4719. And he said, I seek my brethren; tell me I pray where they are feeding the flock? That this signifies knowledge of how the case was, and what state they were in; proximately, according to the words, how it was with those who taught from faith, and to learn their state, is evident; for by the "brethren" are signified those who teach from faith (see n. 4712); how it was with them is signified by "seeking them," or "seeing their peace" (n. 4712, 4713); by "where" is signified state, for in the internal sense everything relating to place denotes state (n. 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387, 4321); and by "those who feed" are signified those who teach (n. 343, 3767, 3768, 3772, 3783).
