2344. Verse 4 Scarcely had they lain down when the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from boy even to old man, all the people from furthest away.

'Scarcely had they lain down' means the first phase of visitation. 'The men of the city' means those immersed in falsities. 'The men of Sodom' means those immersed in evils. 'Surrounded the house' means that they were set against the good that flows from charity. 'From boy even to old man' means falsities and evils, both recent and confirmed. 'All the people from furthest away' means every single one of them.

1647. The speech of celestial angels is quite distinct and separate from that of spiritual angels, being even more indescribable and beyond words. The things that their thoughts are introduced into are the good and celestial things belonging to ends, and they consequently experience happiness itself. And what is astonishing, their speech is far more abounding since celestial angels are at the very sources and origins of the life of thought and speech.