7939. 'because He passed by the houses of Israel' means that damnation would stay away from the forms of good in which they were maintained by the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'Jehovah will pass by' as the fact that damnation will stay away from there, as above in 7878, 7928; from the meaning of 'the houses' as forms of good, dealt with in 3652, 3720, 4982, 7833-7835; and from the representation of 'Israel' as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with often. The reason for saying that they were maintained in forms of good by the Lord is that when they passed through places of damnation or the hells, which happened when they were delivered, they were maintained in good by the Lord. To this end they were made ready, and the process by which they were made ready is described by the statutes regarding the blood, the Passover lamb, and the eating of it, which are the subject in verses 3-11, 15-20, 22, 43-48 of this chapter. The fact that when they were delivered they passed through places of damnation or the hells will be seen below.