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.

3250. Verses 7-10 And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, a hundred and seventy-five years. And Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full [of years]; and he was gathered to his peoples. And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him at the cave of Machpelah, at the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which faced Mamre. The field which Abraham bought from the sons of Heth, there Abraham was buried and Sarah his wife.

'These are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived' means the state representative of the Lord as regards the Divine itself that was portrayed by means of Abraham. 'A hundred and seventy-five years' means the things constituting that state. 'And Abraham breathed his last and died' means the end of the representation portrayed by means of Abraham. 'In a good old age, an old man and full [of years]' means a new state of representation. 'And he was gathered to his peoples' means that these things involving Abraham [were completed]. 'And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him' means that the representation of the Lord was now taken over by Isaac and Ishmael. 'At the cave of Machpelah' means resurrection as regards truth. 'At the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which faced Mamre' means as regards good; also meant, as previously, are those who are spiritual, who receive truth and good from the Lord's Divine Human and are saved. 'The field which Abraham bought from the sons of Heth' means the Lord's spiritual kingdom resulting from this. 'There Abraham was buried and Sarah his wife' means resurrection.