Em Swedenborg THE WORD EXPLAINED Volume IV EXODUS I XXII Numbers 3194 4558 ANC Bryn Athyn PA 1936

THE WORD
OF THE
OLD TESTAMENT EXPLAINED
A POSTHUMOUS WORK
BY
EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
Now tor the Drst time translated from a phototyped copy 01 the original
manuscript preserved In the Royal Academy or Sciences. Sweden
BY
ALFRED ACTON, MA, D.Th.

DEAN OF THE THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL OF
THE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH
VOLUME IV
ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH
BRYN ATHYN, PA.
1936
THE WORD OF THE OLD
TESTAMENT EXPLAINED
JOSHUA 1: 7,8
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that
thou mayest observe to do accordiJng to all the law
which Moses my servant comma;nded thee; turn n-ot
thou from it to the right hand or to the left, that
thou mayest act with prudence iJn all thiJngs whither
soever thou goest. This book of the law shall not
depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate
therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do
according to all that is written therein; for then thou
shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt
act with prudence. (See n. 5880.)
[The above is inserted here in accordance with a sug

gestion written by the author on the inside of the front cover
page of Codex 61. His words are: "Perhaps the words in
Joshua, chapter 1, verses 7 and 8, should precede the explana
tion of Genesis and Exodus." Then follows a brief explana
tion of these verses, which was afterwards crossed off and
the words "Respecting these words, confer n. 4464 [our
n. 5880]'" substituted. The same suggestion is made on the
inside of the back cover, where we read: "The words in
Joshua, chapter 1, verses 7 and 8, should perhaps precede the
explanation of Genesis or of Exodus, or of both. The ex
planation may be seen in n. 4464." In this quotation from
Joshua, Swedenborg used Schmidius' version.]
LANCASTER PRESS, INC., LANCASTER, PA.

EXODUS
CHAPTER I
1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, which came
into Egypt; a man and his house, they came with Jacob.
~ Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and J udah,
3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin.
4 Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were
seventy souls. But J oseph was in Egypt.
6 And J oseph died, and all his brethren, and all that genera-
tion.
7 And the sons of Israel were fruitful, and brought forth
abundantly, and multiplied, and became exceeding numerous; and
the land was filled with them.
3194. The chapter first treats of those who came with Jacob
into Egypt. Jacob's sons are again enumerated, and it is said that
they are sons of J acob, or that they came out of J acob's loins
(vs. 5). Thus it is clearly set forth that they were of his seed.
Joseph, however, is manifestly separated from them; for we read,
" But Joseph was in Egypt" (vs. 5).
3195. It is further said that all this generation died [vs. 6],
meaning the generation which was in Egypt when Joseph was alive.
The text adds that" aU that generation" died, namely, the gen-
eration which was Jacob's; and it is clearly stated that after this
generation "the sons of Israel were fruitful, and brought forth
abundantly, and multiplied, and became exceeding numerous; and
the land was filled with them" (vs. 7), from which words it is
evident that the sons of ~rael are distinguished from the sons of
Jacob. Thus by Israel are meant not Jacob's descendants but
Israel understood in a universal and most universal sense, that is to
say, the gentiles who properly constitute Israel. It is these who
were fruitful and brought forth abundantly, and who became so
numerous that the land was filled with them.
II Ad. 1516-1517 1
3196-97] THE WORD EXPLAINED
3196. That the sons of Jacob died at the time of the advent of
God Messiah into the world is known; for to die, properly speaking,
is to b_e wilhouL£aitlLi.n....G~h, such .!!l~j}eing s irituall.y
dead. The descendants of J aco~ are_stilLdead, in~that t ~ ~e)
not yet attained Iai!li;out they who were fruitful were the gentiles,
as said above [no 3195], it being with them that the land was filled.
Therefore the word" land" is used in a universal sense, as is well
known. Immediately after [the Advent], the generation spoken )
of in verse 6 was entirely dead.
3197. That the sons of Israel, understood in the genuine sense,
were not so multiplied that the land was filled with them, can be
evident from this generation itself, in that they had then abandoned
all worship of God Messiah, as can be evident from. the institutions
which were first set up by Moses and Aaron. Moreover, they
could have learned concerning God Messiah only from their fathers
who were in Egypt, or from the Egyptians; and what kind of men
their fathers were is known too well. They might perhaps have
learned something from Joseph, but nevertheless, it is clear that at.
the time of Moses they were living in dense ignorance. The same
judgment must be made of Joseph's own posterity, this posterity
being included in the generation of J oseph's brethren. Their
father, like Abraham, was indeed a worshipper of God Messiah,
but it does not follow from this that his descendants were such,
any more than were Abraham's descendants as represented in J acob
and his sons. This is the reason why this entire period, although
it lasted four hundred years/ is passed by in complete silence and
given to oblivion, which would never have been done by Moses [had
not the worship of God Messiah been lost]. But Moses, who yet
was one of them, knew this better than he knew the acts of the ante
diluvians, of Noah, and of Noah's descendants. Moreover, they
did not have the written Word of God Messiah, for this was first
written by Moses.
EXODUS I
8 And there arose a new king over the Egyptians, who knew
not Joseph.
9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the sons of
Israel are many, and more numerous than we:
1 See n. ~089 note.
II Ad. 1518-1519
EXODUS I: 1-~~ [3198
10 Come, let us use craft toward them; lest they multiply, and
it come to pass, that, when wars befall, they join also unto our
haters, and fight against us, and go up out of the land.
11 Therefore they did set over them princes of tributes to
afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treas
ure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
1~ But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied
and grew. And they were seized with loathing because of the sons
of Israel.
13 Therefore, in servitude, the Egyptians oppressed the sons
of Israel with tyranny.
14 And they made their life bitter by grievous servitude in
clay and in bricks, and in all manner of service in the field; with
all their service, which they made them serve with cruelty.
15 And the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, of
which the name of the first was Shiphrah, and the name of the
second Puah:
16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the
Hebrew women, and see upon the stool; if it be a son, kill him; but
if it be a daughter, let her live.
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of
Egypt spake unto them, for they made the boys to live.
18 And when the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said
unto them, Why have ye done this word, to make the boys to live?
19. The midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew
women are not like the Egyptian; for they are lively; before the
midwife comes unto them, they are already delivered.
~o Therefore God dealt well with the midwives; and the people
multiplied, and was greatly increased.
~1 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that
he made them houses.
~~ And Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, Every son
that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall
make to live.
3198. The subject here treated of is the persecution of the
church of God Messiah by its enemies, both in all periods and more
especially about the end of days. That this will become a most
cruel persecution is foretold by John [Rev. U 4 ].
II Ad. 15~O 3
3199-3~O~] THE WORD EXPLAINED
[THE PERSECUTIONS OF THE CHURCH]
3199. There are universal persecutions greater and less, and

also individual persecutions, extending to the least individual. Per
secutions in their last details are types, as it were, of particular
or specific persecutions, and these of general persecutions, and these
again, of that persecution whi'Ch is most universal.. A typ~he
universal persecution is here presented in the persecution of the
sons of Israel by the king of Egypt, that is to say, by the Egyp
tians, by whom are set forth all the enemies of the church; for the
present Pharaoh was the opposite of the former, being not a lover
of J oseph but a hater of Him. This can be evident from verse 8,
where we read: And there arose a new kiJng over the Egyptiolns,
who knew not J oseph, that is, who knew not God Messiah, his king
dom and church, and consequently his doctrine, in which he had no
faitJ!; thus men who were natural, like the Egyptian§, being eaKer
fO;- things worldly and terrestrial, and blinded by the loves and
concupiscences of such §.ngs ; men in whom order was inverted anp
tEus the state perverted, whence arose a disposition like that of the
devil and his crew, with innumerable variety.
3200. This, together with other persecutions, was a prefiglQ'a
tion of t~ persecutions that f.~llowed, and of the captivities, the
servij;_~des,_th~SJ,'Uelt ,_I!-Il~ the sla~ghter 2% those who are i~_the
church of God Messiah, that were- to arise therefrom. Such a
type ~l~ was the Babylonian captivity and other)ike ~aptivities
spoken of in the Word of God Messiah.
3201. These persecutions are sufficiently well known; the per
secutions, namely, of the Christians after the advent of God
Messiah when the church was being instituted, not to speak of the
persecutions prior to those times, such as the persecution of Abel by
Cain, of Esau by J acob, of Shechem and Hamor by the sons of
Jacob, and of many others by Jacob's descendants-a persecution
which still remains deeply rooted in their minds, so that if liberty
were given them they would desire utterly to uproot the church.
3202. All these preceding persecutions, however, are types of
that universal persecution which is treated of by John in the
Apocalypse. This has continued for a sufficiently long time, and
now it is brought almost to its end. Babel was a general type of
this persecution, and therefore it was by the king of the Baby
4 II Ad. 15~1-15~4
PERSECUTIONS OF CHURCH [3~03-04
lonians that the sons of Jacob in fact, but the sons of Israel by
representation, were carried into captivity for seven centuries,2 that
is, for seventy years. 2 Here the same type is presented by Pharaoh
in his actions against J acob's descendants who, in the text, are now
called sons of Israel, and this on account of the representation of
the universal persecution. That they are called [" sons of]
Israel," see verses 7, 9, 1~, 13. In verses 15, 16, 19, they are also
called" Hebrews," from Heber, who was a worshipper of God Mes
siah; but this is said of the women. Moreover, they are called
" people," verses 9, ~O, ~~; this signifies also a multitude, but not
always " people" as distinguished from "nations."
3203. The universal persecution which was so often represented
prior to the advent of God Messiah, is not that persecution by
Herod, which took place at the time of the infancy of God Mes
siah when so many infants were slaughtered [Matt. ~16] ; nor is it
the persecution against the Christian:s which was made by the Jews
at the time of Paul; nor the persecutions made in various places at
later times, especially by the Emperors of Rome, such as Nero.
All these persecutions are indeed signified by those which took place
before the advent of God Messiah, but they are only particular and
less general persecutions. The universal persecution is that which
has received its name from Babel, and which, in the Word-of' God
Messiah, is caiied by the prophets, and by John [in the ApocalYpse]
~ Babylonish persecution, being the persecution which has been
instituted, for a long time back, by those who call themselves
~oman Catholics, and who are adorers, as they style themselves,
of pope and pontiffs. These, in heinous fashion, have persecuted
both the church of God Messiah, and those who, unlike themselves,
were not eager after worldly ~!!d terrestrial things a!?-d g~ve _~o
favor to their lust, persecuting them by open wars, and also, among
themselves, by abominable plots and tortur~s by means of the so
_called inquisitions. And they persectite the~ at this day.
3204. These are the men who are here represented by the
Pharaoh who knew not Joseph, that is, the Messiah (vs. 8). By
" Pharaoh" are meant all those princes and pontiffs of every
villainous order and kind whatsoever, who make one with Pharaoh,
that is to say, with their supreme pontiff, as they call him, or the
antichrist; what the antichrist is, is well known, to wit, that he is
2 Confer n. 35~, ~73 note, 3105.
11 Ad. 15~5-15~6 5
•
8~05-07] THE WORD EXPLAINED
the devil who, under the human form, is the enemy of Christ him
self, and this in the boldest way. Thus they have wholly occupied
and will occupy His kingdom in complete imitation of the devil
who vaunts himself as the lord of heaven and earth, and cherishes
this in his mind. These men are described in vivid colors, not only
here, under the persons of the Egyptians, but also by the prophet
Ezekiel, under the persons of the Babylonians, and qy John in the
Apocalypse, who describes them so clearly that nothing whatever
is lacking.
3205. These passages in Ezekiel and John, and also many others
which concern persecutions, may here be adduced and briefly dis
cussed, but without departing from the present text.
3206. To speak briefly about the cause of persecutions-for
one may wonder why God Messiah, who has all power in the heavens
and on earth, permits them, and does not protect his church-that
is to say, to speak merely in a few words, with respect to those
who suffer persecutions, [the reason is] that they may be types of
Him, and that, by captivities and servitudes of divers kinds and
divers species, such as temptations, the terrestrial and worldly loves
with them may be dispersed, that so they may be initiated into love
toward God Messiah. This can never be effected without persecu
tions, to the end that their faith and obedience may be tried actually
and that God Messiah may show them mercy and grace, and may
give them faith, and actual faith, that is, obedience, and so may
adopt them as sons and as heirs of his kingdom. Therefore, there
are particular persecutions, being persecutions of the individual,
and general persecutions, being persecutions of a given generation,
nay, of a society, that is to say, of the church in the generation and
society. The universal of all persecutions is that which is had in
view by the individual persecutions. This is called the Babylonian
persecution, and is now the Roman persecution carried on under so
many Neros. 8
3207. With respect to those who do the persecuting, the reason
is that they may live in shade and thus in ignorance, being men of
whom [otherwise] there is no hope of refor~ation. These enter
upon reformation when they behold the examples of those whom
• In the autograph, this paragraph is emphasized by a series of "N B's"
written in the margin.
6 II Ad. 15~'i-15~9
EXODUS I: 9 [3fl08-09
they persecute, torture, and slay without check or fear of punish

ment. The ignorance or shade induced upon them is the beneficent
work of God Messiah, seeing that thus they are presented to view
as more excusable than would have been the case had they done their
work in noonday light and with knowledge; for he who falls in the
night time is not so much to blame as he who falls at noonday. But
in respect to this ignorance and shade, as to what it does to the
sons of the church of God Messiah and what to their enemies, this,
by the divine mercy of God Messiah, shall be set forth later when
we come to the miracles wrought in Egypt, and to the hardening
of Pharaoh's heart, etc. Another reason is, because it is far more
dangerous to fall from faith into infidelity, than to fall from one
error into another; for with those who fall from heaven to earth
the case is damning to the last degree. Such was the case with
Adam when he fell from his integrity; such also was the case with
Jacob of whom we read that he was" an entire man" [chap. fl5 27 ] ;
and lil{ewise with his sons when they were in the wilderness in the
presence of miracles, and also in the land of Canaan, etc., etc. 4
3208. This universal persecution which has lasted so long a time,
and which is given the name Babylonian, but which is the N eronic
persecution of Rome, and the Pharaonic persecution of the text,
is described in its series 5 both here and also later when Moses
wished to lead the sons of Israel out of Egypt.
3209. [And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the
sons of Israel are many, and more numerous thom we], vs. 9. By
the people of the sons of Israel are meant those who constitute the
church of God Messiah. These are multiplied and bring forth
abundantly, as we read in verse 7. The actual multitude increases
and decreases, this being the case from the beginning of days to the
end of days. In general it will decrease toward the end, but then it
will increase, as we here read of the sons of Israel, and this in
spiritual things as in natural ; for the natural are types of the spir
itual, the two thus mutually corresponding to each other. All
natural things, and after them, all earthly things, are born from
things spiritual and celestial as from their principles and origins,
• In the autograph, the first and last third of this paragraph are em
phasized by " NB" written in the margin.
• [Crossed off:] but only in a few words.
II Ad. 1530-1531 7
3QIo-ll] THE WORD EXPLAINED
being, as it were, their souls, for without them they would be non
existent. So, without the influx of things spiritual, there would be
nothing whatever in the human mind, and still less in all that is
below it; thus there would be no mind, no faculty of understanding,
still less any actuality, and so no will. By correspondence, and
thus comparatively, changes in things spiritual and celestial are
circumstanced no otherwise than as light and shade, and also as
heat and cold. Light and heat are continually preserved in the
entire globe, it being morning and spring with one people when
it is evening and winter with another; thus there are continual
alternations. But this is said by way of comparison. (This may
be looked into, that from these words natural men may not perad
venture draw errors and natural phantasies.)
3210. It is a well known fact that the greater the persecution,
the greater the increase, a fact which has been especially observed
in the church of God Messiah. And since faith itself decreases in
course of time, so it will decrease in the end of days; but then wiI!
come the morning and the spring. Thus, after the winter, it will
again arise and luxuriantly increase.
3211. [Come, let us use craft toward them; lest they multiply,
and it come to pass, that, when wars befall, they join also unto our
haters, and fight against us, and go up out of the land], vs. 10.
The subject here treated of is the craft used for the suffocating
and extirpating of this good harvest. Here by craft are meant
in general all those arts, deceptions, and plots which are used for
the diminishing of this multiplication, that is to say, for cutting
off the church of God Messiah. Deeply en rooted in these per
secutors is [the thought] that in the end of days they will be blotted
out of the book of the living; this likewise was represented by the
drowning of Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea [Ex. 1428 ]. There
fore, fear comes to them from all sources. Moreover, fear is
insinuated into them by their loves for things worldly and ter
restrial; thus they fear all that opposes them. Therefore, they
now think of wars, and that [the sons of Israel] will join their
haters and so will go up out of the land. These words make it
clearly evident that what is here meant is the end of days when [the
sons of Israel] will go up out of the land, to wit, go up into
heaven and be separated; for" to go up out of the land" is to go
8 11 Ad. 153Q-1533
EXODUS I: 10-11 [8~U-14
up out of the land of Egypt, that is, out of the kingdom of the
devil, to the kingdom of God Messiah.
3212. Here wars and combats are mentioned, these being waged
both in general and in every particular; for the church of God
Messiah is described as being in continual combats and wars both
within itself and against outsiders. In like manner are these times
described by God Messiah; that is to say, the last times when there
shall be earthquakes [Matt. ~47, Mark U3 8 , Luke ~11l], that is~
wars; a tumultuous roaring of the sea [Luke ~125], by the sea
being then meant the crew of the devil which is in like tumultuous
uproar; a darkening of the moon and the sun [Matt. ~429, Mark
1824 ], being the shade and night into which they are cast and will
be cast. See the various passages in the Gospels. If it be per
mitted, these passages may in like manner be explained in brief
from the words themselves. At present I am not quite sure as to
whether they are as stated, having cited them here from memory,
as for instance the passage about the sea.
3213. [Therefore they did set over them pr'inu:es of tributes to
afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh
treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses], vs. 11. Their afflictions are
here described by burdens, by which are meant servitudes of every
kind and species. The more direful servitudes are described later;
for servitudes of this kind become more grievous according as men
can bear them. Thus, with the man for whom joys are destined,
as was the case with Joseph, these servitudes were four in number.
Most grievous was the second servitude inflicted on him by his
brothers, and afterwards the fourth servitude in the prison house.
Thus the animus is first broken by means of grievous temptations,
and later these are softened. Thus they become more grievous
according to the good pleasure of God Messiah.
3214. What are described are the afflictions of burdens and the
impositions of tributes which obtain in the N eronic persecution of
Babylon or Rome. That they may get possession of all things
and of the entire earth, with the object of favoring their own lusts,
they afflict the inhabitants of the earth, making them like under
lings whom they render miserable that they thems$lves m~ grow
fat and abound, and may feed their own luxuI:Y. These tributes
are openly so named, in that they impose so many tributes, under
varying names and varying contrivances, doing this more espe-
II Ad. 1584-1586 9
cially by sacrilegious means, in that they sell t~ ~hings _of_heaven.

To enumerate these tributes would be a lengthy undertaking; but
they are vicious to the utmost degree.
3215. To the end that they may recognize themselves, it is ex
pressly added in the text that they built treasure cities-which are
mentioned by name. These cities are their monasteries which are
alaces where are the treasure~_extorte,Q Jr_<?!!! -.!he poor an<!. ac
quire9 by the afflictions of the multitude. The words can be ex
plained in many ways, and also the tributes and the treasures that
have thus been heaped up.
These are !he crafty a!~ o!~nnjng devices whereby they
deceive the people, and, by persuasion, induce them to believe. The
more signal of these crafty arts may also be enumerated.
321~. [But the m01'e they afflicted them, the more they multi
plied and grew. And they were seized with loathing because of the
sons of Israel], vs. l~. What is here treated of is their mul~li
cation under burdens, a multiplication which is well known from the
persecutionOff-he Christians during the time that followed the
advent of God Messiah.
But increases and decreases have their comparative alternations,
as stated above [no 3~09J, and this in particulars and also in gen
eral. There was an increase of number in the primitive church,
and afterwards a decrease. Universally, therefore, there will be an
i~ase in fJ:1e end of days, and indeed such an increase that to the
Egyptians or Babylonians they will be a loathing. Thus, by the
sons of Israel is described their increase in the end of days, that
is to say, the universal increase.
3217. [Therefore, in servitude, the Egyptians oppressed the
sons of Israel with tyranny], vs. 13. Now are described the more
direful afflictions. In various ways the servitudes are made more
grievous, this being called tyran.ny. So it is at this day; so it has
been in the past.
3218. [And they made their life bitter by grievous servitude in
clay and in bricks, and in all manner of service in the field; with all
their service, which they made them serve with cruelty], vs. 14.
The affliction with its accompanying tyranny is described as it is
with these Babylonians; also as it is in their mind, if only they
could thus afflict the entire world. ',I'hey speak in sweet tones;b'"Ut
in their hear!:, theY.5once~1 th~ m...£st ~trocious poison. Those who
10 II Ad. 1537-154~
EXODUS I: 1~15 [3~19-~1
are oppre~ed under their oke perceive this well enough and in-
deed they comprehend the meaning of every word. 6
By the clay and bricks and the services in the field are meant
services of the vilest sort.
(3219; lAnd the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, of
which the nO/fTle of the first was Shiphrah, and the name of the second
Puah] , vs. 15. By the midwives are here meant those by whose aid
the faith is propagated, and thus the church of God Messiah, this
being done by means of true doctrine promulgated by the living
voice or by writings. Thus [by their words to these midwives, the
Babylonians] forbid admittance to the sons of the church. They
have spies in order to observe them; they cast them out, yea, they
slay them. These spies are in their midst that they may bring
them to direful torments, and to inquisitions devoid of mercy; and
this howsoever they speak from faith and from the Word of God
Messiah, provided only they have said something contrary to
their constitutions, their dignities, their opulent luxury, their
avarice and cruelty. Th;y forbid them to ~ead the Wo;d of God
Messiah whence thei! ~tate mighJ be l~d and whence they mig~t
draw true doctrine. They also forbid them to read other writings
which might instr~ th~m, and in this way also might bring them
knowledges which w:ould promote things spiritual and celestial.
. l3220. These midwives, who perform their office that the sons of
Israel may be brought forth, are therefore all those persons, and
also all the means, whereby men acquire these knowledges. [The
Babylonians] desire that the common peopl~ !>.hall_be held in the
densest darkness, and into this darkne;s t~y precipitate them ~ith
all their cunning, to the end that, after the twilight, they may have
th..!!i!:._s~t. That this is what is meant, can be evident; for the
midwives are called Hebrews being of the Hebrew stock from which
Abraham came; thus there were many kinds of Hebrews. These
Hebrews were so great an abomination to the Egyptians that the
latter would not even eat with them, as told above [Gen. 4332 ].
3221. For the confirmation of the thing itself, the midwives are
mentioned by name, being called Shiphrah and Puah, which would
never have been done unless such things were involved. There are
two midwives because it is mainly two things which [the Baby-
• [Crossed off:] verse 15. By the midwives are meant the learned and many
others wheresoever they be and of whatsoever sort, who help the son-
II Ad. 1543-1546 11
THE WORD EXPLAINED
lonians] forbid, to wit, the Word of God Messiah of the Old Testa
ment and of the New, in both of which this Babylon or harlot is
described in plain words. (See what is the significati~f
Shiphrah and Puah in other passages. 7 It comes to mind as
though I had heard that by them are signified the two Tables.)
3222 [And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the
Hebrew women, and see upon the stool; if it be a son, kill him; but
if it be a daughter, let her live], vs. 16. The edict now goes forth,
thatJ;he _shouldJ{jll..J!.lLt.b~nsof the church or sons of Israel,
that is to say, those things which in the inmost sense are signified by'
the names of the sons of Israel, all of which draw their life and
essence from the first-born sons who are named from faith and
obedience. It is especially these sons that [th~ BfJ.~ylonians] slay
£y cl!.!.mi~g, in t!lat ~hey s~~sJjt!1k..~the!s in whom men may have
faith, substituting,~~ to_say~ tho§LwlJQJ!!__the calLE-.!!J.ts.
T~~~,j~.2..s~op~n_ 'Yay they drive men headlong in~ries,
and this solelyJor the sake2f th~ir~gl!in. (See whether some
thing shocld here be said concerning their saint~so called. )Thus
while God Messiah dies with)E.em, they kill the sons of the church,
~d so prepare sl!crifi~~to_their_ 2wn loves, and alienate the minds
oL~-fJ."om th~ wQr_~hi~ of God M~~iah.
~ This is clearly signifi~d by the command that the mid
wives, when performing their office to the Hebrew women, should
kiU thu;ons; ~hat i00 saYdllOuld en,deavor t<Lextinguish_the Kaith
that is springigg up in them, doing this first by cunning, and after
wards by f~rce, by ~n; of incarcerations and inquisitions; that
so the livil!R may be fntirely remove<!Jl:"o_~l}IE..~n_~ty. Nay,
they sl~y them in fact; for they condemn them to the most atrocious
death_s, som3times with the sole...2-bje~t....Qf p£acticing plunder and
robbery.
\~~ "To see upon the stool " means to see when :they aregiv
in~birth. They then see the dawning son of the church or wor
shipp~; of God Messiah, and by deceit, they draw-himi;-the '''.01'
ship of idols; ang jf these sons will not worship them, they bring
them even to death. They forbid worship, but permit adoration.
3225. That they should slay the sons but not the daughters sig
nifies that it is those who are called sons of Israel, as above [n.
7 The present is the only place in the Hebrew Word where these names
occur.
1~ II Ad. 1547-1550
EXODUS I: 16-18
8195-7], who were to be killed; for b sons are meant thin~

terior ~ daughters thin s exterior. The father's house is
b~i.!.L~p Jrom s~~ot:..f~ da~ghters, being built u from seeds
and no~Jrom the Jruit~which enclose the seeds. Daughters are,
as it were, the flavor and the sweetness in fruits, which latter, if
the seed ~e._removed from them, Eroduce nothing whatever but a-;;;
barren. Th~ by-daughters are ;;-ant those ~terior things which
alo~ t.beL wors~ip Wi!!.lOut any interiors. The latter they slay
but the former they preserve.
It is sons not daughters who build houses, that is to say, gen
erations which are churches and which flow from faith. Thus [the
Babylonians] extinguish the nascent faith. Therefore the mid
wives received the ;eward, that God built them houses (vs. ~1).
3226. [But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of
Egypt spake unto them, for they made the boys to live], vs. 17.
Here the Hebrew midwives are described as to who they were and
what their character, to wit, that they were midwives who taugJ1t
t!!e true doctrine of the ~urch, and faith in God Messiah, and who
rightly explained the Word of God Messiah; for it is said that they
feared God.
Here, as above in verse 15 and also in verse 8, the king is called
not" Pharaoh" but the king of Egypt, though these kings were
customarily called Pharaohs. This was done that he might be
distinguished from that Pharaoh who had previously been spoken
of; and also that Egypt might be mentioned. In verse 19, how
ever, and also in verse ~~, he is called Pharaoh. 8
" To make the sons or boys to live," means to build the house of
God ¥e~siah, tO~Rire truths wh~;e~con~s life and conse
quently vivification. They, therefore, are called 9 midwives who
make them~ live by the knowledges of truths and by faith, thus
by the Word of God Messi~h: - --
3227. [And when the king of Egypt called the midwives, and
said unto them, Why have ye done this word, to make the boys to
live?] vs. 18. " To make the sons or boys to live" is called" doing
this word," and it can be clearly evident that it is the "'Vord of God
Messiah that these midwives taught; for "to do a word" is a
8 This paragraph is emphasized by "N B" written in the margin. The
last sentence was added at a later time.
• Reading dicuntur for dicunt.
II Ad. 1551-1555 18
3~~8-30] THE WORD EXPLAINED
divine style of speech, and signifies the truth. Thus they were
blamed on account of truth and justice.
3228. [The midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew
women are not like the Egyptian; for they are lively; before the
midwife comes unto them, they are already delivered], vs. 19.
Here the midwives do not indeed make truthful statements; still
they do. not deceive. Thus they act prudently; for prudence con
sists iiJ. following the commandments of God Messiah but not the
commandments of man when these are contrary to the Word of
God Messiah. This, moreover, is the prudence which is praised.
Yet they do make truthful statements, namely, that the Hebrew
women are lively, that is to say, that within them is that life which
comes from faith in God Messiah. It is this that is called liveliness,
and not the circumstance that they are quickly delivered; for the
latter is not a trait of a lively nature. Still it might also be the
fact that they are delivered before the midwife comes to them; for
to bring to birth in the absence of a midwife, when by the birth is
meant faith and all that follows from faith, comes from God Mes
siah from whom is all life. And because this life is the only life,
therefore, such frequent mention is made of life, living, making to
live, and liveliness.
3229. [Therefore God dealt well with the midwives; and the
people multiplied, and was greatly increased], vs. ~O. Here now is
described the care and providence which God Messiah has toward
his church, in that he blessed the midwives, and that they were lib
erated, despite the fact that they made use of cunning, and also of
cruelty, and moreover of death. Such is the care and providence
of God Messiah toward his church that he protects her in the midst
of dangers, for he knows all deceits and has mercy upon them.
3230. It has sometimes been permitted spirits of an evil dis
position to exercise their anger and vindictiveness upon me with
fury, and violently to rush against me, nay, and sometimes to
attack me with deceit. But being protected by God Messiah, I
remained in their midst and they could not exercise the least
thing except their own endeavor. Thus, stupefied and with
much raillery, they withdrew, confessing that their cunning,
violence, and fury were of no avaiP
1 This passage is cited in the Author's Index to his Memorabilia, s. v. Doltua
and Ira.
14 II Ad. 1556-1558
EXODUS I: 19-~~ [3~31-34
3231. Concerning the multiplication of the sons of Israel in the

midst of danger-for in all persecution faith is exceedingly fruit
ful-see above at verse l~.
3232. [And it came to pMS, because the midwives feared God,
that he made them houses], vs. ~l. God Messiah granting, some
thing concerning the fear of God may be seen elsewhere, to wit, as
to what love and fear are, and that within love is fear, especially in
this life when man is being tried, and after the trial. As love in
creases, however, fear is observed to diminish. Yet it still accom
panies love; for without the fear of doing things which are not
acceptable, love is not possible. It is by fear that man is reduced
to love, as observed above [n. 13~9], and therefore in the love the
fear remains, but with a difference according to the degree of the
love. Any love whatsoever may be cited as an example, especially
conjugial love and also the love of children toward their parents,
and this truth will become evident. But the worship of God Mes
siah does not consist in fear without. love, for to the existence of
a faith that is saving, there must be love wherein is fear.
3233. The expression he made them houses is a style of speech
wholly divine, signifying every kind of blessing. It signifies
earthly blessing, because" to make houses" means to give all that
pertains to the house. It means also the blessing of the breasts
and of the womb, spoken of above in Genesis chapter 49 25 , that is
to say, the giving of much offspring, thus enabling the house to
be built up; for a house is built up by a numerous generation, as
is well known. More especially, however, it signifies a spiritual
and celestial blessing; for the house itself, being the house of God,
is God Messiah, and consequently, with it, all that looks to his
heaven. The body is called the house of the soul, whence comes
corporeal blessing; the natural mind is the house of society; and
the heavenly house is the intellectual mind. Thus by "making
houses" are meant all blessings. Therefore, preceding the words
of the text, it is said" God blessed them" 2 (vs. ~O), and this, as
stated in the present verse, because they feared God Messiah.
3234. [And Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, Every
son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye
• Benedixit eis Deus. According to Schmidius, the words in verse 20 are
benefecit eis Deus (God dealt well with them) and this is in literal agreement
with the Hebrew.
II Ad. 1559~156~ 15
8fl35-36] THE WORD EXPLAINED
shall make to live] vs. flfl. Pharaoh now comes to the utmost meas
ure df cruelty, and this to the end that he may destroy the whole
seminary of the sons of Israel. So those are at last reduced to the
utmost insanity who suffer- themselves to be led by the devil as do
the men here treated of. Thus Pharaoh now left off commanding
the midwives, whom he could not touch, and gave his command
to the whole people. Such also is the case in the Neronic wrestling
school,S wherein at the same time men fear that unless they are
cruel they also will be punished with death. This order, therefore,
was~wgiven to the Egyptians themselves.
3235 "To cast one into the river" is to choke him with water.
As 0 what is meant by water, this has been told above [no 558,
flOfl8, fl87 4]. Every doctrine that is drawn from the W ~rd f}f
God Messiah is called water; but then water has regard to the doc
trine of the church of God Messiah. The papists also call their
doctrine a water drawn from the same strea~_oi fountain; t this
stream is the river of Egypt, and the water is that wherein Pha
raoh's army perished, and wherein perished the antedil~vi~In
t~ Neronic wrestling school,4 this 'water is a }Vater... g.r.iwn from
their own institutes or in~itutions. In tp.esE; there is nothing that
d~es_~.~.~epa!_t fro!!! the doctrine of the true Apostolic ch~rch,
seeing that they contain nothin that does not look to the world and
the earth, and to their own opul~eand dignity; and consequently,
to the pleas~res of their body and to their insatiable lust of drag
ging GodMessiahfrom his throne, ~dso of setting up the king
dom of the devil. Into such a stream do_ they cast all who have
faith in God Messiah and who do not wish to be idol~s. Thus
they w~sh to up~~_t~ll that is E~avenly f.!o~ its very infancy ~
origin. Therefore it is said Every son that is born ye shall cast
into the river.
3236. As to what a son is and what a daughter, see above at
verse 16. From verses fl and 3 of chapter 9l, which next follows,
it is clear that they cast into this river 6 not only new-born sons
but also sons several months old; just as did Herod when he slew
the infants because of God Messiah who was born [Matt. 9l 16 ].
Thus they do this because of faith in God Messiah when this is born.
• Palaeatra.
• See preceding note.
• [Crossed off:] of their cupidities.
16 II Ad. 1563-1564
SIX DAYS OF NEW CREATION [3~37-38
To cast the faith of infants into the torrent of pleasures is an easy

matter.
EXODUS II INTRODUCTION
[THE THREE PERIODS OF THE REFORMATION OF THE HUMAN

RACE, AND THE SIX DAYS OF THE NEW CREATION]
3237. In the preceding pages it has several times been men

tioned that there are three main periods, being the periods of the
reformation of the human race, which are especially treated of in
the Word of God Messiah; to wit, the first period from the time
of the flood to the time of Moses; the second, from the time of
Moses to the advent of God Messiah; and the third, from this
advent to the end of days. The whole of this time is called the
time of the new creation. As concerns the time from Adam to the
flood.! t~is was indeed a period7 considerable length; but pre
viously [Gen. ~914], this period was called" a month of days >l
[n. 3169], while the other periods are called weeks and septennials.
The first period, therefore, was the mother, as it were, who was
carrying in the womb, and this time is also called the time of
o~~. It is only after the birth that the times of reformati~
exist. And because J ehovah God then decreed that he would extir
~e the whole human race, and for this cause sent a &cXl up~n
the entire globe, as we re;id [Gen. 613 , 17] , therefore, also the t~e
that had passed was to be given to oblivion, Mit were. Therefore,
it is not to be numbered among the three periods of the new crea
tion or reformation. It does not, however, follow from this, but
that a great number of the antediluvians were also reform.~d, ju~
as men were reformed later; this can be seen- from what has been
said above concerning the antediIuvians [no 468, 545, 106~].
3238. In general there are six days of the new creation, to wit,
from Noah to the end of days. Thus these days are to be reckoned
from Noah, as follows: The first day, before the flood, up to Noah's
going forth from the ark; the second from this going forth to the
time of Abraham; the third from Abraham to the promulgation of
the law in mount Zion ; 6 the fourth from this time to the temple of
Jerusalem; the fifth to God Messiah; the sixth to the end of days.
Then is to come the seventh day, or the kingdom of God, that is to
• See n. 934g note.
II Ad. 1565-1566
17
3~39-4~] THE WORD EXPLAINED
say, the rest of God Messiah, and the rest with him of all the
saints, being thus a perpetual day of holy festival.
3239. These days of the new creation correspond to the days of
the first creation, the days namely, when all things were created
even to the first man, who with his wife entered into this kingdom
of God Messiah to enact in paradise a perpetual festival. When
they fell, and so were expelled from the kingdom of God Messiah
and from his heaven, and thus also from the earthly paradise, then
commenced this time of the new creation, but with a distinction
between the time of the former creation and N oah; for since it was
seen that a new heavenly paradise and thus also an earthly, could
not be raised up from the former generation, therefore, they were
wiped out and given to oblivion. Then from this one man N oah
commenced a new creation, just as the first or ancient creation had
commenced from one man. All creation commences from one man
and his comwrt; and since, as was said, this [new creation] could
not come into existence from Adam and his descendants, therefore
Noah was chosen and was reformed that it might commence from
him, he being like a new ground which had long been prepared to
the end that this new harvest might be brought forth. But here
there are many things which are among the deepest arcana of
J ehovah God.
3240. But although the time of the new creation is distinguished
into six days, terminating as described above, yet the same time is
also distinguished into three great days, each of which is called a
week or septennial. It is these weeks then, or these septennials that
were treated of above, when the subject was Jacob's service with
Laban.
3241. The difference between the seven days and the three, lies
in many circumstances, besides the matter of longer duration.
Each day of the six, as in the case of each day of the first or ancient
creation, was evening and morning. The same was likewise the
case with each day of the new creation; for there was an evening
and a morning when Noah entered the ark and went forth from it;
there was an evening and a morning from that time unto Abraham;
and so likewise from Abraham to the promulgation of the law, and
so forth, as can be seen from the description of each day.
3242. And now, as touching the three periods which are called
septennials, the first of which commences from N oah, the second
18 II Ad. 1567-1570
PERIODS OF REFORMATION [3~43-46
from Moses, and the third from God Messiah himself, they have this
in common, that the one is also represented in the other. As touch-
ing the representations themselves, however, these, by the divine
mercy of God Messiah, will come to be treated of in the following
pages in all the explanations that follow.
It must be observed in general, that in the first period God Mes-
siah was present among his own, and appeared to them, as it is
said that he appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, to Noah,
nay, and to Hagar, etc.; but then they were in their infancy and so
were living in their innocence. And from this revelation and thus
from himself, each son of God Messiah knew the way of truth.
3243. The second period was indeed such that in it also God
Messiah himself appeared and indeed among the Jews, in the most
manifest way for many centuries. But this age is distinguished
from the former by the fact that the Word of God Messiah was
then promulgated l as was done by Moses and afterwards by David
and the prophets.
3244. In the third period, God Messiah so appeared that it was
a most manifest revelation; for the one only Son of Jehovah then
came down from heaven and taught the human race the way of
truth.
3245. Among the causes [of these increasing manifestations] is
the fact that man as he passes from infancy to the age of manhood
and so to old age, passes in the same degree from innocence and
simplicity to malice, and from its root this actually increases with
age. For this reason, revelations were increased even to their
height in God Messiah; and finally, in the end of days, God Messiah
will appear in his glory.
3246. And now as touching the representation of one period in
another, here, in this Pharaonic flood is first presented a representa-
tion of the Noachic flood, nay, and of. Noah's ark. Thus Pharaoh
commanded all his people that they should cast the sons into the
river; from which river Moses alone was preserved, and this in a
kind of ark, covered in like manner with bitumen and pitch, that it
might represent the former but universal flood.
So likewise J acob's descendants represented the antediluvian
time, in that they had then come into thick night, and were in such
universal blindness that they were entirely ignorant of any worship
of God Messiah; for [it was later] that sacrifices were instituted
II Ad. 1571-1574 19
among them and the law promulgated, when nevertheless, as is well

known, these had been in use at the time of AbeI, and afterwards of
Noah, and also of Abraham, etc. Therefore, with Jacob's de
scendants at that time, was deepest night such as existed when the
human race perished in the flood. But from that flood Moses
emerged out of a little ark, and becam~ their leader, and by him,
God Messiah brought hack the light, that is to say, the lost worship
of himself.
3247. A like night, and indeed still darker, occupied the Jews
at the time of God Messiah; for although they had every revelation
from Noah's time to their own, revelation both contemporaneous
and written, yet so great was the darkness that they did not wish to
understand that it was God Messiah who was with them, although
he had given witness to his presence by so many miracles, etc., etc. 7
3248. In memory of this universal flood, now represented in
Moses, baptism was instituted by God Messiah. As to what bap
tism signifies, this can be evident both from the universal flood and
also from Moses himself when born and cast into the river; and
from his rescue by the daughter of Pharaoh; thus it can be seen
by means of the many things which now follow. From these, by
the divine mercy of God Messiah, we can be instructed concerning
the signification of baptism, baptism being the subject specially
set forth in these verses.
EXODUS II
1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took a
daughter of Levi.
~ And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw
him that he was beautiful, she hid him three months.
3 And when she could no longer hide him, she took a coffer of
bulrush, and daubed it with bitumen and pitch; and she laid the
child therein; and laid it in the sedge by the shore of the river.
7 [The following unnumbered paragraphs are here crossed off by the Au
thor:] What the flood signifies in the spiritual sense has indeed been stated, but
it can be evident from the story itself-evident namely, that mortal men were
so blinded that they would wholly have perished; for which reason the flood was
sent, 'to the end that Noah might be preserved, as here was also Moses.
Since, therefore, the universal flood was represented in Moses, and in that
flood the death of the human race, and in Noah and Moses, their salvation
~o II Ad. 1575-1576
EXODUS II: 1-10 (3fl49-50
4 And his sister stood afar off, to know what would come to
him.
5 And Pharaoh's daughter came down to wash at the river; and
her maidens walked by the bank of the river; and she saw the coffer
in the midst of the sedge; 8 therefore she sent her handmaid and
took it. .
6 And when she opened it, she s~w him, the child: and, behold,
the child wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is
one of the children of the Hebrews.
7. Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shan I go and
call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the
child for thee?
8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid
went and called the mother of the child.
9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child with
thee, and nurse him for me; for I will give thee thy hire. And the
woman took the child, and nursed him.
10 And when the child had grown, she brought him unto Pha
raoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name
Moses, for she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
3249. The things here said concerning the birth of Moses, his
being buried in the ark and thrown into the river, and concerning
his deliverance by Pharaoh's daughter, his being nursed by his
mother, and finally his adoption as a son, etc., involve more than
can here be brought forward. They involve almost the like things
as the flood, with the admission of N oah into the ark, his preserva
tion, and his adoption as a son, that is to say, as the new father of
the human race, etc.
3250. That in the inmost [sense] both the latter particulars and
the former involve many things which [occurred] in the life of God
Messiah when he was in the world is most eminently clear. Here
where Moses is treated of, these things can be explained only in the
particular passages. Suffice it to say, that the things which hap
pened to Noah, from his entrance into the ark to his going forth
therefrom, that is to say, to his deliverance from the flood, in like
manner as the present particulars concerning Moses, are each and
all now signified by the baptism which was instituted in memory of
• See n. 3258 note.
II Ad. 1577-1578 fl1
the salvation of the whole world by God Messiah, and thus in mem
ory of that universal flood, a type of which is also presented here
in the person of Moses. Let us, therefore, proceed to the words of
the text itself.
3251. And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took a
daughter of Levi (vs. 1). Moses was of the family of Levi, as is
well known; for this reason also, Aaron his brother became the first
high priest. What is inmostly signified by Levi is known, namely,
love, consequently in the supreme sense, God Messiah himself.
Therefore also, He is called the High Priest of all, that is to say,
Priest to the Most High [Ps. ll04]. This is so dearly evident
from the institutions concerning the Levitical priesthood that every
one can see it quite plainly; especially can he see that none could ap
proach J ehovah except by the priest, and also that the priest car
ried the sins of the people and so made expiation for them, of which
matters, by the divine mercy of God Messiah, we speak later. 9
3252. As touching the royal dignity, in the beginning this also
was represented by high priests who, at the same time, were also
judges, and, in the primitive church, more especially by the heads of
families; also by the leaders and judges of the Israelites, of whatso
ever tribe they were, and, moreover, at the same time by their priests
who also had royal dignity, as is well known from many passages.
But since the Messiah was to arise from the tribe of Judah, it was
chiefly by the kings that He was represented. Thus He was so
represented by David, that frequently the Messiah is himself called
David. Thus the dignities were separated, though in themselves
they are conjoined; for in themselves the office of interceding, and
the office of executing the commands of Jehovah wi~--P.Q}Y.er
used by Joseph, that is to say, the pow~f ruling, are conjoined
allirtbus are one 0 ce. Later, however, when Jacob's descendants
demanded a king like the Canaanites [I Sam. 8 il ], a division was
made because of the distinct representation of each office. In God
Messiah, the offices are distinct and at the same time united; for he
came into the world as the Savior and as Priest to the Most High
[Ps. ll04] ; and yet power was his from the beginning to the end
• [Crossed off:] As touching the other or royal function [of God Messiah],
that He was the King of all, this is not represented by Levi, and so not by
Moses and Aaron, except taken together, for-
II Ad. 1579-1580
EXODUS II: 1-~ [3~53-54
of days; but now he is to come as a King glorious in his majesty. \
I
Thus as there is a conjunction, to wit, of the divjpe and hl!.-man,
also is the r~_a~ce conjoined with that of High Priest. Later
on there will be occasion to say more concerning these matters.
3253. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she
SO)'
saw him that he was bemdiful, she hid him three months (vs. ~).
It had previously been commanded by Pharaoh (chap. 1 22 ) that all
the sons should be cast into the riYe~, to the end that that genera
tion might perish. But by the providence of God Messiah, Moses
was raised up, who should lead that people out of Egypt and intro
duce them into the land of Canaan, though very few of them came
into that land. The case is exactly the same as at the time of the
universal flood. The entire generation descended from Adam then
perished, and only N oah with his sons was saved. In the inmost
sense, the two cases signify the same thing, to wit, that, as by one
man, namely, Adam, the entire human race was separated from the
face of Jehovah the Parent, so by the one only Son, namely, God
Messiah, the entire human race was saved, that is to say, was ad
mitted into the sight of J ehovah his Father. Thus N oah [and
Moses] were types of God Messiah. All men were saved, that is,
the human race was renewed by means of N oah alone; and now this
was done by Moses, who was born that he might lead this posterity
out of Egypt, and so might save it from captivity, by which is
meant spiritual captivity or damnation. Moses was the instrument
for the delivery of this people from the captivity of Egypt, but by
no means from spiritual captivity. Yet this latter deliverance was
the essential thing represented by Noah and Moses; for representa
tions of things spiritual and celestial are made by men and they
exist in things terrestrial and corporeal. But they do not con
tribute in the least to the matter itself which lies in things heavenly,
except as instruments for the informing of the people concerning
things heavenly and divine.
3254. Because it is God Messiah who is represented here, and
also later on, therefore every word of this text must be applied to
the birth of the Messiah himself, a birth which took place when the
Jewish people were in the densest darkness and in a captivity wholly
spiritual-a captivity not by Pharaoh king of Egypt but by the
devil who commanded all men, as Pharaoh now commands, that they
II Ad. 1581-158~ ~3
should be cast into the river of pleasures, and so, together with
him, into the Dead Sea 1 where is Sodom and Gomorrah.
3255. The woman conceived and bare a son. In the inmost
sense, these words have regard to the Messiah himself, namely, t])e
statement that the woman conceived-for which reason He is called
: ---l?.... ,.
"lhe seed_of the woman" [Gen.($ ....] . The actual mother"of the
\f
---:> Messiah conceived'bfthe Holy SRiFit, but still sHe marrIed Joseph,
who is therefore caI ed the Messiah's fathe~though he was father
~ in name only. She likewise bare a son, as we read elsewhere of the
r womlln, that she~re a son and called h'is" name Emanuel, that is,
LGod with us. See ~saiah 7 1:;; where are these words: "B~~~
I virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name-Im
, I riiai'itiel "; and that he is to come when the land shall be desolate,
that is to say, when there shall be thick night, and a spiritual cap
tivity 3 ~uch ~s was in E pt, and so such as was befoEe t e ay of
the Hood, this also is set forth in the words which next follow in the
same chapter (verses 16, 17, 18). There, moreover, mention is
made of " the rivers of Egypt," and they are called" the rivers of
desolations'" [vs. 19].
3256. The son is said to be beautiful. Moses was this, because
such was the man and the type. But this beauty involves b~ty in
the inmost sense, namely, in_t~ity, and, in the Messiah, h~ess,
whence comes all beauty. In t e more interior and inmos~nse,
the subject treated of is the beauty of the intellectual mind and
( [~s] will, a!!.d also of_th~ soul. The bea~ty of the soul consists in
ho.fu1~ss ; and beauty comes when, by way of the soul, of which way
we have spoken above, God Messiah with his love not only illumines
the intellectual mind but also enkindles it. From God Messiah's
love, which shines and flashes in the rational mind, comes all holi
f ness; and this is represented by the be_auty of the face; moreover,
in m~~ ~ integrity, it also shines out from the face-but in~ostly.

In Noah this beauty is described as follows: "Noah was a just man
and perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God" (Gen.
69 ).
'Lacus Asphaltitesj see n. 3126 note.
~Luke 2'~ 4,22; John 1'5, 6'2.]
• The autograph has calor (heat) but this seems to be a slip.

• So Schmidius, but in the A.V. the translation is "the desolate valleys."
The Hebrew word thus translated is ,~~ which means both river and valley.
24 II Ad. 1583-1584
EXODUS II: 3 [3~57-59
3257. So likewise the words, She hid him three months, involve
that the birth of the Messiah also was hidden from Herod, who
wished to slay him. Therefore he was carried to Egypt, and this
by reason of the signification of things of which, God Messiah
granting, we shall speak elsewhere. As touching the three months,
these involve the same thing as elsewhere is involved by three
days or a three-day period, or three years or a triennial, namely,
the death, burial, and resurrection of God Messiah, which were
the events of three days. They also involve J onah's burial in the
womb of the whale for three days [Jonah 117 ], and Jacob's service
with Laban for three septennials, etc. ; just as the same things are
also [signified] by three ages or thirty years, to wit, as stated above
En. 3174], the time from Noah to the end of days divided into three
periods or great days, as above [n. 3~37 seq.], in like manner as
[they are signified] by the three sons of Noah, etc., etc. 3
3258. And when she could no longer hide him, she took a coffer 6
of bulrush, and daubed it with bitumen and pitch; and she laid the
child therein; and laid it in the sedge 7 by the shore of the river (vs.
3). This then has the same signification as the ark of Noah when
the human race perished in the flood. By that ark N oah was saved,
and by means of him, the human race was thus preserved; so also by
the coffer Moses was saved, by whom this posterity of J acob was
delivered. So likewise we read concerning the ark of Noah [Gene
sis] chapter 613- 16 , that it likewise was daubed with pitch, within
and without (ibid. 614 ).
3259. As the enduring of Moses for three months signifies the
condemnation of the Messiah,s so the ark, both Moses' and Noah's,
signifies the burial; and the fact that this ark was daubed with
pitch, signifies the darksome,9 as it were Tartarean, place [of
• [The following paragraph is here crossed off:] And now within three
months Moses was condemned to death, that is, to be cast into the river. There
fore he was hidden. Thus by these times is signified the condemnation of the
Me[ssiah].
• The Hebrew word which Schmidius here translates capsa (a chest, box,
case, coffer) is the same as that which in Genesis 614 he translates arca (ark)
referring to the ark built by Noah.
T The Hebrew word here translated sedge (ulva) is ~~O (suph) from which
the Sea Suph received its name.

8 Swedenborg first wrote Dei (of God).
• The text reads locum 7Wn solum tenebrosum (a place not only darksome).
In the translation, we have ignored the words 7Wn solum because the comple-
II Ad. 1585-1587
burial], this being the same thing as going down to hell-an ex
pression frequently used in respect to burial places, which, by rea
son of this representation, are also called the place of the dead, nay,
and hell. These arks, therefore, represented the sepulchre, or the
place of the dead, and also hell, for the latter is likened to spiritual
death. Thus Moses was now in the sepulchre, that is to say, in
the representation of that sepulchre, as also was Jonas when in the
womb of the whale [Jonah 1 17 ]. It is the same, whether he had
been in the ark for three days, or had been hidden at home for three
months; for in view of the like representation, it amounts to the
same thing.
3260. In men the representations of death and burial do not
extend to actual death, for not the least thing, not even a fly, can
be saved by the death and burial of a man. Therefore, in place of
burial some such thing is represented which is in place of burial, as
for instance, the womb of the whale for Jonah, and likewise the
ark for N oah. So also in the case of Isaac as a sacrificial victim
[Gen. ~~2 seq.] though he was not such a victim; for by the sacrifice
of Isaac, just as by the death of a man, not the least grain of
merit is obtained, and consequently not the least grain of justifica
tion and salvation. These were 1 men who would be saved by the
death of the Messiah.
3261. She laid this coffer in the sedge by the shore of the river.
By this is meant that which the river then signified, the river
namely, into which the sons of Israel were cast. Thus it was the
place of those who were condemned to death, as the reader will see
stated just above [no 3~59] in respect to the burial place of the
Messiah and his burial. What is involved here is damnation; but
what is involved for Moses, is that he was by the shore of the river
of the damned and thus was in the sedge where he was safe. The
bulrush also has regard to this river, in that the coffer was made
of bulrush, and the water of the river could thus penetrate it, and
so Moses be drowned. But immediately afterwards we read con
cerning the nature of God Messiah's providence for this child; for
here, as everywhere above, is such a continuous series of contingen
cies, that is to say, of the providence of God Messiah, that if one
ment of these words is lacking. Possibly the Author intended to write locum
non sOlum te7U!brosum ... sed etiam i1lfernalem (but also infernal).
1 Reading erant for erunt.
~6 11 Ad. 1588-1589
;'
EXODUS II: 4-5 [S~6~-64
reads these and the preceding words, with the intention of seeing
proofs of God Messiah's providence, he will not find the least thing,
especially here in the case of Moses, at which the human mind is
not amazed, etc., etc. (These proofs may be set forth, if it then
beC3r~ted.)
32 . And his sister stood afar off, to know what would come to
hinn (vs. 4). Here are clearly represented the sisters of the Mes
~h, not only those who stood by that they might behold the death
of the Messiah [Matt. ~755-6, Mark 15 40-1, Luke ~349, John 1925 ]
but also those who came to the sepulchre in the morning of the day
of the Passover to embalm him [Mark 161- 2, Luke ~356, ~41] ; for
we read the same thing concerning them. That these women, in- )
cluding Mary the mother of the Messiah, are called sisters is a~o
clear [Matt. 1~5o, Mark 3 85 ] ; for by sister is meant a daughter of
~ ~d Messiah, co se uentI the chu ch. In the present case there
was only one churc, emg that which is called the Jewish, which
Moses led out of Egypt. This then is what is signified in t~-)I
IIUlSt sense, to ~it, that_the church stood afar off to learn what
would come to him who wa~osen to be their savior from the
Egyptian captivity.
3263. And Pharaoh's daughter came down to wash at the river;
and her maidens walked by the bank of the river; and she saw the
coffer in the midst of the sedge; therefore she sent her handmaid and
took it (vs. 5). Here more is involved than can be expounded in a
few words, many truths being involved simultaneously. All these
truths are indeed represented, being thus represented in various
ways; yet they all have regard to the one truth which is the princi
pal of aH, being God Messiah whom they serve as attendants or
handmaids.
3264. Here we must search out what is meant in the inmost
sense by Pharaoh's daughter; also what is meant by her maidens
who walked by the bank of the river; and, moreover, by the hand
maid whom Pharaoh's daughter sent; and likewise what is meant by
washing. When this has been searched out, the spiritual sense
comes forth, to wit, the more interior and inmost sense. These
events actually happened after the manner of the Egyptians in the
way described, and they are related here to the end that they might
represent things which are more interior and inmost. Otherwise
so many historical circumstances would have no place here.
II Ad. 1590-159~ ~7
3265. By daughters, almost everywhere in the Word of God

Messiah, are meant churches; and so likewise by the maidens who
were in the retinue. By a handmaid, however, is meant a servant
church, as was observed above [n. 676, 718] with respect to the
handmaids of Rachel and Leah.
3266. It is well known that God Messiah loved his primitive
church, and likewise the church of the gentiles, more than the Jew
ish church, as may be seen in the story of Jacob, in that Rachel was
loved more than Leah who was substituted in Rachel's place. In
general, it is the church of the gentiles that is signified by Pharaoh's
daughter. The daughter of a Pharaoh is the daughter of a king
and, consequently, is that church which consisted of His sons who
are called sons of the King. It is the church consisting of the sons
of the king that is here called the daughter of Pharaoh, Pharaoh
signifying a king, and, in fact, the king of Egypt. In the inmost
sense, this signifies captivity and servitude, and thus the captivity
and servitude of the church of the gentiles, more properly the
church of Rachel, which was then in Egyptian captivity, as it were.
3267. For the better understanding of these words, the books of
the New Testament must be consulted. When the Messiah rose
from the dead or from the sepulchre on the third day, he was not
seen by the Jews, but he was seen in Galilee; for an angel com
manded the three women who came to embalm him that they should
go to Galilee and he would be seen there [Matt. ~87, Mark 16 7].
Galilee was the region of the gentiles where God Messiah himself
taught. Since he could not be received by the Jews, therefore, he
at once passed over to the gentiles among whom he was seen; and
they then acknowledged him and received the salvation which by his
death and burial he had merited for the entire world. Therefore,
this daughter of the king or Pharaoh is described as going down to
wash at the river, that is, to purify herself, washing being the
customary purification of the body. In this way assuredly, could
the gentiles take note of the things which are signified by Moses'
coffer laid in the sedge, as stated above [n. 3~61].
3268. Mention is also made of many maidens who were in this
company. Thus they [are represented] in a compendium as being
in the present-a common practice in the Word of God Messiah
although it is distinct times that are represented. Thus by the
maidens with Pharaoh's daughter are signified the other churches, of
~8 II Ad. 1593-1596
I
EXODUS II: 5 [3269-70
which there are many. These churches are enumerated in the Apoc-
alypse [chap. 2 and 3], and to them his disciples, especially Paul,
wrote many Epistles. These churches are said to have walked by
the bank of the river into which were cast the sons of J acob's pos-
terity-though previously [chap. 1 1 ,7,9,12,13], because of the rep-
resentation, they are called" sons of Israel." But they especially
are said to have walked by the bank of this river, that is to say, by
the river of the damned [who rejected God Messiah] ; for without
God Messiah, all men walk by the bank of the river where the sons
of J acob were seen drowned.
3269. And now this daughter of the king saw the coffer in the
sedge, that is to say, saw the things which are signified by this cof-
fer, namely, the burial of the Messiah and all else that has regard to
their salvation in the Messiah. Therefore, she sent her handmaid.
to wit, the things of service which are signified by a church which is
a handmaid, these being their priestly things and the like, which
look to the worship of God Messiah. These are the ministering
things of the royal church. True they did not yet know what lay
concealed in the coffer; but because they saw the latter, they were
sent to fetch it, to the end that they might search into that which
previously they had suspected, suspecting, namely, that one of the
Hebrew sons lay concealed within. That the gentiles awaited the
advent of the Messiah, and thus the son in the ark, is known well
enough; for the Galileans sometimes said that he was the great
prophet [Luke 716 , John 614 ] and the Son of God who was to come
[Matt. 1433 ] ; and therefore they called him the Son of David
[Matt. 1522 ]. Thus this was widely known among the gentiles,
and unknown, as it were, to the Jews-as can be evident from many
passages.
32?O. Still other things are involved in the words of this text,
but they can be evident from the series. All, however, have main
regard to that which has now been told, to wit, that it was gentiles
who went to wash by the bank of that river into which the male
children had been cast, and who noticed this coffer and therefore
sent to take it. The Jews, on the other hand, sealed the sepulcgre
66
It{ [Matt. 27 ] and willed tha.!..the Messiah shQuld never-.tis!:.. up, an9
~lc~msequ~_ntly should not be seen by any of the gentiles, to the end
that the memo!:)" of him might be wipe(La~ayJor~ver. But he was
th~s r~i~d up among the_g~nti!es; for the Messiah afterwards rose
II Ad. 1597-1598 29
again in each individual of those who acknowledge him and his

death and burial in themselves, that is to say, the deat and burial
th~t was wrought for them. These see him, and in these he is
raised up or rises again. In all others he is dead, as it were, that is
to say, in those who are dead and condemned to death.
3271. And when she opened it, she saw him, the child; and, be
hold, the child wept. And she had compassion on him, and said,
This is one of the children of the Hebrews (vs. 6). To open this
coffer means to scrutinize the Divine W gId wherein things lie con
cealed which for that reason are called divine oracles, or divine ut
terances, and which, being in themselves obscure, must therefore be
evolved. In the inmost sense, however, to open this coffer means to
see the things which have regard to the death and burial 01 the Mes
siah; thus to see the representations of him, especially in this chap
ter of Moses' life and also in the ark of Noah where like things
occur.
3272. He who opens this coffer and scrutinizes the Scriptures or
oracular utterances of God Messiah, sees the child, that is to say,
sees the Messiah himself; 'for in the Divine Word is nothing what
ever that does not-i~olve God Messiah, and in the prophets he is
frequently called a child.
3273. It is said in the text that the child wept. As to what
weeping signifies, this has been told above [n. 2680, 3080, 3088,
3151], to wit, that it signifies mercy arising from love tow-fl.r<LQ1e
human race. God Messiah has mercy on the entire human race be
cause he sees their miseries, in that they are evil from their birth,
and that, unl~ss re!:>orn, they must be condemned; and since all this
is ;epresented in Moses, therefore he is said to have wept.
3274. Pharaoh's daughter is said to have had compassion on the
child, and to have said that he was one of the children of the He
brews, because by Pharaoh's daughter is meant the church of the
gentiles, which is loved by God Messiah, and which therefore, like
God Messiah himself, acts from love and mercy. Because a like
affection was inspired in Pharaoh's daughter, therefore she is said
to have had compassion, and this because the child had thus been
exposed to death and laid on the bank of the river. The Ehurch of
the gentiles loves the ~ewish church because from that £htgch !}Jey
d_erivec! knowle ges concerning God Messiah; for the Eentiles are
mo~ed by love toward the Jews, b!!t!!le J~ws on th~ other handJ.i!.re
30 II Ad. 1599-1602
EXODUS II: 6 [3~74
mo eJLby h.~tred toward the gentiles, so called, that is to say, to--=::- _
w rd-C-hristians. How the former church b~re witness-to its love
to';;rd the Jews is evident. This is what is expressed by the
words: This is one of the children of the Hebrews, words which
were uttered by Pharaoh's daughter despite the fact that the He
brews were an abomination to the Egyptians, as we read above
[Gen. 43 32 ]. She also bore witness by actual love, in that she gave
the child to a nurse to be suckled, and adopted him as her son.
Such are they who are led by_God Messlith. But just the opposite
are they who y.re led by the_devil. These have compassion on.30
one, and least of all on ChristIans; and were it in their power, tb~y
",ould condemn t~ to deatl1 as t~9' did Christ himself, and would
close thcir- sepulchre wit a great stone, that is to say, would cast I
I
them into that place which is signified by a sepulchre, and would
stop up the sepulchre itself, and roll a great stone upon it [Matt.
~766]. Sqffi. are the Jews, and such hQ-ve they beeI!"Jr_o~ancient
times, -
- --as was represented to me even as these words were being written, I
by the dreadful.and r.ebellious motions of those who had been \ I

Jews; 2 but t ese a;;; so d~dfuI that I would wish to cast them l C : -
{itkrly and forever out of my mem2ry. Hence,,gi the divine I
mercy of God Messiah, it was granted me to know of what mind
they had been, a~ of what mind th;;-~re.3- From this I could
clearly perceive what the heavenly kingdom would be, if they
had Moses as their leader there, whom they wished to elevate
above God Messiah himself, that so they might occupy heaven.
Such was theiE..unspeakable wick~E:ess. Moreover, I engaged
in speech with them for some time, and heard and ~ceiv~d the
~alice of t~eir heart; for the sI?oke from their.native di§ osi
2 [Crossed off:] at that time.
2 As originally written, this paragraph ended as follows: "of what mind
they had then been, and how they wished to elevate Moses as the Messiah."
After penning n. 3fJ75, Swedenborg returned to this ending and, after crossing
off the word "then" he substituted for the concluding words of the passage
beginning "how they," the words "and of what mind they are." Then, in the
wide margin left by this indented passage, he wrote an addition to the passage,
namely, "From this I could . . . wickedness." The available marginal space
being then filled, the "conclusion of this addition, commencing" Moreover" was
written in a new indented paragraph following n. 3275, but with a sign showing
place of insertion.
II Ad. 1603 31
tion, and with cunning. But these matters would fill many
p;ge8:4 - -
3275. Since, therefore, by Phamoh's daughter is here_repre

, sented the church of the gentiles, ~nd _by a child of-thc_HebrCW-b the
Messiah himself, it can be evident whom it was that she understood
to be in this coffer, namely, in the more inte_rior and _inmost sense,
the Messiah himself, who was born in that Hebrew stock. It is
because of her acknowledgment of Him in this ark that she says,
This is one of the children of the Hebrews.
3276. Observe: I also had speech with those who were set
over them, concerning the posterity of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, speaking indeed concerning Abraham's pos~rity, not
I only from Isaac but also from Ishmael, and from his six sons
by Keturah; and also concerning the rest of his children who
\ were sent to the east [Gen. ~56] ; and furthermore concerning
Isaac's posterity from Esau; and also concerning J acob's own
posterity from his ten sons, who were afterwards called Israel
ites, that is to say, concerning the ten tribes who were scattered
over all lands, first over the northern quarters of Europe, and
afterwards over the whole of Europe and its islands, besides
those who were scattered over Asia. And I said that, with the
\ exception of the peoples of Africa and the Indi~~.!-the w~ le
I world wo~ld tI.!.-us be of Abraham's s~d as tQ. the flesh-a seed
which has been so multiplied that it is like the sand of the sea
shore and the stars of heaven [Gen. ~~17]. It is only a single
tribe, together with Benjamin, which lives separate from them;
, and in so great an ocean this is merely a stream. Y e~ this tribe
raises u as man tumuIts as though they alone were s2.!!!-of
Abrah-;m. It is this stream/ Isay, tbat raised u the reE-t
-...) dIsturbance s oken _oLabove n. 3~7 4]; and were they in
heaventhey-would b~ cont~ll~lly_ r~si~g jisturbances against r
:.::. the sons of Israel;_ that is to say, against their ten brethren, ~
with their generations from Jacob; against their father's
brother, Esau, and all his poste;ity, from which, moreover,
have arisen ~mong the gentiles so many princes, being eleven
• This i~dented passage is_cited iJl the_Author's Index_to Jlis--Men!Q!.abilia,
s. v. J 'Udaei.
- • The word flwmen (stream) is written above the word fl'U'lJius (river); but
the latter word is not crossed off.
3~ II Ad. 1604-1605
EXODUS II: 7-8 [8~77
in number [Gen. 8640- 3 ] ; against Abraham's own seed from

Ishmael, from whom likewise arose princes, being twelve in
number [Gen. ~516]; and also against Abraham's other sons
by his lawful wife K~h, besides those descended from the
rest of Abraham's children. Thus the descendants of J udah
and Benjamin are so few, as against the whole world, that they
are like a stream as against the ocean. Yet this stream is..Q.f \-.os
such mali nancy tM. if its water were to be_commingled with
t~ers of the ocean, it would infect themJi~e le~en.6 Con-I,
cerning otber peoples, such as those of Africa and the Indies,
who, as being the descendants of ~, were cast into exile, I
said that in the day of judgment their lot will be a better one
I since they live in continual darkness and are in no light; for
which reason there can be in them no commingling of light and
shade, and he~ no erversion of the spiritual state i!§.elf, and
consequently .Do crucifixion of the Messiah such as exists with
those who live in noonday light and turn this light into dense I
darkness. 7
3277. Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go
and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse
the child for thee? And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And
the maid went a.nil called the mother of the child (vs. 7-8). The
subject here treated of is the Jewish church, this being called a
sister and also a maid; for in itself, as instituted by Moses, not only
was this church the sister of the true Christian church among the
gentiles, but it was also a maid, being a maid most chaste, as regards
its institution by God Messiah. That it became a harlot-this was
with Jacob's descendants. Nevertheless, it was preserved by sons
of Israel as sister and as maid; for it is called a sister by those who
are adj oined to it, and see in it the true Christian church, as the
effigy in the type. This sister is now commanded to go that she
may call a woman who shall nurse the child, by the latter, in the
inmost sense, being meant the Messiah himself.
c.,O;[Crossed off:] For were it admitted into heaven,Jhen from its native dis
pos!.!ion it would be as an enemy of GO(} Messil!P himself. [These wordscon
stitute the end of n. 3976 as originally written; but, after crossing them out,
Swedenborg wrote in the wide margin left by the indentation a continuation #
commencing with the words" Concerning other peoples," etc.]

T This paragraph is cited in the Author's Index to his Memorabilia, s. v.
Abmhamus, Judaei.
II Ad. 1606 88
3278. As touching the mother, she not only bare the child but
also nursed it; for the Jewish church, which is both the sister and
the mother of this child-being the mother by the flesh and also by
faith-also nursed the child. In the inmost sense, by nursing is
meant instructing in the ,Vord of God Messiah and at the same
time in all the instituted rites of the church whereby God Messiah
and his doctrine is made known. In the prophets this is frequently
called the milk whereby infants are nourished.
3279. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child
with thee, and nurse him for me; for I will give thee thy hire. And
the woman took the child, and nursed him (vs. 9). Here is set
forth the mercy and charity of the truly Christian church toward
the Hebrew child. 'Vhat is meant by nursing has now been told,
namely, that she should nourish him from the 'Vord of God Mes
siah in the Old Testament, and this by means of things spiritual and
such as lie inmostly concealed in that Word, whence alone comes
the life of the sons of God Messiah; for the Word of God Messiah
gives no nourishment without nursing-and this by the mother,
that is to say, by her who has borne the son. 'When the Jewish
church is called mother, then the church of the gentiles is the king's
daughter who gives this command and who pays the hire.
3280. And when the child had grown, she brmbght him unto
Pharaoh's daughter, and he became" her son. And she called his
name Moses, for she said, Because I drew him out of the water (vs.
10). Here it must be noted that this child was taken by Pharaoh's
daughter as a son; thus he became the son of the King, as all those
are called who are in the church of God Messiah. Thus, in the
more interior sense, by this son are meant all sons of the King or
Messiah.
3281. That in the inmost and supreme sense, it is the Messiah
himself who is called son has been declared often enough and to
spare; that is to say, that the Messiah is the Son of God whom the
church acknowledges and adores. The more interior senses are so
reciprocated with the supreme sense that the son who, in the su
preme Sense is the Son of God, and in the inmost Sense the Son of
Man and thus of His church, in the more interior sense, is the Son
who is acknowledged and adored by the church. Therefore, in this
same sense they are adopted that they may be sons of his church,
the church being then taken as his bride and afterwards as his wife.
34 II Ad. 1607-1610
EXODUS II: 9-10 [3~82-83
Hence, being of the true church of Christ, they are then separated
from his mother, that is, the Jewish church, and being brought to
the house of the King, become his sons and so his heirs. 8
3282. As touching the name itself, that is, Moses, which signifies
" drawn out of the water," 9 as also was stated by Pharaoh's daugh
ter, to wit: because I drew him out of the water, it is most clearly
evident that this name involves all that has now been said concerning
the coffer wherein lay the child, and also concerning N oah's ark,
and furthermore concerning the N oachic flood, and concerning the
present stream into which were cast the sons both of Israel and of
J acob-the sons of Israel because/ like all men, they are cast into
spiritual caEtivity and damnation, but are delivered bj- the child-i~
t~ffer ;-and-ihe sons of Jacob in a different way. Since all these
words signify the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah,
and all the things involved therein which are infinite in number, it
came to her memory that here was a sign of this thing, just as the
bow of heaven, that is to say, the rainbow with its colors, was a
sign of the flood. That the world might not later perish by such
a flood, baptism was instituted. Therefore, in the words of this
text is contained the true signification of the baptism instituted by
God Messiah in Jordan [Matt. 3 13-5, Mark 1 9 , Luke 3 21 ] ••
3283. Thus Moses also was now baptized, and from baptism re
ceived his name and was called Moses, which signifies" drawn out of
the water."
EXODUS II
11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown,
that he went out unto his brethren, and saw their burdens: and he
saw a man, an Egyptian, which smote a man, an Hebrew, one of his
brethren.
12 And when he had looked about, this way and that, and saw
that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the
sand.
• In the autograph, this sentence is marked by .. NB" written twice in the
margin.
• In his translation, Schmjdius after the word "Moses" interpolates the
words" that is, drawn Qut!'
1 Reading quia for qui.
* This passage and also n. 3283 is emphasized by .. NB" written several

times in the margin.
II Ad. 1611-1612 35
13 And he went out the second day, and, behold, two men of
the Hebrews quarreling: and when he said to the unjust one,
'Vherefore smitest thou thy feHow?
14 He said, Who set thee for a man, a prince and judge over
us? is it that thou speakest to kill me, as thou didst kill the Egyp
tian? And Moses feared for himself, and said, Surely this word
has become known.
15 Then Pharaoh heard this word; therefore he sought to slay
him. 2 But Moses fled before Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of
Midian.
32~4. In these incidents which are related concerning Moses,
how that he slew an Egyptian man who had smitten a Hebrew, is
presented a representation of man's reformation; not that Moses
himself was reformed by this deed, but that by it reformation is
represented. It is in this way that things more interior and in
most are set forth by means of the actions of men as treated of In
the Word of God Messiah ; for which reason, only those particulars
are presented which involve such things. Thus, with the exception
of the incidents here related, nothing whatever is told concerning
Moses from his infancy up to the present time; nor is anything said
concerning him from the time of his marriage to his advanced years
when God Messiah appeared to him, at which time he was already
a man of almost eighty years. 8 Thus those particulars alone are
inserted which inmostly involve things spiritual and celestial and
thus God Messiah himself.
3285. By a moo, 00 Egyptialn [vs. 11] is here signified the nat
ural man, but by a man, an Hebrew is signified the spiritual and
thus the renewed man. Every individual is a natural man and thus
an Egyptian; but when the natural man dies and thus is slain [vs.
1~], the spiritual man rises up, and then for a long time the natural
man fights with the spiritual. Therefore combat is again presented,
being the combat, that is to say, the quarrel of two of the Hebrews
with each other [vs. 13]. To these Hebrews Moses spoke in like
fashion, and by one of them he is asked in reproach whether he
wished to slay him also as he had slain the Egyptian [vs. 14]. As
to what is further signified by this incident, and also as to what is
• So Schmidius, but the Hebrew has Moses.
• Moses died toward the end of the forty years wandering in the wilderness
when he was one hundred and twenty years old (Deut. 347 ).
36 II Ad. 1613-1614
EXODUS II: 11-15 [39l86-89
meant by the two Hebrews quarreling with each other, this can be
concluded from the words themselves.
3286. The fact that Pharaoh king of Egypt wished to slay
Moses [vs. 15] signifies the same persecution as before [chap.
1 16,22] in that Pharaoh wished to wipe out all sons of Israel. So
now he wished to slay Moses, just as every natural man wishes to
extinguish the spiritual man, a trait which natural men derive from
their leader the devil who continually breathes the death of all who
are reformed and worship God Mess{ah from faith.
3287. It must again be observed, that these particulars do not
involve the specific reformation of Moses, but signify and thus
represent what has been stated above [n. 39l86]. Therefore, at a
later time, Moses is called by the priest of Midian "A man, an
Egyptian" (vs. 19), and this lest he be confounded with the things
which are inmostly involved, these being sometimes, and in fact for
the most part, separate from the persons by whom the representa
tions are set forth. So they were separated from the sons of J a
cob, in whom are represented sons of Israel; for to the end that
God Messiah might be present in J acob's posterity, he willed that
in this posterity should be represented sons of Israel (as is clearly
stated in verse 9l5-see the actual words),4 that is to say, sons of
the primitive church and of the church of the gentiles, to wit, sons
of Abraham throughout the entire globe. Such also is the case
everywhere in the Word of God Messiah. Thus in the sons of
Jacob those things are represented which are inmostly concealed
in their names. Otherwise the Messiah could never have been pres
ent among these his haters and persecutors; for things which are
inmost pertain to God Messiah, and these are utterly remote from
the man himself. Thus the Messiah was also represented by Pha
raoh, and his inmost church by Pharaoh's daughter; but not so by
Pharaoh at this time, and also later.
3288. In the supreme sense, it is the Messiah alone who is meant,
he being represented by Moses whatsoever the latter's character;
the meaning being that it is God Messiah who slew the Egyptian
[vs. 152], that is to say, slew the natural man which smote the He
brew [vs. 11], that is, which smote the spiritual man in whom He is.
3289. As touching the Hebrews who quarreled, two peoples are
• This parenthetical clause is an interpolation entered at the foot of the
manuscript page.
II Ad. 1615-1618 37
3290] THE WORD EXPLAINED
here signified. These were also foretold as being carried in Re

bekah's womb when she was carrying Jacob and Esau; see the
passage itself [Gen. 25 23 ]. By the two Hebrews are signified two
peoples, namely, the one which is caned J acob and the other which
is called Israel. The former is called in plain words" the unjust
one"; see verse 13 where it is also said that this was done on the
second day. Therefore the unjust one, that is to say, Jacob,
addresses to Moses the words (these may be seen in verse 14), Did
he wish to slay him also, as he had slain the Egyptian? He said
this because he was in fact a natural man and like an Egyptian; for
which reason he is called" the unjust one." It is said that Moses
smote him and fled to the priest of the Midianites who was descended
from Abraham's son Midian. From this it is clear that the He
brews, who are called Hebrews because of their birth from Heber
[Gen. 1021 ] are of two kinds, the one kind being distinguished from
the Hebrews who are such from faith. The former are called sons
of Jacob, and the latter, sons of Israel and so sons of Abraham also.
EXODUS II
15 But Moses fled before Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of
Midian, where he sat down by a well.
16 And the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they
came and drew, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
17 But shepherds came and drove them away. And Moses
stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, Where
fore have ye hastened to come this day?
19 And they said, A man, an Egyptian delivered us from the
hand of the shepherds, and also in drawing drew for us, and watered
the flock.
20 And he said unto his daughters, Where then is he? why have
ye let the man go? call him, that he may eat bread.
21 And it pleased Moses to dwell with the man: and he gave
Moses Zipporah his daughter.
22 And when she bare him a son, he called his name Gershom:
for he said, I am become a sojourner in a strange land.
3290. The subject here treated of is [first], the flight of Moses
to the land of Midian, thus to Abraham's descendants arising from
38 II Ad. 1619
EXODUS II: 15-~~ [3~91-93
Midian, of which posterity we have spoken above [no 3~89] ; for

Abraham had six sons by his wife Keturah, one of these being
Midian [Gen. ~51-2], the father of the Midianites; then the water-
ing of their flock, when Moses drove away the shepherds of the
place; and lastly Moses' dwelling with the priest, and his marriage
with one of the latter's daughters; and, furthermore, the son
Gershom whom the priest's daughter, called Zipporah, bore to him.
3291. In the proximate sense, these ve~ses treat of the incidents
which have just been narrated, for these concern Moses in
particular. 5
3292. In the interior sense, they treat of Moses, that he would
become the leader of J acob's descendants and would water that
flock, and, moreover, would drive those away who hindered this
work; besides many other particulars, which, being specifically re-
lated in what follows-and they all signify things more interior
and inmost-there is no need of explaining them here. So likewise
in this same sense are meant the other leaders who were the suc-
cessors of Moses, including also the kings. But since by all these
leaders are represented things which lie more deeply within, there-·
fore these shall be treated of in the series.
3293. As touching the more interior sense, by the flight of
Moses from Pharaoh to the land of Midian, and his dwelling with
"V
the priest Reuel, etc., is clearly signified that he taught the ord of
God Messiah. For to dwell in the land of Midian, as we read in
verse 15, is to dwell with the sons of Abraham ; and to sit down by
a well or fountain, is to teach the 'Vord of God Messiah. More-
over, it is said that he watered the flock and drove away the shep-
herds who refused to allow the seven daughters of the priest to
water their flock (vs. 16[-17]); and likewise that the father of
these daughters invited him to his house that he might eat bread
with him (vs. ~O) ; and furthermore, that he dwelt with him and
took his daughter to wife (vs. ~1). Thus the subject treated of
is the receiving of the Word of God Messiah as delivered by Moses
and the other leaders after him. That he named his son Gershom,
• [The following unnumbered paragraph is crossed off by the Author:] In
the broader or more interior sense, they treat both of Moses, and of those after
him, who were the leaders of J acob's descendants, to wit, that he instructed
them concerning the 'Word of God Messiah and instituted the church, and thus
drove away the depraved shepherds.
II Ad. 16~O-16~~ 39
because he was a sojourner there, or because he became a sojourner

in a strange land [vs. ~~] signifies that he then taught the Word
of God Messiah to the gentiles rather than to the Jewish people;
for he became a sojourner removed from the latter, his departure
signifying that this Word was strange to the people among whom
he was born. In this way Moses is also taken as being the Word
itself, in that he delivers the Word, and represents the Messiah.
Moreover, it is a common practice to take an author in place of
what has been written by him.
3294. [But Moses fled before Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of
1I1idian where he sat down by a well (vs. 15).] In the inmost sense,
it is God Messiah himself who is signified [by Moses], as in verse
15, that He fled because of Pharaoh, namely, because of all those
who are now signified by Pharaoh, that is to say, who wished to kill
the sons of Israel and the Messiah himself; thus because of all those
who persecuted him, and so because of the Jewish people; which, as
we read, was done. And so he dwelt in the lamd of 1I1idian, where he
sat down by a well, that is, by a fountain, that is, by his Word which
he taught to those who were sons of Abraham, as said above [n.
3~93J.
3295. [And the priest of Midian had seven daughters: (vs.
16).] Here the same thing is signified by the priest who had seven
daughters; for in the inmost sense, by the one priest are signified
all those who are of Abraham's faith; and by daughters, not only
churches but also the great days of the new creation and the seven
churches of those times [Rev. ~, 3] all of which are taught by God
Messiah, being taught finally, by means of his Word, he being his
Word.
3296. Therefore it is said that they came, and drew, and filled
the troughs to water their father's flock, these words being con
firmations of the preceding; for drawing, filling the troughs, and
watering the flock, are actions which follow each other and signify
the drawing of the doctrine of God Messiah, and this to fullness.
They also signify the teaching of others, that is to say, of the flock,
this teaching being the office of the priest. This office he performs
by means of his daughters, that is to say, by means of the doctrines
which are of his church, a priest's daughters being doctrine itself.
40 II Ad. 16~3-16~5
EXODUS II: 15-~O [3~97-3301
These daughters are said to be seven, in that they were the daugh
ters of one priest from the first day to the last, being seven days. 6
3297. [But shepherds came and drove them away. And Moses
stood up and helped them, and watered their flock] (vs. 17). The
shepherds who are here mentioned are those perverse teachers who
drive these daughters away from the watering of this flock, being
men of every sort who teach another doctrine. For they who do
not teach God Messiah are of such a character that they drive the
daughters of the priest of Midian away from watering the flock.
And against them the Messiah, here signified by Moses, rises up
that he may help these daughters and may water the flock.
3298. [And when they came to Reuel their father, he said,
Wherefore have ye hastened to come this day?] (vs. 18). What
now follows concerning the speech of the father to his daughters,
and the daughters' recital to their father, involves the same thing
and confirms it; for the questioning of them as to why they had so
hastened, signifies that they had watered their flock speedily and
not in the usual way; and thus that they had been taught not only
by the Word spoken by means of Moses, but also by means of the
Word of God Messiah and thus by God Messiah himself. Thus
they had hastened to return to their father.
3299. [And they said, A man, an Egyptian delivered us from
the hand of the shepherds, and also in drawing drew for us, and
watered the flock] (vs. 19). They now tell the incidents spoken of
above, telling them to the priest. Thus the doctrines themselves
are here brought in to speak, and this to their father, he being
called their father because he was a priest.
3300. That Moses is here called a man, an Egyptian comes
from the signification of Egypt, as being the captivity and servi
tude, etc., which the Messiah suffered, as previously had also been
the case in Egypt with Moses and the sons of Israel. Therefore
we read of the Messiah that he was called out of Egypt; for it was
because of this signification that he had been carried thither.
Hence he is called a son out of Egypt (Hos. 111).
3301. [And he said unto his daughters, Where then is he? why
have ye let the man go? call him, that he may eat bread], vs. ~o.
The same thing is again confirmed from verse ~O, in that the priest
• The last third of this paragraph is emphasized by "N B " written in the
margin.
II Ad. 16~6-1630 41
330!'l-04] THE' WORD EXPLAINED
reproved his daughters because they had let the man go, and there
fore ordered them to call him that he might eat bread; thus that the
priest of Midian wished to know him, that is, to know God Messiah,
and to eat bread, that is, to be nourished by His doctrine; for God
Messiah is himself the Bread of heaven, and every doctrine con
cerning him is spiritual bread, as told above [n. !'l984-5].
3302. [And it pleased Moses to dwell with the man: and he gave
Moses Zipporah his daughter], vs.!'ll. And now the narrative re
lates, that after this, it pleased God Messiah to dwell with this priest,
that is to say, with those who are signified by him; and thus that
these were imbued with the doctrine of the true church concerning
faith, for as was said [n. 3!'l93] , this priest was one of the sons of
Abraham.
3303. That the priest gave him Zipporah his daughter, means
that in this way his doctrine was given and so was received; for the
church, signified by the daughter of this priest, is the bride, and
later the wife of God Messiah.
3304. [And when she bm'e him a son, he called his name Ger
sh07n: for he said, I am become a sojourner in a strange land], vs.
!'l!'l. His son, named Gershom, received this appellation from the
fact that :Moses was a sojollrner there, or, as we read: I am become
a sojourner in a strange land, because when the Messiah was among
the gentiles, he was a sojourner, being away from his native soil
and from the Jewish people where he was born. When this people
did not wish to receive him, he went outside unto the gentiles. He
first willed to teach the Jews, among whom he was born, but after
wards he taught in the land of Galilee, just as his disciples taught
in all lands. Thus he became a sojourner in a strange land.
EXODUS II
!'l3 And it came to pass after many days, that the king of
Egypt died: and the sons of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage,
and they cried, and their cry went up unto God by reason of the
bondage.
!'l4 And God heard their cry, and he remembered his covenant
with Abraham, with Isaac, and with J acob.
!'l5 And God had respect unto the sons of Israel, and God took
knowledge.
4!'l II Ad. 1631-1633
EXODUS II: ~1-~3 [3305-07
3305. The subject here treated of is the deliverance of the sons

of Israel, that is to say, of the sons of the church of God Messiah
after their persecutions, that is, after their servitudes and captivi
ties. This subject not only concerns the deliverance of the indi
vidual in particular who is delivered after temptations and the like,
as when the mind, from a state of captivity, comes into liberty; it
concerns also the specific deliverance in every society where are sons
of Israel, and also in the entire world. The things stated here, are
generals and have regard to sons of Israel, these being merely rep
resented in the sons of J acob; for, as was said above [n. 3~87],
unless in the sons of J acob were represented sons of Israel, God
Messiah could never have abided among the former. Therefore in
the last verse, namely, vs. ~5, it is said" And God had respect unto
the sons of Israel and took knowledge of them"; for God Messiah
has respect to what is universa},1 inasmuch as He has respect to the
inmost and most universal things in every individual, whatsoever
his character, when willing to deliver him also from a like captivity.
3306. There have been many general deliverances from bond
age, all of which have respect to the deliverance of the sons of Israel
in the last time. This was the case with the deliverance of Moses
from death; also with the de~ver~~e of.!acob fro~ bondllge
with Laban, and with the present deliverance of his posterity from
~Egyptian-£a£!:~'yity, and their deliverance afterwards f~
other captivities, such auh~abyl~Ilian; with the deliverance ~f
the Christians from ty'rants after the advent of God Messiah. All
t'h;;;--deliv;;;:;;;e; hav-;-respect to the delive~~~Q.Cihe_son.LQf
Israel in the last time, being the deliverance of those who will then
be living, and also of those who are in heaven and of those who are
in their graves.
3307. [And it came to pass after many days, that the king of
Egypt died: and the sons of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage,
and they cried, and their cry went 1~P unto God by reason of the
bondage (vs. ~3).] It is here said that the king of Egypt died,
the meaning being that the persecutions 8 had then reached their
end. Thus the persecution ceased either by the death of the perse
1 Swedenborg first wrote univoraum mundum, but the last word he crossed
off. This seems to indicate that by univorsum here is not meant the universe,
i.e., the universal world. We have therefore translated the word as in the text.
S Swedenborg first wrote peraocutores (the persecutors); he then wrote
ionoa above area, but without crossing the latter off.
II Ad. 1634-1636 43
cutor or by other means; for it was the king of Egypt who wished
to kill Moses. That these words have regard to the last times, has
already been stated [n. 3306] ; therefore it is said that this death
occurred after many days. For then will come to an end that uni
versal persecution, ~hich is the Babyl~ p~rsecution-of our o~n
day, the fall of ~hich is foretold both by the I>.r2phe~~nd by
John. 9 In verse ~3, the bondage itself is described, to wi0hat
the sons of Israel cried, and their cry went up unto God by reason
of the bondage. So does all persecution cry unto God Messiah,
ev~ as cries the blooa itself [Gen. 410] ; and that God Mes~then
takes pity on the crier and shows him mercy and grace [is declared
in verses ~4 and ~5], for it is the bondage itself that arouses the aid
o( G.Q.<LAIessiah. - - - - .
3308. [And God heard their cry, and he remembered his cove
nant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God had
respect unto the sons of Israel, and God took knowledge (vs. ~4,
~5).] That God Messiah is here said to have remembered the cove
nant with Abraham, Isaac, and J acob, indicates the same thing as
above [n. 3180]. The covenant with Abraham concerns the de
liverance of all men in the entire world, Abraham having become the
parent of all the faithful, and, indeed, of those who are in the in
most church. The covenant with Isaac does indeed [concern the
deliverance of all] in the entire world, but of those who are not in
the inmost of the church but in the second class. And the covenant
with J acob concerns the deliverance of those who are in the third
class, and likewise of those who are called J acob, being their deliver
ance from the captivity of the body wherewith Jacob's descendants
were oppressed; for which reason they were delivered from Egypt
and afterwards from Babylon.
EXODUS III
1 And Moses was feeding the flock of Jethro his father in law,
the priest of Midian: and he led the flock behind the desert, and
came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
~ Where the angel of Jehovah appeared unto him in a flame of
fire out of the midst of a bramble: and he saw, and, behold, the~
bramble burned with fire, yet the bramble was not consumed.
• Confer Is. ~19, Jer. 518, Rev. 148, 182.
44 II Ad. 1637
EXODUS II: ~4-III: ~~
3 And Moses said, Therefore will I turn aside, and see this
great sight, why the bramble is not burnt.
4 .And Jehovah saw that he turned aside to see; therefore God
called unto him out of the midst of the bramble, and said, Moses,
Moses. And he said, Behold me.
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from
off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of J acob. And Moses
veiled his faces; for he was afraid to look upon God.
7 And Jehovah said, Seeing, I have seen the affliction of my
people which is in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of
their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
8 Therefore am I come down to deliver them out of the hand
of the Egyptians, and to make them go up out of this land unto a
land good and broad, unto a land flowing with milk and honey;
unto the place of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite,
and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the J ebusite.
9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel is come
unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith th~ Egyp
tians oppress them.
10 Come now therefore, that I may send thee unto Pharaoh;
and thou shalt lead my people the sons of Israel out of Egypt.
11 And Moses said unto God, 'Who am I, that I should go unto
Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the sons of Israel out of
Egypt?
U And he said, For I will be with thee; and this shall be a sign
unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the
people out of Egypt, ye shall worship God at this mountain.
13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the
sons of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers
hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name?
what shall I say unto them?
14 And God said unto Moses, I am that I am. And he said,
Thus shalt thou say to the sons of Israel, the I am hath sent me
unto you.
15 And God said further unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say
unto the sons of Israel, Jehovah the God of your fathers, the God
of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me
45
unto you: this is my name for ever, and this my memorial unto gen
eration, generation.
16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto
them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers appeared unto me, the God
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, In visiting, I have visited
you, and that which is done to you in Egypt.
17 Therefore have I said, I will make you go up out of the
affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite,
and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite,
unto a land flowing with milk and honey.
18 When they have heard thy voice, then thou shalt come, thon
and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say
unto him, Jehovah the God of the Hebrews hath met with us: now
therefore let us go, I pray thee, three days' journey into the wilder
ness, that we may sacrifice to Jehovah our God.
19 Meanwhile I know that the king of Egypt will not let you
go, no, not by a mighty hand.
~o Therefore I will put forth my hand, and smite Egypt with
all my marvels which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that
he will send you away.
!H And I will give this people favor in the eyes of the Egyp
tians: and it shall come to pass that, when they go, they go not
empty; 1
~~ For a woman shall ask of her neighbour, and of her that
dwelleth in her house, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and
garments: and ye shall put them uI>0n your sons, and upon your
daughters, and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.
C3302l What now follows concerning Moses, that he fed the
flock -c;f J ethro, and all that took place afterwards, concerns the
last times, the times namely when the sons of Israel are to be de
livered from their captivity, being the captivity which here is called
the Egyptian, later, the Babyloniin;after the ad~ent ofGOd Mes
siah, the Neronic, and IW..F.:J.l.l~ R~.n. It is this captivity of the
sons of Israel that is signified by all the captivities, just mentioned,
and here by the Egyptian bondage; for all captivities have regard
1 See n. 3369 note.
--- -
46 1I Ad. 1638
EXODUS Ill: 1 [3310-13
:\;0 the last captivity ~llich is the !p~s.Ldireful~all, a;n~~~_r

~~.ng ~~me was a captivity under the yoke of the deviP
3310. Here are representations of what will exist in the last
time. For in Jacob's posterity God Messiah remembered the sons
of Israel in the end of days.8 With God Messiah the end of things
is most closely present in all the means. Mediate ends are there
fore representations and thus images of the ultimate end, as is well
known. Wherefore when the ultimate end is held in view, then
mediate ends are such that they favor those who are in the mediate
end for the sake of the ultimate end. /
3311. As to how God Messiah will then call the people of ,Israel
together, and deliver it from the hand of Pharaoh, that is to say,
from the hand of those who are here signified by this Pharaoh and
the Egyptians, this can become better evident from the words of the
text itself.
3312. [And Moses was feeding the flock of Jethro his f(Lther in
law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock behind the desert, and
came to the mountain of God, even to H oreb ], vs. 1.'" This verse
treats of Moses, that he fed the flock of J ethro who was priest of
Midian. What is signified by feeding the flock has been told fre
quently above; and the character of Moses' father-in-law, the priest
of Midian, is described in Exodus chapter 18, especially verses 10,
11, 1~, to wit, that he was converted to God Messiah, as is clearly
evident from his own words. These verses therefore describe what
is meant by feeding his flock, and the same thing is signified by
both, namely, that he taught the ·Word of God Messiah. This also
will be the case in the end of days when Jethro's flock will be fed by
God Messiah, as follows later.
3313. He led the flock behind the desert, and came to the moun
tain of God, even to H oreb. Thus through waste places he led
them finally [to the mountain of God], as through darkness to
light; through things unknown to God Messiah, who alone is the
mountain of God-here God Messiah is plainly called a mountain,
just as it is he who is meant by other mountains-thus through
things of which they were ignorant, to the knowledge of God Mes
• [Note by the Author, written longitudinally in the margin:] See the ex
planation of this chapter in a summary in n. 17117-1734 seq. [our n. 3369 seq.].
• Literally" in the last of days."
* [Note by the Author, written longitudinally in the margin:] See the ex
planation below, n. 1831 [our n. 3455].
II Ad. 1639-164~ 47
siah. The knowledges which lead thither are the desert, being
likened to a desert when they are separated [from things inmost]
and so are deserted. The like is the case in the Word of God Mes
siah, in that, when not inmostly understood, it is called a desert be
cause [its words] are obscure. God Messiah dwells solely in things
inmost, and therefore it is when the coverings have been removed
that he comes to view. This is the coming behimd the desert to the
mountain of God or H oreb. Later, the mountain is called simply
"the mountain of God" [Exod. 18 5 ], for it was to this mountain
that Jacob's descendants were first led that they might make sacri
fices and might worship God Messiah, as is evident from what fol.:
lows. Those who were in Egypt were in dense darkness, being in
ignorance of the worship of God Messiah, and so in the desert.
Thus Moses led them, as he now leads the flock, behind the desert
unto the mountain of God; likewise, in the end of days, behind the
desert to the knowledge of God Messiah. 4
3314. [Where the angel of Jehovah appeared unto him in a
flame of fire out of the midst of a bramble: and he saw, and, behold,
the bramble burned with fire, yet the bramble was not consumed],
vs. fl. The subject treated of in this verse is the first revelation to
Moses, it being said that the angel of J ehovah appeared unto him.
That here the angel of J ehovah was God Messiah is clear beyond a
doubt, for no other is called the angel of Jehovah. In the inmost
sense he is Jehovah himself, for Jehovah speaks by means of an
angel. For this reason the angel is himself called J ehovah (verse
4 and 7, etc.), being also called the God of Abraham, Isaac, and
J acob (verse 6, etc.). Previously also J ehovah was called an angel
[Gen. 31 11 , 48 16 ], and in what sense, may be seen at those passages.
That he and no other is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and J acob has
also been clearly shown. Here therefore none can doubt but that
[He who appeared to Moses] was God Messiah himself, the De
liverer of all men from Egyptian captivity and death, the Redeemer
of the human race. (Later this may be demonstrated by many
passages, for by reason of what follows it is of importance [to
know] that these miracles were done by God Messiah alone.) 5
• The first half of this paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written twice in
the margin.
the margin. The passage in the parentheses is marked " Obs."
48 II Ad. 1643
EXODUS Ill: ~ [3315-16
3315. In a flame of fire in 6 the midst of a bramble. This was

the first appearance or revelation prior to his coming into his glory,
respecting which we shall speak in many places hereafter.
His appearing in G. flame of fire and, indeed, in a bramble, in-
volves many things. A flame signifies the holiness which emanates
from him, this being likened to a flame by reason of its divine
purity. Just as flame is the fount of all light, so [holiness] is the
fount of all truths and goodnesses which are its rays, the fount
being God Messiah himself. Where truths and goodnesses are the
rays, there the fount is a flame of fire which does not consume.
Therefore his angels are likened to flames [Ps. 104 4 ], but to flames
of a fire which is not burnt. (See Deuteronomy 3316 , where'are
the words: "The good pleasure of him that dwelleth in the
bramble.") 7
3316. As to what his appearing in a bramble signifies, this we
learn from the bramble itself. The bramble 8 is a bush, which is
described by various authors, as being of three main kinds, to wit:
[1] The Rubus ldaeus,9 which is smooth and without spines and
sometimes is bearded; it is also called the Rubus Chamahatus,1 hav-
in~ berries compacted into the form of a little pyramid. [~]
There is also the RUbus IdaC'lM Spinosus,2 which has a red fruit.
[3] Also the rubus vulgaris,S named the prickly bush or blackberry,
• See n. 33!i?1 note.
7 The words in parentheses were added at a later time.
S The Hebrew word here translated bramble (rubus) is nat? It occurs only
in Exodus 32-4 and Deuteronomy 3316. According to the lexicographers, it
means a thorny bush, a bramble, a thicket. Some interpret it as meaning the
shittah tree or acacia (from which came the wood shittim) and think that from
this word mount Sinai received its name (see Grindon, Scripture Botany, p.
146 seq.).
• R11bus Idaeus (the Idian bramble), so called from the fact that it is
found in mount Ida, though as a fact it grows in many places in Europe.
1 According to James's Medical Dictionary, the Rubus Chamabatus is the
dewberry. In the Greek, from which the word is taken, xa.p.o.,{Jo.ro< means "a
low bush," " a bramble."
• The Rubus ldaeus Spinosus (the thorny Idean bramble) is the raspberry.
See Ray, Synopsis Stirpium (Lond. 17!i?4) I p. 467; Koenig, RegmLm Vegetab.
p. 988; and Blancart, Lex. Med. s. v. Rubus.
8 The Rubus Vulgaris (the common bramble) is the blackberry bush (Ray,
Synop. Stirp., p. 467; Blancart, Lex. Med., s. v. Rubus.

Il Ad. 1644-1646 49
THE WORD EXPLAINED
from its fruit, which is called the prickly mulberry.4 When young
the color of its fruit is at first red.
3317. Both because of its thorns and because of its fruit, this
bramble signifies the body of the Messiah; for it is well known that
his head was encircled with the thorns of a thorny bramble, and his
body with the purple G from its fruit [Mark 15 17 ]. From this it
can be evident that he did not wish to appear in any bush other than
the bramble. Moreover, he had appeared in this way by means of
Edom in that the latter was red and in a hairy garment; see above
[Gen. ~525], where his food is also called" redness" [ibid. vs. 30].
3318. The bramble could not be consumed by this flame which is
an eternal flame, being the divine essence spoken of above [n. 3315]
because everything from this source is eternal and can never be con
sumed.
3319. So in the end of days, God Messiah will first appear in a
bramble, and will be acknowledged by Moses; that is to say, he will
appear in the Word of God Messiah written by Moses, and by
David, and the prophets.
3320. [And Moses said, Therefore will I turn aside, and see this
great sight, why the bramble is not burnt], vs. 3. This is called a
great sight, from the revelation, in that God Messiah appears in a
bramble which is not consumed. Thus by the bramble is signified
the Word of God Messiah, and conseguently [God Messiah himself]
in the inmost things of his Word where he is present. These can
never be consumed, but by their life they preserve those things
which are coverings. This then will be the great vision in the end
of days, to wit, that God Messiah will appear as a flame in the midst
of a bramble; for the bramble that is here meant is also a thorny
bramble, in that He was a thorn and thus a stumbling-block to
many nations, as He was to J acob's descendants.
3321. "In the midst 6 of a bramble" [vs. ~] means also in the
midst of sacrifices, which were red by reason of the blood. These
• Morum batinum, the prickly mulberry, that is, the blackberry, The Latin
word Mo,'us means the mulberry tree; but morum means either the mulberry or
the blackberry. Here the blackberry is meant because the words are mOl'um
batinum, literally, the bush mulberry,
• Moro, literally" with the blackberry" (or mulberry). We interpret the
word as meaning the calor of the juice of these berries.
• According to Schmidius, this should read " out of," which is in agreement
wit)l all the other translators including Swedenborg in the A rcana Coelestia.
50 II Ad. 1647-1651
EXODUS Ill: 3-4
sacrifices were first instituted on this mountain. He who in them

beholds God Messiah sees a great sight, that is, a flame that is not
burnt.
3322. [And J ehovah saw that he turned aside to see; therefore
God called unto hiJm out of the midst of the bramble, and said,
M oses, Moses. And he said, Behold me], vs. 4. All these things
are signified by the bramble, and, this at that time. 7 By a bramble
are signified natural knowledges, these being thorny; yet, when con
joined with knowledges concerning God Messiah, they form, as it
were, a body wherein the knowledges of things spiritual and celes
tial, which treat solely concerning God Messiah, take the place of
the soul, and so the place of that flame which here was not con
sumed. This was the great sight. Thus it was the first revelation,
prior to the coming of God Messiah into his glory.
3323. By Moses are here meant all those through whom God
Messiah will speak and whom he will address, as he now addresses
Moses out of the bramble.
In respect to voices, that they are heard with great clearness
from any direction whatsoever and from a great -distance, as it
is pleasing to God Messiah; and this as clearly as voices are
heard by men; and that answers are given in the same way; this
has been spoken of above very frequently,S and such testimony
has been given that he who wishes to raise any doubt on the mat
ter win be raising a doubt concerning an experience which has
lasted now for a year,9 and has been almost continuous. But it
is God Messiah alone who speaks by means of spirits and angels;
for none but he is living. All created beings, whether angels or
spirits or also men living on the earth, are merely instrumental
causes. For the space of a year, I have had such experience of
this that nothing can be more true. As to how the evil are per
mitted to speak ill, nay, and even to blaspheme against God
Messiah, this shall be told later; for everyone is permitted to
speak according to his nature and disposition, and this from
innumerable causes which, if brought forward, would fin many
pages. Thus not a word that I give out and write is my own/
• That is, at the end of days; see n. 3320.
8 See History of Creation 24-5; n. 475, 1148.
• This indicates the middle of April 1746 as the time of the present writing.
Confer n. 3347.
1 [Crossed off:] but is through angels.
II Ad. 165~-1654 51
I
33Q4-Q6] THE WORD EXPLAINED
as I can solemnly testify. Therefore, if anyone, whether on

earth or in heaven, attributes to me one jot of these writings
which are truths, he does such injury to God Messiah 2 that it
can be pardoned by none save God Messiah himself. 3
But see as to how these particulars can be set forth in an
other way; for there is none who is not so utterly infirm that he
attributes things to himself, that is, to man. Therefore, lest
consciences be hurt, let it then be looked into how it may be per
missible, by the divine mercy of God, to set forth these words
and make changes.'
3324. [And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes
from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy
ground], vs. 5. What is meant by putting off the shoes has
been told above [n. 1998], by shoes being represented the lowest
natural or terrestrial things. The soles are the lowest parts of the
body, being the parts on which mortal beings rest. These are
things natural, and so are signified by the shoes with which things
natural are covered. Thus what are represented are all the things
that are in man, all that are in the earth, and all that are in the
entire world, etc.
3325. These representations do not involve that Moses in this
way put off worldly things and the loves thereof; for it can be
evident from the sequel that Moses labored under many infirmities,
in that he did not have Abraham's faith. For the rest, God Mes
siah, in order that he may speak to a man, wills representations
which are abstracted from the man himself, as frequently stated
above. It was for this reason that this command was now laid upon
Moses; for considered in itself, walking in bare feet or shoeless is
nothing, but when this is commanded, then it signifies that God wills
to behold the man representatively, as he wills to behold Jacob's
descendants when he calls them sons of Israel, etc., etc.
3326. The reason is adduced, namely, because the place was holy
2 [Crossed off:] that I know not whether it can be atoned for; so that if it
is to be atoned for, he must adore God Messiah alone.

