'North,' in Isaiah 14:31, signifies hell. 'The North,' as in Jeremiah 3:12, signifies people who are ignorant of truth, and yet have the life of good. 'North' signifies people in obscurity regarding truth.

(Riferimenti: Arcana Coelestia 3708 [1-23])

2427. Verse 20 Behold now, this city is near to flee to it, and it is small. Let me, I beg you, escape to it (is it not small?) and let my soul live.

'Behold now, this city is near to flee to it' means he would be allowed [to think and act] from the truth of faith. 'And it is small' means from the small amount of it which he had. 'Let me, I beg you, escape to it' means that from that small amount of truth it is permitted to regard good. 'Is it not small?' means, Would he not have some small amount of it? 'And let my soul live' means that he would thus perhaps be saved.