9304. To guard thee in the way. That this signifies His providence and guard from the falsities of evil, is evident from the signification of “guarding,” when said of the Lord, as being providence; for providence consists in providing and foreseeing, thus in leading to good and guarding from evil; because good is provided by the Lord, and evil is foreseen by Him (see n. 6489); and because evil is foreseen, man is guarded from it, otherwise good cannot be provided. And from the signification of “the way,” as being truth (n. 627, 2333, 3477); here as being falsity, because it is said “to guard thee;” for he who leads in truth likewise guards from falsity, because falsity infests and attacks truth. That falsity of evil is meant, is because this falsity infests and attacks; but not the falsity which is not of evil, such as is with those who are in good (of which falsity, and also of the falsity of evil, see n. 2243, 2408, 2863, 4736, 4822, 6359, 7272, 7437, 7574, 7577, 8051, 8137, 8149, 8298, 8311, 8318, 9258, 9298).

8318. Fright and dread have fallen upon them. That this signifies that they are without any hope of domination, is evident from the signification of “fright and dread,” when said of those who are in the love of self and in the consequent falsities and evils, who are signified by “the chiefs of Edom and the mighty ones of Moab,” as being that they are without hope of domination; for they who are in the evil of the love of self continually desire to domineer, but when terror falls upon them on account of a victorious enemy, then the hope of domineering falls.

[2] Be it known that evils are from a double origin; namely, from the love of self, and from the love of the world. They who are in evils from the love of self, love themselves only, and despise all others except those who make one with themselves, in loving whom they do not love them, but themselves, because they see themselves in them. The evils from this origin are the worst of all; for they who are in them not only despise all others in comparison with themselves, but also pursue them with invectives, and bear hatred toward them for slight cause, and then breathe their destruction. In this way revenge and cruelty become the delight of their life. They who are in the evil of this love are at a depth in hell according to the quality and amount of this love.

[3] But they who are in evil from the love of the world also hold their neighbor in slight estimation, and esteem him solely by reason of his wealth; thus they esteem his riches, not him. These desire to possess all that belongs to their neighbor, and when they are in this cupidity, they are then devoid of all charity and mercy; for to deprive their neighbor of his goods is the delight of their life, especially of those who are sordidly avaricious, that is, who love gold and silver for the sake of gold and silver, but not for the sake of any use from them. Those with whom the evil of this love has dominion are also in the hells, but not in hells so deep as are they who are in the evil of the love of self. Besides these two origins of evil there is also a third, which is to do evil from the principles of a false religion; but this evil has a bad character with those who are in the love of self and of the world; but not with those who are in love toward the neighbor and to their God; for the end is good, and the end qualifies all the rest (see n. 8311).