47. That these words contain arcana concerning regeneration becomes additionally clear from the fact that verse 24 above spoke of the earth bringing forth 'living creatures, beasts, and wild animals of the earth', while in the verse that followed the order was different, namely that God made the wild animals of the earth first and then the beasts. Indeed a person does first produce things so to speak from himself, and continues to do so until he becomes celestial. And so regeneration begins with the external man and moves on to the internal. This is why there is a different order here, with external things coming first.

8019. 'By their hosts' means those people made distinct from one another by the specific character of their good, which is derived from truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'hosts' as forms of good and truths, dealt with above in 7988. 'By hosts' means that those people, those who are represented by 'the children of Israel', were made distinct from one another by the specific character of their good, which is derived from truth; for all in the next life are made distinct from, yet are linked to one another by their varieties of good, see 7833-7836, 8003. The expression 'by the specific character of their good, which is derived from truth' is used because all good derives its specific character from truth, and is for that reason varied, 3804, 4149, 5345, 5355, 6916.