487. 'Days means periods of time and states in general. This has been shown in Chapter 1, where the 'days of creation' have no other meaning. In the Word it is very common for a whole period of time to be called 'a day', as it clearly is in the present verse and in verses 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 27, 31, below; and therefore the states that belong to periods of time in general are meant by 'days' as well. And when 'years' is attached, then periods of years mean the natures of those states, and so the states in particular.

[2] The most ancient people had their own particular numbers which they would use to mean different aspects of the Church - for instance, the numbers three, seven, ten, twelve, and many which they obtained from these and other numbers - and in so doing incorporated states of the Church. These numbers therefore contain arcana that would require considerable effort to unravel. Really a number was an evaluation of the states of the Church. The same feature occurs throughout the Word, especially in the prophetical. And the religious ceremonies of the Jewish Church also entail numbers specifying periods of time as well as quantities; for example, in connection with sacrifices, minchahs, oblations, and other practices, which in every case have special reference to holy things. Consequently eight hundred in this verse, nine hundred and thirty in the next, and the numbers of years mentioned in the verses that follow after that, embody in particular more matters than can possibly be retold; matters, that is to say, which have to do with changes in the state of their Church in relationship to their own general state. Later on, in the Lord's Divine mercy, the meaning of the simple numbers up to twelve will be given, for without knowing these first of all no one can grasp what compound numbers mean.

2674. 'And he took bread and a flask of water' means good and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'bread' as that which is celestial, or good, dealt with in 276, 680, 2165, and from the meaning of 'water' as that which is spiritual, or truth, dealt with in 28, 680, 739. The expression 'a flask of water' is used because it is a very small amount of truth that people are granted to begin with, that is to say, as much as they are able to receive at that time - that capacity to receive being meant by the words 'he put them on her shoulder', 2676. Anyone may see that these historical details embody arcana from the fact that Abraham, who was rich in flocks and herds, also in silver and gold, sent away his servant-girl who had borne his son, and the boy Ishmael whom he loved much, with no more than some bread and some water in a flask. He could also foresee that they would die once they had used these up, which would indeed have happened if the angel had not come to their aid. What is more, these details regarding the bread and the flask of water, and their being placed on her shoulder, are not really important enough to be mentioned. But this incident did in fact take place, and it has been recorded because these details embody and mean the first state of those who are becoming spiritual, to whom to begin with some good and some truth, and indeed only a small amount, are supplied; and after that their water comes to an end, at which point they receive help from the Lord.