8343. The horse and his rider hath He cast into the sea. That this signifies that by virtue of His mere presence the falsities of faith and evils of life cast themselves into hell, is evident from the signification of “horse” and of “rider,” as being falsities from evil (see n. 8146, 8148); and from the signification of “casting into the sea,” as being into hell (see n. 8099, 8137, 8138); that this was effected by virtue of the mere presence of the Lord, see n. 8137, 8265. It is said that falsities and evils “cast themselves” into hell, for the reason that it is the very falsities and evils that are cast into hell, and these draw with them those to whom they adhere. For through evil of life men become forms of falsities from evil, and therefore when the evils themselves with their falsities are cast down, the forms also to which they adhere are dragged down together with them; for falsities and evils are exhalations from the hells, and flow in with those who through evils of life have made their interiors forms of reception. (That everything of thought and of will flows in, good from heaven, and evil from hell, see n. 2886-2888, 4151, 4249, 5846, 6189, 6191, 6193, 6203, 6206, 6213, 6324, 6325, 7147, 7343.) Hence then it is that it is said that falsities of faith and evils of life cast themselves into hell; and therefore when the angels are thinking and speaking about the hells they think and speak of falsities and evils abstractedly from those who are there; for the angels always remove ideas of person, and remain in ideas of things (see n. 5225, 5287, 5434).

5225. And no one interpreted these things to Pharaoh. That this signifies that it was not known what would happen, is evident from the signification of “interpreting,” as being to know what would happen (see n. 5141). Hence “no one interpreted” denotes not to know; for in the internal sense “no one” is the negative of a thing, and thus what is not; for the idea of a person is turned in the internal sense into the idea of a thing-as for instance the idea of a man, a husband, a woman, a wife, a son or daughter, a boy or maiden, is turned into the idea of truth or of good; and as above (n. 5223) the idea of a magician and wise man is turned into that of interior and exterior memory-knowledges. The reason of this is that in the spiritual world, or in heaven, not persons but things come into view, for persons limit the idea, and concentrate it upon something finite; whereas things do not limit and concentrate it, but extend it to the infinite, thus to the Lord. For this reason also, no person named in the Word is perceived in heaven, but in his stead the thing that is represented by that person; so also no people or nation is perceived, but only its quality. Nay, not even is any historic statement of the Word about a person, nation, or people, known in heaven; and consequently it is not known who Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the Israelitish people, and the Jewish nation were, but it is there perceived what Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the Israelitish people, and the Jewish nation denote; and the same in all other cases. Thus the angelic speech is without limitation, and is also relatively universal.