330. Out of every tribe and tongue. That this signifies from all those who are in truths as to doctrine and as to life, is clear from the signification of a tribe, as denoting all truths and goods in the aggregate (concerning which see above, n. 39); for those things are signified by the twelve tribes, and hence by every tribe is signified something of truth and good, therefore by out of every tribe is signified from all those who are in any kind of truth and good; and from the signification of tongue as denoting the doctrine of life and faith. That tribes signify all truths and goods in the aggregate, will be shown more fully in its proper article below. Similarly, that tongue signifies the doctrine of life and faith, thus religion. (Those [passages] only shall be adduced here that are shown in the Arcana Coelestia concerning the signification of the tribes, namely, the twelve tribes of Israel represented, and thence signified, all truths and goods in the aggregate, n. 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335; similarly the twelve apostles of the Lord the like, n. 2129, 3354, 3488, 6397. There were twelve, because twelve signifies all, n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913. Because the twelve tribes represented, and thence signified, all truths and goods in the aggregate, therefore they represented heaven and the church, n. 6337, 6637, 7836, 7891, 7996. The twelve tribes signify various things according to the order in which they are named, and thus also all things of heaven and the church with variety, n. 3862, 3926, 3939, 4603 et seq., 6337, 6640, 10335; therefore, replies could be given and were given by the Urim and Thummim, on which the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were engraven in precious stones, n. 3858, 6335, 6640, 9863, 9865, 9873, 9874, 9905.)

5038. 'A place where the king's bound ones were bound' means the state of those governed by falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'a place' as a state, dealt with in 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387, 4321, 4882; and from the meaning of 'the king's bound ones' as those who are governed by falsities and who, being governed by falsities, undergo vastation, and those who, while being regenerated in the world, undergo temptation. For temptation involves the laying waste of falsity and at the same time the consolidation of truth. The expression 'the king's bound ones' is used because 'a king' in the internal sense means truth, 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4789, 4966, and therefore 'his bound ones' means those governed by falsity. The places where the king's bound ones were kept were also called 'pits', which was why Joseph said, in verse 15 of the next chapter,

By theft I have been taken out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have not done anything for which they should have put me in the pit.

As regards 'a pit' meaning a place of vastation, see 4728, 4744.