S This indented paragraph with the indented paragraph of n. 3346 is cited
in the Author's Index to his Memombilia, s. v. Organa, Substantia; and with the
indented paragraph of n. 3347, s. v. Loqui.
• This last paragraph is written in the wide margin of the preceding para
graph.
5Q II Ad. 1655-1657
EXODUS Ill: 5-6
ground, and this because there, God Messiah was then most fully
present, who is holiness itself, whence comes sanctification and justi
fication.
That one place is more holy than another, being the place where
God Messiah is thus present, has been observed above [n. 513-4,
3066] ; for example, the place where Abraham spoke with God Mes
siah; where he worshipped Him by an altar; Bethel, where was the
house of God; Jerusalem and mount Zion; the tabernacle and the
temple. Thus it is by reason of the presence of God Messiah that
a place is called holy, even though later it may be profaned, as was
the case with many places in the land of Canaan.
By places, however, are signified places and distinctions in the
kingdom of God Messiah; thus, in the end of days, those are signi
fied who are in the church of God Messiah, as frequently said above.
So, by places is also signified the Word of God Messiah, wherein
when God Messiah is present, lies that which is holy in itself.
Thus, that one may be allowed to approach, the shoes must be put
off; for in the inmosts of his Word is God Messiah; wherefore he
cannot be approached save with shoes put off.
3327. As to whether I may be allowed later to say some
thing concerning the washing of feet which has been enjoined
on me,:' this can be seen to at the time. 6
3328. [Moreover he said, [ am the God of thy father, the God
of Abraham, the God of [saac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses
veiled his faces; for he was afraid to look upon God], vs. 6. That
God Messiah is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and J acob, has been
•... de klvatione pedum aliquid dicere . .. qUaJ mihi mandata sunt. Lit
erally translated this would read" . . . to say something concerning the wash
ing of feet which have been enjoined on me." In itself, the word qUaJ might
mean" which washing" or "which things"; but the words mandata sunt, being
neuter plural, plainly indicate " which things." The translation would then be
" concerning the washing of feet "-" which things have been enjoined on me."
This, however, is unsatisfactory because it leaves the "which things" without
any antecedent. Moreover, the context suggests that Swedenborg wrote the
plural by error-and we may here note the use of a plural verb with a singular
noun is very frequent in The Word Explained-and that what Swedenborg in
tended to write was mandata est. It is on this assumption that our translation
is based. The assumption itself is confirmed later on in n. 4949 where we read,
De lavatione pedum, mihi etiam injuncta, " concerning the washing of feet, en
joined also on me."
• This paragraph is not cited in the Author's Index to his Memorabilia.
Il Ad. 1658-1661 53
told above. (The passages may here be adduced as confirmation

that it is God Messiah himself.) It is said the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, that is to say, the God of
each; but in authority and govemment he is the God of all men.
The statement is repeated here because he was the Love of Abraham,
the Fear of Isaac, and the Terror of J acob, as stated above [n.
3148].
3329. 1I10se.Y veiled his faces. This was a ritual in the Jewish
church, its members not being allowed to see God Messiah save
through coverings, thus through rituals and sacrifices; for they
were of such a disposition that had they seen him without coverings,
they would have perished. Moses their chief was now well aware
of this. That he himself was not yet endowed with Abraham's
faith is clear from what follows; and none can see God Messiah
without faith. Therefore it behooved them to veil their faces, for
the text adds: for he was afraid to loole upon God.
3330. The face was likewise veiled when God Messiah spoke all
things by means of representations, similitudes, and allegories, such
as occur everywhere in his Word. These things were veiled over
lest the Jews, beholding him present before them, should perish.
This is the reason why the setting forth of what is contained in the
Word of God Messiah is such that it must be likened to a veiling of
the face. But when God Messiah himself taught, then he took this
veil away-but for the gentiles who embraced him by faith. Be
fore others, however, he interposed a veil, lest they perish, this veil
being ignorance and doubt; and with the Jews the veil still remains.
The like is also signified by the veil in front of the sanctuary within
which no onc was allowed to enter save the [high] priest after he
had first been sanctified in accordance with the external rites (Lev.
~2 seq.], and this to the end that before God Messiah might be
represented things most holy.
3331. Thus, in the end of days, the veil wherewith Moses now
covered himself, will be drawn off, that men may see God Messiah
revealed everywhere in his Word. This is the first revelation, as
the present was the first revelation to Moses, being thus the first
rays of His glory, which rays are truths and goodnesses, as the
reader may see stated above [n. 3315].
@,; [And Jehovah said, Seeing, I have seen- the affliction of
my people which is in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of
54 II Ad. 166~-1665
EXODUS Ill: 7-8 [3333-35
their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows], vs. 7. As stated

above [n. 3305, 3308], these words signify the captivity and servi
tude in the end of dID's Qf...all men in all lands. More especially,
they signify the captijty anQ.. servitude of those who are under-lhe
papal yoke, being under the yoke of antichrist and thus of the
d viI; and likewise the captivity and servitude of those who have so
long been in the prison house in their graves, and who walk like
shades. These will then rise up; for there is nothing in heaven
and on earth which does [not] sigh and groan, and desire the king
d'Om of God Mes~h. Liberty will the~ be the sequel to c~Y:ity,
and thus a gloryIike j oseph's will be theirs who are signified by
Joseph.
3333. It is indeed the captivity of the people called Jacob that
is here treated of, but that this is only a representation of the cap
tivity of the sons of Israel in the end of days, has been told above
[n. 333~J. The captivity of the sons of J acob is thought of only
as a natural and corporeal captivity, by which is signified the cap
tivity of the sons of Israel in the last time. Here the persecutors
are described, and they are called taskmasters. The servile tasks
are set forth more fully in what follows [Exod. 5 7- 19 ], and they
agree in every detail with the sufferings in things spiritual and
celestial which sons of Israel are now experiencing.
3334. [TheTefore am I come down to deliver them out of the
hand of the Egyptians, and to make them go up out of this land
unto a land good and broa.d, unto a land flowing with milk and
honey; unto the place of the Canaanite, an.d the Hittite, and the
Amorite, and the PeTizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite] , vs. 8.
Here the Babylonians are called Egyptians, and, furthermore, the
other peoples who were in captivity. They all signify those who
hold the sons of Israel captive in the last time; as did Babel, where
the king wished to be worshipped as God, as we read in Daniel
[chap. 67- 9 ].*
3335. To go up out of that land into a good land, a land flow
ing with milk and honey, signifies to go up to the city of God.
Milk is spiritual nourishment and food, as stated above [n. 3034,
3~78], while honey is sweetness and consequently joy and eternal
felicity; for as honey is extracted from all kinds of flowers, so also
* In the autograph, this paragraph is marked by "K B" written in the
margin.
II Ad. 1666-1668 55
with this joy, there being nothing in the entire globe and in the life
of men which does not contribute to this felicity.
That the Messiah promised J acob that he should go up, see
above, Genesis 46 3 ,4; where [in verse ~] Jacob is twice called
J acob not Israel, although previously He had said "Thy name
shall not be called Jacob" [Gen. 3~28]. It is clear, therefore,
that in the text it is Israel-of whom we read in the verse that
next follows [vs. 9]-who is the people of God Messiah in the end
of days.
3336. That the peoples of the text are mentioned by name,
arises from the fact that it was incumbent on them to yield place
to J acob's descendants, and this because of the promise of God Mes
siah made to Abraham, and thus because of the representation in
them of Israel, that is to say, of Abraham's sons. Yet the native
inhabitants here mentioned were no worse than the descendants of
Jacob, as can be evident from the fact that Jacob was held in the
wilderness for so long a time in order that he might be further
tried, being indeed so held until the ways of the inhabitants had
degenerated or come to their height; for every posterity degen
erates. That despite this, it was still doubtful whether they would
be admitted, is clearly evident from Baalam [Num. ~~], of whom,
by the divine mercy of God Messiah, we shall speak later.
3337. [Now therefore, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel is
come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the
Egyptians oppress them], vs. 9. They are here called Israel on
account of the representation mentioned above [n. 3336]." !ly
the Egyptia:..ns are signified the Romans, as stated above [n. 330$)",
S3Si] ; nay, they are ag~in described as to how they oppress them.
3338. [Come now therefore, that I may send thee unto Pha
raoh; and thou shalt lead my people the sons of Israel out of
Egypt], vs. 10. Moses is now commanded to lead the sons of
Israel out, as will be done in the end of times by means of all those
who are signified by M~ses, and so by means ofthe Word which
God Messiah ~ill place in th~ir mouth. This is evident from chap
ter 3 10 , 11, 12, etc.
* Here may be inserted a note found on the inside of the back cover page
of Codex 60 from which we are now translating. The note reads as follows:
" He called them sons of Israel that in them he might call to remembrance the
g~ntHes." - ~- -- - -- ----
56 II Ad. 1669-167~
EXODUS Ill: 9-11 [3339
That in this verse it is not the people called J acob that is meant
but Israel, who moreover, is here mentioned by name, can also be
evident from many considerations, to wit, that representations ex
tended even to idolaters; for Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
was also admitted into the land of Canaan, and God strengthened
him there (look up what the words are 7) ; likewise others who put
that people to flight. Moreover, the Israelites dwelt there for a
long time after the time of Jeroboam. 8 Later, others [occupied
the land], as when the Je,~ ~:xpelled and Canaan b~cjl,me a
province of the Romans. So likewise after the advent of God Mes
siah, as at the present day, when it is occupied by Mohammedans.~
TEe p~pisti~r=~:estl~ngschool;/ un-del' the leadership -of the devil
have been admitted into all lands which flow with natural milk and
honey because they ~~~ i~-pleas;r~~ and in pleas~~s ahme: Thus,
for the sake of the representation of sons of Israel, it was granted
Jacob's descendants to come into the land of Canaan, that they
might enjoy every pleasUl~e of the b<?dy ; yet this wa~ gr~~ed _that
SQ!lS of Isr~l migh! thereby be taught concerning God Messiah and
the worship of him, and that in them, namely, in sons of Israel:~
might be born spiritually by me~s of faith,--;-nd in the othe;s,
might be born as to the body or 2 flesh, wherein he sustained every
damnation, and by his death and burial saved the human race.
3339. [And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go
unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the sons of Israel out
of Egypt?], vs. 11. Moses is here put to the test; not that God
Messiah was ignorant that Moses was still of the character [indi
cated by his answer] ; for everyone is led, and everyone speaks, in
accordance with that which is within him; nor is it permitted any
one to answer Him in any other way than according to his own
disposition, and this lest he use pretense. Moses did not as yet have
f See 9 Kings 94,1-4, Jer. 9921,3928.
B The Israelites were taken captive by the Assyrians during the reign of
Hoshea, king of Israel, more th.1!!Lone hundred and..!..wenty-five 'ye~rs after the
death of Jeroboam. See 9 Kings 171 seg••
B [Here come the words-those in parentheses being crossed off:] Ipsi quo
que Judaei (tametsi tales sunt, usque terms possident meliores) [Moreover,
the J..!ws (despit~ t!!ce.ir character possess bett~J lands)]. In our translation
we have omitted the opening words of this sentence because it is clear that the
author omitted to cross them off, merely b)': inadvertence.
1 Palaestrae. --
• Reading aut for autem; the Latin editor reads ante.
II Ad. 1673-1674
57
faith; still less did he have actual faith. This is most clearly evi
dent from his answers with their frequent evasions and refusals,
first in the present case and later in verse 13. Indeed, it is evident,
from the fact that he demanded a sign, such a demand being a try
ing of God; and again, from the fact that he wished to know His
name (verse 13 *) as though he did not yet know who the God of
Israel was; and furthermore, from chapter 4 verse 1, where he
again doubted whether the sons of J acob would believe; moreover,
in verse 10 and also in verse 13, he wished entirely to withdraw.
These passages do indeed indicate that Moses, differently than is
supposed, was not like Abraham who obeyed the voice of God Mes
siah without any doubts of this kind; for which reason, moreover,
God is said to have been angry with Moses (verse 14). Nay, the
latter did not depart from Midian until he had been commanded a
second time, as is evident from [chapter 4] verse 19, and this be
cause he feared Pharaoh and the Egyptians. See also chapter
612 • 30 where Moses again refuses; other passages also may be
looked up; see chapter 5 22 ,23.t As was said, these particulars are
related, that everyone might know what kind of man Moses was at
this time, to wit, that he was taken from the flock that he might be
chosen as the leader of the sons of J acob; and the above passages
have been adduced that it might be known that he was not as yet
endowed with faith. Later on, occasion is afforded of learning
concerning Moses' faith; for, as stated above, a man can speak with
God Messiah in no other way than from his own mind, according to
his character. This character, moreover, is brought in; for it is
permitted him to speak in this way and in no other. (All these
passages may be adduced and more clearly explained, to the end
that it may appear what kind of man Moses was at this time.)
3340. It may indeed appear that Moses was here permitted to
speak in this way in order that he might receive signs and so might
persuade the people, the latter being- without faith. But the same
signs might have been given him, and the same words uttered, had
no answer been made by Moses who, had he been endowed with
faith,would have been silent and obedient-as is well known from
the case of Abraham and others.
* The autograph has" 15."
t The words " Nay . . . chap. 52 2, 23" are a later addition commenced be
tween the lines and concluded in the margin.
58 II Ad. 1675
EXODUS Ill: U [3341-43
Moses himself is now present with me, and confesses 3 that

at that time he had not beJieved,4 saying that he did not wish
these things to be written, not because of himself, as he says,
but because of that unfaithful people of whom later he became
the leader. As to the many things that passed between us, these
I do not wish to mention here. They can be gathered to some
extent from what has been heard and seen by me as related
above, n. 3274 seq. *
3341. This first refusal does indeed involve humiliation, in that
Moses says, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I
should bring forth the sons of Israel out of Egypt? but the source
from which this refusal proceeded, becomes clear from the sequel;
for in the beginning, Moses could do no other than humble himself
seeing that he was afraid, as we read in verse 6, and therefore veiled
his faces. 5
3342. What kind of men they were, especially after the advent
of God Messiah, who are represented by Moses, is sufficiently evi-
dent from those who had no fear whatever of the enemies of God
Messiah nor of their infamies or cruelties; who acted from faith and
did nought but obey.
3343. [And he said, For I rvill be with thee; and this shall be a
sign unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth
the people out of Egypt, ye shall worship God at this mountain],
vs. 12. A sign is here given to Moses because God Messiah, know-
ing inmost things, knew that without a sign he was not willing to
go. Therefore, in answer to his two excuses, He gave him a sign,
as He did to the next excuse-of which we shall speak presently.
This first sign has regard to the worship of God Messiah, and from
it Moses might have known that He was God Messiah himself, for
we read: And this shall be a sign unto thee: Ye shall worship God at
this mountain.
• Substituted for" has confessed."
• [Crossed off:] in God Messiah but had been unfaithful. But it is not yet
permitted to insert here the many things that passed between us concerning this
matter.
* This indented passage, with n. 3407, 3483, is cited in the Author's Index
to his 111emombilia, s. v. Moses.
• [The following paragraph is here crossed off:] Not so was it after the ad-
vent of God Messiah with those whom the Pharaohs of that time persecuted.
These, without re[fusal]-
II Ad. 1676-1679 59
3344. Thus the veriest sign that Moses had been sent, was wor
ship; from which it might be known that it was God Messiah who
had sent him. The worship consisted of sacrifices, and thus of mere
types of God Messiah, as can be seen later. It was also a sign
that it is said at this mountain,6 that is, directed to God Messiah 7
from whom this mountain is called both here and elsewhere " the
mountain of God" [vs. 1].
3345. The veriest sign that one has been sent is that God Mes
siah alone is preached and worshipped. Therefore this shall be for
a sign also to those who will be sent in the end of days; and this is
for a sign to me, that I have been sent, of which
mission,8 if so it be pleasing to God Messiah, I shall speak else
where, and also how far the mission extends.\)
3346. God Messiah here says to Moses, as previously he had
said to Jacob [Gen. 46 4 ], I 'Will be with thee, that is to say, that it
was not Moses who would lead the people out of Egypt but God
Messiah who is the All in all. Moses was not of such a character
that he could lead that people out, as is evident from all the par
ticulars that follow; for he could not do the least thing from him
self. He was like a bare instrument and organ which of itself can
do nothing, not even speak. This he himself confessed later on,
chapter 410, and therefore Jehovah gave him the answer recorded
in verse 11. Still less could he cont.ribute anything to a miracle,
it being God Messiah alone who did each and everyone of these.
This can be evident from the things which I have spoken this day
in the presence of Moses and of those who were around me, to
the effect that they and we are never anything else but mere
instruments or organs, and that we might have such clear ex
perience of this that nothing could be clearer. 1
• The Hebrew is i1~lJ "~Q ,~ (upon this mountain), but in the Arcana
Ooelestia, Swedenborg translates it juxta montem lIunc (at or by this moun
tain).
< Ad montem hUM, hoc est, ad Deum Messiam.
• Or " sending."
• This indented paragraph is not cited in the Author's Index to his Memo
mbilia.
1 This indented passage, with the indented part of n. 3323, is cited in the
Author's Index to his Memorabilia, s. v. Organa, Substantia. See Table of

Contents.
60 II Ad. 1680-1683
EXODUS Ill: U [3347-48
3347. Why then do they think of Moses, that it is he who will

lead them out of captivity into the land of Canaan? when he him
self is such that he cannot utter even the least word from himself,
nor can say any word other than wbat is permitted him by God
:.Messiah. I confess the same thing of myself, in that from long
experience, which has now lasted for about a year,2 I could not but
experience this and acknowledge it. Yet in company with others
I speak just like any other man, so that as yet no one has been able
to distinguish me
from myself as I was formerly, nor from any other man. Yet
in the midst of company I have sometimes spoken with spirits
and with those who were about me; and it may be that certain
conclusions might have been drawn from this circumstance. Of
this, however, I know nothing, that is to say, as to whether,
for this reason anything has been noticed, in that then, the in
ternal senses were sometimes withdrawn from the external,
though not in such way that anyone could make any judgment
therefrom; for at such times they could think no other than
that I was occupied with thoughts. The actual speech is not
heard by anyone save myself and those in the heavens who are
present and to whom God Messiah grants permission to hear it.
Yet sometimes the speech is as clear * and distinct as the human
voice-though not so high or with so rough a sound as when
coming through one's lips. * So much is this the case that
sometimes even angels and spirits, etc., were afraid they would
be heard by those who were present in the world. 3
3348. It is said that at the end of days, when God Messiah is
again to come into the world, this coming will be a coming with
angels and spirits [Matt. !e4 31 ]. This is not to be understood as
meaning that it is a coming in the atmosphere, and that men in the
entire world are thus to see Him; nor that He will come with trum
pets, etc. ; but that He will come to those who acknowled e Him, and
• See n. 33!i?3 note and n. 1003.
* The words between the asterisks are an interpolation written in the
margin.
3 This indented paragraph with n. 33iJ3 is cited in the Author's Index to his
Memorabilia, s. v. Loqui. See Table of Contents.

Il Ad. 1684-1686 61
will speak with them, while on....QtheK-s He will in' ect t.en:.or; besides
many other partidulars which I am n~t yet able to tell.~
3349. [And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the
sons of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your father.~
hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name?
what shall I say unto them?], vs. 13. From these words, and those
that precede, it can be seen clearly enough that at this time Moses
did indeed know that the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and
the God of Jacob was their God, as is evident from verse 6 where
Jehovah at once calls himself the God of these fathers, and this to
the end that Moses might aclmowledge Him; but that when he was
with Jethro he did not yet know that this God was the Creator of
the universe and was one God, for which reason it is said God with
respect to each of the fathers. That when Moses was with Jethro,
feeding his flock, there had been speech and thought concerning
many gods, is plainly apparent from Jethro's own words in Exodus
chapter 18 11 , where we read: "Now I know that Jehovah is great
above all gods." Nay, it can be evident that J acob's descendants
had already forgotten the promise made to their parents, and this
lest they cherish pride therefrom. This can be seen from verse 8,
where no mention is made of a promise; thus it had fallen away
from their memory. That in like manner, Moses had forgotten the
worship of God as it was with Abraham [is also evident] ; for he
did not even know of circumcision, seeing that he had an uncircum
cised son, for which reason God Messiah willed to kill him [Exod.
424- 5 ]. He was likewise ignorant of all divine worship; for from
verse 1~, it is clear that this was the sign, namely, that they should
worship God at that mountain; and that, as being unknown to
them though well known to Abraham, a worship was instituted as
though in the presence of things unknown. Not to speak of many
other confirmations which come later, as, for instance, that they
• [Here comes the following paragraph which is crossed off by the Author;
the fact that it is numbered indicates that it was crossed off after the Author
had been over the work and numbered the paragraphs (see n. 2096 note, 2738
note):) 1687. Verse 13. From these words it can be seen clearly enough that
Moses did indeed know that the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the
God of J acob ([doubly crossed) here promised the land of Canaan to their
descendants [vs. 17); and also that they expected his visitation that he would
lead them into the land promised to their fathers) as can be evident from verse
6 where J ehovah said to him that He was the God of each of these their fathers.
69l II Ad. 1688
EXODUS Ill: 13 [3350-51
lived in mere ignorance, for which reason a deep silence is main

tained concerning their stay in Egypt for four hundred years.
From the present verse, it is also de-ar that Moses wished to know
who this God was; for when it is told him that it was He who should
be worshipped, he wished to know His name. These questions
flowed from the thoughts which Moses had previously entertained
concerning the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob; and that the God of all these fathers was one and the same
God is also stated in clear words in verse 16 where he is called" the
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Thus with Jacob's de
scendants remained a worship which made a distinction between the
God of Abraham, the God of his father, and their own God, as
stated above [no 184~, 1846, ~445J. From what follows, the
reader will be able to see still further particulars indicating what
kind of men they were. 5
3350. That they were reduced to such ignorance within four
hundred years is not remarkable, seeing that they were of the seed
of Jacob and his sons, from whom they received the things that
pertained to the worship of the true God, that is, of God Messiah,
by tradition. They who live in ignorance are more easily led to
the worship of the true God, that is, of God Messiah, than those
who are in the midst of revelation, and of light itself, and who yet,
from study and malice, wish to go astray, as is well known in the
entire world; for no denial of God then enters into their mind but
only shade or ignorance; and into such a mind the light of truth is
more easily introduced than into the minds of those who go astray
in the midst of light, as we read of J acob and his sons.
3351. Thus it is clearly evident that at this time both Moses and
the sons of Jacob, whom he calls sons of Israel, were ignorant of
God Messiah; for Moses said Behold, when I come unto the sons of
Israel, and shall say unto them, [The God of your fathers hath sent
me unto you,] and they shall say to me, What is his name? what
shall I say unto them? That this speech concerned the name [of
the God] of their fathers is evident.
Otherwise, by name is signified divine worship, as we read of
Abraham, that he called upon the name of Jehovah [Gen. Us, 13 4 J.
This follows from verse 1~ where His worship is treated of.
• [Author's note, written longitudinally in the margin:] See these and the
following words explained below, n. 18!Z9-1833 [our nos. 3453-57].
II Ad. 1689-1691 63
335~-53] THE WORD EXPLAINED
So likewise in the end of days, which is what these words have

in view. Then also men will ask who the God of the universe is;
for there will then be no faith. Not that there will be ignorance,
for everyone devoid of faith questions in his heart, though pro
fessing differently with his lips, as to who God will be, and what his
name. To this questioning especially, pertains the answer in verse
1~, that this should be the sign, that" ye shall worship God at this
mountain," that is to say, that they shall worship Jehovah the
Father at this mountain, that is, by means of God Messiah. There
is no approach to Jehovah the Father unless it be to the Son [John
146 ] ; nor is anyone admitted unless he direct his prayers and sup
plications to God Messiah. If he does other than this, he is at once
rejected, nor does anything come to Jehovah the Father by reason
of his supplication, for the way is by the Son and never otherwise,
as stated above [n. 3110].
3352. [And God said unto Moses, I am that I am. And he said,
Thus shalt thou say to the sons of Israel, the I am hath sent me unto
you], vs. 14. Here the name is now told, the telling being merely
the explaining what Jehovah is, namely, that he is the I AM THAT
I AM, or the HE IS THAT HE IS, that is to say, the only I AM, or HE
IS. This indicates in the clearest possible way that the only one
WHO IS and WHO LIVES is J ehovah the Father; and thus that J e
hovah, by means of the Son and of the Holy Spirit which proceeds
from both, is the one God. A holy spirit which does not proceed
from Jehovah the Father by the Son is never possible, a spirit which
does not proceed by Jehovah the Son being not a holy spirit but
one that is profane; for everyone in heaven and on earth has his
life from Jehovah. Besides Jehovah there is no being, that is, no
living; there is no understanding, and still less any being wise; for
there is but one Life, being the life of Jehovah God. All things
which live are merely instruments of life, and though they think
themselves to live, yet they live from no other life.
3353. They who live, live from the life which proceeds from
Jehovah the Father by the one only Son, and so by the Holy Spirit
which proceeds from both. This life is the one only life wherein is
the light of life, for therein is the love of Jehovah toward angels
and men. As to the life which does not proceed from J ehovah the
Son, in this is no love save the love of the world and of self. Such
life, therefore, is like the life of the devil and of those whom the
64 11 Ad. 169~1694
EXODUS Ill: 14-17 [3354-57
devil leads. Verily there is no conjunction here, for conjunction

proceeds solely from the love of Jehovah the Father toward the
one only Son, and thus by the one only Son.
Thus Moses and the descendants of Jacob received their answer,
and this answer is still further declared in the following verses, and
now in the end of ages.
3354. [And God said further unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say
unto the sons of Israel, Jehovah the God of your fathers, the God
of Abraham, the God of Isa.ac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me
unto you: this is my name for ever, and this my memorial unto gen
eration, generation], vs. 15. Here the same thing is confirmed, and
indeed in such way th8:t the name and worship now spoken of re
mains to eternity, that is, to the end of ages. This is told in the
text in plain words; therefore it is said that this shall be a name for
ever and this a memorial to generation, generation, that is, even to
the end of the world. Then the same thing will recur; in that, like
Moses, men will ask what His name is, thus what shall be the faith,
for worship consists in faith in God Messiah since without faith
there is no approach.
3355. [Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say
unto them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers appeared unto me, the
God of Abraham, Isa.ac, and Jacob, saying, In visiting, I have vis
ited you, and that which is done to you in Egypt], vs. 16. These
words likewise have regard to the last times, having regard indeed
to sons of Israel who are in heaven and on earth; nay, so also the
sense of the words, in that they are addressed to the enemies of God
Messiah wheresoever they are, and especially to his confessed ene
mies in Egypt, that is, in Rome, which is the Babylon of which the
prophets Ezekiel, Daniel, and John speak so clearly.
3356. [Therefore have I said, I will make you go up out of the
affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite,
and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite,
unto a land flowing with milk and honey], vs. 17. By these words
is signified the kingdom of God which is promised to the sons
of God, that is, to the sons of the wrestlers of God, being the
sons of Israel, a name which signifies the wrestler. For the ex
planation of this text, see at verse 8.
3357. [When they have heard thy voice, then thou shalt come,
thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall
11 Ad. 1695-1699 65
3358-6~] THE WORD EXPLAINED
say ~tnto him, Jehovah the God of the Hebrews hath met with us:
now therefore let us go, I pray thee, three days' journey into the
wilderness, that we may sacrifice to J ehovah OU1' God], vs. 18. By
the elders of lsmel are meant those and their leaders who are in the
inmost church of God Messiah.
3358. To the Egyptians, Jehovah is said to be the God of the
Hebrews; all those being called Hebrews who 6 were descendants of
Heber, among whom were also the descendants of Jacob, as was ob
served above [n. ~159, ~688]. It is thus that he is to be desig
nated to Egyptians, and not as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and
J acob. Even in J oseph's time, they were called Hebrews who came
from the land where were the descendants of Heber and Seth.
Egyptians, like the present adorers of Babel, do not know God
Messiah save as to his name, for they turn all men away fromf";ith
in God Messial;, and transfer-it to the men whom they worship.
3359. By the words that w;-m~y-;;;;;'ifice to Jehovah, our God,
are meant supplications and thus that worship which is performed
by faith in God Messiah alone, and so a turning away from the idols
of t~Egyptians.
~) [Meanwhile I know that the kirng of Egypt will not let
you go, no, not by a mighty hand], vs. 19. What Pharaoh's an
swer will be is here made plain, for so likewise will answer the anti
christ of Rome with his followers, who worship as many gods as
they ha;; idols and as many as there are men whom they caUby
their own name, nay, as many as there are loves in the world and on
earth; of them likewise it is said I know that the king of Egypt will
;;tlet you go, no, not by a mighty hand.- -
3361. [Therefore I 'will put forth my hand, and "mite Egypt
with all my marvels which I will do in the midst thereof: and after
that he will send you away], vs. ~O. Now come the wonders which
are the subjects of later treatment, and the signification of which
can be evident from what follows. That he will send them away,
and that Babylon will fall, eve~ though she}s raised up even i!lto
heaven, is clearly foretold [Is. ~19, Jer. 51 8 , Rev. 148 , 182 ,10, 21 J.
3362. [And I will give thi.s people f avor in the eyes of the
Egyptians: and it shall come to pass that, when they go, they go
• [Crossed off: I worshipped God Messiah.
66 II Ad. 1700-1704
CONCERNING BABEL [3363-64
not empty; 7 For a woman shall ask of he1' neighbour, and of her
that dwelleth in her house, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and
garments: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your
daughters, and ye shall spoil the Egyptians], vs. ~1, ~~. As to the
application of these words, they themselves might clearly have seen
this, to wit, that when Egypt, that is to say, the pontifical or
Roman Babylon has fallen, they are to be spoiled and will lose all
their treasures. 8
CONCERNING BABEL
3363. We read for the first time concerning Babel in Genesis 10

verses 9 and 10, that it ,vas built by Nimrod, of whom it is said that
"he was mighty in hunting before Jehovah." This is the first
prophecy concerning Babel, and this long before the Babylonian
captivity. Hence those things were foreseen which will come to
pass in the last time.
The second prophecy concerning Babe! is Genesis 11 from
verse ~ to 9 inclusive, where we read-that the devil wished there to
raise up his kingdom and to build a tower which should reach even
to heaven, and that their lips were confounded and so they were
scattered. This also was long before the Babylonian captivity.
Thus these words have regard to the last time.
The third prophecy concerning Babel is, that [the Israelites]
were carried off on account of their worship of many gods, these
gods being enumerated; and that they were as their fathers had
been from the beginning. Concerning their many gods, both their
own and their fathers', see II Kings, chapter 17, from verse ~1 to
the end of the chapter, which verses should be read because they
treat of their many gods, both theirs and their fathers', and show
that hence came their captivity, as came their captivity in Egypt
from which they were delivered that they might repent, etc., etc.
The fourth prophecy against Babel is Isaiah chapter n verse
9 seq.
3364. That the Israelites were carried off into Babylonian cap
tivity, and why, see Jeremiah chapter ~5 verse 9 seg., where Nebuch-
T Thus Schmidius; but a literal translation of the Hebrew would read
" When ye go, ye .~hall not .go empty."

• In the autograph, this paragraph ends near the bottom of a page; it is
followed by the words" Concerning Babylon, turn the page,"
II Ad. 1705-1709 67
adnezzar is called God's servant. That God afterwards persecuted

Babel and delivered the people, see ibid. verse 1~ seq. These pas
sages should be read because they coincide with the Apocalypse.
Against Babel or Babylon are many things which coincide, in
Jeremiah chapter 51, from the beginning to the end.
BabyJon is described, and prophecy is made against her, though
she is not mentioned by name in Ezekiel verse 1 to 16 inclusive; 9
the words entirely coincide.
Prior to the time of the captivity, David, in Psalm 137 verse 1
to the end, speaks against Babel and concerning Jerusalem, just as
in the Apocalypse [18 6 ].
Against Babel are most manifestly directed the words of Isaiah,
chapter 13, verse 1 to end. That these words have regard to the
last time is clear.
Against Babel in the end of days, see many things in Isaiah
chapter 14 verse 1 to end, where they are called Jacob who shall be
as servants and handmaids, like the natural mind in man, (ibid.
verse ~).
Against Babel are also the words in Isaiah 47 verse 1 to the
end, which have in view the end of days. Compare also [Jeremiah]
chapter 5~, verse 1 to end.
Against Babel-a long prophecy in Jeremiah chapter 50 verse
1 to end.
Against Babel-another long prophecy, Jeremiah chapter 51,
verse 1 to end.
As to how Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, set up a statue that
the people might adore it, see Daniel chapter 3[1-7).
Concerning Babylon in John's Apocalypse, see chapter 14 verse
8 and the preceding and following verses; and later, chapter 16,
especially verse 19. Concerning the great harlot, chapter 17 verse
1 to end, where Rome etc., is described to the life. The description
is continued in chapter 18 from verse 1 to end, where Babylon is
mentioned and fully described.
• No chapter is cited. The Latin Editor suggests chapter 1, but this is
neither a description of Babylon nor a prophecy against her. The chapter in
tended is perhaps chapter ~8 or chapter 31, though in the one case the reference
should be ~81-19 and in the other 31 1 - 17 ; compare Is. 14, quoted later in the
text, especially verses 13 seq., as compared with Ezek. ~82 seq.; or, considering
Egypt as representing Babylon (see n. 3355), the reference may be Ezekiel
~91-16.
68 II Ad. 1710-17~0
EXODUS IV: 1-9 [3365-66
3365. From the above passages it can be evident that it is Rome

that is meant by Babylon ; for as Babel's hunting, etc., and its deso-
lation is described from the beginning, namely, in Genesis 10[9-10)
and 11 [1-9), and also by David [Psalm 1378 ], so is it described by
John after the captivity. Therefore it is most clearly _~nt
what city and harlot is me~t by· Babylon.- So likewise in the
prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, etc. What is there foretold can
never apply to [the city J Babylon, for we hear nothing of its
devastation at that time but simply that [Cyrus] sent the Jews back
with honor, as can be seen from the historical books which should
be closely scrutinized. 1
3366. Nor do the prophecies apply to the Mohammedans; for
the Mohammedans cannot be called a harlot. Rather is it the case
that t~y_are ~o ignorant of God Messiah and of the church ~G~d
~essiah that such harlotry cannot be predicated of them; nor do
they have the Word of God Messiah, either of the Old Testament or
-.-
of the New; from all which it follows that with .!P~!1Y of them is an
ignorance which is called unconquerable. Therefore, as regards
-- - ..
them, ign.2,rant as they wer~ ~i...lli.e_Word_of_God_ Mes~E' a sen-
tence of this sort would never be passed; nor would it have been
passed upon the Jews had they not had the Word of God Messiah.
Wherefore the speech is concerning the Jews who see the light and
yet walk in darkness.
EXODUS IV
1 Nevertheless Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will
not believe me, nor hear my voice: for they will say, Jehovah hath
not appeared unto thee.
52 And Jehovah said unto him, What is that in thine hand?
And when he said, A staff,
3 He said, Cast it to the earth. And he cast i~ to the earth,
and it became a serpent; and Moses fled before it.
4 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take
its tail. And when he put forth his hand, and took hold of it, it
became a staff in his hand:
1 In the autograph this paragraph is emphasized by two " NB's" written
in the margin. As to the reference to the historical books, see ~ Chron. 36 22 - 3,

Ezra 1, 31, 514-5.
II Ad. 17fH-175252 69
5 That they may believe that Jehovah the God of their fathers
[the God of Abraham 2], the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
hath appeared unto thee.
6 And Jehovah said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand
into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he
drew it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.
7 And he said, Again put thine hand into thy bosom. And he
again put his hand into his bosom; and when he drew it out of his
bosom, behold, it was turned again as his flesh.
8 And it shall come to pass, if they do not believe thee, nor hear
the voice of the former sign, they will yet believe the voice of the
latter sign.
9 And if they do not believe also these two signs, nor hear thy
voice, thou shalt take of the waters of the river, and pour upon the
dry land; for the waters which thou shalt take out of the river shall
become blood upon the dry land.
3367. The subject treated of in these verses is first the evasion
of Moses, and then the signs by which he might prove that Jehovah
or God Messiah had appeared to him. These signs consist of three
miracles, one by the staff which he had in his hand and which was
turned into a serpent and afterwards turned back to a staff; a sec
,)lld, by the hand which he put in his bosom and which became
leprous and which afterwards was restored; and a third, by the
water of the river which he took, and which was changed to blood.
These three miracles precede the many miracles that follow,
solely that he might persuade the brethren S that God Messiah had
appeared to him.
3368. God Messiah wished to manifest himself before the Jewish
people at first by these three miracles, which, nevertheless, were mi
nor ones. Yet, being at the same time the Creator of the universe,
he might have done this by great miracles, and indeed by miracles
of the most stupendous kind; for had he willed, he could not only
have dried up the Red Sea as he did afterwards, and as he dried up
the Jordan, of which miracles we shall speak later, [but] he could
have transported rocks and the like. For what is impossible to
Jehovah God when he wills to show his glory and power? Now,
• Omitted by Schmidius.
• Swedenborg first wrote his brethren, but he then crossed off his.
70 II Ad. 17~3-17~5
EXODUS IV: 1-9 [3369
however, he wished to show this, only by these three miracles which

were little indeed as compared with his power.
But if it be permissible to reflect on these miracles, as to why
these three preceded the others, it can be evident and to spare that
he thereby willed to show that it was God Messiah who was signified
by these miracles; for they are the consequences of what we read
above.'
3369. FIRST: He manifested himself to Moses in a bramble, that
Moses might know that it was God Messiah who appeared, see above
chapter 32 .*
SECOND: That He was the Word of Speech of J ehovah, respect-
ing which we have spoken at times above [n. 9l79, 689, 1159l];
therefore we read that the angel of Jehovah called unto Moses
(chap. 3 4 ).
THIRD: That He was the Holy One of Israel as He is many
times called by the prophets. Therefore Moses was commanded to
put off his shoes, and he veiled his faces (chap. 3 5,6).
FOTJRTH: That He was the God of their fathers Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, of whom we so often read that He was God Mes-
siah (ibid. verse 6, etc.) who promised J acob that He would make
him to go up out of Egypt (ibid. verse 7 seq., and above, Genesis
chapter 46 4 ).
FIFTH: That they would know him from the worship which they
would institute at the mountain of God, and which was performed
by sacrifices; thus by the sacrifices themselves (ibid. verse 19l).
SIXTH: That he told them his name, J ehovah, which involves all
things prior and, at the same time, everything in the universe that
IS and LIVES; thus that he was the Creator both of the entire heaven
and of the entire world. This also the reader may see shown above
(n. 3359l seq.).
SEVENTH: Finally, when Moses was evasive and doubted whether
• [Crossed off:l namely, that they should know Him first from worship by
sacrifices, as is stated in chapter 3 12, and then by His name, from the fact that
He was the God of their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, chapter 3[15J.
* [The following numbered paragraph is here crossed off by the Author;
the fact that it is numbered, indicates that it was crossed off after the Author
had been over the work and numbered the paragraphs; see n. 3349 note:l
728. SECOND: That he was the Holy One of Israel, as he is called by the proph-
ets. Therefore Moses was commanded to put off his shoes, and he veiled his
faces (chap. 3[5, 6J).
II Ad. 179l6-1734 71
they would believe that Jehovah had appeared to him, then, among
the mandates he received was this, that [he should prove it] by
three signs-these, as was said [n. 3368] being small signs for so
great a power-whereby the sons of Jacob might believe, these sons
believing only from signs, as they are called, that is to say, f~om
minor miracles, while, from these same signs, the sons of Israel, of
w~ we have spoken above [n. 3~87, 3356] believed the things
which were hidden within the signs; for sons of Israel, that is to
say, those who have faith, have no need of miracles. Believing
from miracles is for th~se .~!!ly "::.ho do not believe. .-
3370. Since sons of Israel would know their God Messiah not by
signs but by the things which are within the signs, therefore it was
for the descendants of Jacob that He gave these three miracles to
Moses that he might perform them before these descendants. And
since they wholly involve things which proximately touch God Mes
siah himself, therefore, by the divine mercy of God Messiah, it is
now permitted to explain them for sons of Israel. 5
3371. As touching the first sign, this involves that the human
race was deceived by the serpent. The second sign involves that
man thus became leprous or abounding in crimes. Thus by the
third sign is meant that the anger of Jehovah God was poured out
upon the human race.
These same signs also involve that God Messiah trampled_upon
the head of the serpent, as was foretold [Gen. 310] ; and that he
saved and thus healed the human race from that contagious leprosy;
and therefore that the anger of Jehovah ceased.
Because these three things are involved in the three signs, and
this plainly; and because, from them, when inmostly examined, sons
of Israel may thus know that God Messiah has now appeared to
Moses; therefore it is permitted to come to the explanation of the
signs themselves, on the basis of the actual words.
3372. [Nevertheless Moses answered and said, But, behold, they
will not believe me, nor hear my voice: for they will say, Jehovah
hath not appeared unto thee (vs. 1).] This verse contains Moses'
evasion; of this we have spoken above [no 3339-40].
3373. As touching the first sign, it is described in these words:
• [The following unnumbered and unfinished paragraph is here crossed off
by the Author:) That in their series, these signs involve, first of all, that, as the
human race was deceived by the ser ent and so became full of_guilt
7~ II Ad. 1735-1740
EXODUS IV: 1-9 [3374
And Jehovah said unto hinn, What is that im thme hand? And
when he said, A staff, he said, Cast it to the earth. And he cast it
to the earth, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled before it (vs.
~, 3). What is meant by a staff in the more interior sense is
learned from various passages in the Word of God Messiah, espe
cially in the prophets and also elsewhere, to wit, that it means
strength, inasmuch as a man leans on a staff. (Confirmations may
be adduced from various passages.) According to common dis
course, man himself says that God is a staff to him, that is to say,
is his strength, power, etc.
What is meant in the more interior and inmost sense by a ser
pent has also been explained above [no 19~3, ~438, ~963], namely,
malice and cunning. Therefore the devil is called a serpent, and
this not only in Genesis but also elsewhere, nay, and a dragon [Isa.
~71; Rev. 1~9, ~02], as also may be seen below. (Look this up.)
This staff is called Moses' staff, as is clearly stated, Jehovah
said, What is that in thime hand? And when he said, A staff.
Therefore by this staff, as being Moses' staff, is meant first of all
the strength of man himself. And now this staff, when cast to the
earth, is turned into a serpent, by which is signified that not only
the devil when cast to the earth became a serpent, but also man
whom he has seduced, for he was then led by the serpent, as told in
the story of Adam. By these words, therefore, is signified the fall
of man, that is to say, that man's strength was then turned into a
serpent, or that man became evil from his more interior parts
whence comes his strength.
This was the first sign, and in it is involved that of which we
spoke above in n. 3371 ; that is to say, it is a sign whereby is indi
cated the fall of man.
3374. Now follows the second sign which is a consequence of
the first, the sign, namely, that man became leprous and this even to
his more interior parts; for by leprosy both here and elsewhere is
signified all uncleanness. This makes its appearance in the body,
but it comes forth from the more interior parts. And since un
cleanness is signified, therefore all crime and sin is also signified,
that is to say, hereditary guilt, whence actual crimes emanate.
This is now expressed by the second sign as follows: And Jehovah
said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand imto thy bosom.
And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he drew it out, be-
II Ad. 1741-1744 73
hold, his hand was leprous as snow (vs. 6). Since what are here
signified are man's more interior parts which have thus become
leprous, that is to say, unclean, therefore it is twice stated in the
text that he put his hand itnto his bosom. By the bosom are clearly
signified man's more interior parts, for had these not been s'ignified,
it would never have been commanded Moses that he should put his
hand into his bosom. What is signified by a hand has also been ex
plained above [no 411, ~087], namely, the extreme part of man.
Thus this has become unclean from the more interior parts, while
the more interior parts have become unclean by means of those
things which are exterior, being the filthiness of the body and ani
mus by means of worldly and terrestrial loves.
3375. From this it now follows that from the justice of Je
hovah God came anger against the human race; that is to say, that
Jehovah removed the whole human race from his sight. Later he
gave witness to this by the universal flood whereby he would have
destroyed the entire human race had it not been that by the inter
cession of God Messiah Noah found grace. This then is what is
signified by the third sign of which we read: If they do not believe
also these two signs, nor hear thy voice, thou shalt take of the wa
ters of the river, and pour upon the dry land; for the waters which
thou shalt take out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land
(vs. 9). And now, as to what is meant by this river, this can be
evident from many passages, and also from what has already been
said, to wit~ that by the river Nile, of which it was previously said
that the sons of Israel were slain and suffocated therein, [is signi
fied the flood (n. 3~46-8) and the river of the damned (n. 3~68,
3~70)]. By the river are also signified nations 6 and peoples, and
by the blood into which this water was turned is meant the anger of
J ehovah. That such things are signified can be evident for the
time being, merely from what was revealed to John and explained
to him; to wit, as regards waters, that these are also peoples in the
Apocalypse 17 15 , where we read" And he said, The waters which
thou sawest are peoples and throngs and nations and tongues."
But the waters of the present text, being taken from the river Nile
which was accursed because of the slaughter of so many infants,
are evil spirits, being spirits who are accursed. That by blood is
signified the anger of J ehovah is also clearly evident in the same
• Or gentiles. See n. 165 note.
74 II Ad. 1745
EXODUS IV: 1-9 [3376-78
Apocalypse, chapter 16, which treats of the seven angels who

poured out the vials upon the earth. There, in verse ~, we read of
the first angel: " And the first went forth and poured out his vial
upon the earth; and there came an evil and noisome ulcer upon the
men "-just as in the present chapter [vs. 6] leprosy came upon
the hand of Moses. Of the second and third angel we read: " And
the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became
blood as of one dead; and every living soul died in the sea. And
the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and upon the
fountains of waters; and they became blood" (vs. 3, 4). These
passages are adduced merely that it may be known what is signified
by river and blood in the present text.
3376. In the text the blood is poured upon the dry land, that is,
upon the earth, in order that the curse of the human race might be
signified, a curse which followed because of the guilt and crimes of
man, who suffered himself to be seduced by the devil or serpent.
3377. From these signs, considered in a series, it is seen how
that the human race is saved by God Messiah alone, it being He
alone who is treated of in what has preceded. This the reader may
see above, n. 3371.
Moreover, that it is the salvation of the human race by the
Messiah alone that is meant by these signs, and consequently God
Messiah himself, is most clearly evident. Thus this is what is
meant by the first sign which was enjoined on Moses, by whom in
the inmost and 'supreme sense is represented the Messiah himself.
He is also represented by the serpent; for" serpent" is likewise
taken in a good sense because it signifies wisdom and intelligence
and thus also prudence, and so the opposite of what was previously
said of the serpent [no 3373]. Therefore men are commanded to
be prudent as serpents but at the same time gentle as doves [Matt.
10 16 ]. Thus a serpent signifies also wisdom and all that wisdom
involves, and so the Messiah himself. It was because of this that
a brazen serpent was set up by Moses, that they who looked upon
it might be saved [Num. n 9]. For further explanation as to
what is meant by a serpent, see above n. ~963, ~965 [? ~969] on
Genesis 49 17 , and also elsewhere.
3378. That this sign involves the salvation of the human race
is also clearly evident from the words, to the effect that Moses again
took hold of the serpent and that thus it was again turned to a
II Ad. 1746-1749 75
staff, or, as the words read: And Jehovah said unto Moses, Put
forth thine hand, and take its tail. And when he put forth his
hand, and took hold of it, it became a staff in his hand (vs. 4).
Here it must first be noted that in this way the devil, prostrated
to the earth, became the serpent from which Moses fled; and that
the Messiah took hold of him and thus 7 he vanished. Hence there
came to Moses' hand a different staff whereby he did miracles; for
by means of this staff, divine power was then given to Moses.
Therefore he first did this miracle in the sight of God Messiah, and
this staff is thus called" The staff of Jehovah" 8 (vs. 9W). As
to what is meant by the tnil, this also can be evident, to wit, that it
is the same as is meant by the heel, seeing that [Moses] was of
Jacob's descendants; for Jacob took hold of the Messiah's heel, it
being the Messiah who is here meant by the serpent, as said above
[n. 3377]. Thus Moses could not reach to the head as did the
Messiah, who is presented representatively by means of Moses
as stated above [n. 39l88, 39l94].
That in the present text the serpent has both these significa
tions, can be seen moreover from chapter 710- 12 , to the effect that
the magicians and sorcerers did likewise; that is to say, that their
staves were turned into serpents, but that the staff of Aaron, that
is, of the Messiah, swallowed these serpents up. For we read
" Aaron's staff swallowed up their staves," that is to say, when the
latter hlld peen turned into serpents (chap. 712 ). That by the
sorcerers' staves is thus signified the devil and his crew, but by
Aaron's staff the Messiah himself, this, by the mercy of God Mes
siah, may be seen at that passage. There is this difference, how
ever, that in the passage cited it is called Aaron's staff, while in
the present text it is called Moses' staff.
3379. With respect to the second sign, as meaning that by means
of God Messiah the human race was healed of leprosy, and so was
saved, this also is described in like manner in the following words
addressed to Moses: And he said, Again put thine hand into thy
bosom. And he ngain put his hand into his bosom; and when he
7 [Crossed off:] as we read, he trampled
8 This is according to Schmidius' version; but according to the Hebrew
it should read: " The staff of God" (Ll'~'~~).
76 II Ad. 1750-1751
EXODUS IV: 10-~0 [8880-81
drew it out of his bosom, behold, it was turned again as his flesh
(vs. 7). This involves the opposite of the former case [vs. 6].
3380. Nothing is said at this time, as to the blood being turned
to water. Of which matter we shall speak later, to the effect that
the anger of Jehovah was thus allayed.
3381. But by the divine mercy of God Messiah, it may be per
mitted at another time or in connection with another passage deal
ing with these prodigies, to see whether they one and all signify the
Messiah himself, as meaning that he took upon himself the curse of
the human race and so made expiation for it.
EXODUS IV
10 And Moses said unto Jehovah, By me, 0 Lord! I am not
a man of words, even yesterday, and the day before, and from when
thou spakest unto thy servant: for I am heavy of mouth, and heavy
of tongue.
11 And Jehovah said unto him, Who hath given a mouth to
man? or who hath made him dumb or deaf or seeing or blind? is
it not I, Jehovah?
1~ Now therefore go, for I will be with thy mouth, and will
teach thee what thou shouldst speak.
18 Nevertheless he said, By me, 0 Lord! send then, but send
with a minister.
14 Then the anger of J ehovah was kindled against Moses, and
he said, Is not Aaron thy brother a Levite? I know that speaking
he will speak. And, behold, he shall go forth to meet thee, and
shall see thee, and be glad in his heart.
15 Speak thou therefore unto him, and put words into his
mouth; and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will
teach you what ye shall do;
16 That so he may speak for thee unto the people: and it shall
be, that he shall be to thee for a mouth, and thou shalt be to him
for God.
17 And thou shalt take this staff in thine hand, and by it thou
shalt do signs.
18 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law,
and said unto him, Let me go, I pray, and return unto my brethren
which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And
Jethro said to Moses, Go with peace.
II Ad. 175~ 77
338~] THE WORD EXPLAINED
19 And God 9 said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into

Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy soul.
~O So Moses took his wife and his sons, and made them to ride
upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt:
3382. Here Moses' evasion is treated of again and again, to
wit, that he used many pretexts in order to avoid the mission. All
these evasions involve that he did not yet believe; that is to say,
that he did not have faith, and still less actual faith or obedience.
At the same time they also involve that God Messiah does not will to
force men to do anything, but that he wills that they should first
consent. Thus he requires consent, the consent being here de
scribed in verse 13. This consent, however, was also accompanied
with distrust, although God Messiah had previously told Moses,
that he would be " with his mouth" [vs. 1~], besides other assur
ances. Thus it is clear that this distrust is portrayed as existing
in none other than Moses himself, and it is so portrayed to the end
that Jacob's descendants might perceive that Moses was not a ser
vant of God from the first; for he did not humble himself as did
Abraham, nor did he say that he fOlInd mercy and grace in God's
eyes. On the other hand, he was so unbelieving at this time that
the anger of J ehovah was kindled against him, as we read in verse
14. From these circumstances it is- seen that he was not then in
the way of truth, and this despite the fact that he well knew that
God Messiah had miraculously saved him from the waters; that he
saw Jehovah God in the flame of the bramble; that he heard Him
speaking with him, and afterwards saw the three signs or miracles,
and this even to the point of fear by reason both of the first sign
and of the second. As to what kind of a man he was later, this is
described in what follows. These words were written concerning
Moses in order that Jacob's descendants might thereby know that
he was not the man such as is adored by them; for such being their
disposition, as is clearly stated in the prophets and as can also be
evident from lIKings 1721 - 41 and other passages, it was well
known to God Messiah that this posterity would acknowledge as
God any man whatsoever, nay, any idol; and would worship it
above God Messiah, as was frequently done by Jacob. Therefore,
lest they act thus, and esteem any man whatsoever in preference
• This is an error for J ehovah.
78 II Ad. 1753
EXODUS IV: 10 [8883-85
to Him, the present particulars are written thus accurately; and

if they will, Jacob's descendants can read them attentively, and
from them can reflect as to whether, in the present case, they can
excuse Moses in anything that he did. As regards the representa-
tion of the Messiah by him, this is another matter, as stated [above,
nos. ~147, ~369, ~574, ~586, ~597, ~664, ~85~] ; for the Messiah
is represented even by Pharaoh, nay, by every pontiff and priest
whatsoever his character-but abstractly from the person himself,
that is to say, from his disposition and nature. Here, therefore,
it is Moses and his disposition that is described wherein is no
representation of the Messiah; for in representations, God Mes-
siah has nothing in common with the man himself as regards his
disbelief "and disobedience.
3383. And Moses said unto Jehovah, By me, 0 Lord! I am not
a m.an of words, even yeste1·day, and the day before, and from when
'thou spakest unto thy servant: for I am heavy of mouth, and.
heavy of tongue, vs. 10. Moses speaks this concerning himself,
and therefore in these words there is no representation of the Mes-
siah. In the proximate sense, the words signify what they say,
namely, that Moses was a stutterer and thus labored under dif-
ficulty of speech. Moreover, in order to make this more serious,
he says that he had been such yesterday, that is, from infancy, and
the day before, that is, in his virile years, and also from when thou
spakest unto thy servant, that is, at the present time, which involves
that he also remained such afterwards. '\That he said after he had
received an answer also follows.
3384. It was permitted Moses to speak thus because in him
was distrust and disobedience; for had God Messiah willed, he could
have brought it about that Moses might then have spoken fluently,
as later he did; with respect to which matter we read that he de-
livered long orations to the Jewish people, as in Deuteronomy and
also elsewhere, when he laid the words of Jehovah before the people.
3385. Because or'this distrust, therefore in what follows it is
not said that Moses was heavy of mouth, and heavy of tongue, but
" uncircumcised in lips," as in chapter 612 ,30 where again, and as
often as he could, he repeated a similar objection. Thus in verse
1~ of the chapter cited, Moses says: " Behold the sons of Israel
have not heard me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, especially
when I am uncircumcised in lips?" Moses spoke in the same way
II Ad. 1754-1756 79
with reference to Pharaoh, in verse 30, all these expressions being

thus frequently repeated in order that no excuse might be put for
ward as a pretext.
3386. Since then, Moses was heavy of mouth and heavy of
tongue, and in the passage cited, is called" uncircumcised in lips,"
let us see what this signifies, namely that it signifies the same thing
as being uncircumcised, as also was Moses' son. As touching the
words "uncircumcised in lips," the meaning is that he had no
faith; for the lips are taken for the words which one puts forth
by the mouth, and the words for those things from which the
speech flows. Thus the meaning is that Moses was spiritually un
circumcised. For the words which one puts forth come from the
persuasion and affection of his mind, and thus from his disposition;
and what this was [with Moses] is clear from his own confession
in the verse cited, to wit, that he was uncircumcised.
3387. Had these words flowed from humiliation, Moses would
then have spoken quite differently; that is to say, would have con
fessed himself unworthy of such great mercy, and would have said
the same thing of the people; and so would have supplicated with
humiliation for permission [to serve]. This is the way of truth.
But since no such things come out in the present text, he was
stubborn rather than humble.
3388. And Jehovah said unto him, Who hath given a mouth to
man? or who hath made him durrib or deaf or seeing or blind? is it
not I, Jehovah? Now therefore go, for I will be with thy mouth,
and will teach thee what thou shouldst speak (verses 11, 19l). Here
are involved all things whatsoever that pertain to man's life. This
life consists in things more interior and inmost, but here, as else
where in the Word of God Messiah, it is expressed by such things
as are external, nay, and outmost; for before the Jewish people
the Word of God Messiah was of such a nature that only external
things were set forth, by which are meant things internal, God
Messiah not being willing to speak with that people in any other
way. He, therefore, who does not elicit from these externals their
more interior meaning, can never understand what the Word of
God involves. Take, for example, any passage in the prophets;
if you do not know the corresponding interiors you will under
stand the ,Vord of God no differently than does this people at the
present day, that is to say, as a dumb letter without a spirit. It
80 II Ad. 1757-1759
EXODUS IV: ll-U '[3389-91
is the spirit that gives life, and without the spirit the letter is dead.
But as to the manner in which he spake at different times, this, by
the mercy of God Messiah, it may be permitted to set forth later.
3389. All human understanding is born from what is heard and
seen; for which reason the will is taken for the hearing and the
understanding for the sight. Therefore, what is here treated of in
the inmost sense, is the will and understanding of the human mind. 1
From the will through its organs flows every action, consequently
also the action of speech; and within these actions, as within the
will, is present the understanding. This is set forth in the text
by the words Who hath given a mouth to man? who hath made him
dumb or deaf? speech being thus coupled with hearing. The
understanding is set forth as follows: Who hath made him seeing or
blind? by which words is signified that there is no life that is man's
but that Jehovah God alone is living. Wherefore the text adds:
Is it not I, Jehovah? that is to say, He who is, as stated in chapter
3 14 •
3390. That man neither thinks nor understands, nor wills
nor thus does anything whatever from himself, has been so
clearly testified to in the preceding pages that nothing can be
more true. And that every man thinks and thus acts accord
ing to the disposition which he has imbued from his affections
and thus has acquired, is also so true that nothing is more true.
He can indeed be forced to speak other than according to his
disposition, but inasmuch as this is fictitious and feigned, it is
not permitted to anyone in the presence of God Messiah, when
thus he is present before Him. 2
3391. The expression "being with one's mouth and teaching
him what he should speak" involves not only that He made Moses
to speak fluently but also that He infused him with intellectual
life, so that he could see and perceive what was true; for,
when it is pleasing to God Messiah, a life is infused into the
intellectual mind such as cannot be described. So likewise such
shade is induced-but this is done by evil genii when it is per
1 In the autograph this part of the paragraph is emphasized by "N B"
written three times in the margin.

• This indented paragraph is not cited in the Author's Index to his
1l'1emorabilia.
II Ad. 1760-1763 81
339fl-94] THE WORD EXPLAINED
mitted them-that the man cannot see even the least meaning
of the words. Indeed, the case is such that the man beholds the
essential thing as though with another sight, and this variously;
nay, and also with a contrary sight. This is a most marvelous
thing and it has been made known to me by manifold experience
during a long period. This, therefore, is what is meant by
making a man seeing or blVnd, etc. 3
3392. Nevertheless he said, By me, 0 Lord! send then, but send
with a minister/ verse 13. These words plainly indicate how long
Moses continued with his contradictions, and that [despite what had
been said] he yet gave an answer which is unbecoming to a man
when he speaks with Jehovah, in that he said that He should send
now, and that He should send in the way that he desired. Thus he
dictated his own will, when yet everyone who walks in the way of
truth submits to the will of God Messiah, especially when he has
heard the words spoken previously, to wit, that Jehovah would be
with his mouth and would teach him what he should say. Such was
the audacity with which he carried his distrust to the last extremity;
therefore we read Nevertheless he said.
3393. What Moses meant by a, minister can be evident from his
previous utterances, to wit, one who ministers to him in the matter
of speaking. Since he had no faith in the words of God Messiah,
he now asks for another man who should speak for him. Herein
shines out his absolute distrust. The same thing is also unfolded in
what now follows, that Aaron was given to him, of whom J ehovah
says that" speaking he will' speak" [vs. 14], and later, that he
should be to Moses for a mouth (vs. 16). Bl1t see the explanations
at those verses.
3394. Then the anger of J ehovah was kindled against Moses,
and he said, Is not Aaron thy brother a Levite? I know that
speaking he will speak (vs. 14). Anger is ascribed to Jehovah,
that is, to God Messiah, not that he is angry, for he knew Moses'
disposition beforehand and from inmosts, yea, he also admitted of
the words being in Moses' mouth which Moses spoke from himself
• In the autograph this paragraph is emphasized by " Obs." written twice in
the margin. It is cited in the Author's Index to his Memorabilia, s. v. Igno
mntia, Intellectu8, Lux. See Table of Contents.
• A more literal translation of the Hebrew would be " And he said, In me,
o Lord, send now by the hand of him thou wilt send."
82 II Ad. 1764-1766
EXODUS IV: 18--14 [3395-99
according to his own nature (for man is said to speak from himself
when he speaks from his own nature, the man perceiving no other
wise than that he thinks and speaks from himself since he is wholly
ignorant of the fact that he is led by spirits outside himself who
know no other than that they are speaking from themselves and at
the same time that they are the men; except when they depart, etc) ;
but anger is ascribed to God Messiah when justice is being done
and when he speaks from justice. Anger is thought to be within
the speech when it is made in justice, as for instance, in the sen
tence of a j udge--not of an angry man.
3395. If words are then put forth, within which there seems to
be anger, they are not put forth by God Messiah but this is per
mitted to others who are in anger; thus to those who execute
commands according to the laws of justice. These laws are in
numerable, and they are so tempered that they correspond in every
way to the punishments which the laws of justice dictate.
3396. Aaron is called a Levite because a Levite signifies con
junction and association, of which we shall speak later. These
words, therefore, have reference to those that follow.
3397. Aaron's speech alone is what is here treated of, to wit,
that he would be for a mouth to Moses and thus would speak forth
the words that God Messiah should say to Moses, this being the
office of a minister; thus that Moses should have what he desired;
that is to say, because he was" heavy of mouth and heavy of
tongue" he should have another to speak for him.
3398. And, behold, he shall go forth to meet thee, and shall see
thee, and be glad Vn his heart (vs. 14). Respecting this, see below,
verse ll.7. This was said in order that, by the prospect of seeing
his brother, and indeed by that brother's gladne~s and his love
toward himself, Moses might be aroused to the execution of the
command of God Messiah. Hence it is the clemency of God
Messiah that is borne witness to, not his anger. Thus it was not
anger that was kindled but only justice, as stated above [n. 3394].
Moreover, his seeing Aaron come to meet him, as is now told, would
be a confirmation that it was God Messiah; for none can tell the
future but J ehovah God.
3399. Speak thou therefore unto him, and put words into his
mouth; and I will be with thy mouth, and 'UJith his mouth, and will
teach you what ye shall do; That so he may speak for thee unto the
II Ad. 1767-1771 83
people: and it shall be, that he shall be to thee for a mouth, and
thou shalt be to him for God (vs. 15, 16). Here is now explained
what that minister is whom Moses wished to have [vs. 13]. Being
one of the people of Jacob, Moses understood only the exteriors
of the words of God Messiah, that is to say, by mouth and tongue,
he understood merely the speech which is put forth. But God
Messiah, who never means exterior things separately from interior
as he never means corporeal things without spiritual, and conse
quently earthly things without heavenly, He being in inmosts and
being the very union of things spiritual and natural or heavenly
and earthly-God Messiah I say, by mouth means the real sense of
the words, that is to say, the thoughts from which those words flow,
as stated above at verse 11, where, by man's" mouth" He means
the will and its affection, and by his " sight" the understanding;
and thus the whole man, with his life, which consists solely of under
standing and will. 5
3400. From this it now follows that by the mouth of Aaron as a
minister, is meant that speech which is to be pronounced by his
mouth in accordance with Moses' meaning; but by the mouth of
Moses is meant inmost speech, that is to say, active thought in
accordance with the utterance of God Messiah. Here, therefore,
there is a double meaning in identically the same words, namely,
when he says I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth. The
same thing can also be seen from what follows. This is now ex
plained, to wit, It shall be, that he shall be to thee for a mouth, and
thou shalt be to him for God.
3401. When God Messiah is the All, in all man's thoughts, as
he promised he would be with Moses (vs. U), then it i~ no~ the
man who thinks but it is God Messiah by means of his angels. It
is in this sense then that it is said of Moses that he should be to
Aaron for God. The meaning can never be that Moses was God,
to think which were profane, but that his thought, from which
flowed his words to Aaron, was from God Messiah. Thus the
instrumental cause is assumed for the principal, as is very fre
quently the case in the Word of God Messiah; nay, what is at
tributed to God Messiah is attributed to the church, that is, to the
• In the autograph, the last third of this paragraph is emphasized by
"N B" written twice in the margin.
84 II Ad. 177~-1773
EXODUS IV: 15-19 [340~-O4
church of God Messiah. But of this we have spoken frequently

above.
3402. The same thing can be evident from what follows, as for
instance from chapter 71 where we read" See, I have made thee
God unto Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet,"
which is assumed from the miracles that Moses did not from the
least virtue in himself but from God Messiah. Therefore, by the
miracles wrought by his hand, he, as the instrumental cause is again
assumed for the principal. In like manner it is now told why he
shall be for God, namely, by these words:
3403. And thou shalt take this staff Vn thiJne hand, am.d by it
thou shalt do signs (vs. 17). Of the staff we have spoken above
[no 3373], to the effect that it signifies strength and thus power,
the same being also signified by ham.d; therefore it is said that he
should take the staff Vn his hand. The staff could never itself
have had strength and power, nay, it could have had no more
strength than Moses. Nevertheless, it was by this staff that Moses
was to do signs, in order that he and his posterity might under
stand that there could have been no more power in Moses than there
was in the staff; indeed, there was less, for it is not said that he
should do signs by his own hand but by the staff. In himself man is
dead, being alive solely from Him who alone IS and LIVES. Lest
therefore any man claim aught to himself, because he is able so to
claim it, it is here said that it is the staff by which he should do signs.
That Aaron likewise did signs by this staff, is told later [chap 710 ,
8 17 , etc.]. Therefore they who wished to adore Moses as God,
adored rather the staff, for apart from that .staff Moses could do
nothing. The staff itself is said to be God Messiah, when by it is
signified strength and power; and from this came the established
formula that God is one's Staff and Strength. \
3404. And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law,
and said unto him, Let me go, I pray, and return unto my brethren
whi.ch are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro
18aid to Moses, Go with peace. And God 6 said unto Moses in
Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which
sought thy soul (vs. 18, 19). From these words it can again be
seen that Moses used evasion, and did not as yet wish to obey the
• Thus Schmidius, but according to the Hebrew the word should be
Jehovah.
II Ad. 1774-1776 85
voice of God Messiah; for here there is some interval of time,

which though not openly expressed is yet understood clearly enough
from the words of God Messiah to Moses, in that He again com
manded him to return to Egypt. Moreover, the reason why he
was thus evasive shows forth, to wit, because he feared Pharaoh
who wished to slay him, it being for this reason he had fled away
(see chapter ~15) ; he also feared other men. Therefore it is said
in the text, Return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which
sought thy soul.
3405. So Moses took his wife and his sons, and made them to
ride upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt (vs. ~O).
Six times had Moses used evasion, and thereby had disclosed his dis
trust and disobedience; and now, at last, when his fear has finally
been dissipated, he returned.
3406. It is here said that Moses made his wife and his sons to
1'ide upon an ass, not "upon asses." This signifies that he had
with him his whole household, including servants; for an ass sig
nifies servants, as stated at times above; as for instance, when treat
ing of J acob's descendants in the passages where asses are men
tioned [Gen. 3043 , 49 11 • 14 ]. On the other hand, of Rebekah it is
said that she rode upon camels [Gen. ~461, 64] ; as to what these
signify, see [no 107~, 1177]. Animals signify the disposition
which is proper to them, and from this can be evolved what is in
volved in the present text by Moses making his wife and sons to
ride upon an ass. That there is something concealed here, can be
seen by everyone, and this not only from the fact that it is said
upon an ass and not" upon asses," [but also from the fact] that
here mention is made of riding on this animal, which would never,
~
have been mentioned in the Word of God Messiah had not that
been meant which is servile or menial. But for the full appearing
of the more interior sense, it is necessary also to evolve what in this
sense is here signified by Moses' wife and by his sons. This, how
ever, may be passed by.
3407. As to the statements hitherto made concerning Moses,
he himself and many others-and these were very numerous,
as I could perceive from the murmur-confessed without a
single exception that they are true; and that in what has been
86 II Ad. 1777-1779
EXODUS IV: ~o-9n [3408-10
written, there was nothing they could take hold of that was not
in entire agreement with the truth. 7
EXODUS IV
~o And when Moses took the staff of Jehovah in his hand,
~l J ehovah said [unto Moses,] When thou goest to return into
Egypt, see all the signs which I have put in thine hand, that thou
mayest do them before Pharaoh; and I, when I shall stiffen his
heart, that he send not the people away,
~~ Then shalt thou say unto Pharaoh, Thus hath Jehovah said,
My son, my nrstborn, is Israel.
~3 And I said unto thee, Send my son away, that he may serve
me: and thou didst refuse to send him away; behold, I will slay thy
firstborn son,
~4 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that J ehovah met
him, and sought to kill him;
!25 But when Zipporah took a stone knife, and cut off the
foreskin of her son, and made it touch his feet, and said, Because
a bridegroom of bloods art thou to me,
!26 He desisted therefrom. Then she said, A bridegroom of
blood, because of circumcisions.
3408. Since there is much in these verses that contains things
most arcane, it may be allowed to unfold the text verbally.
3409. And when Moses took the staff of Jehovah in his hand,
Jehovah said [unto Moses 8], When thou goest to ret~~rn into
Egypt, see all the signs which I have put in thine hand, that thou
mayest do them before Pharaoh (vs. !20, ~l). Here the staff is now
called the staff of Jehovah, and this from causes of which we have
spoken above [n. 3403]. Prior to the sign wrought before
Jehovah of which we read in chapter 42 , it was the staff which
Moses carried with him.
3410. Following this comes the statement that J ehovah put
signs in his hand, which clearly means that Moses did the signs by
means of the staff which God Messiah thus gave him and put in his
1 This paragraph, together with the indented portion of n. 3340 and n. 3483
is cited by the Author in the Index to his Memorabilia, s. v. Moses. See the
Table of Contents.
8 Omitted by Schmidius.
II Ad. 1780-178~ 87
hand; for just previously it is said that Moses took the staff of
Jehovah in his hand, and now, that He put these signs in his hand,
from which it is clear that the signs had been put in the staff which
was then given into his hand by God Messiah.
3411. This is confirmed by the signs themselves, to wit, by the
first and third sign, as well as by the others of which we shall speak
presently. By the FIRST SIGN [chap. 4 3 - 4 ], namely that the staff
was turned into a serpent and when Moses took hold of its tail the
serpent was turned back into a staff; for, being such as he is de
scribed, Moses could not have touched the head of this serpent. So
likewise by the THIRD SIGN [chap. 49 ]. We do not read that the
staff was used in this case; but that it was used for the turning of
water into blood in the land of Egypt is told in chapter 717 seq. As
touching the SECOND SIGN [chap. 4 6 ], namely when Moses put his
hand into his bosom and it became leprous, this was indeed done
without the staff; but the hand then became leprous and was re
stored by the Word of God Messiah. Thus, if by hand in this
case as elsewhere is meant power, it can then be evident what kind
of power was in the hand itself.
3412. And I, when I shall stiffen his heart, that he send not the
people away (vs. ~1). As to the stiffening of Pharaoh's heart,
there will be occasion to speak of this later, for his heart was stif
fened so many times that the expression occurs frequently.
3413. Then shalt thou say unto Pharaoh, Thus hath J ehovah
said, My son, my firstborn, is Israel (vs. ~~). As concerns these
words, the words namely, which Moses was to say to Pharaoh, that
his son, his n.rstborn, is Israel, it is most clearly evident that they
do not have regard to Jacob's posterity. For we do not read" my
firstborn son is Jacob," when yet elsewhere this is frequently said
sometimes of Jacob and sometimes of IsraeP lVIoreover, it was not
Jacob who was the firstborn but Esau. With respect to the birth
right, that Jacob got this for himself from Esau by a mess of
potage, can be evident ([Genesis] ~533,34); but of this birthright
we have treated frequently above, showing also that Jacob restored
it to Esau, both by his own confession and in other ways of which
we have spoken above en. 415 note, ~085]. Therefore, in the
Word of God Messiah Esau is always put first, even by his father
• Except for the present passage, neither Israel nor J acob is ever specifi
cally referred to in the Word as the firstborn.
88 II Ad. 1783-1785
EXODUS IV: 21-22 [3414
and mother and likewise by J acob himself when he met Esau. This
would never have been so written, had the birthright been fitting to
Jacob. Moreover, in the present text, it is not said that Jacob is
the firstborn son of Jehovah, but that Israel was this. What then
is signified by Israel has been said frequently above, to wit: In the
proximate sense, the Wrestler of God [Gen. 3228 ] ; in the more
interior sense, Abraham and thus all the sons of Abraham, of whom
we have so often spoken above, and therefore, all those were Israel
who worshipped God Messiah in the primitive church; thus in the
most universal and inmost sense, all those who are called peoples and
nations, who from their faith both were and are Abraham or sons
of Abraham. In the supreme sense, however, it is the Messiah alone
who is Israel, he alone being the Wrestler of God; for" the Wrest-
ler of God" is then understood in its genuine sense, as meaning that
he wrestled with Jehovah the Father who from divine justice had
condemned the human race; but the one only Son of J ehovah so
wrestled that he fulfilled the justice of Jehovah his Father, and so
delivered the human race from damnation. For Jehovah the Fa-
ther looks upon no man, and from his justice he cannot look upon
any man, save through his one only Son, and thus through him
alone who fulfilled justice and alone became the victim for the
human race, as stated above. 1
3414. Here then, in the supreme sense, it is Israel who is meant
and who is called the Son of Jehovah and the Firstborn.
By Him then, all those are sons and indeed firstborn sons who
embrace the Son with faith; and it was because of Him that all the
firstborn were sanctified unto Him, as stated below (chapter
13 1 ,2, 13, etc.), He alone being the Firstborn of all the livin.g. 2
1 In the autograph, the text, with the crossed off words printed in italics,
reads as follows: " . . . victima pro humano genere, hominem, ex fide in Unicum
ut supra." In our translation we have ignored the word hominem because it
seems to pertain to the words which are crossed off, as though Swedenborg
had intended to write" hominem ex fide in Unicum Filium, a damnatione
vindicans (delivering man from damnation by reason of his faith in the one
only Son). Otherwise the translation would read "thus through him-the
only Man-who fulfilled," etc.-but then one would naturally expect to have
found Hominem (with capital H) and not hominem.
• [Here perhaps is to be referred the following note written in the margin
of this paragraph but without a sign of insertion:] It is to be observed that
love is of such a nature that it gives to others what itself has; so God Messiah
is such that he gives himself, and grants also that men shall be called Israel and
that they shall be sons and firstborn.
II Ad. 1786 89
It is these then, being those in all lands who, from the time of Noah
even to the end of ages have worshipped God Messiah, and espe
cially those who were in the primitive church, that is, the church
prior to J acob, of whom these words are said, the words namely:
Thus hath Jehovah said, My son, my firstborn, is Israel. Thus it
is by no means Jacob that is meant, or Jacob's posterity.
3415. These words are now said to Pharaoh, that is to say,
Moses was to speak to Pharaoh in this way; but here, as in what
has preceded and in what follows, it is the last times that are meant
and indeed [the words spoken] to antichrist who occupied the
throne of God Messiah, namely, words like those in the text: Thus
hath Jehovah said, My son, my fi1'stborn, is Israel. And I said
u~, Send my son away, that he may serve me (vs. ~~, ~3).
~ As to what is meant in the spiritual sense by the rs born
son of the chu~h, this was put into the name\R~ben)and so is sig
nified thereby. ThM..in the inmost sen~e this name signifies fIWb,
and in the supreme sense merc , may be seen above en. 806, ~5 7].
From this we learn what kind of worship God Messiah demands of
Israel when he calls him his son and firstborn, namely, faith in God
Messiah, this bein the first- on of the church. Wherefore he
wil then say to him and to those who are meant by Pharaoh, Send
my son away, that he may serve me, serve him, that is to say,.Q:y
n faith in God Messiah alone but never by faith ill His mother~' in the
J Ip inApostles, in those wt'omthey call saints, male ancrfemale. 4...fa.itl~\
any other than God ~Iessiah
alone, being a faith that they them
selves can do anything, even the very least thing, is like the hand
which Moses ut into his bosom and which became le rous as snow
[chap. 4 6 ] ; it is a profane i4iEg and supremel J.QoIatrous.
(For the meaning of the words in verses ~~ to ~6 inclusive, see
n. 3439 to 3448 at the sign '# '#. When I was writing the
above I was in obscurity.) 3
3417. These words, which Moses was to say to Pharaoh, are
thus recited to the end that they ma.y be said specifically to Moses.
• In the autograph, this parenthetical clause, which is marked " Obs: Obs:"
is written in a blank space left by the Author between the end of n. 3416 and
the commencement of n. 3417. The writing indicates that after finishing n.
3417, Swedenborg then wrote in parentheses" For the meaning . . . see" and
that the rest of the paragraph was filled in later.
90 II Ad. 1787-1789
EXODUS IV: 22 [3417
This is so clearly evident from what follows that it can be con

firmed merely by inspecting the words in their series. Yet they are
so spoken to the end that Moses might first perceive them as per
taining to Pharaoh, but that from the effect, he might understand
that they are said to him. For we first read And I said unto thee,
Send my son away, that he may serve me: and thou didst refuse to
send him awo,y; behold, I will slay thy firstborn son (vs. 23). Thus
these words are joint words pertaining both to Pharaoh and, at the
same time, to Moses. That they pertain to Pharaoh is manifest
from the words themselves, for immediately above we read" Then
shalt thou say unto Pharaoh" [vs. 22; after which come the words,
Behold, I will slay thy firstborn son]. That Moses did not say
these words until he had done many miracles is evident from what
follows; for while he came in to Pharaoh many times, he said not
the least word about slaying his son. That in general, however,
the words do pertain to Pharaoh can be evident from the fact that
Jehovah slew Pharaoh's son together with the firstborn of all the
men in Egypt. That they pertain specifically to Moses is clearly
evident from the words that follow, and thus from the series of
things. First, from the words now written out: And I said unto
thee, Send my son away. This is clear at once from the and and
also from the I said unto thee. And now it is still more clear from
the words that follow, Behold, I will slay thy firstborn son--which,
moreover, would actually have been done, the speech being thus
confirmed by the actual effect had not Zipporah, Moses' wife, cir
cumcised that son. For we now read: " And it came to pass by the
way in the inn, that J ehovah met him, and sought to kill him" (vs.
24), namely, Moses' son, as is evident. That otherwise this son
would have died is now evident; for in the same series we read:
" But when Zipporah took a stone knife, and cut off the foreskin
of her son, and made it touch his feet, and said, Because a bride
groom of bloods art thou to me, he desisted therefrom. Then she
said, A bridegroom of blood, because of circumcisions" 4 (vs. 25,
26).
But in what way these words pertain specifically to Moses can
not be clearly evident unless the essential things be searched into
• The autograph has circumcision.
II Ad. 1789
91
from the words and also from the series of the antecedent events,
which are: 5
3418. And I said unto thee, Send my son away, that he may
serve me: and thou didst refuse to send him away; behold, I will
slay thy firstbom son (vs. 23). Of what son this is said, is clear
from what immediately precedes, namely, " Thus hath Jehovah said,
My son, my firstborn, is Israel" (vs. 22). Thus it is Israel whom
Jehovah willed that Moses should send away, and consequently
Himself, it being He who is meant by Israel in the supreme sense.
That it is God Messiah who is meant by the Son, the Firstborn, and
Israel, has been told above [no 3413], and, moreover, is clear from
the Word of J ehovah God, where we read: " This day have I be
gotten thee" [Ps. 2 7 ], that is, from eternity; for with Jehovah
God, inasmuch as He is not in time, " this day" is eternity.
3419. As regards the words And I said unto thee, specifically
they have regard to Moses to whom they are spoken; but by Moses
is then meant the father of Israel, that is, the parent of the many
sons who are called Israel, and in the supreme sense, the parent of
the Messiah himself. Consequently, it is Abraham who is then
signified by Moses. For this reason, Moses is not mentioned by
name, but it is said I said unto thee, Send my son away, that he may
serve me. That Abraham made supplication for the Jewish people
and does so still, has been told above [n. 1527-8, cf. n. 2887] from
his own mouth. He has embraced God Messiah with such faith,
and such supplication by faith that he could not send him away.
Wherefore the inmost sense of the words is, that he said to Abra
ham, Send my son Israel away, that he may serve God Messiah, but
thou didst refuse to send him away. This was the secret [Gen.
49 6 ] which the reader may see referred to above En. 2882 seq.].
3420. So likewise at a later time, when God Messiah willed to
pass over from the Jewish people to the gentiles, Moses, by his sup
• [Here comes the following unnumbered paragraph which is crossed off by
the Author:] And I said unto thee, Send my son away, that he may serve me;
and thou did"t refuse to send him away; behold, I will slay thy jirstborn son
(vs. 23). From the proximate sense of the words, it seems that these sayings
have Moses himself in view ([doubly crossed] namely, that he should send away
the Son of Jehovah) and thus his own son, whom Jehovah willed to slay; but
that by son here some other son is meant is clear, for Moses did not say to
([ doubly crossed] his son Gershom that he should be sent away and should
serve) him; nor
92 II Ad. 1790-1792
EXODUS IV: ~3 [34~1-~3
plications, held God Messiah so bound that Balaam, who was a

prophet of God Messiah, was not able to curse the Jewish people;
on which matter see Numbers chapters ~~-~4 and elsewhere. 6 As
to how Moses then interceded for the Jewish people, this can be
seen in that place; 7 moreover, it was AbrahaIl). who was then per
mitted to intercede for the people of Jacob; for no one can inter
cede for another save by permission, which however is given from
the remembrance of his faith when he was living [in the world].
For Abraham does not hear any man in the world, nor can he hear
any, unless [his state] be such as it is in me, in whom heaven is
opened; still this is with the permission of God Messiah.
3421. That God Messiah was unwilling thus to serve so stub
born a people, than which there could be no people mo~e stubborn
in all lands, can be evident from various things which are written in
the Word of God Messiah. It is also apparent from the fact that
Leah was substituted in place of Rachel [Gen. ~92a], etc. But see
the passages above, and they may be cited, etc.
3422. Because Abraham was unwilling to send away Israel, that
is, God Messiah, but wished to have him with the Jewish people; 8
and so did not wish to send those away who are meant by Israel in
the genuine sense and who are the true sons of Abraham, being sons
by faith in God Messiah; therefore Jehovah now says: Behold, I
will slay thy firstborn son, that is, will slay the Messiah himself who
is the Son of J ehovah, being the firstborn of J ehovah. This was
done ; for He died on account of the Jewish people, as the reader
may see stated above [no ~88~ seq.] where the former secret [Gen.
49 6 ] is treated of-which passage may be cited here.
3423. That by the Son of J ehovah and the Firstborn of J e
hovah is meant the Messiah, and through him all who are sons of "
Israel, being sons of God Messiah and sanctified to him as firstborn
sons, may be seen below. From this it can also be evident that
Moses signifies one drawn out from the waters [chap. ~10], that is,
drawn out from the waters of the flood and thus from damnation;
in memory whereof was instituted baptism, as may be seen above
[no 3~8~], [this] also [being signified] in the name Moses. Thus
• See Deut. 1134, 5, J osh. ~49, 10.
T Namely, at Exodus 3~11-3, Num. 1413-9.
• [Crossed off:] whom he regarded as the firstborn because they arose from
Isaac.
11 Ad. 1793-1795 93
34fl4-fl6] THE WORD EXPLAINED
all sons of Abraham are also signified, and hence those who by bap
tism are drawn out from the waters, that is, from eternal damnation
by means of God Messiah alone, and are given to him alone as a
peculiar possession. Thus we come to the same meaning; for the
words of God Messiah involve infinite things, as can be evident
enough from the present words and from those that follow.
Therefore, in the evolving of these words, many sheets would be
required for merely a few of them, as may be seen merely from the
six words, "This day have I begotten thee" [Ps. fl7]. The repre
sentations of things in the words of God Messiah go on to infinity.
Thus what is contained in the present words in their supreme sense,
is superlatively arcane, though it shines out to some extent from
the things presented in the inmost sense. 9
3424. The words Behold, I will slay thy firstborn son involve
also Isaac, whom he would immolate, though yet, as in the present
case, he was not immolated. Moreover, as regards the posterity of
Jacob, for whom he made supplication, each man calls himself the
first-born son, whom also Jehovah slew, as can be seen from their
history. In the end of times, however, He willed to pardon those
who embrace God their Messiah with faith; and this is what is sig
nified by the words that follow in verses fl4, fl5, fl6.*
3425. It is the people of J acob then that is here signified by the
son of Moses whom Jehovah willed to slay; for an entire posterity
is called a son, just as, in verse flfl, all in the universe who are sons
of Abraham are called by the Messiah, his Son and Firstborn, Is
rael, whom Abraham was unwilling to send away that he might
serve God Messiah. Therefore, in the more interior sense, the son
now treated of is some other son whom Jehovah willed to slay, and
who is represented in the son of Moses, a soh who was uncircum
cised and who was then saved by circumcision-on which matter, by
the divine mercy of God Messiah, we shall speak presently.
3426. If then Jacob's descendants say that it is they who are
meant by all these words, to wit, first by the words in verse flfl:
"Then shalt thou say unto Pharaoh, Thus hath Jehovah said, My
• In the autograph, this passage is emphasized by a series of six " NB's"
* [Here comes the following unnumbered and unfinished paragraph which
is crossed off:] That the people of Jacob (are signified] by this son whom Je
hovah willed to slay, can be evident moreover from the frequent repetition of
the word" sons"; and that it is another son who is sent away
94 II Ad. 1796-1798
EXODUS IV: ~3 [34~6
son, my firstborn, is Israel," 1 let them further say what the next
words have regard to, the words namely: And I said unto thee. To
whom are these words addressed, to Pharaoh or to Moses? Let
them also say who that son is whom 3ehovah willed to slay. If
this is said of Moses' son, then, in what follows, occur many par
ticulars which cannot be explained. As concerns the proximate
sense of the words, it can indeed be clear from the historical nar
rative, that it was Moses' son; but then there is no understanding
of why this event took place; why Moses was not told that he should
circumcise him; and why, because of the circumcision, Zipporah
called Moses" a bridegroom of bloods" and afterwards " a bride
groom of blood," [vs. ~5, ~6]. But in the Word of God Messiah,
beneath the historical particulars lie concealed an infinitude of
things which in no way savor of historical events. That such
things are concealed within in the present case, can be evident
enough from the words as spoken, and also from the events. His
torical particulars are like coverings wherein only things more in
terior, inmost, holy, and divine are represented. He, therefore,
who would be wise, must never cling to outmost things. These
outmosts, moreover, are such that they represent things more in
terior and inmost, and this in a way so abstract from the matters
which are viewed historically that they are entirely different, as
shown above at various times. Who can understand any of the
prophets, nay, any single verse in the prophets, unless he first re
move these coverings? When they are removed, then in their order
follow things universal, spiritual, celestial, divine, which yet never
come to view of themselves. The sense of the inmost contents is
as far removed from the literal, that is, from the proximate sense
of the words, as heaven is from earth: He who clings solely to the
literal sense, can have no other comprehension than is possessed by
the senses of the body which are ignorant of what lies concealed in
causes. They, therefore, who put their trust solely in the fallacies
of the senses are wholly removed from the truth, being like men
who with their eyes blindfolded think they walk in a straight line,
when yet, wandering about in a pitiful way, they are then led into
errors. So is it with those who wish to grasp 2 the Word of God
1 [Crossed off:] let them also say how they could be called" my son."
• Swedenborg first wrote .. understand" but this he crossed off.
II Ad. 1799 95
349l7] THE WORD EXPLAINED
Messiah 3 solely [according to the letter] ; they wish to walk only

in shadows. The more interior and inmost sense is therefore ut
terly remote from the Jewish people,4 just as the faith involved in
the name Reuben is utterly remote from Reuben; 5 the obedience
and charity involved in the names Simeon and Levi [from Simeon
and Levi] who were cursed by their father [Gen. 49 7 ] ; and the
confession of faith in God Messiah involved in the name Judah
[from J udah], etc. Consequently, in the present case, the pos
terity of Jacob is likewise far removed from Israel and from the
son and firstborn of J ehovah. [How could this posterity be the
son of Jehovah], when yet they lived in the greatest blindness? as
shown by those in the wilderness and in the land of Canaan who
were polluted with filthy idolatries and who yet were called Israel,
as also were the Israelites themselves under Jeroboam. Who can he
so insane [as to suppose] that they would appease God merely by
sacrifices of bulls and she goats? and that by the cutting off of the
foreskin they would be in covenant with God? If such things were
the worshipping of God, without any spiritual meaning, or any
understanding of things celestial, then even animals might do like
wise; for they who look to nothing more than these are not men but
brute animals. Tell me, Do you think that God is to be worshipped
in an animal way, or in a human? That he detests sacrifices in the
absence of a spiritual worship of himself is frequently stated in the
Psalms and in the Prophets.
3427. If Jacob's descendants wish to remain in the historical
and literal sense, let them read Genesis, chapter 3~ from verse 13 •
to 9l1, and chapter 33 from verse 1 to 15, and there let them see
whether they are such as Jacob declared himself to be when he
adored Esau as God. If there were no other meaning in these
words, tell me what kind of man must Jacob have been at this time?
If you say that he dissembled, then they must call him a dissembler;
• In the autograph, the words Dei Mes8'iQi (of God Messiah) are the first
words at the commencement of a new page; as a consequence, the Author, when
hastily numbering his paragraphs some time after writing them, took these
words to be the beginning of a new paragraph, which he accordingly marked
n. 1799.
• [Crossed off:] whom God Messiah could not have in view.
• The autograph has in nomine Ruben a Rubedo. The word Rubedo, as
plainly indicated by the capital letter, is clearly a slip for Rubeno.
96 II Ad. 1800
EXODUS IV: M [34~8-~9
if they say he was afraid, did he then regard Esau as God? and
were not his words then mere lies? But since there is another sense
concealed in these words, inasmuch as it is the _Messiah who is there
represented by Esau to whom Jacob gave the tithes which he had
promised [Gen. ~822], then to some extent Jacob can be freed f-fom
his lies and fraud. So also when he stole the blessing from Esau,
[Genesis] chapter ~7. If you remain in the letter and in the his
torical particulars, tell me, who was J acob then? Thus opposites
are inmostly involved in those things which appear outwardly and
which are told historically.
3428. Observe that in [Genesis] chapter ~526, "Jacob" signi
fies the holder of the heel; but in chapter ~736, " J acob ~' signifies
the supI>lanter. 6
3429. And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that Jehovah
met him, and sought to kill him (vs. ~4). As told above [n. 3417]
and as will be evident later, what is meant in the proximate sense is
that it is the son of Moses whom Jehovah willed to kill. For this
reason, that son was circumcised by his mother, and thus He
desisted.
First it must be held in general that for none of the angels or
spirits of whatsoever sort, is it lawful to kill a man; but he who
gives man life and breathes it into him, can take it away whenso
ever he pleases. Jehovah, however, does not do this himself, but
by means of angels. The power of killing a man is an attribute
applicable to Jehovah alone, and never to the devil, though, as
against the evil he uses the ministry of the devil. Therefore we
read in the text that Jehovah met him, and sought to kill him, just
as was previously said concerning Judah's two sons, namely in Gen
esis 38 7 , where we read: "Er, Judah's firstborn was wicked in the
eyes of Jehovah; therefore Jehovah slew him"; and also of Onan
(ibid. vs. 10). Moreover, in the sequel (chap. 1~12), where the
subject treated of is the firstborn of Pharaoh and the Egyptians,
we read: " I will pass through the land of Egypt, and will smite all
the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man even to beast; and on
all the gods of the Egyptians 1 will make judgments; I am Je
hovah "; so also in verses ~3, ~9. That he makes use of angels is
evident from verse ~9 of the same chapter, it being an angel whom
• In the autograph, this paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written in the
margin. '
II Ad. 1801-1803 97
he calls the smiter. So likewise in the time of David, when he smote

the Jews and Israelites with a pestilence, on which occasion the
angel appeared to David [~ Sam. ~415-7]. Thus everyone who is
in the hand of God Messiah is so secure of his life that there can be
no greater security; for, as was said, it is the giver of life, that
takes life away, and no other, even though it may appear otherwise;
as in the case of those who are said to have been destroyed by the
devil, in combats, etc. Nevertheless, no man dies save as Jehovah,
that is, God Messiah wills or until He permits. This can also be
evident from the men who were slain in Judah and Israel; of these,
every man who carried an idol under his garment fell in battle, and
no others, etc., etc."
3430. In the broader sense, wherein by this son is meant Jacob's
posterity, the meaning is that God Messiah willed to kill this son,
that is to say, entirely to forsake Jacob's posterity. This is evi
dent from what has been said above [no 34~0-1, 34~6]. So also
we read of Joseph, by whom, as was shown, is meant the Messiah,
that he willed entirely to forsake all the sons of Jacob by Leah and
the two handmaids, and to preserve only the two sons by Rachel,
namely, Joseph and Benjamin. This the reader will see shown at
that place [no ~760]. We read likewise that in the time of Moses
He willed to kill the entire people of J acob, and said that He willed
to raise up a new seed or a new posterity from Moses; Moses, how
ever, deprecated this, and indeed (as I think) because of the prom
ises that had been given, especially to Abraham [Exod. 3~10, Num.
1412 , Deut. 9 14 ]. So likewise after Balaam had been forced to
bless that people, twenty-four 7 thousand of them perished, and had
it not been for the son of Eliezar, the plague would have spread to
them all [Num. ~51-9]. VVhat use was performed by supplications
and the remembrance of Abraham can thus be evident, not to speak
of other cases. On this matter consult merely the historical books
and the prophets. Thus it was frequently a matter of deliberation
as to whether entirely to cut off the people of Jacob; and yet they
declare themselves to be the elect above all others, and pretend that
it is they who are meant by Israel. By the words by the way and
* Compare Josh. 711-fin ..
T The autograph has" !i!6000."
98 II Ad. 1804
EXODUS IV: ~5 [3431-33
in the inn is here meant the time when Jehovah would seek to kill
him. s
3431. But since Abraham had the promise that this people,
which is now called the son of Moses, should not be slain and this
because of circumcision, thus because of the covenant with Abra-
ham, of which we read in Genesis 179 ,10, etc., therefore that was
done which is said of the Messiah himself in the immediately pre-
ceding verse, namely, " Behold, I will slay thy firstborn son" [vs.
~3] ; for in the supreme sense the Messiah alone is called Son and
Firstborn, being the Son of God and the Firstborn of all the living.
As touching the death of the Messiah, we read that he' was then
forsaken by Jehovah the Father that he might be slain by the Jew-
ish people [Matt. ~746, Mark 1534 ]. But for further particulars
respecting these words, see above [n. 34~~].
3432. But when Zipporah took a stone knife, and cut off the
foreskin of her son, and made it touch his feet, and said, Because a
bridegroom of bloods art thou to me (vs. ~5). We do not read
that Zipporah was commanded to do' this, but since Moses must
necessarily have been unaware of the fact that circumcision had been
commanded to the people by Abraham himself, it cannot be
doubted; and that every soul in that people which was not circum-
cised would be cut off, see Genesis 17[10-4]. Wherefore, Moses
seems to have comprehended this counsel at the present moment,
his character being such that he would neglect it. And, such be-
ing Moses' character who despised circumcision, what opinion then
must be entertained concerning the Jewish people who lived in
Egypt at that time? for while in the proximate sense the text in-
volves the son of Moses, in the broader sense it involves the Jewish
people which is meant by the son of Moses.
3433. In themselves these words, that is to say, the words them-
selves seem so obscure that without the divine mercy of God Mes-
siah they can never be understood,9 namely, as to what is signified
by Zipporah making it touch his feet, and by her saying Because a
bridegroom of bloods art thou to me.
R In the autograph, this paragraph is emphasized by four " NB's" written
in the margin. The last sentence was added by the Author at a later time.
• The words "the divine ... understood" were substituted above the line
for the following which was crossed off: "a key given by God Messiah, they
cannot be opened up."
11 Ad. 1805-1807 99
3434. As to what is meant by Zipporah Moses' wife, namely,

the mother of the Jewish church, this is because by her son is signi
fied the Jewish people; for Zipporah was a daughter of Reuel (see
chapter 2 16 ) who was a priest among the Midianites, the latter be
ing Abraham's descendants from Midian. Thus we must first know
what the mother church was, being thus the mother of the Jewish
church. It cannot be contradicted by anyone that it was the prim
itive church of the gentiles, from N oah even to Abraham and Isaac.
This church was a church wherein God Messiah was worshipped by
sacrifices and rites similar to those which by Moses were afterwards
restored in the Jewish church, as is clear beyond doubt from many
considerations. This mother church continued among the gentiles,
as they were called, up to the time of Abraham, and afterwards it
continued among Abraham's descendants, to wit, among the Ish
maelites, Midianites, and others, though for how long is not known
from the Word of God Messiah; hut in J acob and his sons it came
to an end. Now since, as regards the actual presence of God Mes
siah, the church of the gentiles was deserted so long as God Mes
siah was in the Jewish church, therefore this primitive church now
calls the Messiah,l as in the text, a Bridegroom of bloods; for in the
supreme sense the Messiah is both signified by the son and repre
sented by Moses.
3435. Zipporah is introduced here because it was the mother of
the Jewish church who said these words; for when she saw the
amount of blood that was shed by the stone knife so that it flowed
down to her feet, she was horrified, as it were; and therefore she
said, " a bridegroom of blood" [vs. 26]. Zipporah herself did in
deed mean Moses her husband, but in the inmost and supreme sense
it is the Messiah who is meant, he being called a bridegroom of blood
by reason of the sacrificial victims, inasmuch as so great a quantity
of blood flowed down to the feet of the ministers. For this reason
it is here said a bridegroom of bloods, not" a bridegroom of blood"
as in the next verse, where it is circumcision that is specifically
treated of. By bloods are signified all the lives in man, being not
only the life of his body which consists actually in the blood, but
also the life of his natural mind, which likewise consists in blood,
1 Vocat Messiam. The text reads, crossed off words being indicated by
italics: Vocat Messiam, per '/ilium, ac primoge1~itum, ut supra [vs. 22] intellec
tum (calls the Messiah, undel'stood by son a1~ '/irstborn, as above).
100 II Ad. 1808-1809
EXODUS IV: ~6 [3436-37
though in a purer blood otherwise called the animal spirit, a blood

which flows through the nerves and also through the larger vessels/
as can be evident from anatomical considerations. For this rea
son it is first said bloods and not" blood." Now the red blood of
the body contains within itself not only a purer blood, but also the
life thereof which is one with the life of the human mind, wherein
is the understanding and will; and inmostly it contains man's veri
most life, being the life of the soul itself. The blood is the ultimat~
effect, and thus is the complement of all the lives of man, the prin
ciples whereof reside in the brain and indeed in the cortical glands
thereof throughout the whole cerebrum, cerebellum, and medullary
appendices. 3 In these glands resides life itself as to its principles.
Thus these glands are the fountains of life, and from th~m streams
flow down into the entire body, and finally betake themselves to the
blood wherein they exist simultaneously. The two superior lives
are not bloods, but are streams which correspond to bloods, and
which thus unite with the blood according to order. For the rest,
it has been shown that these lives proceed from loves. 4 From this
it now follows whence it is that the Messiah is here called a bride
groom of bloods, namely, because all the lives are contained in the
blood, and these flow from no other source than the Messiah him
self and his love. When the Messiah's love alone rules in man and
his lives, according to order, these lives follow in orderly sequence. 5
3436. From this it can now be seen what is proximately signified
by the sacrificial victims or the pouring out of blood by means of
these victims, to wit, that in their blood regard is had to the Mes
siah alone who in himself restored perverted order. But of these
matters, by the divine mercy of God Messiah, we shall speak later
when treating of sacrifices.
3437. He desisted therefrom. Then she said, A bridegroom of
blood, because of circumcisions (vs. ~6). The text now explains
why the Messiah is a "bridegroom of bloods," and other particu
lars contained in the preceding verse, namely, that he was a bride
groom of blood not because of the blood of the victims but because
2 [Crossed off:] and is gathered up by the duct
s Swedenborg first wrote medullas spinalem et, but he crossed off the last
two words and substituted appendices.
• See n. 660--3, 1015, seq.
• In the autograph, the two middle quarters of this paragraph are empha
sized by four" NB's" written in the margin.
n Ad. 1810-1811 101
of circumcisions. These are now mentioned in the plural, and by

them is signified that it was not because of a single circumcision
that he was a bridegroom of blood, but because of many; for cir
cumcision and the cutting off of the foreskin is nothing, unless
there be a circumcision of the interiors which are signified by the
foreskin. That is to say, what are to be circumcised are loves,
and these are many in number, for it is the loves of the body and
the world that are signified by foreskins, the latter being tunics
. and coverings which veil that member by which is signified con
jugial love itself. If therefore these outmost loves are circum
cised, then for the first time can love truly conjugial be born again,
being the love of the Bridegroom toward his church; and thus can
order be restored, this being what is set forth above [no 3436] in
the explanation of the word "bloods." These are the circum
cisions. "Circumcision," as observed above [n. 3431] belongs
only to the Jewish church, and so is merely a sign, while circum
ci,sions, understood in this way, result in the Messiah being a bride
groom of blood not by reason of circumcision but by reason of
. ..
CIrcumCISIOns.
3438. That he then desisted from killing Moses' son, that is to
say, the Jewish people, this being what is meant in the inmost sense,
comes from the cause of which we have spoken above [n. 3431],
namely, that he had made a covenant with Abraham, the sign
whereof in the Jewish people was circumcision. By this sign He
had regard to circumcisions as they were with Abraham, that is to
say, to interior circumcisions, and not to the exterior, which is
circumcision of the foreskin alone. Thus he desisted for Abra
ham's sake.
3439.* The words found in verses ~~ to ~5 inclusive are in
themselves obscure unless they be revealed by the divine mercy of
God Messiah; for they are arcana which can never be laid open
save by God Messiah alone. Therefore these words are again
taken up.
3440. Then shalt thou say unto Pharaoh, Thus hath J ehovah
said, My son, my firstborn, is Israel (vs. ~9l). In the proximate
sense that people which now for so long a time had been in captivity
is so called, to the end that by reason of the captivity and the servi
* In the autograph, this paragraph, besides being numbered, is marked with
the sign ~ ~ written above it. It is referred to as so marked in n. 3416.
10~ II Ad. 18U-1814
EXODUS IV: ~Q-Q3 (bis) [3441-4Q
tude it might represent Israel, though it was not Israel in a genuine

sense but only Israel as to representation. In the text, therefore,
by Israel, the son of Jehovah and the firstborn, is meant the primi
tive church which was truly Israel, the son of Jehovah, and the
firstborn. Thus by Pharaoh is meant some other, being he who aid
not wish to send Israel away. Who this other is, is ~n from what
h~ preceded, to wit, from Laban who did not wish to send J acob
away by whom was then represented the Messiah; therefore, for the
sake of Rachel, that is, for the sake of the church of the gentiles,
he was obliged to serve another septennial [Gen. ~920]. In the
more interior sense, by "the son, the firstborn, Israel" is meant
the church of God Messiah amongthe gentiles in the entire globe,
f~Noah to the end of the world, and likewise-in the end of'days.
By Pharaoh are then meant all who are unwilling to send Israel
away, and more especially the Roman wrestling school, in the end
of days. This also is the inmost sense. But because ultimately it
is the devil himself who seduces men, therefore it is he who is meant
in th~ ~ltimate s~e; and then in the supreme sense it is God Mes
siah who is meant by the Son of J ehovah, by the Firstborn of
Jehovah, and by Israel, he alone being the Wrestler.
3441. And I said unto thee, Send my son away, that he may
serve me: And thou didst refuse to send him away; behold, I will
slay thy firstborn son (vs. Q3). Here manifestly is a twofold
meaning, in that these words were said to Pharaoh and also to
Moses. That they were said to Pharaoh is clear; for because
Pharaoh was unwilling to send the people away, his firstborn son
was slain, as we read later in chapter 1Q2 9. That they were said to
Moses is seen from what follows, in that he wished to kill Moses'
firstborn.
3442. When the words are said to Pharaoh, then, in their proxi
mate sense, each and everyone of them fits in. Yet they were not
[actually] said to Pharaoh except in chapter U (let this be looked
up 6). When, therefore, they are said to Pharaoh, their proximate
sense is that He would slay the son of Pharaoh and the firstborn of
all his people. In the broader or interior sense, they mean t~e
Jewish eople would be slain and also the sons of J acob by Leah,
these beIng slain-;s th~e[stated], to wit, in that the stock born of
Leah did not remain except by the representation of Israel in their
• It is probable that the reference the Author had in mind was chapter 11'-8.
II Ad. 1815-1816 103
34M3] THE WORD EXPLAINED
names, that is to say, of the true church of God Messiah. In a

sense still broader or more interior, those, from Noah even to the
end of the world, would likewise be slain, who are meant in this
sense by the sons or firstborn of Pharaoh and by the Egyptians.
~ i~ th~ _inmost sens~,jt is the ROJ!lan ontiff that is meant, that
is to say, those who are meant by his sonS, being thus his princes,
but only those who are called the first-born sons of that wrestling
school, that is, the first-born sons of idolatry. As to ';ho these
are, this is seen from the confession of their faith in the saints, ~n
wh~profane men. In t e u Ima"!e sense iSJIleant t de~il 'm
self togetherwith his crew, he also being the firstborn of Pharaoh.
HQ;" he ~ be slain is well known, namely, by spiritual death, in
hell.
Here it must well be observed that two sons are here treated of,
namely, in the former passage, the son mentioned in the preceding
verse, of whom we have already spoken [n. 3440]; for this son
would be sent away by Pharaoh, and is Israel; and in the later
passage, the son of Pharaoh,)t being he_'£.hQis ~ain,_ tEat is
to_say, th deYil who represents this son in man.
3443. But these words are said also to Moses, and then another
sense comes forth, a sense entirely according with the representation
of others in Moses; for those represented by Moses are not the
same as those represented by Pharaoh. Thus in the proximate
sense is meant Moses himself who refused to send the Jewish people
away, for we read: Thou didst refuse, as was said above [n. 3339,
3389l, 3404]. Moses continually refused even to the last, and even
then he did not wish to go; nay, Moses took it to himself as a mat
ter of praise that he had refused, as we read in chapter 630 ; for it
was Moses who said at last, " Behold, I am uncircumcised in lips,
how then shall Pharaoh hear me?" Here Moses describes him
self; for it is of himself that he there presents a description, and·
this in no other way, as can be evident from what has preceded.
Being disobedient to the voice of God Messiah, Moses could not
now escape punishment. Moreover, being such as he describes and
vaunts himself, namely, that as he was disobedient, so also he was
uncircumcised in lips, of which matter we have spoken above [n.
3383, 33B5], his punishment was that his son, his firstborn was to
be slain, as also follows [vs. !il4]. In what way his wife turned
aside this punishment deserved by her husband is also evident. In
104 II Ad. 1817
EXODUS IV: ~~-~8 (bis) [8444
the broader or interior sense,7 by Moses is meant Abraham; thus

by his son are meant all sons of Israel, as stated above [n. 8419] ;
and here in the first place [vs. ~~], the sons in the primitive church.
He refused to send him away, that is, to release him; therefore by
the son in the second place [vs. ~8] is meant the Jewish people
whom Jehovah then willed to slay but who escaped by means of cir
cumcision, etc., Moses being then taken as the prince, and the J ew
ish people as his son. They are called his sons who represent the
head, and thus Abraham. In a still broader sense they are meant
by Moses who, like Abraham, by means of supplications from faith
refuse to send away the sons of Israel, that is, of God Messiah, be
cause of their love toward their own sons whom from love they call
the firstborn, though they know not their quality. God Messiah
does not resist any supplications made from faith; as neither did
He resist Moses when He willed to slay that stock and raise up a
new stock from Moses [chap. 8~10, Num. 1412 , Deut. 914]. But
later, in the prophet Jeremiah 15\ he says that even though Moses
and Samuel prayed for them, yet he would not spare them-which
words may be quoted. In the most universal sense, it is therefore
clear who are meant by Moses and his son in the former passage
[vs. ~9l], namely, all sons of Abraham; [and who are meant in the
second passage (vs. 9l8)] namely, those who, 8 from the causes of
which we now speak, refuse [to send the son away]. Their own
sons would then be slain, but they escape as did the son of Moses;
for it is said to Moses, Send me away; [and] if he would not send
away, his firstborn son would be slain. But being somewhat ar
cane, and not yet revealed, these matters are passed by. In the
supreme sense, however, it is the Messiah himself who is meant, the
meaning being that he should send Him away. Thus God Messiah
is meant by both sons, who would then be slain, but would escape
by blood and circumcision understood in the inmost and supreme
seIise. That the Messiah was slain for this cause, may be seen told
above [no 34~~].
3444. And it came to pass by the way in the i1lR/" that Jehovah
• Here come the following words, those crossed off being printed in italics:
"per filium in primo loco intelligitur, intelligituT ipse popu-" (by the son in
the first place is meant, is meant the people). In our translation we have ig
nored the uncrossed words since it was only by inadvertence that the Author
failed to cross them off.
• [Crossed off: I like Moses refuse to send away-
II Ad. 1818 105
met him, aiul sought to kill him (vs. ~4). Here it must first be ob
served that by J ehovah in this verse is not meant God Messiah him
self, who kills no one, but the destroyer and smiter who is from Him.
The fact that the smiter kills, comes from the authority of God
Messiah and not in the least degree from his own authority.
Hence it is said that Jehovah met him, when it was the destroyer
and smiter who met him. This is so clear from what is said in
chapter 1~12, 13,23,27,29, that nothing can be more clear. It is
clear also from many other passages, as in the case of Job [Job
1 7 ] ; and in that of David when the angel slaughterer smote seventy
thousand of the Jacobeans and Israelites with a pestilence [~ Sam.
~415], etc. Since the angel does nothing from himself but from
the authority of God Messiah, therefore when he executes the com
mands of God Messiah, it is said that the punishment, etc., comes
from Jehovah. So in the present case, it is said that Jehovah met
mm and sought to slay him. The same had likewise been the case
formerly in respect to Judah's sons Er and Onan [Gen. 38 7 ,10].
3445. The subject now treated of is the son of Moses whom He
could not slay because of blood, exactly as we read of Jacob's de
scendants, that the destroyer or smiter could not slay the sons of
J acob when he saw the blood [chap. 1~13. 23]. Thus on that occa
sion these descendants were saved by this blood. As to what is
meant in the universal senses, when the son who would be killed is
understood as Moses' son, this cannot be put forth now by reason
of causes, in that I am still obscured as to the things contained
in these words. This also is permitted but from what cause
I still do not know. s
3446. But when Zipporah took a stone kwife, and cut off the
foreskin of her son, and made it touch his feet, and said, Because a
bridegroom of bloods art thou to me, he desisted therefrom (vs. ~5,
~6). That the destroyer and smiter departed from the sons of
Jacob when he saw the blood, see chapter 1~23 where We read: "Je
hovah will pass through to smite Egypt; and when he seeth the
blood upon the lintel, and upon the two posts, J ehovah will pass by
the door, and will not suffer the smiter to come in unto your houses
to smite." Here the circumstances are exactly the same, though
represented in a different way. In the present text, the lintel is
• This indented passage is not cited in the Author's Index to his Memora
bilia.
106 II Ad. 1819-18~1
EXODUS IV: fl4-fl6 (bis) [3447-48
represented by the place of the foreskin, the two posts by the feet.
Therefore here we read: lVhen she cut off the foreskiln of her son;
but there, that is, in chapter IQ, this is signified by the lintel. In
the same chapter, the words and made it touch his feet are signified
by the two posts, and this from the similitude, as can be evident to
everyone. So here it was because of blood that the destroyer de
sisted from killing the son of Moses. As to what is meant by
blood, this the reader may see explained above n. 3435, namely, all
that is represented by blood in the Jewish church, which latter is
here signified by Zipporah. The Jewish church could not be repre
sented by Moses but only by his wife; for by Moses as a prince is
represented that people which is called his son in the second passage,
verse fl3.
3447. The Jewish people was then saved by means of blood, as
we read both here and in chapter lfl[231. As to how it is to be
saved in the end of days, this we do not read; for [it is evident]
that they nevertheless perished, that is to say, were expelled from
the land of Canaan, and that it was foretold by God Messiah that
they would remain and see the glory of God Messiah [Matt. fl4 34 ,
Mark 1330, Luke fl1 32 ]. Moreover, in the prophets exist many
predictions concerning the last time, of which, by the divine mercy
of God Messiah, we shall speak in the explanation of those
prophets.
The reader may see further particulars in chapter IQ, where
these circumstances recur, though under another representation;
and also in other places where their sacrificial victims are spoken of.
3448. Then she said, A bridegroom of blood, because of circum
cisions (vs. Q6). As to who it was that said these words, whether
Zipporah or Moses, is not here stated,l but whether said by the one
or by the other, it is here clearly explained what a bridegroom of
blood is and what the blood by which they were saved on this occa
sion, to wit, a bridegroom of blood because of circumcisions, that is
to say, not because of the circumcision of the foreskin but because
of the circumcision of the heart. This is here called circumcisions;
and blood, as being blood in general, is then assumed for" bloods."
1 The Latin words tunc dUl,'it which we translate Then she said might equally
well be translated Then he said. Such, however, is not the case as regards the
corresponding Hebrew words n;,?~ l~ which can be translated only Then she
said.
II Ad. 18QQ-18Q4 107
It was circumcisions, that is, circumcision of the heart, that now

made the smiter desist from killing Moses' son, that is, from killing
that people. For this reason also all the firstborn were sanctified
to God Messiah, as we read in chapter 13 2 , this sanctification also
signifying circumcision of the heart, that is, of the whole man as
to the life of all his bloods, or as to all the lives within his blood, as
stated above [no 3435].
CONCERNING REPRESENTATIONS BY MEANS OF ABRAHA~I, ISAAc,

