1719. The women and the people. That this signifies both the goods and the truths, may be seen from the signification of “wives” and of “daughters,” as being what is good (spoken of before, n. 489-491, 568, 915)—here the word “women” is used instead of wives and daughters; and from the signification of “people,” as being truth (also explained before, n. 1259, 1260).

1260. Because in the Most Ancient and in the Ancient Church, nations signified goods, or good men, therefore in the opposite sense they signify evils, or evil men. In like manner peoples, because they signified truths, in the opposite sense signify falsities. For in a depraved church good is turned into evil, and truth into falsity. Hence comes the signification of “nations” and of “peoples” in this opposite sense in many places in the Word, as in Isaiah 13:4; 14:6; 18:2, 7; 30:28; 34:1-2; Ezekiel 20:32.