8230. And covered the chariots, and the horsemen, even all the army of Pharaoh. That this signifies that their own falsities hid them, is evident from the signification of “covering,” as being to overwhelm, and thus to hide; and from the signification of “the chariots and the horsemen of Pharaoh,” as being doctrinal things of falsity, and reasonings, fighting against truths and goods, in general the very falsities from evil. (That “chariots” denote doctrinal things of falsity, and “horsemen” reasonings from a perverted understanding, see n. 8146, 8148; and that they denote these fighting against truths and goods, n. 8215)

8146. And he harnessed his chariot. That this signifies the doctrine of falsity, which is that of faith separate in general, is evident from the signification of a “chariot,” as being doctrine (see n. 2760, 5321, 5945), here the doctrine of falsity which is of faith separate, because it is the chariot of Pharaoh, and by Pharaoh are represented the falsities which are of faith separate; for they who are in faith separate from charity and at the same time in a life of evil must needs be in falsities (n. 8094).

[2] In what now follows, the subject treated of is the gathering together of all the falsities derived from evil with those who have been in faith separate from charity and in a life of evil. In what precedes, the vastation of the truths of faith with them was described, and their final reduction to the state of being in mere falsities from evil, thus in damnation. In this chapter their being cast down into hell is now treated of, for this follows damnation. With this state of being cast down into hell, the case is this. When this is to be done, all the falsities that appertain to them are gathered together into one, which is effected by the opening of all the hells with which they have had communication, and their being poured in upon them. Thence come the condensations around them of falsities from evil which appear as waters to those who look at them from without (n. 8137, 8138), for they are exhalations from their life; and when they are encompassed about with these, they are in hell. That the falsities from evil are gathered together into one and are poured in upon them, is done in order that they may be surrounded by such things as have been of their life, and may be afterward kept in them. Their kind of evil and its derivative falsity then distinguish them and their hell from other hells.

[3] As the subject treated of is the gathering together of all the falsities from evil which appertain to them, therefore such frequent mention is made in this chapter of the chariots of Pharaoh, his horses, horsemen, army, and people, for by these are signified all things of falsity which appertain to them, as in this verse, “He harnessed his chariot, and took his people with him;” in the seventh verse, “He took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt;” in the ninth verse, “And the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army;” in verse seventeen, “I will be glorified in Pharaoh, in all his army, in his chariots, and in his horsemen;” in like manner in verse eighteen; again in verse twenty-three, “And the Egyptians pursued, and came after them, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen;” in verse twenty-five, “Jehovah removed the wheel of their chariots;” in verse twenty-six, “That the waters may return upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen;” in verse twenty-eight, “The waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, even to all the army of Pharaoh.” These things are repeated so many times because the subject treated of is falsities from evil, in that these were gathered together and poured in upon them; for by the things mentioned above are signified all things of falsity from evil; by “Pharaoh and the Egyptians,” the men themselves who are in falsities from evil; by “chariots,” the doctrinal things of falsity; by “horses,” false memory-knowledges from a perverted understanding; by “horsemen,” the derivative reasonings; by “army,” and “people,” the falsities themselves.