2947. 'Before the eyes of the sons of my people I give it to you' means according to the understanding of everyone. This is clear from the meaning of 'the eyes' as the understanding, dealt with in 2701, and from the meaning of 'the sons of the people' as everyone. 'The sons of the people' are those who are first introduced to truths, for 'people' are those who possess truths, 1259, 1260; and this is why not 'before the eyes of my people' but 'before the eyes of the sons of my people' occurs here.

1260. Since 'nations' in the Most Ancient Church and in the Ancient Church meant goods or good persons, therefore also in the contrary sense they mean evils or evil persons Similarly with 'peoples'; since these meant truths, therefore also in the contrary sense they mean falsities. For in a corrupted Church good is turned into evil, and truth into falsity, as a consequence of which the meaning of nations and peoples in that contrary sense occurs many times in the Word, as in Isaiah 13:4; 14:6; 18:2, 7; 30:28; 34:1-2; Ezekiel 20:13; and in many other places.