9304. 'To keep you safe on the way' means His providence and protection from falsities arising from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'keeping safe', when it refers to the Lord, as providence, for providence consists in making provision for something and looking towards it, thus in leading towards good, and in protecting from evil (for the Lord provides what is good but foresees what is evil, 6489, and since He foresees what is evil He also protects a person from it, otherwise he could not be provided with good); and from the meaning of 'the way' as truth, dealt with in 627, 2333, 3477, in this instance falsity as well since the words 'keep safe' are used. He who leads in the way of truth also protects from falsity, because falsity molests and attacks truth. The reason why falsity arising from evil is meant is that this falsity engages in molestation and mounts attacks, but not falsity which does not arise from evil, such as exists with those governed by good. Regarding this falsity, as well as falsity arising from evil, see 2243, 2408, 2863, 4736, 4822, 6359, 7272, 7437, 7574, 7577, 8051, 8137, 8149, 8298, 8311, 8318 (end), 9258, 9298.

3295. 'And [one] people will prevail over [the other] people' means that at first truth must be superior to the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'people' as truth, dealt with immediately above in 3294, and from the meaning of 'prevailing over' as being superior to. The 'people' mentioned first means truth, whereas the 'people' mentioned second means the good of truth. The good of truth is good which arises out of truth, and, as it exists first of all, is truth. It is called good however because it looks like good. Consequently 'people' also means this good, which is called the good of truth as it is when it first arises.

[2] To have any concept of this good it should be recognized that until he has been regenerated a person does good from truth, but after he has been regenerated he does it from good. Or to make the point clearer still, before he has been regenerated the good he does is a product of the understanding, but after he has been regenerated it is a product of the will. Good therefore which is a product of the understanding is not in itself good but truth, whereas good that is a product of the will is good. For example, when a person does not honour his parents but then learns from the Ten Commandments to do so, his honouring of them is at first a product of the commandment. Such honouring however, being a product of the commandment, is not in itself good because it does not flow from love. It flows either from obedience to the law or from fear of the law, but is nevertheless called the good of truth. When it first arises however it is truth, for at that time it is not good that he performs but truth. When however his honouring of them is the product of love it is in that case good. The same is so in every other example that could be taken.