387. And with death, signifies the consequent extinction of spiritual life. This is evident from the signification of "death," as being the extinction of spiritual life (See above, n. 78, 186). That this is what "death" here signifies is evident from the series of things in the internal sense; for it is said that "there was given unto them power to kill with sword, with famine, and with death;" and "sword" signifies falsity destroying truth, "famine" the deprivation of the knowledges of truth and good; thence "death" signifies the extinction of spiritual life; for where falsity reigns, and where there are no knowledges of truth and good, there is no spiritual life, for spiritual life is acquired by means of the knowledges of truth and good applied to the uses of life. For man is born into all evil and falsity from evil; he is therefore born also into an entire ignorance of all spiritual knowledges; therefore in order that he may be led away from the evils and consequent falsities into which he is born, and be led into the life of heaven and be saved, he must needs acquire the knowledges of truth and good, by means of which he can be led into spiritual life and become spiritual. From this series of things in the internal sense it is evident that "death" here signifies the extinction of spiritual life; this is meant, too, by spiritual death.

6679. 'And did not do as the king of Egypt spoke to them' means that the intention of those under the influence of falsities was not carried out. This is clear from the meaning of 'did not do as he spoke' as the fact that their intention was not carried out, that is, they were unable to destroy the truths meant by 'the boys', even though their intention was to destroy them by whatever method they could, 6676; and from the meaning of 'the king of Egypt' as separated factual knowledge that is opposed to the Church's truth, dealt with in 6651, thus falsity since that factual knowledge is false.