2
AND JACOB, ETC.
The followiug should be well observed.3

3449. As touching J acob in general, his descendants, and the
Jewish people who wish to claim heaven for themselves because of
the promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and J acob [it is to be ob
served] that as regards these promises, such as those given to Abra
ham, they are so universal that they concern the entire globe, that
is to say, all in the entire globe who from faith in God Messiah, are
called sons of Abraham, these promises being as universal as the
soul is universal in the body. The promises made to Isaac are also
universal, and concern all in the entire globe; but in the church of
God Messiah they concern such things as represent that part in
man which is called his intellectual mind. The promises made to
J acob are still less universal, for they concern only those in the en
tire globe who represent the natural mind in man, while his sons
represent the body. With respect to these matters, it should be
observed that in man himself-for [Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob]
represent a man, in the sense that by them is represented the church
of God Messiah-the soul is indeed immaculate, but the human mind
is perverted by the natural mind, when man lives a perverted order
and state. So likewise in the present case. If this compound man,
who shall constitute the kingdom of God Messiah were formed only
from Jacobeans, then it would be wholly like a perverted or natural
man, who would have founded not the kingdom of God Messiah but
the kingdom of the devil, wherein one would tear another asunder,
• This heading is taken from the inside of the last cover page of the manu
script.
a In addition to this heading, the Author has further emphasized nos.
3449-51 by writing at regular intervals in the margin a series of "Obs. Obs."
108 II Ad. 18~5
EXODUS IV: fl'1-t31 (3450-51
and would be exactly the same as was said of Adam after the fall
when he was cursed by Jehovah [Gen. 3 14 ]. Thus he likewise
would destroy himself, and his very soul would then undergo the
same fate; for never then could the Love of Jehovah, that is to
say, could God Messiah flow in through that soul.
3450. But when Abraham desists from his supplication, that is
to say, from his love for that people, then the representations go
entirely according to the universality described above [n. 3449],
and by Jacob is then meant the third class of the church or king-
dom of God Messiah. Then, in addition to those who with Abra-
ham can be in things inmost and in the most universal representa-
tion, the rest of his sons would be saved. 4 As to who these are, this
has been told above [no 3449].
3451. As specifically concerns Jacob, that is, his posterity, they
received the fulfillment of the promise made to their father, in that
they were introduced into the land of Canaan and thus were the
representations of all that concerns the universal church and king-
dom of God Messiah, it being for this reason that they are described
in the Word of God Messiah. Thus they presented to the view
types; but if they do not acknowledge the effigy itself, who is God
Messiah alone, then the question is, Types of what?
EXODUS IV
fl7 And Jehovah said unto Aaron, Go into the wilderness to
meet Moses. ADd he went, and met him at the mountain of God,
and kissed him.
fl8 And Moses told Aaron all the words Jehovah,5 for the sake
of which he had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded
him.
fl9 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all [the
elders of] the sons of Israel:
30 And Aaron spake all the words which God 6 had spoken unto
Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
31 And the people believed and heard that Jehovah had visited
• Somethirtg of interpretation has been used in. the rendition of this passage.
Literally translated it would read: " And J acob, by whom is then meant . . .
Messiah, in addition . . . representation, then the rest," etc.
II Ad. 18fl6-18fl7 109
345~54] THE WORD EXPLAINED
the sons of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction; therefore
they bowed themselves down and adored.
3452. Above, at verses 13 and 14, it was promised Moses that
because he was heavy of mouth and tongue he should have a min
ister, namely, Aaron, who should be to him for a mouth, while
Moses should be to him for God (verses 15 and 16). And now
these promises are each and all fulfilled, for we now read concern
ing Aaron:
3453. And Jehovah said unto Aaron, Go into the wilderness to
meet Moses. And he went, and met him at the mountain of God,
and kissed hilm (vs. 27). Here it must first be observed that almost
the same words are said of the wilderness and the mountain of God
in chapter 3 1 , where we read: "And Moses was feeding the flock
of J ethro his father in law, the priest of Midian; and he led the
flock behind the desert,7 and came to the mountain of God, even to
Horeb." Thus at first sight it appears that it was in the same
wilderness and at the same mountain, namely, Horeb, that Aaron
met Moses. But in chapter 4 20 it is said that Moses returned to
Egypt. Thus the question as to whether it was the same mountain
and the same wilderness is left unsettled, and so the question as to
whether Aaron journeyed from Egypt all the way to the land of
Midian. It is clear enough that the same thing is signified by the
wilderness and by the mountain of God, in the one text as in the
other; by the wilderness being signified a place where is no field
and no harvest, and consequently no worship of God; and that the
Jewish people was led into the wilderness, and there, at the moun
tain of God, worshipped God Messiah, [is evident]; for it was
commanded Moses that he should lead the people to that mountain
[chap. 3 12 ], and this by a way of three days, and should there
sacrifice [chap. 3 18 ]. It seems then that it was the same mountain,
and thus that it was not very far from Egypt. Of the wilderness,
God Messiah granting, we shaH have much to say later. 8
3454. As to the more interior and inmost sense that is concealed
in these words, that is to say, in the statement that Aaron was now
• Desert and wilde.oness represent the one Latin word desertum. This we
usually translate wildllTn6SS but when not desiring to depart from the A. V. we
translate it desert.
8 In the autQgraph, the last four lines of this paragraph are emphasized by
" NB" written in the margin.

no II Ad. 1828-1830
EXODUS IV: ~7 [3455
conjoined with Moses, this is clear from the fact that by Moses,
as the leader of the Jewish people, is represented the royal dignity
of God Messiah, and by Aaron the priestly dignity. Here these
dignities are represented as being at this time in two persons, as
later they were represented in one, and afterwards again in two,
and so forth, because in God Messiah they are distinct and also
united. God Messiah was born King of kings as to his divine
essence; but He became Priest as to his human nature, because by
this nature he bore all the iniquities of the human race, as did the
priest-besides many other things which are described in Aaron.
It is true that Aaron was not yet a priest; but this makes no dif
ference, for in the sight of God Messiah that is present which is
yet to come. Moreover, it was for this reason that Aaron is called
a Levite (verse 14), by a Levite being signified conjunction and
thus charity and love, as may be seen in the name Levi. Thus,
it is the Messiah who is represented in Aaron conjoined with Moses,
and this from many causes.
3455. Since then the royalty in God Messiah is represented by
Moses, and the priestly by Aaron, and since the royalty is divine
and the priestly human, therefore it is now said: J ehovah said unto
Aaron, Go im·to the wilderness to meet Moses, that is to say, that
which is human, or that which was to become man, should go into
the wilderness to meet the Divine, and this at a time when there
was no harvest or no field, this being the wilderness behind the
mountain of God/ Horeb, as stated above in chapter 3 1 . For
by the wilderness, in the inmost sense, is meant not only place but
also time, and sometimes both together, as was actually the case,
in that God Messiah was born a man at a time when all was wilder
ness, that is to say, when there was no knowledge of him and con
sequently no faith. It was also the case when he came into the
world that he might feed the flock, or gather the sheep, in the house
of Jethro the priest, his father in law, that is in the house of Israel,
as we read in chapter 3 1 [ " And Moses was feeding the flock of
J ethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock
behind the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to
Horeb."] 9 So likewise in the end of days when there is no faith,
or when and where there is a wilderness behind the mountain of
• The words in brackets are substituted for two lines indicating that Swe
denborg intended to cite the verse in question.
II Ad. 1831 111
God 1 that is to say, [a wilderness] where God Messiah is neverthe

less present, it being He who is signified by the mountaim, of God
both here and above [chap. 3 1 ].
3456. Therefore what now follows is conjunction, to wit, And
he went, and met him at the mountaim, of God. Here" to meet"
means to be united, and indeed, united at the mountain of God
where afterwards sacrifices were made. Thus by the mountaim, of
God in the genuine sense is signified God Messiah who, being God,
the only Son of God, would become a man. (God Messiah grant
ing, this can be explained in better fashion later.) The conjunc
tion itself 2-the charity and love which lies in the name Levi, and is
signified by the Levite [chap. 4 14 ] and represented by the priest
[is expressed] by the words and kissed him, kisses signifying the
conjunction, charity and love, whereby, in God Messiah, the priestly
has taken to itself the royal, and so the human has taken to itself
the divine.
3457. It is for this reason then, that it is said that Aaron would
be for a mouth to Moses, and Moses for God to Aaron (verse 16) ;
also that Moses would be for God to Pharaoh, and Aaron for a
prophet to Moses (chap. 7 1 ) ; "to be for a mouth" means the
Word which is enunciated by the mouth of priests and prophets,
and likewise also by angels who put forth the Word of God Mes
siah. Priests or prophets on earth are in the place of angels in
heaven, the two thus corresponding to each other; for, being
ministering offices or ministers, they must pronounce the Word.
So Aaron was the minister of Moses (verse 15 above). Thus by
Aaron are signified all priests, just as by Moses are signified all
princes, leaders, kings, that is to say, all heads in general; for in
God Messiah the royalty is to be called the Head of the body, just
as the human is to be called the body of that Head. 3
3458. And Moses told Aaron all the words Jehovah," for the
sake of which he had sent him, and all the signs which he had com
manded him (vs. 28). It is clearly God Messiah who is here treated
of in the inmost sense. The subject is introduced as though the
1 desertim post montem Dei. The text of chapter III reads: post desertum
ad montem Dei.
2 [Crossed off:] is expressed.
• In the autograph, this paragraph is emphasized by three" NB's" written

in the margin.
112 n Ad. 1832-1834
EXODUS IV: ~8-~9 [3459
Divine Essence said these words to the human nature in God Mes
siah, that is to say, that he told all the words Jehovah,4 namely,
the words of Jehovah the Father who is here called Jehovah; and
because God Messiah is the Word of Jehovah his Father, therefore
it is said in the text Jehovah,5 not" of Jehovah."
For this reason also the words are added: for the sake of which
he had sent him, namely, into the world; for God Messiah was sent
by Jehovah his Father that he might save the sons of Israel from
their captivity. This is what is now represented in Moses and
Aaron.
Also the words: all the signs which he had commanded him.
which words in like manner have regard to the miracles which God
Messiah did in the world, and for the doing of which he was sent.
Thus all these words are fitting to God Messiah, it being he who is
had in view in the inmost sense.
3459. And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all
[the elders of] the sons of Israel 6 (vs. ~9). So likewise with these
words, [their meaning being] that God Messiah willed to gather
together the sons of J acob, to whom he was sent; but because then,
as perhaps also at this day, they refused, he gathered together all
the sons of Israel, that is to say, the elders of his church among
the gentiles. Whether this be done by God Messiah himself or
by his disciples, it is the same thing, for the disciples did nothing
from themselves but God Messiah wrought from himself through
the disciples. Therefore, in the most universal sense, these words
have regard to the times from the advent of God Messiah to the
end of the world. Thus in the most universal sense they also have
regard to the last times, and to the end of days, when all who shall
be called sons of Israel, in the heavens and on earth, are to be
• Swedenborg first wrote J eho'Vae (of J ehovah), but he changed the ae to ah.
• Swedenborg used the first edition of Schmidius' translation, published in
the year of his death 1696. There the text reads omnia 'Verba Jehovah (all
the words Jehovah). But in the second edition, published in 1708, this is re
vised to read omnia 'Verba Jeho'Vae (all the words of Jehovah). The original
Hebrew njn~ 'J~"! (the words of Jehovah) leaves no doubt as to this being the
correct translation. It is also the translation made by Swedenborg in his A r
cana Coele8tia.
• Schmidius, by an error, has merely all the elder8 of 18rael, thus omitting
the words the 80na of. It would seem that Swedenborg, in copying, inad
vertently wrote 80na for elders, though in his explanation he refers to both
words.
II Ad. 1835-1837 113
gathered together. By the elde1's are meant all [sons of Israel],

just as by the heads are meant all families, etc.
3460. And Aaron spake all the words which God 7 had spoken
unto Moses (vs. 30), that is, God Messiah spake the words which
he had brought from heaven, and which Jehovah, the Father of
God Messiah, had given him as his commission. The Messiah as
to his human nature spoke these words when he was in the world, for
to him is attributed a mouth, as said above [vs. 15, 16], and he is
called a prophet or priest [chap. 71 ] ; but he took the words from
his divine Essence. This is represented above [vs. 16], and it is
said that he shall be a God to him.
3461. And the people believed and heard 8 that Jehovah had
visited the sons of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction; there
fore they bowed themselves down and adored (vs. 31). These
words follow in a continuous series, and, as stated above [n. 3458],
they represent God Messiah when he came into the world and be
came Man. From them it is evident beyond a doubt that the people
believed and heard, that is to say, not the Jewish people which did
not believe nor yet believes. Although they then heard from the
mouth of God Messiah, and saw [him] from the signs and also
from the sayings in the old Testament, and from the Word at that
time, this people did not believe, as is well known; though hearing,
they yet did not hearken or obey. Therefore, in the most interior
and inmost sense, it is never the people of J acob that is meant in
this text, but a people among the gentiles who are here called sons
of Israel. It is these who are meant in the text. In the external
sense, however, it is the people of Jacob, the meaning being that
they believed and heard because they saw signs, and were then in
captivity. As to how they believed, this is very clearly evident
later on in chapter 5 21- 3 , and many times afterwards. Although
they continually saw signs and miracles, yet in their own minds these
were afterwards of no account. Not so the sons of Israel; these
believed and heard, and later they did this without signs and
miracles.
3462. Thus God Messiah visited the sons of Israel whom he saw
• So Schmidius, but, according to the Hebrew, this should be J ehovah.
8 By a different punctuation, Swedenborg gives a slightly different turn to
Schmidius' translation, which latter reads " And the people believed; and they
heard (gladly) that," etc. The punctuation in the Hebrew favors Schmidius.
114 II Ad. 1838-1840
EXODUS IV: 3O-V: 19 [3463
in affliction, that is to say, in captivity and servitude, in that God

Messiah first offered himself to the Jews, who at that time were not
in affliction as to the body, as are the descendants of Jacob in the
present case, but were in captivity by the devil, a captivity which
they esteemed as liberty and loved. Different was the case with the
sons of Israel.
Therefore they bowed themselves down and adored; that is to
say, the sons of J acob did this because of the signs, and because
they were in a state of affliction as to the body. But in the time
of God Messiah and after those times, sons of Israel did this be
cause they were in affliction as to the soul; for they esteemed the
afl:liction of the body as nothing, nay, and as a gain, but the
affliction of the soul and spiritual captivity as everything; from
which latter they would be delivered by God Messiah. It is these
sons, therefore, who bowed themselves down and adored from the
heart, while the descendants of Jacob now do this only from the
gesture, and because of the afl:liction of their body.
3463. Will it be different in the end of days? There seems
hardly any hope of this, although God Messiah first offers his
mercy to them. Whether they will accept it, is left unsettled, be
cause they have been of a like nature from the time of J acob even
to the present day.
EXODUS V
1 And after this, Moses and Aaron went in, and said unto
Pharaoh, Thus saith Jehovah [the God 9] of Israel, Send my people
away, that they may celebrate a feast unto me in the wilderness.
~ And Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah, that I should obey his
voice to send Israel away? I know not J ehovah, and also I will
not send Israel away.
3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us:
let us go, we pray thee a way of three days into the wilderness,
that we may sacrifice to J ehovah our God; lest he fall upon us with
pestilence, or with the sword.
4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye,
Moses and Aaron, draw the people from their works? get you unto
your burdens.
II Ad. 1841-184~
115
THE WORD EXPLAINED
5 Furthermore, Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land

now are many, and ye make them cease from their burdens.
6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of
the people, and their officers, saying,
7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make bricks, as
yesterday and the day before; let them go and gather straws for
themselves;
8 Yet the tale of the bricks, which they did make yesterday and
the day before, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought
thereof: for they be idle, therefore they cry, saying, Let us go,
let us sacrifice to our God.
9 Therefore let the service be made more grievous upon the
men, that they may be occupied therein, nor regard the words of a
lie.
10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their of
ficers, and they said unto the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh,
I will not give you straw.
11 Go ye, get you straw from where ye shall find it, for no
word shall be diminished from your service.
U So the people were scattered throughout all the land of
Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works,
the word of a day in its day, as when ye had straw.
14 And the officers of the sons of Israel were beaten, whom
Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, saying, Wherefore have
ye not fulfilled your measure in making bricks as yesterday and
the day before, both yesterday and today?
15 Then came the officers of the sons of Israel and cried unto
Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to
us, Make bricks: and, behold, thy servants are beaten, and thine
own people hath sinned.
17 But he said, Ye are idle, idle: therefore ye say, Let us go,
let us sacrifice to J ehovah.
18 And now, go ye, serve; neither shall straw be given you,
yet the tale of bricks ye shall give.
19 And the officers of the sons of Israel saw that they were in
evil case, saying, Ye shall not diminish ought from your bricks, the
word of a day in its day.
116
EXODUS V: 1-19 [8464-67
3464. In the proximate sense what now follows has regard to

the people of J acob who, because of their captivity and servitude,
though it was only of the body, and thus because of the repre
sentation of spiritual servitude, are called sons of Israel. This,
however, is what is meant in the proximate sense, in which Moses
is Moses, and Aaron Aaron. In the same sense the like occurs
when the Jacobeans were in the Babylonish captivity.
3465. In the interior sense, in place of Pharaoh is meant the
Jacobean eo le (see below 1) both at this time, and also from this
time even to the advent of God Me~siah; and, moreover, during that
time, and from that time to the end of the world; thus, the
~cobean _people at the end of the wo!ld. For the Jews and Herod
did one and the same thing; nay, the Jews took Herod's ca~e
upon themselvesf By Moses are then me;-nt all the judges, leaders,
and kings, and by Aaron all the priests and prophets who told them
the Word of God Messiah; for they do not hear God Messiah
himself.
3466. In the more interior sense, by Pharaoh, are meant all
men, from the time of God Messiah even to the present day, who
have been enemies 2f God Me~iah and have oppressed the sons of
Israel with grievous se_rvitude, and in various ways have tormented
them. Thus by Moses and Aaron is meant God Messiah himself, '
and then all who have taught the Word of God, being the Word of
both Testaments.
3467. In the inmost sense, by Ph~raoh are meant all men, from
the time of N oah to the end of the world [who are antichrists]
and thus, in the end of times, antichrist him.2elf. Therefore, in the
most u~iversal sense, it is the d~vil himself and his crew that are
meant. Thus here; as above, there are degrees of universality,
each degree being divided into general, more general, and most
1 [The reference is to the following addition by the Author:] Moreover,
by Pharaoh are then meant those among that Eeople who are their primates
or leaders. These do not send the people away that they may serve God Mes
siah, but lay burdens upon them, and even more than were commanded; while
of the people, some would have been different had their primates and lea<iers
been different. This is confirmed by the Word of God Messiah, in that he
curses some because they impose these burdens [Matt. 23 3 - 4 , Luke 11 46 1. But
th~ people is determined by its primates, and is so understood.
S This sentence is written lengthwise in the margin, with a sign indicating
the place of insertion.
11 Ad. 1843-1846 117
general degrees. s Then it is God Messiah himself who is meant

by Moses and Aaron.
3468. And after this, Moses and Aaron went in, and said unto
Pharaoh, Thus saith J ehovah [the God 4] of Israel, Send my people
away, that they may celebrate a feast unto me in the wildernes.~
(vs. 1). Here it must be observed, FIRST that Moses had not yet
shown wonders to Pharaoh, to the end, namely, that his heart might
be hardened, and this for reasons of which we shall speak later.
Thus Pharaoh would not send the people away, and this in order
that they might be treated still more harshly and that thus they,
that is to say, their faith might be tried. What the nature of this
faith had now become can be evident enough from what follows.
SECONDLY it must be observed that he did not will to show miracles;
for by miracles man is terrified, and is driven to God Messiah and
to the worship of him by terror and thus by force. Yet this does
not produce worship of God Messiah from faith wherein is love.
3469. As touching the proximate sense, this has regard to the
Jewish j>eQple which is then called Israel by reason of the captivity
which existed in their present state, and by reason of the repre
sentation of which we have spoken above [n. 3464]. By Pharaoh
is then meant the king of Egypt in the true sense.
As touching the broader sense, what is also meant is this people
after these times whenever they were in captivity, as for instance
in Babylon. Whether the words have regaIJ!..J:£-!h~I1.r~sent ti!Pes,
however, is another matter; for they are now scattered and do not
live among the nation~ as servants or captives. Ifthe speech were
concerning those who are now living, then it would be understood
as treating of their _spiritual captiv~ty in that they are held cap
tive by the devil who is then meant by Pha-;aoh; but of this sense
w; shall ;Peak later.
In the more interior sense, by Pharaoh are meant all those who
from that time on were leaders of rebellions against God Messiah,
thus who held the people i~ b~nds -;'nd-laid burdens upon -them,
namely,the works of the law and innumerable othe~ things which
also the people -were forced to do, and also, at the present day, the
useles~ observances which they are obliged to keep. In what fol
• In the autograph, this sentence is emphasized by " NB" written in the
margin.
• Omitted by Swedenborg.
118 II Ad. 1847-1850
KINGDOM FIRST OFFERED TO JEWS [3470
lows, these are likened to straw, which, moreover, it was incumbent

on the people to gather [vs. 7]. In this way did they burden that
people in their midst, who otherwise might have celebrated a feast
and have served God Messiah in that wilderness wherein they were. 5
God Messiah himself speaks thus of these burdens which they have
imposed upon the people as a yoke [Matt. ~34, Luke 11 46 ]. These
are the Pharaohs to whom Moses and Aaron speak; by Moses in
that sense being then meant all the leaders, judges, kings, and
prophets who cried out concerning these burdens, that is to say,
in whom the Messiah was represented, it being principally God
Messiah himself who is represented by Moses and Aaron.
In this same sense by Pharaoh is meant all that people which
from their heart do exactly the same thing as their primates, "Md
indeed those who have taken Herod's cause upon themselves, etc.
(By the divine mercy of God Messiah, let it be looked into at an-
other time, ~s to how these words can be applied so that the entire
stock may not be assumed.) Thus it is not infants and the in-
nocent who are mellnt, and those who might have been and may be
of another heart; but God Messiah alone knows their number.
WHY IN FORMER TIMES AND Now, THE KINGDOM OF GOD MESSIAH

IS FIRST OFFERED TO THE JEWS. 6
3470. As touching the people itself, that it is this people that

is meant by Pharaoh, the meaning seems to be, that, because of
Abraham, God Messiah promised them the priority in this, namely,
that it was to them that the Word of God Messiah was offered.
And because he saw their s!ubbo~ess, and willed to pass over to
the_g~ntiles, in...whom he saw simRlicity of h~art, tnerefore now as
on other occasions, by means of Moses and Aaron he wills that this
people be sent away, that is to say, that the people Israel may
serve him; thus he wills that he be released from that bond. And
he is released by virtue of the bond itself, since he offered them
all mercy and grace before offering it to the gentiles. This he
did on the present occasion, and in the times that followed, by
his Word, by the prophets whom he sent so often and in such
• In the autograph this first half of n. 3469 is emphasized by two" NB's"
• This heading is taken from the inside of the back cover page of Codex
60-the codex which contains the present text.
II Ad. 1851-185~ 119
great number, and principally by himself. For he offered himself

to them first of all; and later he did this by means of the disciples,
with the exception of Paul. And after all this, they were not
( willing to repent. So also now in the e~~ of times, h~ offers him
self first to them. But this priority ceases when they refuse or are
I stubborn; for Moses openly declares tlirl the covenai"J.t is then
dissolved, and that then they are to be rejected and cut off from
the Book of Life; see Deuteronomy. Thus it is they who break
the covenant and make it of none effect.
3471. Of Abraham it was said aJ;>ove [no 3470], that this was
done for his sake, inasmuch as He sware it unto Abraham [Gen.
~~16], and this he repeated several times; for not only does Abra
ham r.epr~ent the inmost church in the entire globe but he is also
in things inmost. That He confirmed it to Isaac, was because
Isaac was the only son of Sarah, Abraham's wife, and because by
the sacrificial victim, and likewise because this was done from faith
[Gen. ~~1-10], there was a representation of the Messiah, and thus
a representation of the church of God Messiah, in which church,
moreover, Isaac is. That he confirmed it to Jacob and not to Esau
-for He wills to save them also lest they perish-comes from other
causes which I do not yet know. _T~u~he wills to save_his very
enemies, signified by J acob's crew; and, so he passed over from his
greatest friends to those who were the opposite, and in this way \
included the entire world. T)ms he c()mrpe~ed fr~m hi~nemies,
that he may bring them to repentance; for "!Vhen one shery js lost
, from among ten, then, leaving the others, he seek:; that one. 7 ~ch
is the nature of Infinite love, and such the essence of that love, that
he first seeks his enemies for of -the-rest e is secure. Hence this
was done, because he went from the one extremity J.Q the _~ther,
I and returned from the latter to the former a~<udillg to order.
J But when his enemies are such that they ne'yertheless re,pain enemies,
it is they who are to blame, etc. Such is the nature ofjnfinite love.
Therefore [he confirmed the promise to J acob] for the sake of the
representation of all things in order, from the soul to the natural
mind wherein the church and kingdom of God Messiah is effigied,
J acob being called the third class in order. All others who are not
reformed are referrlld to perverted..Qrder, and thus are taken in
the sense indicated by the name J acob; for J ~9..b is 3lso called
T See Matthew 1812, Luke 15 4, and confer n. 20<lo5 and note.
UO 1I Ad. 1853
EXODUS V: ~O-VI: 9 [347~
the holger 0 the~el and the supplanter. Thus what is signified

is the serpent in paradise. Those, therefore, among the Jacobean
( people who are in things inmost are sons not of Jacob but of
',. Abraham. In the more interior senses, they are sons of Isaac
and thus of Israel, but not sons of Jacob. 8
r347~. In the more interior sense, by Pharaoh they are meant
of whom we have treated above in n. 3466; and in the inmo~t~d
last sense, those who are treated of above in n. 3467.
- I ;what follows, those who are meant by Pharaoh are meant
also by the taskmasters and officers, that is to say, by those who
forc~the sons of Israel .to grievous servitude. The things they
then imposed upon them, such as [the gathering of] straw, etc.,
are what are called laborious works, and all such works as were
imposed upon the Jewish people by taskmasters and officers. Fur
thermore, upon the sons of Israel, understood in the more in
terior sense, those impose works which are to be done, who are
outside the Word of God Messiah, wheresoever they are. In the
inmost sense are meant all the institutions imposed by the papi§,ts
f or the sake ~f -lucre, so that the ,pe~le are.2ppressed)y ihis yoke
of servitude, with the result that.i.h~ fall away from their accus
to~d bYr_d~n. The ac~ed burden was -b~T~h and clayby
which are signified th~ spiritu~l servitudes which SODS of Israel
will sustain in imitation of the Messiah, and this for causes of
which we have spoken above [n. 3469]. But when men impose
upon them [unaccustomed] burdens and straws, they behave quite
differently; they grow weary, etc., etc. It seems possible that all
the particulars [contained in this chapter] can now be applied.
EXODUS V AND VI
~O And when they met Moses and Aaron, standing in the way
as they came forth from Pharaoh:
~1 They said unto them, Jehovah look upon you, and judge;
in that ye have made our odor to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh, and
in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
S Preceding n. 3470, Swedenborg wrote "Obs. It must be well observed."
Tills he crossed off. He then proceeded to write what is contained in n. 347(}-1;
but, seemingly in continuation of his original idea, he wrote a series of " NB's"
at regular intervals in the margin of both these paragraphs.
II Ad. 1853 1~1
~~ And Moses returned unto J ehovah, and said, Lord, where

fore hast thou done evil to this people? wherefore hast thou sent
me?
~3 For since I came unto Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he
hath done evil to this people; neither in delivering hast thou de
livered thy people.
EXODUS VI
1 Then Jehovah said unto Moses, Soon shalt thou see what I
will do to Pharaoh: for because of a strong hand he shall send
them away, yea, because of a strong hand he shall drive them out
of the land.
~ Furthermore, God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I
am Jehovah;
3 And I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, and J acob, as God
Shaddai; and as to my name Jehovah have I not been made known
to them? 9
4 And I also set up my covenant with them, to give them the
land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings, wherein they so
journed.
5 Moreover, I have heard the cry of the sons of Israel, whom
the Egyptians make to serve; and I have remembered my covenant.
6 Therefore, say unto the sons of Israel, I am J ehovah, and
I will lead you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and
will deliver you from their service, and redeem you with a stretched
out arm, and with great judgments:
7 And I will take you [to me 1] for a people, and will be to
you for a God; that ye may know that it is I, J ehovah your God,
who bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
8 And I will bring you unto the land upon which I did lift up
my hand, that I would give it to Abraham, Isaac, and J acob; this,
I say,2 I will give to you for an inheritance; I am Jehovah.
9 And Moses spake so unto the sons of Israel; but they heard
not Moses for anguish of spirit, and for harsh service.
3473. In these verses is now described the character, both of
Moses and of the Jacobean or lsraelitish people; likewise the reason
1 See n. 3496 note.
2 See n. 3497 note.
11 Ad. 1854
EXODUS V: ~O-VI: 9 [3474-75
is stated why God Messiah willed to free this people from the Egyp
tian servitude, and to introduce them into the land of Canaan.
All this is apparent, even from the literal sense; but there is no
deep comprehension of it except from a simultaneous consideration
of their other acts, when laid side by side with these and forming a
conclusion.
3474. FIRST as concerns Moses. He is described as to his char
acter when he fed Jethro's flock and first spoke with Jehovah in
mount Horeb, namely, that he did not humble himself as did Abra
ham, and was so little trustful and obedient that the wrath of
Jehovah was enkindled; as can be evident from chapter 4, especially
in verse 14 at the end [of his speech to J ehovah].
3475. And now his character is again apparent, namely, that
he was still neither trustful nor obedient; for here come his own
words: "And Moses returned unto J ehovah, and said, Lord,
wherefore hast thou done evil to this people? wherefore hast thou
sent me? For since I came unto Pharaoh to speak in thy name,
he hath done evil to this people; neither in delivering hast thou
delivered thy people" (vs. ~~, ~3) ; from which it is evident and
to spare, that he had no faith in the words of Jehovah, and that
he did not speak as became him. The same thing is again con
firmed in chapter 6, where we read: "And Moses spake before
Jehovah, saying, Behold, the sons of Israel have not heard me;
how then shall Pharaoh hear me, especially when I am uncircum
cised in lips?" (vs. U; see also vs. 30) . Yet prior to this Aaron
had been adjoined to him because he was" heavy of tongue" and
"heavy of mouth"; and Jehovah had promised him that Aaron
would be to him for a mouth, as we read in chapter 4 10- 2 • From·
the above it can be evident, and to spare, what Moses' disposition
was when first he came from his pastoral office with J ethro. This,
moreover, is the reason why in chapter 612 ,30 he is said to be " un
circumcised in lips," which signifies that he was as yet an unformed
man, not endowed with faith; for circumcision existed in order
that it might signify circumcision of the heart, as stated above
[n. 19~-3, 1619, 16~g]. Thus" being uncircumcised in lips"
means not having faith. It was proper, as it were, that he him
self should declare this, and, in the last verse (vs. 30) of chapter
6, should so describe himself; for these last words contain a de
scription of Moses, and also of Aaron.
II Ad. 1855-1856 U3
3476. That Moses was then of such a character, is what is

represented by the signs which it was granted him to show, first
before Jehovah, to wit, that when his rod was turned into a serpent,
he was yet so afraid that he wished to flee away [chap. 43 ] ; after
wards, that his hand became leprous when he put it into his bosom
[ibid. vs. 6] ; and later, that J ehovah willed to slay his son [ibid.
vs. 24], which he resisted. But respecting these matters see what
has been adduced above.
3477. And now come words which show that Moses afterwards
became different, being turned into another man, as it were, when
Jehovah spoke with him as with a friend, and when he saw such
great signs and wonders, in the doing of which he himself was an
instrumental cause. For we read of him, that Moses spake with
J ehovah (cite the passages with the actual words) ; that he saw
Jehovah from the back, since no one could see him from the face and
live (cite the passage [Exod. 33 18- 23 ] and the words) ; that he was
with Jehovah in mount Sinai for forty days, and went into the fire
with Joshua (look up the passage [Exod. 24 17 • 18 ] and quote the
words) ; that it was allowed him to enter into the very sanctuary
where was the flame and the presence of J ehovah (look up the pas
sages [Exod. 40 2G seq.] and cite the words). What is said of him
in Numbers, chapter 122 ,3 may also be adduced, namely: " Miriam
and Aaron said, Hath J ehovah spoken only by Moses? Hath he
not spoken also by us? This J ehovah heard. But the man Moses
was very meek above every man which was upon the faces of the
earth." Also the words of verse 6, after which come the following:
" Not so, is my servant Moses; in all mine house he is faithful.
With him I will speak mouth to mouth, and in vision and not by
dark sayings; and he shall behold the appearance of Jehovah"
(vs. [7], 8). Moreover, there is the fact that Moses delivered
to the Jewish people orations of great piety, and exhorted them
to the worship of God, as may be very manifest from Deuteronomy;
that when Jehovah willed to uproot the people he prayed for it,
and this with great zeal, preferring rather to be himself blotted
out of the book of the law (see the passages [Exod. 3231- 2 ] and
cite the words) ; and finally that, together with Elias, he spake
with God Messiah concerning the passion of the Messiah (see the
passages in the Gospels [Matt. 17 3 , Mark 9 4 ], especially Luke
[930- 1 ]) •
124 II Ad. 1857-1858
EXODUS V: ~O-VI: 9 [3478-79
3478. These and many similar passages show that Moses after
wards became different from what he was at present, and thus that
he was received into grace and was loved. But, even from the series
found in these passages, the reasons may be seen why this grace
came to him, and also many other things, of which, by the grace
of God Messiah, we shall speak later. The chief reason was, that
it was for the sake of the representation of God Messiah, and in
deed of the royal power of God Messiah. This applies also to
David, of whom, by the grace of God Messiah, we shall speak later.
3479. Still, certain other passages occur which are of an op
posite character, as it were, and which indicate that Moses was still
subject to many infirmities, and that he succumbed to them; as,
for instance, that he did not honor Jehovah in a holy manner at the
rock (see the passages [Num. ~08.1l.12] and cite the words); that
in his anger he broke the tables of the Law, which were written by
the hand of Jehovah (see the passage [Exod. 3~19] and cite the
words) ; that, on account of what he had done previously, he was
not admitted into the land of Canaan but died with the others (see
the passage [Num. ~712-4] and cite the words, and then, if it be
permitted, tell what they signify) ; still less was he carried up into
heaven like Enoch and Elias. From these passages, the real quality
of Moses' life can now be deduced, to wit, what kind of man he was
in the beginning, when called and chosen to lead the people out of
Egypt; what he afterwards became; and finally what he was at the
end, everyone's life being judged from the end; thus what is sig
nified by the fact that it was granted him to see the land of Canaan
but not to enter it (Num. ~Oll·12, ~712-4; Deut. 137- 9 ,31 2 ,3,
341- 6 , 3 23 - 9 *). In these passages it is said,
FIRST: That J ehovah was angry with Moses because of the
people, though also (as is stated elsewhere) because of Moses him
self, in that he had not honored Jehovah. Much is passed by in
silence, only those things being told which occurred at the waters
of contention, namely, that they had not believed, and that Moses
had not believed. Thus it was exactly
as, by the divine mercy of God Messiah, was heard by me,
namely, that he was angry with Moses because of the people,
* The autograph has "13-~9."
II Ad. 1859-1861 U5
and because of Moses himself, and this for reasons of which we

have spoken above 8 [n. 3394-5].
3480. SECOND: That their sons, who had not known good or
evil, entered into the land of Canaan. Who these sons are, who
are ignorant of good or evil, is also known. But of the people it
is said that they wandered in the wilderness and died.
THIRD: That Joshua, above all others, will introduce these sons
into the land of Canaan, and give them that land for an inheritance.
Who is meant by Joshua can also be clearly evident, if they wish
to see it. God Messiah granting, further particulars concerning
these matters may be seen below.
3481. As regards the PEOPLE whom Moses was now to lead, this
people had been ~ in captivity, and in so miserable a state that their
sons and descendants were slain. And now they were in still
harsher servitude, but this in a temptation wherein all other men
make their commencement, and so learn to worship God from the
heart. Moreover, Moses was sent to them with the commandment
of Jehovah himself, and also with miracles. Yet, such was the
character of this people that, contrary to the nature of almost
all mortal beings, they thus became worse; nor did they ever set
their hope in God Messiah, and believe in him. Their natural dis
position is so described, both here and in what foHows, as to make
it clear that no nation under the sun, as the saying is, could have
been like this people--a people which in servitude, and this of the
most abject sort, was stubborn to the utmost degree, and blas
phemous against God; which, in the very light of the Word of God
as given both by Moses and afterwards by the prophets, desired
to live in densest darkness; which, because of the goodness and
clemency extended to it, became obstinate and insolent; which, in
earthly happiness, after being introduced into the land of Canaan,
became proud to the last degree. Can there ever be a nation in the
world like this? Hence the quality of their interiors, and the na
ture derived from the seed of Jacob and his sons, can be evident
enough and to spare. Suppose them to enter heaven under the
leadership of Moses; and suppose, as is then the case, that each one
• This indented passage is not cited in the Author's Index to his Memor
abilia.
• [Crossed off:] in captivity for some hundreds of years.
1916 II Ad. 1869l-1863
EXODUS V: flO-VI: 9 [348fl
of them wills and acts from his own disposition and nature, that is
to say, from his interiors. Would there not then be continual
rebellion from more interior grounds, the one being against the
other? a rebellion of the many against the head, and of all against
their leader? What would be the outcome? (It should be seen
whether these words can be inserted in this place. Perhaps they do
not as yet fit in here.)
3482. As touching servitude, by reason of this, other mortals
are wont to cry unto God, but these men, from a contrary disposi
tion, became stubborn. This can be evident in its first manifesta
tion from verses flO and fl1 of the present chapter, where we read:
" And when they met Mose$ and Aaron, standing in the way as they
came forth from Pharaoh, they said unto them, Jehovah look upon
you, and judge; in that ye have made our odor to stink in the eyes
of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their
hand to slay us." And also later on, in chapter 69 , where we read:
" And Moses spake so unto the sons of Israel; but they heard not
Moses for anguish of spirit, and for harsh service." What Moses
and Aaron had spoken to this people is described in detail in chap
ters 3 and 4; for they spoke all those words to the people, and did
the signs in their sight; see chapter 430. As to what they spoke
afterwards, this is recorded in chapter 6 from verse 1 to 8 inclusive;
for in verse 9 we read that Moses spoke these words to the sons of
Israel. As to what more they said in Egypt, this indeed is not
described here, but it is described later in chapter 1411 ,12 in these
words: " And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves
in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?
Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to bring us forth out of
Egypt? Is not this the word which we spake unto thee in Egypt,
saying, Stand off from us, that we may serve the Egyptians? for
it were better for us to serve the Egyptians rather than that we
should die in the wilderness?" besides frequent speeches of a like
sort which they made later. Yet they had Jehovah closely present
with them; they had seen the signs and miracles of Egypt, and new
miracles every day. Tell me, what people can ever be like this?
Thus was there not in them a disposition and mind ever rebellious
against their heads? against their leader, because against God Mes
siah himself? What will be the state of such dispositions and such
II Ad. 1864 1fl7
genii in heaven? for there everyone is ruled from his disposition,

and acts therefrom. 5
3483. And now, when Moses perceived what has just been
written, I heard him lamenting, and saying something which it
is not permitted to bring in here. Meanwhile, after the lamen
tation, and after supplication to God Messiah, I perceived that
he was snatched away from the company of those with whom he
then was, in order, as he himself declared, that thus there might
be an agreement with the words written in Deuteronomy, chap
ter 34, but understood in the inmost sense, namely, " that Je
hovah buried him," (vs. 6), that is, hid him away; and with the
words that follow in the same verse, but, as I have said, under
stood in the inmost sense, namely, that he was taken away from
the company of those who in wicked manner wished to elevate
him as their Messiah. This, moreover, is what is stated in the
same chapter, verse 5, namely, that he died" according to the
mouth of Jehovah." He said he did not remember having been
with the Messiah on the mountain, together with Elias, of
which event the Gospels speak [Matt. 173, Mark 9\ Luke 930] ;
for no one can ever recall to memory anything of the past,
unless this is granted by God Messiah, and [the memory]
infused. 6
3484. THIRD: 7 Now follows [the reason] why God Messiah
willed to lead such a people out of the land of Egypt, when yet he
knew from eternity the perversity of their heart. But because
these words not only involve the cause for which this people was led
out, but involve also what will happen in the last times, therefore,
by the divine mercy of God Messiah, the very words themselves
should be weighed.
3485. Then Jehovcih said unto Moses, Soon sholt thou see what
I will do to Pharaoh: for because of a strong hand he shall send
them away, yea, because of a strong hand he shall drive them out of
• [The following indented paragraph is here crossed off by the Author:]
I have heard by the living voice of Moses himself that he now laments having
put himself in the company of many of those with whom he was at that time,
and perhaps also with others.
• This indented passage, together with n. 3340 and 3407 is cited by the
Author in the Index to his Memorabilia, s. v. Moses.
T One would expect to read" Fourth"; see n. 3474, 3480.
1~8 11 Ad. 1865~1867

EXODUS VI: 1-3 [3486-89
the land (vs. 1). These words have regard to the verses that fol-
low, and, therefore, by the divine mercy of God Messiah, [their
meaning] shall be told when we come to those verses. By Pharaoh
are here meant those of whom we have spoken above [n. 3465-7,
3469]. Thus in the inmost sense these words also have regard to
the last times.
3486. Furthermore, God spake unto Moses, and said unto hitm,
I am Jehovah (vs. ~). That Jehova-h is God Messiah has been
shown above clearly enough and to spare. Pharaoh, and those who
are meant by Pharaoh, as told above [no 3465-7, 3469-70], did
not know Him, as shown by Pharaoh's own words, chapter 5 2 ,9.
Therefore, He is now described.
3487. And I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, OJnd Jacob, as God
Shaddai; and as to my name Jehovah have I not been made known
to them? (vs. 3). In the preceding chapters we read many times
that he appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As he appeared
in his Word to Abraham, Isaac, and J acob, so he appears to all who
are meant by them. And now wherever his Word is, he appears in
such great light that none can doubt but that it is God Messiah
who speaks.
3488. As to his appearing as God Shaddai, of this also we have
spoken. Shaddai signifies the Lightning-hurler, and this from
lightning which is of two kinds, nay, of three, namely, a mild light-
ning without thunder, and a terrible lightning with thunder. Thus
he appeared with a difference; that is to say, to Abraham, as mild
lightning, for to Abraham he was Love; in another way to Isaac,
to whom he was Fear; and in another to Jacob, namely, as Terror;
and to those who are meant by J acob, of whom we have spoken
above [no 3481-~], as terrible lightning, which comes, not from
God Messiah but from themselves, such being their nature; for they
must needs be terrified when they are entirely dejected in mind, and
see the disturbance of their mind when perceiving his glory, and
themselves as hurled headlong from their loves, etc., etc.
3489. And as to my name Jehovah. Concerning the name Je-
hovah and what it signifies, see above chapter 313 ,14 [n. 3349 seq.].
Have I not been made kn01vn to them? 8 As to how God Mes-
8 Schmidius both interprets and justifies this translation by adding" when
giving them my promises." A literal translation of the Hebrew would read:

"And (by) my name Jehovah, was I not known to them," and this meaning is
II Ad. 1868-187~
3490-99l] THE WORD EXPLAINED
siah was made known, this also has been told above, namely: In the
primitive church, by his presence with a great number whereby the
knowledge of him came to the~ from the several things which they
saw; in the Jewish church, by miracles and by his Word; in the
church of the gentjles after the Jewish church, by himself and his
Word. Thus he has been made known in a thr~efold appearance
and ever with O'reater light even to these last times. And now he
will be made sijll more known. Thus, as was continually the case
in what has preceded, these words have respect to our own times,
just as all parts have respect to their whole, etc., etc.
3490. And I also set up my covenaJT1,t with them, to give them
the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournmgs, wherein they so
journed (vs. 4). He set up the covenant only with Abraham, not
with the others. Respecting this covenant, see [Genesis], chapter
15 at the end, the covenant itself, by which he gave them this land,
being treated of in verse 18. To Abraham, he confirmed this cove
nant by circumcision (chap. 177 seg.), and this to eternity; but he
did not make a covenant with the others, that is to say, with Isaac
and Jacob. He did indeed transfer the covenant to them, but with
a difference of universality, as frequently stated above.
3491. Thus the covenant with Abraham involves things inmost
because most universal; and therefore in this sense, by the land of
Canaan is signified the kingdom of God Messiah. But the covenant
with Isaac was less universal, as stated above [no 3490], and that
with J acob less still. Thus the J acobeans received the land of
Canaan and such things as looked to the world, this being the
present performance of the covenant, for they desired nothing else
whatever, nor do they now desire aught else. What the kingdom
of God Messiah is, this they have no wish to know.
3492. The land of their sojournmgs signifies the course and
actions of their life, as stated above [n. 1866], and thus the manner
in which man sojourns here in the world and so receives his reward.
He who lives in heaven while Jiving here on earth, will have his so
journings and dwelling places in heaven; and he who lives in the
preserved in Tremellius, Castellio, the Vulgate, etc. Schmidius' interpretation,
which, in order to be correct, would require a change in the Hebrew text, is
doubtless inspired by the wish to avoid an apparent contradiction; for, the
name J ehovah was frequently used in connection with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. This apparent contradiction is explained by Swedenborg in Arcana
Coelestia n. 7194.
130 II Ad. 1873-1875
EXODUS VI: 4-6 [3493-95
world and on earth while abiding here, will receive the reward of
his sojourning according to his desire. Of those who do not have
heaven in themselves, that is to say, the kingdom of God Messiah,
that is, God Messiah himself, it cannot be said that any other land
of Canaan will be given them than that wherein they have so
journed, and which is here called the land of their sojourning. A
man can perceive from his own loves what inheritance he will obtain.
Everyone will follow his leaders, and he who chooses only the
earthly Canaan as the land of his sojourning will have as leader the
devil and thus hell.
3493. That the covenant which was made with Abraham ex
tended even to thf: stock named from J acob, is well known, to wit,
from Genesis 49 10 and also from Numbers 2419 (God Messiah
granting, let this be looked up at the time 9), and elsewhere, as for
instance in Daniel's prophecy 1 (let this be looked up). But from
Jacob it returned to those who are signified by Abraham, and thus
to him with whom the covenant was made. This is according to
order which advances from the first to the last, and then from the
last returns to the first; for order is everywhere the same as it is in
man. 2
3494. Moreover, I have heard the cry of the sons of Israel,
whom the Egyptimns make to serve; and I have remembered my
covenant (vs. 5). Thus the covenant made with Jacob is now per
formed, in that they were introduced into that land, and also pos
sessed it. Afterwards, as now stated in the text, he remembered the
covenant with Abraham, and so heard the cry of the sons of Israel
understood in the more interior and inmost sense, being the cry of
those whom the Neronians, now living, make to serve; for they slay
not the body but the soul, and so are worse than N era.
3495. Therefore, say unto the sons of Israel, I am Jehovah, and
I will lead you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and
will deliver you from their service, and redeem you with a stretched
out arm, and with great judgments (vs. 6). Now that it is known
• Namely, when the time comes for printing; see n. 943 note, 1511 note,
1705 fin., 3fJ61 fin.
I Confer Daniel 924--1, 1fJ11-8.
• In the autograph, this paragraph is emphasized by two "N B's " written
in the margin.
11 Ad. 1876-1878 131
what is meant by Jehovah and what by the Egyptians, these words

are understood of themselves.
That here it is God Messiah alone who is meant, and that the
words of the text have regard both to those who are in heaven and
to those who live in the end of ages, is most clearly evident; for it
is first said that he will deliver them from their service, that is to
say, from that service which, above [no 3494J, was called service
under the yoke of Nero, that is, of the antichrist who is in Rome.
It is further said that he would redeem them with a stretched out
arm, the word redeem clearly signifying the Redeemer, who is One
only, that is, God Messiah, the stretched out arm being his power in
heaven and on earth. This is made still clearer by the words 'With
great judgments, there being two judgments, one upon those who
will perish and the other upon those who will be saved. These are
the great judgments, nor can any others be meant; for the judg
ment upon the Egyptians and upon the inhabitants of the land of
Canaan cannot be called great judgments by Jehovah, wherein a
stretched out arm and redemption are predicated of him.
3496. And I will take you [to me 3J for a people, and will be to
you for a God; that ye may know that it is I, Jehovah your God,
who bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians (vs.
7). These words are now understood from what has preceded,
from under the burdens, meaning, from the burdens under which
they are; what these burdens are, has also been told above [n. 3469,
347~]. By Egypt is signified the captivity itself, but by the
Egyptians the taskmasters and officers mentioned in the preceding
chapter [verses 6, 10, 13, 14, 15, 19].
3497. And I will bring you unto the land upon which I did lift
up my hand, that I would give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob;
this, I say/ I will give to you for an inheritanu; I am Jehovah (vs.
8). Thus this speech is closed like a covenant signed by the hand
of Jehovah himself, that is, of God Messiah.
3498. And Moses spl1ke so unto the sons of Israel; but they
heard not Moses for anguish of spirit, and for harsh service (vs. 9).
These words now pertain solely to Jacob's descendants, it being
they who, when tempted, do not hear. Not so the sons of Abra
• Omitted by Swedenborg.
• The words" I say" are an interpolation by Schmidius, though he does not
mark them as such.
13~ II Ad. 1879-1S8~
EXODUS VI: 7-VII: 7 [3498
ham; fo!, wit~them the harsher the captivity and the more intense
t~temptation, the more interior is their supplication, th~ir fajth
then increasing. All others, when in temptation, are found lack
ing, and, like Jacob's descendants in the present case, do not hear
for a;nguish of spirit and for harsh service; for it is Moses who now
speaks to them, while before it was Jehovah who spoke to Moses,
and spoke therefore in the most universal way. Specifically, how
ever, it is Moses who is meant here. They are called sons of Israel
by reason of their captivity, and because of the representation of
sons of Israel, by their anguish of spirit and by harsh service; of
which matter we have spoken in the preceding chapter [n. 3464].
EXODUS VI
10 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
11 Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he send
the sons of Israel out of his land.
19l And Moses spake before Jehovah, saying, Behold, the sons
of Israel have not heard me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, espe
cially when I am uncircumcised in lips?
13 And J ehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave
them commands unto the sons of Israel and unto Pharaoh king of
Egypt, to bring the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
14 These are the heads of the house of their fathers: The sons
of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and
Carmi; these are the families of Reuben.
15 And the sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and
J achin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman:
these are the families of Simeon.
16 And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to
their generations: Gershon, and Kehath, and Merari. And the
years of the life of Levi were seven and thirty and an hundred
years.
17 The sons of Gershon: Libni, and Shimei, according to their
families. '
18 And the sons of Kehath: Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron,
and Uzziel. And the years of the life of Kehath were three and
thirty and an hundred years.
II Ad. 1889l 133
THE WORD EXPLAINED
19 And the sons of Merari: Machli and Mushi. These are the
families of the Levites according to their generations.
~o And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife;
and she bare him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of
Amram were seven and thirty and an hundred years.
~1 And the sons of Izhar: Korah, and N epheg, and Zichri.
~~ And the sons of U zziel: Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri.
~3 And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab,
sister of Nachashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu,
Eleazar, and Ithamar.
~4 And the sons of Korah: Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph.
These are the families of the Korhites.
~5 And Eleazar Aaron's son took him one of the daughters of
Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas. These are the heads of
the fathers of the Levites according to their families.
~6 This is Aaron and Moses, to whom Jehovah said, Bring out
the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.
~7 These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to
bring out the sons of Israel from Egypt; this is Moses and Aaron.
~8 And it came to pass on the day when J ehovah spake unto
Moses in the land of Egypt,
~9 That Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, I am Jehovah:
speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak unto thee.
30 And Moses said before Jehovah, Behold, I am uncircum
cised in lips; how then shall Pharaoh hear me?
EXODUS VII
1 And Jehovah said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a God
unto Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
~ Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy
brother shall speak unto Pharaoh that he send the sons of Israel
out of his land.
3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that I may multiply my
signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
4 And if Pharaoh shall not hea.rken unto you, I will lay my
hand against the Egyptians, and bring forth mine armies, my
people the sons of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judg
ments;
134
EXODUS VI: IQ-VII: 7 [3499-3501
5 That the Egyptians may know that I am Jehovah, when I

stretch forth mine hand against the Egyptians, and bring out the
sons of Israel from their midst.
6 And Moses and Aaron did as Jehovah commanded them, so
did they. !,
7 And Moses was a son of eighty years,' and Aaron was a son
of three and eighty years, when they spake unto Pharaoh.
3499. The events which commence from chapter 6 verse 10 to
the end of the chapter, and also those which commence from chap
ter 71- 7 , are nothing but the inner contents of what has previously
been done. In a way, they also contain things yet to be done; for
in verse 8 commence the signs. Here, as in a summary, is merely a
description of all that Jehovah spake and commanded to Moses and
Aaron, and also of what Moses and Aaron answered. There is
furthermore a description of the generation of Reuben, of Simeon,
and of Levi up to Moses, who is described in the last place.
3500. It must here be observed that there was much inter
vening speech (as is usual when God Messiah speaks with any
one, though the speech is effected by means of angels, as was the
case with me), and so perhaps a period of many days. More
over, this can be evident from verse 13 of chapter 6, and also
from the verses that follow, where there is a brief recital of
what previously had been said in detail. As to how long a time
intervened from the first revelation in Horeb, the mountain of
God, until they wrought the signs, this is not apparent from the
Word. In verse 7 of chapter 7 we read that Moses was then a
son of eighty years. 5
3501. Here, in order that Moses' origin may be described, and
also Aaron's, only the generations of the first-born sons of .racob
are recited, being those of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. But it
should be observed that these families, which were the firstborn, do
not come within the number of the nine other families; for, as is
evident from Genesis chapter 49, Reuben was pronounced unworthy
to be the firstborn because he had gone up to the couches of his
father (vs. 4), while Simeon and Le~i were cursed by their father
(ibid. vs. 7). These sons, therefore, are outside the number of
• Tills paragraph is not cited in the Author's lndex to his Memorabilia.
11 Ad. 1883-1885 135
3509l-03] THE WORD EXPLAINED
those who follow them and who were blessed, as may be seen in the
same chapter, from verse 7 to verse 917 inclusive. To the end,
therefore, that the families arising from Reuben, Simeon, and Levi
might not be commingled with the nine which were blessed (as the
reader may see at the passage cited [n. 3048]), it behooved Moses
not to treat of the latter here. Otherwise he would never have
passed over the families of Judah from whom came the stem of
Judah and the kings, and whose family follows next after Levi, see
chapter 49 8 - 12 ; for then he would have spoken concerning the Mes
siah who did not wish to be mentioned here by Moses, and this both
for reasons of which we have spoken above,6 and because Moses was
uncircumcised in lips, being then like the people, as may be clearly
evident from chapter 612- 30 where he is described.
3502. This then is the reason why these tribes and their families
are recited here, and not the others. Otherwise why should only
these three be mentioned? or, if the recital was solely because of the
generation of Moses and Aaron, why was not the tribe of Levi
alone mentioned? Their order, by reason of the birthright, is
nothing, for the birthright was taken away from Reuben; see
above Genesis 49 4 •
3503.. For the rest, here also we meet with things worthy of ex
planation; but since what follows involves things still more worthy,
let us betake ourselves to these.
Observe further, that those who were living at this time, which
was at the end of four hundred and thirty years,! retained their
names not only from J acob's sons but also from the sons of these,
it being thus that the families were named. Therefore, those born
of the grandsons are not mentioned, although their number was
great. It was the head, from whom the family was named, just as
the head is preeminent over the whole body, and the root over the
trunk, and thus tIle tree in every kind of forest. s
Especially should it be observed that here only the three first
born sons are mentioned. This was because l\1oses and Aaron arose
from Levi, and because these tribes had been separated by their
• Confer'n. 34<81-9.
S [Crossed off:] Observe also their number, [namely], that of the tribe of
Reuben and Simeon with their heads there were twelve [? ten]; and of Levi
[twenty-seven] .
136 II Ad. 1886-1889
EXODUS VII: 8-14 [3504
father and so had been separated in the church and kingdom of God
Messiah. Thus it was not allowed Moses to pass on to the other
tribes and so to J udah from whom was to come the Messiah, and
this from causes which also have been told above [no 3501].
EXODUS VII
8 And Jehovah said unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Give for your
selves a prodigy, and thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and
cast it before Pharaoh; it shall become a serpent.
10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did
so as Jehovah commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before
Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
11 But Pharaoh also called wise men and wonder-workers; and
the enchanters of Egypt, they also did so by their enchantments.
12 But when they cast down, a man his rod, and they became
serpents, Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
13 Yet Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he heard them not;
as J ehovah had spoken.
14 Therefore Jehovah said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is
made heavy, he refuseth to send the people away.
3504.- Here now follow the prodigies which God Messiah
wrought in Egypt, by reason of causes both proximate and remote.
The proximate causes were that He might terrify the people and
so might drive them to himself by terror. By reason of the like
cause, these prodigies would also ser.ve them afterwards, even to the
end of the world. Wherefore also they continually served them
later, even to His advent. Moreover, when the Messiah himself
came into the world he did many miracles which are written down,
and innumerable others which are not written down, becaus~ they
were not willing to acknowledge them; and later he did miracles by
his disciples. After this, however, miracles ceased because that
people then had all the miracles which are written down, to the end
that from these they might be drawn to Him. Since therefore the
* [Preceding this number comes the following unnumbered paragraph
which is crossed off:] And now follow the prodigies which God Messiah wrought
( in Egypt-proximately for the reason that'py wonders he might coax i!!!.d drive
that people to himself; for to hold one by wonders is to hold him by force and
almo.§tl>y violence.
II Ad. 1890 137
people was of such a character in the midst of prodigies, they would

also be such, were prodigies done at this day; for they are of a like
mind, and now are much worse inasmuch as they do not acknowledge
God Messiah who alone inspires faith-in them, indeed, historical
faith but not saving.
3505. The more universal cause of the prodigies in Egypt is
that the entire globe also might know them, that is to say, those
who do not see them; that so some of these might be terrified, some
might fear, and some might love God Messiah; for they are blessed
who do not see and yet believe [John ~029]. Therefore also they
were written down.
3506. A still more universal cause is that these prodigies might
serve others not as prodigies but as doctrine concerning God Mes
siah. They who are of the body and the flesh behold nothing but
the miracles in their external form; but others behold them also in
their internal form, and so the things which they involve; for noth
ing is ever said or done by God Messiah which does not contain
within it, things spiritual and celestial, and so, which does not re
gard things remote from the human intellect. Thus all the signs
that were now done involve such things as will come to pass at the
end of the world.
3507. The most universal cause is because they involve things to
come in the end of the world; that is to say, the things now done to
the Egyptians will be done to those who are meant by the Egyp
tians and Pharaoh, though in another sense, as by the mercy of God
Messiah shall be told later; consequently, because they involve the
state of human minds, and at the same time, in the most universal
sense, the state of all who are in hell and in heaven. By the hap
penings which took place in Goshen among the sons of Israel, so
called, are meant those which will take place in the heaven, both of
spirits and of angels and also in the heaven of the men then living,
and of the dead who have risen and who will arise. 9
3508. As touching the signs themselves in general, which were
now done in Egypt, they are twelve in number, to wit: FIRST the
turning of the rod into a serpent. SECOND, the changing of the
waters into blood. THIRD, the sending of frogs upon the land of
Egypt. FOURTH, the sending of lice. FIFTH, the sending of
• [Crossed off:] In the supreme sense they involve still
J.38 II Ad. 1891-1894
EXODUS VII: 8-14 [3509-11
noxious flying things. SIXTH, the death of the cattle. SEVENTH,

pustulous boils. EIGHTH, hail mingled with fire. NINTH, locusts.
TENTH, the densest darkness. ELEVENTH, the killing of all the
firstborn in the land of Egypt. The TWELFTH which then follows
is the wiping out of the whole army of Pharaoh in the sea.
3509. As touching these signs, they have regard to the last
times, as observed above [n. 3507]. Therefore they are to be
explained as to what they involve and thus as to what they signify
in the end of days, for then will come an equal in number of
plagues and this in the entire globe. Seven plagues, however, are
predicted by John in the Apocalypse,t chapter 16, because of the
septennial number, of which we speak elsewhere; but there are
still other plagues there [Apoc. 188 ] though these have special
regard to Babylon or Rome which seduced the servants of God
Messiah and holds them in dire spiritual captivity. There are
also the wonders predicted by God Messiah which will come to
pass in the end of times [Matt. ~424], but these specifically con-
cern the Jewish people. The plagues, therefore, which were done
in Egypt involve in general like plagues which shall· come to pass
in all lands and so will concern all men.
3510. As touching the first prodigy, namely, that the rod was
turned into a serpent before Pharaoh, what a rod is and what a
serpent, this the reader may see explained to some extent above [n.
3373]. But in order that it may be evident what a serpent signifies
in this sign, as also previously, for the rod of Moses was turned into
a serpent before Jehovah, [this shall now be explained].2
3511. Primitively the serpent was an animal which was the last
of those which were created, for it creeps nearest to the ground.
Thus a serpent, seeing that it lives on the ground and in hiding
places and shades, signifies those things in nature which are ulti-
mate, namely, things terrestriaP And since all such things have
respect to man, for all things are applied to man, in him they are
1 [Crossed off:] besides many others there, which are indeed enumerated in
a different order, but are as many-

• Nos. 351<>-3523 are referred to in the Notes written by the Author in the
margin of Schmidius' Latin Bible at Genesis 31 as follows: A serpent signifies
that, in the mind, which is terrestrial and corporeal, thus filth. See the etymol-
ogy. Conf. Tom. H, n. 1896-1910 [our n. 3510-23].
• [Crossed off:] That primitively the serpent was not a noxious animal can
be evident from the story [of creation]; but that afterwards-
II Ad. 1895-1897 139
those ultimates which are merely corporeal, thus his external senses.
They are also everything which is in ultimates, and moreover, the
very blood wherein are things terrestrial; for the red blood is the
ultimate in man which more properly constitutes his body!
3512. In ultimates, therefore, as being the complements of all
things, are contained the singulars which are prior and which are
also called interior; and these are contained simultaneously in the
order in which they foHow each other successively, that is to say,
in a simultaneous series, as it is called. For there is not only the
life of the soul but also the life of the other faculties, of which we
have spoken above En. 3435] and in the same way that these fol
low each other in order, so, in the blood they arrange themselves
simultaneously and this in such a way that finally we have those
ultimate or earthly things which produce the redness of the blood
from the compounding of its parts.
3513. To treat here concerning the conjunction of all things
from firsts to lasts would be superfluous, for no one as yet under
stands such things. But since it is a constant truth, that nothing
subsists unless it be a substance, and that nothing can exist without
a form by which and according to which life acts in its own order,
which life has its founts in the brain whence it is derived into the
whole man, the above particulars may suffice for the present.
3514. Since, therefore, by the serpent is signified the ultimate
which lives in man, and this ultimate contains the entire order in
man from its first, therefore the serpent when taken in a good sense
signifies order as it was instituted by God Messiah in the first cre
ation, that is to say, simultaneous order; as in the case of man, in
whose ultimates and blood, as was said [h. 351~] order is con
tained simultaneously.
3515. But this serpent was afterwards turned into the serpent
treated of in the story of creation [Gen. 3], namely, into the ulti
mate of man, that is to say, into an ultimate which loved things
earthly and also itself, and thus entirely inverted order, as fre
quently stated above. Consequently, on the evil side, a serpent
then signifies inverted order such as it became in man after the
fall. And since it was the devil who did this and seduced man,
• In the autograph, the paragraph following this should be n. 1898, but
Swedenborg inadvertently skips this number.
140 11 Ad. 1899-190~
EXODUS VII: 8-14 [3516-~0
therefore the devil himself is the serpent and IS perverted order

itself.
3516. Perverted order such as the nature of man then became,
is fully learned from the serpent itself; that is to say, from the
serpent's poison, cunning; from its bite, deceit and death; and
from its other qualities, malice. This, moreover, is described in
the curse which was spoken to the serpent and then to the two
human beings [Gen. 3 1 4-9].
3517. That the serpent deceived man from the tree of knowl
edge,S arises from the fact that natural science in which man puts
his trust, is that which seduces man, and by which the devil seduces
him; for the latter turns all good things into evil both in general
and in every particular.
3518. Therefore, that order may be restored, this is done by
God Messiah alone, and never, not even to the least extent, by any
man. And to the end that this may be done, God Messiah turns
every evil into good-on which matter we have spoken so frequently
above; see also Genesis chapter 5020. It is from this that men are
vivified, that is, are restored, and order reformed. Thus those who
are in the shade of things spiritual and celestial, as is the serpent
the devil, and men who suffer themselves to be seduced by him, come
into light, and so from death to life and from damnation to
salvation.
3519. From this can now be learned what is signified by the
turning of Moses' rod into a serpent before Pharaoh. By a rod is
likewise meant perfect order. Before Pharaoh, that is, before
those in the end of ages who are meant by Pharaoh, of whom we
have spoken above [no 3465-7, 3469], this is turned into a serpent.
From what has preceded, it can be evident that it is turned with
those with whom it is continually being turned, and that it will be
turned in the end of ages when there is no faith; wisdom is turned
into insanity, intelligence into folly, light into shade, prudence into
cunning, life into death, etc., etc.
3520. Now since this is what is signified, it is also said that the
enchanters and magicians did likewise, as we read in verse 11 : But
Pharaoh also called wise men anu1 wonder-workers; and the enchant
ers of Egypt, they also did so by their enchantments. This was
• Or science.
II Ad. 1903-1907 141
THE WORD EXPLAINED
then permitted the devil through the wise men of Egypt, that is to
say, through magicians; for they call themselves wise who are
magicians. So likewise at the present day; for by their reason
ings from natural effects, men show that order is not of such a na
ture, because they do not understand order, and not even what it
is in man, not knowing how many faculties there are, and still less
how they succeed each other and so are simultaneously present in
the blood. From their philosophy, they do indeed know precepts,
but in the application of them to things in man that are so real,
they are entirely ignorant. In order, therefore, that it may be
signified that this order is perverted, and indeed entirely so with all
the learned of our time more than with others, therefore it is here
permitted that the enchanters of Egypt, who are called wise, as at
this day, should also do the same thing.
3521. Moreover, power is given to t1}e devil to imitate the king
dom of God Messiah because it is permitted him to boast himself as
the Messiah, as is well known in the Word of God Messiah. Thus
it is permitted him to do miracles but from no power of his own;
for he cannot do the least thing, being unable to lift a single grain
of the dust or powder of the earth. He does all things from per
. mission, thus from the sole power of Goa MessIah, and this by rea
son of various causes, of which, God Messiah granting, we shall
speak later. 6
3522. Aaron's rod now swallowed up the rods of the others.
What this involves is also learned from what has already been
stated; for since evils are turned into goods by the Messiah alone,
the evils themselves are thereby so disposed that they are not evils
• [Here come the following unnumbered paragraphs which are crossed off
by the Author:]
That the science ([ doubly crossed] wisdom) of the Egyptians was more ex
cellent than the ([ doubly' crossed] wisdom) science of all who lived afterwards,
is well known. Therefore it is here taken as an example.
It is now perceived why it is afterwards said that Aaron's rod swallowed
up their rods [vs. Hl]. Here it is not said Moses' rod but Aaron's, that the
Messiah might be meant as to his human nature, who took away all the damna
tion induced by the serpent, this being done by his passion. This is the swal
lowing up of their rods, to wit, that afterwards they could not delude man in
the slightest way, for they were rejected into hell. Therefore also Moses~
But in the verimost sense it is-
As to what is signified by the fact that Aaron's rod swallowed up their
rods, it is not here said branch [stirps] but rods, to the end that it may be
signified that [they had] their damnation in themselves.
149l II Ad. 1908-1909
EXODUS VII: 8-14 [35~3-~4
but goods 7 and thus put off everything poisonous, there being noth
ing in existence which does not refer itself to its contrary according
to its order and hence according to its form. Thus all things so
take place, that the evils,s so named, no longer exist but are dis
persed. (I cannot pursue this matter any further because of the
crew which impedes.) In itself it is clear, and has been told above
[n. ~134, 3158].
3523. Because by the rods of the magicians are signified their
natural and magical sciences, therefore by their being swallowed up
by Aaron's rod is also signified that in the end of days natural
knowledges or the knowledges of natural things and the very sci
ences which formerly had seduced man to the worship of nature
and thus to magic, would be so turned as to serve as instrumental
causes for the exploration of spiritual and celestial matters; for
there is nothing in the world or on the earth which does not pro
claim and demonstrate what is spiritual and celestial, there being
nothing which does not proclaim the kingdom of God Messiah, as
said above [n. ~34~, 3039 seq., 3157]. This then is what is meant
by Aaron's rod swallowing up the rods of the magicians. Natural
knowledges by themselves never lead man to the knowledge of things
spiritual and celestial, but the latter make acquisition of natural
knowledges and put them on. Thus the order is reversed, in that
inferiors are called forth by superiors and so are adopted, which is
done by God Messiah alone, who is the Rod of Aaron, the rod,
moreover, which put forth buds when set in the tabernacle [Num.
17 4,8]. That sciences, that is to say, knowledges, are meant by
rods, see above concerning J acob's rods at [Gen.] chapter 30 [n.
891 seq.], and there concerning reformation, and so what is the
order of reformation. 9
3524. This was the first prodigy, or the first of all the plagues,
being the most universal; for it commences from the first man and
7 [Crossed off:] for thus order is restored.
• [Crossed off:] serve for

• [The following unnumbered paragraph and the heading that follows are
here crossed off by the Author:] As to the heart of Pharaoh being made heavy
or being hardened, this is what is now said, namely, that J ehovah hardened his
heart [vs. 13]; and also elsewhere, that Pharaoh made heavy his heart [Ex.
815,82,934]. CONCERNING THE HARDENING OF PHARAOH'S HEART
II Ad. 1910-1911 143

THE WORD EXPLAINED
endures to the end o'f ages, it being the serpent in the tree of knowl
edge that deceived man and afterwards continually deceives him.!
CONCERNING THE HARDENING OF PHARAOH'S HEART
3525. We read of Pharaoh that his heart was hardened or made

heavy, which expression occurs several times. We also read that
he made heavy his own heart [chap. 815 ,32, 934 ]. It is the same
thing whether it is said that Jehovah hardened his heart or that he
made heavy his own heart, in that whatever takes place in man ap
pears just as though it came from himself when yet it comes from
God Messiah but by means of spirits who rule the man, as shown
above [no ~47, 1149, ~U6, ~360]. So previously where it is said
that Moses would slay Pharaoh's son [chap. 114-5], when yet we
read later that this was done by mel:\.ns of the Destroyer [chap.
U 23].
3526. But as touching the causes why the heart of a man is
hardened, this comes from many causes, these being so manifold that
they can hardly be reduced to number. Here, however, the cause
is stated; that is to say, this was done that God Messiah might
multiply miracles, and that for so long, Pharaoh might detain the
people; thus for the sake of all those effects which miracles wrought
among the Jewish people not only at this time but even to the ad
vent of God Messiah into the world and beyond this even to the end
of the world, to which in their signification these miracles have
regard.
The heart is made heavy with those who are evil, and of whom
there is no hope of salvation; for were it not made heavy with such
men, so that they thus lived in shade and ignorance, then their lot
would become still worSe and utterly bad, for to those who live in
light and yet err, redounds the greater punishment. Wherefore
the heart of man is made heavy entirely according to his condition.
3527. Moreover, these words have regard to the ultimate end,
which is the kingdom of God Messiah. Mediate ends, namely, men
or their hearts, are disposed altogether by God Messiah, that they
may conspire to the perfection of the whole. So in man, where are
1 [Crossed off:] Concerning the new tree of the knowledge of good and eVil,
see elsewhere [no 883, fJ499]; it signifies man finally reformed by means of
knowledges.
144 II Ad. 1912-1916
HARDENING OF HEART [35~8
parts innumerable, there is no part in the entire body, including

both the parts in the brain and those in the several members and
viscera [which does not conspire to the perfection of the whole].
These parts, if you take the smaller ones, are so many in number
that they could never be submitted by man to enumeration or cal
culation; and nevertheless there is not one of them which does not
conspire to man's intellectual life and to the life of his soul. So
much is this the case that there are no least parts in any of the
viscera, even of the lower viscera, and, moreover, in any of the
muscles or motor fibres, in any of the vessels, nerves, etc., which are
not means to the ultimate end, that the man may live, and this intel
lectually; but all these parts are ends mediate to the one end in the
man himself. So also men taken together are the parts which con
stitute that great body which is formed by God Messiah, that is to
say, which is the heavenly society that is to constitute the kingdom
of God. All others are condemned to hell, being those who are cast
out of that body; of these, by the grace of God Messiah, we speak
elsewhere. In order, therefore, that all intermediate ends may con
spire to this one only end, the hearts of some are made heavy, but
according to their condition, and according to the end, which no
one knows except Jehovah God. Wherefore, since this matter
concerns Divine Providence and the election of some and the rejec
tion of others according as they cannot be reformed and serve as
fitting members in the kingdom of God Messiah, for this reason it
is better to pass these matters by, and to say this only, that God
Messiah makes heavy the heart of no man save on account of causes
which have regard to the ultimate end, and in no other way than
that He permits it to be made heavy. Wherefore we read in the
text that Pharaoh made heavy his heart, but this is attributed to
God Messiah because He permits it.
3528. Concerning the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, the words
are as follows: " Meanwhile I know that the king of Egypt will not
let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. Therefore I will put forth
my hand and smite Egypt with all my marvels which I will do in
the midst thereof; and after that he will send you away" (chap.
3 19 ,2°). "See all the signs which I have put in thine hand, that
thou mayest do them before Pharaoh; and I, when I shall stiffen his
heart, that he send not the people away" (chap. 4 21 ). What kind
of man Pharaoh was is described in chapter 52, as follows: " And
II Ad. 1917 145
Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah that I should obey his voice to send
Israel away? I know not J ehovah, and also I will not send Israel
away." Pharaoh calls the words of Moses and Aaron " the words
of a lie" (vs. 9; see the whole chapter). "And I will harden Pha
raoh's heart, that I may multiply my signs and my wonders in the
land of Egypt" (chap. 7 3 ). " Yet Pharaoh's heart was hardened,
and he heard them not, as Jehovah had spoken. Therefore Je
hovah said unto Moses: Pharaoh's heart is made heavy, he refuseth
to send the people away" (vs. 13, 14). " Therefore Pharaoh's
heart was made stiff, and he heard them not; as Jehovah had spoken.
And Pharaoh turned away and came into his house, neither did he
set his heart even to this" (vs. ~~, ~3). "But when Pharaoh saw
that there was breathing, he made heavy his heart, neither did he
hear them; as J ehovah had spoken" (chap. 8 15 *). "Yet was
Pharaoh's heart made stiff, and he heard them not; as Jehovah had
spoken" (vs. 19). "But Pharaoh made heavy his heart this timE:
also, and sent not the people away" (vs. 3~). " Yet the heart of
Pharaoh was made heavy, and he sent not the people away" (chap.
9 7 ). "But J ehovah stiffened the heart of Pharaoh, and he heard
them not; as Jehovah had spoken unto Moses" (vs. 1~). "But
when Pharaoh saw that the rain ceased, and the hail and the voices,
he sinned yet more; for he made heavy his heart, he and his servants.
The heart of Pharaoh (I say) stiffened, and he sent not the sons
of Israel away; as Jehovah had spoken by Moses" (vs. 34, 35).
" J ehovah said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh; for I have made
heavy his heart and the heart of his servants, that I might set these
my signs in his midst; and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy
son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt,
and my signs which I have set among them; that ye may know that
1 am J ehovah " (chap. 101,2). " Yet J ehovah made stiff the heart
of Pharaoh, and ]le sent not the sons of Israel away" (vs. 9l0).
" But Jehovah stiffened the heart of Pharaoh, and he would not
send them away" (vs. ~7). "But Jehovah made stiff the heart of
Pharaoh, and he sent not the sons of Israel out of Egypt" (chap.
1110). "I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after
* In the autograph, the references to the verses in chapter 8 are given ac
cording to the divisions of the Hebrew Bible. In the translation they have been
altered to conform with the A. V. See the note at the commencement of chap
ter 8.
146 If Ad. 1917
HARDENING OF HEART [35~9-30
them; and I will be made glorious in Pharaoh, and in all his host;
that the Egyptians may know that I am J ehovah. And when it
was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, the heart of
Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and
they said, Why have we done this, that we have sent Israel away
from serving us?" (chap. 144 ,5). "And Jehovah hardened the
heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, so that he pursued after the sons
of Israel" (vs. 8). "And I, behold, I will harden the heart of the
Egyptians, and they shall go in after them; and I shall be made
glorious in Pharaoh and in all his host, in his chariots, [and] in his
horsemen" (vs, [17,] 18).
3529. From the passages here cited, it can be evident that J e
hovah did not harden Pharaoh's heart, but that Pharaoh made
heavy his own heart, this being so frequently stated, and also that
his heart was made heavy. That it is also frequently said that
Jehovah made heavy his heart is a consequence of the same cause;
for man counts for nothing, but whatever occurs in man comes
from God :Messiah. Hence it is said that Jehovah made heavy his
[heart] as also that J ehovah slew all the nrstborn [chap. U 29 ]
as stated above [no 35~5]. It is clearly evident that Pharaoh was
of such a character that he did not wish to send the people away,
and that it was for this reason that He did marvels (chap. 3 19 ,2°).
Therefore it is so often said that J ehovah hardened [his heart], as
he spake unto Moses and through Moses, (chap. 7 13 ,14,22, chap.
8 15 ,19, chap. 9 12 ,35). All these passages have reference to the
words which J ehovah first spoke unto Moses (chap. 3 19 and 20), and
also to His words that He would smite the Egyptians with all His
marvels, words which are so often repeated (chap. 7 3 , chap. 10 1 ,2,
chap. 144 ,18). For this reason, moreover, it is everywhere added
that Pharaoh's heart was made heavy so that he would not send
the people away. Thus what has been stated above, nos. 35~6-7
inclusive, is confinued.
3530. A man's heart is made heavy when it is not permitted him
to look with faith upon God Messiah and from faith to adore Him.
This is denied to the wicked, for God Messiah knows that a wicked
man would do it with an insincere heart, whereby the man becomes
worse. Therefore his heart is made stiff. God Messiah does not
will to have half man's heart, still less some part thereof, this being
11 Ad 1918-1919 147
a lukewarm heart which is worse than a heart that is cold or heavy.

And when men are not converted by reason of the miracles wrought
before their eyes, and this with such frequency as was here the case
with Pharaoh, then they perish as perished the Egyptians in the
sea and as so often the people of J acob perished in the wilderness
and in the land of Canaan.
EXODUS VII
15 Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; 10, he goeth out
unto the waters; and stand over against him, at the bank of the
stream; and the rod which was turned to a serpent take thou in
thine hand;
16 And say unto him, Jehovah the God of the Hebrews hath
sent me unto thee, saying, Send my people away that they may
serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou hast not
heard.
17 Thus saith Jehovah, By this thou shalt know that I am
J ehovah: behold, I smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the
waters which are in the stream, and they shall be turned to blood.
18 And the fish that is in the stream shall die, and the stream
shall stink; and the Egyptians shall be wearied from drinking the
waters of the stream.
19 And when Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take
thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt,
upon their rivers, upon their streams, and upon their pools, and
upon every gathering of their waters, that they may become blood;
for there shall be blood in all the land of Egypt, both in woods,
and in stones;
~o Then Moses and Aaron did so, as J ehovah commanded; for
he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the stream,
before the eyes of Pharaoh, and before the eyes of his servants;
and all the waters that were in the stream were turned to blood.
~1 And the fish that was in the stream died; and the stream
stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the stream;
and there was blood in all the land of Egypt.
.~~ And the enchanters of Egypt did so with their enchant
ments: therefore Pharaoh's heart was made stiff, and he heard them
not; as Jehovah had spoken.
148
EXODUS VII: 15-~5 [3531-33
~3 And Pharaoh turned away and came into his house, neither
did he set his heart even to this.
~4 And all the Egyptians digged round about the stream for
drink; for they could not drink of the waters of the stream.
~5 Thus seven days were fulfilled, after that Jehovah had
smitten the stream.
3531. And now comes the second plague of Egypt. This fol-
lows immediately after the former plague, to wit, the fall of man
by the serpent, as stated above [n. 3515] ; that is to say, the ser-
pent was then cursed and man also was damned, as we read in the
Word of God Messiah [Gen. 314 ,17-9]. Consequently upon the
human race then came wrath, and its destruction by the flood.
3532. The plague that now follows comprehends all those
things in man which were then turned into a like perverted order,
namely, the whole of his science and also his knowledges, these being
here likened to waters, rivers, streams, and the gathering of waters;
for knowledges are so many that they are compared to each of
these.
It is true that in the Apocalypse by streams are signified
peoples, nations and tongues, but this comes to the same thing,
for all that man has, he has from his knowledges, thus from his
intellectual mind. Therefore, when divine anger falls upon man, it
falls also upon those things which are proper to man and are truly
human.
This was especially the case in Egypt, where knowledges of
natural things were so far elevated that men finally became ma-
gicians and so worshipped the devil. At this day, however, these
sciences do not indeed bring men to the open worship of the devil,
but :lQ the worship of nature and thus of self.
0533. Because these events have regard more especially to the
end of times, as can be clearly evident from all of them if explained
according to what has here been stated, therefore all those-knO\;l-
edges are meant which, in the Roman- S7;hool 2 or with the Roman
soothsayers are called I!!§.i;iit!!es. These are said to be drawn
from 3 the mouth of God Messiah, when they are from the mouth
of anticJ:!rist, who regards only such things as-look toJ1imself ~d
2 Palaestra.
• [Crossed off:] the Word of God Messiah.
II Ad. 19~O-19~4 149
the world and consequently to the devil and his kingdom. These
are the waters to wh!ch J>!lIl:X.~oh gQ..EO..th-Q!lt, as we read in verse 15.
3534. [Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out
unto the waters; and stand over against him, at the bank of fJhe
stream; and the rod whkh was turned to a serpent take thou in
thine hand], vs. 15. Moses was to stand at the bank of the stream,
that is to say, at the Word of God Messiah and at those knowledges
wherein he is instructed by God Messiah.
It is said that he was to take flue rod whkh was turned to a>
serpent, namely, the rod which previously had been changed into
that which is signified by a serpent.
3535. [Thus saith Jehovah, By this thou shalt know that I am
Jehovah: behold, I smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon
the waters whkh are in the stream, and they shall be turned to blood
(vs. 17).] In regard to the waters being turned to blood, it must
be known that by blood is here meant the anger of Jehovah God,
as we read in the Apocalypse 163 ,4. where almost the same words
occur, being predicated of antichrist. For in these verses blood
becomes condemnation, as declared by God Messiah himself, and
thus also by the Word of God Messiah, which then damns rather
than saves, seeing that all things [therein] are then explained in a
perverse sense. Hence it is said in the text that all things shall be
turned to blood.
3536. [And the fish that is in the stream shall die, and the streOJTit
shall stink; and the Egyptians shall be wearied from drinking the
waters of the stream (vs. 18).] When men are of such a char
acter, then all that is in the Word of God Messiah is a stench to
them so that they can drink nothing from it; for it teaches things
entirely contrary. Wherefore they are wearied from drinking of
it, and therefore it is also said, that all the fish died, that is to say,
every soul which lives from that stream; for it is rather death that
they drink and so they die. These words also are explained in the
Apocalypse, chapter 16t3 ], to wit, that every soul died in that sea.
Thus the water which to others is water unto life, becomes to
the Egyptians water unto death.
3537. [And when Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron,
Take thy rod, atnd stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt,
* The autograph has "~, 3, 4."
150 11 Ad. 19~5-1930
EXODUS VII: 15-9W [3538-39
upon their rivers, upon their streams, and upon their pools, 0JTIi1
upon every gathering of their waters, that they may become blood;
for there shall be blood Vn all the land of Egypt, both in woodt,
and in stones; (vs. 19)]. All the waters which were turned into
this blood, the blood namely, which brings death not Jife, are now
mentioned; and they are distinguished into rivers, streams, pools,
and gatherings of waters, these coinciding with knowledges of
every kind which are damned in like manner. For wheresoever they
are, there is within them a like damnation, in that from them they
drink death to themselves, inasmuch as they lead to the worship of
the devil or nature, and of self. Wherefore this blood signifies
both anger and damnation; for it signifies perverted order, for
~hich, with the Egyptians, blood is used. So likewise the love of
self and the world which springs from bloods, according to that
order. As the order is, such is the life.
3538. In woods and Vn stones, that is, in all their statutes, which
are compared to woods and stones, that is to say, to the skins and
the columns of stone on which these statutes were inscribed; other
wise it would not be said in the text blood Vn woods and Vn stones.
Yet in the proximate sense these words signify water vessels, and
thus gatherings of such waters. Previously, however, gatherings
of waters and pools are mentioned [vs. 19].
3539. [Then Moses and Aaron did so, as Jehovah commanded;
for he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the
stream, before the eyes of Pharaoh, and before the eyes of his ser
vants; and all the waters that were Vn the stream were turned to
blood] vs. ~O. Nowfollows the effect. It is here added that these
things came to pass not only before the eyes of Pharaoh but also
before the eyes of his servOJnts and consequently of his ministers,
and this to the end that that immense crew might be signified which
adores Baal as God. 4
Here, however, mention is made only of the waters Vn the stream
at which Moses stood, that is to say, in the Word of God Messiah.
With the Egyptians of this day, these waters are turned into blood,
that is, into damnation. For this reason, moreover, they cannot
read the Word of God Messiah without horror, because [there]
• The last sentence of this paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written in
the margin.
II Ad. 1931-1933 151
3540-49l] THE WORD EXPLAINED
they see that in themselves they are the same as idolaters, like Baal
in Babylonia and like those who declare that they are to be wor
shipped as God, and who therefore are turned into monsters. s
Therefore in the text all other waters are expressly passed by,
being their institutes and sciences, for these are not a stench to
them nor are they wearied to drink from them, but only from the
stream. Wherefore also verses 18 and 911 speak only of the stream
and not of the other waters.
3540. [And the fish that was in the stream died; and the stream
stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the stream;
and there was blood in all the land of Egypt] vs. 9l1. Here again
mention is made only of the stream,· that it was a stench to them;
and it is clearly pointed out that they cannot drink of it, and con
sequently that they reject and altogether exterminate it, nay, and
also speak ill of it-a manifest sign that they do not worship God
Messiah who is Omnipresent in his Word, but are horrified at this,
as at the presence of blood in water, whence every soul dies. Thus
from this stream which in itself is salubrious and brings living and
health-giving water, the Egyptians are not able to drink because
to them it brings death.
3541. The Word of God Messiah is not dead except to such
men; to others it is living. It is said in the text that the water
became blood in the whole land of Egypt, and thus also in the
land of Goshen where was the people of Jacob; for this land is not
here excepted as is the case later on [chap. 8 22 , 9 26 ] when other
prodigies were done. This indicates that the stream was a stench
to them also, and that every living soul among them was dead. As
to how they were saved from death, this is told later, namely, by
the blood of the paschal lamb upon the lintel and the two doorposts
[Exod. 191 7 , 22-3], of which we shall speak presently. Without
this blood they could never have escaped the plague. This they
also were subject to, but by the pure mercy of God Messiah they
were saved.
3542 [And the enchanters of Egypt d;id so with their enchant
ments; therefore Pharaoh's heart was made stiff, and he heard them
not; as Jehovah had spoken. And Pharaoh turned away and came
into his house, neither did he set his heart even to this] vs. 9l9l, [9l3].
• From this point on, the paragraph is emphasized by" NB" written
twice in the margin.
159l II Ad. 1934-1936
EXODUS VII: M-fl5 [3543-44
The fact that the enchanters of Egypt did likewise with their in
cantations clearly indicates the same things with the Egyptians
of today, that they do the like by their natural sciences which are
incantations; and this, more especially bI their palestrian mockerie~,
their processional pomps, and their w~rldly delight~~._~.e.by they
~e ~ mindsand make the str;~mto sti~k and the fishes
in the sea to di~. (Since tbese words indicate the state of the
pre-;;nt times, therefore they can be explained in greater detail.) 6
Concerning the stiffening of Pharaoh's heart, spoken of in
verses flfl and fl3, see above [n. 35fl5-31] ; for when Pharaoh saw
these incantations he made stiff his heart. This is the usual effect
of all those things which enchant men, whether they be [palestrian]
mockeries or reasonings from- the science of natural tl'!ings, and
thus perverted explanations of the Divine Word. These easily
pe]:;uade when enchanters also are present.
j 43. [And all the Egyptians digged round about the st1-eam
for drink; for they could not drink of the waters of the stream],
vs. fl4. Because they could not drin~ of the stream, that is, of the
Word of God Messiah, therefore they dug beside it, that is to say,
dug by means of other interpretations; for it is granted them to
drink, lest they wholly die. Round about the stream are waters
which are indeed from the stream but through hidden passages.
These they dug because the river itself was so full of blood. From
this source something does indeed ooze out, but yet it is impure.
Here to drink round about the stream is to drink from their
constitutions; from which it was permitted them to drink water lest
they wholly die. 7 But of these matters, by the divine mercy of God
Messiah, we shall speak elsewhere.
3544. [Thus seven days were fulfilled, after that Jehovah had
smitten the stream], vs. fl5. As touching the seven days, they sig
nify those seven weeks of which we have spoken above [n. flflflfl-3]
and also the seven angels of the Apocalypse [15 1 ], namely, the
time from the first day of the new creation to the last_ And since
in the end of days these times are consummated and fulfilled, there
fore the seven days are here said to be fulfilled that this may clearly
signify the time of a week, of which we have spoken above. The
seventh day was a holy day to Israel, but not to the Egyptians.
• In the autograph this paragraph is marked" NB."
• [Crossed off:] Thus they had consolation.
II Ad. 1937-1940
153
Wherefore, in verse 15, it is said of Pharaoh that he rose up in the

morning, as is everywhere the case, this morning being that of
which we read so often ; for this is said to Moses, [namely], that he
should go out in the morning and stand at the bank of the stream,
the reference being to the Messiah himself who is meant by Moses,
and who alone does this from the power which is His over the whole
heaven and the whole earth. s
From the words, Thus seven days were fulfilled after that J e
hovah had smitten the stream, it is clearly evident that J ehovah
God, who is here meant, smote that which is meant by the stream,
namely, an the knowledges which would flow from such a man.
This was done as soon as man fell.
3545. We do not read here, as in the case of the other prodigies,
that J ehovah restored the waters of the stream, this wonder end
ing without any restoration-manifestly, by reason of the cause
that this damnation continued even to the end of days, nay, and
also upon the people in Goshen, that is, upon Israel. That these
people, however, were saved by means of blood, as told above [n.
3541] is stated later on in chapter 1~, verses 7, 13, ~~, ~3, ~7.
EXODUS VIII ;It
1 After this Jehovah spake unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh,

and say unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Send my people away that
they may serve me.
~ And if thou refuse to send them away, behold, I will smite
all thy border with frogs:
3 For the stream shall make frogs to creep forth, and they shall
go up and shan come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and
upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy
people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs:
4 On thee, and on thy people, and on all thy servants, shall the
frogs come up.
S In the autograph the first part of this paragraph is marked " NB."
* In the autograph the verses here quoted are referred to as "Cap. VII
26-[gg; Cap. VIII, 1-111. This follows the divisions as given in the Hebrew
Bible, and retained by Schmidius whose version Swedenborg here uses. In the
A.V., however, verses 26-29 were taken from chapter Vn and inserted as
verses 1-4 of chapter VIII, while verse 1, etc., of chapter VIII were counted
as verse 5, etc. In the translation we have followed the A.V.
154 Il Ad. 1941~194~
EXODUS VIII: 1-15 [3546
5 And when Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch
forth thine hand with thy rod over the rivers, over the streams,
and over the pools, and make frogs to come up upon the land of
Egypt;
6 Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and
the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.
7 And the enchanters [of Egypt 9] did so with their enchant
ments, and made frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.
8 And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, Make sup
plication to J ehovah that he take away the frogs from me, and
from my people; then will I send the people away, that they may
sacrifice to J ehovah.
9 And Moses said to Pharaoh, Have honor over me: when
should I make supplication for thee, and for thy servants, and for
thy people, to cut off the frogs from thee and out of thy houses,
that they may be left in the river only?
10 And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to
thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto
J ehovah our God.
11 And the frogs shall be taken away from thee, and out of thy
houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; only in the
stream shall they be left.
1~ And Moses and Aaron went out from-with Pharaoh; and
Moses cried unto J ehovah upon the word of the frogs which he had
brought upon Pharaoh.
13 And Jehovah did according to the word of Moses; for the
frogs died out of the houses, out of the courts/o and out of the
fields.
14 And [the Egyptians 1] gathered them into heaps; and the
land stank.
15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was breathing, he made
heavy his heart, neither did he hear them; as Jehovah had spoken.
3546. Now follow the curses which are the consequence of this
damnation, for it is well known that after Adam fell, being deceived
by the cunning of the serpent, the very earth was cursed and the
'0 See n. 3573 note.
'Added by Schmidius.
II Ad. 1943 155

things which were under heaven; for heaven was then separated
from earth and hence the earth 2 itself was cursed. This is evident
from Genesis, chapter 3 17 • It is also evident that Adam lived in
anxiety (ibid. vs. 19). In the woman, however, the curse was on
the unborn child whom she would bring forth with sorrow (vs. 16).
But see the passages themselves (if there be need to quote them
here).
3547. And now, since, as was said, [this is what is meant] by
the turning of the waters into blood so that the stream was a stench
to them and the fish died, therefore it is not said that the water of
the stream was restored for the Egyptians. It cannot be restored
to them, because they have so far indulged in magical arts that
waters which in themselves are healthy and saving, are turned into
waters which bring death. This is well known, and can be learned
from many circumstances; for life itself then condemns. This is
the reason why it is not said that this stream was restored to them,
but that it held damnation within it. When the stream is of such a
nature, then nothing but damnation and curses flow from it, as can
be evident enough.
3548. Moreover, this stream is then an Egyptian, that is to
say, a magical stream; for then the knowledges of things drawn
from it, are drawn by magicians, or, at the present day, by men
who study nature alone without the end of being instructed there
from concerning things spiritual and celestial. Thus, to such men
this stream is troublesome and becomes damning. Wherefore, by
the stream are then meant all the gatherings of the waters spoken
of in chapter 7 19 , and of which nothing further is said. Thus in
the present text they are comprehended in the word" stream" ; for
" stream" is a universal word standing foi.' all water. This is
clearly evident from the verses that follow; for in chapter 8 3 , we
read that" the stream shall make frogs to creep forth"; and in
verse 5, that he should stretch forth his hand with his rod over the
rivers, over the streams and over the pools, and make frogs to come
up upon the land of Egypt. Therefore, by stream in this text is
not meant the Word of God Messiah but the gatherings of the
waters, that is, magical knowledges whencesoever drawn.
• The word translated " earth" is terra which means, earth, land, country;
but in this single case the word is telltus which means the earth considered as a
planet.
156 HAd. 1944-1945
EXODUS VIII: 1-15 [3549-5~
3549. Moreover, the river Nile was the boundary of the land
promised to Abraham, so that those who dwelt in Egypt on that
side of the river are those who live outside the land promised to
Abraham (Genesis 15 18 ). By them, therefore, are meant the
damned. Thus on the one side, the river Nile looked to Egypt, and
on the other, to the land promised to Abraham, and thus to the
land of the blessed. Wherefore the same river signifies both
the Word of God Messiah and also the magical knowledges of
the Egyptians; and this the more since in this river on their own
side, the Egyptians drowned infants, and slew sons of Israel.
3550. And now on the side of the Egyptians, this river, by
which are signified the gatherings of their waters [chap. 719 ], that
is to say, their magical or natural knowledges which lead from life
to death, that is, from the worship of God Messiah to the worship
of nature and of the loves thereof, that is, of the devil-this river
now produced frogs, as is plainly stated in chapter 8 5 ; but on the
other side where lived sons of Israel, this was not the case. This is
not indeed stated in the text but it is gathered from what follows.
3551. As touching the curses ~hich swarmed from a stream
such as that now spoken of, to wit, the Egyptian stream, they are
plagues of the three kinds here first enumerated, besides many others
which sprang from them; to wit, frogs, then lice, and finally
noxious flying things [vs. ~, 16, ~l]. lit This was prior to its
being said that the cattle died [chap. 96 ].
3552. In order that it may now be understood how these three
curses follow each other, one must understand what is signified by
the earth. Earth or the lowest part of nature is distinguished
into sea or deep, earth properly so called, and air. The first dam
nation is signified by the frogs, and concerns the abyss, this being
expressed also by sea, streams, and pools of waters [vs. 5]. The
second damnation is signified by the lice which were raised up from
the dust of the earth, as we read later [vs. 1~], and is a damnation
which concerns the earth proper. The third damnation, signified
by the noxious flying things [vs. 17] concerns the air. Thus [all
three] concern the lowest part of nature, this being signified by
the abyss or sea, and then by the earth, and finally by the air.
* [Crossed off:] from which afterwards all the cattle died.
II Ad. 1946-1949
157
3553. That this is the case is confirmed by the Apocalypse of

