2683. Verse 16 And she went and sat by herself some distance away, withdrawing herself about a bowshot, for she said, Let me not see the death of the boy. And she sat some distance away and lifted up her voice and wept.

'She went and sat by herself some distance away' means a state of thought. 'Withdrawing herself about a bowshot' means the extent to which the state was away from the doctrine of truth, 'a bow' meaning the doctrine of truth. 'For she said, Let me not see the death of the boy' means grief that [spiritual truth] would thus perish. 'And she sat some distance away' means a state of thought. 'And lifted up her voice and wept' means a further degree of grief.

2677. 'And the boy' means spiritual truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the boy', here as that which is called the spiritual, for Ishmael or the son of the servant-girl here represents the member of the spiritual Church. And because that member at first is represented here, the expression 'the boy' is used here.