6118. 'Saying, Give us bread' means a plea for the sustainment of spiritual life. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving', when it has reference to 'bread', as sustaining; and from the meaning of 'bread' as spiritual life. In a specific sense 'bread' means the good of love and charity; but in a general sense it means spiritual life, for in this case bread is used to mean all food, as shown in 2165. When used to mean all food in general, it is spiritual life; for in the spiritual sense food in general is all the good of love and all the truth of faith. These two are what compose spiritual life.

The word “bread” is used two ways in the Bible. In some cases it means actual bread; in others it stands for food in general. Food in the Bible represents everything good and true coming to use from the Lord. Of all foods, though, bread itself is perhaps the most basic and pure. As such it represents the most central of all desires for good: the love of the Lord Himself.