9597. 'With cherubs' means the Lord's watchfulness, guarding it from the approach of the hells and the harm they can do. This is clear from the meaning of 'cherubs' as watchfulness and providence, preventing any approach to the Lord except through good and protecting from harm the good from the Lord which exists in heaven and with man, dealt with in 9509, consequently guarding heaven from the approach of the hells and the harm they can do.

8686. 'And the people stood before Moses' means obedience at that time to God's truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Moses' as God's truth, as immediately above in 8685, so that 'standing before him' means consulting God's truth and awaiting the reply from it, and then acting in accordance with it, that is, obeying it. These words in the internal sense describe the first state, in which the Lord leads a person who is being regenerated by means of truth. The truth by which He leads him is the Word, since this is God's truth.