8311. The peoples have heard. That this signifies all who are in falsity from evil everywhere, is evident from the signification of “peoples,” as being those who are in truths from good, and in the opposite sense those who are in falsities from evil (see n. 1259, 1260, 3295, 3581, 4619). It is said “in falsities from evil,” to distinguish them from those who are in falsities and yet in good. In falsities and at the same time in good are, within the church, those who are in heresies and in a life of good; and, without the church, all who are in good. But with these, falsities do not condemn, unless they are such falsities as are opposed to good, and destroy the very life of good. But the falsities which are not opposed to good are indeed in themselves falsities, but relatively to the good of life, to which they are not opposed, they almost put off the quality of falsity, which is done through application to good. For such falsities can be applied to good, and they can be applied to evil. If they are applied to good, they become mild; but if to evil, they become hard; for falsities can be applied to good equally as truths can be applied to evil, for all truths whatever are falsified through applications to evil. Take as an example that faith alone saves. In itself this is a falsity, especially with the evil, who thus shut out the good of charity as contributing nothing at all to salvation. But this falsity becomes mild with those who are in the good of life, for they apply it to good, saying that faith alone saves, but that it is not faith except together with its fruit, consequently except where good is. So in all other cases.

[2] In what now follows, all those are treated of who had been in falsities from evil, and in evil from falsities, and who were cast into hell when the Lord came into the world. For there are very many kinds of evil, and consequently also of falsity, because every kind of evil has its falsity adjoined to it. For falsity is produced from evil, and is evil in form, just as the understanding with man is the form of his will; because the will shows itself in the light through what is of the understanding, and effigies and forms itself, and presents itself by means of images, and these by means of ideas, and these again by means of words. These things have been said that it may be known that there are many kinds of evil and of the derivative falsity. These were first described under the name of “the Egyptians;” and now in these verses under the name of “the inhabitants of Philistia,” under the name of “the leaders of Edom,” “the mighty ones of Moab,” and “the inhabitants of Canaan,” of all of whom it is said that consternation and terror had taken possession of them, because they had heard that those who were in faith separate from charity and in a life of evil, who were signified by “the Egyptians,” had been cast into hell, and that they in like manner were to be cast down into hell, in order that those who were in truth and good might pass through safe and unhurt, and be brought to heaven. This last is signified by the words of the following verses (16-17): “fright and dread are fallen upon them, in the greatness of Thine arm they shall be destroyed as a stone, until Thy people shall pass over, O Jehovah, until shall pass over this people which Thou hast taken possession of; Thou shall bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of Thine inheritance, the place of Thy dwelling.”

4619. And was gathered unto his peoples. That this signifies that it was now among the things which are of the Divine natural, is evident from the signification of “being gathered unto his peoples,” as being, in regard to representatives, that this one is treated of no longer (see n. 3255, 3276); thus here that it is among the things which are of the Divine natural (as follows from what has been said just above, n. 4618). When anyone died the ancients said that “he was gathered to his peoples,” and thereby meant in the proximate sense that he was among his own in the other life. For during his bodily life every man is as to his spirit in company with spirits and angels, and also comes among the same after death (n. 1277, 2379). This is what was meant by the “peoples” to whom he is gathered. But in the internal sense of the Word, where the goods and truths of the church or of the Lord’s kingdom are treated of, by “being gathered to one’s people” is signified to be among the truths and goods which agree or correspond. All the heavenly societies are in truths and goods, but as the truths and goods there are related as by the relationships and connections of earth, with every shade of difference (n. 685, 917, 3815, 4121), therefore their “peoples” are the truths in which are the concordant societies, or the societies which are in these truths. (That “peoples” denote truths, see n. 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295, 3581)