John, chapter 163 , where it is said that" the second angel poured
out his vial upon the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man;
and every living soul died in the sea." A vial was also poured
" upon the rivers and fountains of waters, and they became blood"
(ibid. vs. 4). As touching the earth, we read that a vial was also
poured out upon the earth (vs. ~) ; and as touching the air, into it
also a vial was poured out (vs. 17). The vials themselves are called
"the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth" (vs. 1).
3554. As touching the order, in the Apocalypse and in the
present text, this, by the grace of God Messiah, shall be seen at that
place. The words in the Apocalypse specifically treat of the beast
[Apoc. 162 ], and consequently of the kingdom of antichrist; but
here in Egypt, they treat both of the kingdom of antichrist and
of that of all others in the entire globe who worship the devil.
3555. These words, however, can never be understood without
a knowledge of the comparison of all things with man. Man is a
type of the universe, and therefore all and single things have regard
to man; for in man is effigied heaven and also the world.
From first creation, man's intellectual mind with its will is that
in which is effigied heaven; the natural mind that in which is effigied
the world, together with its atmospheres and thus the air assumed
for the atmospheres; and the body that in which is effigied the earth
together with the sea and streams. Unless this comparison be
understood, no one, howsoever he labors, can ever comprehend what
is meant by all these events in Egypt and in the Apocalypse. That
the comparison is such can be demonstrated by so many considera
tions that it would fill many pages; for the ratio of the two is
exactly the same.
Since therefore it is men who are meant, they also are meant by
whom men are led, that is to say, spirits, as stated above [n. 35~5] ;
for these make one and the same thing with man, good spirits with
reformed men, and evil spirits, who are likened to beasts, with evil
men. Hence the whole interpretation is now clear.
3556. And now as regards the frogs, by them are meant unclean
spirits, and consequently evil men such as the Egyptians, who have
been described above [n. 3465 seq.]. This can be evident from
the Apocalypse, chapter 1613 ,14, where we read: " I saw from the
mouth of the dragon and from the mouth of the beast and from the
158 II Ad. 1950-1955
EXODUS VIII: 1-9l [3557-59
mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like unto frogs.
And they are the spirits of demons working signs," etc. These
"were gathered together into a place called in Hebrew Harma-
geddon" (vs. 16), in like manner as the frogs in the present case
which were gathered together in the Egyptian stream (Exod., chap.
8 9 ,11 ).
3557. These frogs, therefore, are what came forth from the
stream spoken of above [n. 3548-50] and were gathered together
into the stream, which, on the side of the Egyptians was damned;
that is to say, into Harmageddon. Thus the present text treats
of unclean spirits of the lowest sort, that is to say, of. those things
which rule man's lowest or ultimate parts and which excite the
cupidities which are proper to the body and the blood, and which
are called pleasures of the senses and merely corporeal pleasures,
being properly the various luxuries of the body arising from taste. s
These unclean spirits are they who rule the outmost or merely
corporeal parts of man, and so are called frogs, which are insects
of a larger sort and of a different shape. On a certain occasion
these likewise appeared to me when they were going forth, and
this quite plainly so that I saw them crawling before my eyes
and soon afterwards gathered together into a unit. Then
they were afire, as it were, and burst asunder with a noise which
sounded to my ears like the crash when things are shattered.
The place was afterwards purified. This was in London in the
month of April 1745. Something like smoke was coming out
through the pores, but on the ground it appeared like so many
crawling worms in great abundance. 4
3558. That it is the last times that are signified has been told
above [n. 3507, 3509]. Wherefore in the present text it is first
understood what is meant by the words of God Messiah in verse 1,
as also previously [chap. 610 ,11, 7 14 ,16] and later [chap. 820 , 91 ,13]
where similar words are used. (These words, to wit, the words
of the text, can be gathered together into a one.)
3559. [A.nd if thou refuse to send them away, behold, I will
smite all thy border with frogs J vs.~. Here it is openly stated that
• In the autograph, the words " being ... taste" are added above the line.
• This indented paragraph is cited in the Author's Index to his Memombilia,
s. v. Appetit'll8, Ignis; and together with n. 397 of the Memorabilia, s. v. Edere,
Vermis.
II Ad. 1956-1959 159
the border of Egypt would be smitten with frogs. Thus it is the

land of Egypt that is meant, that is, the land wherein dwell the
damned, and so all the damned wheresoever they dwell; for the land
signifies its inhabitants, but inhabitants such as frogs leap upon;
and consequently their bodies these being their lands in whatsoever
place they are.
3560. [For the stream shall make frogs to creep forth, and they
shall go up and shall come into thine house, and mto thy bedcham
ber, and upon thy bed, and mto the house of thy servants, and upon
thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadmgtroughs] vs.
3. Here is described the universal government of such spirits over
the bodies of those who are here meant by Pharaoh and the Egyp
tians.
3561. As to the stream making f~'ogs to come up, this has been
explained above En. 3557]. These words comprehend both univer
sals and singulars, for the universal gathering of men is like a
single body, every gathering being like a separate body. Thus
the words are applicable both to their congregations as a whole and
also to the separate individuals in the congregation. 5 From the
one is comprehended what all are, just as from all is comprehended
what each one of them is. Unity contains this within itself, that
the least part is like the many which together constitute the form.
Because in the many is described the one and from the one is
understood the form and state of the many, therefore from these
words when applied to the one, it can be evident what they involve,
namely, that the stream shall make frogs to creep forth, that is,
the fluids of the body, and thus evil and perverse fluids which excite
these evils, or from which unclean spirits come forth, as it were, and
excite such evils as are signified by frogs. Where such humor is
present there these unclean spirits are gathered together like ravens
to a carcase [Matt. ~428] ; for there they consociate and have their
abode. They shall go up and shall come into thine house. That
is to say, from these humors thus putrid, as, for instance, from
vapors arising from the stomach and elsewhere, which affect man, as
is well known, they will rise up into the natural mind which is their
house, it being in this way that they excite pleasures, cupidities and
• The words that follow were erroneously marked by Swedenborg as a
separate paragraph, n. 1969.
160 II Ad. 1960-1963
EXODUS VIII: 8 [8561
luxuries. Into thy bedchamber, that is, into the rational mind, this
being the bedchamber which they attack and on which, according
to their mode of acting, they impress a like cupidity, from which
they flow down, while flowing from the evil conatus of the man him
self. Thus comes consent on the part of the rational mind. The
bedchamber is the inner chamber in Pharaoh's house, just as the
rational mind is the inner faculty; but the house is the natural mind,
which is also the court (vs. 9). Upon thy bed. The bed is the
natural mind and also the body, both being called a bed, as stated
above [n. 8045, 8077]. A bed is that in which one sleeps and lies
down. Thus it is this couch that is described, this being done by
means of a bed. Consequently by a bed, as by a footstool, is meant
the couch of all cupidities and pleasures. Into the house of thy ser
vants. By servants are here meant all things which minister.
These are the organs of the senses and thus all the ministering
faculties of the body. But they are passive faculties, as is the en
tire outward machine of the body, there being nothing there save a
house of servants, that is to say, the senses; for touch surrounds
the whole man and serves him; and the other senses, as taste, smell,
hearing, sight, are also in the outmost parts, all being servant
faculties, that is to say, passive forces. Upon thy people. By
this is meant every active servant, that is, all active forces proper
to the body, being the motor or muscular forces which gird and
surround the entire man more interiorly. These also are servants,
but only in respect to the man by whom they are commanded to
every act and to the execution of his mandates. They are called
people because of their multitude which is very great, and which
is disposed after the manner of a government, that is to say, into
the form of a government, just like a people. That every multi
tude is called a people is well known. And into thitne ovens. By
ovens are meant all the viscera which prepare these humors, such
viscera being furnaces or ovens which cook the foods and prepare a
blood of this kind, and humors from such blood; for man's viscera
one and all are preparatories of the blood and humors, consisting as
they do of like preparatory organs and vessels. And itn,to thy
kneaditn.gtroughs. These are the specific organs such as the gul
let, the stomach and intestines, wherein such things are first
kneaded, and so are prepared by a marvelous commingling with
II Ad. 1968 161
chyle and with a manifold menstruum, just as flour in kneading

troughs is commingled with fluids, whether water or milk.
3562. On thee and on thy people and on all thy servants shall
the frogs come up [vs. 4], thus on all the parts that have now been
enumerated. Wherefore it is said, on thee, which involves "on
Pharaoh" as being a man of such a character, even up to his ra
tional mind, it being from this that he is called thee; and so, on all
that is his; for whatsoever is in man consists of active and passive
forces. Thus here it is interior forces that are meant, while pre
viously it was exterior forces. Therefore the text adds shall the
frogs come Up.6 N. B. Here should be explained at the same time
what is said concerning houses, courts, and fields, in chapter
8 9 ,11,13.
3563. So now, in the end of days, the like is the case in the en
tire globe; for as was said, in every such man, the kingdom of
spirits in that entire evil flock is seen as in a mirror as already
stated [n. 3561]. The frogs are said to go up, because similar
things rise up in him who lives a perverted order, and thus infect
and possess him. In the reformed man, however, nothing rises up
of itself, but it is called forth by a force superior in order, and all
those forces are then passive, and so are called forth in order, by
God Messiah alone. This can be better evident from the doctrine
of order.
3564. [And when Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron,
Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the rivers, over the
streams, and over the pools, and make frogs to come up upon the
land of Egypt] vs. 5. These words have been explained above tn.
3548 seq.] ; it has also been explained that the rivers, streams, pools
of this text ate what are meant by the stream from which the frogs
went up (vs. 3-4).
As regards Aaron, to wit, that it was he who stretched forth his
hand with his rod, and not Moses, this signifies the Messiah himself,
that in the end of days He will exercise His power and will judge
them. Such things follow from the judgment over the wicked,
because the Messiah, as Man, became Justice and so will punish
injustice.
• The words that next follow are It later addition to the text, and are fur
ther emphasized by an additional " NB" written in the margin.
16~ II Ad. 1964-1966
EXODUS VIII: 4-9 [3565-69
3565. [Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt;
and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt], vs. 6.
Here is described the execution. The frogs are said to have cov
ered the land of Egypt, that is, all those in the entire globe who are
the land of Egypt, as stated above [n. 3559].
3566. [And the enchanters (of Egypt 7) did so with their en
chantments, and made frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt],
vs. 7. Concerning the enchantments, see above at chapter 711 ,22.
They were done for reasons similar to those spoken of above [n.
35~1-~, 354~] which the reader may consult, etc.
3567. [And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, Make
supplication to J ehovah that he take away the frogs from me, and
from my people; then will I send the people away, that they may
sacrifice to J ehovah], vs. 8. After a time, the end is described,
while persecution is continuing, [to wit] that they then make sup
plication, but from an alien heart, namely, that they may after
wards harden their heart; for they have regard only to things
worldly and terrestrial, and from these they can never be heard
inasmuch as they are separated from God Messiah; nor are they
admitted 8 save by faith, and they are conjoined by faith wherein
is the Love of God Messiah. Wherefore the text now continues:
3568. [And Moses said to Pharaoh, Have honor over me: when
should I make supplication for thee, and for thy servants, and for
thy people, to cut off the frogs from thee and out of thy houses,
that they may be left in the river only?], vs. 9. Moses said to Pha
raoh, Have honor over me, thus that they should have faith, faith
namely, that Moses does this from the power of God Messiah and
not from any power of his own. In the preceding verse, Pharaoh
begs that Moses should make supplication to Jehovah, and pre
viously, in chapter 7 1 it is said that Moses was made as God unto
Pharaoh, because these works were done by God Messiah through
Moses as an instrument. Thus the instrumental cause is assumed
as the principal. This usage is of the utmost frequency, an angel
being assumed for Jehovah, etc., etc. Therefore Moses now says,
Have honor over me.
3569. Here the same words [as in verse 8] again recur: for
• These words are not in the Hebrew text but were added by Schmidius.
Swedenborg makes the same addition in the Arcana Ooeleatia.
• Swedenborg first wrote conjoined.
II Ad. 1967-1971
168
thee, for thy 9 servants, for thy 9 people; that the frogs may be cut
off from Pharaoh and from his houses. These words can be under
stood from what has been said above at verses 3 and 4.
In the text we read merely, from thee and out of thy houses. 1
Thus in place of thee is meant the rational mind from which man is
a man; and in place of houses are meant all other things which are
under him, all these being then called houses; consequently all and
singular the things which are enumerated in verse 3 [n. 3561]. In
verse 13 the statement is more specific, to wit, " out of the houses,
out of the courts, and out of the fields."
3570. [And he said, Tomorrow. And he said, Be it according
to th!J word; that thou ma!Jest know that the1'e is none like unto Je
hovah our God], vs. 10. These frogs are now said to be removed;
not that the evil spirits themselves receded but that the power of
tormenting men was taken away from them; for it is evident from
what follows, verses 11 and 14, that they remained as dead frogs,
and that the earth stank from them; also, that they were left over
in the stream. The case is not unlike what happened to King Saul
who, when obsessed by evil spirits, sometimes had respite when
David played before him on the harp [I Sam. 1623 ]. So also they
cease from actuating and inciting furies; for by reason of the sup
plication of the pious who are meant by Moses, power is then taken
away from them, to the end that they may know that it is God Mes
siah alone who is to be adored. Although man is obsessed by them,
yet, when power is taken away from them, they cannot do the man
the least injury, nor can they torture him. They are then as
though dead, and they stink.
3571. [And the f1'ogs shall be tal.en away from thee, and out of
th!J houses, and from th!J servants, and from th!J people; only in the
stream shall the!J be left], vs. 11. The meaning of these words also
is understood. As to the frogs still remaining in the stream, this
signifies that they who have been rejected live in their pools; for
in pools
are their domiciles, and thus also in streams which stink like
pools, because of the dead. 2
• The autograph has his.
1 The autograph has for thee and for thy houses, but this is clearly a slip.
2 This indented passage is not cited in the Author's Index to his Memora
bilia.
164 II Ad. 197~-1975
EXODUS VIII: 10-14 [3572-74
3572. [And Moses GJnd Aaron went out from-with Pharaoh;

and Moses cried unto Jehovah upon the word of the frogs which he
had brought upon Pharaoh], vs. 12. Here" to cry" means to
pray intently. Moreover, this expression is used in order to sig
nify that Moses could do nothing whatever but was merely the in
strument which God Messiah used.
It is said, the word of the frogs, because the prodigy was
wrought by means of the Word, that is to say, by means of God
Messiah who is the Word. Thus the prodigy is itself called the
word of the frogs; for every single word of God Messiah is a truth
and the very Effeet. 3 Moreover, a word, even Pharaoh's word (vs.
10) signifies every truth and also the effect, seeing that it is con
firmed, as we read [in vs. 10] ; but it was Moses who said this. In
verse 13, however, we read that Jehovah did this" according to the
word of Moses." 4 Thus word also signifies supplication from
faith, and this involves the response of God Messiah.
3573. [And Jehovah did according to the word of Moses; for
the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courts,5 and out of the
fields], vs. 13. Concerning these words, see above [n. 3569].
That the frogs died signifies that power was taken away from them.
3574. [And (the Egyptians·) gathered them into heaps; and
the lGJnd stanlc] , vs. 14. Here it came to pass that the Egyptians
gathered the frogs into heaps and that the land stank from them.
But seeing that these words were written down, they involve also
other things, to wit, that these gatherings, here signified by the
frogs, are not only unclean spirits but more especially are the
things which are aroused by them, that is to say, pleasures
of the body. When these stagnate,a then the whole body stinks of
them. For although power is taken away from these spirits, they
3 [Crossed off:] Since w01'd signifies the effect and is the same as the effect,
Moses said unto Pharaoh also" according to thy word" (vs. 10); for Pharaoh's
word was merely that which is stated in the same verse, namely, "to morrow,"
and this was taken hy Moses not as the word of Pharaoh but as
• [Crossed off:] not according to the word of Phar
• The Hebrew word n\i~!) ,~ means both the courts and the villages, accord,
ing to the context. Here Schmidius (and also Swedenborg in the Lt j'cana Ooe
lestia) translates it courts, and the A. V. villages. Usually they agree in their
translations of this word.
" Added by Schmidius.
• [Crossed off:] and are gathered together.
II Ad. 1976-1979 165
still remain as dead frogs. Meanwhile, like the man of Egypt,

that is to say, the natural man, they can breathe [vs. 15]. That a
stench to the nostrils corresponds to their unclean nature,7 this also
has been made evident; for the things which are in nature, nay,
a stench as from unclean things in nature, correspond to like
[spirits J.S
3575. [But when Pharaoh saw that there was breathitng, he
made heavy his heart, neither did he hear them; as Jehovah had
spoken], vs. 15. Concerning the breathing and the making heavy
of the heart, the reader may see above [n. 3530, 3570, 3574].
EXODUS VIII
16 Therefore Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron,
Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, and it shall be
come lice in all the land of Egypt.
17 And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his
rod, and smote the dust of the land, and it became a swarm of lice
in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice in all the
land of Egypt.
18 And the enchanters did so with their enchantments to bring
forth lice, but they could not. Yet was the swarm of lice in man,
and in beast.
19 And the enchanters said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of
God. Yet was Pharaoh's heart made stiff, and he heard them not;
as Jehovah had spoken.
3576. It must first be observed that these miracles wrought in
Egypt actually took place as described, so that there is not a single
detail which did not occur in the way described. This was on ac
count of the Jewish people who, were it not for miracles, could not
have been driven to the adoration of God Messiah, and so, by ter
ror, have been brought to the worship of Him. 9
What is said concerning the signification of these miracles fol
lows as a consequence; for there is no word of God Messiah which
does not involve arcana and also things which shall come to pass in
T [Crossed off:] can be evident from experience.
S This indented paragraph is not cited in the Author's Index to his Memo
rabilia.
• This paragraph is emphasized by two "N B's" written in the margin.
166 II Ad. 1980-1983
EXODUS VIII: 16-19 [3577-78
the end of times. Thus there cannot be a single one of the prodi
gies which does not have some signification, in them being con
tained the arcana of the prodigies. 1 This is sufficiently confirmed
by what is said in the Apocalypse, and especially by what God Mes
siah himself foretold, as for instance, concerning the great tumult
of the ocean 2 [Luke ~125], concerning the darkening of the sun
and moon 8 [Matt. ~429, Mark 1324 ]. As to whether these things
are to come to pass in the way described, or whether they have the
same signification as the prodigies of Egypt, this lies in the arcana
of God Messiah. Thus the rock which Moses smote, whence came
water [Exod. 17 6 ] signifies God Messiah himself; the manna from
heaven [Exod. 1612- 5 ] likewise signifies the Messiah, etc., etc.~
3577. The subject treated of above [chap. 7 10 se q .] is the fall of
man by means of the serpent, and the ensuing wrath of J ehovah
God, and consequently man's damnation, from which then followed
the first plague, to wit, that unclean spirits signified by the frogs
aroused cupidities and pleasures of every kind which drive men to
insanities so long as these unclean spirits have the dominion; for
they rend the man, and when they cease, natural men again take
breath [chap. 8 15 ] and stiffen their hearts. This is what is in
volved in the prodigy which is called "the word of the frogs"
(vs. U).
3578. And now comes the second prodigy, to wit, the swarm of
lice troubling man and beast. But since these prodigies, like the
words of God Messiah, involve arcana, and also the things which
shall come to pass in the end of days, as stated above [n. 3576], so
when inquiry is made as to what the present prodigy involves, it
is remorse of conscience. This remorse is here signitled in the
prodigy, because this is the second thing which follows from man's
damnation, especially in the end of days when God Messiah shall
1 In the autograph, this sentence is emphasized by "N B" written in the
margin.
2 Swedenborg first wrote de procellis in oceano (concerning storms in the
ocean). By the insertion of words above the line, he then altered this to read
de tumultu urgenti oceani, but he omitted to cross out procellis.
3 [Crossed off:] etc.
• The words "Thus . . . , etc." were added later and are emphasized by
" NB" written in the margin; confer n. 3589.
* [The following unnumbered paragraph is here crossed off by the Author:]
And now comes the second prodigy which is a consequence of man's damnation,
to wit, remorse of conscience.
II Ad. 1984-1985 167
appear and shall terrify human minds settled in infidelity. This

remorse comes from a .life passed in pleasures, luxury and crimes.
Thus it is the consequence of the preceding plague.
3579. That this may be evident, the words of the text may now
be explained; and when that which appears before the eyes is
evolved spiritually, the conformity will be seen. The prodigies are
actual, and this before the senses of the body, hut their significa
tions are spiritual.
3580. Therefore Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron,
Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, and it shall be
come lice in all the land of Egypt (vs. 16). As to the fact that it
was commanded Moses to say unto Aaron that the latter should do
these prodigies, as, in the present case, that with his rod he should
smite the dust of the land, it has been shown above [n. 3454, 3457]
that by Moses is represented the royal and consequently the divine
dignity of God Messiah who is King of the universe because born
the Son of Jehovah the Father; and that by Aaron is signified His
priestly dignity. Therefore God Messiah as King now speaks to
himself as High Priest, that he should stretch forth his rod; for he
did these prodigies from divine power though by means of human.
This can be evident from the plague signified by this prodigy; for
whatsoever plague follows from man's damnation has regard to
man's injustice against his Redeemer,s in that from the Justice of
Jehovah God all men are condemned to death. 6 Thus it is man's
injustice that punishes him. (God Messiah granting, this may be
set forth in better fashion.)
3581. By the dust of the land in the inmost sense is meant all
guilt which is hereditary. For since by the lanil is meant the hu
man body and at the same time its natural mind, this being the land
that was damned in Adam, so that it should bring forth only thorns
and thistles [Gen. 3 18 ], and thus evils which continually rise up,
as can be evident in respect to original sin, therefore, there is
nothing whatever in man which is not evil from his very infancy.
This then is the dust of the land in its inmost signification.
3582. This dust of the land, when smitten by Aaron's rod, that
is to say, when aroused by the power of God Messiah, brings forth
• [Crossed off:] thus to a crime against Him.
• [Crossed off:l being redeemed by the justice of the Messiah. Therefore
it is injustice that condemns man.
168 II Ad. 1986-1989
EXODUS VIII: 16-17 [3583-85
things which bite 7 like pestiferous insects, here called lice; and this
in all the land of Egypt, because by the land of Egypt is signified
the same as above, [no 3581], namely, the natural man. This is the
consequence of inverted order, for, like dust when beaten, these
things continually rise up and torment man.
3583. And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with
his rod, and smote the dust of the land, and it becanne a swarm of
lice Vn man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice Vn all
the land of Egypt (vs. 17). When this dust is smitten by the
power of God Messiah, it then becomes a swarm of lice in every man
and in every beast. Here, by man is meant the spiritual man, and
by beast the natural man; for the natural man is not a man but a
beast, being actuated in the same way as a beast, namely, solely by
the torrent of his cupidities, which he favors by the help of the ra-
tional mind. Respecting the beast, that it is antichrist, see the
Apocalypse chapters 16 and 17.
3584. Since then it is original sin that is signified, therefore it
is now said that this dust became a louse both in man and in beast;
for there is not a man in whom that sin when aroused does not do its
biting. Here therefore we do not yet read that the sons of Israel
were exempt, for until they repent they also suffer like bitings. 8
3585. Of the land of Egypt we have spoken above [n. 3581],
namely, that it signifies that part in man which is called the natural
man; for man consists of a spiritual man and a natural. This dust
arises from the natural man and torments the intellectual mind
wherein the spiritual man and the natural meet together; for there
a combat takes place, being a combat between death and life.
Thus, in the merely natural man, who is here called a beast, comes
remorse of conscience. Otherwise there is no spiritual combat,
though there is a kind of torment of the mind, but a torment aris-
ing from natural causes in the body. Hence they also have tor-
ments, these being called diseases, the curing of which is entrusted
to medical men. In the spiritual man, however, this is vain; such
a man cannot be restored save by God Messiah alone. 9
7 Mordeo, to bite, consume; hence the word mOl·S'U$ (remorse, biting).
8See the preceding note.
• In the autograph, the latter part of this paragraph is emphasized by two
uN B's" written in the margin.
II Ad. 1990-1992 169
3586. And the enchanters did so with their enchantments to

bring forth lice, but they could not. Yet was the swarm of lice in
man, and in beast (vs. 18). Magicians can never arouse the bitings
of conscience, such bitings being combats between the spiritual man
and the natural; for magicians have no force against the spiritual
man and, consequently, cannot arouse combat. It was different in
the preceding case, in that they were able to raise up frogs [chap.
8 7 ], this being the native work of evil spirits; but they are not able
to arouse original sins, for these cannot be aroused save by life it
self. Death cannot arouse life into combat, but life can arouse
death, although it appears as if death were doing this; this, how
ever, is a fallacy, especially in the man who judges of all things
naturally. Therefore we read in the text, Yet was the swarm of
lice in man, and in beast; and nevertheless the magicians could not
bring forth, that is, bring forth that dust or original sin whence
comes the swarm of lice. In themselves these words seem obscure,
but if they be evolved, it becomes clearly evident that it is original
sin which would be brought forth, to the end that those bitings or
lice might exist which miserably trouble man.
3587. And the enchante1's said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger
of God (vs. 19). The same thing is now evident from their own
confession, namely, that no one can arouse man's conscience to re
morse or torment save God Messiah himself. Therefore it is the
finger of God.! Man's injustice condemns him, and the Messiah's
justice saves him; or, crime brings death to man, and the Messiah's
satisfaction for man brings him life. Thus combat is waged be
tween death and life, being in a certain image like that in the Mes
siah, who conquered death, that is, the devil.
3588. Yet was Pharaoh's heart made stiff, and he heard them
not; as Jeho'Vah had spoken (vs. 19). With respect to the stiffen
ing of the heart, see above [n. 3530, 354fl].
EXODUS VIII
flO And J ehovah said unto Moses, Rise up in the morning at
dawn, and stand before Pharaoh; 10, he goeth forth unto the wa
ters; and say unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Send my people away,
that they may serve me.
t [Crossed off:) that is, the power
170 II Ad. 1993-1995
EXODUS VIII: ~0-3~
n For if thou send not my people away, behold, I will send

upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into
thy houses, a swarm of noxious flying things; and the houses of
Egypt shall be filled with the swarm of noxious flying things, and
also the ground whereon they are.
~~ And I will make marvellous in that day the land of Goshen,
whereon my people standeth, that no swarm of noxious flying
things be there; whereby thou mayest know that I am J ehovah in
the midst of the land.
~3 For I will set redemption between my people and thy people:
tomorrow shall this sign be.
~4 And J ehovah did so; and there came a great swarm of
noxious flying things into the house of Pharaoh, and into the
house of his servants; and in all the land of Egypt the land was
destroyed from the faces of 2 the swarm.
~5 Therefore Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, Go
ye, sacrifice [to your God S] in the land.
~6 And Moses said, It is not meet to do so; for we shall sacri
fice to Jehovah our God the abomination of the Egyptians; 10, if
we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes,
will they not stone us?
~7 Therefore we will go a way of three days into the wilder
ness, and will sacrifice to Jehovah our God, as he shall say unto us.
~8 And Pharaoh said, I will send you away, that ye may sacri
fice to Jehovah your God in the wilderness; only in going ye shall
not continue very far; make therefore supplication for me.
~9 And Moses said, Behold, I will go out from-with thee, and
will make supplication unto Jehovah that the swarm of noxious fly
ing things may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from
his people tomorrow; only let not Pharaoh add to mock, that he
send not the people away to sacrifice to Jehovah.
30 So Moses went out from-with Pharaoh, and made supplica
tion unto Jehovah.
31 And Jehovah did according to the word of Moses; and he
made the swarm to depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and
from his people; there remained not one.
I See n. 3596 note.
171
3~ But Pharaoh made heavy his heart this time also, and sent
not the people away.
3589. And now is told the fourth prodigy, being the swarm of
noxious flying things. Respecting this prodigy and those that
follow, the like must be observed as was observed above, n. 3576;
for all the prodigies wrought by God Messiah involve also things
spiritual, as was stated above respecting the manna and the water
from the rock [Exod. 1612- 5 , 17 6 ] ; and so in all other cases.
3590. As regards noxious flying things, these involve such
things as will also trouble men in the end of times, namely, phan
tasies and the insanities arising therefrom, and so diseases, espe
cially the interior diseases which at last break out. For noxious
flying things are no other than those which are aroused by men's
bloods and humors 4 and which thus infest the seat where resides the
imagination and so from this the seat where resides the thought.
3591. That noxious flying things have this signification, not
only follows from the signs preceding in the series, but it is also
confirmed by the next following sign. To wit, [1] From the pre
ceding signs: From the word or prodigy of the frogs [chap. 8 12 ],
that is to say, of evil spirits who infested men; as to the significa
tion of frogs, this the reader may see above 5 [n. 3557, 3563, 3574,
3577]. [~] From the prodigy of the lice-and that these lice in
volve the torments of conscience, is also indicated from what has
preceded [no 3578,3584]. Now follows that which is, as it were,
the effect of these, being the effect of the bitings of conscience; for
in Egyptians, that is to say, in the natural man, when these hitings
recede there come into existence direful phantasies arising there
from. This is well known; for when the mind has been torn, there
then remains a state so feeble that it succumbs to every inrushing
phantasy-as can be clearly learned from causes confirmed by ex
perience. From phantasies arise innumerable species of insanities,
being sometimes of such a nature that the subjects are plainly de
lirious. Thus the phantasies invade the entire body and bring the
whole man into a miserable state. That such phantasies will exist
in the end of time, can be evident from what has been said.
3592. But these noxious flying things, that is to say, these
phantasies, can exist with none but natural men or Egyptians.
• Swedenborg first wrote "blood and humor."
• [Crossed off:} namely, their actual crimes.
17~ II Ad. 1996-1999
EXODUS VIII: ~O [3593
They cannot exist with spiritual men or sons of Israel, for these are
not weakened by the like pangs of conscience but are strengthened,
such things being beneficial to them to the end that the man may
know himself and so may confess his crimes. These God Messiah
then heals from inmosts, as previously He has healed their open
wounds. This is the reason why in the text it is said for the first
time that this swarm of noxious flying things was not to appear in
Goshen where were the sons of Israel, but only in Egypt (vs. ~~) ;
and this for the plain reason that God Messiah will bring them help
and healing; for this is stated in verse ~3, where we read: " For I
will set redemption between my people and thy people." What is
redemption without a redeemer? Man is redeemed by God Mes
siah alone. Thus there can be no power to injure them-accord
ing to what is said below; see the end [of this Tome] at the sign
1ih where
the cunning of evil spirits is treated of. 6
3593. [And Jehovah said unto Moses, Rise up in the morning
at dau:n, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he goeth forth unto the
waters; and say unto him, Thus saith J ehovah, Send my people
away, that they may serve me], vs. ~O. Pharaoh then went out to
the waters, that is to say, to the waters of that stream wherein the
frogs remained, these being evil spirits; consequently, to such
things as arouse phantasies, as stated above [no 3590-1].*
• No paragraph marked hh, nor indeed any unnumbered writing is now to
be found at the end of the tome referred to (Codex 60). There are, however,
strong grounds for believing that while writing the present exposition of the
Word in Codices 60 and 61, Swedenborg used the end pages of these volumes
to enter from time to time paragraphs containing spiritual experiences, and
that subsequently after extracting these pages and gathering them together, he
numbered the paragraphs and noted them in the Index to his 1Jlemorabil'ia as
the opening paragraphs of that work. Of these paragraphs, nos. 1-148 in
clusive are now lost. (See above, n. !iI!iI!iI7 note, !il531 note, and 303!i1 note; see
also Introduction to the Word E:cpla'ined, p. 1!i13 note !iI.) The paragraph re
ferred to in the present text is probably n. 77 of the Memorabilia. According
to the Index of the latter work, this number shows" That cunning and malig
nant spirits seduce learned men and acute philosophers more easily than others,
because with these they are able to twist together many falses" (s. v. Dodus,
Philosophia); " That the cunning and malice of certain spirits when it is per
mitted them to infuse cupidities and persuasions, cannot be described. Their
character is hardly known save from their end" (s. v. Dolus, Finis, Malitia,
Persuasio); "That even the most cunning and malignant have no power" (s. v.
Potentia).
* After writing two paragraphs (our n. 3594) in explanation of verse !ill,
II Ad. ~oo~ 173
3594. [For if thou send not my people away, behold, I will send
upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into
thy houses, a swarm of noxious flying things; and the houses of
Egypt shall be filled with the swarm of noxious flying things, and
also the ground whereon they are], vs. fll. By sending upon Pha
raoh, upon his servants, upon his people, and into his houses, the
like is signified as was stated above [n. 8561] in respect to the
frogs, which the reader may consult; for it is evil spirits who rouse
up these phantasies, and they desire nothing more than miserably
to rend man, by acting into his direful
phantasies and so into actions similar thereto. As regards the
nature of this crew, when, by permission, it is acted on by a
leader such as is treated of at lili, this no one can believe except
from actual experience. They have no other intention than to
pervert all things that are in the imagination and thought; for
then, that is to say, when man is in phantasy, they are aroused
and begin to know, as it were, that they themselves are not men.
Hence their savageness. 7
3595. [And I will make marvellous in that day the land of
Goshen, whereon my people standeth, that no swarm of noxious
flying things be there; whereby thou mayest know that I am J e
hovah in the midst of the land. For I will set redemption between
my people and thy people; tomorrow shall this sign be], vss. flfl
and fl8. See above n. 859fl.
3596. [And Jehovah did so; and there came a great swarm of
noxious flying things into the house of Pharaoh, and into the house
of his servants; and in all the land of Egypt the land was destroyed
Swedenborg saw that he had omitted the explanation of verse fJO. He then
supplied this omission in the next following paragraph; and with a view to
changing this order of the paragraphs when the work was prepared for the
press, he wrote in a blank space immediately preceding our n. 359fJ, " For verse
~O, see after verse fJl." Subsequently, when he came to number these para
graphs, he lost sight of this direction and numbered the paragraphs in the order
in which they had been actually written (see n. W96 note). Thus the explana
tion of verse fJl was numbered ~OOO, fJOOl (our n. 3594), while that of verse fJO
was numbered ~OOfJ. In the translation we have followed Swedenborg's direc
tions and have inserted n. 2002 (our n. 3593) in front of n. fJOOO-l (our. n.
3594).
1 This indented paragraph is not cited in the Author's Index to his Memo
rabilia. As to the sign M, see n. 359~ note.

174 II Ad. flOOO, fl001, fl008
EXODUS VIII: ~1-~6 [3597-98
from the faces of 8 the swarm], vs. ~4. This likewise can be under
stood from what has been said [in n. 359~J. The words, the land
was destroyed from the faces of the swarm, very plainly declare
that that is involved which was treated of above [n. 3559, 3~81].
That is to say, since the body is subject to the earth, just as the
earth is subject to the atmospheres, from the faces of the swarm can
signify nothing else than the interiors which are infested by that
swarm. In the present text, and also' previously, these interiors are
called faces, and it is by them that the body itself is destroyed.
And now, as it is in the individual, so is it in all that herd and flock
which is composed of individuals.
3597. [Therefore Pharaoh called Moses mnd Aaron, and said,
Go ye, sacrifice (to your God 9) itn the lwnd], vs. ~5. In such trou
blous circumstances, Egyptians, or those who are signified by
Egyptians, have recourse to men whom they think have been set
over this matter by command of God Messiah, having recourse in
the present instance to sacrifices, and in the end of times, to suppli
cation for themselves, as can be evident from verse ~8.
~59_~. [And Moses sa,id, It is not meet to do so; for we shall
sacnfiCe to Jehovah our God the abomination of the Egyptians; lo,
if we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes,
will they not stone us?] vs. ~6. As to what the abomination of the
Egyptians is, this is explained in the verse itself, to wit, that it is
sacrifices and, consequently, in the inmost sense, supplications to
God Messiah; for th~y' who worship other gods, as do those who
worship men whom they have made saints for the~ke gf their own
profit and for the sake of idolatry to the end_th!:t they may hold
men in idolatry lest their profit" etc., be withdrawn, ca{1 never wor
ship God.M.~ssiah,_this being to t~em ~~~~on. Th~iI·lV~s
si~ they s.!ly i~~e Pontiff, and when adoring him, they sometimes
adore _a man defiled by unspeakable criJ!les. How then can they
worship God Messiah who is most holy? Therefore to them this is
an abomination, being a communion of Him who is most holy with
men who are profa.!1e. What then is the worship of God Messiah
in_ c_0!!1pa!.1y ,!ith the idolatrous worship of men, etc., etc.! If,
therefore, the worship of God Messiah were to take place in their
8 According to Hebrew usage fl'om the faces of means fl'om before or
before.
II Ad. ~004-~005
175
S599-860~] THE WORD EXPLAINED
sight, they would stone the wo~hiP'p~rs, for these will then ~m
inate t~iLpontiff or a~st. That eatin bread wiful~e
brews is an abomination to the Egyptians, see above, Genesis 4832 •
3599. [Therefore we will go a way of three days into the wil
derness, and will so.<:rifice to J ehovah our God, as he shall say unto
us], vs. ~7. As touching a way of three days, this signifies the time
from the first reformation to the last. Thus on the third day the
sons of Israel will make sacrifices; that is to say, in the end of days
they will institute supplications and such things as pertain to wor
ship, exactly according to the commands of God Messiah. There
fore we read, We will so.<:rifice to Jehovah our God, as he shall say
unto us.
3600. It is said in the text that they would go into the wilder
ness, that is to say, to a place where will be present no Egyptian
peopie to which these sacrifices are as an abomination, seeing that
they will be holy. Pharaoh also speaks concerning the wilderness
[vs. ~8], and this, that he might separate himself from them. Of
this wilderness we read above in chapter 8 1 , that there was the
Mountain of God, that is, God Messiah. It was there also that
Aaron met Moses, chapter 427 •
3601. [And Pharaoh said, I will send you away, that ye may
so.<:rifice to Jehovah your God in the wilderness; only in going ye
shall not continue very far; make therefore supplication for me],
vs. ~8. Here Pharaoh's intention is made known, to wit, that he
would permit them to go into the wilderness, but not far, and this
lest they should depart from him and he be thus deprived of their
labor and so of gain. That his will was to act deceitfully against
them, see above, chapter 110 • Thus what he carried in his heart is
made manifest. Hence it is clear that it is no wonder that he
" made heavy his heart" as we read later, verse 8~.
3602. [And Moses said, Behold, I will go out from-with thee,
and will make supplication unto J ehovah that the swarm of noxious
flying things may depart from Pha,raoh, from his servants, and
from his people tomorrow; only let not Pharaoh add to mock, that
he send not the people away to so.<:rifice to Jehovah. So Moses went
out from-with Pharaoh, and made supplication unto Jehovah. And
Jehovah did according to the word of Moses; and he made the
swarm ,to depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his
people; there remained not one], vs. ~9, 80, and 31. Here we read
176 II Ad. ~OO6-~009
EXODUS IX: 1-7 [3603-04
that Pharaoh, together with the Egyptians, was delivered from this
evil. But sometimes the reason also is added, namely, that by His
miracles God Messiah 1 might demonstrate not only to the Jewish
people but also to the entire globe, that He alone is to be wor
shipped and none other whatsoever; for He alone is the Redeemer
and Mediator, and He alone it is who gives faith, etc. Whether
this applies to the end of times, must be a matter of doubt, for
[then] unlike the peoples of that time men have not only miracles
but also the Word of God Messiah. 2
3603. [But Pharaoh made heavy hi-s heart this time also, and
sent not the people away], vs. 3~. Concerning the making heavy
of Pharaoh's heart, see above [n. 85~5 seq.].
EXODUS IX
1 Wherefore Jehovah said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh,
and speak unto him, Thus saith Jehovah the God of the Hebrews,
Send my people away that they may serve me.
~ For if thou refuse to send them away, and still holdest them,
3 Behold, the hand of Jehovah shall be against thy cattle which
is in the field, against the horses, against the asses, against the
camels, against the herd, and against the flock, a pestilence exceed
ing grievous.
4 But Jehovah shall marvellously distinguish between the cattle
of Israel and the cattle of the Egyptians; and there shall nothing
die of all that belongeth to the sons of Israel.
5 And Jehovah appointed a set time, saying, To morrow Je
hovah shall do this thing in the land.
6 So Jehovah did this thing on the morrow, and all the cattle
of the Egyptians died: but of the cattle of the sons of Israel died
not one.
7 For Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not dead of the cat
tle of Israel even one. Yet the heart of Pharaoh was made heavy,
and he sent not the people away.
3604. When therefore those plagues had preceded, to wit, the
three plagues in successive series which, as was shown [n. 3551-~,
1 Swedenborg first wrote "J ebovah Himself."
• In the autograph, the latter half of this paragraph is emphasized by .. N

B " written in the margin.
II Ad. ~010-~011 177
3577] flow from the damnation of those who are signified by these
Egyptians, then death necessarily follows; for when insanity oc
cupies the whole man, that is to say, occupies his whole body from
interiors to outmosts so that he raves as one in frenzy, then he is
necessarily precipitated into the last agony. In the inmost sense,
however, what is here meant is the spiritual death which results
from these plagues and which is caned pestilence (vs. 3).
3605. By " cattle" here [vs. 3] as previously and everywhere
in the Word of God Messiah, are meant men. These, like cattle,
are distinguished according to their animus and disposition, it be
ing no other with natural men than as with cattle, though men
enjoy the gift of reasoning, but by this gift they merely favor
their animus, which is aroused in the same way as in cattle. There
fore they are worse; for cattle act no otherwise than according to
their nature, and indeed many of them act so rightly according to
the order of nature and her laws, that they are types and exemplars
of society. Nay, they know many things of themselves which man
must learn by the sciences and experience. Therefore, as to nat
ural men, who are ignorant of divine order and of the laws of
order drawn from the Word of God Messiah, that is to say, who
do not obey those laws because they do not have faith except in
him who leads them-to call them cattle is a mild expression.
Wberefore they are also called wild beasts.
3606. [Wherefore Jeho'lIah said unto Moses, Go Vn unto Pha
raoh, and speak unto him, Thus saith J ehovah the God of the He
brews, Send my people away that they may serve me. For if thou
refuse to send them away, and still holdest them], vs. 1,~. Like
words occur previously [chap. 8 1 ,2,20,21], and these passages the
reader may consult. They regard such things in the end of days.s
3607. [Behold, the hand of J ehovah shall be again.st thy cattle
which is in the field, against the horses, against the a9ses, again-st the
camels, again.st the herd, and against the flock, a pestilence exceed
ing grievous], vs. 3. In the present case it is not said that Aaron
lifted up his rod and so smote that the cattle died; and by this it is
indicated that the cattle had died from the plagues previously men
s [Here comes the following unnumbered paragraph which is crossed off by
the Author:] Verse 3. There was a pestilence, but as is the case in pestilence,
all did not die; for those things survived which the hail etc., killed, as told later
[vs. ~5]. But all that cattle died which was merely cattle, namely
178 II Ad. ~OU-~013
EXODUS IX: 1-3 [3608
tioned; for it is told in chapter 8 24 that" the land was destroyed

from the faces of the swarm," that is to say, was so afHicted by these
devastations and plagues that it died.'
3608. It must here be observed that the preceding signs concern
the entire globe, it being from these plagues that the cattle died;
for they are five in number and together involve 5 all men of what-
soever doctrine, to whom the Word of God Messiah comes. The
plagues that now follow, however, concern specifically those who will
perish in the sea of Suph [chap. 1428 ], the present text dealing
with the cattle which, in this verse, is distributed into its classes.
That all the cattle did not die, is clearly evident from some of the
later miracles. There we read concerning the pustulous boils, that
they grew in man and in beast (vs. 10), and later, concerning the
hail and fire, that these also consumed the beast (vs. ~3-~5 "').
Thus by cattle in the present text are meant all those who are now
recounted, to wit: The cattle which shall be in the field, that is, those
who live not in the wilderness or in ignorance as do many gentile
nations, but in the field where is the harvest and pasture, being those
among whom is the Word of God Messiah. They are here enum-
erated as follows: AgaVnst the horses, that is, against those who are
called intelligent, but yet are furnished only with natural intelli-
gence, it being these who are signified by horses, both here and else-
where; otherwise there would have been no need of enumerating the
different species [of cattle]' Agailnst the asses, that is, against the
stupid who are opposed to the intelligent as asses are here opposed
to horses. Against the camels who ~re their leaders and are called
prelates; for camels are animals which carry their lord and his
household and by their size they excel other animals, whether the
latter be intelligent or stupid, provided only they are in the field,
that is, in light concerning God Messiah. Agailnst the herd, that
is, against their subjects who worship them, or over whom they are
set as over laborers, and whom they call their herd which they feed.
Also agailnst the flock, it being the flock whom they nourish by their
doctrine, and the herd those who serve them. For the flock con-
sists of sheep, whom they so call, while the herd consists of oxen
• The latter third of this paragraph is emphasized by "N B" written in
the margin.
• [Crossed off:l those Mohammedans, thus-
* The autograph has" 20 and 21."
II Ad. 9l014-~015 179
and bullocks who are laborers and dig their field and thus bring
them bread for their mouth. This death is called a pestilence aris
ing from those spiritual diseases of which we have spoken above
[no 3585,3590], for the diseases were among the Egyptians.
3609. [But J ehovah shall marvellously distmguish between the
cattle of Israel anu1 the cattle of the Egyptians; and there shall
nothing die of all that belongeth to the sons of Israel], vs. 4. The
people Israel is also called cattle, both here and also above where
Jacob and Laban are treated of [Gen. 30 32 *]. There Laban's
goats and sheep are likewise called "cattle" and "flock," as also
are Jacob's; for the same word, relatively to those of whom it is
predicated, has different significations. Jacob's flock consisted of
sheep and lambs who were to be reformed, but Laban's flock of
those who were to be rejected. Every single man is a cattle from
birth, but he becomes a man by regeneration.
3610. Thus none of the cattle of the sons of Israel died, because,
as stated above [n. 359~], the plagues signified by the frogs, the
lice, and the noxious flying things could not kil1 them, and this by
reason of the cause spoken of above and which is told in chapter
8 23 ; for redemption was set between the people of Israel and the
people of Pharaoh.
.3611. [And Jehovah appointed a set tvrne, saying, To morro'U'
J ehovah shall do this thing in the land], vs. 5. The time is fixed
and is called tomorrow. In the inmost sense, by " the next day"
is signified the end of days, for with Jehovah God tomorrow is time
to come just as " to day" is all time, nay, in the supreme sense, is
from eternity to eternity. Thus in the supreme sense tomorrow
signifies the eternity which is to come after the end of times. The
end itself is the fixed time which is here told.
3612. [So Jehovah aid this thing on the morrow, anu1 all the
cattle of the Egyptians died; but of the cattle of the sons of Israel
died not one], vs. 6. These words can be understood from what
* In the texts in question POCU8 (cattle) represents the translation of two
different Hebrew words. In Exodus 94 the Hebrew is 1"1~~~ meaning an acqui
8ition, and consequently cattle including sheep and goats; in the Arcana
Coolo8tia Swedenborg translates this word either catt16 or acqui8ition according
to the context. In Genesis 3032 the Hebrew is 1"1ff. meaning cattle, including
sheep and goats. In the Arcana Coolestia Swedenborg always translates it
pOCU8.
180 II Ad. flOI6-~019

EXODUS IX: 8-Hl [3613-14
has been said, provided only that when it is said all the cattle, that
cattle be understood which was in the field [vs. 3] but not that which
was in stables and under roof, being men who are entirely ignorant
of the Word of God Messiah. With such men the condition will
be a milder one by reason of the shade in which they are, and so
by re.ason of the fodder which they eat in their stables.
(3613 [For Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not dead of the
cattle of Israel even one. Yet the heart of Phamoh was made
heavy, and he sent not the people away], vs. 7. Pha.moh sent sig
nifies spies, which they have in great number, both a~~ng th~m
gbr~s and in the entire lobe, and this because they fear for them
selves lest they be deprived of th ir aiIls and so of their pleasures.
-With respect to the making heavy of Pharaoh's heart, see ~ ove
[n. 35~5 seq.].
EXODUS IX
8 Therefore Jehovah said unto Moses, and Aaron, Take to you
of the ash of the furnace the fulness of your fists, and let Moses
scatter it toward heaven before the eyes of Pharaoh.
9 And it shall become dust upon the entire land of Egypt; and
it shall be upon man and upon beast, a boil growing with pustules,
in the entire land of Egypt.
10 And they took the ash of the furnace, and stood before
Pharaoh; and Moses scattered it toward heaven; and it became a
boil of pustules, growing in man, and in beast.
11 So that even the enchanters could not stand before Moses
because of the boil; for the boil was upon the enchanters, and upon
all the Egyptians.
Hl But Jehovah stiffened the heart of Pharaoh, and he heard
them not; as J ehovah had spoken unto Moses.
3614. The seventh prodigy was a pustulous boil, or a boil grow
ing with pustules in man and in the land. This signifies blasphemy
against God Messiah. Thus the pustulous boils signify the blas
phemies which arise from the former plagues, that is to say, from
those who are spiritually dead, as pestilence arises from dead bodies;
for they who are spiritually dead continually blaspheme God Mes
siah. Hence arise blasphemies, as we read " in man and in beast"
[vs. 10].
11 Ad. ~0~0-~09l9l 181
In the Apocalypse, chapter 162 , John also speaks of a noisome

boil, being the prodigy shown by the first angel; but pustulous boils
are actual contagions arising from the dead, being thus the fires
of the heart. These do indeed lie concealed, but they break out
into blasphemies like hail, as can be evident from the next or eighth
prodigy, being the hail. Pestilential boils, therefore, as was said,
are what arise from the dead as from pestiferous effiuvia. There
fore previously, in verse 3, death itself is called" a pestilence ex
ceeding grievous," the pestilence being assumed for the cause of the
pestilence; for death is not a pestilence but is the cause of pestilence,
arising from an almost similar cause, that is to say, from noxious
flying things, being those which fly in the air. The words of God
Messiah himself explain this more fully. [Confer Matt. ~428;
Luke 1737 .]
3615. [Therefore Jehovah said unto Moses, and Aaron, Take to
you of the ash of the furnace the fulness of your fists, and let Moses
scatter it toward heaven before the eyes of Pharaoh], vs. 8. Moses
is commanded to take of the ash of the furnace, the fullness of fists.
By fists here is meant also the hand which previously Moses had
stretched forth. Thus fist has the same signification as hand, which
denotes the power so to aet which was given him, from which came
the execution from the Word of God Messiah, that is to say, from
God Messiah himself. By the ash of the furnace are meant those
pestilential fires and so the fiery contagions which, like the ash of
a furnace, burn inmostly and latently. That Moses should scatter
it toward heaven signifies the comparison thereof with those pestif
erous contagions which infect the very air, that is to say, which in
fect heaven, as here understood. This signifies, I repeat, that these
inmost fires creep up into human minds, man's heaven being his
mind, and thus infect the whole man. Then from man's heaven,
that is to say, from his mind, comes blasphemy. Here however, it
is only contagion that is treated of.
3616. These prodigies, as in the present case, could never have
existed as they did, had they not deeply involved the things here
stated. Otherwise, why should it have been commanded that Moses
take of the ash of the furnace and that he scatter it toward heaven?
So also in some of the prodigies that follow. 6
• [The following unnumbered paragraph is here crossed off by the
Author:] These ashes were to become dust upon the entire land of Egypt: and
18~ II Ad. ~O~3-~O~5
EXODUS IX: 8-9 [3617
3617. [And it shall become dust upon the entire land of Egypt;
and it shall be upon man and upon beast, a boil growing with pus
tules, in the entire land of Egypt], vs. 9. This evil is again de
scribed as being contagious; and it is called a boil growing with
pustules, wherein lies pus arising from the inner blood. 7 It is said
that it would become d~£st not unlike 8 what was previously said
concerning that which was to arise from the dust of the land, from
which came lice [chap. 8 17 ]. There, hereditary evil is called" the
dust of the land," from which come lice, that is to say, the bitings
of conscience [nos. 3584-5] ; but here the dust is superadded evil
which becomes the same as hereditary evil; for actual evil also takes
root and adds itself to the evil received by inheritance from Adam.
This, therefore, is said to become the dust of the land, wherefrom
broke out this boil. It is twice said that this was done in the entire
land of Egypt, both" in man and in beast" [vs. 9, 10], and so in
the same way in Egypt as in Goshen, where was the people Israel,
no one being exempt from this evil. The contagions do indeed
occupy both Egypt and Israel but in a different way. They so
occupy Egypt that it breaks out into blasphemies like the hail, of
which we shall speak presently; but not so with Goshen. The
crew of the devil does indeed bring in like things and these endeavor
to take root; but still they do not break out into act. Thus they
are blasphemies of the devil but not of the man from himself, seeing
that the man does not consent, although he supposes that they are
from himself; for whatever the devil is permitted to pour into man,
is so communicated to the man that the devil thinks it to be the
man's and the man thinks it to be his own. Respecting this com
munication, see above [no 1149, 3394].
That these contagions crept in among the sons of Israel, can
be evident from the words, not only because it is said of the dust
that it was present in the entire land of Egypt and likewise that it
became a boil in the entire land of Egypt, but also because it is
it shall be upon man and upon beast, a boil growing with pustules, in the en
t-ire land of Egypt (vs. 9). [Here] this evil is further described as a pestif
erous or contagious boil; for it is called a boil growing with P'Ustules wherein
lies pus. There are many species of boils, just as there are many species of
pestilencies arising from contagions. It is said in the entire I{lOO of Egypt-
T [Crossed off:] that is, from a fire of this nature.
S [Crossed off:] the fall, that is, the hereditary evil arising from the dust
of the land. I
II Ad. ~0~6-~0~7 183

3618-~~] THE WORD EXPLAINED
said that this was the case both" in man and in beast" [vs. 10].
It is said man because he is spiritual, and beast because he is natural.
It is evident also from the fact that here we do not read that the
place where dwelt the sons of Israel was exempt, as we read later
(vs. ~6) when the hail is spoken of.
3618. It is said in the entire land of Egypt. What is meant by
the land of Egypt has been told above En. 3581-~, 3585], namely,
that part of man which is called the natural man. Hence we read
that this dust and the boil was in the entire body, that is, in man's
lower part, the land of Goshen being his superior or spiritual part.
3619. [And they took the ash of the furnace, and stood before
Pharaoh; and Moses scattered it toward heaven; and it became a
boil of pustules, growilng in marn, and in beast], vs. 10. Here the
effect is described and this in almost the same words, in order that
these significations may be confirmed.
3620. The magicians could by no means have done this prodigy
because they were full of boils from head to foot, that is, from the
more interior to things outmosts. This is described in these words:
The enchanters could not stand before Moses because of the boil;
for the boil was upon the enchanters, and upon all the Egyptians
(vs. 11). By all the Egyptians is signified the whole man from
head to foot; for the many are likened to a single man and his many
members, motor forces, etc., among which is a form of government
and so a kingdom, as also it is called.
3621. Here it must be remembered 9 that by the cattle among
the Egyptians, as in this chapter [verse 3] and also here, is not
meant cattle. The prodigy was exactly as described, and it was
done as stated; but this involves the things that have now been told.
So also with the acts of the lives of the patriarchs. In the histori
cal and proximate sense, they were such as described, but still they
involve heavenly arcana; as, for instance, those acts which are also
expounded by similitudes; likewise the things which have so fre
quently been shown above, concerning tents, that they represented
the tabernacle, etc., etc.
3622. [But Jehovah stiffened the heart of Pharaoh, and he
heard them not; as J ehovah had spoken unto Moses], vs. 1~. Con
• 'Ve have here omitted the words" that it is never to be understood" be
cause they form part of an unfinished sentence which Swedenborg only par
tially crossed off.
184
EXODUS IX: 10-35
cerning the making firm of Pharaoh's heart, the reader may see
what has been said above [n. 35915 se9· J.
EXODUS IX
13 Therefore Jehovah said unto Moses, Rise up in the morn
ing at dawn, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus
saith Jehovah the God of the Hebrews, Send my people away, that
they may serve me.
14 For this time I might have sent all my plagues upon thine
heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou
mightest know that there is none like me in all the earth.
15 For now I might have sent forth my hand, and have smitten
thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou hadst been cut off
from the earth.
16. But for this cause have I made thee to stand, that I may
shew thee my power; and that my name may be told in all the earth.
17 Dost thou yet exalt thyself against my people,. that thou
send them not away?
18 Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a
very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the founda
tion thereof even until now,
19 Yet send thou, gather thy cattle, and all that is thine in the
field; whatsoever man and beast there shall be found in the field,
and shall not be gathered to the house, the hail shall come down
upon them, and they shall die.
910 He among the servants of Pharaoh that feared the word of
Jehovah made his servants and his cattle flee unto the houses:
911 And he that set not his heart unto the word of J ehovah left
his servants and his cattle in the field.
9l9l Then Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand
toward heaven, and there shall be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon
man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, in the land
of Egypt.
913 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and
Jehovah gave voices and hail, and fire came down to the earth; and
J ehovah made hail to rain upon the land of Egypt.
914 So there was hail, and fire mingling itself in the midst of the
hail, very grievous, such as hath not been in all the land of Egypt
since it became a nation.
185
~5 And the hail smote, in all the land of Egypt, all that was
in the field, from man even to beast; and the hail smote every herb
of the field, and brake every wood of the field.
~6 Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were,
was there no hail.
~7 Therefore Pharaoh sent, and called Moses and Aaron, and
said unto them, I have sinned this time: J ehovah is righteous, and
I and my people are wicked.
~8 Make supplication unto J ehovah that it may be enough to
have made the voices of J ehovah and the hail; for I will send you
away, and ye shall not continue any more.
~9 And Moses said unto him, When I am gone out of the city,
I will stretch out my hands unto J ehovah; the voices shall cease,
and the hail shall be no more; that thou mayest know that to Je
hovah belongeth the earth.
30 But thou and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear
for yourselves before the faces of Jehovah God.
31 And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was
a ripening ear, and the flax was a stalk.
3~ But the wheat and the spelt were not smitten: for they were
hidden.
33 And Moses went out of the city from-with Pharaoh, and
stretched out his hands unto J ehovah: and the voices and hail
ceased, and the rain flowed not down upon the earth.
34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain ceased, and the hail
and the voices, he sinned yet more; for he made heavy his heart,
he and his servants.
35 The heart of Pharaoh (I say 1) stiffened, and he sent not
the sons of Israel away; as J ehovah had spoken by Moses.
3623. Now follows a prodigy which is a consequence of the
preceding prodigy-but in the Egyptian or natural man. This
prodigy consists of hail, with fire and thunder, so great that the
like had never before been in Egypt.
As to how this prodigy is a consequence of the preceding, this
cannot appear unless we evolve what the prodigy signifies in the
spiritual sense, and thus what it involves in the sense which regards
the end of times. It must be observed that hail is also mentioned
1 Added by Schmidius.
186
EXODUS IX: 13 [3624-25
by John, at the end of the last seven plagues in the Apocalypse,

chapter 162 1, where we read: " A great hail, as of the weight of a
talent, came down upon men out of heaven; and men blasphemed
God because of the plague of the hail ; for the plague thereof was
exceeding great." It is evident, therefore, that hail signifies blas
phemies against God which exist actually; and this with fire, which
is the anger within the blasphemy against God and which is called
a curse, such as exists in the heart of the devil; for he curses be
cause he is cursed.
3624. And now as to how this plague follows the previous one,
this can be evident from the very series. The pustulous boils were
pestiferous contagions, as it were, from which similar boils break
out; for the boils carry within themselves, that pest which breaks
out into blasphemies and curses-curses which fall back upon those
who curse. These are here signified by the hail and fire, and are
several times called voices, as seen from the text.
3625. [Therefore Jehovah said unto Moses, Rise up Vn the
morning at dawn, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto hinn,
Thus saith Jehovah the God of the Hebrews, Send my people away,
that they may serve me], vs. 13. Here occur the same words as in
a former passage [Exod. 820], the words here being merely that
Jehovah said unto Moses, Rise up Vn the morning at dawn. What
the morning is, and what dawn 2 has been told above En. 1445,
1459J, ~mely _the end of tiIl1e ~hich, fo! sons of Israel will be
morning and dawn. This, therefore, is said to Moses their leader.
But for Egyptians this same time is evening; for what is described
is the great day, as stated several times above. God Messiah is here
called the God of the Hebrews, by way of distinction from the gods
who were then in Egypt; for, with respect to the idols of the
Egyptians, it is clear, for the rest, of what kind they were and how
deformed. He is also so called by way of distinction from the
gods who are with those whl? worship men in place of God Mes~i~h,
a~dj~ ge~al wh~'YQ.rsEip themsel~es and the things -;lii~4 they
R~S' God Messiah is called the God of the Hebrews because,
li~e the Hebrews _themse~ves, he was_an abomination to the Egyp
• The Hebrew which Schmidius translates Surge mane sub auroram (Rise
up in the morning at dawn) is '~::l~ r:l.~~~ which is more literally translated
" Rise up early in the morning."
II Ad. ~035-~036 187
36~6-~9] THE WORD EXPLAINED
tians; also because thus he was said to be the God of all the de
s~~dants of Seth [Gen. 1021 ], and consequently, of those who re
ceive their name through Seth; for Seth 3 was blessed above his
brethren [Gen. 9 26 ].
3626. [For this time I might have sent all my plagues upon
thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou
mightest know that the1'e is none like me in all the earth], vs. 14.
When those pestiferous boils occupy man, then, unless that re
demption intervene, of which we have spoken above [n. 3495,
3610], certain death awaits him. Therefore it is said in the text,
that the God of the Hebrews might have sent all the plagues pro
ceeding from His justice; for these plagues are now concentrated
and were present in the cause, seeing that they already had deadly
boils. That as yet He held back from destroying the Egyptian,
was on account of causes spoken of in this chapter [vs. 16]. Death
came afterwards, however, namely, the death of the firstborn and
then, in the sea of Suph, the death of all. What is signified by
heart, servants, and people, in the individual Egyptian man, may
be seen explained above [n. 3561].
3627. [For now I might have sent forth my hand, and have
smitten thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou hadst been cut
off from the earth], vs. 15. What is now meant in this text, is
what is signified by the death of the cattle, the herd and the flock
of the Egyptians, spoken of above in verse 3, and which is there
called "a pestilence exceeding grievous" ; for those signs pre
figured the signs that follow. Thus, in the spiritual sense, the
pestilence of the cattle prefigured the pestilence of men, as also was
stated [n. 3608].
3628. [But for this cause have I made thee to stand, that I may
shew thee my power; aM that my name ma,y be told in all the earth],
vs, 16. Here is stated the cause of this plague, by reason whereof
the last plague, respecting which see chapter 14,* had not as yet
come.
3629. [Dost thmL yet exalt thyself against my people, that thmL
send them not away?], vs. 17. So likewise here; but it is indicated
• As in several other cases which we have noted (n. 1563 note) the name
" ~" in this passage seems to indicate Shem the son of Noah, and" the
father of all the sons of Eber" or Heber, Gen. 1021.
* The autograph has" verse 14." Confer n, 3954.
188 II Ad. ~037-~040
EXODUS IX: 14-18 [3630
in the preceding verse, because the God of the Hebrews willed to

show His power, to show, namely, that authority belongs to God
Messiah alone, and that He alone is to be worshipped. This is
expressed by telling his name in all the earth [vs. 16J. In the
present verse, however, it is Pharaoh's pride that is set forth, to
wit, by the words Dost thou yet exalt thyself? thus that he wished
to be supreme even over the people of Israel, whom he vexes and
whom he desires to subdue by cunning, as is the case at this day.
Consequently, he proclaims his own power, and tells his own name,
that is to say, his own worship. .
3630. [Behold, to morrow ahout this time I will cause it to ram
a very grievous hail, such as hath not been m Egypt since the foun-
dation thereof even until now], vs. 18. Here the plague is fore-
told, namely, that to morrow the God of the Hebrews will cause it
to rain a very grievous hail. What is meant by hail may be seen
explained above [no 3617, 36~3-4], namely, blasphemies. When
there is no intervening redemptIon, these rush forth like hail from
those who have been smitten with the former plague, that is to say,
with pustulous boils.
Moreover, the grievousness of the plague is described, to wit, by
the words very grievous, this signifying the superlative. Because
the superlative was not in use, this type of speech sometimes occurs
in order that inferiors may not be confounded with superiors, to
which latter alone the superlative is fitting. Whatever is predi-
cated of a created work in the supreme degree, is its predicate
only in that degree; for" greatest" is fitting only to One, that is,
to Jehovah God, etc., etc. Thus, above, when the created work
is treated of, it is said" very perfect" [Gen. 131 ] ; when Rebekah is
spoken of, "very fair" [Gen. 24 16 ) ; and so forth. Here there-
fore the superlative is expressed in another way, namely, that such
a plague hath not been in Egypt sin<:e the foundation the1·eof.4 So,
in the end of times, the day 5 of the morrow, and up till then, has
regard, in the inmost sense, to that which is about to come in time;
• [Crossed off:] So neither shall it have been in Rome since its foundation.
• In the autograph the words ctastinum diei (the day of the morrow) stand
out at the commencement of a new line. This led Swedenborg to mistake them
for the commencement of a new paragraph which he numbered 2043 j but this
was plainly an error.
II Ad. ~041-~043 189
but in the supreme sense it regards eternity which is to come after

wards.
3631. [Yet send thou, gather thy cattle, and all that is thime im
the field; whatsoever man and beast there shall be found in the field,
and shall not be gathered to the house, the hail shall come down upon
them, and they shall die], vs. 19: Here a manifest distinction is
made between those who had faith and those who had no faith.
Those who had faith are described in verse ~O, and those who had
none in verse ~l. Thus in Egypt also there were those who were
not idolaters, that is to say who did not worship Egyptian idols,
even though they may have been living in ignorance of true wor
ship, as is the case among idolaters; for [the Egyptians] take
great pains that they be held in ignorance, which is the famine of
idolatry.
3632. The field mentioned in this text, is where the standing
grain is, but it is a field where the devil has sown thorn and thistles,
and these could not be rooted up even till about the time of harvest,
as God Messiah himself says [Matt. 1330]. Hence the warning
that they should gather themselves into the house, that is,6 should
separate from those who are without, where are blasphemies, and
thus from the companionship of those who blaspheme God Messiah.
Therefore" to gather themselves to the house" means to abstain
from like blasphemies. Thus the t~xt adds that they only would
die upon whom such hail rained, being those who blasphemed, thus
those whose boils had actually broken out beyond the skin and did
not lie concealed; for boils which do not break out are like wounds
which burn from their root.
3633. It is said that the God of the Hebrews would cause it to
rain hail [vs. 18], thus that it is he who would send the hail, for
the reason that nothing can ever exist and come into being, which
does not come from the power of Jehovah God, hence also the
plagues spoken of above, namely, the death of the cattle, the boils,
etc. The means, however, are different. In the inflicting of the
actual plagues, he uses the devil, as told above [n. 34~9] in respect
to God killing [Exod. 4 24 ], when yet he used the slayer and smiter
who comes necessarily when men are damned, that is to say, die
spiritually. So likewise we read later [Exod. 1~29], that Jehovah
• [Crossed off:] should not break out actually into such
190 II Ad. ~044-~046
EXODUS IX: 19-~~ [3634-36
does this, when yet the immediate actor is called "the smiter"
[Exod. 1~23]. Nay, the same thing applies to him (the Killer 1 _
but look this up) who brought in a pestilence at the time of David
[~ Sam. ~41o-7], etc. They who poured out the wrath of God by
the vials were angels, and so were sent by Jehovah, but the vials
contained plagues [Apoc. 161- 18 ]. So in the present case, we read
in verse 18, that the God of the Hebrew8 would cause it to rain
hail; but here in verse 19, that the hail would come down and they
would die. Therefore the blasphemies which are here signified,
proceed only from the devil, but with the permission of God Mes
siah; and indeed, blasphemies against those who do not betake them
selves to the house, but remain in their field and worship idols. For
the worship of each god is called a field, but the nature of the field is
according to its standing grain; this grain which is dead or cut off
is also mentioned in verses 31 and 3~.
3634. [He among the servants of Pharaoh that feared the word
of J ehovah made his servants and his cattle flee unto the houses] vs.
~O. Here it is now explained what betaking oneself to the house
signifies, and who they are who do this, namely, those who believe
in the Word of God Messiah, which is here expressed by fearing the
word of Jehovah. What fear is may be seen above B (as I think).
3635. [And he that set not his heart unto the word of Jehovah
left his servants and his cattle in the field], vs. ~l. They who are
dead, are described by the statement that they set not their heart
unto the Word of Jehovah, being those who had no faith, and who
thus stiffened their heart [vs. 35]. By heart here, as also by
blood, is signified the whole man, and consequently his whole order
from interiors to outmosts.
3636. [Then J ehovah said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand
toward heaven, and there shall be hail, in all the land of Egypt, upon
man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, in the land
of Egypt], vs. ~~. Here the command and word of the prodigy
1 Trucidator. This word involves the idea of cruelty in the killing. The
angel that brought in the pestilence is called, in ~ Samuel ~416 n'l!~~ (the
Destroyer) and in chap. ~411 i1~~D' (the Smiter or Killer). The words respec
tively are translated in Schmidius and Tremellius perdens and percutiens;
in Castellio vasta118 and vastator; in the Vulgate perc'Utiens and caedens; and
in the A. V. that destroyed and that smote.
• See n. ~638 seq.
11 Ad. 2047-~049 191
comes to Moses, for nothing exists without a command or word.

This therefore is premised, both here and elsewhere, to the end that
it may be understood that all the power given to Moses came from
the Word. Thus Moses first stretched forth his hand, the hand
being a passive or instrumental potency.
3637. What these words signify in the proximate sense can be
evident from the very letter, to wit, the prodigy as it is here de
scribed. What they contain in the inmost sense, has been told
above [n. 3617, 36~3-4] ; but it is understood more clearly when
the same things are learned from man; for in man is the form of
society, and therefore he who knows man knows the order of so
ciety and the laws of order. Since then by the land of Egypt is
meant man's whole body, for the body like the blood contains simul
taneously all that precedes, thus containing in a simultaneous series
the things which succeed each other from the first life to the last
this series being the land of Egypt-then man's rational mind 9 is
called man, and his natural mind beast. A field, by reason of its
standing corn and thus of its harvest, is the worship of God. The
herb of the field is then all that which is in the field and has regard
to its cultivation. 1 Man receives his predicate from his mind, and
so from the worship of his God; thus the reformed man receives his
predicate from his faith.
3638. When these words are applied to society, then in place of
the singular arises the universal; that is to say, the land of Egypt
then signifies the entire globe where are men both good and evil;
matn, the man wh~wors~!p~_G~d ¥e~siah; an~ beasts, men whoJike
I beasts, know no God, and, being endowed with a rational mind, wor
ship some idol outside themselves or within themselves, for wEich
r~ason, in the Apocalypse [13 1- 8 ] ~christ is c~lled a~east. The
herb of the field is then the worship which will perish from the hail,
respecting which see below, verses 31 and 3~.
3639. From this comes the application to those individual so
cieties into which the earth is divided, whether they be large societies
or small, and so from the largest to the smallest. All these are in
volved simultaneously, and so are signified by what is here said of
the land of Egypt, its king, and his servants, and, as regards the
• [Crossed off:] with the will.
I The word here translated cultivation is cultm which means cultivation (of
the field) and also worship (of God).

19~ 11 Ad. ~050-~05~
EXODUS IX: ~3 [3640
spiritual man, by what was done in the land of Goshen; for in the
individual the land of Goshen is the spiritual man, being the land
wherein dwen sons of Israel.
3640. [And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and
J ehovah gave voices and hail, a,nd fire came down to the earth; and
Jehovah made hail to min upon the land of Egypt], vs. !'l3. Here
come various things which must be explained. By the rod in this
text is meant power, which comes from God Messiah alone. Thus
the rod is the same as the" hand" mentioned above [vs. !'l~] which
also signifies power, but, relatively to Moses, an instrumental power
or force, Moses being only the instrument or organ of the power of
God Messiah. Toward heaven, that is, to the atmosphere, this being
frequently caned heaven, whence came the hail. Just as previously
[it was stretched] to the dust of the land from which came the
lice [chap. 8 16 ] ; to the ash of the furnace, from which came
the boils [chap. 9S ]; upon the streams and pools, from which
came the frogs [chap. 8 5 ], etc.; so now it is stretched to the at
mosphere. When, however, as above [n. 3637, 3639] these words
are applied to man, his superior heaven is the rational mind, while
his inferior heaven is the natural mind; but in the Egyptian man
who blasphemes, they are atmospheres, being a superior and an
inferior. From this source now come voices and hail. By voices
in the proximate sense are meant thunders, these being loud sounds.
In this deeper sense, however, it is human voices that are meant and
thus the actual blasphemies; and since these are signified by the hail,
therefore, in the text, and also later on, in verses 33 and 34, they
are expressly called voices. These voices come from human minds;
for it is not voices that blaspheme, voices without the rational mind
being merely sounds articulated in the same way as in a parrot.
Thus it is this mind that is meant by the heaven from which they
come down. The hail, as already stated, is the blasphemy by the
voice. The fire which came down to the earth is the wrath where
with the man curses and execrates everything holy. This hail
mingled with fire comes down from man's heaven, that is to say,
from his superior atmosphere through his inferior. It originates,
however, in his inferior atmosphere' and goes down with the con
spiring of the superior; for, just as fire in nature cannot exist ex
cept in the inferior or grosser atmosphere but yet cannot live except
from an atmosphere that is more subtle, so likewise is it in man.
II Ad. ~053 193
Therefore wrath or anger corresponds to fire; indeed, anger is it

self called burning wrath,2 and it plainly manifests itself by fiery
heat, as it were. s So likewise the hail mingled with fire [vs. 9l4],
for these blasphemies mingled with burning wrath are such hails or
voices together with fire. Hail in itself is cold, as also is blas
phemy, for the love of heaven grows cold and the love of self and
the world grows hot; hence hail mingled with fire. As touching
what follows, to wit, that Jehovah made hail to rain upon the lamd
of Egypt, by rain here is meant all that which, from the evil affec
tion coming from minds, then falls into the whole body as stated
above; for every part, even the least of all, is in like manner filled
with this hail and fire. As the affection is, such is the man in his
inmost, and thus in leasts. Before human eyes, this is an arcanum.
Yet, that the whole man in his leasts is such as he is when affected, is
so clear that no one can doubt concerning it, still less any learned
man of the world, who knows that the general arises from its leasts,
and thus from its parts, and that what finally comes to the sensation
springs from everything in the man, and indeed from principles
which are in the brain. As the principles are, such are the single,
yea, the most single things which depend on the principles. On
these principles in the brain depends everything, even the most mi
nute, in the whole man, that is to say, from his rational mind even
to all the parts of his body. As to how the soul, properly called
human, then has part therein, something may be seen concerning
this at verse 39l below. This rain is that which God Messiah caused
to rain; but as stated above [n. 3633], the rain does not come from
Him, but He permits it, and so it comes down.
3641. [So there was hail, and fire mingling itself in the midst of
the hail, very grievous, such o:s hath not been in all the land of
Egypt since it became a nation], vs. 9l4. Here, by fire is described
burning wrath, namely, how it commingled itself with blasphemies;
for we read: And fire mingling itself in the midst of the hail. The
hail is the blaspheming voices, while the burning fire is that affec
tion which mingles itself therewith, and is said to hold itself in the
• Ewcandoscentia from excandescere, to grow hot, take fire, kindle, etc. In
the rest of this paragraph, and indeed generally throughout the present work,
this word is translated simply wrath; the reasons why it is here rendered burn
ing wrath are obvious.
• This and the following two sentences are emphasized by .. N :B" written
194 II Ad. 91054
EXODUS IX: !24-!25 [364!2-44
midst; that is to say, which is interiorly present in the voices.

That it holds itself within is perceived from the speech of an angry
man. Such is the nature of wrath that when the man is such that
spirits perceive his affections and words/ as was the case with me, it
appears before them no otherwise than as
sparks which take the form of a copious rain of flame, but ac
cording to the nature of the wrath. Sometimes the latter also
exists from a just cause, as was once the case with me; at which
they were greatly astonished. 5
3642. Such as hath not been in all the land of Egypt since it be
came a nation (vs. !24). Here it is expressly said that such hail had
not been since it became a nation. Thus by a nation is meant a peo
ple which also is commingled, being that which betook itself to the
house, and so did not die from the rain of hail and fire, and also the
others; for in every nation God Messiah also is worshipped, though
with some 6 with a difference of rites framed by priests; but God
Messiah has regard to hearts, that is, to the order of their life, and
thus to its state.
3643. [And the hail smote, in all the land of Egypt, all that was
in the field, from man even to beast; and the hail smote every herb
of the field, and brake every wood of the field], vs. !25. All that is
said here has already been explained in detail. The present text,
however, adds that every wood of the field was broken, meaning ev
ery tree, it being thus that tree is expressed in the Hebrew text; for
in itself a tree is wood, and thus is dead wood, it being from the sap
that it grows into branches and becomes a tree; see Genesis !29 ,
where a distinction is made between "wood" and the trees in the
midst of the fruit garden. 7
3644. Here as elsewhere, by wood is signified every family and
generation which was in that field; for with the public, generations
are compared in a general sense to wood or a tree. But genera
• Voces, voices or words.
• This indented paragraph is cited in the Author's Index to his Memorabilia,
s. v. Ignis, Ira. See the Table of Contents.
• [Crossed off:] with another heart, and so
• In Gen. 12 9, the Hebrew wordrv. occurs twice, but Schmidius translates it
first lig'TllU'Tn (wood) and then arbor (tree). In our translation we render it
tree in both cases. In the present text also, and likewise in Genesis 36 and
elsewhere, Schmidius has lig'TllU'Tn for the Hebrew rp.. See also n. 4086 note.
IJ Ad. ~055-!2058 195

tions are described by trees, to the end that so, men may learn them.
Thus by poplars are described the proud or those who are of a
haughty mind; and so by other trees other affections. Hence it
is said in the text, that in this way they were uprooted who formed
wood; consequently, the proud; lovers of themselves; and things
of a like sort which from the filth that is with them, grow into
thorns and thistles.
3645. [Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel
were, was the,'e no hail], vs. 9l6, The land of Goshen was where the
sons of Israel were. By the land of Goshen therefore is meant that
congregation wherein is the church of God Messiah, and this in the
entire globe and in each and every society thereof, great and small.
Thus, in the individual man, the land of Goshen is also the heaven
which exists in man's intellectual mind and will, though it is formed
by God Messiah from the supracelestial seat within the man, that is
to say, by means of his soul, properly called the human soul; for
without this, that is, without the influx of God Messiah through it,
the human mind can neither understand truths nor be affected by
their goodness, and so man exists not a man but a beast.
3646. There can be no hail there, for no such rain comes down
from this source, but a morning dew, by which is signified benedic
tion, there being not cold but heavenly warmth, being the love of
God Messiah. N or is it now said" fire mingled with hail," inas
much as there is only a bright and mild flame wherein is nothing
burning,
3647. [Therefore Pharaoh sent, and called Moses and Aaron,
and said unto them, I have sitnned this time: J ehovah is righteous,
and I and my people are wicked], vs. 9l7. Pharaoh now again re
turns to his former mind; 8 for though the mind seems to be
softened by punishments, yet its malice remains, and this at once
returns as soon as the fervor ceases. It is in this state of mind that
Pharaoh now speaks to Moses and Aaron-being what he was, he
cannot speak to God Messiah. Indeed, such is the confession that
he makes that it may thence be thought to have been impiety and
consequently that by this sign is meant blasphemy; for in his heart
every wicked man blasphemes God Messiah inasmuch as he denies
Him and has no faith in Him. This is especially the case in an
affliction of this kind, when one perceives himself to be deprived of
• Confer n. 3601.
196 11 Ad. 9l059-!W61
EXODUS IX: 26-28 [3648-49
his gods, these gods being both external and internal thus exceed
ing many in number. The external are called idols, and the in
ternal the loves which constitute the man's life and thus himself.
Hence it is now said J ehovah is righteous, a;nd I and my people,
that is, all that is in me, am wicked, or are wicked.
3648. [Make supplication unto J ehovah that it may be enough
to hm.'e made the voices of Jehovah and the hail; for I will send you
a.way, and ye shall not continue any more], vs. 28. Here it is in
deed said that they should make supplication, that it may be enough
to have made the voices of J ehovah and the hail, meaning in the
proximate sense, that enough of plague has now been made by J e
hovah. Therefore he prays them t~ make supplication that this
plague may be the last, for in the next clause he adds, And ye shall
not continue any more.
In the proximate sense, therefore, as these words were under
stood by Pharaoh and the Egyptians, they seeing nothing but the
prodigy, what are here meant are thunders which the Egyptians
called the voices of Jehovah, for they ascribed thunderbolts directly
to the Lightning-hurler, as is well known. Thus what Pharaoh
meant was the Lightning-hurler. 9
3649. In a more hidden sense, however, the voices are said to be
Jehovah's, because Jehovah made them to come down, but only as
stated above [no 3633, 3640] ; not that they are His immediately,
but because they came down by the power of God Messiah himself,
according to the interpretation which may be seen above. (This
should be said with caution.) When seen in this sense, they refer
themselves to the preceding words, namely, that it is enough for
Jehovah to have made voices and hail, for the hail also was made by
Jehovah. Therefore here it is not blasphemies that are meant but
only articulate sounds like thunders above. When thunders are
taken for Jehovah, as was done by Pharaoh, then the voices of
thunders are the voices of J ehovah. 1 Concerning the remaining
words in this verse, to wit, that they should not continue any more,
• [Here comes the following unnumbered paragraph which is crossed off
by the Author:] In a more hidden sense, however, the words are not understood
in this way, but as meaning that it is enough for Jehovah that he had made
voices or made this rain to come down, as said above [vs. 24], namely, hail
mingled with fire.
1 In the autograph this sentence is written in the margin as a continuation
of the preceding sentence which was added between the lines.

11 Ad. 2062-2064 197
see the verse immediately preceding; for Pharaoh wished this

plague to be the last because he was then in such a state on account
of his miseries.
3650. [And Moses said unto him, When I am gone out of the
city, I will stretch out my hands unto J ehovah; the voices shall
cease, and the hail shall be no more; that thou mayest know that to
Jehovah belongeth the earth], vs. ~9. These words have been
spoken of above [n. 360~]. The verse deals only with the suppli
cation, which was made by stretching forth the hands to Jehovah.
And since forces and potencies are meant by hands, so here in sup
plication, the forces of his mind were elevated by God Messiah; for
the forces in man, being only passive, are elevated by God Messiah
from Himself, see above [n. 3563, 3636, 3640]. Supplication 2 is
made by the hands stretched forward and folded together, which is
a gesture corresponding to humiliation of the mind. As to what
supplication is, see chapter 1018 •
3651. The text adds That he might know that to J ehovah be
longeth the earth. From what has preceded, this likewise can be
understood as meaning that man, being created by Jehovah God
and redeemed by God Messiah, is His. This then is understood of
those who were in Goshen, for Pharaoh at once sent and enquired
whether there had been hail in Goshen; and also of those in Egypt
who had not died but had gathered themselves to the house, as stated
above [vs. ~O]. As regards possession, the whole earth belongs to
God Messiah; the same is also true as regards power, for all men in
the universe are subject to Him. The land also belongs to God
Messiah when it is said to be the human body, because there is noth
ing in the whole man which has not been formed· from the soul.
God Messiah alone rules the soul; consequently, from His power the
whole man belongs to Him.
3652. [But thou and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet
fear for yourselves before the faces of Jehovah God], vs. 30. Here
Pharaoh's mind is described and also the mind of those who served
him; thus these words have universal society in view, and also soci
eties in the universe. But when they have in view the particular
society in man, then by thou addressed to Pharaoh, are meant the
man's interiors, such as the rational and natural mind, which do one
• What now follows is a later addition to the paragraph.
198 11 Ad. ~065-~06'i
EXODUS IX: ~9-31 [3653-55
and the same thing; and the servants are the parts which obey, these
being his exteriors which are more properly called corporeal.
3653. [Not] fearing before the faces of Jehovah God means
not worshipping Him, even from terror and the thunderbolt, as
above En. 3648]. Man is at last bent to God by terror of the
thunderbolt, just as Pharaoh and his servants in the present case
who were terrified at the thunders; for such men acknowledge only 3
what they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and so only
the voices of thunders. Not so those who are spiritual men.
These are not terrified by prodigies, for they are not to be forced
by terror, but their minds, that is to say, the affections of their will
and thus the persuasions of their understanding, are bent from
interiors.'
3654. [And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley
was a ripening ear, and the flax was a stalk], vs. 31. And now the
text treats of that field which was mentioned above [vs. 19]. That
by this field is signified the standing grain, has already been told
[n. 363~] ; and by standing grain is signified the doctrine which
they confess and which they call their confession of faith. Thus
the field with the standing grain is the church, as it is called, in a
double sense, which yet receives its predicate from their confession
of faith. And now it is told in the text what it was that perished
from this hail and fire, namely, flax and barley, which are the low-
est of all crops; for since the land is called a field, thorns and this-
tles cannot be mentioned here, seeing that in a field these are noxious
plants, and it is not from such plants that a field gets its predicate.
These words, therefore, refer to the preceding words concerning
the field in verses 19 and ~1.
3655. Not only is worship likened to a field but also men; the
latter, however, then receive their predicate from their doctrine.
That doctrines of a twofold kind are signified as existing in Egypt,
that is, in the entire globe which is meant by Egypt, is evident from
what has preceded. There were those who remained in the Aeld and
who are here likened to flax and barley which are the lowest among
the fruits of the field. These, however, died, as may be seen above,
in verse 19; for they were already ripe and like a harvest. There-
• Reading 80lum for non 80lum which is clearly a slip.
'In the autograph the latter third of this paragraph is emphasized hy
" NB" written in the margin.
11 Ad. ~068-~070 199
fore they are here said to be ripening or bearded like barley, and
stalked like flax. 5 W'herefore what was said above is here con
firmed.
3656. [But the whea,t arnd the spelt were not smitten; for they
were hidden], vs. 3~. But the more noble grain of the field is wheat
and spelt, for from them comes bread, thus spiritual bread. These
were not yet ripe, as described by the words for they were hidden.
Thus, those in the field are meant who betook themselves to the
house [vs. 9l0], and did not die, being still youths and infants, by
whom such a doctrine was not yet worshipped; for the mind is
formed into worship.
These particulars would never have been mentioned, nor many
preceding ones, to wit, concerning the herb, the cattle in the field,
the fire with which the hail was mingled, etc., had they not involved
things of this kind, and so had regard to the end of days.
3657. [And Moses went out of the city from-with Pharaoh, and
st1'etched out his hands unto Jehovah: and the voices and hail
ceased, and the min flowed not do'wn upon the earth], vs. 33.
These words have already been explained. Here, however, a mani
fest distinction is made between hail and rain. Thus when those
things ceased which are meant by the voices and the hail, the rain
also ceased in the land; for with the cessation of the affection which
is within the voices, the voices and the hail also cease, for all and
single things break out from affection or fire; see above [n. 3641].
3658. [But when Pharaoh saw that the rain ceased, and the hail
and the voices, he sinned yet more; for he made heavy his heart, he
and his servants], vs. 34. Here Pharaoh deliberates; and to the
end that this same thing may be signified, the text adds that Pha
raoh sinned yet more.
3659. Concerning the making heavy of his heart, see above [n.
35915 seg'.]. Here, in addition, it is told whence this heaviness
comes, to wit, from Pharaoh's heart. Confer verses 917 and 30.
3660. [The heart of Phara-oh (I say 6) stiffened, and he sent
not the sons of Israel away; as Jehovah had spoken by Moses], vs.
35. Concerning these words, the reader may see above [n. 35915
seq.].
• In the autograph, the words barley and flax stand transposed, which is
clearly an error.
• Added by Schmidius.
200 II Ad. ~071-9l076
EXODUS IX: 3~-X: ~O
EXODUS X
1 And J ehovah said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I
have made heavy his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I
might set these my signs in his midst;
~ And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy
son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs
which I have set in them; that ye may know that I am J ehovah.
3 And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto
him, Thus saith J ehovah the God of the Hebrews, How long wilt
thou refuse to be humbled before me? Send my people away, that
they may serve me.
4 Else, if thou refuse to send my people away, behold, to mor
row will I bring the locust into thy border:
5 And it shall cover the surface of the earth, that one cannot
see the earth: and it shall eat the residue of the escape left over unto
you from the hail; and it shall eat every wood which groweth for
you out of the field:
6 And thy houses shall be filled, and the houses of all thy serv
ants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which thy fathers saw
not, nor thy fathers' fathers, from the day that they were upon the
earth even unto this day. And when he had turned, and gone out
from-with Pharaoh,
7 Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this be for
a snare unto us? Send the men away, that they may serve Jehovah
their God: lmowest thou not yet that Egypt is perishing?
8 And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh:
and he said unto them, Go, serve Jehovah your God: who and who
shall go?
9 And Moses said, With our young men and with our old will
we go; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flock and
with our herd will we go; for a feast of Jehovah is ours.
10 And he said unto them, Will Jehovah thus be with you when
I have sent you away, and your sucklings? See ye that evil is be
fore your eyes.
11 Not so: go ye that are men, and serve Jehovah; for this is
what ye seek. Thus he drove them out from-with the faces of
Pharaoh.
~01
1~ And J ehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over
the land of Egypt for the locust, that it may come up upon the
land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, and all that the hail
hath left.
18 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt,
and Jehovah brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and
all the night. The morning came; the east spirit 7 brought the
locust.
14 And the locust went up over all the land of Egypt, and
rested in every border of Egypt, very grievous; before it, was no
such locust, neither shall any such be after it.
15 And it covered the surface of all the land, and the land was
darkened: and it did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of
the wood which the hail had left: and there was not left any green
thing in the wood, and in the herb of the field, in all the land of
Egypt.
16 Then Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron; and he
said, I have sinned to Jehovah your God, and to you.
17 Now, therefore, forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once,
and make supplication to Jehovah your God, that he may take
away from upon me this death only.
18 And he went out from-with Pharaoh, and made supplication
unto Jehovah.
19 And Jehovah turned a wind of the sea, exceeding strong,
which took away the locust, and cast it into the sea Suph; there
remained not one locust in all the border of Egypt.
~O Yet Jehovah made stiff the heart of Pharaoh, and he sent
not the sons of Israel away.
3661. Now follows the ninth prodigy, to wit, the locusts, which
were so abundant that they ate up all that was left in Egypt, that
is, all that had escaped. As to how this prodigy follows in a con
tinuous series from the preceding prodigy, and thus in successive
order from those that went before, this can never be perceived un
less that be comprehended which the prodigy deeply involves. By
locusts are here meant evil spirits who slay, for they make assault
on all things which are in the body. The spirits signified by the
frogs ([chap. 8 2 ] above) were unclean spirits and consumed only
.. See n. 3684 note.
II Ad. ~077
EXODUS X: 1-~ [366~-64
the filth of the body, for they lay in pools and in streams; how un
clean these are by reason of frogs and of the filth arising from them
can be evident. The locusts, on the other hand, are evil spirits not
so filthy and gross as the frogs, being spirits who invade the in
teriors of the body and thus lay waste those things which are in a
man of this kind. In general it must be held that by large insects
of this sort are signified evil spirits who fly to the filth of man as
ravens and vultures to dead bodies; 8 for men have an odor, as it
were, and there spirits are gathered together, and so would tear the
man asunder in a moment were it not that all power belongs to God
Messiah, who at His will deprives them of the forces whereby they
injure.
3662. That in their interior signification all the prodigies fol
low each other in order, has been stated above [n. g6~g] ; that is to
say, they so follow in the interior sense, when they have regard to
the so-called spiritual things in man, although in the natural man
there are no spiritual things, except such as are so mingled with
natural things that the spiritual do not appear; for in such men it
is natural things that live, while spiritual things are dead. Not so
in the spiritual man; in him it is spiritual things alone that live,
while natural things are dead, being only things of service.
3663. [And Jehovah said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for
I have made heavy his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I
might set these my signs in his midst], vs. 1. These words have
been explained before [n. g5~5 seq.]. In the proximate sense, " to
set signs in the midst" is to set them in the community or public
and thus in the center, that from there they may come to all the
peripheries; thus, as stated above [n. 1753-4, ~g86] to set them
interiorly in man; for then they are set in men's minds that they
may know that it is God Messiah alone to whom belongs power.
3664. [And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of
thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs
which I have set in them; that ye may know that I am Jehovah] , vs.
~. It is in this way that a long continued posterity is expressed, to
wit, by son the immediate posterity, and by thy son's son,9 the last
• Confer Matt. fJ428, Luke 1737.
• The correct translation of the Latin reads "by the son's son . . . and by
the son of thy son's son." The use of the word" thy" however, indicates that
Swedenborg intended to quote from the Bible text.
II Ad. ~078-~080 ~03
posterity, that is to say, the posterity in the end of days; for the
son was named from his father even to the last posterity, just as, at
the time of the text, they are all named from the sons of Jacob's
sons after four hundred and thirty years; 1 respecting whom see
chapter 6[14 seq.] [confer n. 8508]. With some exceptions, the
names are the same as when they went down to Egypt (but this may
be further looked into). With these may be compared the names
in Genesis 46[8-27]. Thus at this day, they are still called Jews
from Judah, and Hebrews from Heber. 2
3665. In the proximate sense, " to set signs in anyone" is to
set them in his memory; but more deeply, that is, in the spiritual
sense, it is what the signs involve that is set interiorly in the mind,
and thus" in their midst," as stated above en. 8668].
3666. [And Moses and Aaron came Vn unto Pharaoh, and said
unto him, Thus saith Jehovah the God of the Hebrews, How long
wilt thou refuse to be humbled before me? Send my people away,
that they may serve rne] , vs. 8. These words are the same as those
explained above [no 86!e5], and it is again said the God of the He
b1'ews for the reason there spoken of, Here humiliation is added
in these words: How long wilt thou refuse to be humbled before me?
Humiliation is the first degree of the adoration of God Messiah, for
so long as man is proud and worships himself as an idol, he can
never be heard; for he is not in the way of truth. The further man
wanders beyond the way of truth, the less he is heard, because God
Messiah is the Way of truth itself. By humiliation man comes into
the way of truth. s
3667. Else, if thou refuse to send my people away, behold, to
morrow will I bring the locust into thy border [vs. 4]. Here by
to morrow the same thing is meant as above [no 8611, 8630J,
namely, in the most universal sense, the end of times. "To day"
and" to morrow" is a divine expression when time is being signi
fied, there being no time in J ehovah God. Thus to morrow is the
end of days, and in the supreme sense, eternity after times.
3668. What the locust is has been told above [n. 8661]. Here
by the word in the singular is meant a great abundance of locusts,
as is evident from what follows, just as " the people" stands for an
1 Confer n. ~089 note.
2 [Crossed off:] these being the son's sons,
3 This last sentence is a later addition to the paragraph.
!e04 II Ad. !e08I-!e084

EXODUS X: 3-5 [3669-71
immense number. In the interior sense, a locust signifies evil spirits

who infest the interiors of man, as told above.
3669. That the locusts were to be sent into his border signifies
into all his boundaries, as far as his land and kingdom extend. Nor
do we read that the sons of Israel were free from the locusts, for
they are gathered together for the absorbing of spiritual filth, that
is, of man's interior evils. Still they cannot inflict any injury
whatever on the spiritual man, but are deprived of every force of
doing any evil save that which looks to the wiping away of evils in
the man. Thus they are then sent away. This is the reason why
they were in every border, even in Goshen, because of the significa
tion of spirits of an evil disposition by locusts.
3670. [And it shall cover the surface of the earth, that one can
not see the earth: and it shall eat the-residue of the escape left over
unto you from the hail; and it shall eat every wood which groweth
for you out of the field], vs. 5. So great is their multitude that
they fill the air around man, this being signified by their covering
the surface of the earth, when by earth is meant man. Therefore,
if all were seen they would be so many that the man would be cov
ered over, just as the earth is here described. Still they are so dis
posed that they can never attempt anything and still less do it, save
as this is permitted by God Messiah.
3671. That they would eat the residue of the escape left over
from the hail, signifies that the men who had not perished from the
hail, that is, from blasphemies, will perish from these spirits who,
when they eat up those things in man which are called spiritual filth,
fill the remaining part with poison, and this, being contagious,
spreads into the whole man and thus kills him. This is the case in
the natural man, in whom everything is turned into evil even though
it is good. But in the spiritual man it is the reverse. There these
spirits absorb the evils and turn them to themselves, thus freeing the
man from them, but in a way wholly incomprehensible; for by God
Messiah every evil is turned into good. This is a matter of such
wide investigation that it would need pages merely
to relate the things of experience and therefrom to make deduc
tions, which to many men are mysteries, as to how man is thus
reformed.'
rabilia.
II Ad. ~085-~088 ~05
3672. That the locust would eat the wood has also been ex
plained above [n. 3644]. Wood in the field is man regarded as to
his worship of God; but concerning wood, see above, chapter 920.
For the rest, wood grows from the sap which runs through the
green bark; therefore, when the sap is evil it becomes food for those
spirits, and then all that remains is dried up. That wood signifies
worship, is indicated by the fact that it is said to grow out of the
field, and above (chapter 920), it is called the" wood of the field."
3673. [And thy houses shall be fiUed, and the houses of all thy
serVants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which thy fathers saw
not, nor thy fathers' fathers, from the day that they were upon the
earth even unto this day. And when he had turned, and gone out
from-with Pharaoh], vs. 6. Here the text treats of the locusts,
that they would fill all the houses, both of Pharaoh and of his serv
ants and of all the Egyptians. It is expressed in this way for the
sake of the understanding of things interior,G an understanding
which is gathered from the individual man, as stated above [n.
3637]. In him, by houses in the plural are meant his three facul
ties, namely, his spiritual mind, his natural mind, and his body.
The houses of the servants in the individual man are all his members
which are the instruments, and so the servants of the intellectual
mind; while the houses of the Egyptians are all other things which
depend on the natural mind.
3674. When, howe!er, these !,ords have r~~r-4 to the last t~s,
then by thy houses is meant the place wh_ere is the Ponj;ifl' wjth his
domestic;'- the houses C?fhis serva!!ts being the place where are his
prelates and the like, who rule with him, that is~ ~ho -;;rye-him as
god of the earUl,-and the houses of the Egyptians, the place where
are all others who are of a like character. It is here said houses be
cause not only houses are meant but also empires and kingdoms by
their means; and likewise nations, generations, and amille~cord
in~tJ1e" form of the govermnent. In each government there is a
priilce; there are r dignities which are likewise--c;];<f~e~v;'nts, as
maybe s~erse 7; and there is the common people. All these
are signified by houses as a general term. - - -
That these words have regard to the la~ times is confirmed by
• [Crossed off:] for were it not that they signified things interior, there
would have been no need of all these details, as neither of those that follow.
• [Crossed off:] servants, but of greater dignity.
~06 II Ad. ~089-~09~
EXODUS X: 6-7 [3675-77
those that follow, to wit, which thy fathers saw not, nor thy fathers'
fathers, from the day that they were upon the earth even unto this
day, namely, from the first time to the last, that is, lo the end of
ages, the fathers being those who lived in the time following the ad
vent of God Messiah into the world, and the fathers' fathers those
who lived ~ore His advent.
T~~~f the evil spirits_then J:o be gath~r~~ against
them, is described as being such that never was a greater since the
begin;ing of the world. ' - -
3675. "To turn, and go out from Pharaoh" is to despise him
because of his stubbornness which Moses foresaw and of which he
had previously spoken (chap. 930).
36!§. [Pharaoh's servants said unto himt, How long shall this be
for a snare unto us? Send the men away, that they may serve Je
hovah their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is perishing?],
vs. 7. And now his servants also 7 were greatly moved-not, how
ever, from themselves but from Divine force--when they saw the
destruction of that damnable empire, and at the same time learned
of it from the Word of God Messiah; as, for instance, from the
Prophets, from John's Revelation, from Babylon and Egypt, and
the many passages where their ruin is foretold. Therefore they
say, Knowest thou not yet that Egypt is perishing? that is to say,
the Babylon of this our time. But that Pharaoh hardened his
heart even more than before, is evident from verses 10 and 11; for
' they who are proud and wish to be gods over the whole earth, ~~
\ themselves t~ore jl.Qcording as the number of t~ose who press
') them is greater. Their anger grows because ~ was such that_it
~n no longe~stop; as we read concerning the devil, because h~ ~s
thathe_will_h~ve but a shor.!_time (Apoc. U 12 ).
3677. That this will be for a snare to them, signifies God Mes
siah himself, He being as a snare to those who are such as is Pha
raoh here and as was the Jewish people in the Messiah's time; where
fore He is also called a stumblingblock against which they dash
[Is. 8 14 ]. So likewise now; He gave one sign after another, and
when He ceased, Pharaoh's heart was hardened. Thus He is a
snare to those who are obstinat~pride. In the same way the
sons of Israel are here called a snare because they wished to serve
God Messiah.
• [Crossed off:] namely, th~ leaders who are called prelates.
II Ad. ~093-~096 ~07
3678. [And Moses and Aaron were brought agailn unto Pha
raoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve Jehovah your God: who and
who shall go? And Moses said, With our young men and with our
old will we go; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flock
and with our herd will we go; for a feast of J ehovah is ours], vs.
8, 9. Here Pharaoh's mind is described, how that from fear it was
turned to indignation by the answer of Moses and Aaron. First,
being persuaded by his servants, Pharaoh recalled Moses and Aaron
and gave them the opportunity of going away (vs. 8) ; soon he
recollected himself when he thought as to whether they all wished to
depart and so to deliver themselves from his power, in which case he
would be deprived of gain from their service, it being on this alone
that he was intent. Therefore he says: Who and who shall go?
In verse 9 is given the answer that all the sons of Israel will go, with
none excepted, together with their substance. What is here called
a feast of Jehovah is the kingdom of God Messiah, and what is sig
nified is that this is now to come, this kingdom being the feast that
is predicted by these words. All feasts commanded in the Divine
Word have regard solely to this feast, being all types and repre
sentations thereof. The enumeration of young men and old, sons,
daughters, flock and herd signifies all in the universe, being those
who have been, those who are, and those who are to be born of them;
that is to say, by the young men, those who lived in the time of the
New Testament, by the old, those who lived prior to that time, by
sons and daughters, those who are and who are to come, and by
flock and herd all their possessions, these consisting in cattle (pe
cus) of every kind, whence their wealth (pecunia 8).
3679. [And he said unto them, Will Jehovah thus be with you
when I have sent you away, and your sucklings? See ye that evil is
before your eyes], vs. 10. When the answer was heard, that he
would be deprived not only of the men and their service but also of
their wealth, then Pharaoh emK angry_~_~E(~mded~~risl..on, as
though, when he had sent them away, Jehovah would [not] then be
with them. In the end of times, the Pharaoh of our day wishes to
be od, and thus thatnone btrlhimself be worshi ed as ChrlSt.It
is for this reason that these words were said. Thu~-he objects to
them that they do evil. 'These words apply in every detail to the
8 See n. 10641.
9108 II Ad. ~097-~098
EXODUS X: 8-U [3680-81
customary sayings of those who attempt to ~~_ p~r§uasi~Il..~~_:ilie

worshi pe~s of God}'~~h, when they do this not fr0E!j~~itE.!lt
f~om Ilcnger, that is to say, when they inflame themselves.
3680. [Not so: go ye that are men, and serve Jehovah; for this
is what ye seek. Thus he drove them out from-with the faces of
Pharaoh J, vs. 11. He now answers them with violent heat of mind;
and finally he drives them out from-with the faces of Pharaoh.
Here there is something concealed; for it is not said that Pharaoh
drove them 9 out but his minister. The faces of Pharaoh are here
his evil affections, such a~ersuasion;, aI!.d ;lso-indigna~Q!L.~d
aEs:.i~~ etc:=' -Here als~ is d~~d the banishJ!!ent and exile of
c~es, and of man '.!!lom they..Jpnk to be chiefs, to_the ~nd
that the rest may be held as ~ervants and tributaries. Therefore he
drove Moses and Aaron away, these being here called men. Its be-
ing said that he drove them out from the faces of Pharaoh means
that they were driven out, and so were driven out by Pharaoh's
servants, lest they come to Pharaoh and move him. He who driv~s
them out is_the worshipper of the pont~ffL!J1~J~~~mast~rall~he
__
officer. 1
,- 3681. [And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand
over the land of Egypt for the locust, that it may come up upon the
land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, and all that the hail
hath left], vs. 1~. As to how the l~cust differs from the frog, or
the evil spirits understood by the l,ocust, from those understood by
the frog [this has been told above, n. 3661 J. The locusts are here
said to be raised up from the earth, for he stretched out his hand
over the land; but the frogs came from pools and streams, for then
he stretched out his hand" over the waters of Egypt" [chap. 8 6 ].
Of the one as of the other it is said that they were upon the whole
land of Egypt [vs. 14 and chap. 8 6 ], and thus in Goshen also. Ac-
cording to their duller and more natural nature, spirits who are ut-
terly unclean are said to come from waters, and the worst of them,
from the air; 2 not that they are from waters and the air, but be-
cause they are compared to these on account of their disposition.
Here, however, they are upon the land. In a word, there are as
• quod Pharas non 6xpulerit 608. We have ignored the non as being clearly
a slip.
1 Confer chapter 5, verses 6 and 10.
2 See chap. 8 verses 3 and 16, and confer n. 3551.
II Ad. ~099-~100 ~09

368Q-83] THE WORD EXPLAINED
many kinds of unclean spirits as there are parts in the natural man.
Of these spirits, those are called infracelestial who excite the ra
tional mind of such a man, and those aerial, thus inferior, who
proximately excite his natural mind. There are indeed spirits of
the lowest sort, but these are not with man but with animals and
wild beasts. Animals and wild beasts, however, cannot be ruled by
evil spirits like men, because they do not enjoy a rational mind
which the spirits can excite. In man it is the rational mind from
which the man is ruled. As this mind is acted on, so also is the man.
Hence man can be driven by evil spirits into insanities and their
direful effects and also into phantasies; but not so an animal or
wild beast unless it be a disease of the body. Beasts, therefore, are
safe from the assault of sp'irits; for the latter ;;e-able to--;~ite
man according to his memory and the imagination dra~n forth
therefrom which moves the thought of the rational mind; but with
beasts there is no such memory, they being actuated by an instinct
which flows from their soul. Th~oul of ~asts is not move~to
- - --- -----
various states except in accordance with the objects of their senses
and the state of their blood; for all their science descends from their
soul, and since this is not formed as the rational mind is formed
in man, they cannot be driven into insanities. This, however, can
not readily come under. the understanding so Ion as the common
p"'eo:e1e, ~y the learned world, .live in dense i_gporance con
~e!"ning t~~ sow an"fiLs-essences-;- ;;d indeed in such ignorance that
they know not whether there is a soul properly so called, and
1Vhether it is a sub~ance, and that the human soul is suprace1estial
and thus eminent above the souls of brutes. But of these matters,
God Messiah granting, we shall speak elsewhere.
3682. What is meant by " eating the herb" has been explained
above [no 3671-~], namely that it is evil which has stagnated and
so has become putrid in the man who has escaped from the hail.
But this may be seen above.
3683. [And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of
Egypt, and Jehovah brought an east wind upon the land all that
day, and all the night. The morning cOIme; the east spirit brought
the locust], vs. 13. We read here that Moses stretched forth his
rod, while of the frogs and the other plagues, it was Aaron who
stretched it forth [chap. 8 5,17]. This can be understood in no
~10 II Ad. Ql01-~10~
EXODUS X: 18 [868~6
other way than as meaning that what is ascribed to Moses and his
rod was done from the Divine power of God Messiah, while what is
ascribed to Aaron was done by command of Moses, and this was at
the same time from human power. But herein arcana lie concealed
which cannot as yet be revealed.
For the rest, what flows in through the soul properly called
human must be ascribed to the divine force of God Messiah, but as
to that which flows at the same time into the intellectual mind, this
must at the same time be ascribed to the human essence of God Mes
siah.
3684. That an east wind brought these locusts, signifies that to
gether with his crew, the devil was aroused who is called Lucifer,
son of the dawn (Isaiah 1412 ,13-5). Hence he receives his name
from the sun 8 wherefrom the whole of nature springs as from its
fountain. Hence from that mundane nature over which he was
set, the devil is also called the sun. 4 From this source, an east wind,
or a wind from the east, is now said to be brought, a wind which
in the same verse is therefore called an east spirit,6 that is to say,
the devil with the crew of his spirits. In the proximate sense, how
ever, it was an east wind.
3685. It is said that J ehovah brought this east wind all [that]
day amd all the night. This signifies the time of noon, a time of
excessive heat arising from natural lumen and a sweltering tem
perature, [it being said] all the night because of the dense shade
and cold. Lumen is ascribed to evil spirits by reason of their fiery
and sweltering loves and flames; and shade by reason of the cold
of true, that is, of heavenly love. For when these burning loves
cease, then, in their place come the opposites, namely, gnashings of
teeth or colds, for then come terrors and their accompanying in
sensate insanities.
3686. For sons of Israel, however, the day does not commence
at noon and end in night, but it commences from evening and pro
ceeds to morning; nor is there then any mention of night, as noted
at times above. Because the morning then ga:ve light to Moses, as
• Lucifer means" light bearer."
• See nos. 19B1, 1918, 2912.
• The fundamental idea of the Hebrew word I]~' here translated wind and
spirit is that of going forth, proceeding. Hence, according to the context it
means breath, spirit, wind, etc.
II Ad. n08-2106 211
it gave light to the sons of Israel, therefore it is said the morning

cwme; the east spirit brought the locust. For in the land of Egypt
were both Egyptians and sons of Israel; thus for the former, it is
said day and night, but for the latter, morning. This has reference
to what is said in verse 9l3, where we read that" all the sons of Israel
had light in their dwellings."
3687. [And the locust went up over all the land of Egypt, and
rested in every border of Egypt, very grievous; before it, was no
such locust, neither shall any such be after it], vs. 14. Of these
words we have spoken above [n. 3673]. The locust is described
as being over [all] the land and in every border of Egypt, thus as
being over all Egypt in the end of days. The nature of this locust
is also described, [in the statement] that never had there been such
a locust before. Evil spirits do indeed think to infest man by
reason of their multitude. Multitude however, counts for nothing
even though myriads were surrounding man and though they were
in every place. The power of doing harm is something that is
given to a spirit and taken away from him by God Messiah alone.
The power of hurting that is given them is described by these words,
to wit, very grievous; before it, was no such locust, neither shall
any such be after it. Moreover, that an immense number sur
rounding man can do him no harm whatsoever, and that when
power is given them a small number can bring injuries upon him,
is evident from the fact that it is not said that the sons of Israel
were exempt; for the locusts are said to have rested in every border
of Egypt, and within this border was also the land of Goshen. It
is further said that the locust went up over all the land of Egypt.
3688. [And it covered the surface of all the land, and the land
was darkened: and it did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit
of the wood which the hail had left: and there was not left any green
thing in the wood, and in the herb of the field, in all the land of
Egypt], vs. 15. When evil spirits are given the power of infesting
man, they excite insanities of every kind, and these ascend to the
minds of such a man and attack them. Hence comes the densest
darkness; for then nothing of light is left, this light consisting
solely in the intuition of truths, especially of truths spiritual and
celestial. While natural spirits have the dominion, there is no light
in things spiritual; for as the mind is darkened, so are darkened
all and single things which are of the body.
9l19l II Ad. 9l107-9l108
EXODUS X: 14-18 [S689-9~
3689. And now what these evil spirits eat up or destroy in the
merely natural man is here explained by the wood and the herb of
the field which the locust ate; that is to say, by what was green in
the wood and in the herb of the field, being the sap of its life which
makes it grow green. In those who betook themselves to the house
when the hail laid waste the wood and the herb [chap. 919 ], there
was something of sap, but this was afterwards consumed. There
fore in the text it is said in addition the fruit of the wood, because
it is the sap which brings forth the fruit, whatsoever its quality.
3690. [Then Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron; and he
said, I have sinned to Jehovah your God, and to you], vs. 16.
Pharaoh again returned to his former mind, as is wont to be the
case with natural men when they are smitten by prodigies and evils;
for from violent heat they then fall into cold. Hence their re
pentance, this being merely a change of state, while the disposition
remains; for it is one thing to be changed in respect to the animus,
and quite another to be changed in respect to the disposition. The
one cupidity succeeds the other--:but like violent heat and cold or
like burning wrath and fear. Thus the animus is carried away
and falls, but the disposition still remains. This is reformed solely
by God Messiah, and then the man is renewed. This indeed is ac
complished by various changes of state, but not in a way so that
cupidities rush into the court of the rational mind and endeavor to
break down the gates; but in a way so that those things which are
in the animus are called forth out of the intellectual mind accord
ing to the disposition and will of God Messiah. Without this
calling, there is no reformation, and without faith there is no
calling.
3691. [Now, therefore, forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this
once, and make supplication to J ehovah your God, that he may take
away from upon me this death only], vs. 17. Here again come the
same words as above [chap. 927 ]. That they signify spiritual
death is expressly stated in this text, for the locust and its damage
is called dea.th, in that it consumed every green thing in the wood 6
[vs. 15] whence death plainly follows.
3692. [And he went out from-with Pharaoh, and made suppli
cation unto J ehovah], vs. 18. Here it is Moses' supplication that
is spoken of, while previously it was said that Moses" stretched out
• [Crossed off:J that is, in the body and animus.
II Ad. n09-~IU ns
8698-96J THE WORD EXPLAINED
his hand unto Jehovah," for supplication is made by the out

stretched hands; see chapter 929 ,33.
3693. [And Jehova.h turned a wind of the sea, exceeding strong,
which took away the locust, Offld cast it into the sea Suph; there re
mained not one locust in all the border of Egypt], vs. 19. As
touching the wind of the sea, this is the opposite of the east wind,
for in the land of Canaan the sea was at the west. Hence this wind
is called a wind of the sea, as above.
3694. That the locust was cast into the sea Suph means that it
was cast into hell, as we read of the devil or " son_of the dawn,"
who came from the eastern sun, that is, from the dawn, see Isaiah
1412- 5 ; that these words also signify the Roman Neros will be seen
when we come to that passage. - The sea Suph is the sea where
Pharaoh and his army perished, respecting which sea the reader
may consult what comes later. By seas are meant th~s§.me ~ by
the Dead Sea 7 where were Sodom and Gomorrah, and also by the
river Nile wherein were drowned the infants, when that river was
damned. What are meant are the places where are the devil and
his crew, theirs being not the death of the body but spiritual death.
" Therefore, in the end of days they are to be brought thither.
3695. Thus the place whither they are to be cast is not deter
mined, but merely that they are to be cast out of heaven, as said in
Isaiah [14 12 ], and so into the infracelestial sphere and into the
aerial sphere beneath it. This is the sea Suph, etc. Thus they
remain, but without power of doing harm. This however was done
to the Egyptians of this time, for causes of which we have spoken
above [n. Hl85] ; for Pharaoh and the Egyptians perished in that
sea. Thus they are indeed set free, but whether they are to be set
free in the end of day.,s is not as yet apparent; for if they are set
free, it is on account of the same causes.
3696. [Yet J ehovah made stiff the heart of Pharaoh. and he sent
not the sons of Israel away], vs. 20. Concerning the stiffening of
Pharaoh's heart, see above [n. 8525 seq.].
* [Crossed off:] They who thrust man down into the S[ea]
• Lacus Asphaltites; see n. 3126 note.
II Ad. 2113-2116
EXODUS X: 19-~9 [3697-98
EXODUS X
~1 Wherefore Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thirie hand
toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt,
and that one may grope in darkness.
flfl And Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven; and there
was a darkness of darknesses 8 in all the land of Egypt three days:
~3 A man saw not his brother, neither rose a man from under
him for three days: but all the sons of Israel had light in their
habitations.
fl4 And Pharaoh called Moses, and said, Go ye, serve J ehovah ;
only let your flock and your herd stay; your little one also shall go
with you.
~5 And Moses said, Thou shalt also give into our hands the
sacrifices and whole burnt offerings, which we may make to J ehovah
our God.
fl6 Therefore our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an
hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve Jehovah our
God; for we know not with what we must serve him,9 until we come
thither.
~7 But Jehovah made stiff the heart of Pharaoh, and he would
not send them away.
~8 And Pharaoh said to him, Depart from-with me, take heed
to thyself, that thou see my faces no more; for in the day thou
seest my faces thou shalt die.
~9 And Moses said, Thou hast spoken aright, I will see thy
faces again no more.
3697. Now follows the tenth prodigy, though not in a successive
series, that is, in a nexus with the immediately preceding prodigies,
except in the interior sense, wherein all the things signified by the
prodigies follow one after the other. From which [considera
tions] it can be evident that the plagues are not to cease in the end
of times as the prodigies of Egypt in the present case, but will fol
low on in order; for now comes darkness in the land of Egypt.
3698. Here by darkness in the land of Egypt is meant the dark
ness of human minds so that they know nothing whatever as to what
truth is and what good, that is to say, they know not what is right
8 See n. 3703 note.
D See n. 3710 note.
II Ad. ~117-~118 ~15

and just, it being only in light that truth can be known. Truths
are the rays which come from the Sun of heaven, that is, from God
Messiah himself; and every good comes from his love as from its
sole fount; for thence comes all justice.
3699. When therefore, there is no faith in God Messiah, there
is no presence of Him in human minds, and consequently no light
and no love; thus no rays of light and love, that is, no truths and
goodnesses.
3700. When this light has been dispersed, then comes mere dark
ness, being such darkness that truths are not seen and goodnesses
are not felt. This is spiritual darkness, and it is so great that
natural lumen, as it is called, becomes darkness; for this natural
lumen puts on the appearance of spiritual light, but when no truths
are seen it is not light and so is not lumen. A lumen, like that
which the natural man has, and indeed still greater, exists also in
animals and wild beasts, they also being actuated from a certain
natural lumen which is excited by the cupidities of their animus.
That this lumen, however, is darkness, even the natural man knows;
moreover, it can be demonstrated in the very form of the spiritual
substances of the human mind. But demonstration has no effect
on those who do not know or wish to acknowledge that there is sub
stance in spiritual things, and within this substance form. Yet
nothing can ever subsist unless it be a substance, and without form
nothing can be predicated of any substance. But ocular experi
ence does not comprehend such matters, and therefore neither does
the understanding.
This darkness is now the consecutive consequence of the govern
ment of evil spirits; for these obsess the natural mind, and from
this they invade the courts of the rational mind. 1 They are indeed
unable to enter the latter, but they besiege it, as it were, and thus
reduce it to their own service, and consequently to the service of
the cupidities which are in the natural mind. Thus its very form
is changed, and at last it corresponds to the form of the natural
mind. Hence those things are exterminated which should corre
spond to the spiritual form of the soul itself through which should
inflow all spiritual light, and then celestial. Therefore it is said
that the door between the soul and the rational mind is closed; for
1 What follows in this paragraph is emphasized by "N B" written three

