Arcana Coelestia #17
17. Verse 2 And the earth was a void and an emptiness, and there was thick darkness over the face 1 of the deep; and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face 1 of the waters. The person who has yet to be regenerated is called 'a void and an empty earth', and also 'ground', in which no good or truth at all has been sown - 'void' where there is no good, and 'empty' where there is no truth. Consequently there is 'thick darkness', or stupidity and lack of knowledge about anything that has to do with faith in the Lord and so anything that has to do with spiritual and celestial life. This kind of person is described by the Lord through Jeremiah,
My people are foolish, they know Me not; they are stupid children, having no understanding; they are wise to do evil, and know not how to do good. I looked to the earth, and, behold, a void and an emptiness; and towards the heavens, and they had no light. Jeremiah 4:22-23, 25.
Footnotes:
1. literally, the faces
Arcana Coelestia #6651
6651. 'And a new king arose over Egypt' means separated factual knowledge, which is opposed to the Church's truths. This is clear from the representation of Pharaoh, to whom 'king' refers here, as factual knowledge in general, dealt with in 6015. The word 'king' is used because in the genuine sense 'king' means truth, 1672, 2015, 2069, 3670, 4581, 4966, 5044, 6148, and in the contrary sense falsity; and since 'king' refers here to Pharaoh, false factual knowledge is meant, that is, factual knowledge that is opposed to the Church's truths. This also explains why the expression 'new king' is used, for the one who lived in Joseph's time represented factual knowledge that accorded with the Church's truths. For the meaning of 'Egypt' as factual knowledge, here that knowledge in particular, see above in 6638.