1849. That 'the nation also which they are going to serve' means the evil who oppress is clear from the meaning of 'nation' and of 'serving'. In the genuine sense 'a nation' means goods, or what amounts to the same, those who are good, for when goods are thus spoken of abstractedly they still have reference to the subject, which is a man, spirit, or angel. In the contrary sense however 'nation' means evils, or what amounts to the same, those who are evil, dealt with in 1159, 1258-1260. 'Serving' however, or slavery, means oppression, as in the previous verse.

1260. Since 'nations' in the Most Ancient Church and in the Ancient Church meant goods or good persons, therefore also in the contrary sense they mean evils or evil persons Similarly with 'peoples'; since these meant truths, therefore also in the contrary sense they mean falsities. For in a corrupted Church good is turned into evil, and truth into falsity, as a consequence of which the meaning of nations and peoples in that contrary sense occurs many times in the Word, as in Isaiah 13:4; 14:6; 18:2, 7; 30:28; 34:1-2; Ezekiel 20:13; and in many other places.