~16 11 Ad. ~119-~UO
EXODUS X: !t1-!t!t [3701-03
the mind then becomes rational but not intellectual, and the will,
which should be the mistress, becomes the servant. And now to
the text.
3701. [Wherefore Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thine
hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of
Egypt, and that one may grope in darkness], vs.!tl. Here Moses
and not Aaron is commanded to stretch out his hand, and this also
was done as we read in verse !t!t. For as was said, the influx of God
Messiah, and consequently of his light and love, opens through the
soul into the intellectual mind and its will, as stated above [n.
3700]. Therefore, this is here said of Moses and not of Aaron.
See above, n. 3683 and the preceding remarks in the present treat
ment.
3702. The human heaven itself is man's intellectual mind, for, as
is evident from many considerations, this is a type of heaven in
leasts. Therefore, when Moses stretched out his hand, that is to
say, when God Messiah extends his power toward this heaven, it
does not open the entrance but closes it; just as when darkness
comes into the world, the way to light is not opened but closed.
Wherefore, by stretching out the hand is here signified the exercise
of this power.
Hence, then, the darkness described above [no 3700], and this
over the land of Egypt. That by the land of Egypt is meant the
inferior sphere, or the man then set in darkness as to both minds,
may be seen above (in some place-as I think).2
The darkness is also described by the words, that one may grope
in darkness, as is done by those who wander like blind men and know
not the way wherein they walk.
3703. [And Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven; and
there was a darkness of darknesses 8 in all the land of Egypt three
days], vs. !t!t. Here we have the same statement, though with some
2 Confer nos. f2453, 3168, 3559, 3581-89.
'i1?!?~-'l~n translated by Schmidius caliga tenebrarum would be more cor
rectly rendered caliga densa (thick darkness). Tenebrae means simply dark
ness as opposed to light, but caligo means darkness due to the obstruction of
light. (See Latin Synonyms by John Hill, Edin. 1804.) In order, to distin
guish between the two, caliga is here translated "darkness," and tenebrae
" darknesses "-though tenebme never occurs in the singular, and is properly
translated "darkness."
II Ad. !t1!t1-!tU5 !t17
difference. This darkness is called a darkness of darknesses by

reason of the density and the multiplied shade. Natural lumen
is multiple, there being as many lumens as there are loves, the
lumens springing forth from these like rays; the rays however, are
so many falsities and hatreds. Inasmuch as there are so many
opaque lumens, therefore they are called darknesses, and the dark
ness itself is called darkness of darknesses in all the land of Egypt.
In the natural mind is mere darkness, there being no intellect. This
darkness is rendered dense by the rational mind, for darkness be
comes most dense in the seat which is dedicated to light. Darkness,
therefore, is predicated from the extinction of the light of truths.
No intellectual light is ever possible where there is no love of God
Messiah; for from this source comes all the light of truth, because
all life, which without love is non-existent. Thus what exists in the
rational mind is death in respect to life, darkness in respect to light,
and cold in respect to spiritual heat, or, if you prefer, the burning
heat of brutes.
3704. Here, as frequently above, three days signify those three
times which succeed from the beginning of reformation. But on
the third day, as it were, that is to say, in the end of times, these
successive times come together into one simultaneous time.
3705. [A man saw not his brother, neither rose a man from
under Mm for three days: but all the sons of Israel had light in their
habitations], vs. ~3. That a man saw not his brother means, in the
spiritual sense, that he did not acknowledge anyone as a brother
because he does not love his neighbor as himself, still less as a
brother. By a man here, as elsewhere, and also by brother is meant
a multitude.
3706. That a man rose not from unde1' him means that he did
not understand anything whatever. In the spiritual sense, "to
rise" means to rise to the light, and man does indeed rise when he
rises from under him, that is to say, when he gives up himself.
In the state before the preceding plague man sometimes rises in
another way, that is to say, he understands truths and goodnesses,
but only theoretically; nay, he also quickly acknowledges them,
even to the extent of groaning at their presence. Then he rises
from under him; but this is the operation of God Messiah by means
of heavenly spirits. It is different, however, when the present
plague follows after the preceding.
~18 II Ad. ~1~6-~1~8
EXODUS X: ~8-~7 [3707-11
3707. That the sons of Israel had light follows as a consequence;

for they are called sons of Israel who walk in the way of truth and
thus in light. Their interiors where the light is, are here called
not" land" or " resting places" but hahitation,s, for they are in-
habited by angels of God Messiah.
3708. [And Pharaoh called Moses, and said, Go ye, serve Je-
hovah; only let your flock and your herd stay; your little one also
shall go with you], vs. ~4. Here occur the same words as before
[vs. 8]. They indicate Pharaoh's mind wherein is described the
mind of the Pharaohs or rather the Neros of our own day, to wit,
that he indeed relinquishes their services, provided only he may re-
tain their wealth and possessions. It is to these that he now gives
his care, thus thinking that he could acquire services from some
other source. That flock and herd signify possessions and wealth
has also been observed above [no 1064, 1178, 3678].
3709. [And Moses said, Thou shalt also give into our hands the
sacrifices and whole burnt offerings, which we may make to Jehovah
our God], vs. ~5. What Moses here calls sacrifices and whole burnt
offerings are flocks and herds; for sacrifices were made by means of
sheep from the flock and bullocks from the herd. As to what these
signify in the interior sense, an opportunity of explaining this will
be afforded later, God Messiah granting. It is indicated from what
next follows:
3710. [Therefore our cattle also shall go with us; there shall
not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve Je-
hovah our God; for we know not with what we must serve him, 4,
until we come thither], vs. ~6. Here then the preceding verse is
explained, to wit, that they would take with them their herds and
their flocks, with which to make sacrifices and whole burnt offerings.
Their wealth also is here meant; for they did not then know as to
whether they must serve God Messiah with their wealth also, as, by
giving to the needy, performing works of charity and the like
in which actual worship consists; besides many other things. The
wealth, however, is not demanded for the sake of wealth but for the
sake of its use in society.
3711. [But Jehovah made stiff the heart of Pharaoh, and he
would not send them away], vs. ~7. Concerning the stiffening of
Pharaoh's heart, see above [no g5~5 seq.].
• The Hebrew has J eho1)ah.
II Ad. ~U9-~133 ~19
3712. [And Pharaoh said to him, Depart from-with me, take

heed to thyself, that thou see my faces no more; for in the day thou
seest my faces thou shalt die], vs. ~8. And now at last Pharaoh
came to the extremity of his wrath when he heard that they would
take away their wealth also, after which alone he now yearned,
preferring wealth to services. Therefore he announces death for
Moses.
Thus Pharaoh has now become harsher, that is to say, the more
grievous the plagues, the more he hardened his heart when they
ceased; for he was set in the darkness of darknesses [vs. ~~] and
could see only himself and the world. So, in every Egyptian or
natural man, the greater the darkness, the greater the hardness of
his heart; for darkness is the lack of light and consequently of life,
and this arises from privation of the love of God Messiah. Hence
the heart grows hard and stiffens itself. The plague does not do
this so long as it lasts; for then the state is changed, while the dis
position remains; and after plagues, this returns to itself still
harder, it being in this way that Egyptian minds are the more
greatly torn; not so the minds of sons of Israel.
3713. [And Moses said, Thou hast spoken aright, I will see thy
faces again no more], vs. ~9. Moses' answer involves that he knew
what was to come; this moreover had been told him previously
(chap. 61 ], namely, that Pharaoh would cast them out. Further
more, from the successive series of plagues in their interior sig
nification, there can be no other consequence; for when the dark
ness of darknesses [vs. ~~] occupies minds, it is the foreteller of
the last plague, that is to say, of death, as here it was the foreteller
of the death of the firstborn, and also of Pharaoh and his host.
For darkness is the image of death, in that when there is dark
ness, then loves are extinguished; and when the darkness endures,
then comes spiritual death. Darkness is predicated of the under
standing, but death of the affection. When the latter dies there
is nothing left but terror and gnashing of teeth.
EXODUS XI
1 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Yet one plague more will I
bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will send you
away from hence: when he shall send away, he shall be urgent upon
all, driving he shall drive you out from hence.
~~o II Ad. ~134-~136
EXODUS X: flS-XI: 10 [3714-15
fl Speak now in the ears of the people, that one may borrow,
a man from his companion and a woman from her companion, ves
sels of silver, and vessels of gold.
3 And Jehovah put the favor of the people in the eyes of the
Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great [in the land
of Egypt "], in the eyes of Pharaoh's servants, and in the eyes of
the people.
4 And Moses said, Thus saith J ehovah, When it shall be mid
night I will go out through the midst of Egypt:
5 And every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from
the firstborn of Pharaoh that will sit upon his throne, even
unto the firstborn of the handmaid that is behind the mill; yea, and
every firstborn of the beast.
6 And there shall be a great cry in the whole land of Egypt,
such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.
7 But against any of the sons of Israel shall not a dog move
his tongue, from a man even to a beast: that ye may know how that
Jehovah maketh a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.
S Then shall all these [thy 6] servants come down unto me, and
bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, thou and all the
people that is under thy feet: and after that I will go out. And
he went out from-with Pharaoh in the heat of anger.
9 And Jehovah foretold to Moses, Pharaoh shall not hear you;
that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.
10 Therefore Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before
Pharaoh. But Jehovah made stiff the heart of Pharaoh, and he
sent not the sons of Israel out of Egypt.'i
3714. Now follows the eleventh plague, namely, the death of the
firstborn in Egypt, which plague followed the great darkness just
treated of. That the death of the firstborn of Egypt followed
the darkness in a continuous series can be perceived only from the
inmost meanings which follow each other in a continuous series;
but this continuity is [not] apparent in the outmost.
3715. What the darkness was in the spiritual sense has been
told above [n. 3700], to wit, that it is the casting of shade over all
1 See D. 3740 Dote.
II Ad. fl137-fl13S
truths, celestial and spiritual, and hence moral and so natural; for
all these flow from one origin. When there is error around this
origin, then all else that flows therefrom is continually carried into
error. This can be evident from many considerations which may
here be set forth, God Messiah granting.
3716. It was said that darkness has regard more properly to the
intellectual faculty in the human mind, but death to the life arising
from affections [n. 3713] ; when these cease, all things grow cold
and die away; affections being the very causes and seeds, as it were,
of all that is in the intellect. Therefore, when this darkness oc
cupies the mind, heavenly affections cease, and then the loves of the
body and of the animus fire the mind, lay it waste, and kill it.
Hence comes spiritual death.
3717. But here it must be known that the life of their mind de
pends on natural lumen excited by means of low loves. Thus the
lumen of all truths perishes, and with the lumen is extinguished the
life which arises from loves. Life from the residual heat devoid
of lumen does indeed remain, but at the last gasp, as it were. ( God
Messiah granting, this may be set forth more clearly elsewhere.)
3718. As to the fact that only now are the firstborn slain, this
is seen from a knowledge of what the firstborn signifies. In the
proximate sense the firstborn is every first-born son of his parents
in whom they set their main hope ~f posterity; for in primitive
times, as previously observed, parents thought themselves dead if
they were without children, and this from causes of which we have
spoken above [no 1995-97, 9l898, 3035]. That they set their
hope mainly in the firstborn, arises from the fact that at that time
the end of marriage was regarded first of all, and in this way were
presented the first delights which are most deeply latent within.
It arises also from other causes spoken of by Israel before his death
when speaking concerning Reuben his firstborn; [namely], because
he was his strength, because he was the beginning of his potency,
because he was excelling in height of honor and excelling in power
(Gen. 49 3 ). Hence to the firstborn fell many prerogatives, in that
they 'Were prior to the other sons in honor, and therefore, in a cer
tain way, had dominion over them so long as they were still living
together. s
8 (Here comes the following unnumbered paragraph which is crossed off by
the Author:] But 8S touching the inmost sense which lies concealed in the first
9l~~ II Ad. ~139-2141
EXODUS XI: 1-10 [8719-20
3719. As touching the slaughter of the firstborn among the

Egyptians and their sanctification among the Israelites, inquiry
must be made as to what in the spiritual sense is more especially
signified by that which is the firstborn, that is to say, by the first
born son, this being the same as that which is the firstborn in the
church of God Messiah, thus which is the firstborn in the human
mind which is being reformed. This first or firstborn, is nothing
else than faith, just as the first in a man who is born and formed,
is external sight and also internal sight or understanding. The
latter formation, however, is effected by way of the senses, and in
perverted order from the world, while the other formation, or re
generation, exists from heaven, that is to say, faith in God Messiah
is infused. Faith is above the understanding, but yet the under
standing is its womb, as it were. In other words, as the sight of
the body is that from which first of all is born the understanding,
so the understanding is that which first receives faith, faith not
being possible without knowledge. (But these matters are as yet
obscure to me, namely, how the understanding of the human mind
is a womb, as it were.) By means of faith is then born the under
standing of truths, because then is born the knowledge or con
firmation of those truths which are declared by God Messiah in his
Word. It is conjugial love that gives birth to faith as the first
born, it being from faith as the firstborn that all the other off
spring are estimated. This then is in harmony with J acob's words
concerning Reuben [Gen. 493 ].*
3720. Hence it now came to pass that after so great a darkness
had occupied the minds of the Egyptians as that which is described
above [vs. 22], the spiritual death of the firstborn followed. Such
born, and on account of which the firstborn of Egypt were slain and the
firstborn of Israel sanctified, it is ([doubly crossed:] the firstborn son of the
mind. The first thing which is born in the mind that is being reformed is faith)
the same as explained above in the case of the firstborn of Jacob, namely, that
it signifies faith, which is the firstborn or first son of the church. For that
which is first is the firstborn, being the first of all to be born in the reformed
mind ([ doubly crossed:] as from the womb of the intellect or internal sight,
being like ([ doubly crossed]' a fetus) an infant in the womb) and this when
heavenly love is infused which can never be infused in the absence of faith in
God Messiah, who is Love itself and thus conjunction, the latter never being
possible without faith which is the conjoining medium. Faith, therefore, is the
firstborn.
* The last two sentences are a later addition to the paragraph.
II Ad. 2142-2143 228
THE WORD EXPLAINED
was the case in Egypt, but this in the proximate sense of the words,
the meaning being that the firstborn were slain. As to the inmost
or spiritual sense, however, it was the case neither in Egypt nor in
Goshen, that is to say, neither with the Egyptians seeing that they
could have no faith, nor with the sons of Jacob who were not sons
of Israel in the true sense; but the words have regard to the last
time, when, after the darkness, faith in God Messiah will perish.
It is well enough known that when the human understanding is
occupied by natural lumen it becomes wholly darkened in truths,
with the consequence that faith in God Messiah becomes entirely
dead. (God Messiah granting, these matters can be deduced in
greater fullness.)
3721. In the supreme sense the firstborn signifies God Messiah
who is the Firstborn of all the living. Hence, all those are called
sons and firstborn to whom He gives faith, for such are all born
from faith.
3722. In what way Lucifer is called by Isaiah the" son of the
dawn" [Is. 1412 ], and thus seems to himself to be the firstborn in
a lower degree (this can be explained in another way) ; and that
thus, like Jacob, he wishes to attribute the birthright to himself
[Gen. ~529-34] and also to carry off the blessing [Gen. ~718-29] and
to do like things which fit in with Jacob; this, God Messiah grant
ing, may be explained when we come to that passage, and it is to
this that reference may here be made. Lucifer or the devil wishes
to be the firstborn; but since human birthright is of no account,
Esau despIsed it [Gen. ~534]. The birthright itself, however,9 has
its origin in the love of heaven by means of faith. Hence all those
are t e nrsu;m:n wno by means of faith arc regenerated by l~ve.
This birthrIght was so deSPised that the youngest-;-ere e evated
above the firstborn, as Joseph and Benjamin were elevated above
Reuben, and David above his brethren. So God Messiah, although
~as th~ firstborn, not of a woman but oTa ~jigi"iJ, despised that
natural honor, as is evident from Esau. 9:t:.de.r w_~j_n..YJ!:t:.~d, wh~t
~n the pIjor place being then in th~~st. This can be still
more clearly deduced from the inversion of order. When order is
inverted, the vilest thing in the natural man is his understanding;
it being from this that the man sins, that is to say, it being this
that is the criminal. Of itself the natural mind, as in the case of
• [Crossed off:] is so called from faith and love.
~~4 II Ad. ~144-n 45
EXODUS XI: 1-10 [3723-24
any animal, has nothing of sapience; still less has the external
sense, such as sight. This in itself is dead, being merely an or
ganic. The natural mind is like an animal which is ruled by in
stinct. Hence every natural appetite, with other like things, is an
appetite of the understanding because it destroys the whole series
of government, etc. Not so when the understanding becomes
spiritual. Then the natural understanding serves it as a menial,
etc., etc., etc.
3723. Because, as was said, the understanding of truths is born
fr0B.! love by faith, it necessarily follows that the love of God Mes
siah will perish with such a man, and, with love, every affection of
good, and thus the human will itself. This is a consequence when
sucJ! great dar:kn~ss Qccupie_s the mind. That in man affection is
the firstborn, that is, is that which is born first of all; and from
affection the understanding which is the form of the affections, may
be seen elsewhere. Thus in those who are EJ1Yptians thi~rstborn
is to be slain. This is what is here inmostly signified by the present
prodigy. Faith is indeed the first::l>o.E.n thing or th~_fi~~~bor~~()n
of the church, ut it cannot be separated fromJo~~juslJl_s a wife
camlot be sepa.r'ated from her husband.--Here it is this love that
is principally treated of, the previous subject being the darkness of
the understanding. S iritual death is p~edicated from the loss of
celestial 10~J1ich is conjugial love itself. The spiritual in man
is his understanding, but the celestial is his celestial love. These
points should be well observed. 1
3724. This will be the last prodigy among the Egyptians of our
time, who indeed live in darkness and in this death, inasmuch as they
adore idQls, and, under the form of idols, men, as was done in Baby
Ion. But since they are able to live in cognitions from the Word
of God Messiah, !!~d hence :R0ssess the knowledge that the firstborn
of the church is the love of God Messiah, therefore, when dark
ness is to occupy th~i;-mind~all this in their understanding will
also perish; for, as with Pharaoh, the love of the world and of self
will supervene. Thus, as with Pharaoh, this love is aroused and so
every firstborn among them dies.
1 The first two-thirds of this paragraph are emphasized by "N B" written
three times in the margin; and the last sentence is especially emphasized by
"Obs." (observe) written twice in the margin.
II Ad. 2146-2147
3725. [And Jehovah said unto Moses, Yet one plague more will
I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will send
you away from hence: when he shall send away, he shall be urgent
upon all, driving he shall drive you out from hence], vs. 1. This is
the last plague, and the last of the seven vials of which John speaks
in the Apocalypse [chap. 16]. Theref~re it is said in the text:
Yet one plague more will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt,
that is, upon the city in the Apocalypse which is called the woman,
as explained to John [Apoc. 1718 ].
3726. Their expulsion after this plague is not treated of in the
Apocalypse, for these plagues concern the entire globe, and thus at
the same time the beast in the Apocalypse, that- sits upon the
throne. 2 .
3727. Moreover, when by reason of them they shall fear for

themselves, then, lest this thing be thus further propagated, those
who fear and who care only for themselves and the world, will expel
them, just as they have exterminated all knowledge of God Messiah
by the fact that his Word has been taken away, and the reading of
it forbidden; and so likewise with those who speak from the Word
of God Messiah.
3728. [Speak now in the ears of the people, that one may bor
row,'7i:'inan from his companion and a woman from her companion,
vessels of silver, and vessels of gold], vs.~. This signifies that their
spoils and treasures, a!!.d the gains _of so many aKes will be snatched
away by those wh.Q depart-=-but in away entirely differ~nt from
~J1jl.i5s ~!e described, for they sh~ll perish with all their riches.
3729. [And Jeh~ah put the favor ;;(the people in the eyes of
the Egyptians. M oreovcr, the man M oscs was very great (in the
land of Egypt 3), in the eyes of Pharaoh's servants, and in the eyes
of the people], vs. 3. What will be the nature of the snatching
away cannot be comprehended from these words, but ~nly that they
themselves a.!e to be destroyed and to become a prey to the sons of
Israel. This is sufficient fot the present.
3730. [And Moses said, Thus saith Jehovah, When it shall be
midnight I will go out through the midst of Egypt], vs. 4. By
midnight is meant the last time, for to them this will be midnight,
as said above [no 3~1, 479, 1445, ~~~3].
• Confer Apocalypse 132 , 1610.
9l~6 II Ad. ~148-~153

EXODUS XI: 1-7 [37tH-M
3731. [And every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from
the firstborn of Pharaoh that will sit upon his throne, even unto the
firstborn of the handmaid that is behind the mill; yea, and every
firstborn of the beast], vs. 5. Of the firstborn, that he will perish,
we have spoken above [n. 37~~]. What is signified is that this will
be the case from the highest to the lowest, from the Pharaoh of the
present time to the handmaid, that is to say, to her who waits upon
him. That wrestling school is called a handmaid which serves him
for the deceiving of the world.
3732. It is said behind the mill. God Messiah also used a simili
tude taken from a mill and millstone, namely, that, of two at the
millstones, the one shall be raised up and the other remain [Matt.
~441]. The comparison is taken fr~m a flour mill, that is, from a
mill grinding barley, wheat, etc., of whose flour bread is prepared.
What spiritual and celestial bread is may be seen pointed out else
where. They who prepare this bread are thus compared to ser
vants and handmaids. It is from this that the present similitude is
drawn, it being from this first preparation that spiritual bread is
formed. But by Egyptian handmaids, etc., not heavenly bread
is formed but natural; and of what nourishment this is in things
spirituaJ can be seen by anyone from what has already been said.
3733. It is said the fi:.rstborn of the beast becajJ.se the Roman
~ff is here likened to a bea~t,-an~ this ~anifestly that any
on~ ht un~erstand it if only it should be granfed nim so to read
that it may be indicated that it is men who are called beasts. This
was-;kn-; in Egypt ; for the firstborn of the beast was also slain.
3734. [And there shall be a great cry in the whole land of
Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more],
vs. 6. It is because of this that a cry and lamentation now follows,
and not because of the spoil, the Egyptians having given them this
of their own will. Lamentation is spoken of in the Apocalypse
[chap. 18 18 • 19 ], and also its cause, to wit, because the city had
fallen and the beast been deprived of his power, etc.
3735. [But against any of the sons of Israel shall not a dog
move his tongue, from a man even to a beast: that ye may know how
that Jehovah maketh a difference between the Egyptians and Is
rael], vs. 7. The state of the sons of Israel is described. By a
dog here as also elsewhere is meant a man of the lowest sort. Dogs
are animals which bark when anything happens in the house. Here,
II Ad. ~154-~158 ~~7
however, there will be no disturbance; from this source comes deep

silence. From a man even to a beast, that is to say, from those who
are in inmosts, these being men, even to the most lowly, that is to
say, to servants, these being compared to beasts.
3736. [Then shall all these (thy 4) servants come down unto me,
and bOT(/) down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, thou and
all the people that is under thy feet: and after that I will go out.
A nd he went out from-with Pharaoh in the burning heat of anger],
vs. 8. Moses speaks these words not to Pharaoh but to Pharaoh's
servants; for we read above (chap. 10 29 ), that Moses would not see
the faces of Pharaoh any more; nor in the present chapter is it said,
that he came in unto Pharaoh, but that he spoke these words (verse
4). Thus he spoke them to Pharaoh's servants, and this in Pha
raoh's house, immediately after he had gone out [from-with Pha
raoh] ; for we read in the text, that he went out from Pharaoh in
the heat of anger; that is, went out from Pharaoh's house after
having said these words to Pharaoh's servants.
3737. It is said the heat of anger because such was Moses' char
acter that he spoke from heat, being the heat of anger; for, as is
frequently said of him -later, Moses 'was prone to anger. Anger,
however, comes from an unjust cause and from a just.
3738. What Moses said in the heat of anger is as follows: All
these [thy] servants shall come down unto me, and bow down them
selves unto me. "VhiIe Moses understood these words as concerning
himself, the expression is not applied to him, but means that they
would come down to Jehovah; and it is because Moses applied these
words to himself that his anger is called the heat of anger. Thus
this anger was not a gift but a permission, because such was his
nature. The same applies to his saying all the people that is under
thy feet; for being" under his feet" means being humbled before
him even to prostration. But what is here meant in the inmost
sense is that such is the people lsrael before God Messiah.
3739. The people who shall be under the feet of God Messiah,
that is to say, who shall serve him as a footstool, will be that people
which receives its name from Jacob, Jacob signifying the heel and
the supplanter; for he bruised the heel, as was foretold [Gen. 3 15 ].
3740. [And Jehovah foretold to Moses, Pharaoh shall not hear
you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.
~~8 II Ad. n59-~163
EXODUS XI: 8-XII: ~8
Therefore Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh.
But J ehovah made stiff the heart of Pharaoh, and he sent not the
sons of Israel out of Egypt a], vs. 9, 10. This is the sum of all
that has preceded, which is thus cast up, as it were, as is usually the
case at the end; for the stiffening of Pharaoh's heart refers both to
this last plague, that he would perish in the sea Suph, and also to all
the others, spoken of above and in the following chapter. 6
EXODUS XII
1 And J ehovah said unto Moses and unto Aaron in the land of
Egypt, saying,
~ This month shall be to you the head of months: it shall be
to you the first in respect to the months of the year.
S Speak ye unto all the assemblage of Israel, saying, In the
tenth of this month ye shall take to you 7 everyone a cattle/ for
the house of his fathers, a cattle for a house:
4 And if the house be too little to be over a cattle, let him and
his neighbour next unto his house take for the filling of the num-
ber of the souls; each according to his eating shall ye be numbered
over the cattle.
5 A cattle entire,S a male, the son of a year shall it be for you;
from the lambs, or from the kids, shall ye take it.
6 And it shall be for you to be kept even to the fourteenth
day of this month: then shall the whole assemblage of Israel slay it
between the evenings. 9
7 And they shall take of the blood, and put it upon the two
posts and upon the lintel; upon the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
B And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire; and
unleavened cakes upon bitter herbs they shall eat it.
9 Eat it not raw, or boiled, being boiled in waters; but roast
with fire, his head with his legs, and with his inward parts.
10 Neither shall ye leave of it until the morning; and if there
shall any remain of it until the morning ye shall burn it with fire.
11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes
• The Hebrew is " out of his land."
• The autograph has verse.
1 See n. 3753 note.

THE WORD EXPLAINED
on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in
haste. A pesach 1 to Jehovah shall it be;
U For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and
will smite every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man even to
beast; and on all the Egyptian gods I will make judgments. I am
Jehovah.
13 But the blood shall be to you for a sign upon the houses
where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the
plague shall not be in you for a destroyer, when I smite the land
of Egypt.
14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall
keep it a feast to Jehovah throughout your generations; by an
everlasting statute shall ye keep it.
15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened cakes; straightway on
the first day ye shall make leaven to cease from your houses; for
whosoever eateth that which is leavened from the first day even to
the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
16 And in the first day there shall be for you a holy convoca
tion, and in the seventh day a holy convocation; no work shall be
done in them, save that which shall be eaten for every soul, that
only shall be done by you.
17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened cakes; for in
the selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of
Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by
an everlasting statute.
18 In the first, in the fourteenth day of the month, in the eve
ning, ye shall eat unleavened cakes; even until the one and twentieth
of the month in the evening.
19 Seven days shall no leaven be found in your houses: for
whosoever eateth that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut off
from the assemblage of Israel, in the sojourner and in the native
of the land.
~o That which is leavened ye shall not eat; in all your habita
tions shall ye eat unleavened cakes.
~1 And Moses called all the elders of ISl"ael, and said unto
them, Draw out and take you a cattle of the flock according to
your families, that ye may kill the Pesach. .
1 See n. 3810 note.
SALVATION BY PASSOVER [3741-4~
~~ And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and shall dip it in the

blood that is in the basin; and of the blood that is in the basin, ye
shall make some to touch the lintel and the two side posts; and
none of you shall go outside the door of his house until the morn
mg.
~3 For Jehovah will pass through to smite Egypt; and when
he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and upon the two side posts,
Jehovah will pass by the door, and will not suffer the smiter to come
in unto your houses to smite.
~4 Afterwards ye shall observe this word for a statute to thee
and to thy sons even to an age. 2
~5 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which
Jehovah will give you, according as he hath spoken, that ye shall
observe this worship.
~6 And when it shall come to pass, that your sons say unto you,
What is this worship to you?
~7 Ye shall say, It is [the sacrifice of 3] the Pesach to Jehovah,
who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt; for when
he smote Egypt, he delivered our houses. And the people bowed
down itself, and they adored.
~8 And the sons of Israel went away, and did as Jehovah had
commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
[THAT THE PEOPLE OF JACOB WERE SAVED BY THE

REPRESENTATION OF THE PASSION OF THE MESSIAH]
3741. That the sons of Jacob, being the people which dwelt in
Goshen, might now be saved according to the promise made to
Abraham, and so might represent the sons of Israel, of whom we
have spoken at various times, it was commanded them that they
should slay a lamb or a kid, and with its blood should touch the
lintel and door posts, etc., and in this way should celebrate the
Passover.
3742. No one 4 in the entire globe who enjoys any understand
ing can suppose that the blood of a lamb or a kid, regarded in it
self, could contribute anything to the salvation of the sons of
2 See n. 3815 note.
• The autograph his unusquisqu,e (everyone).
II Ad. ~164-~165 ~31
Jacob above the Egyptians. For at this time they could be no

other than Egyptians, being so dull minded a people, that they
had no knowledge of Jehovah; for they first adored Him only after
Moses [and Aaron] had shewn them signs; and these they first
wrought before them, in order that they might believe; see chap
ter 4 29 - 31 • Moreover, there was no divine worship with them, as
there was with Abraham, for all worship with its sacrificial victims
and its rites was instituted later, as is clear from what follows.
Thus they lived in dense darkness. Nay, they did not have the Law
and therefore nothing from the Law could save them; for the Law
was delivered to them in mount Sinai. Thus J acob's sons then
lived in dense darkness,5 being a darkness of the same kind as that
in which were the Egyptians. What God could they have wor
shipped when they were ignorant of the worship of God and of
the works of the Law? Could it be any other than the god the
Egyptians worshipped? This, moreover, is sufficiently confirmed
from their disposition, for whenever anything offended them, they
at once wished to return to Egypt; and when they saw the gods of
the stranger, they at once yearned to worship them and this even
when they were having miracles every day, and had God Messiah
present among them. What then ;ould they not be, when living
in such ignorance without miracles and without any worship? Can
anyone say that they were then any better than the Egyptians?
Yet they were saved. This, therefore, was not on account of any
piety and uprightness of their own, but was solely on account of
the promise made by God Messiah to Abraham, and this that they
might represent sons of Israel. That representation is abstract
from the person, and so much so that what is represented has noth
ing in common with the person who represents, may be seen stated
above [no 3~87, 338~]. (That Jacob's descendants were of such
a character may be demonstrated by still other considerations, God
Messiah granting, nay, that perhaps they were worse, being of the
worst disposition, that is to say, of a worse disposition than was
possible with any nation in the entire globe.)
3743. As to how they were saved, this now follows, namely, by
the sole representation of the Messiah and of those things which pre
sented the Messiah's passion, each and all of which are contained
in blood, all justice being by the blood of the Messiah. Hence the
• Tenebme,. see n. 3703 note.
II Ad. ~166
SALVATION BY PASSOVER [3744-45
human race was reconciled because by means of God Messiah it

could then be regarded. The blood contains within itself the
whole of man's life, as stated above In. ~933, 3514, 35~O, 3637],
and also all things that can possibly comprehend the passion of the
Messiah, who redeemed the human race and thus made reconcilia
tion. (But these matters are so extensive that they cannot be
told in a few words. Therefore they must be referred to those
things which were said above, etc.)
3744. And now as concerns the people of Jacob, which was such
that they had no knowledge of Jehovah, and was of the character
described above [no 374~], this people could never have been saved
except by the representation of all those things which concerned
the Messiah and his passion, each and all of which were exhibited in
the blood. Being of such a character that, except for a few
among them, they did not know the least thing as to what this in
volved, therefore they could be saved in no other way than by
representation, namely, by the representation that they would be
saved by God Messiah because, as frequently stated above, this was
present before Him. (God Messiah granting, these matters also
should be more clearly expounded, and the representations set
forth; as, for instance, in Pharaoh, in his daughter, in the names
of the sons of Jacob, and in Jacob himself, etc., etc.) Wherefore,
also, all their worship was merely representative, being representa
tive of what it will be in those who worship God Messiah spiritually;
for He is spiritual and so must be worshipped spiritually. Other
wise, in themselves, the things described and instituted by Moses
are each and all dead, and if dead they ate filthy, like dead bodies,
and there can be no life in them save by the beholding of God Mes
siah a!lQ thus by faith in Him.
cr-~) It was different in the primitive church, up to the time
of Abraham and Isaac. Then men could refer all that they saw
to things spiritual and celestial, for they enjoyed a simple life.
But because in process of time such great darkness occupied minds,
that in things spiritual and celestial they saw nothing whatever,
therefore types were instituted from which the Messiah might be
hold himself and so might show favor to men-but from causes or
which We have spoken above [no 3744]. Nay, all the worship
which was afterwards instituted, was no other than that which had
existed in the primitive church. Thus there was little or no dif-
II Ad. ~167-~168 M3
ference; but it was now resumed, because of the darkness of this

people, lest it be altogether wiped ~>ut and so every type in the
world be lost wherefrom men might see that all and single things
in the universe have respect to God Messiah and his kingdom. It
was the people of Jacob from whom the Messiah was to be b_orn.
Hence all and single things that had been obliterated were again
resumed, and this for the sake of sons of Israel in all countries of
the globe, and especially for the sake of those who lived after the
advent of God Messiah, to the end that they might know all these
things; thus for the sake of the Jewish people also, to the end that
in these things they also might then have in contemplation that
none other ~as the Messiah save He who had been born among them
I and suffered death. But this was done in vain; for such as their
disposition had been from the time of J ac<?b even to their departure
from Egypt, such also was it in the wilderness, and the like in the
land of Canaan. Mor~over, they became ey"'er wo~e, even to the
crucifying of the Messiah_himself; and they crucify him even to
this day. Yet it is they who wish to be called the chosen above all
other peoples, and '[say] that they are to inherit the heavenly
I kingdom; which is just as absurd as saying that the gevil's crew is
to possess heaven and form a kingdom-a kingdom wherein each
individual would disagree with the other as enemy with enemy.
Yet, in the kingdom of God Messiah will live nought but love and
concord, and innumerable individuals will be one man, like a man
consisting of innumerable parts all subject to a single king. Ev
ery one can perceive this with clearness merely from these two con
siderations, if only he will reflect upon them, to wit: [1] That
nothing but Love 6 will constitute the kingdom of God Messiah;
and '[~] That after death everyone acts from his own disposition
which he has acquired here in the world, that is, in the life of the
body. This disposition remains, and if it is formed from no other
love than the love of oneself and the world, it is not reformed.
Then from his inner self, the one individual is filled with hatred for
the other, and from this no other kingdom can exist save discord
in each individual-thus the kingdom of the devil.
~~ What now follows concerns the salvation of this people
by means of blood; and so clearly do the words, one and all, have
the Messiah in view, and later, moreover, they are ,[so] explained
• [Crossed off:] which is in GQd Messiah alone.
~34 II Ad. ~169
EXODUS XII: 1 [S747-48
by the prophets, that no man. of this pe~le coul~ave been ig

norant of the fact, if only he hadbeen su~h that the mercy of God
Messiah might have operated upon him and so have infused faith.
This can never be done so long as men persist in obsti~cy, and
wish to regard no other Mes~ah tll~I!. one ~J.io wl1I_~o__~~~at
the can indulge in the cupidities of their animus and in the loves
of the ~orld and self, and-thus can remain in a state likeThatIn
which Adam' ~a:; after the fall, that is to say, in a like state with
the serpent who is to be cast down from heaven-unless indeed they
wishtO say that even serpents might -hewith men without con
\I
tin~ strivin to b"riQg" them haim. In lim;;~ society th~s
possible, inasmuch as men are forced to live [aright] by fear, and
they who live otherwise are removed from society.
3747. As now concerns the salvation of this people by means of
representation, as already stated [n. 3741 seq.] this becomes more
clearly evident from the very text of the Word of God Messiah. 7
3748. [And Jehovah said unto Moses and unto Aaron in the
land of Egypt, saying,] vs. 1. Here God Messiah commands
Moses and Aaron what they should do in order that this people
might be saved; for the smiter visited their houses also, and any of
them whom he met outside the house, and anyone whose house was
not sprinkled with blood according to,the commandment, perished
no differently than did the Egyptian, as is evident later on [chap.
1~13, 23]. Thus none of them was any different than an Egyptian;
but they were preserved by means of the representation of blood. 8
Moreover, this land is called the land of Egypt, that they might
know they were like the Egyptians; and since all things are now
representative and involve God Messiah, in this text Moses and
Aaron also represent God Messiah who is the Word of Jehovah, as
it was Moses and Aaron who here told his Word to the people.
7 [Here comes the following unnumbered paragraph which is crossed off
by the Author:] And JellOvah said unto Moses lLnd unto Aaron in the land of
Egypt, say'ing, vs. 1. If the inmost contents of this text were explained, the
same things would recur here as above [no 3454, 3580] to wit, that by Moses
and Aaron is represented God Messiah
s [Marginal note by the Author:] See below n. ~10 seq, [our n. 3779 seq.],
where is a repetition of the whole of the present exposition.
II Ad. ~170-~171
CONCERNING TIMES IN A SUMMARY 9
3749. The whole time of the new creation is called a year, and
relatively to a year it consists of twelve months, as stated above
[n. 1861] where the number twelve was treated of. The whole of
this time is also called a week; and it then consists of six days, as
also was observed above [n. 1835, 3~38]. So likewise it is dis
tributed into three days, weeks, years, or centuries, just as human
age is distributed into childhood, the age of manhood, and old age.
Of the ternary number much can be said, but as yet there is no
occasion for doing this. Thus, in the present case, since this time
is represented in a year, it is divided into twelve months. More
over, the times of the year like the times of a day are divided into
four, the year being thus divided into its seasons which are called
spring, summer, autumn, and winter; and the day into morning,
noon, evening, and night. But the beginnings and ends of these
times are circumstanced according to the men who are treated of. 1
3750. [This month shall be to you the head of months: it shall
be to you the first in respect to the months of the year]', vs. ~.
This month is called the head of months and the fiTst in Tespect to
the months of the year,· because all and single things commence
from it and end in it. Wherefore in the middle of this month was
the passover. That which is the first is also the last. 2 Hence it is
said the head of months, and consequently the head and beginning
of all things in divine worship, times having regard to what takes
place in them, it being from this that they are designated. Thus
the present month is said to be the head, and it is evident that it be
came the hetul of months from the passover, etc.
3751. What is done in the first month has regard to what is to
be done in the months of the whole year. Therefore it is said in
the text it shall be the first in respect to the months of the year.
What was here the first has regard also to the middle and the
• This heading is taken from the inside of the back cover page of the MS.
See Table of Contents, n. IO:il note. In the autograph the paragraph commences
"Verse :il," but in the translation the insertion of the heading has led us to
transfer the text of this verse to the following paragraph.
1 In the autograph this paragraph is emphasized by "N B" written three

, Swedenborg first wrote ultimum but altered it to postremum.
~36 II Ad. ~17~-n 75
EXODUS XII: 9l-S [S759l-SS
last~3 for in this month 4 was the passover which was celebrated on
the fourteenth day [vs. 6]. Thus, when the passover is regarded
as the first, then the year also came to an end within this month.
Moreover, it is the first month because in the primitive church
men regarded nothing else than their redemption by the blood of
the Messiah; hence the sacrifices of Abel, N oah, Abraham, etc. It
will also be regarded in the last, namely, in the end when the year
is completed, the end being in this month which is called the head,
and the first in respect to the months of the year.
3752. But let us see whether these words do not have regard to
the time of the Messiah's advent, and thus not to the end of days.
Both times may indeed be meant, but principally the time when the
Messiah came into the world. That here, when the passover was
to be instituted, regard is had more especially to the time of the
advent of the Messiah, can be evident from the days set forth in
the text; namely, that on the tenth day they were to begin to pre
pare the passover; and then, at the end of the second week they
were to eat the passover which was to continue during the third
week called a holy week. 5 Thus three weeks in this month are here
treated of, so that the first week regards the time of the primitive
church~ but in a way which, by the divine mercy of God Messiah,
will be spoken of [later] ; the second week, the time from Moses to
the Messiah; and the third week, the time from the advent of God
Messiah to the end of the world.
The first time is treated of in verse S, the second in verse 6,
and the third in verses 15, 16 and 18.
3753. [Speak ye unto all the assemblage of Israel, sayimg, In
the tenth of' this month ye shall take to you 6 everyone a cattle 7 for
the house of their father.<r, a cattle for a house], vs. S. lt is here
said that Moses and Aaron should speak to all the assemblage of
IsraeZ. In the proximate sense this does indeed mean that they
should speak to that people; but because in that people was repre
sented the people called Israel~ therefore it is said that they should
• [Crossed off:] just as J ehovah God is the first and at the same time the
last.
• [Crvssed off:] and indeed on the fourteenth day [By inadvertence Swe
denborg neglected to cross off the first two words et quidem].
• Confer vs. 16.
• The Hebrew is " they shall take to them."
• 1"l¥.' pecus meaning a sheep or a goat; see n. 3609 note.
II Ad. 9l176-9l179 9lS7
$754-56] THE WORD EXPLAINED
speak to all the a.Ysemblage of Israel. So has it been from that time
even to the present day; for all the assemblage of Israel means all
men in the entire globe who are to be called sons of Israel.
3754. The command that this should be done on the tenth day
involves many things, to wit: It involves the first week which com
menced from Noah, the three preceding days referring to the prim
itive time prior to Noah. Moreover, because with this people the
first week had now ended in night, as stated above [no 3~1, 1445,
36~5], when yet every week commences from evening and ends in
morning, therefore, [it involves also that] this night has been
added, the result being thus ten days. The first week would be
from Noah to Abraham, but now come additional days even to the
time when the people was led out of Egypt; hence also the result
is ten days. And so, adding the four days when shall be the pass
over, the result then is two weeks. Thus the present time is num
bered only from Noah. 8
3755. As concerns cattle, it is commanded in verse 5 that it must
be a lamb or kid. Being sacrificial, these animals were types.
3756. Because it was each separate family that was to eat the
passover and so to he saved, and thus each head of a house with his
children, these thus representing a kingdom or a single body, there
fore it was instituted by God Messiah that they should take a cattle,
for a house of the fathers; and also that if the family were too small
it should add to itself another family lest anything be lost, as is
evident [in verse 4] below.
Each family represents a body, whose head is the father from
whom also families take their name. Moreover, each family, which
is called a house, also represents a tree in some garden, or a branch
in some tree. If it represents a body, then the eating of the pass
over signifies spiritual nourishment "for sons of Israel; and if it
represents a garden, then also it signifies nourishment, and so like
wise if it is a single tree. Hence it is evident why it was ordained
that families should eat by themselves; for each house is taken as a
single man, as is a whole society in general, inasmuch as all things
in the kingdom of God Messiah hark back to a one, although they
are distinguished into degrees higher and lower, which descend as
parents to sons.
S Confer n. 3752, 3764, 3781.
~38 II Ad. ~180-~183
EXODUS XII: 4-5 [3757-59
3757. [And if the house be too little to be over a cattle, let him
and his neighbour next unto his house take for the filling of the
number of the souls; each according to his eating shall ye be num-
bered over the cattle], vs. 4. This is now confirmed, the present
subject being the consociation of houses, and this to the end that
there may be one house like the one house of God Messiah. The
house of God Messiah is in heaven, being that entire kingdom of
which the present houses of the sons of Israel, so called, were types
and images. That there might yet be a single house, it was not al-
lowed them to take any but the neighboring house; for each house
has something individual shared with another house, there being
variety in the universal whole, and also in the genus, the species and
the part. Wherefore it behooved them to take the neighboring
house. Moreover, as was said, these houses represented a garden,
and the sole sap or life of this garden is God Messiah. So now
the blood; for from the blood of the Messiah comes all life, which
is properly to be called life.
3758. [A cattle entire, a male, the son of a year shall it be for
you; from the lambs, or from the kids, shall ye talce it], vs. 5.
That it is a lamb or a kid is here clearly stated, lambs being ex-
tremely mild and to be preferred to all animals. Hence the Mes-
siah is the Lamb of God [John 1 29 ,36] in many ways. But of
lambs we speak elsewhere.
3759. That it was to be entire 9 has regard to spiritual in-
tegrity, namely, that within it should be no fault or blemish; thus
that as Man, He shall have fulfilled all the law from inmosts, and
so alone be without blemish, that is, without sin. It is hence that
we are justified; for one in whom is sin cannot be looked at by J e-
hovah who is holy. Therefore He became man that He might
fulfil all the essentials of the law from inmosts. So far removed is
this from man after the fal1, that in him is nothing which is not
impure and filthy. Therefore there is no man but who is to be
rejected, save the One, born a man, whose life was without the least
blemish, and so was pure and holy. Otherwise the human race
could not have been restored, seeing that it could not have been
• The Hebrew word tl''?~ means entire, whole, perfect, without blemish.
II Ad. fl184-fl186 fl39

looked at by Jehovah God. Thus it could be looked at solely by

means of a man holy and pure, who at the same time was God. '
3760. That it was to be a male involves that it was no female
who would make satisfaction for the human race, thus who would
intercede--which is impious.
3761. It must be the son of a year in order that it may signify
that whole time, which is called a year, a week, or a three-day pe
riod; consequently, that regard may be had to the whole time of the
new creation. Therefore it is said, the son of a year.
3762. Therefore in the text the words Vntegra, mascula, (ilia
anni 2 refer to pecuS' since pecus is of the feminine gender. 3 But
since what it was to be is at once explained, to wit, that it was to be
agnus seu haedus 4 (which comes to the same thing, for, as com
manded, it must be a male), therefore what is to be understood in
the text is that it must be integer, masculus, et filius anni. 5
3763. [And it shall be for you to be kept even to the fourteenth
between the evenings], vs. 6. That the lamb was to be kept from
the tenth day to the fourteenth, signifies that it was to be separated
from the flock and so to be kept that it might be the paschal lamb.
3764. As touching this separation from the flock, it involves the
time spoken of above [n. 3754], being the time intervening between
the departure of this people out of Egypt and the advent of God
Messiah, as was stated above to the effect that otherwise the first
week would be from Noah to Abraham; but since the time is now
prolonged even to Moses, therefore ten days are mentioned [vs. 3],
and the remainder of the time, which is four days, is from Moses to
the advent of God Messiah.
3765. The statement that the lamb was to be kept, has regard to
the worship itself, that meanwhile the lamb was to be kept, that is,
1 In the autograph this paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written four

1 See n. 3763 note.
• In classical Latin lJecus, peco'J'is (neuter) means pasture animals consid

ered collectively, while pecus, pecudis (feminine) means a single one of such
animals. In this verse, Schmidius uses the latter word, and therefore puts the
qualifying adjectives in the feminine. His text reads: Pecu8 integra, mascula,
{ilia anni, which, literally translated, would be "a pasturing animal entire, a
male, the son of a year."
• I.e., a male lamb or kid.
• That is, entire, a male, the SOIt of a year, in the masculine gender.
240 'I1 Ad. 2187-2192
EXODUS XII: 6-7 [3766-69
God Messiah was to be worshipped by means of sacrifices. These

were to be kept in the houses of this people; for they were kept by
them, but by means of the written Word of God Messiah, etc., etc.
3766. The fourteenth day was when God Messiah came, namely,
at the end of the second week, after the four days during which the
lamb was in keeping. The Word of God Messiah was first promul
gated by Moses lest it perish; for it actually existed in the primi
tive church also, but in this people it was now obliterated, and with
the gentiles all the types and rites of the primitive church had been
turned into idolatries and so had been profaned. This also was
the reason why, among these descendants of J acob, the lamb· was
now to be kept in each house. But to the end that all the houses
may be considered as a single house, the discourse here concerns a
single lamb and not many, when yet they were as many in number
as were the houses, as stated above [vs. 3] ; for we read: Then shall
the rvhole assemblage of Israel slay it between the evenings.
3767. It is said between the evenings, because there were two eve
nings, namely, one with the Jewish people which was then in eve
ning, and the other because the third day of the new creation com
menced from what with them was evening. The two evenings,
therefore, have regard tl? the Jewish people, which when this lamb
was being slaughtered was between two evenings. Otherwise it
cannot be understood what the two evenings could signify, since
[with them] it was a single evening from which advance was made
to the night.
3768. The two evenings also signify: the one which then ex
isted, and which continued even to the Messiah's advent; for when
coverings and types alone are regarded, it is evening, being spir
itual shade or ignorance. The other evening in that people, com
menced after the advent of God Messiah, from which time they
remained in a like evening.
That in this people the evening or the two evenings verged to
ward night, see below at verse 8.'"
3769. [And they shall take of the blood, and put it upon the
two posts and upon the lintel; upon the houses, wherein they shall
eat it], vs. 7. The blood has been spoken of above [n. 3743,
3746] ; and that it is the blood of the Messiah which alone will
II Ad. ~193-~197 MI
sanctify sons of Israel is well known. What is the blood of a

lamb or kid, seeing that these are animals and can contribute noth
ing whatever to salvation? Thus without a looking to the in
tegrity and sanctity of the Messiah, no man is saved. 6 Blood, be
ing the sum of things, is the complex of all that shall be said
concerning the Messiah; for the blood embraces in itself the whole
life of man and consequently also the order of his life from inmosts
to outmosts, these lives being simultaneously present in the blood,
and following on from their principles in the man. Therefore,
from infancy even to the end of his life, according as is the life of
man, such is the order and state of his life, and such the things
which have preceded in the man; for these form the order of his
life, and they are simultaneously present in the blood. Thus comes
servitude, captivity, temptation, and all [like] things; for these
contribute to the order of human life, and man must undergo them.
if he is to be reformed. The order is therefore inscribed on the
blood which, as was said is the complex of all things, etc., etc.
3770. Here, then, we have a representation of the blood of the
Messiah, who restored order, and thus alone became justice. From
his justice, therefore, men are justified and never from the justice
of another; for man can never be looked at by Jehovah through
another. Hence after the fall men are purified by the blood of the
Messiah. This is still further expressed in the words which follow
in verse 13, where we read: " But the blood shall be to you for a
sign upon the houses where ye are; and when I see the blood, I will
pass over you, and the plague shall not be in you for a destroyer,
when I smite the land of Egypt."
3771. The lintel is the head, the posts are the arms. Thus there
is a representation of the crucifixion. So also previously, when
speaking of the circumcision of Moses' son; see that verse [chap.
42 5, n. 3446]. Such a representation is also presented in what
follows.
3772. The house represents the Messiah himself who is the holy
House of God. That the house of the sons of Israel might be holy,
there must also be blood in their houses, and so they will repre
sent the house of God and consequently the Messiah himself; for
• In the autograph the rest of the paragraph from this point on is empha
sized by " NB" written three times in the margin.
II Ad. ~198-~~OO
EXODUS XII: 8-9 [3773-77
they must see nothing but blood to the end that they might remem
ber the Messiah and all that the Messiah was to suffer for them.
3773. So they shall eat it. By this is represented the spiritual
food which afterwards was represented by bread as a symbol, the
blood being represented by wine, as sometimes stated above. Spir
itual bread is that which nourishes human minds and so also [spir
itual] wine. Hence it is the passion of the Messiah, and thence the
salvation of man, that is here represented by the passover and by
the blood.
3774. [And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire;
and unleavened cakes upon bitter herbs they shall eat it], vs. 8.
That they ate in that night signifies the night over the entire world,
for it was also night when the Messiah gave up the ghost; 7 but it
became morning when He rose again. It was night in the sepul
chre, that He might take away the death of the human race; but
it was morning when He rose and heaven was again open [Matt.
!'l8 1 , Mark 162 , Luke M\ John !'l02].
3775. That the flesh was roast with fire signifies the direst, nay,
the ineffable tortures and torments both bodily and spiritual which
the Messiah sustained. Therefore it was commanded that the flesh
should be roast with fire.
3776. That there were unleavened cakes upon bitter herbs signi
fies innocence and integrity, which would thus be commingled with
things bitter, as also was done when He who is supremely entire and
holy was tortured in this way, in order that He might be for salva
tion to the human race, and this from love alone and from mercy
which comes from love.
3777. [Eat it not raw, or boiled, being boiled in waters; but
roast with fire, his head with hi.s legs, and with his inward parts],
vs. 9. This follows from the words that they were not to eat it
raw, in order that it may be expressed that it must be roast with
fire. Fire is the anger of J ehovah against the human race. Be
cause [He] bore the damnation and so the just anger of Jehovah
against the human race, therefore it was not to be raw but cooked
with fire.
Boiled in waters means that which is somewhat soft. These
words signify many things which cannot as yet be told, since they
are not yet disclosed to me.
, See Matt. 2740, 00; Mark 1533, 37; Luke 2344,46.
!'l43
His head with his legs means what was signified above by the
lintel and the doorposts [vs. 7] and what previously, in the circum
cision [chap. 425 ] was also signified by the feet, etc.
As concerns the inward parts, this means that spiritually there
was nothing they were not to eat; for to sons of Israel he gives the
whole of himself.
3778. [Neither shall ye leave of it until the morning; and if
there shall any remain of it until the morning ye shall burn it with
fire], vs. 10. When they shall eat it, it will be night; but the morn
ing signifies the resurrection, and thus the last day when they shall
no longer eat the passover. This eating will be done when there is
darkness; but when the dawn arises then shall be heavenly food.
Nor then will there any longer be aught roast with fire, nor any
bitterness or like typical or symbolic representation; but then will
be the effigy, and the things that are past will one and all be given
to oblivion, seeing that they all concern the time of the passion of
the Messiah, 8 and thus those very times. But, as was said, in the
end of days another will come. Then the passover will be the
kingdom of God; for all food will then be heavenly food and this,
as was said [n. 3776], with delights, without bitter things. There
fore it is said that nothing should be left until the morning but that
it should be burned with fire, that is, that all sadness will be wiped
away.
REPETITION OF THE ABOVE
3779. [And Jehovah said unto Moses and unto Aaron in the
land of Egypt, sayinp-] , vs. 1. This verse concerns the institution
of the passover, and from it, can be seen why the passover was in
stituted and what it signifies.
It was instituted in the land of Egypt where was the first pass
over of all, for the reason that they might not be slain. Here
nothing is said concerning the firstborn, but only concerning each
individual that he be not slain, in a way other than by being still
in Egypt. 9
They were in the land of captivity, Egypt being captivity, to
the end that they might be delivered-as follows later. This signi
8 [Crossed off: I and also of his sons, in whom likewise
• ne oclJideretw', aliter ac in Aegypto adhuc.

~44
EXODUS XII: 10; l-~ (repetition) [3780-8~
fies spiritual captivity, that is, the damnation from which they
were delivered by blood.
The passover was first instituted, and indeed for the sake of
that people which was then condemned to death but was delivered
by blood, that is to say, by the sole representation of the blood of
the Messiah; and that this is the complex of all that the Messiah
[sustained] for the snatching of man away from captivity, and so
from spiritual damnation, [has been stated above, n. 3769].
3780. Hence it is said that J ehovah, that is, God Messiah, said
this unto Moses and Aaron, being to those whom these two repre
sented/ as stated above [no 3457, 3465, 3748]; in the land of
Egypt, that is, in the land of the damned, as is evident from the
plagues of this land when regarded spiritually, and especially from
the final darkness and the death of the firstborn.
Saying, that is to say, he said . . . sayiJng, involves the words
of God Messiah that these words may be confirmed.
3781. [This month shall be to you the head of months: it shall
be to you the first in respect to the months of the year], vs.~. The
first month commenced from blood, and indeed from the blood of
Abel [Gen. 410]. But that this month may be passed by, the text
goes on to the "tenth day" [vs. 3]. Thus it commences from
Noah who slew pairs of all clean animals [Gen. 820], to the end that
he might be purified, and be saved from the damnation to which the
whole human race was then devoted and [from which] it perished in
the flood. In order then that of all these men, that posterity might
again be saved which had acquired faith, the month now com
menced from a like sacrifice, that is to say, from blood.
This was observed afterwards, as we read of Abraham [Gen.
~~1-19]. Thus it was solely blood by which they were saved.
3782. Therefore it is said, this month 2 is the head of the months
of the year. A year has regard to the whole time from N oah to
the end of the world. The first month is when this passover com
mences, and in it all the months of the year would be sanctified.
This month itself, however, also involves the whole time of the new
creation and indeed the first three weeks. And because it was re
garded by all the months of the year wherein they had their com-
1 The text is qui utrumque repraesentabant (Who represented these two).
2 The autograph has day, but this is a slip.
II Ad. ~~13-Q~18 ~45
mencement from it, therefore it is called the head of months 8 and

the first in respect to the months of the year.
3783. Thus in the expressions" a year," " a month," " a day,"
and so forth, the same thing is signified, since time is such that of
itself it counts for nothing, there being no time with Jehovah God.
Thus the time is enumerated solely according to the days in this
month, which is the first. Concerning the number twelve, see
elsewhere.
3784. [Speak ye unto all the assemblage of Israel, sayitng, In
the tenth of this month ye shall take to you everyone a cattle, for
the house of his fathers, a cattle for a house], vs. 3. Unto the as
semblage of Israel means to all in the entire globe whom these de
scendants represented, the latter, because of the representation, be
ing called sons of Israel, here the assemblage of Israel, to the end
that all might be represented.
3785. It is here ordered that they should take a cattle on the
tenth day, that is to say, at this time, being the first of all times in
respect to this perverse people, which otherwise would have per
ished, had it not been saved by a representation abstracted from
the person. Thus this people was saved at this time and also after
wards when its sacrifices were formally instituted, being saved in
deed by means of types; for they were not of such a character that
they could have been admitted into things inmost for the beholding
of the Messiah, in which case they must needs have perished.
Therefore, lest this posterity should perish and be exterminated,
God Messiah consulted for their safety, but a temporal safety, by
means of mere representations. It would have been different had
they been sons of Israel.
3786. It was commanded that each house should have its own
cattle--a house representing a man, just as a man represents a so
ciety, and this a kingdom, and so forth-in order that many repre
sentations might together make a single representation; thus the
separate houses were to eat the passover that none of them might
perish.
3787. [And if the house be too little to be over a cattle, let hinn
and his neighbour next unto his house take for the fillitng of the num
ber of the souls; each according to his eating shall ye be numbered
• The autograph has month.
fl46
EXODUS XII: 3-9 (repetition) [3788-93
over the cattle], vs. 4. This was for the same reason as that spoken
of above [n. 3786], thus in order that every individual should eat
the passover, which is what is meant by numbering his eating over
the cattle.
3788. [A cattle entire, a male, the son of a year shall it be for
you; from the lam1Js, or from the kids, shall ye take it], vs. 5.
These words have been spoken of above [n. 3758] and may be
looked up, for this is a repetition.
3789. [And it shall be for you to be kept even to the fourteenth
between the evenings], vs. 6. Here also see above En. 3763] at this
same verse. N. B. (Confer n. 3844).
3790. [And they shall take of the blood, and put it upon the
two posts and upon the limtel; upon the houses, wherein they shall
eat it], vs. 7. These words also have been explained. It is said
houses that they may then represent the tabernacle, the temple, and
the Messiah himself, in that he was the Paschal Lamb. (God Mes
siah granting, these deductions may be made in better fashion else
where.) As to whether the blood is upon those who are called a
house, it may be looked up elsewhere, how it was done, and whether
the blood was not also upon those who were eating.
3791. [And they shall eat the flesh im that night, roast with
fire; and unleavened cakes upon bitter herbs they shall eat it], vs. 8.
See above [n. 3774]. Roast with fire signifies tortures, as above
En. 3775] ; also bitter herbs, respeetiitg which see below at verse ~~.
3792. [Eat it not raw, or boiled, being boiled im waters; but
roast with fire, hi.~ head with his legs, OInd with hi·s inward parts),
vs. 9. It was not boiled im waters because it is damnation that is
signified by waters, as, for instance, by the flood, the Dead Sea, the
Nile, the sea Suph; there shall the damned be. Therefore it was
not to be boiled in waters these being damned, but roast with fire
because it must pass through the fire and so be purified. So it is
said of the soul which is to be purified and which rises again, that it
must pass through the fire [Is. 4810, Zech. 139 ].
3793. That they were to eat the imward parts also, means that
they were to eat the whole, so that nothing should be left. Thus
in order that the entire lamb may be as an expiation for them,
nothing \vhatever in the whole of it would be hurtful. In any other
case, the inward parts or the intestines were rejected. But since
II Ad. ~~~4-~~~9 M7
it was the passover, everything of this kind could then be eaten, in

order that it might be signified that there was then nothing unclean
because it had been sanctified by the blood which was in the whole,
there being nothing that is not born of the blood. Therefore it
was then allowed them to eat also the inward parts, to the end that
this may signify those interior parts in which the blood itself is
prepared; for the interior parts are the laboratories of the blood.
(What other meaning lies within these words is not yet compre
hended.)
3794. This was the provision for that people; for they who
thus ate were in themselves damned but were saved by the blood and
not so much by the eating. These were they who crucified the Mes
siah; and for this reason it was enjoined upon them to eat the
inward parts also. (Whether such is the meaning, I do not as yet
know for certain.)
3795. [Neither shall ye leave of it until the morning; and if
there shall any remain of it until the morning ye shall burn it with
fire], vs. 10. Whether these words involve a like meaning, I do not
yet know; for their character was such as has been stated 4 [n.
3744] ; also whether the evil which they did was in this way to be
turned into good in order that all sons of Israel, who here are repre
sented, might be saved, and they themselves perish.
But this can better be known when we treat of the crucifixion of
the Messiah, for blood here represents all salvation. But as to
what is signified by the eating thus instituted, I do not yet know
whether it signifies their damnation or something else. It can be
known at another time, if God Messiah so grants.
3796. Is this signified by Judas the betrayer? who then repre~
sented the Jewish people, in that he Was condemned by eating.
But the other apostles also ate; they did this, however, no dif
ferently than the Messiah himself in whom they were blessed. The
passover then came to an end, and in its place it was instituted that
they should eat bread, this being the symbol. In this way the pass
over was forbidden, lest such things be signified 5 as ate in the Jewish
people, in that these were condemned.
3797. From the time also it can be evident that these events coin
cide in the matter of time, it being the end of the second week when
• [Crossed off:] which, moreover, was afterwards confirmed.
• Reading s-ignifical'entur for significarent.
~48
EXODUS XII: 10 (repetition) [3798-3801
the Messiah was in the world; for they were to eat on the fourteenth
day and indeed at midnight, as is evident from verse 8, that is to say,
when they were blinded as in the night time.
3798. The mornimg then signifies the resurrection, for then
there would be nothing remaining. Thus the morning also sig-
nifies the last time, that is to say, the resurrection of the sons of
Israel. Wherefore, nothing of damnation will then be left, for it
will be purified as by fire. As regards the people who actually ate,
whether when the morning comes they are to be purified as by fire
cannot be evident.
3799. The paschal Iamb is the Messiah himself, but they who
ate it in a corporeal sense are Jacob's descendants. These so ate it
that they had regard only to the flesh, being thus those who ate
damnation; but they who eat it in a spiritual sense, are those who
eat bread, and are sons of Israel like those who ate the manna from
heaven which is spoken of later [chap. 1614 - 17 ] and which yielded
them spiritual nourishment. Those, therefore, who eat it in any
other way, that is to say, who eat it without the beholding of the
Messiah, as when it was instituted, eat death not life. Whether,
therefore, these descendants might be saved from eternal damnation,
cannot be said, they being such that they could never be in heaven
with sons of Israel.
3800. In the genuine sense, the fact that the residue should be
burned in the morning, signifies the resurrection, which also was
effected early in the morning on the third day. That it was in the
morning is here clearly signified by the fact that they ate the pass-
over in the night after the fourteenth day, for in that people it was
then the depth of night, also signified by the darkening of the sun
[Luke !23 45 J. Night itself moreover, signifies the sepulchre and,
consequently, hell, into which the Messiah descended; but he rose
on the third day early in the morning, that is, in the first dawn of
the day of the third week; by which is also signified morning for
sons of Israel in the end of days.
3801. But what it signifies, that the residue should be burned,
this I do not as yet well perceive. If there is any error in what has
been said above, it is the fault of those pouring around me who
wish to impress various things on my mind as to what it may other-
wise signify in the genuine sense. Perhaps, God Messiah granting,
it wiII be told otherwise-whether it means that they are to be
II Ad. !2!235-!2!238 !249
purified by fire, etc., etc., in like manner as we read later concerning

the sacrificial victims, that the inward parts were to be burned
[chap. 29 17- 8 , Lev. 1 9 ], while here they are to be eaten; moreover,
something similar was left over. 6
3802. That it may more fully appear what the paschal lamb
signifies, the following particulars may serve for what comes later.
The paschal lamb and the eating thereof, and especially the
sprinkling of the blood, was solely for the Jews who had no desire
to perceive things inmost. That they might escape death with the
Egyptians, this was given them to the end that God Messiah [might
remember] all things in himself, and thus in the sons of Israel who
existed as images of himself, being those who had lived in the primi
tive church, and those who were then among the gentiles, and also
those who lived after his advent. These the sons of J acob repre
sented, so that when God Messiah [remembered] them all, and prin
cipally himself, he could not but spare the sons of Jacob by reason
of Abraham's faith and thus because of Abraham's supplication.
3803. From this it follows that with this people the passover
was merely a type, their penetration going no further than to out
mosts. Therefore they were afterwards to be instructed concern
ing interiors, and this from the present time until the time of the
Messiah and so beyond. As to what the passover inmostly involves,
this may be told later; but as to what they represented by it, this
is clearly stated below [vs. 27], namely, that they should remember
all the miracles done in Egypt, lest these ever fall away from their
memory, and especially the last plagues, being the plague of
darkness and that of the death of the firstborn, to the end that God
Messiah might recall all the things which were inmostly represented
by those plagues, things, namely, which especially concern sons
of Israel from the first day to the last; and so might [remember]
all simultaneously, they being simultaneous in God Messiah; and
thus all in the end of days.
. 3804. What, then, the paschal lamb signifies in the supreme sense
can be evident, namely, that it is the Messiah himself, who gave
himself as a victim for the human race that he might save the
• Swedenborg perhaps intended to refer to the law that whatever of the
sacrifices was left over till the morning was not to be eaten but burned (chap.
f<l9 34, Lev. 88 2 ). We may add that this paragraph is emphasi2ed by "N B"
written twice in the margin.
250 II Ad. 2239-2242
EXODUS XII: 11 [8805-08
human race; that is to say, that they might be beholden by Jehovah

and so be united to him by faith, but so ely by means of God Mes
siah, as stated above [n. 3770]. The paschal lamb is God Messiah,
and thus by the blood is signified aU life, justice, and order as re
stored in God Messiah.
3805. So also [He remembers] in true sons of Israel, the like
things which are after His own example; for they who are not
copies or images of Him do not become His sons, that is, sons of
Israel. Thus all the inmost things which here fit in with the sons
of Jacob in Goshen, now fit in with the true sons of Israel; and those
which fit in with the Egyptians, fit in with the opposite crew which
is here called Egypt; thus they fit in on earth and in the heavens.
3806. Thus, as was said [no 375~, 3778], the paschal lamb has
regard to the last time, being universal time; and then indeed to
that which is signified by the bread and wine which succeeded in
place of the passover, for this was then instituted. Thus it sig
nifies the kingdom of God Messiah in the end of days, and conse
quently the heavenly feast, that is, the kingdom of God Messiah
which is signified by the morning when the sons of Israel should go
forth. Then also is the judgment upon all who are here called
Egyptians, of whom the firstborn shall be slain and all [the rest]
shall afterwards perish in the sea Suph.
3807. That God Messiah is then to come as a "thief in the
night," as it is said [1 Thess. 52, ~ Pet. 310, Rev. 3 3 , 16 15 ] ; and
that the bridegroom will then admit those who are prepared at the
time and have oil in their lamps [Matt. Q5 10 ], is evident from the
Word of God Messiah. Then shall all be fulfilled that is signified
by the paschal lamb, and afterwards by the feast of bread and wine;
for then He himself will be the Bread and the Wine, that is to say,
He will give himself, and will feed all men with heavenly bread,7
that is,s with intelligence and wisdom, and also with heavenly
wine, that is, with joy and felicity.
3808. [And thus shall ye eat it; with your loms girded, your
shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it
in haste. A pesach 9 to J ehovah shall it be], vs. 11. This desig
nates the externals which, as stated above, n. 380~, 3803, were with
• Swedenborg first wrote food.
8 [Crossed off:] spiritually with understanding and joy.

II Ad. Q~43-~~46 ~51
Jacob's descendants for the sake of their bodily safety, and of the
representation in them of sons of Israel; to the end that in this
gesture they might thus recall all things to their memory, and tell
them to their children; that so, by means of external things or
miracles, they might believe and thus by terror be driven to faith,
first in the God who had wrought the miracles, and so onward to
ward things interior; that so they might be led to the things which
these miracles signified. It was thus that this people was to be
driven; for at once to admit such a people into things inmost were
vain; it would then become unfaithful, and so could never escape
death, seeing that it would profane all things. For were they to
eat the passover and to have knowledge of its inmosts, they would
incur the utmost danger, and yet would not have faith. There
fore, by means of externals, they were saved from bodily death
because of the promise and the representation, and because of the
Word of God Messiah with them, which was to be promulgated;
thus, because of the Messiah himself whom it pleased to be born in
that vile stock, though yet from a root which he himself sanctified
[I Sam. 1612 ], and which is called the root of J esse [Is. HI0].
3809. In the inmost sense these words signify sojourning, that
is to say, life, in that the sons of Israel were saved from death; and
it is said that they were then to eat Vn haste because they know not
the hour when the Bridegroom cometh [Matt. !25 13 ].
3810. A pesach 1 means" a sacrifice causing one to pass by " ;
for it involves that when God Messiah is present, the smiter can
not enter the house, but must pass by. Thus in the genuine sense
it signifies salvation, namely, that the destroyer will pass the sons
of Israel by, and will enter into the houses of the Egyptians. So
is it in the lives of those who are sOns of Israel, and so will it be in
the end of days,2 the one thing being known from the other; for life
is a sojourning, to the end that at the last there may be an abiding.
3811. [For 1 will pass through the land of Egypt this night,
1 This is Schmidius' transliteration of the Hebrew word MI?~ which he
follows by the interpretation sac·rifici~tm praeteri·reficum (a making-to-pass-by
sacrifice), a coinage which Swedenborg interprets as meaning sam+(icum faciens
praeterire. The word itself comes from the root MI?~ he passed through or
over.
• [Crossed off:] For as each son carries within himself the image of the
kingdom, and has the image of the kingdom in his life-
II Ad. !2M7-~M9
EXODUS XII: 12-14 [3812-14
and will smite every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man even
to beast; and on all the Egyptian gods I will make judgments. I
am Jehovah] , vs. 1~. These words have been treated of above at
chapter 11[5], namely, as to what is meant by the firstborn.
That they have regard to the Messiah himself when he will come
into the world and will make the first judgment and will condemn
the devil and his crew, is here clearly indicated; for we read: On all
the Egyptian gods I will make judgments. What is meant by the
Egyptian gods is also clear, namely, whatsoever is worshipped more
than God Messiah; for in respect to God Messiah, all and single
things, both in oneself and outside oneself, must be of no account
whatsoever. If this be wealth, or if it be a man, if it be within
oneself or outside oneself, it is all idolatrous. Hence can be seen
the degrees of idolatry and also who the Egyptian gods are, they
being thus innumerable.3
3812. That the text also concerns the end of days, or the
last judgment, is likewise clear. They are called judgments be
cause these are two in number, one, when God :Messiah comes into
the world, and the other when He is to come.
3813. [But the blood shall be to you for a sign upon the houses
where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the
plague shall not be in you for a destroyer, when I smite the land of
Egypt], vs. 13. These words have now been explained in numbers
380~ to 3807 and also previously where we treated of the blood
[n.3769].
3814. [And this day shall be unto you fO?' a memorial; and ye
shall keep it a feast to Jehovah throughout your generations; by an
everlasting statute shall ye keep it], ~s. 14. That to the Jews, this
day would be a feast, and indeed by an everlasting statute, now
follows, and this that it might then be a memorial to them; for a
memorial is instituted in many ways, for the sake of that end of
which we have previously spoken at verse 11 and in numbers 380~,
3803 above; it is also spoken of later, and here and there in the next
chapter. Wherefore it is said throughout yOU?' generations, in
order that all their houses might observe the passover in the same
manner as now.
• The second half of this paragraph is emphasized by "N B " written twice
in the margin.
~53
3815. Its being an everlasting statute concerns J acob's descend

ants. Because these descendants could not regard aught but ex
ternals-and it was foreseen that later they would not-therefore,
to them this statute must be everlasting. For them, this signifies
time even to the last time, as is evident from verse fl4 where it is
said that this statute shall be " to an age"; 4 for everlasting when
explained by " an age" has regard to time even to the last time.
But for sons of Israel, everlasting has regard to eternity.
3816. Jacob's descendants were to observe this statute everlast
ingly, then an entirely different sense emerges, which can be no
other than that they would undergo eternal damnation; for they
who eat the passover and see the blood, without an inmost sensation
arising from faith in God Messiah, eat death for themselves. Thus,
for them everlasting would then be damnation; but the present ever
lasting is explained in verse fl4 by " an age."
3817. [Seven days shall ye eat unleavened cakes; straightway on
the first day shall ye make leaven to cease from your houses; for
whosoever eateth that which is leavened, from the first day even to
the seventh da,y, that soul shall be cut off from Israel], vs. 15. As
concerns the unleavened cakes or that which is unleavened, this like
wise is an external, as was everything which it was commanded those
descendants to do, and this from the cause spoken of above, n.
380fl, 3803, and 3808.
As to what leaven is, this is explained by God Messiah himself
[Matt. 166 • 12 , Mark 815 , Luke 1fl1] ; to wit, it is that which fer
ments the bloods 6 and so human life. Such things are no other
than what are called cupidities arising from the loves of self and
the world. These enkindle the life like leaven cast into flour; for
they are 6 heats which bring in diseases and death. 7 Thus by that
which is leavened are signified all wicked deeds and sins; for then
leaven is mixed in with flour, and the food is cursed.
3818. But that which is unleavened, that is to say, unleavened
cakes, are those in whom is nothing of this kind; for when cupidities
• In the Hebrew, the words in saeculum (for an age) in verse 24, are
l:l~ill".!! (even to eternity); and in the present verse the words statuto aeterno
(by an everlasting statute) are l:l?ill n@~ (a statute of eternity.)
• Swedenborg first wrote blood.
• The autograph has Bunt nec but this seems to be a slip for Bunt enim.
T [Crossed off:] both to body and t<r-
fl54 II Ad. flfl54-flfl58

EXODUS XII: 15 [3819-fW
recede, and no longer spring up from the body and animus as from
their fount, then nothing ferments or makes rebellion. The things
which then come in are not cupidities, but are merely such things as
arouse the life of the body, being like mild flames springing from
love and opposing the enemies who attack, but without revenge,
hatred, malice, and the like. For when the loves of self and the
world are extinguished, cupidities also become non-existent, cupid
ities being continual streams from those loves. These are called
cupidities when, from the body and animus, they rush up into the
rational mind and so make rebellion. Different is the case when
they are aroused for the sake of self-protection against enemies;
then they are mild and are mingled with love and so are vital flames.
This then is what is signified by unleavened cakes and things un
leavened; for then they do not ferment, that is, make rebellion; that
is to say, they do not make combat in the flour or with the flour.
There is a flame or mild heat of this kind within the flour itself,
as is well known, but it is not aroused to combat.
3819. The words of the text now' clearly signify the two morn
ings spoken of in verse 10.'" The first morning is the morning
when the Messiah 8 rose from the dead, which was on the first day
when the holy week would come [Matt. ~8t, Mark 162 , Luke ~4t,
John ~02]. The holy week is the week which then followed, ex
tending from this first morning to the end of days.
The second morning is that which will exist in the end of days.
Then will be the most holy week. Thus in the text both mornings
are meant; for by the morning when the Messiah rose from the
dead is signified the same morning in the end of days.
3820. It is said that all leaven is then to cease, that is, in the
proximate sense, all that which was a type, and thus the leaven of
the Jews [Matt. 166 ,11,12; Mark 8 15 ; Luke U 1 ]. For all things
instituted, with them were like leaven, inasmuch as they were things
corporeal, and looked merely to a cattle and its blood. Thus, with
them these things could be instituted no otherwise than as things
in the body which ferment; especially when they did not acknowl
edge God Messiah but were rebellious. Thus all these were to be
rejected, and therefore it is said in the text that on the first day of
the holy week they shall make all leaven to cease from their houses.
* Confer n. 3798, 3800.
8 Swedenborg first wrote God Me88iah.
~55
3821. In the inmost sense, however, it is every wicked deed aris

ing from the above-mentioned loves, that they must make to cease;
that so they may be presented as blameless, that is to say, as sons
of Israel justified by the blood of the Messiah. Hence comes all
sanctification, as is most clearly evident later on when the priest
hood was instituted. Thus the week became holy.
3822. The most holy week will be that which is signified as com
ing on the second morning. Then shall all leaven cease, that is to
say, all combat with the devil.
That these are the significations can be evident from the
grievous punishment of those who eat leaven during those weeks.
In this text, therefore, the subject treated of is the holy week,
and that this signifies the third week and also the kingdom of God
Messiah, may be seen above, n. 3819.
3823. [And in the first day there shall be for you a holy con
vocation, and in the seventh day a holy convocation; no work shall
be done in them, save that which shall be eaten for every soul, that
only shall be done by you], vs. 16. Here it is stated in the clearest
way that two mornings are meant, or two days, as noted above, n.
3819, to wit: [1] A first day when the Messiah rose again. This
is called the first day, being the first day of the third week; for
we read: In the first day there shall be for you a holy convocation.
This convocation indicates that God Messiah will then gather the
sons of Israel together. [2] That a second morning is also meant,
that is, a second day or the end of days, which is the end of the third
week, is so clear that nothing could -be clearer; for we read in the
seventh day there shall be a holy convocation, thus a convocation of
all sons of Israel to that rest whereby the kingdom of God Messiah
is described, for which reason it is here added no work shall be done
ion them; and also to that feast, which in the supreme sehse is signi
fied by the passover, for which reason it is added, that which shall be
eaten for every soul, that only shall be done by you. Thus it is the
heavenly and eternal feast. 9
3824. [And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened cakes; for
in the selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of
Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by
an everlasting statute], vs. 17. Of the observance of the passover
• [Marginal note added later by the Author:] Confer nos. 2310, 2311 [our
n. 3856, 3857].
256 II Ad. 2262-2267
EXODUS XII: 16-18
and of unleavened cakes we have spoken above as to what they sig

nify in their various senses, to wit, that then, throughout this whole
week Jews would tell of the miracles, and especially of their having
then been brought out of the land of Egypt, that is, out of the land
of captivity; and that throughout this whole week sons of Israel,
who here are represented, would remember the things which in
mostly are signified by those plagues, being the things which de
nounced spiritual death for Egyptians, and declared life for sons
of Israel, and so would remember that God Messiah had brought
them out of the land of captivity; for the whole of life is a cap
tivity out of which man is led. He is held captive by things which
are within himself and which are aroused by the devil; from these
he is brought by God Messiah alone into a state of liberty, and
this by combat while he is living. It is such things that sons of
Israel will remember during this week, while sons of Jacob will re
member merely the captivity [and the deliverance] from the land
of Egypt.
3825. They are called armies because all congregations in the
heavens are called armies, and so also on earth, especially in the end
of days.
3826. Concerning the everlasting statute to be observed for gen
erations, see above at verse 14.
3827. [In the first,1 in the fourteenth day of the month, in the
evening, ye shall eat unleavened calces; even until the one and twen
tieth of the month in the evening], vs. 18. The second week comes
to its end on the first day on the fourteenth, for then commences
the third week. Every day, whether it is called a week or a year is
evening and morning, as is evident from Genesis, chapter 1. There
fore this holy week, or this third day, commences likewise from
evening as was also signified above [n. 3767, 3778, 3797-8]. As
regards the morning, this signifies the resurrection, that is to say,
the Sun that is about to arise.
It is now said evening, because they were then to eat the un
leavened cakes. Thus it was the third day when they were being
led out. These words refer to the words which we read in verse 6,
namely, that the whole assemblage should slay the cattle" between
1 In Schrnidius the word day is here added in parentheses; in the A. V. the
word added (in italics) is month.
~57
the evenings" ; but look up these words (when the light is clearer,
God Messiah granting).
3828. [Seven days shall no leaven be found in yottr houses: for
whosoever eateth that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut off
from the assemblage of Israel, in the sojourner and in the native of
the land], vs. 19. These words have been explained above at verse
15.
Here it is added, in the sojourner and in the native of the land,
to the end that in the proximate sense the entire globe may be signi
fied which was then with the Jewish people and was not circumcised,
as may be seen stated above when circumcision was instituted and
some sojourner might be in his house (Genesis, chap. 1710Seq. *).
That the subject treated of is circumcision is evident from what fol
lows in the present chapter (1~43-49).
3829. The text also signifies that whosoever should then mingle
leaven with the bread would be cut off; and thus, in the inmost sense,
those who mingle their own justice with the justice of God Messiah,
or the love of self and the world with the love of God Messiah. So
with all other things which make fermentation, as for instance, in
the sense spoken of above, the mingling of the worship of an
other god, that is to say, the mingling of idolatry with the worship
of God Messiah. Every such thing, when it is excited, is a fer
ment, as stated above [n. 3818, 38~O].
3830. [That which is leavened ye shall not eat; in all your
habitations shall ye eat unleavened cakes], vs. ~O. These words
have been explained above [n. 3817 seq.].
3831. [And Moses called all the elders of Israel, and said unto
them, Draw out and take you a cattle of the flock according to your
families, that ye may kill the pesach], vs. ~1. Here now follows
the effect of the command; that is to say, what had previously been
commanded by God Messiah is now told by Moses to those living
in Goshen. The words have been explained above [n. 3755-8,
3785-6].
3832. [And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and shall dip it in
the blood that is in the basin; and of the blood that is in the basin,
ye shall make some to tottch the linteZ and the two side posts; and
none of you shall go outs-ide the door of his house until the morn
ing], vs. ~~. Respecting the blood and the other particulars here
* The autograph has" 14 seq."
~58 II Ad. ~~7~-~~77
EXODUS XII: 19-~5 [3833-37
mentioned, these also have been spoken of above [n. 3769 seg.,
3790]. The only thing now added is what is said of the hyssop;
and that this is the bitterness spoken of above, in verse 8 [is evi-
dent] ; but when the passover was being eaten, this involves the like
thing, and the command was wholly fulfilled to the very letter.
3833. That they should not go outside the door of the house
until the morning signifies in the proximate sense lest the destroyer
come across them, when they have not the blood before their eyes;
and so, that they should remember all that had been done.
To go outside the door means also not to remember all the
things which the blood signifies; but this meaning is for sons of
Israel.
3834. [For Jehovah will pass through to smite Egypt; and
when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and upon the two side posts,
Jehovah will pass by the door, and will not suffer the smiter to come
in unto your houses to smite] , vs. ~3. These words also have been
explained [see n. ~80~-7]. What is meant, in the case of the de-
stroyer, by passing by the door/ and what by coming in unto their
houses, is also learned from the signification in the individual man,
namely, as to what the door is and what the house. The destroyer
does not come in unto their houses, when they remember the Mes-
siah and trust solely in Him.
3835. [Afterwards ye shall observe this word for a statute to
thee and to thy sons even to an age], vs. ~4. This also has been
explained, namely, at verse 14.
3836. [And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land
which J ehovah will give you, according as he hath spoken, that ye
shall observe this worship], vs. ~5. Likewise explained above. s
3837. [And when it shall come to pass, that your sons say unto
you, What is this worship to you? Ye shall say, It is (the sacrifice
of 4) the pesach to Jehovah, who passed over the houses of the sons
of lsrael in Egypt; for when he smote Egypt, he delivered our
• The autograph has quid exi1'e extra ostium, etc. (what is meant by going
outside the door, etc.). This phrase, however, refers not to the present verse
but to the preceding; moreover, it does not refer to the destroyer. In our
translation, therefore, we have assumed that Swedenborg here made an easily
understandable slip, and that what he intended to write was quid praeterire
praeter ostium.
• Confer nos. 3814-6.
II Ad. ~~78-~~83 ~59
houses. And the people bowed down itself, and they adored], vs.
~6, ~7. In these verses is confirmed what was said above [n.
380~-3], to the effect that the passover was instituted for the sons
of J acob, that they might recall the miracles and the benefits and so
might be driven to the worship of the Benefactor.
The people is said to have then bowed down itself, that is, the
people of Jacob, for in this way they were delivered from death.
But afterwards it is said of sons of Israel that they adored-which
words must be joined with those that follow, namely, "And the
sons of Israel went away and did [as Jehovah had commanded"]
[vs. ~8], for the former expression is in the singular, but the latter
in the plural.
3838. [And the sons of Israel went away, and did as J ehovah
had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they], vs. ~8. These
words have regard to sons of Israel, as is now stated. The same is
also true of verse 50, where these words are confirmed.
In what way the sons of Jacob who are here" the people" [vs.
~7] made adoration can be evident later on when they came out of
Egypt. It was merely a bowing down, or even an adoration like
that of Jacob before Esau his brother [Gen. 33 3 ] or of Jacob's
sons before their brother Joseph [Gen. 4~6, 43 26 ,28, 5018 ] ; there
also we read of adoration 5 [Gen. 43 28 ] but it is adoration from
fear of death.
EXODUS XII
~9 And it came to pass, that at midnight Jehovah smote every
firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that
was to sit on his throne, even unto the firstoorn of captivity that is
in the house of the pit; and every firstborn of the beast.
30 Therefore Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his serv
ants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt;
for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
• Two Hebrew words are involved here, namely ',:}i? (to bend, stoop) and
j1~~ in the reflexive mood (to bow down oneself). When the latter word oc
curs alone, Schmidius usually translates it incul"lJare se (to bend, or bow down
oneself; though in Genesis 225 he translates it adol'are, which we translate
wOl'ship); but when it occurs in conjunction with '~~, he translates the latter
word incurva,'e se, and the :former adorare. This translation is reflected in our
English translation of the present text vs, '7/,7, and also of Genesis 43 2 8,
~60
EXODUS XII: ~6-~9 [3839-40
31 And he caned Moses and Aaron in the night, and said,

Arise, get you out from the midst of my people, both ye and the
sons of Israel; that ye may go and serve J ehovah, as ye spake.
3~ Also take your flock and your herd, as ye spake, and go;
and bless me also.
33 And the Egyptians urged the people to hasten, that they
might send them out of the land; for they said, Else we be all dead.
34 Therefore the people carried their dough before it was
leavened; their kneadingtroughs were bound up in their garments
upon their shoulders.
35 And the sons of Israel did according to the word of Moses;
and they borrowed of the Egyptians vessels of silver, and vessels
of gold, and garments.
36 And Jehovah put the favor of the people in the eyes of the
Egyptians, so that they lent unto them. And so they spoiled
Egypt.
3839. What is meant spiritually by the firstborn has been told
above En. 3719, 37~1-3], namely, all faith with every heavenly
affection. This followed after the darkness of the mind, that is,
the enshading of the whole intellect.
Moreover, in the firstborn was placed the whole hope of the
family, both of succession in the kingdom and also in the house.
Thus the firstborn represented the head, while the others in the
family represented the body with its members. So in spiritual
things, faith, with love to God Messiah, is the very head or prin
ciple of all things in the church of God Messiah, all else being as
the body with its members, which are vivified by love as by a soul
and thus are vivified or receive life by means of faith.
Thus when the head is cut off, this is a sign that all the other
parts are in themselves dead. Therefore afterwards the other sons
also perished. Here it is the firstborn who are first treated of.
But this matter will come into clearer light from the actual text of
the Word of God Messiah.
3840. [And it came to pass, that at midnight J ehovah smote ev
ery firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh
that was to sit on hi.s throne, even unto the firstborn of captivity
that is in the house of the pit; and every firstborn of the beast], vs.
~9. The discourse here is concerning the firstborn, that they were
II Ad. ~~86-~~89 ~61
smitten at midnight and that death passed over them, from the first
born of Pharaoh to all other firstborn. As touching the firstborn
of Pharaoh, he is meant in the e~d of days who in the Apocalypse is
called..Antichrist 6 and who will die spiritually; that is to say, the
understanding being first blinded,-the~e will, which is ruled by
the affection, will then die, and this because it will hold in hatred
God Me~siah, to whose throne it has raised itself.-For, in the spir
it~al sense, the firstborn of Pharaoh is one person with Pharaoh
himself, since by the firstborn, as was stated [n. 3839] is meant
faith from love. Previously he might think that he had faith be
cause he opi~~d that he could give this to himself; but afterwards
love is turned to hatred, inasmuch as faith in God Messiah and His
justice is turned to himself and his own justice. Hence he will
clearly perceive his firstborn to be dead which was dead before.
3841. Because the firstborn is the head of the whole family, so
Pharaoh is the head of the kingdom. Hence when the head dies
all the other parts will also be dead. So likewise in a universal
consideration. It is here indicated that the head of the devil will
be trampled on, as was foretold in Genesis 2 (if I mistake not 7) ;
and when his head is trampled on, then the crew which constitutes
his body will also die.
- 3842. Who they are in ~~e c~untriei of th; glob; who re.En,::sent
the devil and his crew has been told above,S namely!. all wh2..sufF~r
themselves to be led by the d~vil; for the devil acts by means of men.
Without man he could never aspire after the kingdom of God; for
what can he do in heaven? Nothing whatever. But he acts by
means of men, as he acted by means of Adam and also of Cain and
of many others prior to the flood, and of all after it who wished to
occupy the kingdom of God Messiah; thu~ of al] who esteem the
Word of God Messiah as of no account, and whom he excites to
idolatries.
They who have wined to occupy the kingdom of God Messiah
are especially those who in the Apocalypse are called antic~rist 9;
for antichrist is he who has ~ere built up the kingdoJ!l of the <!.evil
• In the New Testament, the word Antichriat occurs only in the first Epistle
of John, 218,22,48 , and in his second Epistle, verse 7. In the present text, Swe
denborg perhaps refers to Apoc. 13 verses 1-8; see n. 3~8.
T The correct ref~re!lce is Genesis 3!5.
\ ' • Confer n. 1119, 1 -7 3160.

• • See n. 3840 note.
II Ad. 2290-2292
EXODUS XII: 30 [3843-45
and wills to _pull down Qod Messiah from his thro_ne and set himself
in His place. 1
3843. By the firstborn of captivity that is in the house of the
pit is meant one who has been made captive by the devil; for the
pit is the grave and this signifies hell. Wherefore the text also
adds: the firstborn of the beast, namely, every servant of his, such
servant being a beast; for Antichrist 2 is called the beast whom they
adore [Apoc. 13 4 ,8.12], and so is the head of beasts. These mat
ters are spoken of still more plainly in the Apocalypse.
3844. This came to pass at midnight, namely, when it is night
with all Egyptians-it being night with these when it is morning
with sons of Israel, as shown above [n. 3686] when speaking of
darkness. The people of J acob ate the passover at midnight; but
in order that sons of Israel may be understood, it is said that it was
to be eaten" between the two evenings" 8 [vs. 6]. Thus to sons of
Jacob it was at midnight, and to sons of Israel in the morning.
This then is what is meant by "between the two evenings"; for
otherwise the expression" two evenings" cannot be used. 4
3845. [Therefore Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his
servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in
Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead],
vs. 30. Here is described the consternation and anxiety obtaining
at the last time with all who are signified by Egyptians.
1 [The following numbered paragraph is here crossed off by the Author;
the fact that it is numbered indicates that it was crossed off some time after it
was written; see n. 1767 note:] 2293. So likewise is it with those }Yho await a
Messiah who shall indulge only their own profane loves; aDd awaiting such a
Messiah, await some other than the God Messiah who is treated of everywhere
in the inmost contents of the Divine Word, He namely, who came into the world
and called all men to his kingdom. If they await another, this other can be no
oiher than the devil who calls himself Christ. That p«e.ople, therefore, which
( awaits him ana wills to follow him, is a people whiCn in like manner stands for
the devil and his crew. Hence it can be known who it_is in the ~nd of days
that is signified by the firstborn of Pharaoh and by the Egyptians, to wit, lie
who was smitten and whose crew will afterwards perish in the sea Suph.
[In the margin of the above paragraph, but not crossed off:] Here [the
words] do not square, since they do not fit into the series. See whether they fit
into the prediction made by God Messiah himself.
2 See n. 3840 note.
• The Hebrew is C:~;~~ l'~ which Schmidius translates" between the eve
nings" but which is more literally translated .. between the two evenings."
• In the autograph the end of this paragraph beginning "This then" is
emphasized by " NB" written twice in the margin.
II Ad. 9l9l93-9l9l96
3846. [And he called Moses and Aaron in the night, and said,
Arise, get you out from the midst of my people, both ye and the
sons of Israel; that ye may go and serve Jehovah, as ye spake] , vs.
31. This then is what was foretold, namely, that he would drive
out the sons of Israel [chap. 6 1 ], for he was afraid that the whole
of Egypt would perish, that is, all who were in Egypt, as is evident
from verse 33.
When, in the supreme sense by Moses and Aaron is understood
God Messiah, and by the sons of Israel all worshippers of Him and
also worship itself, then it is perceived Who it is that they will here
drive out; for when there is no longer any faith, God Messiah de
parts from their midst.
3847. By reason of this terror, Pharaoh and every Egyptian
came into another state; for the terror of death transforms a man,
though only for the time when death is before his eyes, as was the
case with Jacob when he was in anguish because of his brother Esau
[Gen. 3~11]. From this, however, it cannot be concluded that
Pharaoh's disposition was such that he wished to send the sons of
Israel away. This is clearly evident from the preceding occasions,
when it was so often in his mind to send them away; yet, when he
returned to himself, he again stiffened his heart, as likewise he did
afterwards when he followed them [chap. 145 ]. Wherefore a state
arising from terror is not the genuine state of the man; thus the
things that are then uttered are not such that from the words ut
tered in this state any judgment can be made concerning the dis
position of the utterer. It is in this state then that Pharaoh says,
Go and serve Jchovah, a$ ye spake. Confer chapter 1010 ,11.
3848. [A lso take your flock and your herd, as ye spake, and go;
and bless me also], vs. 3~. The like conclusion must also be made
from his expression, in that he says and bless me also.
Thus Pharaoh permitted them to take with them their flock and
herd also, that is to say, all that wealth, to which mainly they were
attached. There were two reasons why he had wished to hold them,
namely, because of their services and because of their wealth.
Therefore he now begs them to bless him, and this, not that he may
have a heavenly blessing but merely that he may have an earthly
blessing, and thus services and wealth. These are the things which
lie concealed in men's prayers when they are in terror of death,
being without faith in God Messiah. See the following verse 33.
~64 II Ad. ~~97-~301
EXODUS XII: 31-34 [3849-5~
3849. [And the Egyptians urged the people to hasten, that

they might send them out of the land; for they said, Else we be all
dead], vs. 33. The real reason why they urged them to go away,
nay, and to hasten, is now evident; for the danger of death was
imminent.
3850. [Therefore the people carried their dough before it was
leavened; their kneadingtroughs were bound up in their garments
upon their shoulders], vs. 34. Here one may wonder why nothing
is said as to whether this people departed from Egypt at midnight
or in the day. It can indeed appear that they could not go out
with their herd and flock all at once unless they went after mid
night, for they were six hundred thousand, besides others [vs. 37].
But all were then prepared, as we read in verse 11, namely, with
loins girded, shoes on their feet, and a staff in their hand; and
that they then hastened is confirmed by the fact that they carried
kneadingtroughs bound up in their clothes,5 it is also evident from
verse 39. Hence it seems clear that it was night. Moreover, in
verse 4~ it is said" A night of watches is this to J ehovah, in that
he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt."
3851. But the reason why it is not here expressly stated that
they went out at midnight is that a distinction might be made be
tween the sons of Jacob, and the sons of Israel whom they repre
sented. What is signified by night has been pointed out above
En. ~~~O, 3686, 3800], and also what by morning, namely, that
when it shall be morning with sons of Israel, it will be night with
those who are not sons of Israel. Because this distinction must be
made, therefore it is not expressly stated at what time they were
driven out. Therefore also we read of the passover, that it was
" between the two evenings" ; see above, verse 6, and also Leviticus
~35.
That this distinction is made, can be still more clearly evident
from the verses that follow, especially verses 41 and 4~ which the
reader may consult.
3852. We read in the text that the people carried their dough
before it was leavened. That it was unleavened dough or azyma,6
• [Crossed off: I But as to whether it was night or day, this does not indeed
.. 'A~v#£a (things without leaven). The LXX used this word to translate
the Hebrew plural nill'9 (matwth), which hitherto we have rendered" un
leavened cakes."
11 Ad. ~30~-~306 ~65
is evident from the commandment [vs. 8] and also from verse 39.·
That they carried theij' kneadingtroughs bound up in their clothes
upon their shoulders, involves something which cannot be evident
unless it be evolved what is signified by these kneadingtroughs, and
what by the dough before it was leavened. Kneadingtroughs were
the vessels wherein they made or kneaded this dough. Thus those
things are signified which are external, and indeed instruments.
These are likewise signified by the clothes in which they were bound
up. The shoulders are those parts of man wherewith he carries
burdens. Thus what is signified by these words, one and all, is
that they observed externals only, and not internals, as stated above
[n. 3803, 3815]. Otherwise, had the words not involved things of
this kind, these particulars would not have been mentioned; for in
the Word of God Messiah not one jot is written which does not
carry within it some spiritual arcanum. Thus, it is certainly indi
cated that they carried these externals as burdens, everything
external being a burden when without the signification of those
things which are internal. But such burdens are extremely light
when they come from inmosts. It was for this reason, moreover,
that they carried this dough. We do indeed read dough, but then
come the words before it was leavened, as though it became leavened
on the way. This also is the fact, when it is spiritual things that
are had in view; for soon they wer~ murmuring (chap. 1411 ,12).
Thus, in the spiritual sense, the dough became leavened.
3853. [And the sons of Israel did according to the word of
Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians vessels of silver, and
vessels of gold, and gar'TTlCnts], vs. 35. Concerning these words,
see above, chapter 11 2 ,3. As touching the vessels of silver and gold
and also the garments, the Egyptians had gained these riches by
means of the sons of Israel, as will be the case in the end_of times;
for they had acted with deceit and so had despoiled them of every
thing. Therefore in order, that the Egyptians might return the
things which they had possessed for so long a time, it was allowed
the sons of Israel to retake them merely by the figment that so they
would worship God Messiah. But these words have regard to the
end of days; for there is nothing in their treasuries which they
have not seized by deceit, and have so conserved that under the
* [Crossed off:] Yet here something is involved by the expression before it
was leavened, but this~
~66 II Ad. ~307
EXODUS XII: 35-36 [3854-55
guise of the worship of God, they might QespQil the entire ..globe.
Theyhave sold souls for lucre, an~ for EIoney they have ~old
h~en, besid~ much else that is unspeakable, in order that t ey
mIght possess t e hokearth. Hence it was not their own prop
erty-; and therefore, from a just cause and because of the repre
sentation, it was allowed the sons of Israel to take these things back.
3854. The spiritual arcana which here lie within, were they to
be set forth, are more interior than can be believed; to wit, that in
this way they have spoiled them of the spiritual gifts signified by
the vessels of silver and gold and also by the garments. What these
spiritual gifts are will be seen presently, God Messiah granting,
when we treat of the vessels of silver and gold and of the garments;
for this silver and gold and these garments were also expended on
the tabernacle.
3855. [And Jehovah put the favor of the people in the eyes of
the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them. And so they spoiled
Egypt], vs. 36. On these words also see above, chapter 11 3 •
From this it is clear how that the minds of all, even the wicked, are
disposed and bent after the will of God Messiah. 7
EXODUS XII
37 And the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth,
being six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside minors.
38 And a great mixed multitude went up also with them; and
flock and herd exceeding great.
39 And they baked the dough which they carried out of Egypt,
into unleavened cakes,s for it was not leavened; because they were
thrust out of Egypt, so that they could not tarry, neither had they
made for themselves provision for the way.
• [The following two paragraphs (the first of which is numbered, see n.
1767 note), are here crossed off by the Author:] ~310. [And the sons of Israel
journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, being six hundred thousand on foot that
-were men, beside minors], vs. 37. Here the number also involves a like ar
canum; for there is nothing whatever in the Word of God Messiah but what
contains something inmostly stored up within; whether the number be ex
pressed by six, or by [six] thousand, it involves the same thing. Otherwise it
would not have been so round a number.
As to whether these words involve the number of the sons of Israel in the
end of days, this is not known.
II Ad. ~308-~309 ~67
40 And the dwelling of the sons of Israel, wherein they dwelt

in Egypt, was thirty years and four hundred years.
41 And it came to pass at the end of thirty years and four
hundred years; it came to pass, in this selfsame day, that all the
armies of Jehovah went out from the land of Egypt.
4~ A night of watches is this to Jehovah, in that he brought
them forth out of the land of Egypt; a night of watches is this
night to Jehovah, for all the sons of Israel unto their generations.
43 And Jehovah said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the statute
of the pesach 9: There shall no son of the stranger eat thereof.
44 But as to every man's servant, that is bought with silver,
when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.
45 A foreigner and an hireling shall not eat thereof.
46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth
ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break
a bone thereof.
47 All the assemblage of Israel shall observe it.
48 And if a sojourner shall sojourn with thee, and will observe
the pesach of Jehovah, let every male that belongeth to him be
circumcised, and then shall he draw near to observe it, and he shall
be as the inhabitant of the land: but none that is uncircumcised shall
eat thereof.
49 One law shall there be to the inhabitant, and to the so
journer that sojourneth in your midst.
50 And all the sons of Israel did as J ehovah commanded Moses
and Aaron, so did they.
51 And it came to pass in this selfsame day, that Jehovah
brought the sons of Israel forth out of the land of Egypt by their
armies.
3856. The subject now treated of is the holy week, for now
comes the first day of that week, the day namely, that followed the
passover. In itself this week is the third in order, but that this
same week signifies the kingdom of God Messiah, when the true sons
of Israel will rest from all work and when they will live in a holy
manner, is also evident from what has preceded; that is to say, that
this was the morning when the Messiah rose from the dead. Con
sequently, what is here signified is the resurrection itself, this in
~68 I1 Ad. ~310
EXODUS XII: 37-38 [3857-59
deed being represented by the deliverance of the sons of J acob from

the captivity of Egypt. The sanctification of this day is described
above in verses 16, 17, 18, 19, and 9W, to the effect that there shall
be a holy convocation, and no work shall be done, there being con-
sequently rest from all labor; that only [the passover] shall be
eaten, whieh feast they must hold; that they were to observe the
azyma/ that is, were to live purely without crime, because God
Messiah will then lead their armies out of the land of Egypt, that
is to say, out of spiritual captivity, etc.
3857. Just as the sons of Jacob were delivered from the cap-
tivity of Egypt which was an earthly captivity, so the sons of
Israel were to be delivered from spiritual captivity, being the
captivity wherein they were held by the devil. Therefore, when
they go forth from this captivity and so are restored to liberty,
they will then enter into rest, that is to say, into the holy week.
3858. [And the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Suc-
coth, bevng six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside
minors], vs. 37. The number of the sons of Israel is here said to
be six hundred thousand, beside minors, this being a round number.
What this round number six hundred thousand signifies can indeed
be evident from the sexenary number which occurs so often, occur-
ring also in the Apocalypse where we read that twelve thousand
were'sealed from each tribe [Apoc. 7 4 seq. J. That is to say, as this
number designates so many men who were journeying, that is, were
on foot, so the same sexenary number inv'olves also other things
which are concealed within. So also with respect to what minors
signify such as boys and infants.
3859. [And a great mixed multitude went up also with them;
and flock and herd exceeding great], vs. 38. As touching the great
mixed multitude, this has the same signification as in the Apoca-
lypse, where this mixed multitude is expressed as follows: " After
this I beheld, and, 10, a great crowd which none could number, of
every nation, and of tribes [and peoples and tongues] standing be-
fore the throne and before the lamb, clothed with [white] robes and
palms in their hands" (Apoc. 79 seq .), which signifies a gathering
together from the entire globe. Here they could be no other than
1 See n. 3852 note.
II Ad. 9l311-9l313 9169
the strangers who were in their houses and who are mentioned later
on, verse 43, 44, 45."
3860. As to who these are, this also can be evident. Since it is
sons of Israel and no others whatsoever, who are worshippers of
God Messiah, this mixed multitude will then be drawn from every
earthly society, and then, with changing times, also from the people
called J acob.
3861. Furthermore, in the inmost sense, by flock and herd are
here meant servants and those bought with silver. In the proxi
mate sense, however, it is flocks and herds that are meant.
3862. Here those who are to be in the kingdom of God Messiah
are thus classified. True sons of Israel, as being in the center, will
be the inmost, and so will be in the first class, that is, in the inmost
or central place. Those who follow them, being those in the sec
ond class, are called a great mixed multitude. In the third class
will be those who are called the flock, together with servants, here
meant by the herd; and how great will be the number of these, can
be concluded from the central place of any form in respect to the
amplitude of its peripheries. For in every form, whether natural,
spiritual, or celestial, when the order is perfect, that which is best
and purest is in inmosts, and from this the others follow on to out
mosts, those which are in a less degree of perfection being rejected
to outmosts. Such also is the case in man and in every other form.
What then is it not in that most perfect of all forms which' shall
exist in the kingdom of God Messiah and to which all the forms of
the universe conspire as means to the ultimate end.
3863. It is here said herd exceeding great, that is, of the great
est size. The superlative is expressed by this style of speech for
reasons of which we have spoken above [no 3630], namely, because
the supreme degree alone is in the superlative. So it is said" very
good" or perfect [Gen. 1 31 ] ; for none is good and perfect save
Jehovah God alone, He being the Supreme, the Best, etc., etc.
3864. [And they baked the dou~h which they carried out of
Egypt, into unleavened cakes/ for it was not leavened; because they
were thrust out of Egypt, so that they could not tarry, neither had
they made for themselves provision for the way], vs. 39. 13y the
* The autograph has "44, 45, 46."
• Here both in the Hebrew and in Schmidius' version, " cakes" is expressed
by a separate word; see n. 385~ note.
fl70 II Ad. fl314-fl318
EXODUS XII: 39 [3865-67
statement that they baked the dough which they carried out of
Egypt, into unleavened cakes is meant that they made bread without
leaven. Thus in the inmost sense it signifies spiritual bread, that is,
heavenly nourishment. Because of the same signification, they also
offered unleavened cakes to God Messiah. These were called the
mincha,3 and were baked with oil; see [Lev.] chapter f.!1-16 where
many particulars may be read concerning the mincha which will be
explained at that place, God Messiah granting. In the present
text, the unleavened cakes involve the same things, for the mincha
was not yet solemnly instituted.
3865. As to what is meant by carrying this dough out of Egypt
when it was not leavened, this can be evident, since Egypt signifies
the captivity from which, in the inmost sense, that unleavened thing
is carried; for in the kingdom of God Messiah everyone must live
according to the state of his reformation, thus according to the
disposition which he has carried with him from this captivity.4
3866. The text also tells of that haste which was spoken of
above in verse 11; for they know not when the last judgment will
come. Wherefore it is foretold that He will come as a thief in the
night-time of the wicked [1 Thess. 52, f.! Pet. 310, Rev. 3 3, 1610].
This is also signified by the ten virgins, five of whom were prepared,
having oil in their lamps [Matt. ~51-13]. Thus they are to be
thrust out of Egypt, so that they could not tarry, that is, they are
to be delivered from captivity; for the expression" being thrust
out" which we read in the text, is the same as " being delivered,"
and, in the 'V ord of God Messiah, " being lifted up."
3867. That they could make no other provision for the way, is
because unleavened bread signifies all spiritual and celestial food,
it being this food that principally nourishes man. Therefore,
when speaking of feasts, it is often s~id that they ate bread. This
was said by Joseph to his brethren (Genesis chap. 4320), when yet
previously in the same chapter (verse 16), animals were slain which
they were to eat. Thus, at that time, all food was designated by
the single word" bread," and this because it is God Messiah himself
who is meant by the bread that cometh down from heaven [John
632-°], that is to say, by the manna, for everything heavenly comes
• See n. 304 note and 353.
• In the autograph this paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written in the
margin.
II Ad. ~319-~3f.!1
from God Messiah alone. Therefore also in the New Testament,

bread is the symbol of all spiritual and celestial food. It is said
" food," however, when man wishes to prepare something spiritual
and celestial for himself, that is to say, to be justified of himself.
Concerning food and grain, when the sons of Jacob came to Joseph,
see above [no M77, ~519, ~58~, ~704, ~708]. That all things
might now be presented in their purity, though representatively, it
so came to pass that they could not carry with them from Egypt
any other provision for the way save the unleavened dough from
which they made unleavened cakes.
3868. [And the dwelling of the sons of Israel, wherein they
dwelt in Egypt, was thirty years and four hundred years], vs. 40.
The number of these years also involves arcana, as [appears] from
the number six, and the number seventy-two, which multiplied to
gether gives the present number, except for the last figure; of
which matter we shall speak elsewhere, God Messiah granting. For
this reason also they were seventy years in the Babylonish cap
tivity; for it is expressly said that they remained there seven ages 5
that the land might have rest [Jer. ~511,12, ~91O, 5034 ]. More
over, it was seventy years after the Messiah, when they were ex
pelled from the land of Canaan, 6 etc.
3869. This number, when reduced to ages,7 becomes four thou
sand three hundred, being the number of years from the creation of
the world to the resurrection 8 of God Messiah. 9 Hence it can be
infened that throughout the whole of this time men were held in
'By" ages" (saec'Ula) Swedenborg here means a period of ten years, see
above n. 279, 352, 2373, 3105; see also n. 3202. In the Index Biblic'U8 (s. v.
Sept'Uaginta), commenting on Jeremiah 2910 he writes: " Seventy years for a
g'reat week; a lesser age (saec'UI'Um) consisting of ten [years], a greater age of
a hundred, and the greatest, of a thousand."
• The reference is to the taking of Jerusalem by Titus Vespasian in A.D. 70.
7 See note 5 above.
• The Author first wrote" advent."

