8489. 'They gathered twice as much' means the joining together resulting from the reception of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'gathering from the manna' as the reception of good, 'gathering' meaning reception, see 8467, 8472, and 'manna' the good of truth, 8464; and from the meaning of 'twice as much' as the joining together, dealt with in 8423.

8472. 'And gathered it, [each] collecting it for a large number or for a few' means receiving according to the capacity of each community. This is clear from the meaning of 'gathering' as receiving, as above in 8467; and from the meaning of '[each] collecting for a large number or for a few' as according to the capacity of each community. The nature of all this has to be deduced from the things that take place in communities in heaven. Manna is heavenly food, heavenly food is goodness and truth, and goodness and truth in heaven are the Lord since they come from Him. From all this it becomes clear that these stipulations regarding the manna describe the kinds of things that occur in the communities mentioned. They describe how Divine Good which emanates from the Lord is shared with all in heaven, with all in particular and in general, but everywhere according to the capacity to receive it, for there are those who can receive only little and there are those who can receive much. Those who can receive only little are on the borders of heaven, whereas those who can receive much are in the inner parts there. Each person's capacity to receive is determined by the nature and amount of good he acquired in the world. Differences in that power are what are meant by 'a large number' and 'a few'.