7449. 'And the land was ruined by the presence of the noxious flying insects' means that all truth in the natural mind was corrupted. This is clear from the meaning of 'being ruined' as being corrupted; from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural mind, dealt with in 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301; and from the meaning of 'the noxious flying insects' as malevolent falsity, dealt with in 7441. All truth is said to be corrupted, for truth is indeed totally corrupted by falsity springing from evil.

5301. 'Which there will be in the land of Egypt' means which will exist in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural mind, dealt with in 5276, 5278, 5279, 5288. The expression 'the natural' is used here and in other places, and by it the natural mind is meant. For the human being has two minds, the rational mind and the natural mind. The rational mind belongs to the internal man, whereas the natural mind belongs to the external man; and it is the natural mind or external man that is meant when simply 'the natural' is used. The mind is a person's true self, as will be seen in what is spoken about next.