8142. 'And it was pointed out to the king of Egypt that the people had fled' means the thought of those steeped in utter falsities arising from evil, that they had become entirely separated. This is clear from the meaning of 'pointing out to someone' as thinking and reflecting, dealt with in 2862, 5508; from the representation of Pharaoh as those steeped in falsities arising from evil, dealt with above in 8132, 8135, or - when he is called 'the king of Egypt' - as those steeped in utter falsities, 7220, 7228, since 'king' means truths, 1672, 2015, 2069, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 6148, and therefore in the contrary sense means falsities; and from the meaning of 'fleeing' as becoming separated.

1672. 'And the kings who were with him' means the apparent truth that goes with that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'kings' in the Word. Kings, kingdoms, and peoples in the historical and prophetical sections of the Word mean truths and the things that belong to truths, as may be confirmed from many places. In the Word a careful distinction is made between people and nation, 'people' meaning truths, 'nation' goods, as shown already in 1259, 1260. Kings have reference to peoples, and not so much to nations. The children of Israel, before they sought to have kings, were 'a nation' and represented good, or that which is celestial; but after they desired a king and received one, they became 'a people' and represented not good or that which is celestial, but truth or that which is spiritual, and this was the reason why this was ascribed to them as a fault in 1 Samuel 8:7-end. This, in the Lord's Divine mercy, will be explained elsewhere. In the present verse, since 'Chedorlaomer' is referred to, and then the phrase 'the kings who were with him' is added, both good and truth are meant - good by 'Chedorlaomer' and truth by 'the kings'. But what kind of good and truth it was when the Lord's temptations first began has been stated above.