9197. 'For you were sojourners in the land of Egypt' means that they had been protected from falsities and evils when they were molested by those from hell. This is clear from what was stated about the affliction and oppression of the children of Israel in Egypt, about the protection of them, and at length about their being brought out from there, in Chapters 7-11, 13, 14 of Exodus. There it was shown that affliction and oppression of the children of Israel in Egypt meant molestation by those from hell, before the Lord's Coming, of faithful believers who belonged to the spiritual Church, and that protecting the children of Israel and bringing them out of the land of Egypt meant the protection and deliverance by the Lord - when He was in the world, and when He rose again - of those who belonged to the spiritual Church. But to explain these particular matters again here would take far too long. See what has been shown about them in the Chapters of Exodus mentioned above, in particular what appears in 6854, 6914, 7035, 7091, 7474, 7828, 7932, 8018, 8054, 8099, 8159, 8321.

8321. 'Till Your people pass over' means that therefore without risk of molestation all capable of receiving the truth of good and the good of truth will be saved. This is clear from the meaning of 'passing over' as being saved without risk of molestation, for when those steeped in falsities arising from evil who have engaged in molestation have been cast into hell and moved away there are no longer any left to stand in the way by introducing falsities and evils and in so doing to prevent the reception of good and truth from the Lord. These are the things meant here by 'passing over'; for as long as the evil had not been cast into hell scarcely anyone was able to pass over, that is, be saved. At that time the evil were constantly rousing evils and falsities among those entering the next life, and thereby drawing them away from goodness and truth. To the end therefore that people governed by goodness and truth might be delivered from those evil ones the Lord came into the world. While in the world He subdued all such as themselves by allowing Himself repeatedly to suffer temptations in which He was repeatedly victorious and after which by His presence He caused them to be cast into hell. There, obsessed with their evils and falsities, they were held in bonds for evermore.

[2] At this point 'people' is used to mean those who are capable of receiving the truth of good and the good of truth; for generally 'people' means those who are guided and governed by the truth and good of faith, 1259, 1260, 3295, 3581, 4619. At this point it means Israel, that is, those who belong to the spiritual Church, or what amounts to the same thing, those who are guided by the truth of good and governed by the good of truth 7957, 8234. The words 'capable of receiving the truth of good and the good of truth' are used because none have that ability except those who have led a charitable life; this life affords them that ability. How very greatly mistaken they are who believe that faith without charity can impart this quality! For faith without charity is hard and resistant, and repels all that flows in from the Lord, whereas charity together with faith is yielding and soft, and is receptive of what flows in from Him. So it is that charity imparts that ability, but not faith without charity. And since charity imparts that ability it is also what brings salvation, for those who are saved are not saved by charity beginning in themselves but by charity coming from the Lord, consequently by the ability to receive it.