7144. 'No straw is given to your servants' means that they were no longer being supplied with factual knowledge that is a container for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'straw' as factual knowledge, the most general kind of all, dealt with in 7112, which - being like a vessel that can be filled with truths, 4745, 4387, 5208, 7131 - is called factual knowledge that is a container for truth; from the meaning of 'not being given' as not being supplied with; and from the meaning of 'servants' as those who minister and perform a function, dealt with immediately above in 7143.

3846. 'And we will give you this one also for the service which you render with me for another seven years' means that in that case it would be a complete state of diligent effort. This is clear from the meaning of 'service' and of 'serving' as diligent effort, dealt with in 3824, and from the meaning of 'seven years', which has the same meaning as 'a week', namely a state and a whole period - as immediately above in 3845 - and so a complete state which is also holy, as in 3824. 'We will give you this one also' means that in that case there would be a joining to the affection for internal truth. The reason why 'serving' in the internal sense means diligent effort is that the exertions of the external man exist as diligent effort in the internal man, which is why a diligent effort is called mental toil.