9597. 'With cherubs' means the Lord's watchfulness, guarding it from the approach of the hells and the harm they can do. This is clear from the meaning of 'cherubs' as watchfulness and providence, preventing any approach to the Lord except through good and protecting from harm the good from the Lord which exists in heaven and with man, dealt with in 9509, consequently guarding heaven from the approach of the hells and the harm they can do.

5162. 'And he lifted up the head' means [according to] what was of providence and what was of foresight. This is clear from the meaning of 'lifting up the head' as a decision attributable to providence and also to foresight, dealt with above in 5124, 5155. Providence is at work in the case of that power of sensory perception which is subject to the understanding part and is retained as something good, this being represented by 'the cupbearer'; but foresight is at work in the case of that sensory perception which is subject to the will part and is cast aside as something evil, this being represented by 'the baker'. That which is good is of providence while that which is evil is of foresight because everything good originates in the Lord but everything evil in hell or in the human proprium. As regards the human proprium being nothing but evil, see 210, 215, 694, 874-876, 987, 1023, 1044, 1047, 1581, 3812 (end), 4328.