9142. 'He shall make repayment from the best of his own field or from the best of his own vineyard' means undertaking restoration with forms of good and with truths that are still intact. This is clear from the meaning of 'field' as the Church's good, and from the meaning of 'vineyard' as the Church's truth, both dealt with above in 9139 (the words 'the best' denote that which remains intact after consumption); and from the meaning of 'making repayment as undertaking restoration, dealt with in 9087.

9138. Verses 5-6 When a man devastates a field or a vineyard, sending in his beast of burden and causing devastation ¹ in another's field, he shall make repayment from the best of his own field or from the best of his own vineyard. When fire breaks out and catches hold of thorns, and a stack of grain is consumed, or standing grain, or a field, the one kindling what is kindled shall surely make repayment.

'When a man devastates a field or a vineyard' means a stripping away of the Church's goodness and truth by evil desires. 'Sending in his beast of burden' means if he does it with little self-awareness. 'And causing devastation in another's field' means consuming interconnected forms of good. 'He shall make repayment from the best of his own field or from the best of his own vineyard' means undertaking restoration with forms of good and with truths that are still intact. 'When fire breaks out' means anger arising from an affection for evil. 'And catches hold of thorns' means which spreads into falsities. 'And a stack of grain is consumed' means harm done to accepted truths and forms of the good of faith. 'Or standing grain, or a field' means or to truths and forms of the good of faith in the process of being conceived. 'The one kindling what is kindled shall surely make repayment' means undertaking restoration for the things taken away by the anger arising from an affection for evil.

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