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.

6084. 'In the best of the land cause your father and your brothers to dwell' means that they may live in the inmost part of it, that is to say, of factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'the best of the land' as the inmost part of the natural mind where factual knowledge resides, dealt with below, for 'the land of Egypt' is the natural mind, as immediately above in 6083; from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, dealt with in 1293, 3384, 3613, 4451, 6051; and from the representation of Israel and his sons, to whom 'father' and 'brothers' who are to live there refer here, as spiritual good from the natural and the truths of the Church there, dealt with above in 6082.

[2] 'The best' means the inmost part since the best is that which is kept immediately beneath one's gaze. The eye is always directed towards that for which it feels the greatest affection and delight; and that which is kept immediately beneath its gaze is also the inmost part because it is in the centre and as a consequence exists before the eyes in greatest light. All else lies round about in peripheral positions and as a consequence is less clear, till at the edges it is obscure because it arouses less delight and affection. This is the situation with factual knowledge beheld by inward sight. The objects of that sight are nothing else than known facts and truths. The delight and goodness present in those objects are what direct that sight towards them. It should be recognized however that truths and factual knowledge agreeing with those truths come directly under its gaze, that is, they reside in the inmost part, if people take a delight in and feel an affection for spiritual and celestial truths since they are for those people 'the best'. But falsities and factual knowledge agreeing with those falsities come directly under the gaze of inner sight, that is, they reside in the inmost part, if people feel an affection for and take delight in the evils that belong to self-love and love of the world. See also what has been stated in 6068.