45. This was how people who lived in most ancient times envisaged matters of the understanding and those of the will. Among the Prophets therefore, and consistently throughout the Old Testament Word, like matters are represented by various kinds of living creatures. There are two kinds of beasts - evil ones, because they are harmful, and good ones, because they are gentle. Evil [and harmful] things in man were meant by such beasts as bears, wolves, and dogs, while good and gentle things were meant by beasts such as calves, sheep, and lambs. As the subject here is those persons who are to be regenerated, 'the beasts' are good and gentle ones, which mean affections. Things of a baser nature that derive from the body are called 'wild animals of the earth'. These are desires and pleasures.

10656. 'Seven days you shall eat the unleavened bread' means a holy state then, and making Divine Truth, purified from evil and from the falsities of evil, one's own. This is clear from the meaning of 'seven days' as a holy state from start to finish (states are meant by 'days', see 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850, that which is holy by 'seven', 395, 433, 716, 881, 5265, 5268, and a holy state from start to finish by 'seven days', 728, 6508, 9228, 10127); from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in 3168, 3513(end), 3596, 4745; and from the meaning of that which is 'unleavened' as Divine Truth purified from evil and from the falsities of evil, dealt with in 9992.