7344. For they could not drink of the waters of the river. That this signifies no application from mere falsities, is evident from the signification of “not being able to drink,” as being no application (that “to drink” is to apply, see just above, n. 7343); and from the signification of “the waters of the river,” as being falsities (of which also above, n. 7307). That by “not being able to drink of the waters of the river” is signified that truths cannot be applied to mere falsities, that is, cannot be falsified by mere falsities, follows also from the internal sense of what immediately precedes, namely, “digging waters to drink round about the river,” as being to search out truths which they might apply to falsities. That truths cannot be applied to falsities by mere falsities, is because truths and falsities are absolute opposites, and opposites cannot be applied unless there are intermediates which conjoin. The intermediates which conjoin are the fallacies of the external senses, and also the things that have been said in the Word according to the appearance. Take for example, that nothing but what is good is from the Lord, and never anything that is evil; this truth is falsified by the fallacies that the Lord can take away evil if He will, by His omnipotence, and that because He does not take it away, He is therefore the cause of it, and thus evil too is from the Lord; and by what has been said in the Word according to the appearance, that Jehovah or the Lord is angry, punishes, condemns, casts into hell; when yet it is those who are in evil who do this to themselves, and thereby bring upon themselves the evil of punishment; for in the other life the evil of punishment and the evil of guilt are conjoined. So in innumerable other cases.