7585. 'Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail' means that they did not destroy anything where those who belonged to the spiritual Church were. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Goshen' as the inmost part of the natural mind, dealt with in 5910, 6028, 60311 6068, and as the Church, 6649; and from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with in 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223.

5910. 'And you shall dwell in the land of Goshen' means the middle of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, dealt with in 1293, 3384, 3613, 4451; and from the meaning of 'the land of Goshen' as the middle or inmost part. Because that land was situated in Egypt and 'Egypt' means the factual knowledge present in the natural, 'Goshen' means the middle or inmost part of the natural. Goshen was the best region in the land of Egypt; and what is the best - the best in the natural where factual knowledge exists - is situated in the middle or centre. For the actual good there acts like a kind of sun, shedding light from itself on the truths to the sides of it.