4790. 'The chief of the attendants' means those facts which are first and foremost in explanations. This is clear from the meaning of 'the chief (or prince) as that which is first and foremost, dealt with in 14822, 2089. The reason 'the chief of the attendants' here means facts which come first and foremost in explanations is that the subject is Divine Truth which was 'sold' by those in whom the truth partnering simple good was present, through their consultation of facts. This led to a straying and alienation from Divine Truth, and so to explanations based on the sense of the letter of the Word, 4783. Also, 'the attendants' means things that minister.