7972. 'And the children of Israel travelled from Rameses to Succoth' means the first state of departure and the essential nature of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'travelling' as the order and established patterns of life, dealt with in 1293, 3335, 4882, 5493, 5605, so that the travels of the children of Israel, described in Exodus, are states of life and their changes from first to last. At this point therefore 'the travelling from Rameses to Succoth' means the first state and the essential nature of it. For names of places, like those of persons too, all mean spiritual things and their essential nature, see 768, 1224, 1264, 1876, 1888, 3422, 4298, 4710, 4442, 5095, 6516.

1264. From all these considerations it now becomes clear that although no more than the names of nations and families occur in this chapter, it nevertheless contains in general not only all the different forms of worship as regards goods stemming from charity and as regards truths of faith that existed in the Ancient Church, but also those that exist in every Church. Indeed this chapter contains more than anyone can possibly believe. Such is the nature of the Word of the Lord.