9304. To guard thee in the way. That this signifies His providence and guard from the falsities of evil, is evident from the signification of “guarding,” when said of the Lord, as being providence; for providence consists in providing and foreseeing, thus in leading to good and guarding from evil; because good is provided by the Lord, and evil is foreseen by Him (see n. 6489); and because evil is foreseen, man is guarded from it, otherwise good cannot be provided. And from the signification of “the way,” as being truth (n. 627, 2333, 3477); here as being falsity, because it is said “to guard thee;” for he who leads in truth likewise guards from falsity, because falsity infests and attacks truth. That falsity of evil is meant, is because this falsity infests and attacks; but not the falsity which is not of evil, such as is with those who are in good (of which falsity, and also of the falsity of evil, see n. 2243, 2408, 2863, 4736, 4822, 6359, 7272, 7437, 7574, 7577, 8051, 8137, 8149, 8298, 8311, 8318, 9258, 9298).

4619. And was gathered unto his peoples. That this signifies that it was now among the things which are of the Divine natural, is evident from the signification of “being gathered unto his peoples,” as being, in regard to representatives, that this one is treated of no longer (see n. 3255, 3276); thus here that it is among the things which are of the Divine natural (as follows from what has been said just above, n. 4618). When anyone died the ancients said that “he was gathered to his peoples,” and thereby meant in the proximate sense that he was among his own in the other life. For during his bodily life every man is as to his spirit in company with spirits and angels, and also comes among the same after death (n. 1277, 2379). This is what was meant by the “peoples” to whom he is gathered. But in the internal sense of the Word, where the goods and truths of the church or of the Lord’s kingdom are treated of, by “being gathered to one’s people” is signified to be among the truths and goods which agree or correspond. All the heavenly societies are in truths and goods, but as the truths and goods there are related as by the relationships and connections of earth, with every shade of difference (n. 685, 917, 3815, 4121), therefore their “peoples” are the truths in which are the concordant societies, or the societies which are in these truths. (That “peoples” denote truths, see n. 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295, 3581)