8226. And the sea returned to the strength of its flow at the turning to morning. That this signifies the flowing back to them of falsities from evil from the presence of the Lord, is evident from the signification of returning, when said of falsities from evil which are signified by the waters of the Red Sea, as a flowing back or relapse to them — of which just above (n. 8223); from the signification of the sea, here the waters of the sea, as falsities from evil which are in hell (n. 6346, 7307, 8137); from the signification of at the turning to the morning, as the presence of the Lord - of which in what follows; and from the signification of to the strength of its flow, as, according to the usual state and order in hell; for in the hells there is an order as well as in the heavens, since in the hells there is consociation by evils, as in the heavens by goods, but the consociation in the hells is like that of robbers. That at the turning to the morning means the presence of the Lord, may be evident from what was shown above concerning the morning (in n. 8211), namely, that the morning is a state of thick darkness and destruction to the evil, and a state of enlightenment and salvation to the good, and this only from the presence of the Lord (n. 7989, 8137, 8138, 8188), that is, 2 from the presence of His Divine Human (n. 8159). The like to what is here said of the Egyptians is said of Babel in Jeremiah: He is the Former of all things, chiefly of the sceptre of His inheritance: Jehovah of hosts is His name. Thou art my hammer and weapons of war: and by Thee will I scatter the nations; and by Thee will I destroy kingdoms; and by Thee will I scatter the horse and his rider; and by Thee will I scatter the chariot and him that is borne therein. And I will render unto Babel and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight (li. 19–21, 24). By Babel in this passage are signified those who have been of the church and have profaned good, and by Chaldea those who have profaned

*The Latin has currum for equitem.

*

truth; their understanding, and the doctrines and reasonings therefrom, are here also signified by horse, chariot, and him that is borne therein; and vastation by their being scattered. The Lord as to the Divine Human, by Whose presence their dispersion is effected, is meant by these words: "He is the Former of all things, chiefly of the sceptre of His inheritance; Jehovah of hosts is His name. Thou art my hammer and weapons of war: and by Thee will I scatter the nations; and by Thee will I destroy kingdoms." Nations mean evils, and kingdoms falsities. From this also it is plain that the evils which they do to others flow back or relapse upon themselves, for it is said that their evil shall be rendered unto them; and also elsewhere in the Word it is said that in the day of visitation vengeance shall be taken and it shall be avenged.

8227. And the Egyptians fled in its way. That this signifies that they immersed themselves in falsities from evil, is evident from the signification of fleeing in the way of the sea, as immersing themselves in the falsities from evil which are signified by the waters of that sea (see n. 8226). The truth is that he who does not know the interiors of causes, cannot believe otherwise than that the evils which befall the evil, as punishments, vastations, damnations, and finally casting into hell, are from the Divine; for so it altogether appears, since such things arise from the presence of the Divine (n. 8137, 8138, 8188); while yet nothing of the kind befalls them from the Divine, but from themselves. The Divine and its presence have solely for an end the protection and salvation of the good, and when the Divine is present with these and protects them against the evil, then the evil are still more inflamed against them and more still against the Divine Itself, having this in utmost hatred, since they who hate good bear the greatest hatred against the Divine. For this reason they are furious in their assault, and in proportion to the fury of their assault they cast themselves by the law of order into punishments, vastations,

damnation, and at length into hell. From this it may be evident that the Divine, that is, the Lord, does nothing but good, and evil to no one, but that they who are in evil cast themselves into such punishments. This is what is signified by the Egyptians fleeing in the way of the sea, that is, 2 that they immersed themselves in falsities from evil. On this subject something further shall be said. It is believed that even evils are from the Divine, for the reason that the Divine permits them, and does not take them away; and he who permits and does not take away when he is able, appears to will and thus to be the cause. But the Divine permits, because It cannot prevent nor take away; for the Divine wills nothing but good. If therefore It should prevent and take away evils, that is, those of punishments, vastations, persecutions, temptations, and the like, It would then will evil, for then there could be no amendment, and evil would increase, until it had the dominion over good. This is as with a king who absolves the guilty. In so doing he is the cause of the evil afterward done by them in the kingdom, and also the cause of license gained therefrom by others, besides that an evil person would be confirmed in evil. Wherefore a just and good king, though he is able to take away punishments, still is not able, for thereby he would do not good but evil. It is to be known that all punishments and also temptations in the other life have good for their end.

8228. And Jehovah shook off the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. That this signifies that thus they cast themselves into hell where are falsities from evil, is evident from the signification of shaking off in the midst of the sea, as casting into falsities derived from evil, for those falsities are signified by the waters of that sea (see n. 6346, 7307, 8137, 8138). That evils which in the literal sense of the Word are attributed to Jehovah, that is, to the Lord, are from those themselves who are in evil and nothing of them from the Lord, and that the Word in its internal sense is so to

be understood, may be seen above (n. 2447, 6071, 6991, . 6997, 7533, 7632, 7643, 7679, 7710, 7877, 7926, 8227).

8229. And the waters returned. That this signifies the relapse of falsities into them, is evident from what was explained above (n. 8223, 8226).

8230. And covered the chariots, and the horsemen, even all the host of Pharaoh. That this signifies that their own falsities hid them, is evident from the signification of covering, as closing over and thus hiding; and from the signification of the chariots and horsemen of Pharaoh, as doctrines of falsity and reasonings fighting against truths and goods, in general falsities themselves from evil. That chariots are the doctrines of falsity and horsemen reasonings from a perverted understanding, may be seen above (n. 8146, 8148), and fighting against truths and goods (n. 8215).

8231. That went in after them into the sea. That this signifies that would seize hold upon them, is evident from the signification of [covering those] that went in after them, when said of the waters of the sea, by which are signified falsities from evil, as seizing hold upon.

8232. There remained not so much as one of them. That this signifies all together and every one, is evident without explication. In this verse the subject is the immersion or casting into hell of those who have been in falsities from evil. But what is meant by immersion and casting into hell, is known to few, it being supposed to mean the casting down into a certain place where the devil is with his crew, who there inflict torment; but it is not so, for the casting into hell is nothing else but a crowding by mere falsities which are from evil, in which evil they were when in the world. When they are there crowded together by those falsities, they are then in hell, and the evils and falsities, in which they then are, torment them. But the torment does not arise from their grieving at the evil which they have done, but from their not being able to do evil, which is the enjoyment of their life; for when

in hell they do evil to others, they are punished and tormented by those to whom they do it. They do evil especially to one another from the lust of ruling over others and of subjugating them for that purpose, and this they attempt, if others do not suffer themselves to be subjugated by them, by a thousand methods of punishments and torments. But the dominion there, which they continually aim at, is always shifting, and thus they who had punished and tormented others are in their turn punished and tormented by others; and this until at length such burning desire abates from the fear of punishment. From what has been shown it may now be evident whence hell is, and what hell is. The fire of hell is nothing else than the lust of self-love which inflames and torments (n. 6314, 7324, 7575).

8233. Verses 29-31. But the sons of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus Jehovah saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw the great hand which Jehovah laid upon the Egyptians, and the people feared Jehovah : and they believed in Jehovah, and in His servant Moses. "But the sons of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea" signifies that they who were in the good of truth and the truth of good passed safely through that hell without infestation; "and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left" signifies that they were withheld from falsities on all sides. 'Thus Jehovah saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians " signifies that the Lord in this state protected those who were of the spiritual church from all violence arising from falsities derived from evil; “and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore" signifies the sight of the damned dispersed here and there. "And Israel saw the great hand

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which Jehovah laid upon the Egyptians" signifies the ac