9261. 'You shall keep yourself well away from the word of a lie' means detesting falsity that arises from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'a lie' as falsity arising from evil, dealt with in 8908, 9248, falsity arising from evil being meant since it is the falsity people should keep well away from because it derives its essential nature from evil, and evil and good are contrary to each other because evil comes from hell and good comes from heaven, where it is received from the Lord (but falsity which does not arise from evil, being falsity due to lack of knowledge, is not the same, see 1679, 2863, 4551, 4552, 4729, 4736, 6359, 7272, 7574, 8149, 8311, 8318 (end), 9258); and from the meaning of 'keeping oneself well away from' as detesting. The origin of this meaning of 'keeping well away from' as detesting lies with things seen in the spiritual world, where people's differences, disagreements, and detestations in regard to aspects of spiritual life keep them apart from one another. For in that world people seen together in the same place are in a like state in regard to their feelings and consequently their thoughts. But as soon as there is disagreement among them they are separated and kept apart from one another, as far away as the degree of disagreement determines. This is what happens because in the spiritual world extensions of space, like periods of time, are states also, and therefore distances are differences between states. Nevertheless states manifest themselves visually there as extensions of space, and the differences between them as distances. Regarding extensions of space and distances, and also periods of time, that they are states, see 1273-1277, 1376-1381, 2625, 3356, 3387, 3404, 3638-3641, 4321, 4882, 7381, 9104. Yet nevertheless there appear to be extensions of space and distances, but such appearances are the direct product of the changes of the state which things on more internal levels undergo, 5605. From all this it is now evident that 'keeping well away from' in the internal sense means detesting.

8311. 'The peoples heard' means all everywhere who were ruled by falsity arising from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'the peoples' as those governed by truths springing from good, and in the contrary sense as those ruled by falsities arising from evil, dealt with in 1259, 1260, 3295, 3581, 4619. The expression 'falsities arising from evil' is used in order to distinguish such people from those who are subject to falsities and yet are governed by good. Those who are subject to falsities yet at the same time are governed by good include, within the Church, those who are subject to heretical ideas but lead a good life, and outside the Church all who are governed by good. Falsities with these people are not damning, unless they are the kind of falsities that are opposed to good and destructive of an actual life of good. Falsities however which are not opposed to good are, it is true, essentially falsities; but so far as goodness of life is concerned, when they are not opposed to it, they virtually shed the character of falsity. Their application to good causes them to do so; for such falsities can be applied to good or they can be applied to evil. If applied to good they become mild, but if applied to evil they become harsh; for falsities can be applied to good, just as much as truths can be to evil. All truths without exception are falsified when they are applied to evil. Take as an example the idea that faith alone saves. Essentially this is a falsity, in particular among evil people who rule out the good of charity because, they say, it contributes nothing whatever to salvation. But this falsity is mellowed among those who lead a life of good since they apply it to good, saying that faith alone saves, but that it is not faith unless it exists together with its fruit, consequently unless it exists where good does so. It is like this with all other falsities.

[2] The statements immediately following in these verses refer to all those who were steeped in falsities arising from evil, and in evil resulting from falsities, and who were cast into hell when the Lord came into the world. There are very many kinds of evil and therefore also of falsity; for every kind of evil has its own falsity attached to it. Falsity is a product of evil and exists as the outward form of it, in exactly the same way as a person's understanding is the outward form of his will. For the will brings itself to light through the understanding, giving shape and form to itself there; it presents itself by means of mental pictures, those mental pictures by means of ideas, and these ideas by means of spoken words. These matters have been stated in order that people may know that very many kinds of evil and therefore of falsity exist. First they have been described by 'the Egyptians'. Now, that is, in the verses at this point, they are described by 'the inhabitants of Philistia', 'the chiefs of Edom', 'the powerful ones of Moab', and 'the inhabitants of Canaan', of whom it says that dismay and terror seized them because of what they heard. That is, they heard that those who upheld faith separated from charity and led a life of evil, those meant by 'the Egyptians', had been cast into hell, and that they likewise were to be thrown into hell, in order that those governed by truth and good might pass over in safety and unharmed and be led through to heaven. This last event is meant by these words contained in verses 16 and 17 following,

Alarm and dread fell on them; by the greatness of Your arm they are cut away like a stone, till Your people pass over, O Jehovah, till this people pass over [whom] You have possessed. You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of Your inheritance, the place for You to dwell.