• [Crossed off:] and if the number (thirty) thirty-two be subtracted, being
the years of His life as a man, we have 4268; so that six thousand years are
[now] fulfilled. [That is, 4268 + 1746 (the year when Swedenborg was writ
ing this passage) equals 6014. See n. 3171 and note. It may be noted that ac
cording to Usher's Oh1'onology, the date of the creation is 4004 B.C., and that
of the resurrection, 30 A.D. (the number which Swedenborg first wrote, after
wards substituting" 32 "). According to Luther and Calvin, whose Chronolo
gies are prefaced to the 1764 edition of the Swedish Bible, the date of the crea
tion is 3970 B.C. and 3947 B.C. respectively, and that of the resurrection
30 A.D. and 32 A.D. Confer n. 3171.]
EXODUS XII: 40-4~ [3870-7~
captivity until liberated by God, that is, restored to liberty that

they might rise again. (But these matters should be looked into,
as to whether they can be inserted.)
3870. [And it came to pass at the end of thirty years and four
hundred years; it came to pass, in this selfsame day, that all the
armies of Jehovah went out from the land of Egypt], vs. 41. Here
also an arcanum lies concealed, for an arcanum is stored up in every
number in the Word of God Messiah; as in the case of the former
number [vs. 40], namely four hundred and thirty, which seems to
involve the deliverance of the sons of Israel by means of God Mes
siah. So also, if this same number be reduced to weeks, that is to
say, if it be multiplied by seven, the result is 3010, being the num
ber of the first week. The number of the second week is then 60~0,
which seems to signify the time, from the creation of the world
when, in this very day, all the armies of Jehovah are to go out from
the land of Egypt. (But perhaps these matters should be passed
by; for it is not known whether it is so.)
3871. The words it came to pass in this selfsame day, that all
the armies of Jehovah went out from the land of Egypt signify the
deliverance of all sons of Israel, and thus the kingdom of God Mes
siah. By armies are meant both those in heaven and those on earth
who will then be living; for that it is this first day of the third
week when sons of Israel will be delivered by means of God Messiah
when He comes into the world and also when He is to come to judge
the entire world, may be seen above [n. 3819, 3856-7]. Thus
what is signified is the captivity of those who have lived from the
first day of reformation up to the resurrection of the Messiah, and
also of those who live afterward's even to the end of days. For by
the holy week is signified the third week when the passover will
cease and men will be nourished with heavenly bread or azyma,t and
when also with the coming of the kingdom of God Messiah, they
will enjoy none but heavenly bread.
3872. [A night of watches is this to J ehovah, in that he brought
them forth out of the land of Egypt; a night of watches is this
night to J ehovah, for all the sons of Israel unto their genemtions] '
vs. 4~. Here it is twice stated that the night when Jacob's de
scendants were thrust out of Egypt was a night of watches. It is
, See n. 385~ note.
clear, however, that the first night has regard to sons of Jacob, and
the second to sons of Israel, each being called a night of watches.
That the former night signifies the sons of Jacob is evident from
the fact that it is said a night of watches is this to Jehovah, in that
he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt. This first night,
however, is a representation of the second, and therefore it is added
a night of watches is this night to Jehovah, for all the sons of Israel
unto their generations. To them, however, it will not be night in
the sense in which night is used in other cases, but a night of
watches; as also, in the exterior or proximate sense, it was a night
of watches to the sons of Jacob.
3873. [And Jehovah said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the
statute of the pesach: There shall no son of the stranger eat
thereof. But as to every man's servant, that is bought with silver,
when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. A for
eigner and an hireling shall not eat thereof], vs. 43-45. What
now follows concerns circumcision. This was treated of above [n.
1619, 16~3], and it was clearly shown that circumcision was insti
tuted solely for the people called J acob, and this to the end that
they might observe externals whatsoever their internals were; for
such was the disposition of that people that had their internals been
regarded, they must necessarily have been cut off. Yet, on account
of promises, and of causes of which we have spoken above, they were
not only to be introduced into the land of Canaan but were to live
in [different] lands until the coming of God Messiah into the
world; and moreover, from then to the end of the world. That
they might know this and at the same time might know that God
Messiah spake truths, many of them were admitted into heaven; but
these are they who are to be cast out of heaven, their disposition be
ing such that they can never be together with the sons of Israel
understood in the genuine sense; for they are like leaven which will
excite a mass of dough into intestine and rebellious motions~lmless
there be somewhere a place for them which God Messiah alone
knows, where they may fight with each other; but I pray that God
Messiah have pity upon them.
3874. In order, therefore, that this crew, by institutions and
rites, which for sons of Israel represented the Messiah, might-from
the captivity of Egypt, be introduced into the land of Canaan, and
might afterwards be frequently delivered from captivity, it pleased
~74 II Ad. ~3~7-~3~8
EXODUS XII: 43-48 [3875-77
God Messiah that they should be circumcised and so, with their
body, should represent in themselves spiritual circumcision in sons
of Israel and thus in others. Therefore these words are now
added, namely, that no son of the stranger should eat the passover,
that is, no stranger, foreigner and hireling, and" none that is un
circumcised" (vs. 48) ; for the passover likewise was an external
rite for the sons of Israel alone, in order that what it involves
might be signified, as stated above [n. 380fl-3]. Wherefore it was
also permitted to strangers, provided only they were their servants,
or were bought with silver, and so were entirely dependent on them
as subjects on their king, or as the body on its head. In this way
these servants would be entirely like them, and so would constitute
a single house, that is, a single body like a single man. Wherefore
it was also commanded them that they should eat the passover" in
one house" (vs. 46).
3875. [In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth
ought of the flesh abmad out of the house; neither shall ye break a
bone thereof], vs. 46. Of the first part of this verse we have al
ready spoken; see above at verse 10. As to the latter part, this was
carried out.
3876. [All the assemblage of Israel shall observe it], vs. 47.
Here, as above [no 3753], by the assemblage of Israel are meant the
descendants of Jacob as representing the sons of Israel. As re
gards the passover, the unleavened cakes and circumcision, the
former, that is to say, the sons of Jacob will observe it in external
form, but the sons of Israel in internal form, in respect both to the
passover and to the unleavened cakes or azyma, and circumcision.
Thus to the former these were insti'tutions, but to the latter, they
were commands.
3877. [And if a sojourner shall sojourn with thee, and will ob
serve the pesach of J ehovah, let every male that belongeth to him be
circumcised, and then shall he draw near to observe it, and he shall
be as the inhabitant of the land: but none that is uncircumcised shall
eat thereof], vs. 48. It is now set forth how the soj ourner shall be
admitted to those rites to which Jacob's descendants are admitted,
namely, that he should become entirely like them, and so will enter
into their society; for sojourners could not be excluded, as is evi
dent from causes spoken of below, to wit, that Jacob's descendants
might remember their captivity in Egypt, and also the miracles.
II Ad. ~3~9-~33l ~75
Without such sojourners, all this would fall away from their mem
ory in a day. Indeed, we read that such was the case on the next
day (if I mistake not) when they came to the sea Suph, and many
times afterwards. Thus there were many instances of such recall
ing to their memory; for they could not be moved by anything save
miracles, nor could they be terrified by anything save the plagues
of the Egyptians. Thus, when they were in the land of Canaan,
then in sojourners they remembered both their own captivity and
the things related thereto which were the scourges of the Egyp
tians; and this to the end that they might tell these things.
That such sojourners were admitted, and thus that the like
things obtained with them as with J acob's descendants, is indicated
by the words of the text, to the effect that not he only should be
circumcised but every male that belongeth to him, and he shall be as
the inhabitant of the land, that is, shall be one in Jacob.
3878. That the same rites were then to be observed by the so
journer, is told in these words: One law shall there be to the inhabi
tant, and to the sojourner that sojourneth in your midst (vs. 49).
Thus the same thing is confirmed.
3879. From this, however, it does not follow but that there were
also some of that posterity who might have worshipped God Mes
siah. In the primitive church it was a common thing for men to
look upon God Messiah and the salvation of the human race
through Him, there being scarcely anything natural that came be
fore them wherein they did not behold something spiritual and
celestial, and so, above all, God Messiah himself who was the All in
all. Jacob's descendants could have done likewise had they wished,
and this with the greatest clearness; for they were continually ex
pecting the Messiah, nay, they told Herod where He would be born
[Matt. 9l 4 - 6 ]. Moreover, the like was the case then as at the pres
ent day, when nothing is more present with them in their speech and
thoughts than the Messiah whom they await. Therefore, it does
not follow but that in so great a multitude there were also those who
even then saw the Messiah present, as it were, in their sacrifices and
rites. This is clearly evident from some in the time of God Messiah
himself, of whom we read in the New Testament to the effect that
among them were those who, when they heard that the Messiah was
born, and also later, expected salvation and the kingdom of God
[Luke 9l 25- 32 ,37-8]. Wherefore also many were then converted.
9176 II Ad. 9l339l-9l334
EXODUS XII: 49-51 [3SSO-S~
There were also the twelve disciples who followed Him, besides
seventy-two others,2 etc. To these men circumcision, etc., was nec
essary for the sake of their brethren; and because it had been so
commanded, they could not have been excepted unless they were to
be entirely expelled from the assemblage. They were also men who
then believed that with them not circumcision of the foreskin was
for salvation, but circumcision of the heart [Deut. 1016 ,30 6 ], and
so not sacrifices but supplications from faith, not justice from
works but justice from God Messiah alone by faith, etc., as also is
clearly evident from the prophets and David. In order then that
sojourners who were idolaters might likewise be introduced to the
knowledge of God Messiah, circumcision was enjoined on them also,
when they were among Jacob's descendants, or were sojourning,
that is, living in their midst. Otherwise, from themselves they
would infuse unspeakable idolatries or the worship of idols into that
whole posterity. This then is what is signified by the words One
law shall there be to the inhabitant, and to the soj02Lrner that so
journeth, that is, liveth in your midst.
3880. [And all the sons of Israel did as Jehovah commanded
Moses and Aaron, so did they], vs. 50. Here the sons of Israel are
again represented in the sons of Jacob, the meaning being that the
sons of Israel did as God Messiah commanded, who is here repre
sented by Moses and Aaron, while the sons of J acob did as Moses
and Aaron commanded as enjoined by God Messiah. Wherefore,
in the text it is again said they did, that is to say, the sons of Jacob
did, in that they carried the dough under their garments and upon
their shoulders before it was fermented [vs. 39]. But that the
dough of their blood was fermented as soon as they came to the sea
Suph is declared with sufficient clearness in chapter 1411 ,12.
3881. [And it came to pass in this selfsame day, that J ehovah
brought the sons of Israel forth out of the land of Egypt by their
armies], vs. 51. Concerning these words, see above at verses 37,
3S, 41, 4~. It is here said, by their armies, that is, by the classes
into which they were divided, respecting which see at verses 37 and
3S, and here and there in the preceding pages.
3882. The armies of .lehovah, as we read in verse 41, or the
armies of Israel, as in the present passage, are many in number, be
• According to the New Testament it was seventy, not seventy-two, who
were sent out by the Lord. See Luke 101 ,17, and n. 41170 note.
H Ad. ~335-~337 ~77
THE WORD EXPLAINED
ing divided into three armies or into six, or twelve, or twenty-four,

or thirty, or seventy-two, according to the varying signification;
in all which numbers it is the ternary that rules. Here, however,
they were six hundred thousand, being twelve tribes and in general
three classes, etc.
EXODUS XIII
1 Then J ehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
~ Sanctify unto me every firstborn, the opening of every womb
among the sons of Israel, in man and in beast: they shall be mine.
S And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which
ye went forth out of Egypt, out of the house of servants; for by
strength of hand J ehovah brought you out from hence; that what
is leavened be not eaten.
4 This day came ye out in the month Abib.
5 Therefore when Jehovah shall bring thee into the land of the
Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and
the Jebusite, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land
flowing with milk and honey, thou shalt celebrate this worship in
this month.
6 Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened cakes, and in the seventh
day shall be a feast to Jehovah.
7 Azyma shall be eaten seven days; and that which is leavened
shall not be seen with thee, neither shall leaven be seen with thee in
all thy border.
8 And thou shalt tell thy son in that day, saying, It is because
of that which Jehovah did for me when I went forth out of Egypt.
9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for
a memorial between thine eyes, that the law of J ehovah may be in
thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath J ehovah brought thee
forth out of Egypt.
10 Thou shalt therefore keep this statute in its set time from
year to year.
n Moreover, when Jehovah shall bring thee to the land of the
Canaanite, as he sware to thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it
thee,
1~ Thou shalt make to pass over to Jehovah every opening of
the womb; and every opening that is the offspring of a beast; all
that thou hast that are males shall be Jehovah's.
~78
THE FIRSTBORN [3883-84
13 And every opening of an ass thou shalt redeem with a cat-

tle; 8 and if thou wilt not redeem it, thou shalt break his neck: but
every firstborn of man among thy sons shalt thou redeem.
14 And if it come to pass that thy son asketh thee to morrow,
saying, What is this? thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand
Jehovah brought us forth out of Egypt, out of the house of
servants;
15 And [it came to pass 4] when Pharaoh hardened, so that he
would not send us away, Jehovah slew every firstborn in the land
of Egypt, from the firstborn of man, even to the firstborn of the
beast: therefore I sacrifice to J ehovah every opening of the womb,
being males; and every firstborn of my sons I redeem.
16 And it shall be for a sign upon thine hand, and for frontlets
between thine eyes: for in strength of hand Jehovah brought us
forth out of Egypt.
3883. After the passover has been treated of and the eating of
unleavened cakes, the story now passes on to the sanctification of all
the firstborn among the sons of Israel. . That the paschal lamb, its
blood, and the eating of the lamb had regard solely to the Messiah,
see what has been already said; and that the present sanctification
of the firstborn involves the same thing, can be clearly evident from
what follows, and also from the commands concerning it which we
read elsewhere in the Word of God Messiah.
That it may now be evident what .the sanctification of the first-
born involves, it must first be explained what the birthright signifies
in its different senses.
[CONCERNING THE FIRSTBORNJ
3884. In the proximate or stricter sense, the firstborn was the

head of the family, and so was as a leader among his brethren.
Thus each family then represented a kind of kingdom wherein,
during the life of the father, the firstborn was as the prince.
Therefore, to him were given many prerogatives above his brethren.
Hence in a broader sense the firstborn was the prince in the
kingdom who would succeed his father. Thus he was the king
himself.
•n¥.' .
See n. 3609 note.
II Ad. 9l338-9l341 9179
But in the more interior sense the firstborn is the head of the
church, and consequently, the high priest and the King of kings.
In the inmost sense, the firstborn is the inmost church of God
Messiah, this being the head of the churches, all whose sons are
firstborn-but from faith which is the first-born son of the church.
In the supreme sense, however, the firstborn is the one only Son
of Jehovah, who as to his Divine Essence is the firstborn of all the
living. He was also the firstborn as to his human nature because
he was born of' a virgin, but this birthright he esteemed as vile, as
the reader may see stated above [n. 87flfl].
3885. From this it follows that the sanctification of the first
born involves a great mystery and concerns God Messiah himself;
that is to say, concerns him as King, as Priest to the Most High, as
Head of the church, as the Church itself, and consequently, Him
alone; and this so manifestly that nothing can be more evident if
only the several particulars be rightly viewed.
Therefore, in order that the sons of Jacob might represent all
this, it was commanded that after completing the passover, which
signified the Messiah alone, their firstborn should then be sanctified,
to the end that in them God Messiah might behold sons of Israel. 5
3886. As touching the sanctification of the 6rstborn in every
individual house of Israel, this is declared in what follows, when
the church was instituted, namely, that they should give these sons
• [The following unnumbered paragraphs are here crossed off by the Au
thor:]
Sanctification carried in itself, that-
But sanctification comes from no other source than the Messiah alone, and
this from the fact that he became the victim for the entire human race. Hence
came justice, and from this the justification of man by faith, this justification
being here called sanctification.
In order that the Messiah might now be regarded in the people of Jacob
tn order that the sons of Israel might now be represented in the sons of
J acob, it was necessary that the latter should represent a type of Him ([doubly
crossed] namely, that all the firstborn together should represent the sacrificial
victims), namely, that in like manner as Abraham's son Isaac, they might repre
sent the sacrificial victims; that thus the family might be ([doubly crossed]
justified) looked at through Him as through a king and priest. But because no
man could ever merit anything, not even the least, by himself as the victim, still
less could justify anyone by his own death, therefore it behooves him merely to
represent that which existed in the Messiah.
As to how the sanctification of the sons of Israel was to be effected, of this
nothing is said in the present chapter except that they were redeemed, which
involves that they were offered to God Messiah and thus passed to him alone.
fl80
THE FIRSTBORN [3887-90
to Jehovah. This can be evident from Samuel who was sanctified

when he was born [1 Sam. 111, 28J, that is, was given to J ehovah
that he might be his priest at a time when priests were also judges
and, as it were, kings.
3887. This sanctification is seen afterwards, in that the Levites
were taken in place of all the firstborn, that they might serve God
Messiah. Thus, in the Levites were sanctified all the firstborn, as
may be seen in Numbers 312- fin •
3888. The fact that they were redeemed,6 has regard to God
Messiah who was the Firstborn of all the living, and who, by the
sacrifice of himself, became Justice, and thus justified, that is, who
sanctified all the firstborn, in order namely, that they might repre
sent Him as Head of the church and Priest to the Most High-this
being the meaning in the more interior sense.
And indeed [they representedJ this by faith in Him, that 1 thus
He might be the Firstborn of the church, the firstborn, in the in
most sense, being faith, as the reader may see stated above [n. 3416,
37~3J.
3889. Therefore, the redemption of the firstborn at this time,
before the church had been restored, had regard to God Messiah,
that he alone was the Redeemer of the human race, that is, that he
alone redeemed man, and this by means of captivity and spiritual
temptations. And since he alone was the Redeemer, and man could
not redeem the least thing in man, therefore [the firstborn J were
now to be redeemed and so would be looked upon as types in whom
[the sons of IsraelJ would remember their captivity and servitude
in Egypt. And in these firstborn God Messiah would remember
himself, and thus the spiritual captivities of the sons of Israel in
which the devil held them.
3890. By J acob's descendants, and also in ancient times, the
firstborn was called" the beginning of strength," as is evident from
Genesis 49 3 , Deuteronomy ~117, Psalm 78()1, 10536 • Hence it can
be evident what is signified by the firstborn, namely, as told above
[n. 3718, 3839J, in the proximate sense, the head of the family and
its first hope, for which reason, the firstborn was given two portions·
of all, as we read in Deuteronomy ~117 ; in a wider sense, a prince
in the kingdom, but in a more universal sense, the King of kings
• [Crossed off:] now, before the church was instituted,
, Reading 'Ut sic 6sS6t for et sic esset.
II Ad. ~348-235~ 281

and, at the same time, the Priest of priests; in the inmost sense,
faith itself, for this is purely spiritual, man being called a man not
from the man _but from faith, since it is by faith that he becomes
a man, that is to say, is regenerated, created anew, and so is a man
and not a beast. Therefore, in the supreme sense, it is God Mes
siah alone who is the Firstborn. These then are the significations
in their respective senses, of the expression "the beginning of
strength" as used in ancient times.
3891. That every firstborn among beasts was also to be given, is
explained in Deuteronomy, chap. 15, verses 19-~3 inclusive, to the
effect that they should-eat these firstborn before Jehovah their God
year by year in the place which Jehovah should choose, a man and
his house [ibid. vs. ~O]. Thus it was like the passover 8 but more
universal, for both the clean and the unclean were to eat it (ibid.
vs. ~~). It can thus be evident that this firstborn was not to be
killed in sacrifice; for as yet I do not know that it is said that the
firstborn of the flock and herd was to become a sacrificial victim,
that is, that they were to give it to God Messiah. So also they
were to give the first fruits of the field and the first fruits of the
vineyard, that is, those things which signified heavenly bread and
heavenly wine; see Exodus ~~29-30. (The words of these passages
may be adduced, and also preceding and other passages.)
3892. That they were to be redeemed, however, can be concluded
from the fact that in this way the sons of Jacob represented sons
of Israel, in that they were then redeemed; for by the firstborn was
signified the whole house, just as by a king is signified the people
subject to him, and so also by a priest, every congregation of the
church. Thus they were to be redeemed by God Messiah by means
of faith. It is this redemption that is here signified; but in the
sons of J acob it is merely represented, as stated above [n 380~
seq.] ; for without such a representation, to wit, by blood, by the
passover and by the sanctification of the firstborn they could never
have escaped death. This is sufficiently clear from the preceding
chapter (1~23); for the smiter would have visited their houses
equally as the houses of the Egyptians; nay, the case was such
that if at that time any of them had gone outside the door of his
house, even had it been the whole house, they would ,[all] have been
8 [Crossed off:] from which it is again evident that like the passover it
represents God Messiah.

II Ad. ~353-~354
THE FIRSTBORN [3893
smitten, and not as with the Egyptians, merely the firstborn. The
sanctification of the firstborn at this time, especially, has regard to
that last event, lest they perish in the sea Suph; for it was com
manded after [the killing of the firstborn]. Still in its own series,
the one thing regards the other. In this way Jacob's descendants
were preserved from the avenger; and yet they persecuted the Mes
siah their Preserver with such great, nay, deadly hatred; a~ they
persecute him now. 9
3893. That these sons of J acob were like the Egyptians, that is
to say, that they adored the-gods of the Egyptians, and so were
deserving of death, can be most clearly evident from the fact that
they made for themselves a calf which they called their gods, and
said that this was their god who had brought them up out of the
land of Egypt (Exodus, 3~1-fin). Moreover, they made this
Egyptian idol for themselves at a time when they were living in the
midst of miracles; that is to say, when manna was daily coming
from heaven, when a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night was
before them, and when they had in their immediate memory the
miracles wrought in Egypt and in the sea Suph. Furthermore, not
many weeks previously, in mount Sinai, they had seen God Messiah
himself with such great glory and with lightning, that they ~ere
terrified. Since, then, they were of such a character in the midst
of miracles so great, who can defend them and say that because of
some promise they were sons of Israel or heirs of the kingdom of
God Messiah? and, consequently, that they could then have escaped
the death which the Egyptians suffered, had God Messiah not
deigned to preserve them because of Abraham? Moreover, He
willed t~ wipe them from the face of the earth, but/ being implored
by Moses, He called to memory Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (chap.
r 3~13). But 2 sentence is pronounced upon them, to wit, that in the
day of visitation ~ will visit their _sin upon them, etc. ; see chapter
3~, verses 33, 34, 35.·
• rrhe last third of this paragraph, commencing with the words" The sanc
tification of the firstborn .. is emphasized by " NB" written three times in the
margin.
1 Reading 8ed for de.
21:Crossed off:] that they will be blotted out of the book of life is indeed
said [~xod. 3~33, Apoc. ~5].
* The first two-thirds of this paragraph is emphasized by "N B" written
II Ad. ~355 ~83
3894. From the above it now follows that the firstborn, being of
such a character that they worshipped Egyptian idols, could never
have been given to J ehovah, that is, could never have been sancti
fied. Wherefore, after the rites of the church had been instituted,
it then first became apparent what was to be understood by the
sanctification of the firstborn, to wit, that they were to be inaug
urated into the ministry of the temple, and to become priests 3
[Num. 312 ,13,41, 8 16- 8 ] whose office was afterwards made manifest
from the various rites and types. The high priest then represented
the head of the church, and the others who ministered to him and
served him, represented those offices which, conjoined with the office
of the high priest, constituted the government of the church; but
God Messiah granting, we shall speak of these matters when treat
ing of the ministry of the priests.
3895. [Then J ehovah spake unto Moses, saying], vs. 1. What

now follows after the passover had been instituted and the blood had
saved them, concerns the sanctification of the firstborn. Therefore
these words are now uttered: Then Jehovah spake unto Moses, say
ing. As concerns His previous words, these had in view that they
might be saved from death in the land of Egypt. But it had been
foreseen that death would afterwards submerge the Egyptians in
the sea Suph, and in order that J acob's descendants might be pre
served from this death, that is to say, that they might be able to
cross this sea, considered in its proximate signification, the present
institution is now set up. For to be preserved from the death of
the firstborn is one thing, and to be preserved from death in the sea
Suph, another. The former precedes, the latter follows.
3896. [SG!lUJtify unto me every firstborn, the opening of every
womb among the sons of Ismel, in man and in beast: they shall be
mine], vs. 9l. As to the sanctification of the firstborn, this has been
sufficiently treated of above [n. 3885 seq.]. Here observation shall
be made only on the divine expressions, to wit, that they should be
sanctified, and thus the saying, they shall be mine, that is to say,
they were to be given over to the office of God Messiah in order
that they might be priests, and might perform the office of priests.
Wherefore in their place were taken the Levites who belonged to
God Messiah, as can be evident later. For from the several details
• [Crossed off:] such as all in the inmost church will be.
9184 II Ad. 9l356-9l358
EXODUS XIII: 1-2 [3897-3900
of the offices in priests, it can be evident that they represent God

Messiah.
3897. It is said the opening of the womb. The signification of
the fact that these words are added, must be sought for from the
more interior understanding of what is meant by the womb. The
womb is all that which is formed after being conceived; as, for in
stance the fetus in the womb, and also fruits in the womb of the
earth, and so forth. From this it is seen what the womb is, when
by the firstborn is meant the priest who is the head of the church,
namely, every true doctrine concerning God :Messiah, whence is con
ceived and born the church whose head He is. There is no priest
apart from the church, but he with the church constitutes one
body. So there is no church without a priest, except as sheep
without a shepherd. 'Vherefore the priest represents God Messiah
himself who is the Head of his kingdom, which is gathered together
from the church. .
3898. In the inmost sense, the womb is the Word of God Mes
siah, from which is born all doctrine concerning Him; for no doc
trine concerning the truth of things spiritual and celestial, and still
less concerning God Messiah himself, can be horn from any other
source. It is God Messiah alone who teaches the world, He being
the Word 4 itself. Therefore, when faith is the firstborn of the
church, then this womb is the Word of God Messiah. God Mes
siah, however, is the Life which is within faith and which exists
solely from love, for without love there is no life, and as the love is
such is the life.
3899. Here it should well be observed that while sanctification
is indeed declared to them, they had not yet given or delivered their
firstborn to God Messiah; for it is clearly evident from verses 11,
12, 13, that they were to make every opening of the womb to pass
over, and that these were to be given- to Jehovah, and the firstborn
to be redeemed, only when J ehovah had brought them into the land
of Canaan. Of this matter, God Messiah granting, we shall speak
presently.
3900. From this it can be clearly evident that by these words,
God Messiah willed that what was now said concerning the sancti
• [Crossed off:] (he being the Word) of Jehovah. His true priest and true
prophet is also his Word; for he delivers to the people what God Messiah
speaks; but these are to be called priests and prophets.
II Ad. 2359-2362 285
fication of the firstborn should merely be kept in mind by the sons

of Jacob, and so be presented before Him, in order that he might
be able to carry them across that sea. From all which, it is clearly
seen that as yet this was merely a representation and not an actual
effect, the latter being yet to come.
As to what it is they should keep in mind in the sanctification of
the firstborn, this is stated later in verses 14, 15, 16.
3901. What sanctification signifies in each sense, can also be
evident, and likewise how that which is holy can be regarded in per
sons who are not holy but profane-though only by the holy, for
with these all things are holy since they remove them from things
profane, thus from the persons. Inanimate things also can be
sanctified, such as the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge in
the midst of paradise, both of which were so holy that it was for
bidden Adam under pain of death to eat anything from them
[Gen. 217 , 33 ] ; and likewise, as in the present case, beasts, even to
the ass, which was also to be redeemed, but by a cattle [vs. 13].
Therefore, everything was sanctified when given to God Messiah,
as for instance, the first fruits, nay, and also gold and silver. The
latter are not holy in themselves, but only from the use on which
they are expended. Thus, if they are given to the poor, to the
temple and thus to God Messiah himself, then they become holy.
From this it is clearly evident that in itself nothing is ever holy be
cause it is given, for gold and silver afterwards remain as they
were; but that it is the use that is called holy. Thus what is holy is
every use which comes from faith, and so everything which comes
from God Messiah by faith. Nor is even this holy in itself but
only because God Messiah who alone is holy, has sanctified it from
himself and his own justice, and this by the representation of him
self, of Holiness in himself, and of Justice in himself. From this
source then comes all holiness-on which subject we have spoken
elsewhere from time to time. In a sum, nothing is ever holy save
only ·Jehovah God and thus God Messiah alone, in whom is every
perfection of divinity, etc., etc., etc. 6
3902. Holiness, however, proceeds in order, like the order of
things natural, spiritual, and celestial. Thus mortal men can draw
near to God Messiah and so, by Him, to God, in that order, wherein
• In the autograph this paragraph is emphasized by a series of "N B's"
286 II Ad. 2363-2365
EXODUS XIII: 3 [3903
is nearer approach to God Messiah by degrees. Hence holiness,

which is solely the imputation of the justice of the Messiah by faith,
proceeds according to degrees of order. The degrees themselves
must be considered as they are in the man to whom the justice of
the Messiah is imputed, being imputed by faith. The soul, being
in inmosts, is imputatively more holy than the rational mind, be
cause more pure, in that its life is supracelestial and is ruled solely
by God Messiah. From this the rational mind becomes holy, and
thus the natural mind, and so forth. From this beginning every
thing is holy, but still in its own degree according to its perfection.
There is no condemnation of those who are in God Messiah, but
they are sanctified in order, the one thing being sanctified by the
other, which is called degrees. (But these things cannot as yet be
expressed in words, as they should be; for then everything is holy.
As to whether there exist degrees other than degrees of perfection
in acting and in suffering action, this will be seen elsewhere, God
Messiah granting.)
3903. [And Moses said unto the people, Remewer this day, in
which ye went forth out of Egypt, out of the house of servants;
for by strength of hand Jehovah brought you out from hence; that
what is leavened be not eaten], vs. 3. Now follows what it is that
Jacob's descendants should remember, to the end namely, that by
such remembrance they might be mindful of all the benefits of God
Messiah toward them; and so God Messiah would remember the
promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the promise namely,
that He would not leave them until He had introduced them into
the land of Canaan [Gen. ~81i'i], that so they might enjoy the
promise. But it was in sons of Israel throughout the entire globe,
that he would thus remember the justice which was imputed to
Abraham by faith; for the representation of God Messiah is a
representation of the entire globe and, at the same time, of his
eternal kingdom which is the all in all of those things which are re
called to memory, as it were, and sealed by faith. Thus, as the
faith is, such is the remembrance. To those who believe in the
land of Canaan merely as a land, and in earthly happiness, the land
of Canaan is given according to the promise, since it was promised
them. But to those who, by faith, take hold of th~ heavenly king
dom of God Messiah, it is this kingdom that is given. Thus the
11 Ad. ~366 ~87
3904-06] THE. WORD EXPLAINED
sons of Jacob may now see what they had by their faith, whether
the earthly kingdom or the heavenly kingdom.
3904. That the memory of past benefits should be recalled, was
to the end that thus they might be led from natural life to spiritual;
for this people was to be held and thus driven by miracles. As to
what the miracles effected, this can many times be evident from what
follows; and how thus they might have been led to knowledge and
to faith in God Messiah, and so have been saved, that is, admitted
into the kingdom of God Messiah.
3905. That in this way they might be introduced into the re
membrance of all these things, the seven days of the azyma 6 were
instituted. While they were in Egypt, they were reminded by the
passover, and now that they are brought out, they are reminded by
the seven days of azyma, that so they might then never forget the
benefits. That they did forget, however, is clear enough and to
spare. It is also clear that during all these days, in the azyma or
unleavened cakes they called to mind only unleavened bread; and
yet they live continually in their own leaven, so that they must think
there is nothing unleavened in themselves. As to what is meant by
unleavened, this may be seen stated above [n. 3817-8, 3867],
namely, that it has regard to the heart and not to the food.
3906. [This day came ye out in the month Abib], vs. 4. It was
said above, chapter 1~2, that the month Abib 7 was the head of all
the months of the year. The word Abib means" the first ear of
grain." 8 Thus it is the same as the time of spring when summer
commences, it being then that the first ear of grain appears. In
that region it was spring, which is the same as morning; for as the
day consists of morning, noon, evening, and night, so the year con
sists of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, the two exactly cor-·
responding to each other like a part to its general and an image
to some effigy.9 It is the same with every least part of time in
respect to its universal. For it is morning with one people when
• See n. 385fJ note.
1 Swedenborg invariably writes Abid.
• This interpretation is supplied by Schmidius. It may be added that the

month Abib corresponds to part of our months March and April.
• An image, from imitari (to imitate), means a copy or likeness, while an
effigy, from effingeTe (to form, fashion) is something which takes the place of
the thing itself. See Dumesnil, Latin Synonyms.
~88 11 Ad. ~367-~869
EXODUS XIII: 4-5 [3907-09
it is night with another and so forth, with continual variety every

moment throughout the entire globe.
3907.- The subject treated of is the night which was with the
Egyptians, this night continuing with them from the first day of
the miracles to the last, that is to say, until they perished in the
deep, that is, in the sea Suph. 1 In the spiritual sense, this same
time was 2 evening with the sons of Israel, their day being thus
evening and morning. Later also, when there was a pillar of cloud
by day and a pillar of fire by night, every day was evening and
morning, as may be seen at verses ~l and ~~.
3908. This morning which signifies the bringing forth of the
sons of Israel out of captivity is signified by the month Abib,8 a
word which signifies "the first ear of grain." Therefore, this
morning, as also the previous mornings treated of above,4 is a mere
representation of the sons of Israel in the sons of J acob, and con-
sequently of thc kingdom of God Messiah in the land of Canaan
into which .Jacob's descendants were to be introduced. So long as
they were in their passover and their azyma, there was yet hope
that they might pursue the things which these represented, for in
this way they were called to the kingdom of God Messiah. But
because it was foreseen that they could not become Israel, therefore,
by reason of causes of which we have spoken above [n. 3785, 380~],
it was a mere representation. And indeed this morning was a
representation of that morning which shall be with the sons of
Israel in the end of ages.
3909. [Therefore when Jehovah shall bring thee into the lanul
of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite,
and the Jebusite, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a
land f[ordmg with milk and honey, thou shalt celebrate this worship
in this month], vs. 5. That it is this morning that is signified, can
be evident from what now follows, to wit, that they were to be
introduced into the land of Canaan, which also is described as flow-
ing with milk and honey. Thus what is represented is the kingdom
.. [Crossed off:] It was night to the Egyptians when the sons of Jacob
were there; morning to the sons-
, [Crossed off:] This same time was morning to the sons of Israel.
• [Crossed off:] day to the sons of Israel.
• Confer n. 3686, 3778.
IT Ad. ~370-~37~ ~89
of God Messiah in which shall be the morning spoken of just above

[n. 3908], and also later.
3910. That the land is described as flowing with milk and honey
may be seen in the Word here and there; that is to say, it is a place
wherein will be the Word of God Messiah, from which the sons of
Israel shall gather nourishment as bees gather their honey from
flowers. The nourishment itself is exhibited by mille which com
prises all heavenly food, being drawn from the blood; it is the most
harmless of all foods because it nourishes infants.
3911. [Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened cakes, and in the
seventh day shall be a feast to JehO'tJah] , vs. 6. Here it is set forth
still more clearly that what is signified is the kingdom of God Mes
siah in the end of days; for six days shall be days of azyma, that is,
they shall live as holy men and just, being sanctified and justified
by God Messiah alone by means of faith; indeed, all sons of Israel
will do this throughout these six days of the new creation. Thus
the seventh day shall be a feast to Jehovah. Therefore, in the uni
versal sense, by a feast to Jehovah is signified the kingdom of God
Messiah when the sun shall arise and shall perpetually be in its
rising, and so in its morning; or when it shall be spring, that is to
say, the month Abib 5 (vs. 4).
3912. [Azyma shall be eaten seven days; and that which is
leavened shall not be seen with thee, neither shall leaven be seen with
thee in all thy border], vs. 7. These words have been explained
above [no 3817-8, 3867], namely, as to what is meant by Azyma
and things unleavened. Here it is said that it shall not be seen,
thus that those things which leaven signifies shall not enter even into
their understanding, and consequently shall not enter into their will
so that it lusts after them. This is signified by "seeing." The
internal sight is the understanding; from this it passes over into
the will, like the passing over from the sight of the eye into
cupidity.
3913. In all thy border, that is, in every 6 place. But by border
is also meant from the inmost of man to his outmost. Thus the
whole man from soul to body is without leaven. The border, there
fore, has regard also to ends, from the first end to the last; for
when order is perfect, then all and single things will be perfect and
• [Crossed off:] land (place) when it is sons of Israel who are had in view.
~90 II Ad. ~373-~376
EXODUS XIII: 6-9 [8914-16
without leaven, there being nothing of damnation in those who are

in God Messiah.
3914. [And thou shalt tell thy son Vn that day, saying, It is be
cause of that which Jehovah did for me when I went forth out of
Egypt], vs. 8. Here is now set forth what it is that they were to
remember during all the days of azyma, namely, God Messiah alone,
as to how he had judged the Egyptians, and how Israel; thus how
he is about to judge. For sons of Jacob, this means that they were
to remember the deeds that were done in Egypt; and thus, if they
be such that they wish to understand, were to remember that by the
azyma are signified those things which were told above [n. 3817--8,
3867].
3915. [And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and
for a memorial between thine eyes, that the law of Jehovah may be
in thy mouth: for with a .~trong hand hath Jehovah brought thee
forth out of Egypt], vs. 9. Nay, these things were then inscribed
on their forehead and on their hands. This, moreover, they ob
serve, for they set the Law of Jehovah on their hand and on their
forehead, that so it may never be absent from their eyes and from
their memory; for that which is in their hand they will see, and that
which is in their forehead, they will recall to memory, because they
sensate it. Therefore it is said in the text that it shall be a sign
in the hand and a memorial in the forehead. 7
What is said in the text was signified in Aaron and afterwards
in the priests, to the end that in the feast days they likewise should
do this; thus, in them the people would see these things and so
would remember.
3916. What is here signified by the hand, and what by the fore
head, can be sufficiently evident from what has been said above, to
wit, that they should pour blood upon the lintel and upon the posts;
for the lintel is here exhibited by the forehead, and the posts by the
hands, a like representation being thus set forth. [See chapter
U 7 and n. 3771.]· So also a like representation was previously
set forth by the" feet of Moses' son" (chap. 4 25 ). A representa-
T [Marginal note by the Author:l Obs: Between the eye8, that they may see
and at the same time may sensate.

* The references in brackets are substituted for a series of five dashes in
the autograph, suggesting that a space was left for the insertion of a reference.
II Ad. ~377-~379 ~91
THE WORD EXPLAINED
tion is set forth not in one way only, but in various ways, the
similitude being apparent from the figure.
3917. As to why they should write upon the things which they
were to place in their hand and between their eyes, this is told in the
text, to wit, that the law of Jehovah may be in their mouth. What
law is, will appear later, where the Law is the subject treated of.
In a sum, law is the whole of order; for laws are laws of order
since from order flows every law, and as the order is, such is the law.
Thus in the text law involves not exterior things which, being the
ultimates of all laws are merely conclusions, but interior, which are
the origin of law; for what is law in externals without internals?
It is nothing else whatever but what animals also can do; for among
themselves animals also observe the laws of society, though with
out understanding and will. Therefore it is understanding and
will from which comes the observance of law.
3918. In the supreme sense, therefore, the law is God Messiah,
he being Order itself from which comes every law of J ehovah, and
thus that law in man which is called justice-a law which is in a
series from the first in man to the last and which is finally simul
taneous in outmosts. Unless there are interiors within these out
mosts, there can never be any law, and least of all can law be called
the law of Jehovah.
3919. These then must be the things inscribed on that which was
to be set between their eyes and in their hands.
3920. These must then be in their mouth likewise, that is to say,
in their speech. If in speech there be only such things as flow
from the mouth as sound, men would not be very far from animals,
for these also express their affections by differences of sound. In
speech, however, there must be understanding and will-an under
standing of what they See and sensate. To see things and sensate
them is also an animal characteristic, but to understand what they
signify and to he affected by them-this is human. Thus the state
ment that the law must be in their mouth, that is, in their speech,
involves the same thing, namely, that it must be in those internal
and more interior parts from which speech flows. In this way those
things are within the words of human speech which should be within.
3921. [Thou shalt therefore keep th,;,s statute in its set time from
year to year], vs. 10. That is called a statute which is to be ob
served, statutes being what are commonly called rites. As yet
~9~ II Ad. ~380-~383
EXODUS XIII: 10-11 [39~~-~5
nothing else than rites could be set before the sons of J acob, since
all worship of God Messiah had been blotted out, nor were they
again to be inaugurated into such worship. Therefore, its rites
were to be recalled; for, in order that they might be initiated, com
mencement was to be made from rudiments. And although it was
foreseen that it would be merely rites which they would cultivate,
still in order that some of them might yet recall to mind things
interior, this statute was laid down: Moreover, it was thus laid
down that from it the entire world might learn wisdom.
In the more interior sense, a statute here signifies a precept,
that being called a statute which is external, and that a precept
which is internal, as is everything truly spiritual and celestial. The
present statute has regard to the sons of Jacob, that is, to those
to whom He gave the land of Canaan according to the promise.
As a precept, however, which will be observed in its set time, it has
regard to sons of Israel, that is, to those to whom He will give
Canaan-also according to the promise.
3922. From year to year signifies that they should celebrate the
azyma yearly in this month. But in the inmost sense, from year
to year means perpetually, and in the supreme sense, eternally.
3923. [Moreover, when Jeho'l-'ah shall bring thee to the land of
the Canaanite, as he sware to thee and to thy fathers, and shall give
it thee], vs. 11. What now follows deals with the sanctification of
the firstborn. That this involves that the sons of J acob should not
perish in the sea Suph, may be seen stated above [n. 3891-~, 3895].
What is now brought forward has regard to the things which were
done in Egypt before they went out.
3924. That the sanctification of the firstborn has regard to the
things which follow, is clearly evident from the words themselves;
for we read that this was to be done when they come to the land of
the Canaanite. Thus at this time it has regard to what was insti
tuted later, namely, to the fact that the Levites were taken in place
of all the firstborn, and so were sanctified, as told later.
3925. Here it needs only to be observed that this practice was
to be instituted when they come to the land of the Canaanite, not to
the land of Canaan. There is a difference between these, for they
also were called Canaanites who dwelt outside the land of Canaan.
Moreover, the land of Canaan was promised to those who were then
brought out, but with the openly declared injunction that they
II Ad. ~384-~387 ~93
THE WORD EXPLAINED
should remember all the things that are now commanded. Thus,
when the command is broken, then also the promise is dissolved,
as openly declared by Moses in Deuteronomy. While these men
were not admitted into the land of Canaan, still, as we read, this
practice was carried out in the land outside Canaan. 8 Furthermore
we read here that it was to take place when J ehovah had led them
to the land of the Canaamite and not to the Canaanitish land.
3926. Whether these words have regard only to what precedes
or also to what follows, does not appear. We read nothing about
the sanctification of the firstbom except in Exodus ~~29, 30, which
words were included among those then told to the people from
mount Sinai by means of Moses. But their execution does not
seem to have taken place (look this up further) until later (Num
bers, chapter 3).
3927. We read: As he sware to thee and to thy fathers. A clear
distinction is thus made between the people of J acob and the people
of Israel; for we here read, to thee, that is, to Jacob, as that people
was called; but the fa,thers were Abraham and Isaac. Thus the
promise extends to the posterity of Abraham and Isaac in general;
but here the promise that they should come into the land of the
Canaanite is to the descendants of Jacob to whom this oath was
sworn.
3928. [Thou shalt make to pass over to Jehovah every opening
of the womb; and every opening that is the offspring of a beast; all
that thou hast that are males shall be Jehovah's], vs. l~. These
words have been sufficiently explained above [n. 3885 seq., 3896].
Here the only addition is that it must be a male. What is intended
by this in its inmost signification can be evident enough, for a dis
tinction is openly made between male and female; God Messiah
granting, however, these distinctions will be treated of later.
3929. [And every opening of an ass thou shalt redeem with a
cattle; 9 and if thou wilt not redeem it, thou shalt break his neck:
but every firstborn of man among thy sons shalt thou redeem], vs.
8 It was while the Israelites were in Sinai that they were commanded to
redeem the firstborn by the Levites. There a census was taken to ascertain the
number of the firstborn over that of the Levites, and for this excess five shekels
a head was to be paid to Aaron and his sons (Num. 312 seq., 40 SOq.). The same
redemption price was afterwards to be paid for all subsequent firstborn males
(Num. 1815 ,16).
•il¥.'see n. 3609 note.
~94 II Ad. ~388-~391
EXODUS XIII: Ifl-15 [3930-3fl
13. This also has been treated of above [n. 3891], to the effect
namely, that the representation extends from man to the lowest
animal, which latter can never be holy. Hence, by the sanctifica
tion of the firstborn no induction can be made with respect to the
person, to wit, that for this reason the sons of J acob were chosen
above all others. Wherefore, it is also said that asses likewise
should be redeemed, namely, by a cattle.
3930. Here three classes are set forth, these being what are sig
nified in the more interior sense, to wit: The first or inmost is signi
fied by the firstborn of man; for all in the inmost class are firstborn
sons of the church; and that these become the firstborn by the first
born thing of the church, that is to say, by faith, may be seen
stated above [n. 3839, 3884, 3888, 3890]. The second class is
signified by beasts, but by clean beasts without blemishes, as stated
later. The third class is signified by asses, because these will be
things of service.
3931. [And if it come to pass that thy son a~keth thee to mor
row, saying, What is thi-s? thou shalt say unto him, By strength of
hand Jehovah brought us forth out of Egypt, out of the house of
servants], vs. 14. All now looks to this, namely, that from the
miracles and thus from benefits, the people of J acob will regard God
Messiah as their Preserver, but the people of Israel will regard him
as their Savior; and this from causes of which we have spoken above
[n. fl8fl4 J.
By the words By strength of hand is meant by such great mir
acles; it also means that the whole army of the king of Egypt per
ished.
Moreover, that Egypt signifies captivity is stated in this verse,
for we read that Jehovah brought them forth out of Egypt, out of
the house of servants, that is, from servitude.
3932. [And (it came to pass 1) when Pharaoh hardened, so that
he would not send us away, J ehovah slew every firstborn in the land
of Egypt, from the firstborn of man, even to the firstborn of the
beast: therefore I sacrifice to J ehovah every opening of the
womb, being males; and every firstborn of my sons I redeem], vs. 15.
What specifically should be remembered in the sanctification of the
firstborn is, that it should be remembered that all the firstborn of
II Ad. fl39fl-fl396 fl95
the Egyptians had been slain, and consequently that they themselves
had been preserved by the blood upon the lintel and doorposts, etc.
3933. [And it shall be for a sign upon thime hand, and for
front lets between thine eyes: for in strength of hand J ehovah
brought us forth out of Egypt], vs. 16. Here, therefore, it is now
said for the second time that this shall also be a sign in the hand
and for frontlets between the eyes. It is the law itself that must be
a memorial between the eyes. Here it is frontlets, in order that
those things might be signified which were mentioned just above
[n. 393~], whereby they were preserved.
3934. It is several times repeated, that Jehovah led them forth
out of Egypt by strength of hand (as in verses 3, 9, 14, etc.), and
this that they might thus worship God to whom belongeth all power
in the heavens and on earth [Matt. ~818] ; for unless they acknowl
edge God Messiah as the one who led them forth out of the land of
Egypt by strength of hand, that is to say, by miracles, they can
never be in the way of truth, and can never be led to faith; and con
sequently, never to the kingdom of God Messiah.
EXODUSXIII
17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh sent the people away,
that God led them not by the way of the land of the Philistine be
cause this was short: but God said, Lest the people repent when they
see war, and they return to Egypt.
18 Therefore God led the people about, by the way of the wil
derness unto the sea Suph: and the sons of Israel went up out of
the land of Egypt girded.
19 And Moses took the bones of J oseph with him: for in swear
ing he had sworn the sons of Israel, saying, In visiting, God will
visit you; therefore ye shall make my bones to go up [with you 2]
from hence.
~O And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped
in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.
~1 And Jehovah went before them by day in a pillar of cloud,
to lead them in the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give
them light; that they might go by day and night:
~~ The pillar of cloud before the people, by day, and the pillar
of fire by night, drew not away.
~96 II Ad. ~397-~898
EXODUS XIII: 16-17 [3935-36
3935. Since, therefore, Jacob's descendants were then idolaters

and worshipped Egyptian gods, as can be clearly evident from the
golden calf which Aaron made and which the people called the
Egyptian gods which had brought them out of Egypt (of which
matter we read later in chapter g:z4, 8), it was foreseen that had they
come into the land of Canaan, they would at once have profaned it
and have cleaved to the idols of its inhabitants, not to mention
many other causes spoken of later. Their character being such,
they must needs have again been held in a kind of servitude and
anxiety in order that they might repent; for in the case of one who
cares for nothing else than things worldly and corporeal, if he be
admitted into pleasures he becomes still worse; but as to those to
whom God Messiah wills well and shows favor, these he holds in
servitude. This, indeed, was the reason why they were held in the
wilderness. But because the least passing danger of death terri
fies such men, as was the case as soon as they saw Pharaoh's army
(see below, chapter 14 11 ,12), therefore, it is said that were they to
see the Philistine hosts, their mind would at once center upon a re
turn to Egypt [vs. 17]. This is confirmed not only in the passage
cited but also later when the spies returned and brought back word
that there were giants, etc. [Num. 1332 ,33, 14 1 - 4 ].*
3936. [And it came to pass, when Pharaoh sent the people away,
that God led them not by the way of the land of the Philistine be
cause this was short: but God said, Lest the people repent when they
see war, and they return to Egypt], vs. 17. That such was the
* [Here comes the following unnumbered paragraph which is crossed out by
the Author:] From this it can be seen that this posterity were in no way sons of
Israel in that genuine sense in which Israel is taken; for Israel is one who
wrestles; indeed, according to the meaning of the word, he is "the ·Wrestler of
God" ([ doubly crossed] being the one with whom God wrestles, and by whom
God [suffers] himself to be conquered). From the wrestling of the angel of
J ehovah with J acob, is seen what the signification of the word is ([ doubly
crossed] namely, that God wrestled with him, and suffered himself to be, as it
were, conquered by him; but still when his thigh was broken [Gen. 3225]
then-), namely, that God willed to be conquered by him, and also willed not
to be sent away. But we read that his thigh was broken so that he halted
[Gen. 32 25 ]; as to what this signifies, see the explanation at that passage. It is
thus indicated that this nerve was so injured that it could not be restored, and
therefore they do not eat the nerve of the disjointed part [Gen. 3232 ]. (This
involves deeper arcana.) For the rest, he is for the first time called Israel be
cause God wrestled with him. (But these particulars do not belong to this
place.)
II Ad. 2399-2400 297
character of Jacob's sons is sufficiently confirmed from what has

been said, and also from what follo,!s soon afterwards in chapter
1411 ,12 and later when the spies returned [Num. 14 1- 4 ] ; for then
they did not believe in the miracles, because they then attributed
these also to the Egyptian gods, as can be clearly evident from the
effect and from their own words [chap. 3?l4, 8].
3937. Many reasons existed why they were at once led into the
wilderness. Here one reason only is told, to wit, that at the first
danger they would wish to return to the idolatry of the Egyptians.
The other reasons are told later.
3938. [Therefore God led the people about, by the way of the
wilderness unto the sea Suph: and the sons of Israel went up out of
the land of Egypt girded], vs. 18. The reason is now told why
they were led by the way of the wilderness and also to the sea Suph,
namely, in order that they might also seethe end of all the plagues,
and might know that it was God Messiah alone who saved them.
3939. In this verse, as in the preceding, they are called sons of
Israel. Something, therefore, should here be said concerning the
name Israel. In the sense proper, Israel is " the mighty J acob "
[Gen. 49 24 ], that is, Jacob as considered here, as likewise above,
namely, as the natural man, Isaac being the spiritual man and
Abraham the celestial man. This accords with a like classification
obtaining in the individual man, that is to say, it accords with a
like classification obtaining in the church of God Messiah. This
signification, however, does not conform with Jacob's posterity
which properly is called J acob both by the prophets and by David
who clearly distinguish between Israel and J acob. The sons of
J acob did indeed call themselves Israel [Gen. 34 7 ], but, that they
abused this name, may be Seen shown at that passage. Jacob, how
ever, signifies the holder of the heel arid the supplanter.
3940. Israel 3 also signifies him who wrestles with God, and who,
after the wrestling, halts. Indeed, the nerve of his thigh was so
broken that it cannot be restored, as is clear from the story of
Jacob [Gen. 3?l24-32]. Therefore, this name was then given him
f or the first time. Afterwards, however, the name was confirmed
with him [Gen. 3510], to the end that he might represent sons of
Israel in the genuine sense; for afterwards he was still caned Jacob
(ibid. 46 2 , 3) •
3 [Crossed off:] in the ([doubly crossed] more interior) interior sense.
9198 II Ad. 9l401-9l404
EXODUS XIII: 18-19 [3941-44
3941. In the genuine sense the sons of Israel are those who, by
wrestling, finally conquer God Messiah, as did Abraham, as stated
above; 4 that is to say, those by whom God Messiah suffers himself
to be conquered. Thus they are sons of Abraham, being those to
whom justice is imputed by faith. Such men can never be sons of
Jacob; for men who are of such a character that they are idolaters,
and worship nothing else than the world, and who at their first
liberty rush to idols, can never inherit the kingdom of God Mes-
siah, for this is entirely contrary to truth, being as contrary thereto
as hatred is to love.
3942. They are called sons of Israel both in the present text and
previously, by reason of the mere representation of sons of Israel in
the genuine sense; or if they so wish, by reason of the representa-
tion of the Israelites under Jeroboam. Therefore, if they wish to
keep for themselves the name sons of Israel, without the representa-
tion, then they must be called Israelites of Jeroboam; 5 for it can
be sufficiently evident that the tribe of Judah was of a like char-
acter, although benefits were continued to them because of the
Messiah who then was to be born amongst them; and thus because
of David by whom is meant the Messiah. This will be evident from
many passages, for whenever David speaks of himself as the one to
whom the kingdom is promised, he is speaking of the Messiah. But
all this will become so clear in what follows that no doubt can ever
be held concerning it.
That they went up girded may be seen explained above at chap-
ter Ifl l l .
3943. Therefore, the subject here treated of in the inmost sense
is the sons of Israel who, in the end of days,will go up out of
Egypt, that is, from captivity, or out of the house of servants;
that is to say, who will be prepared when the Bridegroom cometh
[Matt. fl5 1 - 13 ].
3944. [And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for Vn
swearing he had sworn the sons of Israel, saying, In visiting, God
will visit you; therefore, ye shall make my bones to go up (with
you 6) from hence], vs. 19. Of the oath whereby Joseph bound his
• Confer n. !il15.
• Jeroboam was the first king of the Israelites after their revolt from King
Rehoboam, and their consequent separation from the tribe of Judah (1 Kings
HI).
II Ad. M05-fl409 fl99
brethren, we read in Genesis chapter 50 24 ,25. It is not said of

others that they wished their bones to be carried to the land of
Canaan.
3945. The reason why J oseph was unwilling to be buried in
Egypt or to remain in a sepulchre there, was because he worshipped
God Messiah and awaited resurrection; for why should one desire
that his bones be carried to another land except for the sake of
resurrection? otherwise it would be the same thing in whatsoever
land the bones lay. It was for this reason that Abraham was so
solicitous to buy a sepulchre in the land of Canaan that he might
be buried there and not elsewhere; and also that Sarah his wife and
others were buried there. 7
3946. J oseph, however, was not buried in the same place as
Abraham, etc., but in the field which J acob bought of Shechem and
presented to J oseph; thus he had no solicitude about being buried
after J acob in the same place. N or was Rachel his mother buried
there, she having been buried at Bethlehem [Gen. 35 7- 8 ]. Both
places, however, were in the land of Canaan. And because this land
signified the kingdom of God Messiah, as did Joseph-for by him
was signified the Messiah and the kingdom of God Messiah-there
fore, being divinely inspired, he had this desire.
394n In the inmost sense, these words also signify that the sons
ofrsX:;el remembered Joseph, remembering namely, how that after
being slain il!. their mind, he had then been sold by his ten brethren;
a
how that he had been made captive and a servant, and finally lord
I in the wh~le of-Egy.pt; remembering also his death and buriid, and
especially his r~1E"re<;!.ion; that so they might be deterred from
any purpose of returning to Egypt, seeing that J oseph did not
wish even his bones to remain in Egypt. Different was it with
J a~ob's _desce.!1dants who during their life, aspired after this ie
turn; liaving no !hought beyond things earthly and cOTp.O-l·eal, and
~ n-o concern as to r.esurrection. Thus they think only of the_things
of the moment, reckoning things eternal as of no account, except
perhaps th~t they_might be with hi!!! wE~ co~ld insti0te ~~e
kingdom-but this ~i!l be in hell; and anyone can imagine for him
self what kind of kingdom will be there, since each individual will
be of the disposition which he has acquired here. Thus each will
7 In the autograph this passage is emphasized by "N B" written in the
margin.
300 II Ad. ~410~~4U
EXODUS XIII: ~O-~~ [3948-51
burn with hatred against the other, this being a necessary conse
quence when he derives his disposition and nature from the love of
self and the love of the world. There is only one love whiCh con
sociates minds into a unit, ~amely, the one Love of Jehovah, who
is God Messiah alone.
3948. [And they took their journey from Succoth, and en
camped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness], vs. ~O. Here
commence their journeys in the wilderness; thus, they must needs
now enter the wilderness, the edge whereof at this side is described.
A wilderness signifies ground where is no field, and consequently
no harvest, thus ground wherein they would not be able to acquire
for themselves bread or food by their own labor, but where all
bread would come to them from heaven, as can be seen later. In the
inmost sense, the wilderness signifies all that is worldly and cor
poreal. This they were now to abandon, since they will soon be
nourished by heavenly food, etc.
3949. [And Jehovah went before them by day in a pillar of
cloud, to lead them in the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to
give them light; that they might go by day and night. The pillar
of cloud before the people, by day, and the pillar of fire by night,
drew not away], vs. ~1, flfl. Here then first commences the con
tinual presence of God Messiah who was leading that people; for
this pillar continued throughout the whole journey from one end
of the wilderness to the other. Thus they had the continual pres
ence of God Messiah and this before the eyes of their body; that so
they might continually remember him and might haire a perpetual
miracle, as also they had manna from heaven. For we read that
this pillar drew not away by day or by night.
3950. What the pillar is in the inmost sense, what the cloud, and
what the flame, which here is called fire, can be seen from other pas
sages. Thus what the flame is can be seen from the passage where
God Messiah appeared before Moses as a flame in a bramble [chap.
3 2 ]. So here he was a continual flame which was visible not only
to Moses but also to all the people. 8
3951. A flame also signifies love and thus goodness, which comes
from the one Love of God Messiah. Thus it likewise signifies the
8 [Here comes the following unnumbered paragraph which is crossed off:]
As to why there was a cloud by day, for they then had light from the sun, this
signifies-
II Ad. fl413-~417 301
will, this being ruled by love. In themselves, clouds signify such

things as are intellectual, and this according to the obscurity of
the cloud. Thus, a very dark cloud, like the darkness as which the
present cloud appeared to the Egyptians (see just below, chapter
1420) [signifies a darkened understa"llding] ; but a white cloud sig
nifies an understanding somewhat enlightened, and thus truths
which form the understanding by means of 9 love. In the under
standing the light of day or solar light is like night. 1 This night
is illumined by this cloud, as we read" in the same verse (but see the
explanation there).
3952. A pillar signifies the same thing, namely, God Messiah;
for all that is high, such as a peak, a mountain, nay, a tower, in
volves the same signification, namely, that which is supreme. Thus
God Messiah was the pillar which thus enlightened them by day
and by night. As to whether they suffered themselves to be en
lightened, this is seen in what follows.
3953. Since these words have regard to the kingdom of God
Messiah, of which we read that there shall be no night there but
continual light [Apoc. 22 5 ], therefore an image of this kingdom
is presented here by a pillar of cloud and flame; but then, it will be
in their midst, and therefore he is also called the Sun of Wisdom.
Respecting this Sun in the midst of his kingdom, that is, of the New
Jerusalem, see the Apocalypse and elsewhere. Thus, in the inmost
sense, it signifies that they shall see his face and shall be enlightened
as to the understanding and their will enkindled by the flame of his
love. 2
EXODUS XIV
1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto the sons of Israel, that they turn back and en
camp in front of the pass of Hiroth,3 between Migdol and the sea,
in front of Baalzephon : over against it shall ye encamp by the sea.
3 For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, They are en
tangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut in upon them.
• [Crossed off:] goodness or
1 Swedenborg first wrote a cloud.
2 [The following is here crossed off by the Author:] Moreover, the pillar
also involves the days of the new creation which consist of evening and morning.
Here, therefore, there was no night ([ doubly crossed] but in place of
night) but perpetual ([doubly crossed] day) morning; for
, See n. 3957 note.
302 II Ad. 2418-2419
EXODUS XIV: 1-~8
4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after

them; and I will be made glorious in Pharaoh, and in all his host;
that the Egyptians may know that I am Jehovah. And they did
so.
5 And when it was told the king of Egypt that the people had
fled, the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against
the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have sent
Israel away from serving us?
6 And he attached his chariot, and took his people with him:
7 He took also six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots
of Egypt; and there were tertian leaders 4 over all.
8 And Jehovah hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt,
so that he pursued after the sons of Israel: but the sons of Israel
went out with a high hand. .
9 Therefore the Egyptians pursued after them; and they over-
took them encamping by the sea; all the horses of Pharaoh's char-
iots, and his horsemen, and his host; beside the pass of Hiroth,6
before Baal-zephon.
10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the sons of Israel lifted up
their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians were marching after them;
and they feared for themselves exceedingly; and the sons of Israel
cried unto J ehovah.
11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in
Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore
hast thou dealt thus with us, to bring us forth out of Egypt?
1~ Is not this the word that we spake unto thee in Egypt, say-
ing, Stand off from us, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it
were better for us to serve the Egyptians rather than that we
should die in the wilderness. -
13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not for your-
selves, stand still, and see the salvation of J ehovah, which he will
make for you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day,
ye shall see them again no more for an age.
14 Jehovah shall fight for you; only be ye silent.
15 Then Jehovah said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto
me? Speak unto the sons of Israel, that they go forward:
16 But thou, lift up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over
303
THE WORD EXPLAINED
the sea, and divide it, that the sons of Israel may go into the midst
of the sea on dry ground.
17 And I, behold, I will harden the heart of the Egyptians,
and they shall go in after them; and I shall be made glorious in
Pharaoh, and in all his host, in his chariots, and in his horsemen.
18 That the Egyptians may know that I am J ehovah, when I
have been made glorious in Pharaoh, and in his chariots, and in his
horsemen.
19 And the angel of God, going before the camp of Israel, set
out and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud which was before
them, set out and stood behind them:
20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the
camp of Israel, so that it was cloud and darkness, and it lighted up
the night; and those drew not near to these all the night.
21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and J e
hovah drew the sea back by a strong east wind all that night, and
made the sea dry land, so that the waters were divided.
22 And the sons of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry
ground; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand,
and on their left.
23 And the Egyptians pursued, and came after them, all Pha
raoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen, into the midst of the
sea.
24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch, Jehovah, in
the pillar of fire and of cloud, looked out toward the camp of the
Egyptians and troubled the camp of the Egyptians;
25 And took off' the wheel of his chariots, that he might draw
it with difficulty. Then the Egyptians said, I will flee before Is
rael; for Jehovahfighteth for them against the Egyptians.
26 And J ehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over
the sea, that the waters may come again upon Egypt, upon his
chariots, and upon his horsemen.
27 And when Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, the
sea was turned back to its shore,6 when dawn again came; and the
Egyptians fled toward it; and J ehovah thrust the Egyptians into
the midst of the sea.
28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the
304
EXODUS XIV: 1-9l [3954-57
horsemen, with all the host of Pharaoh, that came into the sea after
them; there remained not so much as one of them.
3954. The subject now treated of, is the last of the plagues,
which follows immediately after the death of the firstborn. This
is hell itself, which is here set forth by means of the sea Suph
wherein Pharaoh and his host perished.
3955. As touching the sons of Jacob, however, these were car
ried over the sea on dry land, although they also were idolaters and
were like the Egyptians, but this w~s done for a reason of which
we have spoken above [no 3941-9l], namely, because they then rep
resented sons of Israel and so, by virtue of the ,promise, were to be
introduced into the land of Canaan.
3956. In the end of times, however, when this representation
falls upon genuine sons of Israel-and then all representation
ceases-the effectuation itself has place. Then the sons of J acob,
who from that time on have continually worshipped idols in various
ways, and have so criminally deserted God Messiah their Benefactor
and Preserver, nay, have persecuted him with hatred (except those
of them who were in their midst and acknowledged and adored God
Messiah from faith) these are specifically among the men who form
the serpent; for they have followed that leader and have set up his
kingdom even in the land of the Canaanites who are then to be cast
down from heaven. Respecting this serpent, his greatness and his
being cast down from heaven, see Apocalypse, chapter 19l 3 , 7, 8, 9.
3957. [And Jehovah spake unto Moses, sayiJng, Speak 1mto the
sons of Israel, that they turn back and en.camp in front of the pass
of Hiroth,7 between Migdol alfld the sea, in front of Baalzephon:
over aga,inst it shall ye encamp by the sea], vs. 1, 9l. This was done
that they might be led to the end, and thus to the entrance into the
T The Hebrew is n'i''}:~ '~, This is rendered by the Vulgate as Phihahi
roth, and by the A. V. as Pihahiroth. Schmidius, however, takes the'~ (mouth
of) as a separate word, and the i1 as an article, his translation being" the pass
[Le., mouth] of Hiroth." Castellio agrees with this, except as regards the
article, his translation being" the pass of Ahiroth." Tremellius also agrees in
part, but he tal,es nh''},;:! to be a plural noun, and gives the rendition " the pass
of the Hirothean mountains." In the Arcana Ooeleatia the words are tran
scribed as Pi-Ohiroth.
11 Ad. 9l49l0-9l49l3 305
wilderness and, in fact, to the sea Suph, in order that all that which
the plagues signify might be fulfilled, as is evident from verse 4.
3958. [For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, They are en
tangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut in upon them], vs. 3.
Here is set forth the cause of the hardening of Pharaoh's heart,
namely, because they were wandering. Thus he detested or abomi
nated them, as stated above En. 3598,3600]; for such was his mind
at this time, that he believed all to be entangled in the way, and all
to be shut up in the desert, who did not worship the Egyptian idols.
3959. To be entrungled in the land 8 is to go astray or to be led
around into stray paths 9-according to the belief of aU those who
have no faith. These think their own way to be the right one, and
they say that those who follow God Messiah are straying and are
shut up in the wilderness, that is to say, are in a wilderness where
is no grain and where is no food.
The expression is ambiguous, as it were, containing both truth
and falsity. That the sons of Jacob were entangled in the way
and shut up in the wilderness, is the truth, it being for this reason
that for forty years they were led around into stray paths, as it
were (see chapter 1317 ). But when Pharaoh said this, he said it
with a different thought, his meaning being that it was sons of
Israel who were thus straying, in the sense mentioned above, which
was false. Wherefore these words are so uttered that they can be
applied both to the sons of Jacob and to the sons of Israel whom
they represented.
What this involves [is that which will come to pass] in the end
of times when, after the eleven plagues, Egyptians and idolaters,
that is to Say, those like the Egyptians, will speak in similar fashion
conc@rning sons of Israel.
3960. [And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follo'w
after them; and I will be made glorious in Pharaoh, and in all his
host; that the Egyptians may know that I am Jehovah. And they
did so], vs. 4. As to the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, see above
[n. 35fl5 seq.]. Here also is set forth the end of the plagues; for
8 The autograph has" in the way."
• in orl'or08 means" into stray paths," and" into errors." To get the full
force of what is meant in this passage, the reader should bear in mind that
orral'o and orroros mean respectively not only "to go astray" and "stray
paths," but also" to err" and" errors."
306 II Ad. ~4fl4-fl4fl8
EXODUS XIV: 3-6 [3961-64
this verse has regard in the proximate sense to those who then
escaped, but in the broadest sense to all in the entire globe who read
these words and understand them, the meaning being, that when
God Messiah is about to come into his glory to judge the whole
world, namely, both the living and the dead, they will then know
Whom they have persecuted and whose heel they have injured.
That is to say, the Egyptians, being those who, when the scene is
changed, wish to be saluted as sons of Israel, when yet they are sons
of Jacob, that is, of the holder of the heel and the supplanter, will
then know that God Messiah is J ehovah who here speaks in his own
words: I will be made glorious in Pharaoh, and in all his host; that
the EgyptiMls may know that I am J ehovah.
3961. By the host of Pharaoh are meant all peoples and all na
tions, and specifically the Jewish people, this being more properly
the people called Jacob, as stated above [no 3955-6].
3962. [And when it was told the Icing of Egypt that the people
had fled, the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned
against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we
have sent Israel away from serving us], vs. 5. Another cause that
now hardened Pharaoh's heart was the fact that they had fled, and
he would thus lose all gain and all service, the subject here spoken
of being service, which includes both these; for to serve another, is
not only to acquire wealth for him by means of one's service but
also to sustain him by one's wealth.
3963. Thus it can be plain enough who they are who are meant
in the end of ages, whose heart will likewise be hardened, because it
cannot be otherwise. The heart hardens itself when it persecutes
God Messiah with hatred; for with the loss of heavenly love comes
nothing but hatred. This they call love because those who desire
to possess the universe love nothing but themselves alone and the
world alone. Thus they hold him in hatred who loves his brother as
much as himself; consequently, they hold Him in hatred who loved
men even to the most direful death.
3964. [And he attached his chariot, and took his people with
him], vs. 6. In the proximate sense, to attach a chariot is to set
out to war, but in the spiritual sense it is to stretch an the powers
of ingenuity in seeking ways whereby to persecute God Messiah and
the sons of Israel; for the fact that there will be combat between the
II Ad. ~4~9-~43~ 307
serpent and the angel Michael is predicted in the Apocalypse, chap

ter Ifl[71.
3965. In the proximate sense, the people whom Pharaoh took, is
the Egyptian people; in the broadest sense, it is all persecutors of
the sons of Israel. By people are also meant all the forces exerted
by Pharaoh, as the head.
3966. [ He took also six hundred chosen chariots, ami1 all the
chariots of Egypt; and there were tertian]. leaders over all], vs. 7.
That these words signify the end of days can be evident from the
number here specifically mentioned, namely, six hundred, besides the
chariots of Egypt. This number would not stand out unless it in
volved the number of days from the first day of reformation to the
last. During the whole of this time they continually waged war
against God Messiah and the sons of Israel, these wars signifying
the last war when the serpent is to be cast down [Apoc. U 9 ]. So
likewise the number of the leaders, these being called tertian from
the number of that same time, a time which is distributed into three
periods for the reason spoken of above [n. 3fl57].
3967. Wherefore also we read in the Apocalypse that the ser
pent was in heaven, and that he then enfolded with his tail the third
part of the stars [Apoc. U3, 4] ; for worshippers of the serpent
from among Jacob's descendants have been admitted into heaven
above all others.
3968. [And J ehovah hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of
Egypt, so that he pursued after the sons of Israel: but the sons of
Israel went out with a high hand], vs. 8. Concerning the harden
ing of the heart, see above [n. 35fl5 seq.]. That the sons of Israel
went out with a high hand signifies that they went in the utmost
safety, that is to say, without any danger. A hand signifies power,
but a high 'hand signifies Him who has all power in the heavens and
on earth [Matt. fl8 18 ] , that is, God Messiah. This then is what is
meant by going out with a high hand.
3969. [Therefore the Egyptians pursued after them; and they
overtook them encamping by the sea; all the horses of Pharaoh's
chariots, and his horsemen, and his host; beside the pass of Hiroth,2
11:l~~rf (leaders of three) is the plural of ~~ which means three con
sidered as a unit; see below, n. 4091, and Arcana Coele.,tia 8150. In chap. 151
Schmidius translates the same Hebrew word terna,'ii (tertians).
2 See n. 3957 note.
308
EXODUS XIV: 7-10 [3970-71
before Batil-zephon] , vs. 9. The sea beside which the sons of Israel
so called were now encamped, is spoken of later.
In this verse, it is not said chariot as previously [vs. 7] but
horses and horsemen. In the spiritual sense, to attach a chariot
[vs. 6] is to stretch every nerve of ingenuity and to think up all
manner of things as to how they shall destroy the sons of Israel.
Horses are the various faculties of the understanding, for which
reason they are here said to be horses. Thus horsemen are those
who plot and thus attack.
The word host is a general formula signifying all peoples and
nations; hence also the expression "the hosts of the heavens," 3
etc., etc. .
3970. [And when Pharaoh drew"nigh, the sons of Israel lifted
up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians were marching after
them; and they feared for themselves exceedingly; and the sons of
Israel cried unto Jehovah], vs. 10. There must be imminent dan-
ger and fear, that they may acknowledge the presence of God Mes-
siah. Therefore the Egyptians drew nigh, so that they were
driven even to the fear of death.
In the proximate sense this was for the people of J acob who in
this way were to be terrified by the danger of death; but whether
sons of Israel are thus to be terrified, cannot appear-unless it be
those who are not in inmosts, and whom fear will urge to the adora-
tion of God Messiah; for of all the sons of Israel there is none who
is not deserving of spiritual death, life being given them from pure
mercy and grace. Therefore to the end that they might then know
this, they also were to be terrified. So we read in the New Testa-
ment, that the sons of Israel, that is to say, the sheep, did not know
the judgment until the sentence was pronounced (Matt. 915 31 se q .] ;
nevertheless, hope is inspired in them, etc., etc. (from the New
Testament, concerning the ten virgins [Matt. 915 1 se q .], etc., etc.).
3971. Here, however, it is sons of Jacob who are now treated
of, for when their own native disposition is described, they do not
represent sons of Israel. The evil represent the good when such
things are enj bined upon them as are external and signify things
internal, as, for instance, that they should eat the passover, should
sprinkle the blood of the lamb or kid upon the lintel and the door-
, Genesis 21 , 1 Kings 2:'J 19, Psalm 33 6 , Isaiah 34~, 4512.
II Ad. M38-9l449l 309
posts, should sanctify the firstborn, these being the things that
carry the representation; for then it is in_ternals that are repre
sentatively signified by the externals. When, however, internals
are described, then the representation perishes and the text becomes
a description of those who did the representing. Thus the de-
f' scription now becomes a description of the people J.l!:£Qb, to~it,
tha! they feared exceedingly-but only_the death of the body; that

is to say, they were terrified, and so cried unto J ehovah. In the
inmost sense, to cry unto Jehovah means to make ardent supplica
tion, as is known from the sound wherein is the affection. 4
3972. [And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves
in Egypt, hast thou taken 'u.s away to die in the wilderness? where
fore hast thou dealt thus with us, to bring us forth out of Egypt?],
I vs. H. Here we meet with things so abominable that they can
I hardly be believed; namely, that after previously seeing so many
miracles, and while they had the pillar of cloud and flame before
their eyes and so the near presence of God Messiah, and after so
many servitudes aggravated to the last degree, they should yet
speak these words, namely, that they would rathel: die in Egypt in
the utmost servitude; and, devoid of faith, should loudly complain
at being brought forth.
Such being their disposition, however, they could not speak in
any other way than as they are thus described; and this after so
short a journey and so short a time when all these events were still
fresh. Are they_ th~n to be com-p-aI~ to a man? or to beasts?
3973. [Is not this the word that we spake unto thee in Egypt,
saying, Stand off from us, that u'e may serve the Egyptians? For
it were better for us to serve the Egyptians rather than that we
should die in the wilderness], vs. 1~. Moreover, they are now con
strained to confess that such also had been their character in Egypt,
that is to say, that they wou~ Ia1:,.her s~rv~_Jhe_~gyptJ!!.ns. Is it
not thus clear that asthey then desired, so also will they obtain in
the end of days when God Messiah will come to judge the world?
for every man is then judged from his desires in this life, when
those desires remain with him even to death. Man's life is formed
from desires, for desires are the love contil!ued. Thus the scene
will be changed, as observed above [n. 3960].
the margin.
S10 II Ad. ~443-~445
EXODUS XIV: 11-13 [39'74-77
3974. Indeed, they say that it had been better for them to serve
the Egyptians rather than to die in the wilderness. Thus they had
in view only corporeal life, as is evident also later; and they pre
ferred this to death, whatsoever the servitude in which they might
live. Thus they had no faith that they could be preserved, when
yet the preceding events must one and all have necessarily been
fresh in their mind, as observed above [n. 397~]. Had the least
spark of that flame affected them which was a light before them in
their night, they would never have said they were about to die; but
because no least spark affected them, therefore these their words
are now added. As touching the wilderness, why they were led into
this before being led to the land of Canaan, the reasons may be
seen here and there in what follows. The first reason is stated
above, chapter 1317 , and this is now fully confirmed.
3975. That man to whom God shows favor is brought into con
tinual temptations, it being from these that his disposition becomes
known. And now they are in this last temptation in order that
they may see before their eyes the death of the body and also the
wilderness. As touching death, they could not have feared this,
seeing that they had been preserved in the midst of the slaughter of
the firstborn. Nor could they have feared the wilderness in that
they were delaying there; for previously, on several occasions, he
had promised them the land of Canaan, and they would also have
obtained it, if in their temptations they had been different, and if
the temptations could have had some effect upon them. It is by
temptations that man is reformed, and if he does not bear them it
is finished with that man. (See what Paul says on this matter. 6 )
3976. It is said in the text, Is not this the word that we spake
unto thee in Egypt? A word is truth itself; therefore, what they
say is, Is it not the truth that such also was their character in
Egypt?
3977. [And Moses said unto the people, Pear ye not for your
selves, stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah, which he will
make for you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day,
ye shall see them again no more for an age], vs. 13. Moses now
• Confer 1 Cor. 1013. "There hath no temptation taken you save what is
human; but God is faithful, who does not suffer you to be tempted above that
which ye are able; but with the temptation will make also an outlet that ye
may be able to bear it."
II Ad. ~446-~449 311
strengthens them and endeavors to lead them away from their ter
ror. He says: Stand still, that is, in faith, and see the salvation of
Jehovah. In the proximate sense, salvation is the preservation of
man from the death of the body; in the spiritual sense, it is con
servation from spiritual death; in the inmost sense, it is salvation;
in the supreme sense, it is God Messiah himself who is salvation and
is called the salvation of J ehovah.
3978. l\foses says that they would not see the Egyptians for an
age. In the proximate sense, an age signifies a long time. Thus
for them, the meaning is that they would not see the Egyptians for
a long time, nor would worship their gods; and so would not see
captivity except after an age. But here an age signifies eternity,
the meaning being that the sons of Israel were never to see them,
because they will perish, as follows immediately afterwards. That
an age signifies eternity clearly follows from the words themselves,
for we read: The Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see
them again no more for an age; for they did not see them inasmuch
as they were immersed in the sea and so perished.
3979. [Jehovah shall fight for you; only be ye silent], vs. 14.
Moses reproaches them for speaking in this way, for" to be silent"
means not to spread abroad what they are thinking. Thought, be
fore it breaks out into action, is not damnable, for there is then no
exercise of it whereby is formed the disposition. In temptations,
innumerable thoughts flow in, but in sons of Israel they are oblit
erated before they break out. Not so in Jacobeans and Egyptians.
In these the thoughts break out, and indeed into blasphemies.
3980. [Then Jehovah said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou
unto me? Speak unto the sons of Israel, that they go forward],
vs. 15. The conclusion from these words is that Moses cried out in
like manner, and so that Moses also was terrified in some measure.
It was Moses who was spoken of above, for here he is rebuked for
crying out, as in verse 10. His speaking in this way 6 argues that
his speech was mingled with fear. 7
Had it here been said" he cried," and this without rebuke, cry
ing would then have meant adoration which is never rebuked.
3981. We read that they should go forward. In the inmost
sense, this signifies that they should persist in faith; for to go for
• [Crossed off:] to the sons of Israel.
, [Crossed off:] Thus, in temptation he also did not endure.
31~ II Ad. ~450-~454

EXODUS XIV: 14-16 [3989.!-85
ward is to continue in the way of truth. Life itself is compared to

a sojourning and a journey, for which reason it is also called a so
journing and a way.
3982. [But thou, lift up thy rod, wnd stretch out thine hwnd
over the sea, and divide it, that the sons of Israel may go into the
midst of the sea on dry ground], vs. 16. The rod and the hand
have been spoken of above [no 3640], to the effect that they signify
power and authority, and so also the" high hand," etc. [no 3968J.
That in its signification here it is authority that is represented by
the rod and the hand is clearly evident; for now it is said in the
imperative, lift up the rod and stretch out the hand [over the sea]
and divide it. It was not Moses who divided it, still less his rod
and hand.
3983. As touching the sea which is called the sea Suph, this was
the boundary between the promised land and Egypt, as can be evi
dent from what follows; for later it is said that the promised land
extended its boundaries to this sea [chap. 9.!331 ]. Since then this
was the last boundary between the promised land and Egypt, by it
is signified that whirlpool and abyss which was the intermediate
through which the sons of Israel would pass on dry ground; for all
men are condemned to hell, but are snatched out therefrom by God
Messiah and led to his kingdom signified by the land of Canaan.
Wherefore, there is no son of Israel who is not snatched out, and
led over this sea, but on dry ground and thus safely. Thus, when
he looks behind him, he sees the hell into which the Egyptians were
immersed, as follows later.
3984. As touching the wilderness [chap. 13 18 ], it distinguishes
the land of Canaan from this sea. Therefore it is said by God
Messiah, when speaking of Abraham, that a great whirlpool is in
terposed (look up the words 8), so that none can come thither.
This wilderness is the intermediate; but what a wilderness is, will
be seen in what follows, God Messiah granting.
3985. It is therefore said in the text, that they should go into
the midst of the sea on dry ground, for they cannot be immersed,
since wheresoever God Messiah is present in a 'flame by night and
a cloud by day, there is the utmost safety. So also later, when
they entered into the land of Canaan, the Jordan 9 was divided in
8 The reference seems to be to Luke 1626.
• The autograph has Euphmtes. Confer n. 559 note and n. 1563 note.
Ir;Ad. M55-!'l458 313
like manner, because the tabernacle, that is, God Messiah, was in
their midst [Josh. 3 13 ], He being the Mediator and Propitiator be
tween Jehovah the Father and the sons of Israel.
3986. [And I, behold, I will harden the heart of the EgyptiaJns,
and they shall go Vn after them; and I shall be made glorious Vn
Pharaoh, and in a.ll his host, in his chariots, and Vn his horsemen],
vs. 17. Here occur the same words as above [vs. 4], where also the
reader may see it explained what a chariot is and what a horseman.
3987. [That the Egyptians may know that I am Jehovah, when
I have been made glorious in Pharaoh, and in his chariots, and Vn his
horsemen], vs. 18. So likewise with these words. Therefore it is
again said that God Messiah would be made glorious in Pharaoh,
and in his chariots, and Vn his horsemen. That he is made glorious
signiJies the glory in which God Messiah is to come; sons of Israel
will see his glory in the judgment. It is said in Pharaoh, that is,
in him who persecutes the sons of Israel, and of whom we have
spoken so often above. Thus by Pharaoh are meant all who are
his, the head being taken for the body. So also with the Jews; for
it is said of them, that they will live at the ~nd of days, and win ;ee
the glory of the Son of Man, that is, of the Messiah, whom they
nave so greatly persecuted. By chariots and horsemen, words
which are here again repeated, are meant, in the inmost sense, .a~l
l]2achinatiqns. These will perish in this way, and so He will be
made glorious. 1
3988. [And the angel of God, going before the camp of Israel,
. set out and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud which was be
fore them, set out and stood behind them], vs. 19. Here we first
read of the angel of God who went before them, that he went behind
them. So likewise of the pillar, but with some difference. Thus
1 [The following unnumbered paragraphs are here crossed off by the Au
thor:]
Verse 19. The pillar of cloud is here called the angel of God, it being
angels of God Messiah who formed this pillar. Thus in the supreme sense it
was God Messiah himself; for what is done by means of His angels is done by
Him, since angels have no life from themselves as neither has man, as observed
above. Therefore we first read angel not pillar.
That it was now day can be evident from the pillar which was a cloud.
This now came behind the sons of Israel, that it might be signified that-
Verse 19. Here a distinction is made between the angel of God and the
pillar, for we read first of the angel of God and then of the pillar.
As concerns the angel of God, he seems here to have appeared to Moses.
314 II Ad. fl459-fl461
EXODUS XIV: 17-19 [3989-90
the angel of God was seen by Moses, but the pillar by all the people;
for of the pillar, we read in chapter 1321 that J ehovah went in a
pillar" to lead them in the way" ; see that verse. 2
3989. But these words are so spoken that it may also be under
stood that the angel of God and the pillar were one and the same,
for they are not so separated as to be distinct. Wherefore, by the
angel of God is also meant the pillar which was God Messiah him
self, as may be seen above [n. 3949 seq.]. But here both are men
tioned a in order that it may be signified that God Messiah is the
Mediator and Preserver; for by the sea Suph is signified hell.
Therefore, lest this people Jacob should perish, the angel of God
went between t~e camp of the Egyptians and that of Israel. Thus
in the Word of God Messiah both are mentioned, when what is set
forth is the office of the mediator and propitiator. That God Mes
siah is called the angel of God and at the same time Jehovah, may
be seen above [n. 3314]. So in the present case, he is called the
angel of God and at the same time is said to be in the pillar [chap.
1321 ] ; but as already mentioned, this is said because He was the
Propitiator; therefore He did not go before them but after them
and between them and the Egyptians.
3990. Some wish to assert that the angel of God was the angel
of J ehovah, and that it was J ehovah the Father who led them in the
pillar. Surely they arrogate too much to themselves in saying
that the Creator of the universe, of heaven and earth, would come
down to a people so wicked as this, and would lead them in the
wilderness for forty years! But that Jehovah was in the pillar, at
the same time when God Messiah, the one only Son of Jehovah the
Father was there, this necessarily follows; for God is One, so that
2 [Crossed off:] Here the angel of God is mentioned purposely, in order
that it may be known that

• [Crossed off:] in order that it may be known that [the pillar.] is the
angel of God; for when the Messiah is called the angel of God, as above and
elsewhere, then he is the mediator between J ehovah the Father and the human
race. ·Wherefore, by the angel of God is now signified the Mediator himself,
([Doubly crossed] who thus went behind them and guarded them from the
Egyptians and damnation). [Opposite this first part of n. 3989, including
the above crossed off portion, the Author entered the following note, written
longitudinally in the margin:] That in all things there is a spiritual meaning
within, can be evident from the song of Moses in the next chapter; such as the
following: [" In thy mercy thou hast led this people whom thou hast redeemed j
thou hast guided them in thy strength unto the habitation of thy holiness "],
chap. 1513 seq••
II Ad. ~46~-~463 315
he who seeth the Son seeth Jehovah the Father [John 149 ]. And
since it was the Messiah who, from pure mercy, saved the entire
human race from death or eternal damnation, it is He who was now
in the pillar by means of his angels; for if it is said that angels of
God Messiah are in the pillar, or the camp of these angels, it comes
to the same thing as if it is said that the Messiah himself was there.
Wherefore it was angels of God Messiah or the camp of his angels
who formed this pillar.
3991. Because He acted as the Mediator and Propitiator, we
now read that the angel of God, going before the cannp of Israel,
set out and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud which was be
fore them, set out and stood behind them. To stand behind them
means to protect them from the damnation in which they then were.
3992. In this verse we read of the cloud which was present by
day; but in the next verse it is night that is spoken of, and during
this time the pillar was a flame. The reason is, that it may be
signified that there was then a cloud in that whole people. More
over, had it been daytime, it would have been so stated, but this is
said neither in the present verse nor in the next. Here therefore
the cloud involves that there was darkness on both sides. Within
these words there is a spiritual sense which everyone can perceive if
he attend to the actual words; for here we read nothing about day,
although the pillar was then a cloud; nor, in the next verse which
treats of night, do we read anything about a flame. Wherefore,
to the end that the obscure state which was in this people of J acob
might be expressed, the cloud only is described. But this will bet
ter appear from the verse that now foHows.
3993. [And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the
camp of Israel, so that it was cloud and darkness, and it lighted up
the night; and those drew not near to these all the night], vs. 9l0.
Here, as already stated, we read that it was cloud and darkness, and
that it lighted up the night. No mention is made of a flame be
cause, as said above [n. 3999l], both the Egyptians and J acob's
descendants were damned, ,[ the latter J, however, being saved by the
cloud. This cloud did not then appear in flame, but since it is said
that the night was lighted up by it, this came from the cloud which
must necessarily have been of a bright white color; toward the
Egyptians, however, it was darkness so that they saw nothing.
316 II Ad. !'l464-!'l466
\
EXODUS XIV: ~O-~l [3994-95
3994. It is not said in the text that there was one cloud for the
people of Jacob, which gave light, and another for the Egyptians,
which was intensely dark, that they might wander away and be un
able to approach. In the spiritual sense, this night is blindness
of the understanding such as will exist in the end of days, so that
from this blindness men will hurl themselves into the sea Suph or
Red Sea, Suph signifying both red and reedy.4 We read of a like
blindness when the inhabitants of Gomorrah could not find Lot',>
door [Gen. 1911 J. *
3995. [And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and J e
hovah drew the sea back by a strong ~ast wiJnd all that night, and
made the sea dry land, so that the waters were divided], vs. n. It
is here said that Jehovah drew the sea back by a strong east wind,
and made the sea dry land. What this signifies in the proximate
sense is at once evident, but as to what it signifies in the spiritual
sense, this is learned when it is known what an east wind signifies.
In its spiritual signification, an east wind is heavenly influx into
human minds; for in several passages of the Word, by an atmos
phere is signified the divine Spirit, as may be seen in David and
elsewhere. 5 In order then that the sea Suph or Red Sea, that is,
hell, may have no action whatever upon man, it is blown away by
such a spiritual wind or celestial aura from God Messiah. Hence
this sea is made dry land, that is to say, the damned waters, by which
are signified infernal crews, can effect nothing. Without this sig
nification, there would never have been any need of a wind which is
called an east wind; for the sea might have been dried up without a
wind, as was the river Jordan; see Joshua, chapter 3 l15 ,161.t
• Schmidius renders the Hebrew ~~D-t:l~ as ma1'e Suph (the sea Suph);
Pagnini and Tremellius, mare algosum (the sea of reeds or 'weeds); and Cas
tellio, mare Rubrum (the Red Sea). The word ~~O means 1'eeds or sedge
when predicated of a river (see Exodus 23,5 where we translate this word as
the sedge), and weeds when predicated of the sea. ""Ve can find no authority
for interpreting it red. It may be added, however, that according to PUny, one
species of seaweed was used for the making of red.
* [Marginal note by the Author:] See the observations made at the sign r3
at the end [of this Tome]. Should they be inserted here or at verse 27? [Doc
tor Im. Tafel reads "29." As regards the reference to the end of the Tome,
see n. 3592 note.]
• Confer Hi-sto1'Y of Creation, 1 and 15.
t [Marginal note by the Author:] What an east wind is in the spiritual
sense, is explained by Moses in his song; see below, chapter 15 8, where it is
II Ad. M67 -~468 317
3996. Hence the waters are now said to be divided; for where
the heavenly spirit is, that is, the spirit of God Messiah, there all
damnation at once yields and the infernal blast has not the least
place, although it is like a waB round about, that is to say, it
presses in on all sides.
3997. [A nd the sons of Israel went into the midst of the sea on
dry ground; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right
hand, and on their left], vs. ~~. That the waters were a wall unto
them shows that if evil genii fly around on every 'side, they cannot in
the least touch the mind wherein is that spiritual wind spoken of
above [no 3995], nor have any effect thereon.
3998. [And the Egyptians pursued, and came after them, all
Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen, into the midst of
the sea], vs. ~3. This can be understood from the words them
selves, and what the spiritual sense is, from what has previously been
explained.
3999. [And it came to pass, that in the morning watch, J ehovah,
in the pillar_of fire and of cl~d, looked out toward the camp of the
Egyptians and troubled the camp of the Egyptimns], vs. ~4. It
is said the morning watch, morning then having the signification of
which we have spoken above [no 36~5, 3851], to the effect that it
will be morning with the sons of Israel, when with the Egyptians,
etc., will be dense night Qr darkness. - - -
That J ehovah then looked out from the pillar of fire and of
cloud, signifies the last judgment, namely, that he would then
trouble all Egyptians by the same things whereby He brings
serenity to all sons of Israel. What the pillar of flame is, and the
pillar of cloud has been told above [n. 3949-50], to wit, that the
pillar of flame is love, and the pillar of cloud is the intelligence of
truth and good. These are the things that trouble Egyptians.
(This can be deduced from many considerations, namely, that it is
love and goodness and truth that torment the unhappy when these
rays reach them. Hence they are tormented, as the conscience is
tormented by remorse, and condemn themselves, not unlike as when
an injured eye sees light, etc., etc.) The injuring of an innocent
person, that is to say, the injuring of him whom one ought to love
from his inmost heart-what remorse this is when his good deeds
called "the blast of the nostrils of J ehovah." , By ultimate created things are
expressed things prior and superior.
318 II Ad. ~469-~473
EXODUS XIV: ~~-~5 [4000-01
are seen in the light of truth, can be perceived well enough by any
one; nor can 1he heart be so hard that it will not then soften, and so
be tonnenj;ed. The truth itself which then flows in continuously, is
what condemns; for this truth dictates justice.. Nor can goodness
then alleviate the pain, seeing that the man is unaccustomed to re-
ceiving goodness, for he recognizes that he is removed from the
face of Jehovah God. 6
4000. [And took off the wheel of his chariots, that he might
draw it with difficulty. Then the Egyptians said, I will flee before
Israel; for Jehovah fighteth for them agaiJnst the Egyptians], vs.
~5. In the spiritual sense, by the wheel of the chariots are signi-
fied all machinations 7 of the mind. This follows from what was
said above [n. 3964, 3969] concerning the horses and chariots
mentioned in verse ~3. The wheel is that which draws the machine/
and when it is broken, the whole contrivance 7 perishes. Wherefore,
what is now expressed is how the Egyptians were troubled, that is
to say, how those are to be troubled- who are meant by the Egyp-
tians, in that they would draw it with difficulty. This then is the
consequent effect; for all that ceases, whereby he who was the lQve
of self and the world turned the wheel. These loves are the wheels
under the chariots of Egyptians, to which their horses are attached.
Of this flig4t, we read elsewhere that it will be such as can never
I be perceived in mind; for they then wish to fly from the fac~of
Jehovah God, and they say to the mountains that they should cover
them [Hos. 108 , Luke ~330, Apoc. 6 16 ], but- _ _ 8
4001. [And Jehovah said unto Moses, St1·etch out thine hand
over the sea, that the waters may come again upon Egypt, upon his
chariots, and upon his horsemen. And when Moses stretched out
his hand over the sea, the sea was turned back to its shore,9 when
• [The following unnumbered paragraph is here crossed off:] The camp
of Egypt means all the notions whereby they combat with others; but in the
spiritual sense, it means machinations of the mind.
T By the use of words derived from maghinari, the Latin text conveys a
meaning not so easily expressed in English. Machinari means to contrive, de-
vise, .frame, etc. From this comes machina, a machine, engine, a contrivance,
etc.; and machinatio, a contrivance, devic~ plot, etc.
• [Here come two lines which are unnumbered and are crossed off by the
Author:] vs. ~6. This now is the sIamni!:.tion. vs. ~1. This in like manner-
• Schmidius' translation of 1Z;'~ as litus (shore) is a mere interpretation,
as the Hebrew word undoubtedly means strength, the underlying idea being
perennial strength. TremelIius and CastelIio both translate it strength. In
II Ad. ~47 4-M76 319
dau'n again came; and the EgyptiOln$ fled toward it; and Jehovah
thrust the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. And the waters
returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, with all the
host of Pharaoh, that came into the sea after them; there remained
not so much as one of them], vs. ~6, ~7, ~8. These words now con
cern the condemnation, and that this signifies spiritual death can be
evident from what has gone before. 1
2
CONCERNING THE SPEECH OF THE HEAVENLY ONES.
4002. It must be observed that in the Divine Word no name is

written, whether of a person or of a place, which does not involve
such things as look to faith, or to God Messiah and his kingdom.
In heaven earthly names are understood entirely differently than
man can persuade himself to be the case; for they signify things,
which none can explain save from the Word of God Messiah with
Him as Teacher, etc., etc.
the Arcana Ooele8tia, Swedenborg renders it 8t1'ength of its ftO'W. The Vul
gate translates it place, but this again is a mere interpretation. In Genesis 49 10,
Schmidius translates the same Hebrew word as {Ermum, which we render as
8tronghold; see n. 8010 note.
1 This is the end of Codex 60, or Swedenborg's "Tome 11"; see n. 1713
note. The writing ends on page" 10" (being the tenth sheet after p. z 1).
The reverse of this page is blank, and it is followed by one sheet (fJ pages) also
blank. Originally, however, the Codex contained five more sheets on which
were entered various memorabilia which the Author subsequently removed
from the volume; see n. fJ581 note. At the end of the volume, on the inside of
the back cover is pasted a slip of paper containing several notes. These have
been incorporated in our translation, as follows:
1. The note translated in n. 3887 note.
fJ. Four paragraphs inserted as n. 650a.
3. Sundry index notes which, for the most part, we have introduced as
headings. These notes are translated in our Table of Contents at nos. 1752--3;
1771,1773; 19fJ3; fJ073-7; fJ986; 3449-51; 8470-1; and 3749.
2 When commencing Codex 61, Swedchborg left pages 1 and fJ blank; on
page 3 he wrote" Tome Ill," and then leaving page 4 blank, he commenced the
continuation of his explanation of Exodus on p. 5. Here, instead of continuing
the paragraph numbering of Codex 60, he began anew with "n. 1," and pro
ceeded with this new numbering through the whole volume.
Meanwhile, at some time during the writing of this volume, he made use
of pages 3-4, which he had left blank, to enter certain reflections. Naturally
tllese added paragraphs were not numbered, but in tlle translation we have num
bered them 400:2, 4003, 4004, and 4005. Thus the resumption of the Explanation
of Exodus commences with n. 4006 (Swedenborg's n. 1) and continues from this
number throughout the volume. (See our Introduction, pp. 4-5.) As in tlle
case of Tome 11, the original numbering is indicated at tlle foot of each page.
3~0 III Ad. page 1
SUNDRY REFLECTIONS [4oog-05
[THE STYLE OF THE WORD OF THE OLD CHURCH]
4003. The style [of the Word] of the Old Church was such
that, howsoever the words might sound, it was not so much the let
ter or literal sense that came to the understanding but the spirit,
or spiritual sense. But if men of today are to perceive the spir
itual sense of the words of God Messiah, especially in the Old Testa
ment, it is absolutely necessary that the literal sense be unfolded,
and that it be demonstrated what the spiritual sense is, which is the
verimost sense of the Word of God Messiah and the life within its
words. This is a manifest sign that in ancient times men were
more spiritual, or, what comes to the same thing, that they did
not cling to the literal sense but saw spiritual things therein, dif
ferent than is the case at the present day. For now what alone is
loved and received with applause is that which is continuously co
herent in the literal sense. This is a sign that at this time men are
natural; for if only the letter be set in becoming order and have a
fine sound, it is received with favor. 3
4004. One reason why the letter or literal sense of the words of
the Old Testament sounds as though it were unconnected-as can
be evident to those who read its prophecies wherever occurring, as
for example, Genesis, chapter 49 2 - 27 , Deuteronomy g36-29, etc.
is because at that time men could perceive an internal sense merely
in a few words. It was different when God Messiah spoke with his
own mouth.
WHY THE JEWISH PEOPLE WAS SO OFTEN TEMPTED IN THE

WILDERNESS
4005. The people of Jacob or Moses were many times tempted

and as many times succumbed in the temptations, the times being
not ten, as we read [in Numbers 1422 ] but many more, as is evident.
Therefore the question is asked, Why were they so often led into
temptations, when yet it was foreseen that they would succumb?
Would it not then have been better for them had they not under
gone temptations? But answer was made that not only were they
idolaters and, when in Egypt, like to the Egyptians, but they were
also puffed up in mind, as can be evident from Moses' prayer; that
is to say, that merely because they were of the seed of Abraham,
3 [Crossed off:] even if the spiritual sense is not coherent [with it].
HI Ad. pages ~-3 g~l
Isaac, and Jacob, and so were alone to have dominion not only on
earth but also in the heavens, they looked upon the whole world as
nothing, and condemned it; for Moses prayed for himself and for
the people that they might be preeminent over all peoples on the
face of the earth, and that they alone might have the inheritance
[chap. S~1l-3] ; and this at the very time when they were adoring
the calf and carrying it in their hearts, having drunk its dust.
And since, in their mind, they aspired so greatly, aspiring indeed
to be the only ones, it necessarily follows that they underwent
temptations, and by temptations were emended, for without tempta
tions no one can ever become better; thus that they might not only
have seen their nature but also have known they were not the elect.
To introduce idolatries into the kingdom of God, is not this the
same as introducing the devil, whose kingdom they cherish within
themselves? Therefore, seeing that they were such, they were let
into temptations, and indeed of the lightest kind, as for instance,
when water failed them [chap. 17 1 se g .], when yet they had seen so
many miracles, and were daily seeing them; and also when Moses
delayed forty days, and yet they had seen the glory of God on the
mountain [chap. ~415-8], etc.
This is the answer to what was said to me by those who stand
with them; for I was long girt about by a crowd of them whose
unspeakable deeds I dare not disclose. 4
EXODUS XIV
~9 But the sons of Israel went on dry ground in the midst of
the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand,
and on their left.
SO And so Jehovah saved Israel that day out of the hand of
the Egyptians. And Israel saw the Egyptians dead by the shore
of the sea.
SI And when Israel saw the great hand which Jehovah wrought
upon the Egyptians, the people feared Jehovah, and believed in the
Lord, and in his servant Moses.
4006. The subject here treated of is the saving of the sons of
J acob and, at the same time, the salvation of sons of Israel. Here
rabilia.
III Ad. 1
EXODUS XIV: ~9 [4007-09
therefore, and in the following verses, they are called sons of Israel
because of the representation, as stated. That this representation
might continue, there was given to Jacob the name Israel. Nay,
because of the same representation, an angel of God Messiah
wrestled with Jacob and suffered himself to be conquered; but in
order that it might be signified that J acob was still J acob, his thigh
was broken [Gen. 3~24-31]. Nevertheless, he was afterwards
named Jacob many times, though the name Israel was retained
when Israel was to be signified. Wherefore, the Prophets and
David who searched into interiors, and who, in the miracles and
other deeds, beheld things spiritual and celestial, accurately distin
guish between Jacob and Israel. For the present, we adduce
merely Psalm 782 1, Numbers ~417, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.
4007. [But the sons of Israel went on dry ground in the midst
of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand,
and on their left], vs. ~9. As already observed [n. 4006], these
words concern the saving of the sons of J acob at the time, and the
salvation of sons of Israel from the time of Noah to the end of days
successively, and, in the end of days, the salvation of all simul
taneously. .
4008. As concerns the sons of Jacob, they went through the
midst of the sea on dry or dried up ground; and the waters were a
wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left, as previously
stated in verses ~1 and ~~. Thus the waters which otherwise are
wont to drown men, now walled them about and could not flow over
and overwhelm them.
So likewise, but in the inmost sense, the waters will be like a wall
unto sons of Israel. By the waters of the Sea of Reeds or Red
Sea,G are meant infernal crews, as stated above [n. 3694, 3954,
3989, 3995], and likewise the torments coming from them and
things of the Same sort which exist in hell with those who persecute
God Messiah and sons of Israel. In the midst of these crews, and
of the punishments of the unhappy, the sons of Israel will go with
utmost safety, yea, even though these direful things wall them
about on every side. By these waters are also meant dangers,
especially spiritual dangers.
4009. By these words is likewise signified, that infernal spirits
are to be cast to the sides while the sons of Israel walk in the midst,
III Ad. ~-o
being protected by God Messiah, then, as in the present case, in a

pillar, this signifying God Messiah and the myriads of his angels.
But after they have emerged and have come into his kingdom, here
signified by the land of Canaan, there will be a wilderness between
the Red Sea and the border of Canaan, so that no one can pass over
from the one to the other; elsewhere this wilderness is compared to
an abyss and a great whirlpool [Luke 1626 ]. Wherefore, the
border promised to J acob's descendants was from the Jordan 6 to
the river of Egypt [Gen. 15 18 ] (as explained elsewhere [n. ~6~,
465, 490]), and to this sea [chap. ~331]. Here, however, place is
of no account, for places signify the thing itself, just as sojourn
ing signifies life. So, previously, the river Nile, the Dead Sea,
etc., signify hell, as also does the land of the Canaanites both be
fore the coming of the sons of Jacob and likewise afterwards, so
long as that land was occupied by idolaters; so likewise Egypt and
Babylon.
4010. [And so Jehovah saved Israel that day out of the hand of
the Egyptians. And Israel saw the Egyptians dead by the shore of
the sea], vs. 30. It is here said saved, the meaning being saved
from the death of the body. In the more interior sense, this signi
fies salvation, that is, he saved the souls of the sons of Israel; and,
indeed, out of the hand of the Egyptians, that is, of the enemies
who have held them in a captivity and servitude long-enduring and
harsh. Thus by the Egyptians are meant all those who hold the
sons of Israel in that spiritual captivity spoken of above [n. 3779,
38~4], and also those who afterwards persecute them and hold
them in execration.
4011. [And] Israel saw the [Egyptians] dead by the shore of
the sea. The dead thus signify those who are spiritually dead.
The sons of Israel were not in the sea but at the shore of the sea
where they Were safe, being now on the other side. The shore sig
nifies the borders. So when they remember these things, they are
likewise said to be seen spiritually at the shore of the sea, that is, in
the borders; for then also do they see, but with the internal or intel
lectual sight.
4012. [And when Israel saw the great hand 7eJhich Jehovah
wrought upon the Egyptians, the people feared Jehovah, and be
• According to Genesis 151 8 , this should be " the Euphrates"; see n. !il6!il fin.,
465 fin., 490.
3~4 III Ad. 6-8
EXODUS XIV: 30-31 [4013
lieved in the Lord, and im his servant Moses], vs. 31. That a hand
signifies power is here clearly evident. With these men this word
was so customary that whenever power was to be spoken of, they
said hand. Therefore, we read in the text: When Israel saw the
great hand which Jehovah wrought upon the Egyptians, that is,
saw power with glory, this being the great hand. Hence it can be
evident what is signified by the hand of Moses which he stretched
out, etc., the ultimates in man being then generally assumed for
things more interior. This is also the case in the languages of to
day, but it is not well observed.
That Israel saw a great hand is a spiritual expression, being
used when man acknowledges that all power belongs to God Mes
siah.
4013. It is said in the text the people feared, by people being
signified many, and indeed, in the universal sense, many peoples.
Therefore, the text adds, they believed in the Lord.' To believe in
the Lord can be nothing else than to believe in God Messiah who is
properly called Lord. In the proximate sense, however, "to be
lieve" is to have historical faith; people, in the singular, then sig
nifies the people of Jacob. But what is meant in the inmost sense
is saving faith, which is imputed to sons of Israel for justice; and
then the Lord is God Messiah from whom is all faith. In what
Lord the sons of Jacob believed, can be evident, namely, in him
whom they thought to have done these miracles. As to whether
they believed in God Messiah, this cannot be seen, but rather that
they believed in another God whom afterwards they worshipped
under the form of a calf and by whom they declared they had been
brought forth out of Egypt [chap. 3~4]; for, as was said [n.
3351], he who declares that he believes in J ehovah the Father with
out the Son as Mediator is as greatly deceived as was this people
J acob. And since no faith in J ehovah the Father is possible with
out God Messiah as Mediator, that is to say, no beholding of him
by faith, so neither can such men be heard. Therefore they can
then be turned no elsewhere than to the gods whom they worship
with their body, to the worship of their own selves and of the
world, and, consequently, to the gods whom the Egyptians wor
• Schmidius does indeed have Domiwum (Lord), but the Hebrew is iTtiT ;
(Jehovah).
III Ad. 9-10 3~5
THE WORD EXPLAINED
shipped. But it is said in the text that they believed in the Lord
and in his servant Moses, from which it can be evident that this
faith is an historical faith; for to believe in a man is not saving
faith but is merely believing that the miracles were done. It also
appears that they were of such a character that they then wished
to worship Moses as a god, to which worship they were prone;
therefore this phrase also is added.
EXODUS XV
1 Then sang Moses and the sons of Israel this song to Jehovah,
and saying, they said, I will sing to J ehovah, for exalting he hath
exalted himself; the horse and his rider hath he cast into the sea.
~ My strength and song is Jah, and he is become salvation for
me: he is my God, therefore will I celebrate 8 him; the God of my
father, therefore will I exalt him.
S J ehovah is a man of war: J ehovah is his name.
4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: and
the elect of his tertians 9 are submerged in the sea Suph.
5 Abysses have covered them: they went down into the depths
as a stone.
6 Thy right hand, 0 Jehovah, is magnified in strength; thy
right hand, 0 Jehovah, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou destroyest them
that rise up against thee: thou sendest forth thy wrath; 1 it con
sumeth them as stubble.
8 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were heaped up,
the floods stood up as an heap, the abysses were congealed in the
heart of the sea.
9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide
the spoil; my soul shall be filled with them; I will lay bare my sword,
my hand shall drive them out.
10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they
were submerged as lead in the mighty waters.
11 Who is like thee among the gods, 0 Jehovah? who is like
thee, magnificent in holiness, to be revered with praises, doing a
wonderful thing?
l or bm·ning wrath (ealCande8centia).
S~6
EXODUS XV: 1-!21 [4014
U Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed

them.
13 In thy mercy thou hast led the people which thou hast re
deemed: thou hast led them in thy strength unto the habitation of
thy holiness.
14 The peoples heard; they trembled; pain as of women in
travail 2 laid hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Then were the dukes of Edom dismayed; trembling took
hold of the mighty ones of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan
were melted away.
16 Dread and horror shall fall upon them; by the greatness of
thine arm they shall be cut off 3 as a stone; till thy people pass
over, 0 Jehovnh, even till this [people 4] pass over, which thou hast
possessed.
17 Thou shalt bring them in, and shalt plant them in the
mountain of thine inheritance; the habitation where thou sittest,
thou, 0 Jehovah, hast made; the Sanctuary, 0 Lord, thy hands
have made ready.
18 Jehovah shall reign to an age and eternity.
19 For the horse of Pharaoh went in, and his chariot and his
horsemen into the sea; but J ehovah made the waters of the sea re
turn upon them; and the sons of Israel went on dry ground in the
midst of the sea.
!20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a
timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with
timbrels and with dances.
!21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to Jehovah, for exalt
ing he hath exalted himself; the horse and his rider hath he cast
into the sea.
4014. And now, that by the miracles in Egypt, and by the im
mersion of Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea are meant spiritual
things (as may be seen set forth above), is most clearly evident
not only from the song of Moses which now follows, but also from
the prophets and David who have explained all these events spir
itually, as can be seen from many passages in their books. Things
which are terrestrial and mundane, and which thus occur naturally
III Ad. 11 3!27
4015J THE WORD EXPLAINED
and are so described, are perceived by the spiritual man spiritually.

