6543. 'Therefore they called the name of it Abel Mizraim' means the essential nature of the grief. This is clear from the meaning of 'the name' and 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3421; and since in ancient times names were conferred which had real things and states as their meaning, the essential nature is accordingly meant, 1946, 3422, 4298. The essential nature of the grief is therefore meant by 'Abel Mizraim', a name which means in the original language The Mourning of the Egyptians.

1755. That 'these will take their share' means that these things were placed under their power and control is clear from what has been stated above at verses 21-23, to the effect that the Lord was unwilling to have anything that derived from them, since the Lord derived no strength whatever from that source. By 'they were placed under the power and control of the angels' the following is meant, that it is the angels who actually rule over evil and hellish spirits, as has been clear to me from much experience. The Lord however foresees and sees all things and every individual thing; and He provides and arranges the same, though some things arise from His permission, some from His concession, some from His consent, some from His good pleasure, and some from His will. The desire to control others is something altogether man's own, quite different from anything angels receive from the Lord. Angels' entire exercise of control is grounded in love and mercy, devoid of any desire to dominate. But as these are rather deep arcana they cannot be presented intelligibly in a few words. It is enough if one knows that evil and hellish spirits were placed under the power and control of the angels, and that the Lord governs all things, and every single thing, down to the last detail. These matters will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on where Providence and Permissions are dealt with.