5512. 'And took us for men spying out the land' means that it saw the truths known to the Church as ones existing there for the sake of gain. This is clear from the representation of the sons of Jacob, to whom 'us' refers here, as the truths known to the Church that were present in the natural, dealt with in 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458; and from the meaning of 'spies' or 'men spying out the land' as people interested in the truths known to the Church solely for the sake of gain, dealt with in 5432.

3926. 'A second son to Jacob' means a second general truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'son' as truth, dealt with in 489, 491, 533, 1147, a general truth being meant at this point, as is clear from what has been stated and shown above concerning the twelve sons of Jacob and concerning the twelve tribes named after them; that is to say, the general aspects of the Church, and consequently the general aspects of faith and love, or of truth and good, are meant and represented by those sons. They also mean in the contrary sense every general aspect of that which is not faith or love, that is, every aspect of falsity and evil, as will be evident from what is said further on.