8141. Verses 5-9. And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled; and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he harnessed his chariot, and took his people with him; and he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and tertian captains upon all of them. And Jehovah hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the sons of Israel; and the sons of Israel went out with a lofty hand. And the Egyptians pursued after them, and overtook them encamping by the sea, all the horses of the chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon. “And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled,” signifies the thought of those who were in mere falsities from evil, that they were completely separated; “and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people,” signifies a change of state into evil in the case of those who were in falsities from evil; “and they said, What is this we have done?” signifies chiding; “that we have let Israel go from serving us,” signifies that they have left and have not subjugated them; “and he harnessed his chariot,” signifies the doctrine of falsity, which is that of faith separate in general; “and took his people with him,” signifies with all falsities both in general and in particular; “and he took six hundred chosen chariots,” signifies all and each of the doctrinal things of falsity which are of faith separate in their order; “and all the chariots of Egypt,” signifies also the doctrinal things of falsity that are of service to them; “and tertian captains upon all of them,” signifies reduced into order under generals; “and Jehovah hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt,” signifies obstinacy from the falsity which is from evil; “and he pursued after the sons of Israel,” signifies an attempt to subjugate those who were in faith conjoined with charity; “and the sons of Israel went out with a lofty hand,” signifies when nevertheless they had been released by the Divine power from the endeavor to subjugate them; “and the Egyptians pursued after them,” signifies the effect from the endeavor to subjugate on the part of those who were in falsities from evil; “and overtook them encamping by the sea,” signifies communication around the region of hell where are falsities from evil; “all the horses of the chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army,” signifies all things which are of falsity from a perverted understanding; “beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon,” signifies whence there was communication, and therefore the beginning of the state of undergoing temptations.

8132. And Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel. That this signifies the thought of those who are in damnation concerning the state of those who are of the spiritual church, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being thought (see n. 7094, 7107, 7244, 7937); from the representation of Pharaoh, as being those who infest by means of falsities (n. 7107, 7110, 7126, 7142, 7220, 7228, 7317), here those who are in damnation, that is, in mere falsities from evil, for they who are merely in these, are in damnation (this state is signified by Pharaoh and the Egyptians after the firstborn were slain in Egypt, for by the slaying of the firstborn is signified damnation, n. 7766, 7778); and from the representation of the sons of Israel, as being those who are of the spiritual church (as just above, n. 8128).