4765. 'And said, The lad is no more' means that no faith in Him exists. This is clear from the meaning of 'the lad' as the truth of faith; for 'a son' means truth, 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3373, 3704, and so 'the lad', which here refers to Joseph, represents Divine Truth, as has been shown. Now because all truth is the truth of faith - for that which was called truth or what is true in the Ancient Churches is called faith in the new Church, 4690 - 'the lad is no more' consequently means that no faith in Him exists.

533. Since nothing further is mentioned about Lamech apart from the fact that be beget sons and daughters, who are the conceptions and births of such a Church, there is no need to pause any longer over him. What these births, or sons and daughters, were, becomes clear from the Church, for the character of a Church determines that of its offspring. Both those Churches called Methuselah and Lamech breathed their last just before the flood.