The natural man, however, perceives them only naturally, spiritual
and celestial things being above his sphere; nay, such men do not
understand things spiritual and celestial but merge them one and
all into nature and in this way they are dissipated. God Messiah
willed to instruct this utterly stiff-necked people, as a parent his
sons, and this by natural things and by types, in the way that the
human mind itself is formed; for men must first be nourished with
milk before being nourished with solid food. Thus, by means of
effects, He willed to teach the essentials, that is, by means of ex
ternals, the internals. Such also is the nature of the formation of
human minds. But in what way they suffered themselves to be
instructed can be evident enough and to spare, in view of the fact
that although instructed by prophets and priests, they yet were
unwilling to understand anything whatever concerning God Mes
siah, that he would become Justice and so would save them from
eternal death. Nay, although they were then living in an abun
dance of all doctrine concerning God Messiah, so that they might
have known him, that he was to come, as can be most clearly evi
dent, nevertheless, when he came they did not wish even to recognize
him. Nay, despite the fact that the contents of the books of
Moses, the Prophets, David, etc., point one and all to him and
describe him in the clearest way; and the further fact that they
are now living in the midst of Christians so that they are able to
know these things with the utmost clearness; nevertheless, so blinded
are they by things mundane and terrestrial, that even now they do
not wish to comprehend. And since they do not wish this now,
what would have been the case had they then been told in plain
words, that which was said and done by God Messiah at a later
time?
But from the song of Moses which now follows, it can be evi
dent that this last plague especially was understood by David and
the prophets spiritually, as also were the others.
4015. [Then sang Moses and the sons of Israel this song to Je
hovah, and sayiJng, they said, I will sing to Jehovah, for exalting he
hath exalted himself; the horse and his rider hath he cast into the
sea], vs. 1. J ehovah was celebrated by songs both here and else
where and especially by David, for by songs the affections are ex
pressed. Prayer and supplication without song do indeed move
3~8 III Ad. a-13
EXODUS XV: 1 [4016-18
the intellectual faculty, but song does more to arouse the affec-
tion, which is likewise present in sound. It is well known that the
sound of a lute can arouse the affections even when unaccompanied
by words and still more when words are added. Especially is this
the case with the spiritual man, for it can arouse gladness, sorrow,
mercy, and the like. Hence then come songs, of which we shall
have more to say elsewhere, God Messiah granting. As to how
songs affect when a whole company sings, and this from a like heart
or from a harmony of minds while they are in faith, of this, much
can be said.
4016. The present song is called a song to J ehovah [vs. 1] and
afterwards [vs. ~] the" song Jah." Because they were singing
to Jehovah or celebrating him in song, therefore it is said in the
text, I wul sing to J ehovah. In the inmost sense, in place of the
song the affection itself is assumed; that is to say, singing stands
for celebrating from faith and love; for affection breaks out into
song, since whatever is within man has a corresponding gesture in
his body; thus affection in general has song. That all that is
within man has a corresponding gesture in the body, is because
there is nothing in man which is not circumstanced in the same way
as his faculties, being in a similar order. Wherefore a gesture is
the body, as it were, and so the ultimate, of that which is in the
mind, just as every action is the body, as it were, of those forces
which are in the mind, that is to say, of its thoughts and hence of
the conceived ends which the mind has in view.
4017. But the affection which puts itself forth into song is
varied, for everyone sings from his own love, it being this by which
he is affected. Thus, when a people sings the same song, the indi-
viduals are not affected in the same way, one being affected spir-
itually, another naturally. That affection puts itself forth into
song or the sound of song, can be evident from creatures which do
not enjoy a rational soul, as, for instance, from birds which express
the whole nature of their animus by sounds, but by a variety of
sound. (See whether this should be -inserted or not.)
4018. Exalting he hath exalted himself, that is, has made him-
self great and glorious, as stated in chapter 14 4 ,17, and this to the
end that He may be worshipped, and that they may perceive that
Jehovah God alone has all power. Thus He is exalted in Israel
III Ad. 14-16
4019-9W] THE WORD EXPLAINED
when they not only know this but also believe it. Therefore, in the
next verse it is said: " I will exalt him."
4019. The horse and his rider was spoken of above [n. 9l966,
9l968, 3969], as to their meaning in the spiritual sense. This also
was a customary form of speech in ancient times, namely, the say
ing, " the horse and his rider," and this because of the signification
spoken of above.
4020. [My strength and song is J ah, and he is become salvation
for me: he is my God, therefore will I celebrate 5 him; the God of
my father, therefore will I exalt him], vs. 9l. It was likewise com
monly said, My strength and song is J ah. Thus Isaiah and David
spoke in similar words, to wit: " My might and song is J ah J e
hovah; for he was to me for salvation" (Is. 19l 2 ) ; " My might and
song is J ah; he is become salvation for me. The voice of rej oic
ing and salvation is in the tents of the just. The right hand
of Jehovah hath wrought strength. The right hand of Je
hovah is exalted; the right hand of J ehovah hath wrought
strength" (Ps. 118 14- 16 ). From these words of David it is clear
what a song is, what strength, what salvation, to wit, that in the
supreme sense all these signify God Messiah himself who is called
"the right hand of Jehovah," which" hath wrought strength,"
and so is Strength itself, and consequently "might"; by which
word in this citation is meant" strength." 6 So likewise it is clear
• The Hebrew is ~i1'p~ being the future Hiphil of ilH. Literally translated
it means" I will make him to dwell," i.e., " will prepare him a habitation." The
word occurs only twice in the Hebrew Bible, namely, here and in Habakkuk ~5
where Schmidius renders the future Kal "he will dwell." But the noun il~.~
occurs many times and always as meaning " a habitation." In the present text,
not only Schmidius but also the LXX, Castellio, and the Vulgate, have been led
by the context to translate the word " I will celebrate," or some similar phrase.
The same reaSon has led some lexicographers to invent a root to account for
this translation. tn the Arcana Ooelestia, Swedenborg translates it habitacu
mm constituam illi (I will set up a habitacle for him).
• In this paragraph, two words are used to express "strength," namely,
fortitudo meaning" strength of character," and robur meaning" hardihood."
For the sake of distinction, we have translated these words respectively
strength, and might. It should be noted, however, that both words are used
by Schmidius (whose version Swedenborg here quotes) as the translation of
one and the same Hebrew word fl1 which means simply might, strength. In the
Arcana Goelestia, at Exod. 152 , Swedenborg translates it virtus which has about
the same meaning as fortitude.
330 III Ad. 17-18
EXODUS XV: ~
that He is a song, being Love itself whence comes every heavenly

affection. Wherefore, in the supreme sense, he is called by David
" the voice of rejoicing and salvation." In the inmost sense, how
ever, this is a celebration of him on the part of sons of Israel, by
a song, that is, " by the voice of rejoicing and salvation." More
over, God Messiah is the exaltation, for it is said, " the right hand
of Jehovah is exalted," that is, is glory, etc.
4021. That these words now signify God Messiah may be evi
dent from the words themselves; for we read, My strength GITld song
is J ah, and he is become salvation for me. Therefore this is said
that what is in the supreme sense may correspond to that which is
in the inmost sense; thus, that what is with God Messiah, and what
is with the sons of Israel may be in mutual correspondence.
4022. Moreover, that it is God Messiah who is meant, is now
openly declared. He is my God, therefore will I celebrate him,
namely, the God who is very Strength, the very Song Jah to Je
hovah, and very Salvation. He is the God of Israel, for he is also
called the God of my father, that is, of Abraham, who is called the
father of all the righteous/ namely, of those who are righteous by
faith. Here he is also called Jacob's father although he was his
grandfather, he being called father who is the head of the family
and the first from whom they are sprung. If by father is meant
any other than Abraham, it must be Jacob-of which matter see
above at various places; but it is God Messiah who is the God of
Israel.
Therefore there is then exaltation. Respecting exaltation, see
the preceding verse.
4023. As touching the name J ah, it is the abbreviation of J e
hovah used in songs. Concerning Jah, see elsewhere, in the Psalms
of l>avid. Here it must be observed that perhaps few, if any,
know that the speech of spirits
is a speech falling more especially into a termination which is
a monosyllable. Thus it is a kind of song, though not with
rhythms, which are very displeasing. Still it is a kind of song.
Not that it is a song, but that it terminates in an ending like
• See n. 184. where Genesis 172,4<,5 is given as confirmation of this state
ment.
III Ad. 19-~3 331
409l4-9l5] THE WORD EXPLAINED
that which is customary in the Psalms, but monosyllabic,s and

this with much skill. For whole days spirits have spoken with
me in no other way '* and afterwards I spoke in the same way
with them, for later this kind of speech came spontaneously.
Hence conclusion can be made as to the Psalms of David, etc.,
etc. But aU my discourse was as though of such a nature; it
flowed of itself, so that I also perceived therefrom that I spoke
nothing at all from myself, as neither did I think anything
whatever from myself. Thus the thought went off into such
speech. But the speech was not always such. '* They said,
moreover, that the termination ought to be in a monosyllable
for the sake of unity.9 Hence, moreover, it can be concluded
that this word Jah is a word of song/ and signifies Jehovah.
Thus God Messiah is the song J ah because he alone is to be
sung, that is, to be worshipped. 2
4024. [J ehovah is a man of war: J ehovah is his name], vs. 3.
God Messiah is here called a man of war because of their terror, for
J acob's descendants worshipped a man of war; nor did they wish
to adore any other than one who could put their enemies to flight
and lay them prostrate, as is usually the case with natural men.
But in the spiritual signification, a man of war is one who fights
with the enemy of the human race, in which fight are the sons of
Israel when they are in temptations. Then from the victory and
from the putting to flight of that enemy, God Messiah is called a
man of war, it being He alone who conquers him.
4025. Respecting the name Jehovah, see above at chapter 3 13 ,14.
Here then Moses commenced from the last miracle, and then by
various names he explained who it was that had wrought these
• [Marginal note by the Author:) They are monosyllabic, though not very
long; nor [does the speech) terminate like an hexameter [that is, with a long
syllable).
* The words between the asterisks are a marginal addition to the text
marked with a sign indicating the place of insertion.
• Confer True Christian Religion n. 8.
I With one exception, the name i'l~ (Jah} occurs in the Word only in songs,
and mostly in the Psalms (generally as i'l~~'?!::! Hallelujah or Praise ye the

LORD). The one exception is Exodus 1716. In the A. V., this name is once
transcribed as JAH (Ps. 68 4 ), but otherwise it is translated LORD.
2 This indented passage is cited in the Author's Index to his Memorabilia,
s. v. Loqui, Rythmu8, and Unio. See Table of Contents.

339l ItI Ad. 9l4-9l6
EXODUS XV: 3-4
mighty works; and finally, in the present verse, that Jehovah is his
name, being He who is Strength, the Song Jah, Salvation, the God
of his father, God in the highest, who is a man of war; and, finally,
he says that J ehovah is his name.
4026. [Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea:
and the elect of his tertians S are submerged in the sea Suph] , vs. 4.
As to what is meant by Pharaoh's chariots, to wit, his cunning con
trivances, this follows from the signification of the wheels which
God Messiah shook off from the chariots [chap. 1425 ] ; also from
the signification of horses and horsemen, of which we have spoken
in verse 1, etc.
The host means every people in "heaven and on earth, which is
like to the Egyptian, that is to say, men who act in the same way
as the Egyptians whether they be men after death or evil spirits
or men in the life.
4027. The elect of his tertians 4 were previously called" tertian
leaders" (chap. 147 ). By them is signified that the army of the
Egyptians and of those who are signified by Egyptians 5 is subject
to tertian leaders by whom is also meant their division in particular
and in general; for the devil wishes to institute his kingdom after
the likeness of the kingdom of God Messiah. This can be suffi
ciently evident from the faculties in man, these being three in num
ber, to wit, his rational mind, his natural mind, and his body.
When these are in perverted order, the body with its pleasures is
in the first place, in the second place are concupiscences of the
animus, and in the third are similar concupiscences but supported
by the rational mind and by license in place of will. Thus, what is
ultimate and is wholly a dead body is in the first place, and what in
itself should be more interior in this classification is the last. From
this, conclusion can now be made with regard to generals, that is
to say, to the whole army which perished and which is named from
its leaders who are called tertians. In this deeper sense these are
the loves of the body, that is, pleasures; the loves of the world, that
is, concupiscences; and the loves of self. (God Messiah granting,
this should be stated differently and more distinctly.)
4028. :Moreover, subjects are now assumed, which, as was said
3 See n. 3966 note.

• [Crossed off:] were likewise divided as it were, into three classes.
r11 Ad. ~7-30 333
En. 4016], stand in place of their predicates. When they are said
to be submerged in the sea Suph, what is signified is that they are
submerged in hell. But when this is said of the predicates, these
are submerged in the same sea, they being· the things by which
men are tormented and torn; for loves are then sent forth into
license, and those loves tear man asunder and bring on the death
of the body when men are living in the life of the body, and thus
the death of the mind when they are living in the life of minds
after death.
4029. [Abysses have covered them: they went down imto the
depths as a stone], vs. 5. And now, to the end that it may be
known that the sea Suph signifies hell, it is here expressed by abysses
where are darkness and the perpetual night which darkness weaves.
It is also expressed by the depths into which they fell; for hell
is described by all that is likened to death, darkness, fire, cold, and
also to the deep, and this from its entire opposition to things
celestial which are expressed by life, light, a mild flame, love, height,
etc.
4030. [Thy right hand, 0 Jehovah, is magnified im strength;
thy right hand, 0 J ehovah, hath dashed in pieces the enemy], vs. 6.
What the right hand of J ehovah is, is explained in the Psalms of
David, as in Psalm 118 15 ,16, namely, that the right hand of Je
hovah is God Messiah alone. Wherefore He is said to sit at the
right hand of J ehovah [Ps. 110 1 ] inasmuch as by the right hand
is signified firmness, strength,6 power. Therefore we read in the
text: Thy right hand, 0 J ehovah, is magnified in strength; thy
right hand, 0 Jehovah, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. Thus it is
God Messiah alone who is here signified.
The right hand of Jehovah is what dashes in piec~s the E;nemy,
that is, the serpent and his head, he being the enemy that is meant
in the spiritual sense. Her;'-however, the enemy is represented by
Pharaoh and his host which he dashed in pieces.
4031. [And in the greatness of thine excellency thou destroyest
them that rise up agaimst thee: thou sendest forth thy wrath; 7 it
consumeth them as stubble], vs. 7. In the supreme sense, the great
ness of excellency is likewise God Messiah who destroys all who rise
up against Him; for it is many times foret~ld by the prophets that
ii Robur, fortit'Udo, see n. 40fJO note.
• Or "burning wrath" (excandescentia).
334 III Ad. 31-35
EXODUS XV: 5-8 [403~-34
He will lay prostrate all the devil's crew, especially in the end of
days when all and single things will follow on to the effect simul
taneously.
4032. It is said wrath as though there were anger; but 8 wrath
and anger are not possible in God Messiah, it being those who rise
up against him that are wrathful. When such men are delivered
up to slaughter, they think that this is done from the wrath of
anger, when yet there is no such wrath; for God Messiah, being
Love divine and pure, wills to save all men. It is justice that then
punishes them. This appears no otherwise than as wrath; as in
the case of a king or judge who judges a man to death, when yet
in the king is not anger but justice. So likewise in wars when the
enemy falls; when the wars are defensive, or are such as are waged
for a just cause, then it is the cause that defends itself and that
makes the slaughte.r.
4033. Wherefore wrath is here compared to fire, as"is all anger
that is aroused by fire. Moreover, within anger there is fire. Men
are punished by those within whom there is such fire, as by the devil
and by an who suffer themselves to be led by Eim. This wrath is
therefore not unlike the anger and fury in a man which rends him
and consumes him as stubble; for when one is left to himself, he
burns with wrath like fire. This, however, is the case only when
he is left to himself and his own cupidities, and thus to those who
rend him. For the devil and his crew, if merely a modicum of
power is left them, at once rend man like a tiger and panther. Nor
can they do otherwise seeing that they love no one, not even the
man himself, there being nothing whatever in such a man but what
is discordant and rends him. So likewise one rends another and
this they all do among themselves. This then is what is meant by
se;;:ding forth wrath which co;sumes them as stubble.
4034. [And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were heaped
up, the floods stood up as an heap, the abysses were congealed in the
heart of the sea], vs. 8. In this verse is now explained what is sig
nified by the east wind which God Messiah sent out that the waters
of the sea might be divided, for it is called the blast of the nostrils.
The similitude is drawn from man, in that he sends forth the breath
of his lungs and thus the life of his body. But, seeing that such
comparisons are taken from ultimates in nature whereby things
• Reading sed for nam.
III Ad. 36-38

335
prior and interior are signified, therefore, by the blast of the nos
trils of Jehovah is here signified spiritual ower, thus those heav
epJy forces whereby He then divides the sea Suph, that is, hell, to
the end that the sons of Israel may pass through on dry ground.
As to what is involved in the several words, this can be evident from
what has preceded. Here it is merely explained what is signified
by the east wind spoken of above (chap. 1421 ); for an atmosphere
or wind cannot be said to be the blast of the nostrils of J ehovah,
although they correspond. As it is with the several parts in man
where internals correspond to externals, so is it in the universe.
There the ultimate is the atmosphere, and to this corresponds
heaven, and so heavenly life which therefore is called the heavenly
aura.
4035. The heaping up of the waters may be seen treated of
above [no 3997], namely, their heaping up into a wall on the right
hand and on the left [chap. 1422 ]. This is here expressed by the
words the floods stood up as a:n heap, that is to say, all the streams
which flowed together into the Red Sea. By the sea Suph and its
streams the same things are signified as by the waters of that sea.
But they are still further described, for they are called" con
gealed abysses." What the sea Suph is, is here expressed by con
gealed abysses from floods in the plural, thus by freezing cold; just
as it is also expressed by fire, by an abyss, by darkness; see above
n.40fl9.
4036. The heart of that sea is the middle wherein is the utmost
cold or the greatest freezing; for there all punishments are con
centrated, these being milder at the sides. As in the heart of the
body where all the blood comes together, so likewise here all con
cupiscences and fears are concentrated in the middle, and in the
kingdom of the devil, this middle must be the inmost. Thus all who
are round about contribute to the punishment of the heart of that
sea, this punishment being here compared to extreme cold arising
from dread.
4037. [The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will di
vide the spoil; my soul shall be filled with them; I will lay bare my
sword, my hand shall drive them out], vs. 9. By the enemy is
meant the enemy of god Messiah and of the' sons of Israe -;mong
* The autograph has" verso 32" a slip for n. 32 (our n. 4029).
336 III Ad. 39-4!il
EXODUS XV: 9 [4038-40
men 9 both in life and after death. Principally the enemy is the
devil and his crew, it being th;y who are here signified by the Egyp
tians. In this verse, therefore, it is explained what an Egyptian is
in the broadest sense; for he is opposed to God Messiah whose
enemy he is.
4038. What follows fits in with an enemy, that is to say, with
one who is continually pursuing, whence comes combat, and who
continually thinks that he has overtaken, it being perpetual with
such men that they must think they have overtaken those whom
they pursue; for when they extort consent, they at once boast that
they have overtaken them, as I myself have experienced on many
occasions. There appears to be consent,
as it were, when it is permitted them to pour in persuasions and
also affections, and, at the same time, to snatch away what~ver
refutes these. They do not know, however, that still they ~ave
not overtaken the man, for this evil is turned by God Messiah
into good. Thus they were afterwards forced to confess that
they had in no way overtaken him. 1
4039. The dividing of the spoil comes after the overtaking;
and thus the victor exults, in that he willed to divide the spoil.
That is to say, he exults that he has snatched the man from God
Messiah, and so has thrust him into his ownkingdom; for they
most falsely believe that they are to form a kingdom, when-yet it
is-anything but a kingdom, seeing that what- rules th-;re is ~rpetual
dissension. Thus from the abundance or multitude of their spoils
they become ever more unhappy; for the greater the number of
dissentients, the greater the number of those in conflict. Thus
with multitude misery increases. In the kingdom of God Messiah,
on the other hand, with multitude happiness increases, for all
breathe as one, and each is held in the purpose of consulting the
good of the other. Thus they are enflamed with mutual love.
4040. The words my soul sh{tll be filled with them mean that it
shall be satiated with spoils; for the soul of the enemy is con-
I Swedenborg first wrote "both among men (and among the dead who
rise)," the parentheses enclosing words wliich he crossed off. Inadvertently he
omitted to cross off the word tam (both). In our translation, therefore, we
ignore this word, though it is included in the Latin edition.
I This passage is cited in the Author's Index to his Memorabilia, s. v. Oon
sens'U8, Pers1/asio, Spiritus. See Table of Contents.

In Ad. 43-46 337
cupiscence, and his life is hatred. It is this soul that is filled.

Thus to it, the bringing of evil upon man is gladness. So is it with
the man who acts from hatred or revenge, his soul being filled when
he pursues and overtakes, and divides the spoils.
4041. He now boasts himself the victor, when he says, I will lay
bare my sword, to draw the sword being to fight to the death, as the
saying is; for immediately afterwards follow the words, My hand
shall drive them out. Thus he thinks that he has all power, and
that he will occupy the kingdom of God Messiah; for the enemy,
whosoever he be among men, is ardent in this endeavor, like him who
occupies the kingdom of God Messiah in the world, as does anti
cllrist, or other enemies of God Messiah, such as the people of
Judah. And as in life so also after death; man being then acted
on by like furies as those whom he served during this life, and so
by the same leader; for the disposition which he has- taken with
him from this life remains, as sufficiently shown above [n. 3059].
f' Therefore, in the text the occupatio~ of the kingdom of God_Mes
siah is treated of in the last place because they then trust in their
sword, that is, in their powers whatsoever these are; and in this
way think to drive out the sons of Israel.
4042. All these expressions are customary forms of speech
whereby interior things were signified, as can be sufficiently evident
from the words.
4043. [Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them:
they were submerged as lead in the mighty waters], vs. 10. Here it
is again explained what wind means, to wit, the blast of the nostrils
spoken of in verse 8; for it cannot be said of Jehovah that he blew
with his wind, inasmuch as it is things spiritual and celestial that are
predicated of Jehovah. But compare verse 8, and verse 5; also the
fact that the sea covered them.
4044. We read that they were submerged as lead in the mighty
£:• rJ. waters, just as above in verse 5, we read that" they went down into
the depths as a stone," the latter comparison being taken fr(;m
weight. In the text, it is taken from heaviness, because they are
in the ultimates of nature and descend or are cast down-contrary
to what is the case with those who are to be in the kingdom of God
Messiah, and who will ascend and be lifted ..llp. Those who look
merely downward, that is, to the earth, and to things inferior,
descend or sink down like weights; but those who look upward,
338 III Ad. 47-50
EXODUS XV: 10 [4045-46
ascend and are lifted up. This comparison is taken from the order
and state of their life, and also from their state during life and
after life. During life is the time when they are depressed and
thus cast down. So likewise after'life. Therefore they are cast
down from heaven, that is, cast down to things inferior and to that
grosser nature wherein they have passed their life. This, more-
over, can be demonstrated, namely, as to how those who are enemies
are cast down like heavy substances, and so are cast into the depths,
the abysses and the sea Suph; for their mind has no other life than
that which it derives from the senses, and in fact from loves in~a
ture herself. Thus they must be in a grosser element. Of these
matters, however, there is much that can be told, but those who are
ignorant of, and so do not acknowledge any but a single at-
mosphere, can never be enlightened in these matters. Nevertheless,
there are as many atmospheres, and more, as are the faculties in man
to which they correspond; to wit, atmospheres which correspond to
the external senses, as the aerial atmosphere corresponds to the
hearing, the ethereal to the sight. So, corresponding to the in-
terior sight are spiritual things with which natural things are
associated, also spiritual or celestial things, and lastly things
s~racelestial. Wherefore there are an equal number of spheres,
which also are called heavens. To go from superiors to inferiors
is to descend or to sink down like lead and stone; but to go from in-
teriors to superiors is to ascend and be elevated. s
4045. Moreover, there are many spheres which are stilI lower
than air. Thus we have water, after which comes earth. There-
fore in the text it is said waters, but in th~ interior sense, what
is signified is the ultimate sphere into which they are cast down
and thus sink like lead or stone. As to what waters is in the in-
terior sense, and what waters in the more interior sense and also
in the inmost, this has been told above. See also Genesis, chapter 1,
for the comparison is borrowed from ultimates.
4046. [Who is like thee among the gods, 0 Jehovah'! who is like
thee, magnificent in holiness, to be revered with praises, doitng a
• [Crossed off:] As to what waters signify in this passage, see above [no
3997,4035]. '
Mention is here made of waters; and that these, when they are the waters
of the sea Suph, signify the infernal sphere, and thus hell, may be seen above;
for water is the ultimate.
III Ad. 51-5~ 339
wonderful thing?], vs. 11. It is here said, Who is like thee among
the gods, 0 Jehovah? which would never have been said had not the
people of Jacob been such that in their heart they worshipped the
gods of the Egyptians, and like Jacob and his sons, acknowledged
many gods. For there is only one God, and therefore gods were
I not to have been mentioned. But since the people was given to
, idolatry, it is here said that none of the gods is to be compared to
J ehovah. This indeed ought not to have been said, lest it raise a
doubt, save only that they might thus be turned away from the
worship of the idols which they called their gods, as on a later occa
sion [chap. 3~4] ; for Jehovah God alone is the Creator of the
universe, nor is there anything 4 beside him, still less a God; all
others who boast themselves to be gods being merely of the d_evil's
crew.
4047. By "Jehovah God" is meant the Trinity; but here by
J ehovah is meant God Messiah alone, he who has so often been
spoken of in the preceding pages. Of him it is now said, Who is
like thee, magnificent in holilness? for he is holiness itself, and there
fore is to be worshipped in the most holy manner. Of him also it is
said, to be revered with praises, that is, alone to be worshipped; for
here praises are supplications, nay, are worship itself, it being thus
that men revere him with praises. They also do this when they
acknowledge him alone as endowed with power, and as the right
hand of J ehovah his Father. Of him also it is said: doing a won
derful thing; as may be seen shown above.
4048. [Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swal
lowed them], vs. l~. That it is God Messiah is also evident from
this and the following verse; for here, as by David [Ps. 8017 ,
1101 ], lIe is called the right hand of Jehovah. To stretch out
the right hand is to exercise his power.
4049. In this text, hell is now described differently. Previously
[vs. 4, 5J it was described by the sea Suph, by submersion in the
waters, by depths and by abysses; but here it is described by being
swallowed by the earth, which is the lowest of all things. Thus
they are in darkness and night, as observed above. That the earth
• Swedenborg first wrote nee uIlua praeter Ipaum est De'1L8 (nor is there any
God beside him). He then crossed off Deus and substituted aIiquid (anything)
but omitted to cross off its complementary uIlua (any). In our translation,
therefore, we ignore this word.
340 III Ad. 53-55
EXODUS XV: 11-13 [4050-51
did not swallow them but the sea, is evident from what has pre
ceded; but that what is signified is hell, is also evident from the
words of the text.
4050. [In thy mercy thou, hast led the people which thou hast
redeemed: thou hast led them in thy strength unto the habitation of
thy holiness], vs. 13. Here it is still more clearly evident that J e
hovah who wrought the miracles, and who from the pillar looked
out unto the camp of the Egyptians and troubled them, etc. (above,
chapter 14 24- 25 ), is God Messiah; of whom alone is it clear that
he is the Redeemer, that is to say, that he redeemed the people. As
regards redemption, it is evident enough that men are redeemed by
the blood of the Messiah. Redeeming and redemption was well
known in the Jewish church, and is spoken of by the prophets, etc.
This redemption was wrought from mercy toward the human race,
because from pure love. Wherefore we read: In thy mercy thou
hast led the people which thou hast redeemed.
4051. The habitation of holiness is the heavenly kingdom and
so is God Messiah himself who is his kingdom. Elsewhere it is
called the temple and also the tabernacle; and every place where
He is, is called the house of God and his Habitation, and indeed a
habitation of holiness inasmuch as there he would dwell in holiness
from the worship which must be holy. To this kingdom he led
his people in his strength,. that is, with" a high hand," as stated
above, that is, by his power. Respecting strength, see above at
verse 9l, and respecting the high hand, at chapter 14 8 . By his
people are meant sons of Israel. Whether Moses at the time meant
the people whom he led forth out of Egypt, is left in question.
But that later he could not have meant that people is clearly evi
dent from many passages, and also from their idolatrous worship
while he remained on mount Sinai forty days [chap. 391 1 seq .] ; like
wise, when they committed whoredom with Canaanites [Num.
915 1 seq.], and later when he cursed them with dire curses if they
should recede [Deut. 918 15 seq']-which he foresaw, etc., etc.
Their being now led through the sea Suph to the other side
into the desert, that from there they might be led to the land of
Canaan, is here explained as to what it signifies in the spiritual
sense, namely, a habitation of holiness, that is, the kingdom of God
Messiah.
III Ad. 56-58 341
..
4052. [The peoples heard; they trembled; pailn as of women iIn

travail G laid hold of the inhabitants of Philistia. Then were the
dukes of Edom dismayed; tremblilng took hold of the mighty ones
of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan were melted away], vs. 14,
15. Here are designated the peoples and nations which then trem
bled. The Philistines were at that time the nearest, as is evident
from chapter 1317 • Thus the Philistines then extended beyond the
land of Canaan.
Their trembling is thus described. In respect to the Philis
tines, it is as the pain of women in travail, wherein is an image of
death; thus it was trembling mingled with pain. In respect to the
Edomites, who dwelt not far therefrom, it is described as dismay;
and in respect to the l\foabites, as trembling; and to the Canaanites,
as a melting of the heart.
4053. As touching these peoples, they were not yet of such a
character that they could be expelled from the land of Canaan;
for their crimes had not yet come to fulln ss, as we read later.
Still it is clear from the text that they trembled when they heard of
the miracles; for they then knew that the time would come when
they would be thrust from their possessions, and would yield them
to .Jacob's descendants.
4054. But since all these words have in view the entire human
race and thus t~e last times, therefore, it must be known who it is
that are meant by the Philistines, who by the Idumean dukes, and
who by the Moabites, and also by the Canaanites, for all these peo
ples represent nations, as is clearly evident in the prophets and in
David, where they occur so ma.ny times. When the land of Canaan
signifies the kingdom of God Messiah and the sons of Israel, the
heirs of the kingdom of God Messiah, then it is others who are
signified by the Fhilistin(lS, the Idumean dukes, the Moabites, and
the Canaanites. 6
• The Hebrew ~'r:t means simply pain, but Schmidius translates it as in the
text, because, with the present exception, it always occurs in the phrase ~'r:t
~~i'~ (pain as of a woman in travail).
"",(The following unnumbered paragraph is here crossed off by the Author:)
The Philistines are those who after the contention concerning the fountains of
water, finally made a covenant with Abraham and Isaac (Genesis fJ122~S2 and
fJ6 26 - 33 ), that is to say, this was done by Abimelech who was the king of the
84~
EXODUS XV: 14-16 [4055-56
4055. The sons of Israel are those to whom, by faith in God

Messiah, is imputed justice, as it was to Abraham.
The Philistines are those who have faith in God Messiah, yet
they also place justice in the works of the law; for it is they who
made a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 21 22- 32 ), and with Isaac
(chapter 26 2 6-33). To them, therefore, when the last judgment
comes, is ascribed the pain of women in travail, inasmuch as each
of them then places justice in himself or in the works which he does.
Pain will then occupy him, like the pain of women in travail, or of
one who is bringing forth children from another conception.
The Edomites are of the descendants of Esau, but they were
not expelled from their land Edom. By their dukes are signified
those who seduce the people for the sake of gain and dignity.
Nevertheless, they preach the Gospel from the Word of God Mes
siah and so preach faith, while they themselves have no faith.
These shall be dismayed.
The M oabites, descended from a daughter of Lot, are the
wicked, being those who separate themselves from Abraham and
trust only in works. Thus they place justice in themselves, and
so think themselves pow~rful.
The Canaanites are those who have no faith whatsoever and are
idolaters in various ways. With these the heart shall melt away
from trembling.
But these nations differ according to their state, being the
state in which they have been, and that in which they are when de
scribed; for each nation undergoes various changes in its divine
worship as in its manners, as was the case with Abraham's descend
ants in Jacob and his sons. In general, however, they are so distin
guished on the basis of the description given of them in the Word
of God Messiah.
4056. [Dread and horror shall fall upon them; by the greatness
of thine arm they shall be cut off as a stone; till thy people pass
over, 0 J ehovah, even till this (people 7) pass over, which thou hast
possessed], vs. 16. Dread and horror possessed them all, for who
soever it be that does not have faith in God Messiah, that man will
Philistines as we there read. By them therefore are signified those who are in
covenant with sons of Israel, that is to say, who have faith but still place
justice in wo[rks).
III Ad. 63-69 343

tremble. Trembling will possess men exactly in the degree that

they trust in themselves, and according to their loves of self ~nd
the world. Thus trembling is described according to these degrees.
Fear is indeed present in the pain of women in travail, but this is
accompanied by the hope of life, as in the case of giving-birth.
This fear is what will possess the Philistines [vs. 14]. Dismay,
however, is the second degree, and involves doubt concerning salva
tion; this will remain with the Idumean dukes. Trembling, how
ever, which is 8 ultimate fear will take hold of the mighty ones of
Moab. But melting away, which elsewhere is called the melting of
the heart or, as it is described in Joshua ~11 "The heart melted,
neither was the spirit firm any more," is the height of trembHng.
These degrees of fear are now called dread and horror.
4057. By "the greatness of the arm" is also signified power,
and indeed the height of power, as previously was signified by " the
right hand" and" the hand" and also by " strength," in verse ~.
4058. The statement in the text that they shall be cut off as a
stone, does not fit in with fear; therefore it must mean that they
shall become silent as a stone, so that from the freezing cold, they
become motionless as a stone; see the interpretation of the other
translators; 9 moreover, the Philistines were not cut off, nor were
the Edomites. Thus they will become silent and congealed; for
the hope of salvation is still with them, that is to say, with those
who are meant by Abimelech the king of Gerar in Philistia, and by
Phicol, the leader of his army [Gen. ~02, ~122, ~626], and also with
those who are Edomites. Those, however, who preach much con
cerning faith and themselves have none, are the dukes of the Edom
ites who shall be dismayed [vs. 15] ; not so those who are meant by
Edom.
• [Crossed off:] the greatest.
• The Hebrew word which Schmidius (and also Swedenborg in the Arcana
Coelestia) translates exscindent'Ur (they shall be cut off) is ,~~\ The verb
C~~ occurs many times in the Hebrew Bible but always in the sense of "to
be silent," "to be still," "to cease," "to rest," eta. In five passages, however
(Jer. 7J537, 48 2, 4926, 5030, 51 6), the silence plainly refers to the silence of death,
and the A.V. translates the word as " to be cut off." In the present verse, the
translations are: Castellio, " They shall become silent as the rock." TremeIlius,
"They shall become silent as a stone." Pagnini," Let them be silent as a
stone." Vulgate," They shall become motionless as a stone." A.V. "They
shaH be as still as a stone."
III Ad. 70-71
EXODUS XV: 17-18 [4059-6~
4059. Till thy people pass over, 0 J ehovah. By people is here

meant the people Israel. Because it is Israel that is signified,
therefore people is here repeated, Till thy people pass over, this
people whuh thou hast possessed. It can never be said of the peo
ple Jacob that God Messiah possessed them, for they did not ac
knowledge him. On the other hand, God Messiah many times
willed entirely to cast this people off from himself that so he might
not deem them as a possession. Therefore, in order that it may
be understood that it is the people whom he possessed, people is
here repeated, and it is added whuh thou hast possessed. That this
may become still more certain, now follows the confirmation:
4060. [Thou shalt bring them in, and shalt plant them in the
mountain of thine inheritance; the habitation where thou sittest,
thou, 0 Jehovah, hast made; the Sanctuary, 0 Lord, thy hands have
made ready], vs. 17. It is said Thou shalt bring them in/ namely,
into the mountain of inheritance where he will plant them. By the
mountain of inheritance is signified the kingdom of God Messiah,
whose heirs they will be. In the inmost sense, the mountain signi
fies heaven, but in the supreme sense, it signifies the Messiah.
There he will plant them, that is, will create a new paradise. This
could never have been done from the posterity of Jacob; but the
words are so applied that they might understand them, as it were,
as having themselves in view. This, however, is for the reason that
he willed to allure them to the worship of Himself by varied humili
ation; and also that they might carry the representation of sons
of Israel.
4061. That, in the inmost sense, the mountain of inheritance is
the heaven of God Messiah, and, in the supreme sense, His kingdom,
the mountain being God Messiah himself, is now indicated in the
text; for otherwise it would not be clear what the mountain of in
heritance signified. But now we read, The habitation where thou
sittest, thou, 0 Jehovah, hast made; and because it is God Messiah
himself, the text adds: the Sanctuary, 0 Lord, thy hands have made
ready. All these words make it now clear what is represented by
the land of Canaan.
4062. [Jehovah shall reign to an age and eternity], vs. 18.
Because these words signify the kingdom of God Messiah, it is now
added: Jehovah shall reign to an age and eternity, to an age mean
1 [Crossed off:] for he did not introduce those who were then living.
III Ad. 7~-75 345
ing while time endures, and to eternity, after the end of ages; this
is also called the end of times, but in what respect, shall be told else
where, God Messiah granting.
4063. And now that it may be understood that by the land of
Canaan is here signified the kingdom of God Messiah, the advance
proceeds in order from ultimates to inmosts; for that land is first
called " the mountain of inheritance," then " the habitation where
Jehovah sitteth," 2 then "the Sanctuary [which he hath made
ready," vs. 17], and finally, the kingdom or place where he shall
reign to an age and eternity. This could never have come to pass
in the land of Canaan, nor could it have been the people J acob that
was signified seeing that they were expelled from that land.
4064. The same is true of the fact that in the supreme sense it
is God Messiah who is meant by the mountain, the habitation, the
sanctuary, the kingdom, these being in themselves the same thing.
But, just as inmost things are signified by means of things exterior,
so here they are set forth as they ascend according to degrees.
4065. [For the horse of Pharaoh went in, and his chariot and
his horsemen into the sea; but J ehovah made the waters of the sea
return upon them; and the sons of Israel went on dry ground in the
midst of the sea], vs. 19. As regards the entrance of Pharaoh's
horse and horseman into the sea, and also of his chariot, the reader
may see this explained above. From the more interior signification
of a horse as being the understanding, all else follows as a conse
quence. Here the horse is said to enter into the sea when it enters
into things natural, and so into mere darkness, abysses, depths, into
which men are cast by a philosophy of the human mind not illu
mined by God Messiah. Upon those who thus descend into things
natural and so, as was said, into darkness, Jehovah makes the waters
of the sea return, the waters of the sea being concupiscences, etc.,
etc., while the sons of Israel walk on dry ground in the midst of the
sea, that is to say, walk in light, being illumined by the pillar, and
being without fear of submersion by those waters which are the con
cupiscences that possess the understanding of the mind, and affect
it. 3
2 The autograph has" which Jehovah hath made ready."
• In the autograph the last three lines of this paragraph are marked
"NB."
846 HI Ad. 76-78
EXODUS XV: 19-9H [4066-68
4066. [And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a

timbreliln her hand; amd all the women went out after her with tim
brels a;nd with dances], vs. 20. What is here said of Miriam the
prophetess, the sister of Aaron, signifies the church which now gives
answer, as it were. What Moses had previously said was the song
Jah, by which is signified God Messiah himself, it being God Mes
siah who spoke these words by Moses. To him thus answers
Miriam who, as repres~ing the church, is called the 7ister of
Aaron but not the sister of Moses. She is also called a prophete.ss,
and this because like all the prophets she spoke not from herself
but from God ¥essi~h.
That the congregation of the church may be signified, it is
here said that all the women sang in like manner.
4067. Miriam's going forth with a timbrel and the women with
timbrels and with dances signifies gladness and joy, and, in the in
mos~~E~e, felicity. Therefore, God Messiah is' not only ~lled a
song, but by David, as quoted above en. 4020] he is also called
" the voice of jubilee" [Ps. 11815 ].
What a timbrel and dances signify can be evident from what is
said elsewhere concerning similar musical instruments used in festi
vals, namely, that they signify such things as move the affections,
the latter varying according to the kind of instrument. (See
whether the word is dO!nces or reeds, as another translator has it. 4 )
4068. [And Miriam amswered them, Sing ye to Jehovah, for
- -
exalt'ing he hath exalted himself; the horse and his 1"ider hath he
cast into the sea], vs. 21. Here, moreover, the answer is presented,
for we read, And Miriam a;nswered them.
What Miriam J1ere_ sang was the sum of Moses' song, for her
song involves that God Messiah is to be exalted because the ener;ry.
is cast into the sea. The same words C:Ccur in th;'fustverse, being
inth; place' of an introduction (vs. 1), and all the others treat of
• This "other translator" is Tremellius, whose words are cum tympania et
cum fi,stulia (with timbrels and with reeds). Castellio, Pagnini, the Vulgate,
and the A.V. have" dances," as also does Swedenborg in the Llrcana Coelestia.
The translation is supported by most of the lexicogr~phers and is confirmed
by the use of the word as found in the Hebrew Scriptures. The Hebrew is
i1~jn9 which some derive from ,~n to turn in a circle (hence the meaning a
dance) and others from ,~~ to perforate (hence the meaning a reed, a pipe).
IiI Ad. 79-84 347

God Messiah, that he is to be exalted. The end of Moses' song

also involves the like thing; see verse 19, being the end of Moses' ij
song.
EXODUS XV
~~ Then Moses made Israel to journey from the sea Suph;
and they went out unto the wilderness of Shur. From there they
went three days in the wilderness, and found no waters.
~3 And they came to Marah, but they could not drink the wa
ters for bitterness, for they were bitter: therefore he called the
name of it Marah.
~4 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What
shall we drink?
~5 And when he cried unto Jehovah, Jehovah shewed him wood,
which he cast into the waters, and the waters were made sweet.
There he set for him a statute and a judgment, when he tempted
him there.
~6 For he said, If hearing, thou shalt hear the voice of Je
hovah thy God, and shalt do that which is good in his eyes, and
shalt give ear to his precepts, and keep all his statutes, every dis
ease which I have put upon the Egyptians will I not put upon thee:
for I Jehovah am thy healer.
~7 And they came to Elim, where were twelve fountains of wa
ters, and seventy palm trees: and they encamped there by the
waters.
4069.* The sons of Jacob were now brought into the wilder
ness, and indeed into temptations, such being their character that
they could never have been admitted to the land of Canaan, by
which is signified the kingdom of God Messiah, until, by means of
temptations, they had learned what God Messiah is, and what
• The Autograph has" Miriam' ."
* [Preceding this paragraph comes the following unnumbered passage
which is crossed off by the Author:] Exodus chapter XV, verses 22 to
Such being the character of Jacob's sons that as soon as they came out of
Egypt, that is, as soon as they saw Pharaoh's chariots and his armies, they
murmured against J ehovah, a!)!l wished to return to servitude, and nevertheless
God Messiah willed to restore them to liberty and so to bring them into the
land of Canaan, that is, into his kingdom-such being their character, there
fore, it came to pass that they were-led off into the wilderness, that there they
might remain for forty years, and might l~arn.
348 III Ad. 85
EXODUS XV: ~~-~7 [4070-71
heaven. It was observed above 6 that God Messiah willed to lead

this rude and stubborn people to himself in the way bY..lYbich in-
hnts are wont to be trained, that is to say, by means of such things
as entered through the senses, for they hardly comprehended aught
else. But to enable them to be trained-this could never have been
done save by ~eans of temptati_ons. By these, man is led away
from things ~vorldly and corporeal and turned to things spiritual
and celestial. This is the reason why they were now brought into
the wilderness, and indeed into temptations; into the wilderness,
that they might be led away from the world, and into temptations,
that they might become spiritual and might at last have faith in
God, who had wrought the miracles. But that all was done in
vain, this we learn from the whole course of their life.
4070. Though they were of such a character, still, because of
the promise and especially because of the representation in them of
sons of Israel, God Messiah did not will to desert them; for when
God Messiah saw their external rites and the statutes which he had
commanded them, he saw not with human eyes but with divine; that
is to say, he saw the heavenly things which they represented, and
so called to remembrance the church of the gentiles, both primitive
and yet to come, being the church of the sons of Israel; therefore
he was unwilling to forsake them. Things which are external are
in entire correspondence with things internal-but with Him who
is in things inmost and in the supreme; for correspondence is such
that the natural things which are enacted and spoken are under-
stood entirely spiritually by those who are spiritual. This I found
out on one occasion when I was telling in a series,
a number of things which were connected together. These
were n~ural t~gs, yet by those who heard them they were
understood entirely spiritually, as I perceived. The causes
also are at hand, for the c;uses of all natural things lie con-
cealed in things spiritual and the principles of the causes in
things celestial. 7
4071. But the introduction of the sons of Jacob into the wilder-
ness and their temptation at the bitter waters, and, consequently,
• Confer n. 2215 and references, and n. 3744 seq.
T This indented passage is cited in the Author's Index to his Memorabilia,
s. v. Oorl'espondentia, Loqui, Natura, and Spiritualia. See the Table of Con-

tents.
III Ad. 86-88 349
4072-75] . THE WORD EXPLAINED
the representation in them of sons of Israel, is now understood from

the text itself.
4072. [Then Moses made Israel to journey from the sea Suph;
and they went out unto the wilderness of Shur. From there they
went three days in the wilderness, and f OUM no waters], vs. flfl.
The FIRST temptation of the sons of Jacob was at the sea Suph,
when they saw Pharaoh and his army, that is to say, when danger
of death lay before them. All memory of the miracles in Egypt
then suddenly left them and diffidence and incredulity followed.
Nay, such was their murmuring that they gave witness to their
rebellious mind, as can be evident from chapter 14 11 ,12. Thus they
did not bear this first temptation but succumbed.
4073. And now comes the SECOND temptation, namely, after
three days in the wilderness when they had seen the power of God
Messiah, that it divided the waters of the sea so that they passed
over on dry ground and the whole Egyptian army perished. This
temptation consisted in their lacking water, and is treated of in
what follows.
4074. In order, then, that they might be brought .into tempta
tions and so be prepared for the heavenly kingdom-it being by
temptations that man is prepared, since he then puts off the loves
of the body and the world, and gradually puts on heavenly loves
therefore, they were now brought into the wilderness. And so we
read: Then Moses made Israel to journey from the sea Suph; and
they went out unto the wilderness of Shur. It is by temptations
that faith is proved; but with the sons of J acob faith was at first
merely historical, being effected by means of miracles, and this to
the end that first they might learn that God Messiah has all power
in the heavens and on earth.
4075. The temptations must needs have taken place in the wil
derness, and this for various reasons, to wit [1] Because no food
was there, provision being made solely by God Messiah. [fl] Thus
that they might not be able to obtain anything from any other
source. [3] That so all hope of acquiring anything by their
own powers might be taken away from them. [4] Thus that they
might not be able to claim anything as their own, but might daily
see the providence of God Messiah and so finally might learn that
it was God Messiah alone who cared for them and provided. [5]
Then that they might be led away from all mundane and corporeal
350 III Ad. 89-9fl
EXODUS XV: ~~ [4076-77
things, so that nothing might turn their minds away from behold
ing the benefits, and so the providence and power of God Messiah.
[6] Also that they might be kept journeying even until they were
prepared for entrance into the land of Canaan; and so [7J that
they might no longer be called sons of J acob but sons of Israel.
For God Messiah willed to draw them to himself and to the heavenly
kingdom by force; and that which they deemed to be the height of
misery, namely, their wandering in the wilderness, was the height
of mercy. So when man comes into temptations, whether these be
straightnesses and anxieties, or misfortunes such as poverty, etc.,
or diseases, etc., the natural man esteems them as a punishment,
while the spiritual man esteems them as the highest benefit-as is
established by many confirmations. God Messiah willed in this way
to drive away from them worldly des~es, and consequently idolatry
and the devil. As to how they sustained the temptations and over
came, this can be evident from the several temptations. Can it be
said then of him who sustains temptations in no other way than did
this people, whose temptations were yet merely corporeal-can it
be said of him that he is Israel? Confer Deuteronomy, chapter
31 19- 21 (confer also n. 4079, 4080)."
4076. For that time, then, these are the reasons why they were
led into the wilderness and this from the sea Suph, from which they
had been drawn out, as it were, wholly differently from the Egyp
tians, who, like the antediluvians, had perished to the last man. s
4077. That in what has preceded and in what follows, the sons
of J acob are so often named sons of Israel because of the repre
sentation, has been stated above En. 3336]. But that Jacob and
Israel were nevertheless distinguished can be sufficiently evident
from the prophets and David, and also from the present book,
chapter 193 where a plain distinction is made between" the house
of Jacob," and" the sons of Israel." Here that people which
Moses made to journey from the sea Suph, is called Israel; for God
Messiah did not yet will to call them sons of J acob both because
they represented sons of Israel and because he willed to convert
* [Marginal note by the Author, which later was written in parentheses at
the end of the paragraph:] Add nos. 95, 96 [our. n. 4079, 4080].
• [Crossed off:] That the subject here is the people called Jacob, which
represents the sons of Israel-
This people is named Israel because they had been carried safely through
the sea Suph.
III Ad. 93-94 351
them into sons of Israel. Immediately afterwards, however, comes

the plural, They went out unto the wilderness of Shur, etc. Thus
it is the sons of Jacob who are treated of. Therefore, the words
that now follow concern the people of Jacob, for this people did
not sustain temptations. Different is it with sons of Israel, to
whom these words do not apply.
4078. It was the sons of Jacob who went out into the wilder
ness,9 and this that they might be tempted and so be prepared; for
had they been at once let into the land of Canaan, they would have
brought with them the Egyptian gods, and would have seized upon
al'l the idols of that land as their gods, as can be clearly evident
from all and single the things that are written concerning them;
confer also Deuteronomy 31 20 ,21, etc., etc.
4079. As concerns their journey in the wilderness for forty
years, and their temptations during "that time, it is to be observed
that God Messiah was also in the wilderness for an equal number
of days, namely, forty, in order that he might be tempted [Mark
1 13 , Luke 4 2 ]. This involves a like arcanum, for the times agree
save only that in place of years are days. But of this arcanum we
shall speak later, God Messiah granting.
4080. As regards the three days, they signify, here as above
[n. ~~03], the three great periods or great times of reformation,
from the flood, thus here, from the sea Suph in place of the flood,
to the end of days, signifying that temptations will continue
throughout all these times; for the life of sons of Israel is almost
one continual combat. When these sons seek sweet waters they
find bitter, but afterwards they find twelve fountains of sweet water
and seventy palm trees, as seen from the last verse of the present
chapter. All this involves things mystical, which shall be treated
of further and indeed in the series.
4081. As touching the temptations of the sons of J acob, the
FIRST, as already observed [no 407~], was the danger of bodily
death; this temptation they did not bear up under. Now comes
the SECOND, in that they found no drink. Then follows the THIRD,
in that they found no food or bread. This temptation also they
did not bear up under although they were seeing God Messiah most
fully present in the pillar, and it had been enjoined on them con
• [Crossed off:] namely, where was no harvest.
35~ III Ad. 95-98
EXODUS XV: ~3-~5 [408~-85
tinually to bear in mind the miracles of Egypt, and all that had
been done at the sea Suph [chap. 133 ,8.14].
4082. As touching the sons of Israel, waters signify the spir
itual gift whereby minds are refreshed, and which thus bring to
usefulness the nourishment which is signified by bread. When
these sons seek waters and find them bitter, they bear the tempta
tions; and for them the bitter waters are then turned to sweet by
the throwing in of wood [vs. ~5J, as will be evident later on.
4083. [And they came to M arah, but they could not drirnk the
waters for bitterness, for they were bitter: therefore he called the
name of it M arah] , vs. ~3. By bitter waters in their spiritual sig
nification are meant sorrows and like things which the sons of
Israel sustain, and which also are called bitterness,! etc. More
over, that this might be signified a name was given to these waters.
Waters are all things which affect the mind, bitter waters being
sorrows, etc., and sweet waters joys, etc., etc.
What is here signified is that the sons of Jacob' could not bear
that temptation; therefore it is said: but they could not drink the
waters for bitterness.
4084. [And the people murmured agairnst Moses, saying, What
shall we drink?], vs. ~4. 'What now follows is that they succumbed
in this temptation; for that it was a temptation is declared in open
words in the next verse (vs. ~5) : " There he set for him a statute
and a judgment, when he tempted him there."
Murmuring here signifies a rebellious murmur against God
Messiah, like the murmur of a crowd which is growing angry and
wishes to fight, as it were, with God Messiah. This also is ex
plained in the next following verses.
4085. [And when he cried unto Jehovah, Jehovah shewed him
wood, which he cast into the waters, and the waters were made sweet.
There he set for him a statute and a judgment, when he tempted
him there], vs. ~5. The fact that Moses cried, also signifies a mur
muring but of a milder sort, as observed above at chapter 1415 .
Otherwise we would have read that he made supplication. In what
fol1ows it is said of Moses that he likewise did not bear up well un
der this temptation.
1 Amaritudino8, amaror08. These two words mean the same thing and can
not be distinguished in an English translation.
III Ad. 99-104 353
4086. What is here meant by wood 2 can be evident from what is

said of the tree of life, wood being assumed for a tree, as is evident
in Genesis 9l 9 , 3 6 • In the more interior sense, wood is that which is
" desirable to the sight and good for food" (Genesis 9l 9 ) just as
the tree of knowledge is " desirable for the giving of understand
ing" (chap. 3 6 ); in the inmost sense, it is the tree of life from
which is born every tree of paradise; while in the supreme sense it
is God Messiah himself.
4087. Hence then comes the understanding of these words,
namely, that by this wood understood in the supreme sense, those
bitter waters, like grievous spiritual temptations, become sweet,
that is, are turned into joys; sweet waters as opposed to bitter,
being joys; and this universally on the third day, as observed
above [n. 4080J.
Had this not been the inner signification, it would never have
come to pass that wood was shown to Moses which he was to throw
into the bitter waters; nor would the waters have been bitter, and
been turned to sweet, etc.
4088. In this verse it is openly stated that God Messiah tempted
him-the" him" extending both to the people who murmured and
to Moses who cried out. That it has regard to both is clearly evi
dent from the words themselves.
A statute signifies the law which he set before him, statute in the
more interior sense signifying law; but a judgment signifies the
sentence, to wit, what punishment one should undergo if he observe
not the law. The law itself now follows together with the sentence,
and in this way it is explained what is meant by a statute and a
judgment.
4089. [For he said, If hearing, thou shalt hear the voice of Je
hovah thy God, and shalt do that which is good in his eyes, and shalt
give ear to his precepts, and keep all his statutes, every disease
which I have put upon the Egyptians will I not put upon thee: for
I Jehovah am thy healer], vs. 9l6. The contents of the law are,
that hearing he shall hear the voice of J ehovah thy God, that is, in
the more interior sense, that he should hearken and obey. There
fore it is said, hearing thou shalt hear, to the end that nothing
whatever may be omitted.
2 The Hebrew is r~ (a tree); see n. 3643 note.
354 III Ad. 105-110
EXODUS XV: ~6 [4090-91
The second point is that he should do good Vn his eyes. By

good is signified every good, moral and spiritual, which flows solely
from God Messiah and from faith, nothing being good which does
not come from faith within which is love. Moral good is charity
toward one's companion. Heavenly good is love, from which flows
all good. Thus this law comprises that man should love the neigh
bor as himself and God Messiah above everything. This follows as
a consequence when he hearkens to the voice of God Messiah, for
in this law consists all law.
4090. It is added that he shall give ear to his precepts. To
give ear is not only to hear but also rightly to understand, a mean
ing which is derived from the fact that a man listens attentively
as he does when he is occupied with perceiving the things said, for
then the whole understanding exerts its powers. Hearing signifies
more especially the understanding of things. 8
Precepts are the inmost things of the law, while statutes are the
exteriors thereof, such as rites. These are commanded that man
may keep them. The rites which were to be kept are treated of
later; that is to say, they were to be observed to the end that from
them may be drawn precepts, and thus that there may be an under
standing of what they contain.
4091. That by this temptation they were prepared for all those
things which are now commanded can be evident from the words
themselves; but since they had succumbed, there is here added the
judgment or punishment if they did not observe them-which also
was foreseen.
The judgment or sentence is that every disease which he had
put upon the Egyptians he would not put upon him. What is
here signified is, in the proximate sense, that he must needs put
upon him some one of the Egyptian diseases, as the words them
selves imply; but in the more interior sense, in respect to sons of
Israel, that he would put no Egyptian disease upon Israel.
A plague is here called a disease, the plagues being manifold,
such as the evil ulcer, etc. Nay, they include such things as are not
properly called diseases but plagues, such as darkness and the like.
In its proper sense, disease belongs to the body, for the sons of
Jacob were not willing to understand the plagues spiritually but
• [Crossed off:] while sight signifies the representation of the thing, which
is effected in various ways. But these matters are obscure.
In Ad. 111-116 355
only as plagues of the body, and therefore they are called diseases.
But what those diseases or plagues signify in the inmost sense may
be seen above.
4092. From the above it can also be evident that if the people
did not hear the voice of God Messiah, if it did not do good, that
is to say, the good in the law, or the more interior things of the
law, and also if it did not have receptive ears and keep the statutes,
all the Egyptian diseases would come upon it. Thus judgment
can be made as to whether they observed any of these; and since
they did not observe them, as to whether this sentence did not come
upon them, that is to say, the Egyptian plagues, even to the last.
4093. For I Jehovah am thy healer. Because disease was
spoken of above, therefore here it is said healer, to the end that the
one word may correspond to the other. In the more interior sense,
medicine for the body is medicine for the mind, for understood in
the more interior sense, to protect from the Egyptian plagues is
to act as the healer who is God Messiah alone. That J ehovah or
God Messiah is the Healer, is also stated in the New Testament
[Luke 4 23 ]-but He heals the conscience.
4094. For the rest, to diseases of the body correspond as many
diseases or sicknesses of the animus or mind, it being from these
that diseases of the body principally take their origin; and when
one gives aid in these sicknesses he is called the healer. Wherefore
he who heals the mind heals also the diseases of the body, since these
are then cured from their root.
4095. [And they came to Elim, where were twelve fountains of
waters, and seventy palm trees: and they encamped there by the wa
ters], vs. ~7. Here are signified the last times, to wit, when they
came to Elim where were twelve fountains and seventy palm trees;
for we read that they encamped there by the waters.
What is signified by the twelve fountainz.s can be evident from
the signification of fountainzs as being the twelve origins of all
heavenly goods. In the supreme sense, a fountain is God Messiah
himself. The waters are his heavenly gifts. As to what the num
ber twelve signifies, this may be seen above [n. 1861-~], for the
number twelve occurs frequently in the kingdom of God Messiah.
Here the number refers to the twelve tribes 4 understood in the
inmost sense.
• [Crossed off:] of Israel.
356 lfI Ad. 117-1~1
EXODUS XV: ~7-XVI: 36 [4096
So likewise seventy or the septuagenarian number which arises

from twelve and six multiplied together,5 respecting which number
see also above [n. 1861]. It is used in the same way in the church
of God Messiah because it signifies the same things in the kingdom
of God Messiah. . !
Unless these words regarded the" last times, that is to say, the
kingdom of God Messiah, they would never have been mentioned.
But because they do signify this, they are again mentioned in Num
bers 33 9 where likewise we read that they encamped there.
4096. Palm trees were found, and of such a number, because
palm trees are trees which are the most excellent of trees being such
as can serve man in all and single things, serving him, namely, both
for food and clothing, and also for habitation; for they are very
leafy and have noble 6 fruit.
EXODUS XVI
1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the assem
blage of the sons of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which
is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month
after their going forth out of the land of Egypt.
~ And all the assemblage of the sons of Israel murmured
against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness:
3 And the sons of Israel said unto them, Who will grant that
we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt, when
we sat by the flesh pot, when we did eat bread even to the fun; for
ye have brought us forth to this wilderness that ye might kill this
whole assembly with famine.
4 Then said J ehovah unto Moses, Behold, I am making bread
to rain from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and
gather the thing of a day in its day, that I may try them, whether
they will walk in my law, or not.
5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall
prepare that which they have brought in; for it shall be double
over that which they gather daily.
6 Then said Moses and Aaron unto all the sons of Israel, In
• The autograph has e:v duodecim semes in se multiplicatis (from twelve
multiplied by itself six times).
• Substituted for juicy.
III Ad. 1~9l-U4 357
THE WORD EXPLAINED
the evening ye shall know that J ehovah hath brought you forth out
of the land of Egypt:
7 And in the morning, ye shall see the glory of J ehovah; in
that he hath heard your murmurings against Jehovah: for what
are we, that ye murmur against us?
8 And Moses said further, By this,? when Jehovah shall give
you in the evening flesh to eat, and bread in the morning that ye
may be satisfied; in that Jehovah hath heard your murmurings
wherewith ye murmur against J ehovah 8; for what are we? not
against us are your murmurings, but against J ehovah.
9 Furthermore, Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the as
sembly of the sons of Israel, Come near before J ehovah: for he
hath heard your murmurings.
10 And it came to pass, while Aaron was speaking unto all the
assembly of the sons of Israel, and they looked unto the wilderness,
behold, the glory of J ehovah appeared in the cloud.
11 And J ehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
1~ I have heard the murmurings of the sons of Israel: speak
unto them, saying, Between the evenings ye shall eat :flesh, and in
the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I
J ehovah am your God.
18 And it came to pass, that in the evening the quail came up,
and covered the camp: and in the morning was a deposit of dew
round about the camp.
14 And when the deposit of dew was gone, behold, upon the
faces of the wilderness was a crushed something,9 round, crushed
like the hoar frost on the ground.
15 And when the sons of Israel saw it, they said, a man to his
brother, This is man: 1 for they knew not what it was. And Moses
said unto them, This is the bread which Jehovah hath given you
for food.
16 This is the word which J ehovah hath commanded, Gather
of it, a man according to his food, an omer for a head, the number
of your souls; a man for them which are in his tent, shall ye take
it.
• See n. 4Hl3 note.
S The Hebrew has "him."
1 See n. 4149 note.
858
EXODUS XVI: 1-36
17 And the sons of Israel did so; and they gathered it which
had a large family, and they which had a small.
18 And they measured it with an omer, that he who had a large
family might not receive an overabundance, and that to him who
had a small family might be no lack; they gathered, a man accord-
ing to his food.
19 And Moses said unto them, Let no man leave of it till the
morning.
~o Notwithstanding, they obeyed not Moses; but men made a
remainder of it unto the morning, and it bred worms and stank;
wherefore Moses was wroth with them.
~1 And they gathered it every morning, a man according to
his food: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
~~ And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered
double food, two omers for every man: and all the princes [of the
assembly 2]' came and told Moses.
~3 And he said unto them, This is that which Jehovah hath
spoken, Tomorrow shall be a sabbath, a holy sabbath [to Je-
hovah 2]: bake that which ye will bake to day, and boil that ye will
boil; and all that remaineth over, lay up for you to be kept until
the morning.
~4 And when they laid it up till the morning, as Moses com-
manded, it stank not, neither was there any worm therein.
~5 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath
to Jehovah: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
~6 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, shall be
the sabbath; in it there shall be none.
~7 Yet it came to pass on the seventh day, that some of the
people went out to gather, and they found none.
~8 'Vherefore Jehovah said unto Moses, How long refuse ye
to keep my commandments and my law? 3
~9 See, for Jehovah hath given you the sabbath, therefore he
giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every
man by himself, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof man: and

359
it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like the
taste of a cake kneaded with honey.
39l And Moses said, This is the word which Jehovah com
mandeth, Let there be to you the fullness of an omer that it be kept
for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I
have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth out of
the land of Egypt.
33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take an urn, and put there the
fullness of an omer of man, and lay it up before Jehovah, to be
kept for your generations.
34 As Jehovah commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before
the Testimony, to be kept.
35 And the sons of Israel did eat man forty years, even until
they came to a land inhabited; they did eat man even until they
came unto the border of the land of Canaan.
36 Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.
4097.· Now follows the third temptation which was that food
was lacking them, that is, bread. As regards the temptations, for
the sons of J acob, these were merely corporeal and had regard to
the death of the body; but for sons of Israel they are spiritual.
As to the order in which they follow each other, this cannot be well
perceived in the proximate sense in which they had regard to the
sons of J acob, but it can in the spiritual sense in which they had
regard to sons of Israel. In the proximate sense they follow in
this order: The FIRST was that they saw before their eyes Pharaoh
and his army, and thus war and death. The SECOND was that the
waters were bitter, so that their flocks and herds could not drink
them, nor could they themselves, save with difficulty. The THIRD
was that bread was lacking them for food; thus they could not be
satisfied or nourished. The FOURTH was that water was lacking
them.
4098. In the spiritual sense, these same temptations follow in
this order, to wit: FIRST, that they look on spiritual death and thus
* [Preceding this number, the following passage is crossed off by the Au
thor:] Chapter 16 verse 1: Now follows the third temptation, which was that
food was lacking them, that is, bread. Then follows the fourth temptation,
that water was lacking them. The temptations follow each other in this order:
The FIRST was that they saw battle in front of them, that is to say, war. The
SECOND was that they saw temptations, that they were hard, to wit, the bitter
waters; and the present or THIRD was that they did not
360 III Ad. U5-19l6
EXODUS XVI: 1-36 [4099-4102
combat. SECOND, that they see the bitterness of temptations.

THIRD, that they do not see any spiritual and celestial nourishment.
FOURTH, that they do not see the help of God Messiah at hand,
namely, that he might be able to give them this nourishment for
their use.
4099. These temptations then follow in the order in which they
occur with men, and indeed with those who will be sons of Israel.
For FIRST: They know that they must undergo combats with death,
that is, with the devil, and so must undergo temptations. SECOND:
They know that these temptations are grievous and bitter. THIRD:
That there is then little spiritual nourishment for them, for in this
anxiety it appears as though God Messiah were absent. FOURTH:
Hence it follows that strength seems to be lacking them, because
celestial nourishment cannot yield them any use.
4100. The sons of Jacob, however, did not perceive these temp
tations, still less were they able to bear them, for they are much
more grievous than bodily ills. Yet from the miracles which pre
ceded them, they might have concluded for certain that they would
have help therein; for they saw that to God Messiah nothing what
ever was impossible. 4 Thus they were to be led by the faith of
miracles, in order that later they might sustain spiritual tempta
tions. But as to this also we read that they did not sustain them,
for on every occasion they murmured.
4101. It is different with sons of Israel, who are not so greatly
concerned at these temptations of the body, but sustain those more
grievous temptations which are spiritual; therefore, when mur
muring is treated of, the discourse is not concerning them. These
latter temptations, that is, those borne by sons of Israel, softened
the grief of God Messiah; and because of the representation, that
is to say, because of the intuition in the present, of those who
sustain them and who would sustain them, he pardoned that people.
4102. From this it is now evident that in all these temptations
the Messiah alone brought them help, to wit: In the FIRST tempta
tion, when they saw combat and death, he was then present in the
pillar, and thus guarded them, as is clearly evident from the very
words [chap. 1420 ,24]. In the SECOND temptation God Messiah is
signified by the wood which turned the bitter waters sweet [chap.
• Reading impossible for possible.
III Ad. 127-130

361
1525 ]. In the THIRD God Messiah was the heavenly bread or

manna which came from heaven every morning [chap. 1613- 5 ]. In
the FOURTH God Messiah was the rock which furnished abundance
of water [chap. 17 6 ], as is also evident from the Word of the New
Testament [John 3 10 se q .]. Thus it was God Messiah alone who
brought them help. But this can be more clearly evident from
the very words of the text.
4103. [And they took their journey from Elim, am,d rill the as
semblage of the sons of Israel came unto the wilderness of SiIn,
which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second
month after their going forth out of the land of Egypt], vs. 1.
The sons of J acob went from wilderness to wilderness, first to the
wilderness of Shur, and now to the wilderness of Sin, and this in
order that they might thus be led by reason of the causes spoken
of above, n. 4075. Thus the necessities of life were lacking them,
to the end that when they received them they might learn that the
Messiah alone sustained them, that so they might ascribe life to
none other. Therefore they were now led from Elim, where were
twelve fountains of waters and seventy palm trees [chap. 15 27 ],
that so they might be led even to the mountain of God, that is, to
Horeb [chap. 3 1 ] and also to mount Sinai; in other words, to God
Messiah who is compared to both these mountains, and also to
mount Zion, etc., etc.
4104. As concerns the time, we read that it was on the fifteenth
day of the second month when they murmured for the third time
[vs. 2] ; to say nothing of their murmuring in Egypt when they
were oppressed with a more grievous servitude than before, re
specting which murmuring see chapter 5 21 • The time also involves
an arcanum concerning the advent of God Messiah, both when he
was to come into the world, and when he is to come into glory for
judgment. These times are signified by the evening, when they had
flesh, and by the morning when they saw the glory of Jehovah,
respecting which see verses 7, [8], and 10; for the bread which was
to come in the morning is there called "the glory of J ehovah,"
and thus God Messiah himself.
4105. By the second month is signified that God Messiah then
came into the world, and this on the first day of the third week of
this month, which time is here called evening for the Jewish people.
The other time is when they will see the glory of Jehovah and the
362 In Ad. 131-133
EXODUS XVI: 1-~ [4106-07
heavenly bread. This was on the following day in the morning

[vs. 6, 7] ; for the times are observed in this way to the end that
all and single things may harmonize, there being not a single jot
that does not involve an arcanum.
4106. [And all the assemblage of the sons of Israel murmured
agaimst Moses and agailnst Aaron in the wilderness], vs.~. Con
cerning the murmuring, we have spoken above [n. 4084] to the
effect that it was the murmur of a rebel. It is here said that they
murmured against Moses and Aaron, doing this for reasons spoken
of later in verses 7 and 8; for to murmur against Moses and Aaron
was to murmur against God Messiah, as is clearly stated in verse 8
at the end, since Moses and Aaron were carrying out the command
ments of God Messiah. See n. 4133.·
As to their being able to humble themselves toward God Mes
siah and to make supplication, this was given them; but to murmur
was not granted them. That theirs was the murmuring of a rebel
is sufficiently evident from the several particulars that follow. 5
Now commence the thilngs which took place in the garden on

May~, 1746.t
4107. [And the sons of Israel said unto them, Who will grant
that we had died by the hand of Jehovah Vn the land of Egypt,
* [Marginal note by the Author:] No. 171 [our n. 4133] and at different
places in the present chapter.
• [The following paragraph is here crossed off by the Author:] N. B.
Verse 3. Here it is sufficiently evident how grievous the murmuring was.
Hence from this murmuring it is likewise clear that by the sons of Israel are
here meant the sons of J acob who murmured.
t These words which are emphasized by " NB" written in the margin, are
entered in a blank space at the end of that crossed out paragraph whose con
tents are given in the preceding note. Presumably they were intended to ap
pear as an indented paragraph, but they are not referred to in the Author's
Index to his Memorabilia.
The incident" in the garden" here referred to seems to be the same as that
of which Swedenborg speaks in a passage in his Memorabilia (n. fl07i<l, fl074)
dated May fl5, 1748, as having occurred two years previously, that is, in May
1746, the date given in the present text. The passage in the Memorabilia is
preceded by a series of passages showing that many societies of spirits concur
to a single idea entertained by a man on earth, and that if there is anything
foul or profane mingled with this idea, the purer societies are defiled and
experience loathing and nausea. Then comes the particular passage to which
we have referred. It reads as follows:
" Furthermore, from the following single example it can be seen how the
III Ad. 134-136 363
when we sat by the flesh pot, when we did eat bread even to the full;
for ye have brought us forth to this wilderness that ye might kill
this whole assembly with famine), vs. 3. Here are concealed some
case is with ideas wherein are things false or profane. There was a certain
garden tract for which spirits gave me a certain horror, because they were
unwilling that it should be disturbed; indeed, they then set before my eyes
direful objections, although the tract was a beautiful one planted with trees.
This idea remained, and when, two years later, I was representing this garden
tract in a spiritual idea, the spirits who are now around me, began to expe
rience horror, and to suffer direful things, as it were, because those direful
phantasies which had formerly been inflicted, were being aroused and these
caused a horror such as they could hardly bear. I therefore represented to
them how the matter stands, and that they ~ere _merely j:ht: illusion-!- QUy!I
sl?i!"i~s who induced ~h!Js~ direful_ !h!~gs. Thus being instructed, they began
to feel differently and thiChorror passed off. . . . The spirits who had been
seized with horror at the first representative idea of the garden tract, could
hardly put off that horror until it had been said to them that had anything
of the sort been there, such as something unclean, it would yet carry with it
nothing of uncleanness when another person was the owner; as in the case of
the temple of Jerusalem which was profaned by idols; yet when true worship
pers came to it, it was sanctified. 1748, ~5 May."
This passage suggests that the incident which had taken place" two years"
earlier occurred while Swedenborg was looking at the garden of a new owner,
with the thought of alterations in his mind-alterations which the spirits with
him opposed and which they endeavored to prevent by "direful objections."
Presumably these objections consisted in suggestions as to the dreadful con
sequences which would ensue if the alterations were made-even as is some
times the case with men, men also being sometimes deterred from wholly legiti
mate actions by subtle insinuations as to dreadful cOiisequen.ces. That the
garden in question was the garden of Swedenborg's residenceon Hornsgatan
is suggested by the remark made to the spirits in question that had "another
person" (presumably one who did not have open communication with spirits)
been the owner of the garden, their feelings would have been very different
even if that garden had actually contained something unclean. It is also indi
cated by several other considerations.
Swedenborg purchased the property on Hornsgatan, South Stockholm, in
March 1743, a few montlls prior to that memorable journey to Holland and
London which culminated in April 1745 when he received in London his com
mission as Revelator. When he returned to Stockholm in August 1745 (see
above n. 1003), he resumed his former lodgings on Slussen in the old city.
About the Spring of 1746, however, he moved into his property in Hornsgatan
(see Nya Kyrkans Tidning for 19~1, pp. 138 and 161), and it was here that he
resided when writing the present and subsequent portions of The Word Ew
plained.
From the above it seems reasonable to assume that when Swedenborg wrote
" Now commenced the things which took place in the garden, May ~, 1746," he
was referring to his own garden. This assumption is confirmed by the fol
lowing considerations: (1) The reference to "the garden," naturally points to
one's own garden. (2) Swedenborg's garden on Hornsgatan was undoubtedly
" planted with trees." (3) After Swedenborg had resided in Hornsgatan for
364 In Ad. 136
EXODUS XVI: 3 [4108
mystical things; for it is now said that the sons of Israel murmured,
and indeed, according to the appearance, very grievously, and that,
nevertheless, they were not blamed by J ehovah because of the mur
muring but obtained what they asked for; see verses 7 and 1~.
The reason is because it is here the murmurings of sons of
Israel that are meant, murmurings, namely, because all spiritual
food meant by flesh was lacking them, and at the same time bread,
that is to say, the Messiah himself with his love. Flesh is all spir
itual food; but without bread, that is, without heavenly love which
comes solely from God Messiah, this food profits nothing. Spir
itual food, here called flesh and flesh pot, is of no use without
love. They are fruits without saving faith, because without love.
Even if one had every knowledge of heaven and earth, yet if bread,
that is, love is lacking, it is of no use whatsoever, for it profits
nothing. When these words are thus understood in the inmost
sense, then by the latnd of Egypt is meant spiritual captivity
wherein they yet had faith, as is usually the case, it being different
when they come into the wilderness. The present words, therefore,
are the words of sons of Israel, who, when saving faith is lacking
them, that is, faith joined to love, fall into pious murmurings of
this kind, which, however, are not displeasing but are pardoned
them. - That they were not displeasing is evident from verses 7,
9, 1~, etc., and also from the series. Moreover, it seems rather that
God Messiah willed that they should thus murmur, for then they
received the manna whereby they were nourished for forty years;
thus that they should be aroused to this murmuring.* A certain
indignation does indeed appear which is excited by a just cause, it
being the devil who then snatches away the life of faith so that they
come into the wilderness where is no harvest.
4108. That the case is as described, this, of the mercy of
God Messiah, it has come to me to know; for I was sent into the
wilderness, in that I was writing without affection. Therefore
also I was constrained to murmur against those who were
snatching affections away from me--whom God Messiah par
over fifteen months, he left Stockholm for Holland in July 1747, and in that
country what had been manifested to him when contemplating his new garden
in May 1746 again made itself felt in May 1748, when he was representing
that same garden in a spiritual idea.
* The words between the asterisks are written in the margin with a sign
marking their place of insertion. They are a later addition to the passage.
III Ad. 137-138 365
don. But many things occurred here which cannot be told in

regard to how they were circumstanced, because they involve
arCll.na. The murmuring was 6 for some days.?
4109. Coming from the sons of Jacob, however, such a mur
muring does indeed appear grievous-though it was rendered more
mild by the representation of the murmuring of sons of Israel
respecting spiritual food and respecting love, the life of faith-in
that they were in the wilderness where was no harvest, when yet, in
the land of Egypt, that is, in captivity, they had had their fill of
such things. And therefore we read that they would have pre
ferred to be dead by the haJnd of Jehovah in the lOJrtd of Egypt;
and then follows a clause containing the murmuring: for ye have
brought us forth to this wilderness 8 that ye might kill this whole
assemhly with famine.
Because they directed this murmuring to Moses and Aaron, the
latter, not understanding what lay beneath the murmuring, were in
dignant and said that they should murmur not against them, but to
Jehovah (verses 7 and 8).
4110. [Then said Jehovah unto Moses, Behold, I am making
bread to rain from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and
gather the thing of a day in its day, that I may try them, whether
they will walk in my law, or not], vs. 4. The rain of bread from
heaven is nothing else than what is called the heavenly bread which,
in the inmost sense, is heavenly love; 9 in the supreme sense, it is God
Messiah himself, as is very evident from the Word of the New
Testament [John 632 seq .]. From this it can be evident that these
words have regard one and all, to things spiritual and celestial.
That bread is love, to wit, the love which flows from God Mes
siah according to order, can be evident; for the love of God Mes
siah, which is supracelestial inflows through the soul into the human
mind and there becomes heavenly love. From this love then flow
the other affections, but affections which look solely to 8upra
celestial love which alone is love.
The comparison of love with bread is drawn from the nourish
ment of the body, it being bread alone, joined with other food, that
• [Crossed off:] almost continual.
• This paragraph is not cited in the Author's Index to his Memorabilia.
• Literally translated: Ye have brought all forth to the wilderness.
• Swedenborg first wrote" the love of heaven."
366 III Ad. 1$9-143
EXODUS XVI: 4 [4111-U
causes all things to yield their use to the body. W"ithout this
bread, foods do not perform any use, as neither does any knowledge
without affection, nay, nor any faith, as is declared by John. 1
What men see, hear, and touch, they can believe; but when affection
is absent, their faith is from sight, hearing, and touch, and so is
historical faith and not saving. Love therefore is like bread to
gether with other food. That this bread is God Messiah can be
evident enough inasmuch as it is said that J ehovah made bread to
rain from heaven. (That bread is love, while all other food is the
knowledge of things spiritual and celestial, should be further de
duced.)
4111. That this bread was to be gathered every day, that is, ev
ery morning, involves many things,to wit, that they should have
no care except for each day; for God Messiah wills to provide for
his own every day, and to care for them in this life as in the other.
In the other life no one thinks of things to come; they are ig
norant of things future, as also of things past, except for those
of them to whom God Messiah grants this, to the end that they may
recall the past and look to the future. Such is the condition of
the angels of heaven and of the happy in the other life.
Therefore no grief affects them as is the case here in the
world. Such grief comes solely from memory of the past and
from human providence so called for the future. Therefore
by this statement, He wills that they shall gather it every morn
ing, as He also declares in his prayer " Give us this day our
daily bread" [Matt. 6 11 , Luke 11 3 ], the reason being in order
that the state of the heavenly ones may exist on this earth, and
thus that heaven may be with those who are living. As to what
cares it is possible for men to have because memory is granted
them, that is to say, cares for what kind of things, this will be
told elsewhere; for these words involve more than anyone can
bring to mind until they are told. 2
4112. These words, therefore, involve the kingdom of God Mes
1It may be questioned whether this is not a slip for" James" (see Jas.
f.!14 'Sq.).The Gospel of John does not mention the word faith, and it occurs
only once in his Epistles and four times in his Apocalypse, but never in the
direct sense here indicated.
2 This indented passage is cited in the Author's Index to his Memorabilia,
s. v. Felicitas, F'uturum, lY[emol'ia, Praete1"itum, and Providentia. See Table of

Contents.
III Ad. 144-146 367
siah, to the end that they may be of such a character as to have

nothing of care save as God Messiah gives them to have it, and this
daily. No one can ever be contented, tranquil and living in peace
when he is mindful of things past and future, whence comes all
anxiety and many things which affect man; for then innumerable
things are aroused which turn the man away from God Messiah.
But this is the gift of God Messiah. Thus man is led by God
Messiah alone. This then is what is meant by these words: The
people shall go out and gather the thiJng of a day in its day. Thus
it is granted them to supplicate God Messiah for the things which
shall be for the day, for when these are gathered, they possess them,
etc., etc.
4113. That this was done every morning, has regard to the
kingdom of God Messiah. As a consequence, therefore, the mor
row signifies the time when the kingdom of God Messiah will come.
For in the spiritual sense the morrow is perpetuity and in the celes
tial sense eternity, the morning in these same senses being God
Messiah's kingdom itself.
4114. The fact that thus they were to be tried has regard to
what follows, tried namely as to whether they would gather more
than sufficient for the day, thus [showing] that they did not have
faith; hence their faith would be searched; see verses 17 and 18.
4115. He who is in the law is in faith, for in the inmost sense aH
law is faith, and in the supreme sense, it is God Messiah. Faith is
itself the law, it being from faith and from no other source that
law is law. This is clearly evident, for the only law here treated
of is that they were not to gather it save in its day, that is to say,
that they were to have faith that they would have bread from
heaven every morning.
4116. [And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they
shall prepare that which they have brought in; for it shall be double
over that which they gather daily], vs. 5. The sixth day is the last
day, both in general, being the last day of reformation, and in the
life of every individual man in his old age. Then shaH be the
preparation.
In this last day man will be prepared for the kingdom of God
Messiah both in heaven and on earth universally. There will in
deed be preparation on the other days but the universal preparation
is on the sixth day, the seventh day being the feast, and in the su
868 III Ad. 147-151
EXODUS XVI: 5-7
preme sense, the kingdom of God Messiah, that is, God Messiah
himself.
4117. There will then be double, for then, by means of God
Messiah alone, and of none other, it will be granted them to have
more knowledge and wisdom than on the other days.
In the inmost sense, however, double means greatly multiplied.
Here, it is the millenium or thousand years spoken of in the Apoca-
lypse [chap. 920 1- 7 J, each day then signifying a thousand years.
But in the supreme sense this double is eternity, for in the supreme
sense whatever is said of time signifies eternity. So with what is
said of the day, the morrow, the morning-it win be an eternal
morning-the seventh or feast day. Thus in the Word of God
Messiah, both here and everywhere, things temporal and finite in-
volve things eternal and infinite.
4118. [Then said Moses and Aaron unto all the sons of Israel,
In the evening ye shall know that Jehovah hath brought you forth
out of the land of Egypt], vs. 6. By Moses and Aaron is signified
God Messiah, thus God Messiah as 3 King and Priest; and by the
sons of Israel, those who are justified by faith.
4119. In the evening means the last day which is called evening
for the entire globe; for this day commences from the evening and
comes to its morning both in the universal and in the particular.
Then they shall know that they have been in captivity, and then
shall be given them that spiritual food which is spoken of presently
[vs. 8]. Thus will commence the thousand years (as I think-it
can be better evident from what follows; for the fact that it com-
menced from the evening, and that quails, as they are called, were
sent them, involves something). [Confer Apoc. 920 4 .]
There will then be evening and morning in every individual man,
as in the community.
4120. [And in the morning, ye shall see the glory of Jehovah;
in that he hath heard your murmurings against Jehovah: for what
are we, that ye murmur again.st us?], vs. 7. Therefore the text
continues: In the morning, ye shall see the glory of Jehovah, that is
to say, when this day is finished (as I think) they shall see the bread
from heaven. That this bread is God Messiah and also his king-
dom and eternal felicity can be sufficiently evident from the words
themselves; for it is openly said in the morning, ye shall see the
• [Crossed off:] God and man.
III Ad. 1592-157 369
4U1-M] THE WORD EXPLAINED
glory of J ehovah. The glory of J ehovah is God Messiah alone,

for he will come into glory to judge the entire globe. That he will
also come in a cloud he himself has said [Matt. 9l4 30 ] ; see verse 10.
Therefore what they receive in the evening is not called the glory
of Jehovah, but only what they receive in the morning.
4121. He is said to have heard their murmurings, and so they
were not blamed; but because of these murmurings the sons of Is
rael received bread. They will see the glory of J ehovah and will
receive. Concerning this murmuring, see at verse 3.
4122. [It is evident] also why Moses asked why they murmured
against them, that is, against Moses and Aaron, for they, like all
men and all angels and spirits, are of no account whatsoever, as fre
quently stated above. Therefore in the text Moses clearly says,
what are we? which signifies that they were nothing whatever.
4123. [And Moses said further, By this,4 when Jehovah shall
give you in the evening flesh to eat, and bread in the morning that
ye may be satisfied; in that J ehovah hath heard your murmurings
wherewith ye murmur against Jehovah; for what are we? not
against us are your murmurings, btd against J ehovah], vs. 8. It
is said four times in this chapter that Jehovah heard the murmur
ings of the sons of Israel, namely, in verses 7, 8, 9, and 19l; and on
this account, as we read, he granted them to see the glory of Je
hovah, to eat flesh in the evening and bread in the morning. Thus
here are meant other murmurings than those of the sons of J acob
who preferred to sit at the fleshpot, etc., in the land of Egypt
respecting whom see above [n. 4109]. Wherefore the words by
this have reference to what follows, namely, that Jehovah heard
their murmurings.
4124. Moreover, Moses again says, what are we? in order that
it may be understood that Moses was nothing whatever, as he here
openly confesses; for, as was said, what is man but a mere organic,
whose life appears to be his own when yet in no way whatever does
he live from himself. Man is merely dust; nay, without God Mes
siah and life from him, he is filth. "This Moses now confesses, as
formerly Abraham had done [Gen. 18 27 ]. From the mouth of
• Schmidius explains the meaning by adding "that is, by this shall ye
know." But the words" by this" are themselves an interpolation, for literally
translated the text would read: "In Jehovah's giving you" or "when Jehovah
shall give you," and it is so translated in the Arcana Ooelestia.
370 III Ad. 158-161
EXODUS XVI: 8-9
God Messiah, it is evident that the same thing is true of Adam.

