767. Verse 9. And the kings of the earth shall weep for her and wail over her, who have committed whoredom and lived luxuriously with her, when they see the smoke of her burning, signifies the more interior griefs of those who have been in higher dominion and its delights by means of the falsified and adulterated truths of the Word, which they made the holy things of the church, when they see them turned into profane things. In this and the following verse the mourning "of the kings of the earth" is treated of, by whom the highest in the order are meant, who are called magnates and primates; from verses 11-16, the mourning of "the merchants of the earth" is treated of, by whom are meant the lower ones in the order, who are called monks; and from verses 17-19, the mourning of "the shipmasters and sailors" is treated of, by whom those are meant that contribute, who are called the laity. Here "the kings of the earth" are now treated of, by whom the highest in the order are signified. That by "kings" are not meant kings, but those who are in truths from good, and in the opposite sense, in falsities from evil, may be seen above (n. 483, 704, 720, 737, 740). Here, therefore, by "the kings of the earth" who committed whoredom and lived luxuriously with the harlot, are signified those who are in dominion and its delights through the truths of the Word falsified and adulterated, especially through that truth falsified and adulterated by them, which the Lord said to Peter; respecting which something follows. That "to commit whoredom" signifies to falsify and adulterate the truths of the Word, may be seen (n. 134, 632, 635); and that to live luxuriously signifies to enjoy the delights of dominion and at the same time of opulence (n. 759). By their "weeping and wailing," their interior griefs are signified. It is said "to weep and wail over" because to weep over is from grief at being cast down from dominion, and to wail over is from grief at the deprivation of opulence. And because the griefs of these are more interior than those of the "merchants of the earth," it is therefore said of "the kings of the earth," by whom are meant the higher ones in the order, that "they weep and wail over," and of "the merchants of the earth," by whom the lower ones of the order are meant, it is said that "they wept and mourned." By "seeing the smoke of her burning" is signified when they see the falsities of their religious persuasion, which are the falsified and adulterated truths of the Word, turned into profane things. By "smoke" those falsities are signified (n. 422, 452); and by "burning" is signified what is profane (n. 766). From these things, and from those which are explained above (n. 766), it is manifest that by "the kings of the earth, who have committed whoredom and lived luxuriously with her, shall weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning," are signified the more interior griefs of those who were in higher dominion and its delights through the truths of the Word falsified and adulterated, when they see them turned into what is profane.