8712. And do thou set them for princes of thousands. That this signifies the primary truths which are in the first degree under the truth that is immediately from the Divine, is evident from the signification of “princes,” as being primary things (on which see n. 1482, 2089, 5044), here truths from good, because these princes were to be under Moses, by whom is represented truth Divine proceeding from Divine good, that is, from the Lord; and from the signification of “thousands,” as being those who are in the first degree; for by “a thousand” are signified many persons, or in the abstract sense many things and where there are many things, or they who are over many, and are thereby in a degree of greater dignity than those who are over few; here therefore those who are in the first degree, for they who were in a lower degree were princes of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens (that in the internal sense “a thousand” does not mean a thousand, but many persons or many things, see n. 2575).

1482. The princes of Pharaoh saw her. That this signifies the primary precepts, which are “the princes of Pharaoh,” is evident from the signification of “princes,” and of “Pharaoh.” In both the historical and prophetical parts of the Word, “princes” signify the things which are primary; and “Pharaoh” signifies the same as “Egypt;” and here “Egypt,” or “Pharaoh,” is used in the best sense, because predicated of the memory-knowledge of knowledges which the Lord first acquired in childhood. That they were primary precepts from the Word, is evident from the signification of these things in the internal sense. That, speaking generally, by “Pharaoh” in the Word is signified the same as by “Egypt,” may be confirmed from many passages; as also that by the kings of other kingdoms, who are named, the same is signified as by the names of the kingdoms; but by “princes” are signified their primary things, as in Isaiah:

The princes of Zoan are foolish, the wise counselors of Pharaoh; how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived (Isaiah 19:11, 13).

Here “the princes of Zoan,” and “the wise counselors of Pharaoh,” denote the primary memory-knowledges; and as wisdom first flourished in Egypt, as before said, it is called “the son of the wise,” and “the son of ancient kings.” So “princes” frequently denote in the Word primary things.