4396. 'And he encamped towards the face of the city' means application, that is to say, to the goods of that truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'encamping', strictly speaking, as an arrangement in conformity with true order, dealt with in 4236, though here application, since encamping here denotes settling down with his herds and flocks, which above in 4364 have also been called 'a camp'; and from the meaning of 'towards the face of the city' as towards the goods of that truth, for 'the face' means things that are interior, 358, 1999, 2434, 3527, 3573, 4066, and consequently affections for good or truth which shine out of the face. 'The city' means truth, see 402, 2268, 2449, 2451, 2712, 2943, 3216.

2434. That 'he said to him, Behold, I have accepted you as regards this matter also' means assent, provided that the interior aspects of that truth derive anything from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'face'. 'Face' occurs very many times in the Word and in those places it means the interiors, as shown in 358, 1999; and when the word 'face' is used in reference to Jehovah or the Lord it means mercy, peace, and good, 222, 223. Here therefore 'face' means good which is interiorly within truth, so that 'accepting the face' means assent, provided that the interior aspects of that truth derive anything from good. 'As regards this matter' means as regards this thing. Unless truth has good within it, it is not truth, see 1496, 1832, 1900, 1904, 1928, 2063, 2173, 2269, 2401, 2403, 2429; and the source of man's blessing and happiness after death is not truth but the good lying within truth, 2261. Consequently blessing and happiness are for him increased the more good there is lying within truth. That good lies within truth and causes it to be truth becomes clear also from goods and truths as they exist in worldly things. When a person takes in and acknowledges something within these as being good, then whatever regards that good with favour he calls the truth. But whatever does not regard it with favour he rejects and calls falsity. He may also call something the truth which does not regard that good with favour; but in that case he is pretending one thing and thinking another. The same also applies in spiritual things.