Verses 1-10. A continuation of the closing subject of the last chapter, describing more particularly the state of temptation and its effect with the wicked and with the good.

Verses 11-25. Revelation from the Lord that those who are merely natural will persist in their hatred of good, while the good will be delivered; including a description of the state of the good during the temptation, and of consolation given to them, notwithstanding that their temptation may continue.

Verses 26-39. Further, there is revelation giving a more particular description of the experiences of the wicked, of their vastation, and of the preservation of those who are established in good and truth.

Verses 40-45. Concerning the attempt of those who are in merely external worship without any genuine spiritual life to overcome evil by and from themselves, and the consequences thereof.

1198. 'From whom they came forth' means that cognitions, as these exist with them, are facts. This is clear from what has been stated. These are not said to have been 'begotten' by those who belonged to Egypt but to have 'gone forth', for they are not such as use natural and factual knowledge to reason about spiritual and celestial things and in so doing fabricate for themselves doctrinal teachings, as do those described before. Instead they learn cognitions of faith from another source, but have no other end in view to knowing and retaining these in the memory than they have with other things in which they have no interest beyond merely knowing them, and only then for the reason that by so knowing they may be promoted to positions of importance, and for other like reasons. So different is knowledge of cognitions of faith from knowledge of natural things that the two have scarcely anything in common. This explains why they are not said to have been 'bore' but to have 'gone forth' from them. Such being the character of 'Philistines' they inevitably pervert cognitions of faith by means of reasonings from them, and as a consequence fabricate false doctrines for themselves. They belong therefore among those who are barely able to be regenerated and to receive charity, both because they are uncircumcised at heart and because the false assumptions and consequently the life of their understanding hinder and prevent.