9261. 'You shall keep yourself well away from the word of a lie' means detesting falsity that arises from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'a lie' as falsity arising from evil, dealt with in 8908, 9248, falsity arising from evil being meant since it is the falsity people should keep well away from because it derives its essential nature from evil, and evil and good are contrary to each other because evil comes from hell and good comes from heaven, where it is received from the Lord (but falsity which does not arise from evil, being falsity due to lack of knowledge, is not the same, see 1679, 2863, 4551, 4552, 4729, 4736, 6359, 7272, 7574, 8149, 8311, 8318 (end), 9258); and from the meaning of 'keeping oneself well away from' as detesting. The origin of this meaning of 'keeping well away from' as detesting lies with things seen in the spiritual world, where people's differences, disagreements, and detestations in regard to aspects of spiritual life keep them apart from one another. For in that world people seen together in the same place are in a like state in regard to their feelings and consequently their thoughts. But as soon as there is disagreement among them they are separated and kept apart from one another, as far away as the degree of disagreement determines. This is what happens because in the spiritual world extensions of space, like periods of time, are states also, and therefore distances are differences between states. Nevertheless states manifest themselves visually there as extensions of space, and the differences between them as distances. Regarding extensions of space and distances, and also periods of time, that they are states, see 1273-1277, 1376-1381, 2625, 3356, 3387, 3404, 3638-3641, 4321, 4882, 7381, 9104. Yet nevertheless there appear to be extensions of space and distances, but such appearances are the direct product of the changes of the state which things on more internal levels undergo, 5605. From all this it is now evident that 'keeping well away from' in the internal sense means detesting.

9247. THE INTERNAL SENSE

Verses 1-3 You shall not take up a report of vanity ¹ ; do not put your hand with the wicked to be a witness of violence. ² You shall not follow a multitude into evil things; ³ and you shall not respond ⁴ in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert [justice]. And you shall not show partiality towards ⁵ a poor man in his dispute.

'You shall not take up a report of vanity' means not listening to false ideas. 'Do not put your hand with the wicked' means not obeying malevolent feelings. 'To be a witness of violence' means not affirming such things as are contrary to the good of charity. 'You shall not follow a multitude into evil things' means not being associated with such things. 'And you shall not respond in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert [justice]' means not being associated with those who turn forms of good and truths into falsities and evils, and vice versa. 'And you shall not show partiality towards a poor man in his dispute' means that no favour must be shown towards the falsities that exist with those who have no knowledge of truth.

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