9339. Verses 31-33. And I will set thy border from the sea Suph, and even unto the sea of the Philistines; and from the wilderness even unto the river; for I will give into your hand the inhabitants of the land, and I will drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt not make a covenant with them, and with their gods. They shall not dwell in thy land, lest perchance they make thee sin against Me, when thou shalt serve their gods, because it will be a snare to thee. “And I will set thy border from the sea Suph, and even unto the sea of the Philistines,” signifies extension from memory-truths to the interior truths of faith; “and from the wilderness even unto the river,” signifies from the delight of what is sensuous, even to the good and truth of the rational; “for I will give into your hand the inhabitants of the land,” signifies command over evils; “and I will drive them out from before thee,” signifies their removal; “thou shalt not make a covenant with them, and with their gods,” signifies no communication with evils and falsities; “they shall not dwell in thy land,” signifies that evils shall not be together with the goods of the church; “lest perchance they make thee sin against Me,” signifies lest evils turn away the goods that are from the Lord; “when thou shalt serve their gods,” signifies if there be worship from falsities; “because it will be a snare to thee,” signifies by reason of the allurement and deception of evils.

7062. And gathered together all the elders of the sons of Israel. That this signifies the chief things of wisdom pertaining to the spiritual church, is evident from the signification of “elders,” as being the chief things of wisdom, thus those which agree with good (see n. 6524); and from the representation of the sons of Israel, as being the spiritual church (see n. 6426, 6637).