4745. 'And they sat down to eat bread' means making evil that was a product of falsity their own. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in 3168, 3513 (end), 3596; 3832; and from the meaning of 'bread' as the good of love, dealt with in 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, as well as all food in general, 2165. Here however 'bread' means the opposite of that good, namely evil, for it is well known that those who eat bread in the Holy Supper in an unworthy manner do not make good but evil their own. From this it is evident that in the contrary sense 'eating bread' means making evil their own. It was a practice among the ancients to eat together when they reached an important decision that was endorsed by everyone else. By eating together they were indicating that they approved the decision and so had made it their own, as in Ezekiel,

Behold, the princes of Israel, each according to his power, ¹ have been among you and have shed blood. Men of intrigue have been among you, [ready] to shed blood, and have eaten on the mountains. Ezekiel 22:6, 9.

What is more, it should be recognized that generally evil has two sources, the first being life and the second doctrine. That which has its origin in false doctrine is called evil that is a product of falsity; and it is this kind of evil that is meant here.

脚注:

可拉是利未支派的人，他与流便支派的达坦和亚比兰一起，领导了一场针对摩西和亚伦的叛乱。显然，他们的叛乱是由于他们在旷野中没有地方可去而引起的。这件事发生在以色列人从南方接近迦南地，并派出探子侦察那块地之后。十二个探子中有十个说那块地对他们来说太强了，那里有巨人。摩西于是告诉全体会众，他们都必须在旷野中度过四十年，直到那一代人全部死亡。

在这个故事中，摩西和亚伦代表主。当可拉和他的反叛者抱怨他们，并从祭坛上取火烧香时，他们代表了将善的东西（祭坛上的火）与恶的东西（反叛摩西）相混合的亵渎行为。这三个反叛的领袖和他们的追随者与会众分开，被地里开的坑吞没了。在我们的生活中，邪恶的东西也需要被分开，并被赶走。

(参考: 详解启示录324 [6])