 3766. Consequently 'his sons were with his cattle in the field' means that they dwelt in their own semblance of religion; for the kind of Church that existed with them must be called a semblance of religion since it involves external worship devoid of internal.

Footnotes:

4487. 'Their acquisition, and their purchase' means their truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'acquisition and purchase' as truths. But a distinction exists between these two expressions in that 'acquisition' when also used of small cattle means the good of truth, for that is what is meant by 'small cattle', but the good of truth is truth in will and action, see 4337, 4353, 4390. 'Purchase' however, which is elsewhere called 'the purchase of silver', means truth. The former - the good of truth - is called celestial truth, whereas the latter is called spiritual truth, 2048. Celestial truth is truth which has been made part of life, whereas spiritual truth is truth that constitutes doctrine.