218. Concerning Bread. Where the Lord is treated of, by bread is signified the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Love, and the principle of reciprocity with the man who eats, nos. 2165, 2177, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, 4976, 9323, 9545. Bread involves and signifies all food in general, nos. 2165, 6118. Food signifies everything that nourishes the spiritual life of man, nos. 4976, 5147, 5915, 6277, 8418. Thus bread signifies all celestial and spiritual food, nos. 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3478, 6118, 8410; and consequently, everything that proceeds out of the mouth of God, according to the Lord's words in Matthew iv. 4, no. 681. Bread in general signifies the good of love, nos. 2165, 2177, 10686; likewise wheat, of which bread is made, nos. 3941, 7605. Where bread and water are mentioned in the Word, they signify the good of love, and the truth of faith, no. 9323. In the ancient Churches, the breaking of bread was a representative of mutual love, no. 5405, Spiritual food is knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom, and thus good and truth, because from the latter the former are derived, nos. 3114, 4459, 4792, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 5576, 5582, 5588, 5655, 8562, 9003; and because these nourish the mind, nos. 4459, 5293, 5576, 6277, 8418. Sustenance by food denotes spiritual nourishment, and the influx of good and truth from the Lord, nos. 4976, 5915, 6277. The loaves of bread on the table in the tabernacle, signified the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Love, nos. 3478, 9545. The meat-offerings in the sacrifices, which consisted of cakes and wafers, signified worship from the good of love, nos. 4581, 10079, 10137. What was signified by the various meat-offerings specifically, nos. 7978, 9992-9994, 10079. The ancients, when mentioning bread, meant all food in general (see Gen. xliii. 16, 31; Exod. xviii. 12; Judges xiii. 15, 16; 1 Sam. xiv. 28, 29; xx. 24, 27; 2 Sam. ix. 7, 10; 1 Kings iv. 22, 23; 2 Kings xxv. 29).