8297. 'The sea covered them over' means that all the falsity they possessed hemmed them in. This is clear from the meaning of 'covering over' as hemming in; and from the meaning of 'the sea', here the waters of the Sea Suph, as falsities arising from evils, which sea also means hell, dealt with in 8099, 8137, 8138, 8148. As regards their being hemmed in there by falsities arising from evil, [see] 8210, 8232.

8138. 'In Pharaoh and in all his army' means the submersion into hell of those steeped in falsities arising from evil, and their encompassment there by falsities as if by waters. This is clear from what has been mentioned immediately above in 8137, that 'Pharaoh' means those who were cast into hell, as also does 'his army', 'Pharaoh' being those steeped in falsities arising from evil, and 'his army' the falsities themselves. 'Armies' are truths springing from good, see 3448, 7236, 7988, and therefore in the contrary sense they are falsities arising from evil, 3448. The expression 'encompassment by falsities as if by waters' is used because falsities that arise from evil - the kind of falsities that exist with those belonging to the Church who have championed separated faith and have led a life of evil - are seen there as waters, 8137. This also is why deluges of water mean situations in which truth is laid waste while the water present in them means falsities, 705, 739, 756, 6346, 6853.