(The passages may be cited [Gen. ~7, 3 19 ]. That such is the case,
see the experience above [n. 4108].)
4125. In the most universal sense, by the evenitng is meant
the life of all mortals, even to the end of the great day, and by the
mornitng the kingdom of God. Moreover, every great day, like
the lesser day and the least, has its evening and its morning. So it
is in every individual man, and in his generals and particulars. This
can be amply shown, that is to say, it can be shown what the evening
is in the broadest sense and in a sense more or less broad. Thus, as
the day enjoys its evening and morning, so the year enjoys its
autumn and spring. This therefore is for sons of Israel. But
for the rest there is neither evening nor morning, as there is neither
autumn nor spring, but a day or noon of extreme heat, and a
night; or, relatively to the year, a summer of the dog star and a
winter. It is from such changes that these men draw their com
parison in things most general, and in things particular. This,
moreover, can be demonstrated in many ways.
4126. Such then are the significations of the evenings wherein
they shall have flesh to eat. Spiritually by flesh is meant all food,
that food, namely, which nourishes the mind of man; but by bread
is meant affection, that is, love and the felicity arising therefrom,
together with things of a like sort which satisfy. Therefore it is
said in the text that they shall have flesh to eat, and bread that they
may be satisfied. So natural knowledges without pleasure or de
light are of no effect, that is, give no nourishment. They do not
even cling to the memory; for whatever enters without some kind of
delight does not remain, and so does not nourish the mind, which
therefore is not satisfied; but with affection it nourishes even to the
full. This is also said of bread, namely, that nourishment does not
yield its use unless with bread; for heavenly bread, here the manna,
is God Messiah himself, without whom nothing ever yields its use
to the spiritual life of man, etc., etc. 5
4127. [Furthermore, Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the
assembly of the sons of Israel, Come near before Jehovah: for he
hath heard your murmurilngs]. vs. 9. Here Moses speaks to Aaron
as God to a prophet, in accord with what was said above [chap.
4 15 , 16], Aaron being Moses' mouth. Such is the succession from
• [Marginal note:] See n. 175, 176, 177 [our nos. 4136-8].
III Ad. 16~-164

371
THE WORD EXPLAINED
Jehovah, being by means of the Word, to Moses, and also to any

other who represented God Messiah, and so from Moses to Aaron
who was his mouth. So now, by means of the prophets and others,
he speaks to the whole assembly of the sons of Israel, namely, that
it should draw near to J ehovah, that is, that they should come with
the heart, drawing near to God Messiah being done with the heart
and not with the lips; and this that they may be purified in spirit,
not in body, except in the sense that things corporeal correspond to
things spiritual, as washing corresponds to purification, etc. We
do not read that they approached in any other way. It is said,
before Jehovah, in order that they may be presented to Jehovah,
that is, to God Messiah.
4128. By his speaking to the assembly of the sons of Israel is
meant that he spoke to all Israelites from the time of N oah to the
end of the world, and also, at the last day, to all in heaven and on
earth, to wit, that they should prepare themselves for the nuptials
and so should draw near, as was said to the ten virgins [Matt.
9l5a;~etc., etc. '
412 [And it came to pass, while Aaron was speaking unto all
the assembly of the sons of Israel, and they loolced unto the wilder
ness, behold, the glory of Jehovah appeared in the cloud], vs. 10.
What is here signified is that no one know~ when the _~idegroom
will c~_~~__ g19..!l~ith his angels. That this glory is to appear in
a cloud is also foretold by God Messiah [Matt. 9l4 30 , Mark 1326 ].
~ In the cloud signifies h~~~f and thus i!!~en. Whether
He is to be expected as coming into individual human minds in some)
J I
wonderful manner with sound and the like [is a question]. Tht
the sons of Jacob likewise are to see his glory, and so the unfaith
ful also, is foretOld [Apoc. 17 ]. Therefore the present text is
addressed to both classes, that is to say, to sons of Israel and to
sons of J acob. 6 Behold, the glory of J ehovah appeared in-0e
cloud. The cloud here is man's heaven, that is, the human mind,
this being like a cloud but in divers ways. To sons of Israel it is
a shi~ng ~ud, and to the unfaithful an obscure and bla~}( c~ud.
For the human mind is likened to a cloud; that is to say, that mind
wherein are truths, appears as a cloud, but to sons of Israel it will
shine like the daybreak in the morning. That truths are repre
sented by a shining cloud is evident on many grounds.
• The autograph has Judah.
37~ III Ad. 165-167
EXODUS XVI: 10-Hl [4130-33
4130. Here it is again said that Aaron [was speaking], that is,
the prophets who will receive this gift and will make prophecy, as
did the prophets of old. Hence it is said that Moses spake unto
Aaron [vs. 9] ; not that it is Moses who is to speak but he who is
represented by Moses. For as to what Moses is, to wit, relatively
nothing, see verses 7 and 8.
4131. By the wilderness is also meant the entire globe, for then
there will be no harvest, that is, no fruits of faith, because no
faith. Hence by the wilderness is meant both the universe and the
absence of faith; thus the mind will be a wilderness. Hence it is
said that the assembly of Israel looked unto the wilderness which
then came into view. Thus the wilderness signifies also the last
time.
4132. [And Jehovah spake unto Mo$Cs, saying], vs. n. Here
we again read that Jehovah spake unto Moses. In verse 9l we read
that they murmured against Moses and Aaron ; in verse 4 that J e
hovah spoke unto Moses; in verse 6 that Moses and Aaron spoke
unto the sons of Israel; in verse 8 that Moses alone spoke; further,
in verse 9 that Moses spoke to Aaron to the end that he should
speak; and in verse 11 that J ehovah again spoke to Moses. Hence,
it is now presignified how God Messiah is to speak to Aaron,7 and
Aaron to the people, etc. Thus a certain series is described which
is not made manifest until the last time but which yet can be evi
dent from the present series, if the latter be examined. (It may
be examined if it so please God Messiah.) For there will be those
who will represent Moses in the world, to wit, those who will preach
this and announce it from the mouth of God Messiah; and there
will be those representing Aaron, who will tell it to the people.
4133. [I have heard the murmurings of the sons of Israel:
speak unto them, saying, Between the evenings ye shall eat flesh, and
in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I
J ehovah am your God], vs. 19l. Of the murmurings we have
spoken above [n. 4107, 419l1, 419l3]. They were grievous with
these sons but, as containing things on which they were to feed, and
this spiritually, they were not unpleasing. In the inmost sense,
murmurings are supplications, though made with zeal and indigna-
T The text has" to Aaron to the people," but in our translation we omit the
last three words since the context shows that Swedenborg omitted to cross these
off merely by inadvertence.
In Ad. 168-171 373
tion in that they lack faith and love. These murmurings, when
made in a proper way, are not unpleasing, for man cannot give
himself the least thing of love and faith. To will them belongs to
man because he knows of them, but be can never command them
for himself. Therefore the murmurings must not be like those of
the sons of Jacob, namely, against God Messiah, as in the present
case, but against evil angels who take away or try to take away
faith and love, and to whom this is conceded by reason of divers
causes.
4134. It is said between the evenVngs, while above [vs. 8] it was
said "in the evening." This is indeed a customary formula" of
speech, and what is signified is the evening, as stated above [n.
3767-8] when treating of the passover. But still it signifies many
evenings, for there are as many evenings and as many mornings as
there are days, both in general and in particular. Because they
signify those of whom we spoke above, therefore evenings are here
mentioned in the plural. As to what they signify, see nos. 4119,
4U5.
4135. By flesh is meant all spiritual food, though in the absence
of bread this does not give nourishment, as stated above [no 4107,
4110, 41~6] ; for bread, being God Messiah himself, and thus love,
and hence life, contains everything whatsoever that gives nourish
ment to human minds. Without heavenly love there is no life
whatever, all other loves being deaths not lives. It is concerning
this love that sons of Israel murmured; and it will be given them,
as in the present case manna was given from heaven.
From this bread they will know that God Messiah is the God of
Israel, for when they are without love there is no life with them and
hence no knowledge of heavenly truths and goodnesses. Where
fore, by this bread they will know that Jehovah, that is, God Mes
siah, will be their God.
4136. [And it came to pass, that Vn the evenVng the quail came
up, and covered the camp: and in the morning was a deposit of dew
round about the camp], vs. 13. As concerns quails, it is of these
that David speaks in Psalm 78 27 :" He made flesh to rain upon them
as dust, and the winged bird as the sand of the sea." 8 In the pre
• In his copy of Schmidius' Bible, Swedenborg makes the note at this pas
sage" Exod. 1613 notes." The reference is apparently to the present work,
since no " notes" are entered in the Schmidius Bible at this passage.
374 III Ad. 17~-175
EXODUS XVI: 13 [4137-38
ceding verses [of the present text] it is merely flesh that is men
tioned; here the flesh is specified as having been a " winged bird."
Wherefore it matters not whether it be a quail or some other bird
called selav; 9 as to what flesh signifies, see above [no 4107, 41~6].
This is a food that comes from the sea, thus from below, not from
heaven; therefore they are the lmowledges of natural things, and
also of spiritual, which are drawn in by way of hearing, and which
thus rise up into the human mind. Such food has with it no other
loves than those of the body and animus; for no knowledge is fixed
in the memory of the animus apart from affection, that is, from
delight, and this comes from some kind of love. This is the food
spiritually sent to these sons; wherefore we read in the text that
this came to pass in the evening. Moreover, by David it is likened
to dust and to the sand of the sea because it comes from below and
not from heaven.
4137. As further concerns bread, this comes from above. Thus
it is heavenly love from God Messiah alone. All those things from
heavenly love which are compared to flesh, that is to say, all knowl
edges of things natural and spiritual, are turned to use and so
become true knoW-ledges, whence comes light, that is, life; to wit,
the knowledges of the truths and goodnesses of God Messiah, and
of many things which are comprehended by faith. Faith involves
God Messiah alone and thus all and single things that are to be
believed, etc., etc.
4138. This is declared dearly enough by David in Psalm 78,
where he treats of faith, saying indeed that" they trusted not in
his salvation," (vs. ~~) that is, in God Messiah who is Salvation
itself; that it rained down from heaven, for it is said" the doors of
the heavens" (vs. ~3). What rained down is called" the grain of
the heavens" (vs. ~4), and" the bread of the strong ones" 1 (vs.
• Selav is a transliteration of the Hebrew word '?¥'. Swedenborg's use of

the Hebrew word in this passage is noteworthy, since all the Latin versions
which he is known to have consulted (see our IntrodJuction p. 125 note 7) give
merely the translation" quail." Did Swedenborg consult some commentary or
other similar work? or have we here an evidence that he consulted the He
brew text? If the latter supposition is correct, then the present passage is
the first indication afforded in this or any other work, of Swedenborg's direct
approach to the original Hebrew.
1 In the A.V. this is translated" angels' food."
III Ad. 176-177 375

~5) ; as to what spiritual strength is, this the reader will see stated
above en. 4107, 4110], namely, that it is solely faith with love.
4139. This bread is compared to the dew which comes in the
morning and refreshes the ground and vegetation, entirely as does
heavenly love, which every morning refreshes human minds, these
being the ground which is refreshed by heavenly bread. The liken
ing of the human mind to ground comes from the seeds, being the
principles and goodnesses, that are sown there. (More can be said
here.)
4140. Hence in the Word of God Messiah this bread is com
pared to morning dew, the comparison being taken from the uni
versal morning, namely, from the kingdom of God Messiah, when
there shall be perpetual morning and the sun shall be ever in its
rising and never in its setting. Thus there shall be perpetual dew,
a dew which thus signifies gladness and, in the inmost sense, felicity,
which comes solely from heavenly love because from the harmony
of all the minds of heaven. In the supreme sense God Messiah
alone is the morning· dew.
4141. It is said, round about the camp, every assemblage in the
heavens being then likened to a camp, for which reason camps of
angels were spoken of above [n. 3990]. On earth also they are
called camps, where they pitched their tents, that is, where they
worship God Messiah, which camps will be united with the camps
of the angels. Respecting this unition, God Messiah granting, we
shall speak elsewhere.
4142. [And when the deposit of dew was gone, behold, upon the
faces of the wilderness was a crushed something, 2 round, crushed like
the hoar frost on the ground], vs. 14. Here this bread is described,
first that it came like the dew; then that soon afterwards, when the
dew had ceased, it appeared as though crushed like hoar frost upon
the earth; and later, in verse 31, like coriander seed, white, and its
taste like a wafer kneaded with honey. All this signifies the things
which lie concealed in this bread and the manner in which it in
creases, as can be evident from the series.
4143. As touching the dew itself, to this is compared the love of
God Messiah toward the entire human race, and especially toward
sons of Israel. This love, which is God Messiah himself, is com-
3 See n. 4145 note.
376 III Ad. 178-18~
EXODUS XVI: 14 [4144-46
pared to the morning dew which flows into man's mind. s Accord
ing to the influx and the derivation from the influx 4 it is called by
another name, to wit, charity toward the neighbor; moreover, [the
result is] that the man is contented; furthermore, there is harmony
and finally conjunction. The effect of love is the blessing itself,
and this in like manner is designated by another name according to
degrees, being likewise called the morning dew. It is said" morn
ing dew" from the universal morning, that is, from the kingdom
of God Messiah.
Here, however, the subject treated of is the dew which flows
into human minds 5 and is turned into manna.
4144. This dew is said to have been upon the faces of the wilder
ness, or where formerly was no love because no faith. Thus it
signifies the state of this people and also the most universal state
of men at the end of days. It is said faces of the wilderness, in the
plural, to the end that all the internal faces may be signified, as
stated above En. 3080]; for when love and faith are lacking, then,
everywhere in man, is the likeness of a wilderness, that is to say, a
wilderness without harvest and without fruit, these being the prod
uct solely of the love within faith.
4145. It is called a crushed 6 something, that is, it was tenuous
as hoar frost, being in like manner white and granulated; for as
dew it came together into little seeds, as it were, as stated later
[vs. 31]. In this way it was prepared upon the faces of the
wilderness; for that which flows in appears tenuous, nor is it per
ceived; yet it covers the entire ground or earth, that is to say, the
mind, and so is diffused.
4146. It is called round because it goes into spherules, as into
seeds, to the end that it may take root. For everything of this
sort lays itself down into its related parts, as can be well known to
all, to wit, that nothing ever flows into human minds which is not
• The autograph has min<h which is followed by through the 8oul-crossed
off.
• [Crossed off:] the love which is insinuated through souls becomes- [The
last word fit is not crossed off but we have ignored it as belonging to the words
crossed off.]
• [Crossed off:] as into a ground, and satisfies them.
• The word" crushed" (cO'ntu8um) is an interpretation by Schmidius, for
the Hebrew literally means "a small round thing," as correctly translated in
the A.V. The Vulgate's translation is "a minute thing crushed as though with
a pestle into the likeness of hoar frost," etc.
. III Ad. 183-186 377
disposed into an order and a series. Hence the like things are
drawn forth, etc., etc. So in the present case, they are said to go
into something round, as into seeds. Wherefore also they are
likened to the seeds of the coriander (vs. 31).
4147. They had also whiteness [vs. 31], for white is truth and
shining white is 7 sincerity. Therefore the whiteness. Hence, to
those who are in integrity of life, both in heaven and on earth, is
ascribed the color of snow [Ps. 51 7 , Is. 1 18 ] ; and they who are jus
tified are said to be white [Dan. n 35 , U 10 , Apoc. 7 14 ].
From this source then was made the man or bread; for these
seeds from heaven take root in minds; hence the harvest and the
grain, as declared by David in Psalm 78[23-5]. Thus is this grain
prepared. The description of the man involves the whole regen
eration of man by love and faith. (But these things are in such
sequence that they can be set forth still better later on, if God
Messiah so grants.)
4148. As touching its taste, it was like cakes kneaded with honey
(vs. 31). Hence what is signified is the sweetness which arises from
that love, there being no sweetness of life, even in the fruits of
faith, except from love. Hence its taste was such that it signifies
the felicity of those who receive this spiritual bread.
(For the rest, if opportunity 8 be given, something may here
be said concerning love and its influx and the reformation of man
by its means, and also concerning the fruit arising therefrom; thus
concerning justification by God Messiah alone.)
4149. [And when the sons of Israel saw it, they said, a man to
his brother, This is man: 9 for they knew not what it was. And
Moses said unto them, This is the bread which J ehovah hath given
you for food], vs. 15. That the sons of Israel did not know what
this was, signifies that no one knows how this influx takes place.
Here it was the sons of Jacob who did not know what these things
signified and, indeed, everything of this kind. What takes place
inmostly is not known even by sons of Israel, and the same is like
wise true of many other things, as for instance what such manna
• Reading est for sou.
8 Swedenborg first wrote leave.
• This is Schmidius' rendition and also Tremellius'; but Castellio and the
Vulgate transliterate the Hebrew words and follow this by a translation, to
wit" Man hu? What is this?" Pagnini has simply" What is this?"
378 III Ad. 187-191
EXODUS XVI: 15-17 [4150-51
produces, especially when it has the effect that it appears as "a

singular gift" (see verse 31) ; it signifies also "singularly pre-
pared." 1 . . 1;!f1 !
i
" A singular gift" involves that it is nothing but a gift and

indeed a heavenly gift from God Messiah by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore it is said" a singular gift."
The spiritual gifts arising therefrom, that is to say, arising
from love and faith, are many in number and are entirely unknown
to those who are lacking in love and faith.
Moses here calls it 2 manna, as also it was to them, being the
bread which Jehovah gave them for food.
4150. [This is the word which Jehovah hath commanded,
Gather of it, a man according to his food, an omer for a head, the
number of your souls; a man for them which are in his tent shall ye
take it], vs. 16. A word is here the commandment itself, and also
truth. The word is God Messiah, and therefore it is said this is
the word which he hath commanded.
According to his food, or for his food, signifies according to
knowledges, as much as he shall eat; thus that there may be a cor-
respondence (see also verse 18). An omer for a head, thus there
shall be an equal measure for each; from this, however, it does not
follow that it is of use to all in the same way. A man for them
which are in his tent, that is, the father of the family; in his tent
signifies in the church of God Messiah, thus it signifies a representa-
tion of its classes in general and in particular.
4151. [And the sons of Israel did so; and they gathered it which
had a large family, and they which had a small], vs. 17. The insti-
tution now follows according to allotments, all these being likened
as a society to a kingdom. A man means the father of the family,
thus the ruler of the house.
That there should be no care as to how they were to obtain
food, was to the end that the state of the heavenly kingdom might
be instituted.
1 The words "a singular gift" and "singularly prepared" are taken, not
from the Hebrew text but from Schmidius' interpretation in verses 15 and 31.
His words in verse 15 are: "Man (donum lIingulare) hoc"; and in verse 31:
"Vocarunt ... nomen ejus Man (q. d. donum aingulare, velllingulariter para-
tum [which denotes a singular gift or singularly prepared]).
2 (Crossed off:] a singular gift.
III Ad. 19~-198 379

4152. [And they measured it with an omer, that he who had a

large family might not receive an overabundance, and that to him
who had a small family might be no lack; they gathered, a man ac
cording to his food], vs. 18. Here likewise the heavenly state is
represented.
4153. [And Moses said unto them, Let no man leave of it till the
morning], vs. 19. The state of those is described who have care
for things that are to come, and this because they wish to provide
for themselves by their own providence, and continually think about
the future. Then this manna perishes, for then they come into an
other state, coming not into the state of the angels of heaven but
into that of perverse men. Therefore the manna then perishes and
so stinks [vs. 9l0] ; for every good is then turned into evil inasmuch
as the man wishes to provide for himself and so is left to himself.
Hence comes all evil, evil being within man radically.
4154. [Notwithstanding, they obeyed not Moses; but men made
a remainder of it unto the morning, and it bred worms and stank;
wheref01'e Moses was wroth with them. And they gathered it every
morning, a man according to his food: and when the sun waxed hot,
it melted], vs. 9l0, 9l1. It melted before the sun. By the sun is
signified the natural, the sun being the fountain of all nature. It
is the care of worldly and natural things that makes this bread to
melt away, heavenly things and natural never agreeing together
unless the order be such as was described above [n. 4146]. It is
suffocated by the loves of the world and self. The mid-day sun is
this natural heat.
4155. [And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered
double food, two Ome1"S for every man: and all the princes (of the
assembly S) came and told Moses], vs. 9l9l. Concerning the sixth
day and the double portion, see above at verse 5.
4156. [And he said unto them, This is that which Jehovah hath
spoken, Tomon·ow shall be a sabbath, a holy sabbath (to Je
hovah 3) : bake that which ye will bake to day, and boil that ye will
boil; and all that remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the
morning], vs. 9l8. What is meant by the feast of the seventh day
has already been told [no 1076 seq.J, namely, a perpetual day and
holy. As to the signification of tomorrow this also may be seen
elsewhere [n. 4118, 4117], to wit, that it signifies the last day.
880 III Ad. 199-9108
EXODUS XVI: 18-~7 [4157-60
In these words is set forth the preparation of men for the king
dom of God Messiah, and they must, one and all, be understood
spiritually, to wit, as having regard to minds and to the bread
wherewith these are to be nourished on the seventh day; for accord
ing as man is prepared so will he live in the other life. Therefore
it is said that they laid it up for keeping, that is, that they lay
up for themselves treasures which no worm shall eat and which are
not corrupted [Matt. 6 19- 2 °].
4157. [And when they laid it up till the morning, as Moses com
manded, it stank not, neither was there any worm therein], vs. ~4.
These points are here confirmed.
4158. [And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sahbath
to Jehovah: to day ye shall not find it in the field], vs. ~5. As a
man has lived so he will live. Nothing will be given him save what
has been given. He lives from the previous formation and refor
mation of his life. Therefore it is said ye shall not find it in the
field. It is not said" in the wilderness" for in that case there is no
harvest which grows up; but then is the fruition of what has been
acquired.
4159. [Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, shall
be the sabbath; in it there shall be none], vs. ~6. This precept is
again confirmed. Six days signifies the six days of the new crea
tion, and also the six days of man, this being the signification in
the universal and in the singular, etc.
4160. [Yet it came to pass on the seventh day, that some of the
people went out to gather, and they found none], vs. ~7. Here it
is confirmed that in the other life men will not find anything save
what they have gathered on the former day; for as the disposition
is then, so it remains. This, moreover, has been made evident to
me many times when I was in company
with spirits and those who have lived after death. These could
not repent of the things which they had received in the life of
their body, howsoever it was allowed me, as it were, to propose
to them that they should be of another mind and thus should
be rendered happy. But this was wholly in vain, for they still
remained like to themselves as before, although they acknowl
edged that what was said was true. Nay, there was a kind of
III Ad. ~04-~09 381
will, as it were, to live from a different mind, but as far as I

learned, it was then in vain, for their mind at once returned. 4
4161. [Wherefore Jehovah said unto Moses, How long refuse
ye to keep my commandments and my law?], vs. ~8. These points
are again confirmed. This injunction is called commandments and
law,5 it being the heavenly law that is commanded. The interior
law is the commandment, while the exterior is called law. Thus
these words are said equally for sons of Israel as for sons of J acob.
4162. [See, for Jehovah hath given you the sabbath, therefore
he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every
man by himself, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day],
vs. ~9. By the seventh day is everywhere described the kingdom of
God. The meaning is that they shall have no care, all care being
God Messiah's alone. He who consults for himself is not of the
kingdom of God Messiah so far as that part of him is concerned
wherein, in his mind, he so consults for himself that he remains
such. This has regard to order, how that it is allowed each man
to consult for himself, as for instance, to be on his guard against
evil when this is imposed on him, and in similar cases, such as have
regard to the state of an evil society, in order that he may be in
safety. Hence prudence is lawful-but a prudence such as inflows
into minds from God Messiah alone.
The seventh day is also described as a rest for an; thus none
should go out of his place; he will then remain in his own state,
place being state, etc., etc.
4163. [So the people rested on the seventh day], vs. 30. Rest
is now described, being in the external sense rest of the body, but in
the more interior and inmost sense spiritual rest or rest of the mind.
God Messiah is that rest itself into which sons of Israel will enter.
4164. [And the house of Israel called the ruvrne thereof man:
and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like the
taste of a cake kneaded with honey], vs. 31. See above at verse 15 ;
and as to its preparation, see at verse 14.
In this text it is described as seed. All life is from love; hence
is born seed; for without the love of heaven nothing can become a
seed whence is born a thing that is beautiful inmostly. Seeds aris
• This indented paragraph is cited in the Author's Index to his Memorabilia,
s. v. BO'1llUm, Natura, Veritaa. See Table of Contents.
• According to the Hebrew, this should be laws.
38~ III Ad. ~10-~15
EXODUS XVI: ~8-33 [4165-67
ing from other loves do not cohere; they give fruits which perish,
etc., etc.; they are black; they are not round in form, the round
being that outmost form which involves things more interior and
inmost wherein is contained the whole rationale of conjunction,
harmony and felicity. Thus one form arises from another ac
cording to progression by degrees. From things inmost arises
perpetuity in things outmost; this comes to an end in roundness.
(But these matters may be set forth more distinctly and clearly,
God Messiah granting.)
A cake kneaded with honey signifies sweetness arising from har
mony and thus felicity arising from love, for all felicity is from
love.
4165. It may perhaps be allowed that it be also set forth, how
that not only all life exists from heavenly love, but also all under
standing of truth and good; and, moreover, how that from this
source come all other heavenly affections in their order, and in
addition all affections of the animus in their series, and likewise
pleasures of the body, etc.; thus to set forth their order, as to how
they are all contained in this manna as in a seed; and also in a few
words, how that when there is apparent life, which rather is death
and shade, the opposite things are contained; in which case seeds
are born from other loves; and also what seeds, and what their
nature, etc., etc. 6
4166. [And Moses said, This is the word which Jehovah com
mandeth, Let there be to you the fullness of an omer that it be
kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I
have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth out of the
land of Egypt], vs. 3~. That perpetuity may be signified, and also
that the manna may signify God Messiah, and that so they might
remember him and how that the sons of Jacob were nourished and
the sons of Israel are to be nourished, these words are added.
4167. [And Moses said unto Aaron, Take an urn, and put there
the fullness of an omer of man, and lay it up before J ehovah, to be
kept for your generations], vs. 33. Because all these things have
this signification it was enjoined by Jehovah on Moses and by
Moses on Aaron, that is to say, on the prophets and priests who are
meant by Aaron, that it should be kept before Jehovah, that is, be
• n. 4165 is emphasized by " NB" written three times in the margin.
III Ad. ~l6-~~O 383
fore God Messiah. To keep it before Jehovah means to remember,

and for generations means to perpetuity.
But this manna was not kept for generations by the house of
J acob (but see below as to whether it was kept) ; that it perished is
well known. Hence it must be sons of Israel who kept this REA v
ENLY GRAIN before Jehovah. In the sight of Jehovah 7 means be
fore Jehovah that he might then remember the sons of IsraeJ.8
4168. [As J ehovah commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up be
fore the Testimony, to be kept], vs. 34. It is said before the Testi
mony. There was as yet no tabernacle, but still there was a Testi
mony, so called, to the end that it might be a testimony to all in the
entire globe, that the manna was to be kept.
4169. [And the sons of Israel did eat man forty years, even un
til they came to a land inhabited; they did eat man even until they
came unto the border of the land of Canaan] , vs. 35. What is sig
nified by forty years has (I think) been told above [no 3086]. The
time of temptation is forty days, or six times seven, or six weeks,
from which comes the round number; for neither the first feast day,
nor the last, is included, inasmuch as the first day was the heavenly
paradise as also will be the last. Hence the number forty is distin
guished into as many weeks or as many times, as also is the time of
reformation. Within this time there will be combat and tempta
tion, which the Messiah also sustained for forty days.9
4170. They did eat man for forty years, inasmuch as they could
not be tempted save when they ate manna; for temptation is a com
bat between heavenly loves and the loves of the world and self, these
loves being contraries. With the man in whom is no love of God
Messiah, there is also no combat, because nothing contrary. Where
fore, according to the text, they did eat man for forty years, that
is to say, while they were in the wilderness, that being the wilderness
where nothing rules save the world and the love of self; for then
there is no harvest. Hence temptation is also signified by the
• Ad conspectum Jeho'Vae; Swedenborg may here have had in mind the ver
sion by Tremellius, ante conspectum J eho'Vae. The Hebrew is " before the faces
of J ehovah," which Schmidius renders" before J ehovah."
• The last two lines of this passage are emphasized by "N B" written in
the margin.
• This paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written in the margin.
384 IH Ad. Q21-QM
EXODUS XVI: 34-XVII: 7 [4171-73
manna in the wilderness, whereby is represented the continual temp

tation from the first time of reformation to the lasU
This is also represented by bread which is the symbol of the
New Testament, and is the manna from heaven, that is, is God
Messiah himself. (This may be set forth in many ways, God Mes
siah granting.) 2
4171. A land inhabited is where there is no wilderness, and
therefore is the land which sons of Israel shall inhabit. Thus it is
the kingdom of God Messiah.
The land was inhabited by gentiles, but these were to be cast
out, as shown in the sequel. Thus there will be peace in heaven,
as said by John [in the Apocalypse], chapter 12[10]; for the land
inhabited was the land of Canaan from which the idolaters were to
be cast out.
4172. It is said unto the border of the land of Canaan. This
signifies the last day; for a border is the last, and the land of Ca
naan, when sons of Israel dwelt there, is the kingdom of God Mes
siah. Until that time they will eat bread from heaven; thus with
the bread they will be in temptations. Afterwards, however, comes
the fruition of all things; for the land of Canaan abounds with
milk and honey, with vineyards and fields. Thus the fruition of
all things will then be complete. 3
4173. [Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah], vs. 36.
Here each will have what is sufficient for him, as said above [vs.
16-18], in measure according to each one's capacity. Therefore
this is now mentioned in the text, to the end that the measure itself
might be signified.
EXODUS XVII
1 And all the assembly of the sons of Israel journeyed from the
wilderness of Sin, according to their journeys, at the mouth of Je
hovah, and pitched their camp in Rephidim, where was no water for
the people to drink.
~ Wherefore the people contended with Moses, and said, Give
1 The first part of this paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written in the
margin.
• [Crossed off:] By a land inhabited is also meant heaven, or their state af
ter death.
HI Ad. ~~5-~~9 385
us water that we may drink. And Moses said to them, Why con
tend ye with me? Why tempt ye Jehovah?
3 And there the people pleaded thirst for waters, and the peo
ple murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore hast thou made
us to go up out of Egypt, to kill me and my sons and my cattle
with thirst?
4 And Moses cried unto Jehovah, saying, What must I do with
this people? it is yet a little that they stone me.
5 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Pass on before the people, and
take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy staff, wherewith thou
smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.
6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in
Horeb; and when thou shalt smite the rock, there shall come waters
out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the eyes
of the elders of Israel.
7 And he caned the name of the place Massah, and Meribah,
because the sons of Israel contended, and because they tempted Je
hovah, saying, Is Jehovah in our midst, or not?
4174. What now follows concerning the water signifies the gifts
of the Holy Spirit; for the Holy Spirit proceeds from Jehovah the
Father and Son, nor is there any other Holy Spirit save that which
proceeds from J ehovah the Father through J ehovah the Son. This
causes in human minds thirst, being the expectation of the kingdom
of God Messiah, thus bringing to those minds the things which
come from Jehovah the Son,4 all which 'are called gifts 5 divine and
thus truly spiritual. These are many in number, such as charity,
hope, innocence, wisdom, etc. These gifts are called the waters
which flow from the mountain of God, in the present case Horeb,
that is, from the Rock.
Gifts which are extraordinary are the gifts of prophecy solely
concerning God Messiah and his kingdom, and concerning the
destruction of the kingdom of the devil; that is to say, concerning
heaven and hell. There are also other extraordinary gifts, being
many in number, which are enumerated by Paul [1 Cor. 121 - 11 J.
4175. That it is this water of which the sons, here called sons
of Israel, murmured, that is to say, the water which is called the
• Swedenborg first wrote God Messiah.
• [Crossed off:]1 of the spirit.
386
EXODUS XVII: 1-7 [4176-77
gift of the Holy Spirit testifying concerning God Messiah and

coming from God Messiah and sent by him, can be evident both
from what has preceded and also from the signification of the rock
which Moses struck and from which the water flowed forth [vs. 6].
This rock was that mountain which above is called the mountain of
God, where Moses saw God Messiah as a flame in a bramble. Its
name was Horeb [chap. 3 1,2]. That this rock is God Messiah may
be seen above [n. 3313-4], and the same is confirmed by Paul
[I Cor. 10 4 ] and, moreover, by all the other mountains in the land
of Canaan, these mountains being called holy. The comparison is
taken from the height of mountains, a mountain being the highest
thing on earth. Thus men are in the heavens 6 when they are on
the summit of a mountain.
4176. Since, therefore, the Holy Spirit is signified by the water,
and God Messiah by the mountain, it is evident that there is no
other Holy Spirit save that which comes from this mountain; for
to the man who is regenerating and regenerated, it gives only the
gifts of God Messiah, inasmuch as it testifies concerning God Mes
siah and concerning none other. Thus, if there be any other spirit
that testifies before man to aught save God Messiah alone, it is not
the Holy Spirit but some other spirit pertaining to the world; and
it brings with it the more of impurity according as it recedes from
.the testimony of God Messiah.
4177. Previously the sons of Israel were complaining concern
ing bread, namely, that they were hungry [chap. 162,3]. So, in
the inmost sense, sons of Israel complain concerning heavenly love.
Rut, if I may still use the comparison, this bread is such that it
does not yield nourishment without water, as is well known. In
order that it may become blood and thus nourishment for the body,
it is necessary that there be water as a vehicle, for without water
nothing comes to use. So also with God Messiah, that is to say,
with all that is comprehended by faith in God Messiah and by
love; that it may come to use, there is need of the Holy Spirit which
flows in with these gifts.
This is the reason why the subject now treated of is water,
while previously it was bread. But see the series in the text [of the
Word] of God Messiah.
• I'll, coe1o (in heaven). The Latin coelum like the English heavens means
also the sky, the starry heavens, etc.
387
4178--8~] THE WORD EXPLAINED
4178. [And all the assembly of the sons of Israel journeyed

from the wilderness of Sirn, according to their journeys, at the
mouth of Jehovah, and pitched their camp in Rephidim, where was
no water for the people to drink], vs. 1. As said above [n. 3753,
3784,3876], by all the assembly of [the sons of] Israel is meant all
Israel in general, in special, and in particular. In general, all
from the first day of reformation to the last, and also, in the last
day, all in heaven and on earth. In special, all societies large and
small and thus peoples and gentiles of divers nations and genera
tions. In particular the individuals in societies and the single per
sons in the generation and family who are to be reformed and who
are reformed.
4179. According to their journeys signifies their sojournings,
and these the course of their life, that is to say, the lives of men in
general, in special, and in particular, as stated above [n. 4178].
4180. At the mouth of Jehovah,7 to wit, in his sight and at his
command. The pillar which preceded them was continually pres
ent; thus they were then ever living at the mouth of J ehovah, that
is, in the sight of God Messiah and at his command.
4181. Here, as above [Gen. ~617], to pitch their camp means to
set their tents there. Thus what is inmostly signified is the place
where they had their divine worship; for where sons of Israel pitch
their camp, there angelic choirs also have their camp; respecting
camps, see above [no 4141]. In the proximate sense, it means to
settle there and rest.
4182. That they journeyed from places where water abounded
to a place where was no water, was for the sake of their temptation;
for it flows from the love of God Messiah that man shall be brought
into temptations as far as he has nee,d of them. Thus the sons of
.Jacob were led into the wilderness from one place to another in
order that they might undergo temptations, and these temptations
went on, it being by temptations that man is reformed, since he
then comes into combat, as stated above [n. 4069], and puts on an
image of the Messiah. s Thus the sons of Jacob had to undergo
so many temptations because God Messiah willed to urge them to
T Ad os JellOvae. The word os means mouth and also face, countenance.
There is no such extension of meaning in the corresponding Hebrew word,
which means merely mouth.
S Swedenborg first wrote God Messiah.
388
EXODUS XVII: 1-~ [4183-86
himself and so to lead them into the land of Canaan, that is, into
his kingdom. As to what kind of men they were in their tempta-
tions, this is clearly evident from the Word of God Messiah.
4183. Here, therefore, they lacked water, that is to say, lacked
that mediation whereby the bread given them from heaven is turned
to nourishment and thus to use. Understood in the spiritual
sense, bread without water is nothing but the knowledge of such
things as look to God Messiah, and also the knowledge of affections
or love, and of such things as shall constitute faith. That this
may be of use, there is need of water from the mountain of God or
Horeb, as was said above [no 4175] when speaking of water.
4184. Without water then, faith and love is merely a theoretical
something, a something viewed in the mind, and not practical or
effective. But we may not speak further on these matters for they
involve many arcana, to wit, as to how faith in God Messiah, and
knowledge of the love of him and of all that is contained in faith
and love can be given and yet not be accompanied by love. This,
I say, is not yet clear to me, but is an arcanum. This, however, I
know to be true~that intellectual faith is one thing and saving
faith another, but that they can be conjoined. By love, faith be-
comes saving; thus the man aspires to nothing else than the king-
dom of God Messiah, that is, to God Messiah himself. I know also
that without love faith is vacillating, and, moreover, with those who
are led astray by other loves it is usually suffocating. 9 To say
nothing of the fact that faith [without love] is not faith; but men
think they have faith and do not have it.
Whether such will be the temptation of sons of Israel I do not
yet know.
4185. [Wherefore the people contended with Moses, and said,
Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said to them, Why
contend ye with me? Why tempt ye Jehovah?], vs.~. Here the
people is said to have contended with Moses; and the place received
its name from contention (vs. 7).
It also received its name from temptation (vs. 7). That there
was a temptation is clearly stated in the text, for we read Why
tempt ye J ehovah.
4186. [And there the people pleaded thirst for waters, and the
people murmured against Moses, and said, l'Vherefore hast thou
• [Crossed off:] Nay, there exists historical faith, which is-
III Ad. ~41-~45
389
made us to go '/JP out of Egypt, to kill me and my sons and my cat

tle with thirst?], vs. 3. Of their thirst we have spoken above [no
4183]. Sons of Israel thirst when the Holy Spirit is not sent, as
stated above [no 4175]. So we read in the Word of the New
Testament, that many were athirst but still they did not receive the
Holy Spirit until the Word of J ehovah came to some one of the
apostles; then for the first time did they receive the Holy SpiriU
It is also said of many, that they had faith, but until God said that
it would be according as they believed they were not healed. 2 Thus
they might have faith, nay, and might also thirst, and yet not have
the Holy Spirit. This comes from God Messiah alone; for, as was
said [n. 4176], there is no other Holy Spirit nor ever can be. 3
4187. Their murmurings are recited both here and also below;
for they said, "Is Jehovah in our midst?" (vs. 7). How grievous
this contention was is sufficiently apparent from the fact that even
Moses did not deal with the matter rightly. Thus in some way he
succumbed, and for this reason it was not permitted him to come
into the land of Canaan; for he did this [miracle] before the peo
ple not with adoration but with anger. Here, however, no men
tion is yet made concerning Moses, how that he struck the rock and
how that for this reason he was not permitted to enter into the land
of Canaan, this being told later [Numbers Q09-12, 24; Q7 12-4; Deut.
3Q48-52]. Moreover, what this is intended to signify in respect to
Moses may be seen below, God Messiah granting.
4188. From the above, and also from the words in verse 7, it is
evident that they said more than is adduced in the text; for there we
read nothing concerning Moses, nor concerning their murmuring
when they said, "Is Jehovah in our midst or not?" Moreover,
from the contention the place was called Meribah, and from the
temptation, Massah 4 (vs. 7).
In the inmost sense, murmuring contains spiritual death. The
present murmuring, however, was not so grievous as the words
sound; but it was then against the Holy Spirit. Later, however,
more grievous murmurings are mentioned, in that they made them
1 See Acts 91-5.
• See Matt. 92~.
3 This paragraph is emphasized by "N B" written three times in the
margin.
• In his Latin translation of verse 7, Schmidius has" Massah (Le., tempta
tion) and Meribah (Le., contention)."
390 HI Ad. Q46-Q48
without any faith, thu~ rejecting faith in God Messiah; for they
said, "Is Jehovah in our midst or not?" (vs. 7). At the same
time, moreover, like Moses, they were without any 5 adoration. 6
The words to kill me and my sons and my cattle, include all
things that are in the family, the society, the kingdom. Thus they
include their posterity.
4189. [And Moses cried unto Jehovah, saying, What must I do
with this people? it is yet a little that they stone me], vs. 4. Moses
is said to have cried, as above [chap. 8 12 , 15 25 ], which signifies
indignation.
Moreover, his words contained some indication that he carried
the matter unworthily, and that in some way he had succumbed.
Thus Moses was not as yet what he ought to be, for it is not yet
said that he supplicated with adoration. What is to be thought
of Moses later on, can be evident from the things that are said con
cerning him. Here he did not as yet conduct himself as a servant
of Jehovah, that is, as a servant of God Messiah; for he who speaks
thus when speaking to Jehovah the Creator of the whole of heaven
and earth, when yet man is nothing, is dust, is filth, is not in the
way of truth. But these matters are more fully confirmed later
on where this contention is treated of; [see Numbers, chap !'l01-13].
4190. [And Jehovah said unto Moses, Pass on before the peo
ple, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy staff, where
with thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go], vs. 5. Be
cause the sons of Jacob had thus succumbed, it was commanded that
Moses and also the elders of Israel should pass on before the people,
and that he should have his staff in his hand. By this is signified
that they should come into the sight of God Messiah, and so the
people would not perish.
That God Messiah was pacified when Moses, Aaron, the priests,
and others came before him and so made intercession, as it were, is
evident from the sequel on many occasions, both when they were at
mount Sinai and when they were elsewhere, and later when there
were priests, and afterwards when there was a tabernacle. There
fore, these acts prior to the institution of the church signify inter
cession, namely, that the people might be presented to view in their
elders, etc.
•r Crossed off:] veneration.
• [Crossed off:) Thus they spoke in anger.
III Ad. !'l49-Q5Q 391
Thus in the inmost 'sense they signify the intercession of God

Messiah for the people and thus for -the whole of Israel, this inter
cession being here represented. For it was a representation of
the priests whose office was not yet instituted, the elders being, as
it were, the leaders, kings, and priests.
4191. In the supreme sense, the staff was the power of God Mes
siah and thus the Messiah himself.
It is said, the staff wherewith he smote the river, because this
signifies the many things that were spoken at that time, and which
the reader may look up; for when this river, that is, the sea Suph,
had been smitten, the impure or profane waters receded [chap.
1421 , n. 3995-6]. It was for this reason that Moses was com
manded to use this same staff in order that impure spirits might
recede and place be given for the Holy Spirit. Thus [the meaning
is] that they are to be cleansed from iniquities in order that the
Holy Spirit may come; thus they are to be purified from evils.
4192. [Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in
Horeb; and when thou shalt smite the rock, there shall come waters
out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the eyes
of the elders of Israel], vs. 6. " To stand upon the rock" signifies
that it is the mountain of God, and thus the presence of God Mes
siah. [This is said], that by the mountain there may be a signi
fication of Himself.
What a stone signifies in general, and what a rock, may be seen
above [no 5~5 seq.] when speaking of the stone set up for a pillar
by Jacob [Gen. ~818]. Here the rock is indeed the mountain, but
in general it is the temple of God, the foundation of salvation,
etc., and thus God Messiah himself.
4193. "To smite the rock," here signifies to persist in prayers
without ceasing, as is the case in all temptation; for there is an
appearance as though God Messiah were absent when yet he is
present, the temptation and its persistence consisting in this very
thing. But because God Messiah acts from love which looks to the
end, that is, to man's reformation, He appears harsh, when never
theless He is anything but this, for every moment He so regulates
the temptation that a son of Israel may yet not fall; for He knows
man's strength and does not suffer him to be tempted beyond his
strength.
39~ III Ad. ~53-~58
" Smiting" in this text also signifies that this people was a
hard people, to whom He willed to perform His promises, not be
cause of their faith but because of the promise; hence this people
obtained waters. But because relatively to them there is a con
tinual representation of sons of Israel, " to smite" signifies some
thing milder, namely, to insist.
4194. Therefore it is said in the text that Moses did these things
in the eyes of the elders, not in the eyes of the people, the latter be
ing unable to draw near to this mountain on account of their unbe
lief, as stated above [no 4188, 4190]; for they who do not believe
can never obtain such water.. Thus the people was presented to
view in their elders, and in this way there was a continual repre
sentation.
4195. [And he called the nOJT1UJ of the place Massah, and Meri
bah, because the sons of Israel contended, and because they tempted
Jehovah, saying, Is Jehovah in our midst, or not?], vs. 7. Of these
words we have spoken above [n. 4188] ; but all that happened there
is not here told, to wit, what was Moses' character at this time, etc.
Yet some things are said.
But concerning Moses and the contention, concerning the rock
in the wilderness of Sin, but at Kadesh, and concerning the waters
of Meribah, see Numbers, chapter ~01-13. (Whether this conten
tion is the same as the present one, or whether the incidents related
here are only those that pertain to their journey, will be seen later;
for the same incidents are related in the passage cited, but there
mention is made of the death of Miriam and of the tabernacle of
the congregation.) That passage treats of Moses and Aaron,
that they did not believe (vs. U), and so did not hallow God Mes
siah. Confer also Numbers ~712-4; Deut. 1 37 , 31 2 , 3 26 , 3~50,
344 ,6.
4196. That this rock is God Messiah should be evident from the
Ninety-fifth 7 Psalm of David. There He is called the Rock of
Salvation, to whom David then made a joyful noise or whom he
* The parenthetical clause at the beginning of this paragraph is emphasized
by the marginal notes Obe. bene and Obe. (" Observe well" and" observe ").
The references at the end of the paragraph are also emphasized by a marginal
" Obs."
• In his copy of Schmidius' version of the Bible, Swedenborg marks Psalm
95 by a wavy line in the margin, where also he makes the entry, referring to the
present work, " Confer Exod. 177 and the notes at that place."
In Ad. ~59-~63 393
THE WORD EXPLAINED
celebrated with a joyful noise, that is to say, celebrated in joy

representing heavenly joy (vs. 1). Then is mentioned the con
fession/ that is, the faith or true doctrine, in which they will come
to God Messiah (vs. fl). He is called " King over all the gods"
[vs. 3], namely, as having power over all angels and spirits, these
being called gods, as was Moses [Exod. 416 ], thus over all kings
and leaders. It is said that He searches 9 into all and single things
in men throughout the entire globe; " the strengths of the moun
tains" are the strengths which come from that mountain (vs. 4) ;
that all things are created by means of Him (vs. 5). Humiliation
and adoration are described (vs. 6). The people Israel is called
His pasture and flock (vs. 7). The Psalm then treats of the
present temptation and contention (vs. 8, and likewise verse 9) ;
but in verse 10 is described the people, that it was rejected and
that they walked not in the way of truth; and in verse 11 it is said
that Jehovah swore in his anger, if they shall come unto his rest,
namely, to the kingdom of God Messiah, that is, to God Messiah
himself who is the Rest and who is the Kingdom. Thus the Psalm
treats of the people called Jacob. 1
EXODUS XVII
8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out,
fight with Amalek; to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill,
and the staff of God shall be in mine hand.
10 And Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with
Amalek; but Moses, Aaron, and Hut went up to the top of the hill.
11 And it came to pass, when :Moses held up his hand, Israel
prevailed; but when he let down his hand, Amalek ptevailed.
1fl And when Moses' hands were heavy, they took a stone, and
put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur held up
• In the A.V. this is translated thanksgiving. The Hebrew word involves
both tl/.anksgiving and confession.
• In the A.V., verse 4 is translated" In his hand are the deepest places of
the earth"; but Schmidius gives the more literal translation" are the searchings
of the earth." The Hebrew is: r.~-'':l~~,? derived from the root 'pn to search,
investigate. "Deepest places" is an interpretation.
1 This paragraph is emphasized by "Obs." written three times in the
margin.
394
EXODUS XVII: 8-16 [4197-98
his hands, the one on this side, the other on that; and his hands
were made steady until the going down of the sun.
13 So Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge
of the sword.
14 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Write this a memorial in a
book, and put it in the ears of Joshua: that blotting out I will blot
out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.
15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name thereof
J ehovah-nissi :
16 Furthermore, he said, Because a hand upon 2 the throne of
Jah, the war of Jehovah shall be against Amalek from generation
to generation.
4197. By all the peoples and nations here mentioned are meant
in the universal sense nations in the entire globe, which are many
in number. In like manner as by the sons of Jacob are here meant
all sons of Israel, as stated above [n. 389~], so by all the nations
here named are meant in the universal sense those in the entire globe
who come to the church of God Messiah, that is, to the confession
of the sons of Israel, or who more or less recede therefrom.
4198. Who they are who are meant by Amalek or the Amalek
ites is clearly evident from the prophecy of Balaam, where we read:
" Then he looked upon Amalek; and he gave forth his enunciation
and said, The first fruits of the nations is Amalek, but his posterity,
even to destruction" (Num. ~420). -Moreover, that Amalek would
be entirely wiped out when the sons of Israel came unto their rest,
confer Deuteronomy ~517[-191.
Here, therefore, by the Amalekites ate meant those among the
nations who primitively had been of the church of God Messiah but
afterwards greatly turned aside therefrom; and this in general, in
special, and in particular. Who they are in general can also be
evident, to wit, that they are those who desired to occupy the
kingdom of God Messiah, who set themselves upon his throne and
proclaim themselves as the God of the universe; and who, that is
to say, their posterity, thus became worse in process of time. So,
in special and in particular, they are those who recede from faith,
and trust in themselves alone, because they indulge in their own
loves, and so are idolaters, etc.
• See n. 4g14 note.
III Ad. ~64-~66

395
THE WORD EXPLAINED
4199. In the present text, their first fruits [Num. 2420] are
described. At that time the struggle was an uncertain one, in
respect to who would conquer; and therefore the battle between
the Israelites and the Amalekites was in great doubt. But because
God Messiah saw things to come as already present, and thus saw
that the Amalekites would turn aside from the way of truth and
so would perish, therefore the victory was given to the sons of
Israel; but this was done because of the holding up of Moses' hands
while he was making supplication, these hands being held up by
means of Aaron and Hur.
4200. Here we have pure representatives. In the proximate
sense, as also in the more interior and inmost, many persons are
presented in this narrative; but in the supreme sense there is only
One, namely, God Messiah alone, he being here represented by
Joshua fighting, by Moses making supplication, by Aaron and
Hur [holding up Moses' hands], and also by the top of the hill;
for in the supreme sense all and single things signify God Messiah
who sustains all and single things, etc., etc.
4201. [Then camze Amalek, amil fought with Israel in Rephidinn.
And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight
with Amalek; to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill, and the
staff of God shall be in mine hand], vs. 8, 9. Here, the subject
treated of is the fight with Amalek, or the nations spoken of above
[no 4198], which were their first fruits.
As touching the fight, this was in favor of either side, and so
was in doubt. By J oskua is indeed meant God Messiah who fought
for Israel, but because the Amalekites also conquered, what is signi
fied is, that He then gave the victory to them also; for it is said that
" Amalek is the first fruits of the nations, but the posterity [even]
to destruction" [Num. 2420] ; this also was the outcome; see above
[no 4198].
4202. It is of common occurrence that God Messiah fights for
both sides when he loves both. But since it is the end that resolves
the work, therefore, when this is regarded, he grants victory to
those who will conquer in the end of days. This, moreover, can be
evident from Balaam, in that God Messiah did not then permit that
the sons of Jacob should be cursed [Num. 22 12 ] ; thus he also
fought for them at that time. These events, therefore, are repre
396 III Ad. 267-271
EXODUS XVII: 8-11 [4~0S-06
sentative of what is contained in the universal and most universal

sense.
4203. That on the morrow Moses would stand on the top of the
hill signifies that they should stand above, as on a mountain; that
they should have faith. In the inmost sense this is the top of the
hill and the rock. By to-morrow is signified the time to come and
the last time.
The staff is called the staff of God because in the inmost sense
it is faith, and in the supreme sense, the power of God Messiah; so
also the hand.
4204. [And Joshua did as Moses had said to hinn, and fought
with Amalek; but Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the
hill], vs. 10. It was three who went up to the top of the hill. As
to what is meant by the ternary number, this may be seen above [n.
3966]. It means more than there is need of bringing forward in
this place.
4205. [And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, Israel
prevailed; but when he let dou'n his hand, Amalek prevailed], vs. 11.
Here, as being the leader, Moses represented the entire Jacobean
nation, but representatively, the people of Israel, the leader being
taken for the people, as God Messiah is taken for the universal
kingdom of heaven.
4206. In the proximate sense, lifting up the hand is merely a
gesture, but a gesture which comes from the interiors of those who
make supplication. Hence in the more interior sense, it means
supplication, being a supplication which exists only from the heart,
that is, from the whole mind; thus in the more interior sense, it
means supplication from the heart. But supplication from the
heart can exist only from faith; hence, in the inmost sense, "to
lift up the hands" is to have faith. Faith does not exist unless
there is love, and love is not possible without God Messiah. Thus
in the supreme sense it is God Messiah who lifts up the hands or
to whom the hand is lifted up in supplication. The senses thus
follow each other in order as effects, causes, principles, and the
causes of principles.3
For this reason, when Moses or the sons of Israel lifted up their
hands, that is, had faith, the staff being in the hand, then they were
• This paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written twice in the margin.
rH Ad. ~72-~77 397
the victors; but when Moses had wavering faith then the Amalekites
were the victors.
4207. [And, when Moses' hands were heavy, they took a stone,
and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur held
up his hands, the one on this side, the other on that; and his hands
were made steady until the going down of the sun], vs. 12. When
Moses' hands were heavy signifies, in the inmost sense, that he had
no more strength, that is, that he began to waver in respect to
faith; thus his hands became heavy of themselves. When they are
light and are lifted up of themselves, then there is faith; for such
is the nature of man tl}.at his outer gestures come spontaneously
and without weight when the man is inmostly of the same quality;
for he is then sustained, the forces being such as the love is. This
I also have frequently experienced in various ways, namely, that the
external
forces, being those of the animus and body, followed without
resistance and with lightness when I was such more interiorly.
This was established in many ways. Moreover, everyone ex
periences the same thing from love alone. When there is love
of a thing, nothing is heavy; the reverse is the case when the
man resists. ~
4208. That Moses sat upon a stone was indeed an unworthy act,
for one should make supplication on bended knees; but this was
done because such was Moses' nature. Nevertheless, it represents
the throne of God Messiah, this being the meaning of "sitting."
4209. That Aaron and Hur held up his hands means that this
was done by the things of the priesthood. Though Aaron was not
yet a priest, yet this action was the same as if he had been, for with
God Messiah to be and to become signify one and the same thing.
What is signified by Aaron as prophet and priest can be evident
from what was afterwards enjoined on the priests, namely, that it
is the Word of God Messiah, thus, in the supreme sense God Mes
siah himself, as stated above en. 3564, 3748].
What is meant by Hur is not yet apparent. There are two
hands; the one will then be at the right and the other at the left of
God Messiah. They who are said to sustain Him, when yet it is
He who sustains them, are the inmost church at the right, and the
• n. 4907 is cited in the Author's Index to his MemombiUa, s. v. Amor and
Gestusj see Table of Contents.
398 III Ad. 278-282
EXODUS XVII: Hl-14 [4nO-Hl
more interior church at the left; consequently, the things which

make the church to be more interior and inmost. These are the
things that sustain the hands of God Messiah, here meant by Moses,
while it is He who sustains men.
Hence those hands are said to be made steady, which He steadies.
This action, however, is predicated of others, just as faith is predi-
cated of man, when yet it is God Messiah's.
4210. Until the going down of the sun signifies that the sons of
Israel will then conquer. By the going down of the sun is meant
the last time. Thus this coincides with Balaam's prophecy that the
posterity [of Amalek] will come to destruction [Nurn. ~420], and
it is still further confirmed in verse 14 below.
4211. [So Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the
edge of the sword], vs. 13. Joshua is said to have discomfited
Amalek in the same way that it was said of Pharaoh, that J ehovah
hardened Pharaoh's heart, whereas Pharaoh hardened his own
heart. See above [n. 35Q9, 37Hl].
'With the edge of the sword; what is meant by the sword has
been told above [no 441-~] (as I think), namely, faith which is
here the sword, being also the shield, etc., whereby combat is waged.
4212. [And Jehovah said unto Moses, Write this a memorial Vn
a book, and put it in the ears of Joshua: that blotting out I will blot
out the memory of Amalek from under heaven], vs. 14. These
words have regard to the last time, namely, to the time when the
kingdom of God is to come, that then and not before, Amalek will
perish-for the prophet [Balaam] treats of his posterity, that it
would perish [Num. ~420]-see Deuteronomy ~517-9, which verses
may be written out and explained in the same way.5 In the most
universal sense, therefore, these words signify that they were not
to be blotted out save in the end of days; for the entrance of Joshua
into the land of Canaan signifies the entrance of God Messiah into
his kingdom, and therefore the wilderness signifies all the days and
• Deuteronomy g517-9 reads as follows: " Remember that which Amalek did
unto thee on the way, when ye went forth out of Egypt; how he met thee on
the way, and cut off the hindmost of thee, all that were feeble behind thee, when
thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. Therefore it shall be, when
Jehovah thy God hath given thee test from all thine enemies round about, in
the land which Jehovah thy God will give thee for an inheritance to possess it,
thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt
not forget."
IU Ad. Q83-~87 399
4~lS-15] THE WORD EXPLAINED
temptations of mortals and thus their lives. As to who are Ama

lekites in the end of days, this may be seen above [n. 4199, 4~01 J.
4213. [And Moses built an altar, and called the nl1ITne thereof
Jehovah-nissi 6], vs. 15. This place was celebrated by an altar, as
something which shall be a memorial, representing that this shall
come to pass.
The altar was called from the name of Jehovah, that is, of God
Messiah, in that he was now the banner of the sons of Israel; for
it was called from the word" banner" and because He will then be
[their banner].
4214. [Furthermore, he said, Because a hand upon the throne
of Jah, the war of Jehovah shall be agaimst Amalek from genera
tion to generation], vs. 16. Here also it is explained in part who
they are who are signified by Amalek, namely, those whose hands
shall be upon the throne of Jah, that is, of Jehovah, Jah being an
abbreviation in which the name J ehovah terminates, as said above
[no 40~S]. Swearing by an oath is indeed signified, but whether
1
there is an oath here, is not stated. 7They, therefore who sit upon)\)
the throne of Jah, that is, of God Messiah, and claim to themselves
all power in heaven and on earth, are they who are meant by Ama
lek whose first fruits [Num. ~420] were beloved gentiles, though
these became degenerate. This is sufficiently evident from thE1
Roman School. 81/
4215. The war will be against Amalek from generation to gen
eration, that is to say, it will be a~ainst his posterity. Of this
• Schmidius' text reads: "Jehovah nissi (i.e., Jeho"ah i8 my banner)."
T Much uncertainty has been expressed as to the true meaning of the open
ing words of verse 16. Literally translated the Hebrew is "Because a hand
upon (or agai1l8t) the throne of J ah." This agrees with Schmidius; but after
Jah, Schmidius adds the interpretative words" (who IIWeareth)." Tremellius
interprets it as follows: "Because the hand of Amalek was against the throne."
The Vulgate ignores the word upon and translates it: " Because the hand of the
Lord's throne . . . shall be against Amalek." Castellio apparently takes O~
(a throne) to be an error for O? (a banner), for his translation reads: " Be
cause the hand of Jove is stretched to the banner." Pagnini understands the
words to be the formula of an oath, and renders them " Because with the hand
upon the throne of the Lord." The A.V. has "Because the Lord hath sworn";
this simply expresSes the idea of an oath and otherwise ignores the Hebrew text.
Swedenborg's translation in the Arcana Coele8tia is "Because the hand is
against the throne of J ah."
• Palaestra.
400 III Ad. ~88-~91
EXODUS XVII: 15-XVIII: 27
war much is said in I Samuel, 152-end. There we read that Saul

spared the herd, etc., for which reason he lost the kingdom; yet
the king [of the Amalekites] was [eventually] slain. The words
of the present text, however, represent that there will be continual
war with Amalek, and that finally the remembrance of him will be
cut off from under heaven [vs. 14].
EXODus XVIII
1 And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard
of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel with him,9 how
that Jehovah had brought Israel forth out of Egypt.
2 Therefore, Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah,
Moses' wife, after her dimissions/
3 And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Ger
shorn; for he said, I have become a ger 2 in a strange land;
4 And the name of the other Eliezer; for the God of my father
was a help to me, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.
5 And when Moses' father in law, Jethro, and his sons and his
wife, came unto Moses, unto the wilderness, where he encamped at
the mountain of God,
6 He said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto
thee, and thy wife, and her [two 8] sons with her.
7 And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and bowed
himself down, and kissed him; and they asked, a man his companion,
concerning peace. Then they entered into the tent.
8 And there Moses told his father in law all that Jehovah did
to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the distress
that came to them on the way, and Jehovah delivered them.
9 And Jethro rejoiced over all the good which Jehovah did to
Israel, whom he had snatched from the hand of the Egyptians.
10 And Jethro said, Blessed be Jehovah, who hath snatched
you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of
Pharaoh, who hath snatched the people away from under the hand
of the Egyptians.
• See n. 4fJ94 note.
, See n. 4fJfJ5 note.
:i See n. 4fJfJ6 note.
401
THE WORD EXPLAINED
11 Now I know that J ehovah is greater than all the gods: for
in the thing wherein they dealt proudly against them. 4
12 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a whole burnt of
fering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron and all the elders of Israel
came to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God.
13 And it came to pass on the next day, that Moses sat to
judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning
even to the evening.
14 And Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people;
and he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people?
W'hy sittest thou alone, and all the people stand by thee from
morning even to evening?
15 And Moses said to his father in law, Because the people
come unto me to enquire of God:
16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge
between a man and his companion; and I make known the statutes
of God, and his laws.
17 Then Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that
thou doest is not good.
18 lVearing away, thou wilt wear away, both thou, and this
people that is with thee; for the thing is too heavy for thy powers,
thou art not able to do it alone. .
19 Listen then to my voice; I will give thee counsel, and God
shall be with thee. Be thou for the people in causes belonging to
God, that thou mayest bring the matters unto God:
20 And thou shalt admonish them concerning the statutes and
the laws, and shalt make known to them the way wherein they
should walk, and the work that they should do.
~1 Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people discrete
men, fearers of God, men of truth, haters of covetousness; and
shalt place them over them, princes of thousands, princes of hun
dreds, princes of fifties, and princes of tens:
22 That they may judge the people at every time; but so,
that they bring every weighty matter unto thee, and every small
matter they shall judge; therefore roll off [the burderli 5] from
upon tJlee, that they may bear it with thee.
• See D. 4234 note.
402
EXODUS XVIII: 1-~7 [4~16-18
~3 If thou shalt do this thing, and God shall approve, then

shall it be able to endure; 6 and all this people shall also come to its
place in peace.
~4 So Moses heard the voice of his father in law, and did all
that he had said.
~5 And Moses chose discrete men out of all Israel, and made
them heads over the people, princes of thousands, princes of hun
dreds, princes of fifties, and princes of tens.
~6 That they might judge the people at every time; a weighty
matter they should bring unto Moses, but every small matter they
should judge themselves.
~7 Then Moses sent his father in law away; and he went to his
own, unto his own land.
4216. The subject here treated of is the coming of Jethro,
priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, and the consultation
respecting the institution of order or government 7 among this
people. In the proximate sense, the subject here treated of is the
government of a republic; in a broader sense, the government of all
other societies, to which this institution can s.erve as a pattern; in
a sense still broader, ecclesiastical government everywhere; in the
most universal sense, the church of God Messiah on earth; and in
the supreme sense, the kingdom of God Messiah; for as was said,
God Messiah is represented by Moses.
4217. That these words concern government, both political and
ecclesiastical, can be evident not only from their meanings regarded
in themselves but also from the fact that Jethro was a priest of
the seed of Abraham; for he was a Midianite, and Midian was the
son of Abraham by his second wife [Gen. ~52]. It can likewise
be evident from the series of things which deals with matters per
taining to the common weal and to every private affair, not only
in things political but also in things ecclesiastical.
4218. As touching the kingdom of God Messiah, this kingdom,
as was said [n. 4~16] is represented in his church as a type. As
• Swedenborg first wrote De instituenao ordine in regimine (Concerning the
institution of order in the government). He then crossed off ordine in, making
the sentence read: " Concerning the institution of a government." Afterwards
he wrote aut above the deleted in; this necessitated the restoration of the word
ordine, but this restoration was overlooked. The text, therefore, should read
either De instituendo ordine aut regimine or De instituendo regimine.
III Ad. ~9~~94 403
the church was instituted of old, namely, when not only elders were
chosen but also governors, who should have the care of those who
were in the church and of their life, to the end that they may aet
rightly and live according to the rule of God Messiah; so also is
instituted the kingdom of God Messiah which is the very effigy,
the form of which, as was said [n. 5~~ seq.], being divine, is the
most perfect of all forms, a form than which no more perfect is
possible, there being nothing whatever in the universe which does
not look to the institution of the kingdom of God Messiah.
This form can never be comprehended from the government of
any society in the entire globe, except so slightly that hardly a
shadow of it appears, save only in the primitive church and the
church of the gentiles from the time of N ol1h to Abraham; after
wards from its institution in the tribes of Israel; and finally from
the institution of the primitive church by the apostles, which still
remains with a few. But a still more perfect idea of it can be
comprehended from the spiritual man, for an entire society is a
compound man; for which reason the kingdom of God Messiah is
compared to a man. But because the state of the spiritual man
is not yet well understood, this form must be perceived from the
primitive institution of the Jewish church.
4219. That there are to be separate divisions, each one of which
is to be ruled by its own head, may be seen stated above [n. 4n8] ;
and that each division will be a type or image of the grand whole,
and thus the least part, under its ~wn head, a type of its own
greater part, may be seen above [n. 484 seq., 5~~ seq.]. For the
whole must consist of perpetual images succeeding each other in
order, with infinite variety, and thus in the most perfect harmony,
which from things indefinite, shall present a one. Thus all the
parts must have respect to their head, and, together with its body,
this head as a part must again have respect to its head, and so
again this to its; while all the heads, together with those who form
the body, as it were, must have respect to God Messiah alone who
alone is the Head and Life of his kingdom.
4220. This is now first represented by Moses, in that he was
alone. Then, when the kingdom shall be formed, there must be
those who shall represent the heads over the larger congregations
and also over the smaller, and finally over the still smaller, like the
404 III Ad. ~95-~97
EXODUS XVIII: 1
rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and finally of tens in

the present chapter [vs. !'l1].
4221. That these things are circumstanced in the same way in
man can be seen from his four faculties, of which we have spoken
above [n. 130a, 643, 810, 851, !'l170, !'l838]. Of these the in
ferior has regard to its superior in order, and so successively to
the inmost, which is regarded by all the inferior faculties. Thus
the whole man, being truly spiritual, has regard to God Messiah
alone.
4222. The nature of the government of the soul over the intel
lectual mind, of this over the natural mind, and of this again over
the actions of the body and of the organs of the senses, can then
perhaps be set forth, God Messiah granting; that is to say, how
the one has regard to the other, and how the one is for the sake of
the other, and the whole man for the sake of the intellectual mind,
and this for the sake of the soul, and thus the soul for the sake of
God Messiah; for he who rules the soul and affects it, rules the
entire man; but the order must be observed. Thus a comparison
is instituted with the largest and most perfect society. Still only
a most obscure idea can be obtained in this way. Such is the nature
of perfection, when the sole end of creation is the kingdom of God
Messiah; for all and single things were created for the sake of God
Messiah.
4223. Here J ethro is introduced as giving this counsel to
Moses; but it was not Jethro's counsel but the counsel of God
Messiah by means of Jethro. This, however, can be more fully
evident from the very text of the Word of God Messiah.
4224. [And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law,
heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel with hinn,8
h010 that Jehovah had brought Israel forth out of Egypt], vs. l.
Here Jethro who was a priest is introduced for the sake of the
institution of the church, and Moses as a king, for the sake of the
institution of the political government. It is the priest, however,
who transmits the government, political government being founded
on ecclesiastical. From this flows all government; for the spiritual
and the celestial is the principle.
S Schmidius has erroneously read i~~ (with him) for i~~ (his people).
III Ad. !'l98-301 405
4~~5] THE WORD EXPLAINED
Concerning J ethro, a priest of the seed of Abraham, the reader

may see what was said above [n. 4n7].
First is told all that pertains to the church of God Messiah and
thus to his kingdom; that is to say, how that Israel is delivered
from his captivity, namely, when the church comes into the king
dom of God Messiah. Here instead of Canaan is mentioned the
mountain of God where they had their camp (verse 5), and also of
the liberation from Egypt, that is, from captivity.9 Such must
be the discourse of all men, namely, concerning the captivity of
men on this earth, and concerning their deliverance.
4225. [Therefore, J ethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah,
Moses' wife, after her dinnissions 1 ] , vs.~. ''Ye read above in chap
ter 420, that Moses took his wife and sons and returned to the land
of Egypt; and in chapter 31, that his wife was at home not far
from mount Horeb where he fed the flock of Jethro. Thus it is
evident that Moses' wife and sons had gone home that they might
be sent away by their father; for that daughters, even though
wives, and also their sons, were at that time under the authority of
their father and grandfather, can be evident from Jacob's words to
Laban (Genesis 30 26 ), and from Laban's to Jacob (ibid. 31 43 ).
Thus, although they were subject to their husband's right, they
were still under the authority of their father, and therefore were
• Swedenborg first wrote: Hie non memoratur desertum sed modo liberatio
ab Aegypto, hoc est, captivitate (Here no mention is made of the wilderness,
but only of the liberation from Egypt, that is, from captivity). He then
crossed out non and desertum, and by adding words above the line, altered the
text to read: Hie memoratur Mons Dei ubi castra habebant loco Canaanis, vers.
5, sed modo liberatio ab Aegypto, hoc est, eaptivitate (Here mention is made
. . . [vs. 5] but only of the liberation from Egypt . . . ). Evidently, after
entering his interpolation above the line, Swedenborg forgot to crosS off the
words sed modo (but only). In the translation, we have therefore omitted
these words and substituted "and also" in their place. We may add that the
Latin editor omits the words sed modo ... eaptivitate, being deceived by the
appearance that they were crossed off. Yet without them the words that next
follow would be inconsequential.
1 ~'ry~~~ '!:I~ literally" after her sendings away" from n2~ he sent away.
The lexicographers and commentators interpret these words as meaning "after
Moses had sent her away to her father's house," which is an interpretation justi
fied neither by the context nor by the Hebrew. On the other hand, the literal
translation of the words is all-sufficient to show the meaning of the text, namely,
"after her dimissions," that is, after the rites of dimission whereby her father
definitely separated her from himself. This is the meaning indicated by Swe
denborg in the present text.
406 III Ad. 30~-304
EXODUS XVIII: ~-5 [4~~6-~8
to be sent away lawfully. Hence we read in the text, after her dir
mumons. J ethro came therefore in order that he might deliver
them to Moses, that is, might give them up.
There was, however, a difference in regard to the authority
which Laban claimed, as can be seen at that passage [no 830, 1330J.
Nevertheless, it was customary that daughters were under the au
thority of their father. Moreover, this was on account of the
representation of God Messiah, who is the father of all sons of
Israel, they being under his authority, and possessing nothing
whatever as their own. Thus He is the father of the church
which was represented by Moses' wife, and also of all who are in
the church, these being the sons.
4226. [And her two sons; of which the nmme of the one was
Gershom; for he said, I have become a ger 2 in a strange land], vs.
3. The names of these two sons signify the same things as were
mentioned above [no 4179], namely, ger, a sojourner, and thus
sojourning or life in a strange land, that is to say, in a life other
than what it should be or in a different order of life, namely, in
captivity; for a perverse order of life is the alien land of sojourn
ing, being captivity and servitude.
4227. [And the name of the other Eliezer; for the God of my
father 'was a help to me, and delivered me from the sword of Pha
raoh] , vs. 4. The name of the other son comes from" liberation."
The God of my father 3 is the God of Abraham. The father of
Moses was of the tribe of Levi, and so in the inmost sense was the
Father who is signified by Levi in the inmost sense, that is to say,
love. Thus in the supreme sense, the God of my father is God
Messiah alone.
4228. [And when Moses' father in law, Jethro, and his sons and
his wife, came unto Moses, unto the wilderness, where he encamped
at the mountaVn of God], vs. 5. What is signified by the mountain
of God may be seen stated above [no 4175], namely, that it is God
Messiah. To encamp at the mountain of God signifies the church
which was then in the wilderness where was no faith and which
awaited the kingdom of God.
• Schmidius adds the explanatory words" i.e., a sojourner." Ger is simply
a transliteration of the Hebrew word for sojourner.
• [Crossed off:] in the proximate sense.
III Ad. 305-308

407
4~~9-34] THE WORD EXPLAINED
4229. [He said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come
unto thee, and thy wife, and her (t100 4) sons with her], vs. 6. In
this verse, when the church with her sons comes to God Messiah,
~ ..
here represented by Moses, are now understood the words of verse
4230. [And Moses went out to meet his father in law, atnd bowed
himself down, and kissed him; and they a.sked, a man his companion,
concerning peace. Then they entered into the tent], vs. 7. Here
the subject treated of is the love of the two who are represented by
Jethro and Moses, and thus their union; for in the inmost sense,
"to go to meet" is to be conjoined. Furthermore," to bow
oneself down" is to salute, while " to kiss" is to love; "to ask
concerning peace" is to ask concerning the state of the church and
of the kingdom of God, for these abide in peace, peace involving
all felicity and liberty. "To enter into the tent" is, in the inmost
sense, to enter into the temple, this of old being represented by
tents.
4231. [And there Moses told his father in law all that Jehovah
did to Pharaoh and the Egyptiatn-s for Israel's sake, and all the
distress that came to them on the way, and J ehovah delivered them],
vs. 8. Here the discourse is concerning J ehovah, that is, concern
ing God Messiah, to wit, what he had done to Pharaoh and the
Egyptians, that is, how that Pharaoh's army had perished, and
like things which are there signified; thus how that God Messiah
had trampled on the devil and so had delivered Israel, etc., etc.
4232. [And Jethro rejoiced over all the good which Jehovah
did to Israel, whom he had snatched from the hand of the Egyp'"
tians], vs. 9. Jethro's joy is set forth and the joy is made clear;
for thence comes joy and the sensation of joy; thence also comes
holy adoration, etc., etc.
4233. [And J ethro said, Blessed be J ehovah, who hath snatched
you out of the hand of the Egyptiatn-s, and out of the hand of Pha
raoh. who hath snatched the people away from under the hand of
the Egyptians J, vs. 10. These words give further confirmation,
for they involve the same things.
4234. [Now I 'mow that J ehovah is greater than all the gods:
* The autograph has " verse I."
408 III Ad. 309-314
EXODUS XVIII: 6-1~ [4~35-37
for Vn the thitng wherein they dealt proudly against them],G vs. 11.
In the proximate sense, by the gods are meant the gods of that time.
These were many in number, and men always worshipped the one
who was more powerful. Thus J ethro now worships the supreme
God who has all power in heaven and on earth. In the inmost
sense, however, by the gods are meant all the angels whom God
Messiah uses for the carrying out of his commandments; also men,
as we read of Moses [chap. 4 16 ].
4235. The cause of all perversity and discord is pride; for then
man is not in order, being the love of himself. Thus he is not in
the way of truth, this being humiliation even to nothingness. So
is it with all men; the more they esteem themselves, the less are they
considered in the kingdom of God Messiah. All discordance in that
unanimous kingdom comes from this source.
4236. [And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a whole burnt
offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron and all the elders of Is-
rael came to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God], vs.
1~. Here is instituted the worship of God. That whole burnt
offerings and sacrifices were in use at that time also, is evident from
the text. Wherefore, in the entire globe, God was celebrated by
altars, sacrifices, etc., all which could have their origin from no
other source than as being for the sake of the one only Messiah.
Yet in process of time men turned aside to the worship of other
gods. Moreover, of old there were the like things in Rome, as for
instance, the sacred hearths, etc., but with variety. (God Messiah
r granting, it may be here set forth that all forms of worship with
" the ~ent~les were ~m~t~tions of the worship [instituted] by God
I MessIah III the prImItIve church, and that they could never have
originated from any other source, though, by permission, it came
to pass that they degenerated; also respecting the causes of the
permission and the degeneration.) Further examples are seen in
the history of the Canaanites, and these may be recounted.
4237. The feast following the sacrifices involves in like manner
the betrothals and nuptials of God Messiah with the church. Thus
this also was a type as, moreover, can be evident later on. Where-
fore it is said in the text that they ate bread.
Aaron and the elders are mentioned because they were the heads,
• Schmidius here gives an interpretation, his words being, "For (he hath
made judgment) in the thing," etc.
III Ad. 315-318 409
Aaron being the head of the church, and the elders the heads of
societies. Thus, by Aaron and the elders there was a representa
tion of the whole congregation. In this way they all, as it were,
celebrated this feast. Therefore, the elders also are now men
tioned.
4238. [And it came to pass on the next day, that Moses sat to
judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning
even to the evening], vs. 13. Here for the first time judgment is
treated of, this belonging to Moses alone. When by Moses is rep
resented God Messiah, what is here signified is that to Him alone
does it belong to judge the people, and this from morning to eve
ning; and so to judge all men. Thus [what is signified is] the last
day. Judgment must commence from the house of God Messiah
with those with whom is morning, and then it will be with those
[who are] in the evening. This, however, is the meaning in the
inmost sense.
4239. [And Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the peo
ple; and he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people?
Why sittest thou alone, and all the people stand by thee from morn
ing even to evening?], vs. 14. Here the priest first enquires what
Moses was doing, exactly as occurs when God Messiah questions
man, when yet he knows beforehand all and single things to their
utmost depths, as said above [n. ~678, ~800].
4240. [And Moses said to his father in law, Because the people
come unto me to enquire of God], vs. 15. And now, as stated
above [n. 4~16], the subject here treated of is the institution of
the kingdom of God Messiah. This institution is here represented
is simple form, yet it involves things indefinite.
4241. [When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I
judge between a man and his c01npanion; and 1 make known the!
statutes of God, and his laws], vs. 16. Here, judgment is indeed
presented to view, but it is only a disposition of order in form and
in life. Two states [the political and the ecclesiastical] are here
set forth, as said above [n. 4~17]. As regards the political state,
this is clear from what follows; as regards the ecclesiastical state,
it is evident from the words of the text [to wit], that [he makes
known] the statutes and laws of God, that is to say, that He alone
makes, that is, institutes order.
410 III Ad. 319-3~~
EXODUS XVIII: 13-~1 [4~4~-46
4242. [Then Moses' father in law said unto him, The thitng that
thou doest is not good], vs. 17. The father in law rebukes Moses
because Moses is a man; but in the inmost sense, the like supposition
is held concerning God Messiah, when yet it is not so.
4243. [ Wearing away, thou wilt wear away, both thou, and this
people that is with thee; for the thing is too heavy for thy powers,
thou art not able to do it alone], vs. 18. So likewise with these
words. God Messiah is speaking to himself, he being represented
by both [Moses and Jethro]; and this, as was said [no 4~16], to
the end that he may institute the form of the kingdom. In the text
this is said in time, but with God Messiah it was concluded from
eternity, for in him are all things, just as the life of the soul is in
the entire body.
4244. [Listen then to my voice; I will give thee counsel, and
God shall be with thee. Be thou for the people itn causes belonging
to God, that thou mayest britng the matters unto God], vs. 19.
The kingdom, as was said [no 4~18, 4~~O], is set up into classes,
tribes, dukedoms, principalities, etc., but in a way most perfect,
than which nothing can be more perfect, seeing that it comes from
perfection itself, as already said [no 4~19, 4~~~].
4245. [And thou shalt admonish them concerning the statutes
and the laws, and shalt make known to them the way whereitn they
should walk, and the work that they should do], vs. ~o. Here is
set forth the mediation of God Messiah. It will be a perpetual
mediation, for without mediation there is no kingdom.
4246. [Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people dis
crete men, fearers of God, men of truth, haters of covetousness;
and shalt place them over them, princes of thousands, princes of
hundreds, princes of fifties, and prmas of tens], vs. ~l. Here
commences the order itself, to wit, that all laws, internal, and ex
ternal which are called statutes [vs. ~O], come from God Messiah,
and this in the first case to princes and rulers, as to heads; for each
single thing represents the kingdom of God Messiah. Thus there
will be indefinite kingdoms, and so, united bodies, as it were, of
which the prince represents the head, and so on in order, as seen in
what follows.
That he will make his way known to the princes [vs. ~O] is ef
fected by a mode of inspiration from God Messiah into each one of
III Ad. 3~3-3~8 411
them, and so into those who are their subjects; for the kingdom is
universal in each and everyone.
4247. [That they may judge the people at every time; but so,
that they bring every weighty matter unto thee, and every small
matter they shall judge; therefore roll off (the burden 6) from
upon thee, that they may bear it with thee], vs. flfl. Here the
classification is set forth. As stated above [n. 4fl19-flfl] , there
are four classes, just as in man. The primary judges are called
" discrete" from the heart 7 ; " fearers of God"; " men of truth" ;
[" haters of covetousness" (vs. fl1)]; thus men distinguished in
faith and love.
So likewise it will appear as though it is they who ordain
things in their own sphere of society, and institute order and the
laws thereof, when yet this is done in no other way than as told
above [no 4fl19]. Thus they are also called judges as were the
apostles [Matt. 1928 , Luke flfl 28- 30 J. All men must have their own
function, and, as it were, their own judgment, even though it be
anything but judgment; but liberty consists in the fact that each
man looks to true order. Hence it is now said that he should roll
off the burden from himself.
When such a kingdom is instituted, then there is rest and no
longer vexation; for then all things conspire to a one; then all
servitude ceases, and all combat, combat being impossible in such a
state.
4248. [If thou shalt do this thing, and God shall approve, then
shall it be able to endure; 8 and all this people shall also come to its
place in peace], vs. fl3. Here is described harmony and peace and
all that they include.
4249. [So Moses heard the voice of his father in law, and did all
that he had said], vs. fl4. Execution or approval now follows, in
that the effect follows.
4250. [And Moses chose discrete men out of all Israel, and made
them heads over the people, princes of thousands, princes of hun
6 This is Schmidius' addition to the Hebrew text, but it is adopted by
Swedenborg.
7 Cordati a corde. There is no word in English that conveys the full impli
cation of cordati. It means men who are discreet and considerate because
moved by a good heart.
6 The literal translation of the Hebrew would read "and God commands
thee, thou shalt be able to stand."

4U III Ad. 3fl9-335
EXODUS XVIII: ~~-~6 [4~51
dreds, princes of fifties, and primces of tens], vs. ~5. These same
things are confirmed in that they must be true.
4251. [That they might judge the people at every time; a
weighty matter they should bring unto Moses, but every small mat
ter they should judge themselves], vs. ~6. So likewise here. Thus
all weighty matters will be referred to Moses; they will consult God
Messiah himself and will receive answers. After the type of this
procedure,the
same also was done many times to one who held the place of
prince; that is to say, they went off and consulted [him J.
They also brought answers which they told me. This was
done many times after the likeness of the kingdom of God Mes
siah. Thus what I have written, it is allowed me also to bear
witness to. Q That, on the other hand, they also receive dic
tates/ this likewise has happened; nay, they also deliberate
among themselves, as, for instance, concerning what should
be written by me, knowing no other than that the deliberation
came from themselves, as is wont to be the case with man.
Moreover, it was also permitted them to infuse in my mind that
on which they had deliberated-which I clearly perceived. Yet
I could also clearly perceive that the things did not proceed
from them; nor was it allowed to bring in the least thing that
I perceived to come from them. Nay, even their very thoughts
were emended, they thus not knowing that all counsels come
from God Messiah, though according to the disposition and
understanding of each individual. But it has not hitherto been
allowed me to insert anything whatever that was dictated by
them viva voce. They did not know these things to the end
that they may suppose that they themselves live, for without
this opinion they would think they had no Iife. 2 Of what faith
and disposition those were who were deliberating, and were al
• Originally this indented paragraph ended here, for on the next line Swe
denborg again commenced his exposition by writing the words" Vers Sl7."
This, however, he crossed off, and then continued the indented paragraph,
writing part of it (from" Permitted them" to "viva voce") in the wide margin
left by the indent, and then continuing on the next page.
1 dicta literally things said, words. The word also means commands. The
translation gh'en in the text is suggested by the context.
2 The rest of the paragraph is a later addition written in the margin.
III Ad. 336-337 413

.
49l59l] THE WORD EXPLAINED
lowed to bring in their deliberations, could also be evident to

some extent.3
4252. [Then Moses sent his father in law away; and he went to
his own, unto his own land], vs. 9l7. The reason why Moses sent
his father-in-law away was that he alone might be over the people
together with Aaron who later represented the head of the church.
This, however, was said to Moses by his father-in-law because
the latter was then the head of Moses' family. After he had given
over to Moses his daughter, Moses' wife, and her sons, he could no
longer represent the head of the church, and then this devolved
upon Aaron.
EXODUS XIX
1 In the third month from the going forth of the sons of Is
rael out of the land of Egypt, in this day they came into the wilder
ness of Sinai.
9l For they had journeyed from Rephidim, and were come to
the wilderness of Sinai, and had encamped in the wilderness. And
when Israel had encamped there over against the mount,
8 Moses went up unto God, and J ehovah called unto him from
the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob,
and announce to the sons of Israel:
4 Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and I bare you
upon the wings of eagles and brought you unto me.
5 Now therefore, if hearing ye shall hear my voice, and shall
keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar possession unto me
from among all peoples: for all the earth is mine:
6 But ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy
people. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the sons
of Israel.
7 So Moses came and called together the elders of the people,
and laid before them all these words which Jehovah commanded
him.
8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that Je
hovah hath spoken we will do. And Moses brought the words of
the people unto J ehovah.
• This indented passage is cited in the Author's Index to his Memorabilia,
s. v. Dominus and ResponBum. See the Table of Contents.
414 III Ad. 888-889
EXODUS XVIII: ~7-XIX: ~5
9 Then J ehovah said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in the
smoke of a cloud, that the people may hear when I speak unto thee,
and may believe in thee to eternity. And Moses brought the words
of the people unto J ehovah.
10 Wherefore Jehovah said unto Moses, Go unto the people,
and sanctify them to day and to morrow, that they may wash their
garments.
11 And let them be prepared against the third day: for on the
third day Jehovah will come down in the eyes of all the people upon
mount Sinai.
1~ And thou shalt fence the people round about, saying, Take
heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, and touch it
in the border thereof; whosoever toucheth the mount, dying he
shall die:
13 There shall no hand touch it; for stoning he shall be stoned,
or killing he shall be killed with spears 4; whether it be beast or
man, it shall not live: when the jobel 5 shall be prolonged, they shall
go up unto the mount.
14 So Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and
sanctified the people, that they should wash their garments.
15 And he said unto the people, Be ready after three days:
come not near unto a woman.
16 And it came to pass on the third day, when it became morn
ing, that there were voices and lightnings, and a heavy cloud upon
the mount, and the voice of a trumpet exceeding loud; so that
[all 6] the people that was in the camp trembled.
17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to
meet with God; and they stood in the lowest part of the mount.
18 And mount Sinai was wholly on smoke, because J ehovah
came down upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof went up as the
smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
19 And the voice of the trumpet was continuing, and it waxed
exceeding strong; Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
~O And when Jehovah came down upon mount Sinai, upon the
top of the mount, J ehovah called Moses to the top of the mount;
and Moses went up.
• See n. 4,~83 note.
• See n. 4~84 note.
415
~1 And J ehovah said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people,

lest perchance they break through unto Jehovah for to see, and
many of them fall.
~~ And the priests also, which come near to J ehovah, shall
sanctify themselves, lest Jehovah make a breach in them.
~3 And Moses said unto J ehovah, The people could not come
up to mount Sinai, for thou hast witnessed against us, saying,
Fence the mountain about, and sanctify it.
~4 And Jehovah said unto him, Go, get thee down; afterwards
come thou up, and Aaron with thee: but the priests and the people
shall not break through to come up unto Jehovah, lest I make a
breach in them.
915 So Moses went down unto the people, and told them.
4253. In what has now preceded, the subject treated of is the

form of goverpment in the kingdom of God Messiah. This form
is more fully set forth later when the church itself is instituted.
It is also apparent from the church which was instituted after
wards, namely, by the apostles and disciples of God Messiah; and
also in the church which is the center among the churches, and
wherein likewise the effigy is preserved. Moreover, it is apparent
in some measure in the other churches which draw near to that
center. At the same time, it appears also in every spiritual man
and likewise in societies. Here, however, the form of ecclesiastical
goyernment and so of political government also, is set forth only
in a simple way; for its fundamental must be its distinction into its
parts, large and small, all of which are images of the grand whole,
that is, of the kingdom of God Messiah. Thus the subject treated
of above [chap. 18] is the order which must exist in the church
among those who are sons of the church. 7
4254. And now, in the present chapter, the subject treated of is
the advent of God Messiah into his glo!"y, this advent being de
scribed in the same way [as in the New Testament, namely], that
he will come with angels in a cloud with a great shout [Matt.
9l430- 1 ] ; and it is there said that this people, that is, the house of
J_acob, shall see him [Rev. 1 7 ]. In the present chapter this advent
is fully described, it being God Messiah himself who now appeared
T This paragraph is emphasized by "N B" written tour times in the
margin.
416 III Ad. 340-341
EXODUS XIX: 1-~5 [4~55-56
to Moses and spoke with Moses; for as said above [no 4175], God
Messiah is the mountain of God; and, as above, so also here, he is
mount Sinai, which he allowed Moses to ascend, but not the people,
and this for reasons spoken of in the text itself. Nor was he any
other than God Messiah-the Word of J ehovah by means of which
the universe was created; nor was it any other who commanded that
the people should be sanctified and should be fenced about; for God
Messiah is the only one who guards, it being he alone who inter
cedes.
4255. As regards Moses, he was a herald between God Messiah
and the people. But as regards what is now proclaimed, that is to
say, the laws, these were such that anyone might have known them
from the very beginning of things and from the time of reforma
tion, for they are inscribed on men's hearts. As regards the first
precepts [chap. ~02-11] which treat of the worship of God, these
are inscribed on human hearts, the precepts namely, that God alone
the Creator of the universe, is to be called upon in a holy manner,
and no other whatsoever. As regards the other laws, they are laws
of society, and these likewise were well known in the human race,
the laws, namely, that men should honor their father, [should not
kill], should not commit adulteries, should not steal, etc. [chap.
~012 sel}.] , these laws being such that all human societies know them.
They are inscribed even on pagans, nay, on every individual man,
as can be evident from many circumstances. Wherefore, in primi
tive times, these laws were kept among sons of Israel in a holy way;
nay, and they were kept even by pagans who lived an order of life
not entirely inverted. Take, for instance, the law that the father
is to be honored; this the natural man knows because he receives
his life from his father and is sustained by him. Or the law that
he should not kill; this must necessarily have been well known.
Also that one shall not steal, for from theft comes the destruction
of society. That one should not bear false witness, whence also
every bond of society is broken. They also knew concerning
coveting.
4256. One of the reasons why these laws were now promulgated
in such great glory was because the c!acobites were now worse than
any other nation in the entire globe, being ignorant of all natural
statues because in a perverted order of life. A perverted order of '
l~fe js a necessary consequence of there being no f~th in God Mes-
III Ad. 34~-344 417
siah; for when this faith departs, man does nothing of good save
from fear of the law, and never from the love of observing it. He
becomes wholly external, so that he will observe the law [only] for
the sake of his own safety.
This law, however, was promulgated among them to be in place
of a foundation, in order, namely, that from a life that was entirely
brutal they might be led to a natural life, and from a natural to a
spiritual.
4257. When, therefore, it is a law in externals which does not
come from the internal law, it is nothing whatever. So no man
can be born unless there be a principle of life; no tree unless there
be a root; no external unless there be an internal. As there is no
effect without a cause, so there is no action without a principle of
action. Every action which is done without a principle of action
is merely a gesture, or is an effect such as is likened to an inanimate
act wherein is nothing whatever that is human, and consequently
nothing whatever that is spiritual, still less anything celestial.
'Vherefore, when the law is observ~d merely in externals,s it is
nothing else than an inanimate something, and is never such as to
affect God. That heaven and earth may be conjoined, there must
be a spiritual bond. From the terrestrial alone, that is, from the
earth or body separated from heaven, there is no longer anything
which unites, but all is dead, nay, spiritually dead; for a man is one
who acts, one to whom has been given a spiritual mind from which
comes all action, etc., etc.
4258. [In the third month from the going forth of the sons of
Israel out of the land of Egypt, in this day they came into the
wilderness of Sinai], vs. 1. The third month is the last time.
'Vhether it be day or month or year, etc., it signifies the same thing.
'Vherefore this was done in the third month, to wit, when they had
come out of the land of Egypt, that is, out of the land of captivity.
Here it is the universal captivity that is signified, namely, captivity
by the devil.
As regards the time before the flood, see above [n. 3754 J.
This constituted the time of the first month before the passover,
for it was then that they went out from the land of Egypt; here
the flood wherein the entire world perished with the exception of
Noah, etc., is signified by the Red Sea. There perished all evil
• [Crossed off:] it is nothing else than the gesture of brute animals.
418 In Ad. 345~349
EXODUS XIX: 1-3 [4~59-60
men who are represented by the Egyptians, except the sons of

Israel here represented by the J acobeans.
It is said in this day, to wit, in the third month, months and
also years being thus called days. So the days of man's age are
said to have been so many years. 9 A day, therefore, is wholly
significative of time. Thus it is the last day that is meant.
It is said the wilderness of Sinai because there will then be a
wilderness, that is, there will be no harvest and thus no grain, or,
in the most universal sense, no faith, and thus no charity. So will
it be in the last day, as foretold [Matthew ~47J.
4259. [For they had journeyed from Rephidinn, and were come
to the wilderness of Sinai, and had encamped in the wilderness.
A nd when Israel had encamped there over again.st the mount], vs. ~.
Here mention is twice made of the wilderness, the signification of
which has now been told [n. 4131, 4144]. The wilderness of Sinai
properly signifies no faith and no charity, to a still greater degree,
being a wilderness by mount Sinai, by which is signified God Mes-
siah and his presence; for faith is nothing else than faith in God
Messiah.
They encamped in the wilderness, and this because that people
was of such a character that they were ignorant of everything that
looked to the worship of God Messiah.· Thus they encamped, that
is, stayed or lived, in a vast solitude. Moreover, they hardly knew
what interior things were, and he who is ignorant of interior things
is in a wilderness where are brute animals and wild beasts. Never-
theless, they were led to mount Sinai, that is, to God Messiah, to the
end that they might hear him and see him, as told later [vs. 9, 11],
and so by the promulgation of the Law, might be initiated into
worship of him. It is therefore said in the text, over again.'ft the
mount, that is to say, in the sight of God Messiah, that they might
see his glory.
4260. [Moses went up unto God, and Jehovah called unto hinn
from the mountain, saying, Thu.s shalt thou say to the house of J a-
cob, and announce to the sons of Israel], vs. 3. Moses is said to
have gone up to God. God Messiah is called God from worship,
J ehovah from the Word. In the inmost sense, " to go up to God"
signifies to go up to the worship of God, for men went up by virtue
• See Genesis 55 8e<t., 929, 1132.
III Ad. 350-354 419

4~611 THE WORD EXPLAINED
of the fact that they were led as infants. Thus" to go up" means
to be still further elevated by degrees.
When he went up, it is said that Jehovah called unto hVm; else
where it is said that He " said unto him" [vs. 9, 10, ~1, ~4] ; a call
is a louder voice, to the end, namely, that one may hear. And this
fTOm the mountain, that is, in the inmost sense, from heaven, a
1nountain being heaven by reason of its height, for God Messiah
Most High is heaven itself. Voices can be heard from whatsoever
place they may come, as
also at times from on high by the heralding voices of interme
diate angels and also by the voices of others at various heights,
which it has been granted me to observe. A voice was heard
amid a moderate murmur, and this from the height of a temple,
etc. 1
A mountain means also a temple. Hence heaven is called a
mountain; and in the supreme sense, God Messiah is called a moun
tain.
4261. In the text, a manifest distinction is made between the
house of Jacob and the sons of Israel, because the subject now
treated of is the law, both in externals and in internals, addressed
to the stem of Jacob, then present, and specifically to the sons of
Israel gathered together even to the end of the world; and thus in
general to all men. By the house of Jacob and the sons of Israel
are meant all in the entire globe, by Jacob being meant the natural
man, as above en. 4100-1], and by Israel, those who have been in
spiritual temptation and are become sons of Israel. Thus the in
ternal things of the law are for sons of Israel, and its externals for
the house of J acob.
That a distinction is made between the house of JaGob and the
sons of Israel can never be evident, for they were all of the house
of J acob; but not all were of the house of Abraham, these being
those who are justified by faith and whom Abraham signifies and
represents.
Moses is commanded to say these words to the house of J acob,
thus to say them at the time, but to anlfloUnce them to the sons of
Israel, that is, in all time; for what was said by means of Moses and
1 This indented paragraph is cited in the Author's Index to his Memorabilia,
s. v. Loqui and Spiritus. See the Table of Contents.

4~0 III Ad. 355-360
EXODUS XIX: 4 [4~6~-65
the prophets was said that it might become known, and so might be
announced to sons of Israel, that is, to the faithful.
4262. [Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and I bare
you upon the wiJngs of eagles and brought you unto me], vs. 4.
These then are the words of J ehovah, being his words to the house
of J acob, that he might tell the miracles wrought in Egypt, and so
might first draw them to himself by externals; and this to the end
that they might acknowledge one God, the Creator of the universe,
and thus Jehovah the Father, and that there is no approach to him
save by God Messiah, and no approach to God Messiah save by
God 2 the Holy Spirit who sanctifies man, man not being sanctified
save by faith in God Messiah and so by worship according to every
confession of faith. As to what faith involves, there will be an
opportunity of telling this elsewhere, God Messiah granting.
But to sons of Israel will be announced what the miracles in
Egypt signify, these being things interior and inmost, as stated
above [n. 4~61].
4263. To bear upon the wings of eagles is to bear from things
inferior to things superior, or from things exterior to things inte
rior, that is to say, from things natural or the objects of the senses,
to things which are not objects of the external senses, that is, to
spiritual things and so to celestial. These are the wings of eagles
because an eagle flies to a great height, and from there looks around
on all things below.
4264. Hence follows the phrase, "to bring man to himself";
for God Messiah is in the highest; therefore Melchisedek is said to
be " priest to [God] most high" [Gen. 14 18 ]. Like as an eagle
carries his prey on high, so God Messiah brings men to himself,
carrying them from things mundane, corporeal and natural to
things spiritual and celestial. For God Messiah is in truths purely
spiritual and thus in truths celestial. Therefore to lead a man to
himself must be to lead him to things celestial. Thus these words
answer to those concerning the wings of eagles; for elevation is
effected by means of wings and thus by degrees, to the end that
men may abide in the utmost safety. They who have faith do not
then fear; not so those in whom are doubts or in whom is no faith.
4265. [Now therefore, if hearing ye shall hear my voice, and
shall keep my covenant, then ye shali be a peculiar possession unto
2 The word " God" is added above the line.
III Ad. 361-365 4~1
49l66] THE WORD EXPLAINED
me from among all peoples: for all the earth is mine], vs. 5. By
" hearing to hear" is meant hearkening and obeying, for both in
ternals and externals are meant. It is said" hearing to hear";
for" hearing to hear" can by no means signify mere hearing and
thus external observance, but internal observance. It is indeed the
mind that hears, but it is the mind that understands inasmuch as it
is set over the intellect, and it is the mind that obeys inasmuch as
to it belongs will so called, nay, and also the will to understand,
in that it is said to make the mind intent on the understanding of
what is heard. Thus the will enters into the understanding and
rules the whole man; but it belongs to the will to be affected, and
as it is affected so it also affects the understanding.
By voice is here meant every word concerning God Messiah. It
is said voice that it may signify things external in respect to hear
ing; but what is meant is words or speech, and thus the meaning of
the words. It is said voice to the end that these words might be
spoken both to the house of J acob and to the sons of Israel.
In the inmost sense, " to hear" means to obey and thus obedi
ence, as was told in the explanation of the name Simeon. Obe
dience, however, supposes sight or seeing, and in the inmost sense
this signifies faith, as may be seen in the exposition of the name
Reuben [no 691-3].
4266. "To keep the covenant." The covenant was made with
Abraham, the covenant, namely, that every male should be circum
cised. This covenant involves the circumcision of the heart, that
is, internal purification; thus it involves those things which circum
cision signifies. These may be consulted.
Moreover, "to keep the covenant" signifies all those things
which were afterwards convenanted with this people, things, namely,
which regard God Messiah and thus all law and all worship. Con
cerning covenants, something is also said later on (as I think). In
this text the covenant regards the things which follow, each and all
of these being included in the covenant.
" To keep the covenant" is to comply with all these, this being
contained in the covenant itself. It is for this reason that a cove
nant is made, namely, that it should not be violated by either side.
When a covenant is made and is not observed by the one side, then
the other is released from the bond of the covenant. This is the
reason of the covenant.
III Ad. 866-370
EXODUS XIX: 5 [4~67
A covenant having been enacted, there is then peace; for prior

to the covenant the two are enemies, but the covenant is intended to
make peace between them. Therefore when the covenant is broken,
hostility commences anew, being aggression on the one side and
defense on the other.
The covenant was that the house of Jacob should become the
house of Israel, that is to say, that those called sons of Jacob should
become sons of Israel; in other words, that, from being external,
man should become internal, or from being worldly, heavenly.
4267. The compact was that they would be a peculia.r possession
if they observed the covenant. The same thing was also said to
Abraham [Gen. 17 8 ].
That this stock was chosen above all others, was because of the
justice of the faith which was in Abraham when he believed that
Isaac would be born; S and because of his obedience when it was
commanded him to sacrifice his son [Gen. ~~16-8]. But that he did
not believe that his seed would possess the land of Canaan, that is
to say, his seed from Isaac and hence from Jacob, for which reason
he asked for a sign [Gen. 15 2- 3 ]-as to this, see what has been said
above [n. 184].
A peculiar possession from among till people.~. The meaning
is that they would be the inmost, and the chosen above all others,
from whom a new paradise would be created. For this reason it
was enjoined on them so to propagate that such a garden might be
raised up from them. But by marriages with the Canaanites they
wasted their seed, and thus this seed at once perished; indeed, it
perished in J udah. Thus the root was entirely lost and they be
came like withered trees and some like a tree in the woods, being an
alien tree. But respecting the garden from this people, see above
[n.461].
Hence it came to pass that God Messiah chose his peculiar pos
session from every people in the entire globe who shall be sons of
Israel.
It is called a peculiar possession from the flock of sheep and
thus from the sheepfold, and that these signify the church of God
Messiah may be seen above [no 846]. It is confirmed, moreover,
by the statement in the following verse that they shall be a kingdom
of priests.
• Sce Genesis 1717, and n. 194 above, see also Genesis 15 6 •
In Ad. 371-377 4~3
49l68-70] THE WORD EXPLAINED
4268. It is added that to Him indeed belongs all the earth, that
is, every people in all lands. Yet of all these peoples it is they
who would have been chosen had they kept the covenant. Thus,
since it is evident that they did not keep the covenant, it most cer
tainly follows that they cannot be His peculiar possession. As to
the breaking of the covenant, this will be seen later.
The addition of the words all the earth is mine involves that if
they did not keep the covenant, that is to say, the covenant and the
law as it is in its true sense, then the peculiar possession would be
gathered together from the entire globe. Thus these word's are
added that they might know that G"od Messiah could have chosen
for himself a peculiar possession from every people and every
nation.
Therefore there was first a pledge, that so they might be led by
promises, and that afterwards they might know that if they broke
the covenant the peculiar possession would be chosen from the
whole earth.
4269. [But ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy
people. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the sons
of Israel], vs. 6. The kingdom of God Messiah is nothing but a
kingdom of priests, for each and everyone will represent God Mes
siah, and will worship him; and then all and single things which
were in the church will be fulfilled. Thus the ecclesiastical or sacer
dotal kingdom is the inmost and consequently the fundamental of
the other kingdom, and the two must be conjoined, as of old they
were conjoined in Me1chisedek [Gen. 1418 ] and at times in the Jew
ish church. For all power comes from faith and consequently
from holiness by faith. Every individual has more power accord
ing as he has more holiness by faith. Therefore it is said in the
text that it shall be a holy people, that is, an inmost people and thus
the first of all peoples.
It is said that he should speak these words to the sons of Israel,
not to the house ofJacob, as said above [n. 49l69l], because it was
well known that the latter were not of such a character.
The people must be holy by sanctification not by means of them
selves but by means of God Messiah; for it is not said that they
must be holy but that they shall be a holy people.
4270. [So Moses came and called together the elders of the peo
ple, and laid before them all these words which Jehovah commanded
4~4 III Ad. 878-385
EXODUS XIX: 6-8 [4~71
him], vs. 7. This was done that the covenant might now be struck,
that is, that it might be made by consent, and this in case they
should afterwards violate it, that is, should not keep the covenant
and hear the voice [which said] they shall be " a peculiar posses
sion," "a kingdom of priests," "a holy people" [vs. 5, 6].
Therefore, since it was foreseen that this could not be, their con
sent was required by response. Wherefore it twice follows [vs.·
8,9], that Moses brought the words to Jehovah.
The elders were the princes, being seventy-two in number 4 and
thus six from each tribe. By the elders is meant the people.
These things were done that all might proceed in order. More
over, the people was with them [vs. 8].
He is said to have laid before them the words whi£h Jehovah
commanded, being the words which have preceded. Thus all was
done according to order: J ehovah spoke; Moses was commanded
to carry his words to the people; he then called all the people to
gether and laid these words before them. They are called words
because they are divine. It is said, which he commanded him and
not them, that is, the people, because it is for the latter to consent.
He commanded Moses to lay His words before them.
4271. [And all the people answered together, and said, All that
Jehovah hath spoken we will do. And Moses brought the words of
the people unto Jehovah], vs. 8. Here follows the consent, and
indeed, the consent of all the people; nay, they answered that they
would do all that Jehovah hath spoken, that is to say, that hearing
they would hear his voice, and would keep his covenant, as above
[vs. 5]
But in what way they did this is evident enough from many cir
cumstances; nay, that they did not carry out the least thing, even in
the wilderness, and still less in the land of Canaan. 'Vas not God
Messiah thus released from the bond and the promise? for the other
side had broken it and this not once but many times, and not one
of them, but almost all (as is stated, I think, in the prophets).
Moses brought the words of the people unto J ehovah, and this
that they might be inscribed on the book of life. Respecting the
book of life which is treated of in the Apocalypse [85, 188, ~012],
we shall speak elsewhere, God Messiah granting. 5
• See Exodus !il41. 9, Numbers 11 16 ,24--6, and confer n. 46fJ8 seq., 7033, 7043.
"{Crossed off:] Whether it is the Word of God Messiah of the Old and
HI Ad. 886-890 4~5
4272. It can indeed be said that this people, because they were
in externals and did not as yet comprehend internals, understood
these words, merely in an external sense, just as they understood
the law and afterwards the rites and other like things. In regard
to this, however, it must be observed: FIRST, That with a people
such as is wise only in externals, the external is all that is required,
to wit, the observance of the law and the rites. In this way God
Messiah would be mindful of the interiors therein, and so would
spare them. This also was the fact; for the man who had not ob
served the feast day was stoned [Num. 15 32- 6 ], and so likewise in
other cases. SECOND: But that they did not observe externals is
notorious. Thus, by reason of the breaking of the covenant in
externals, the bond was dissolved. It was dissolved, for instance, in
that they joined with the Canaanites in matrimony; and so in many
other cases, as when the whole congregation became idolatrous and
worshipped Egyptian gods, as told in what follows [chap. 324- 6 J.
THIRD: They were to be led away from the loves of the world and
of self first by externals, and so were first to be purified extrinsi
cally. Such is the case with every child. The child is first led
away from wicked deeds. Unless these are first removed, no spir
ituallight can come, and consequently no intuition of truth. Cap
tivities are first of the body. FOURTH: Afterwards they arrive at
understanding, like a child when he grows up and becomes a man.
Then certainly they can no longer be nourished with milk but with
solid, that is to say, with spiritual food. Therefore, FIFTH: When
understanding comes, and when at the same time they have been
taught by priests and prophets that true worship consists in in
ternals, should not internal laws then bind them? SIXTH: The
state is such that all things flow from effects to principles-in par
ticular, according to age, and so in society, that is, in general.
Afterwards, when the child is a man, they flow from principles to
effects. A man who does not act from principles and in this way
rule over effects is not a man; consequently he is not a human be
ing but a brute. Thus commencement is made by the omitting of
external deeds of wickedness; then first is there an approach to
things internal. For this reason a man does not come into spir-
New Testaments, when explained to its inmosts, so that from it all men may
know themselves; or whether it is the judgment over each individual, and
whether it be Providence
426 III Ad. 391
EXODUS XIX: 9 [4~73-75
itual temptations until he enjoys human understanding, and indeed

according to his state. Therefore when understanding comes, that
is to say, when externals are the signs of internals, then the same
obligation exists in respect to internals. From this it then follows
that, in the state of man's liberty, the law by no means ceases but
strictly binds him; for the interior man cannot be separated from
the exterior, but the interior man must rule the exterior. Then all
things flow from faith, as fruit from its seed, an internal, that is to
say, true faith, never being possible without the observance of the
law. As to what is the law that must be observed, this shaH be told
later, God Messiah granting.
4273. Since, in the most universal sense, these words have regard
to the last time, therefore what was said by Moses will then be read
before them, inasmuch as the words were brought to Jehovah, and
so were inscribed, and will be eternal. Let them be judged accord
ing to their consent, in like manner as every man is judged accord
ing to his conscience, as to what he has promised and what he has
known, in accordance with the state of each individual, etc. As to
whether the present Book of Moses, made manifest to them from
things external to things interior, more interior and inmost ac-·
cording to the state of each one, is what will make the judgment
this perhaps it may be allowed to suppose; but all things, even the
least, nay, the very least of all, will then appear as in clearest light.
4274. [Then Jehovcih said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee im
the smoke of a cloud, that the people may hear when I speak unto
thee, and may believe in thee to eternity. And Moses brought the
words of the people unto J ehovah], vs. 9. That these words also
have regard to what Jehovah speaks with Moses, as do all the words
that follow in this Book, is now declared. Thus they have regard
not only to what is contained in verse 5 above, but also to what is
said later in mount Sinai, even to the end. This is evident.
4275. It was said by God Messiah himself that he is to come in
the smoke of a cloud, and will speak that the people may hear.
Thus they could not say that the words were spoken by Moses, for
they themselves will hear them, and this lest there should be any
doubt but that they were said by J ehovah.
As to the people, it is said that it may believe in thee to eternity,
that is, may believe all the words that are written, and this to the
III Ad. 39~-395 4~7
end of ages and thus to eternity; for every word that comes from
the mouth of God Messiah is an eternal truth.
The people answered that they would believe to eternity, though
here nothing is recorded except that Moses brought the words of
the people unto Jehovah; still it is evident [that they answered]
that they would believe to eternity, a fact which they do not deny.
4276. In the smoke of a cloud signifies that it was external
things that he laid before them, for a cloud is the human under
standing, this being like a cloud; and the smoke is the obscurity
thereof. The understanding is signified according to the bright
ness or obscurity of the cloud which appears. This expression,
therefore, answered to the state of the people.
That the people may hear, namely, may understand. He often
came in a cloud in later times also; for he was in the cloud every
day [chap. 4038 ] ; Moses entered into the cloud whenever God Mes
siah spoke with him [chap. ~418] ; moreover, the cloud covered the
tabernacle [chap. 4034 , Num. 9 15 ], and also the temple of Solomon
[1 Kings 810, 11, ~ Chron. 5 13 ]. Clouds are truths, while flames
are goodnesses; but concerning the cloud and the flame, see below.
It is said may believe in thee, that is, in the words which Moses
brings forward.
4277. And [Moses] brought the words of the people unto Je
hovah. Here neither Moses is named nor the people 6; but what is
signified is merely the consent, with reference to what has just pre
ceded, in order that it may be inscribed in the book of life. Moses
was the messenger between God Messiah and the people. God
Messiah is the Word. Hence it can be evident whence in the in
most sense come the words that they may believe in thee to eternity.
4278. [Wherefore Jehovah said unto Moses, Go unto the peo
ple, and sanctify them to day and to mon'ow, that they may wash
their garments], vs. 10. What to day and to morrow are can be
evident from what has been previously stated [n. 3667]. Here,
however, in the proximate sense, to day and to morrow are definite
days; but in the inmost sense, to day means even to the coming of
God Messiah, and to morrow the time from this coming of God
• Since Moses and the people are mentioned, the latter in Swedenborg's
own text, these words must be interpreted as meaning that neither the people's
answer nor Moses' report thereof is mentioned. This, moreover, is in harmony
with the words that follow.
4~8 III Ad. 396-40~
EXODUS XIX: 10-11 [4Q79-81
Messiah to the second coming when he is to come into glory, which,

it is said will come to pass on the third day [vs. 11]. Otherwise
there would have been no need of its being here said" to day," " to
morrow," and" the third day."
But the inmost sense is for the people. In the supreme sense
" to day," " to morrow," and " the third day" mean one and the
same thing; for with God Messiah there is no time, things to come
being as though present, since in all things it is the end that is
regarded.
4279. How they were to be sanctified is not stated in the text,
except that they should wash their garments, etc. Sanctification
itself can consist only in purification of the heart, and consequently
in thought concerning God Messiah, because they were in expecta-
tion of him; thus in thought concerning what he had wrought for
them from Egypt even to that day. It was in these things that
sanctification then consisted; nor is it said that any other sanctifica-
tion was as yet instituted, as for instance, by means of the priest or
sacrifices.
The washing of garments was an external rite of sanctification,
signifying that the externals should be made clean. Garments are
the ultimate parts that cover the body. Thus [in washing these]
they clearly represent that they should wash their interiors and so
their deeper interiors and furthermore their inmosts, to the end
that they may draw near to mount Sinai. The washing was done
with water, etc.
4280. [And let them be prepared agaVnst the third da,y: for on
the third day J ehovah 'will come down in the eyes of all the people
upon mount Sinai], vs. 11. That they should be prepared against
the third day, means in the most universal sense that the whole of
heaven and the entire world and thus [every] living being in the
heavens and on earth should be prepared for the last day when God
Messiah is to come into glory.
Because he will then come dou'n in the eyes of all the people, that
is to say, of all in the heavens and on earth, and they shall see his
glory.
Mount Sinai is God Messiah. Thus they shall see the glory of
J ehovah in God Messiah.
4281. [And thou shalt fence the people round about, saying,
Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, and
III Ad. 403-409 4Q9
4~8~-83] THE WORD EXPLAINED
touch it in the border thereof; whosoever toucheth the mount, dying

he shall die], vs. 1~. That this mount signifies God Messiah is
clear; otherwise the mount would not have been fenced about from
its very border.
Though they were sanctified, still the mount was to be fenced
around, this fencing signifying intercession; and therefore it is
said, thou shalt fence the people round about. This is the meaning
in the supreme sense.
In the inmost sense it means that none can draw near to God
Messiah unless he be sanctified. This sanctification is effected by
various things which represent internal sanctification; and after
wards by a sanctification that is interior, and also more interior,
and then by inmost sanctification. Thus the sanetifications follow
in order.
What will be the nature of the approach of those who are meant
in the external sense, is here described by the approach to the
mountain; for so long as the internal representation remains, it
is not allowed to go up externally and so on in order, to inmosts.
4282. It is said" to go up to the mountain," because ascent is
made to things more interior and inmost. Therefore, when Adam
fell he was cast out of paradise lest he touch the tree of life [Gen.
3 24 ]. Concerning this approach, much will be said elsewhere, God
Messiah granting.
Jacob's descendants were not allowed to touch even the border
of the mountain; for if one were to touch it, dying he would die,
that is, he would die a spiritual death. For between the pure and
the impure there is no communication save by means of reforma
tion, that is to say, by first cleansing away wicked deeds and the
loves of the body and also the loves of the animus, which infect the
understanding and the will. These are the exteriors, and until
they are cleansed, the interiors cannot be washed.
4283. [There shall no hand touch it; for stoning he shall be
stoned, or killing he shall be killed with spears; 7 whether it be beast
or man, it shall not live: when the jobel shall be prolonged, they
shall go up unto the mount], vs. 13. So we read of Adam, that he
• "Killing, he shall be killed with spears" is not a translation but an inter
pretation. The Hebrew is "shooting, shall be shot," the Hebrew word being
HJ~ which means to throw, hurl, cast, and may apply to an arrow, a dart, spear,
sling, etc. It has also a variety of other meanings.

430 III Ad. 410-417
EXODUS XIX: 1f1-14 [4284-85
should not touch the tree of the knowledge of good and evil 8 [Gen.
2 17 ]. The luvnd is that extreme part of the body which extends
beyond the soles of the feet.
Moreover, the manner of death is determined, namely, by ston
ing, this consisting in the man being covered over by a heap of
stones and thus removed from the sight of the people. In the ulti
mate sense, it signifies the same thing as when it is said that they
cried to the rocks that they should cover them [Apoc. 616 ]. Thus
it is spiritual death, that they may be covered away from the sight
of God Messiah. Thus they were on the ground and not in the
ground, which was not burial as instituted.
Or they were to be killed with spears. In the ultimate sense,
spears are the darts of the devil; the bitings of conscience are like
sharp thorns. Hence the spiritual death which is here signified.
4284. Whether beast or man. By beast is signified the servant
and natural man, and by man the free and spiritual man. Neither
the former nor the latter must approach the mount or touch it;
for the former is impure, and the latter, while indeed pure, is not
yet washed in the blood of God Messiah. Thus none can approach
or go up save by permission and command.
By "going up unto the mount" is also meant conjoining
heaven to earth, as will be done in the kingdom of God Messiah.
It is said that they shall go up when the jobel 9 shall be pro
longed, that is, when the trumpet was sounded. It is therefore
sons of Israel who [went up, and] who are signified by Moses and
Aaron, it being they who went up, and not the sons of Jacob.
Wherefore we read here that [the people] went up, but later that
they did not go up; see what follows in verses 23 and 24, and chap
ter 24, verses 1 and 2.
4285. [So Moses went down from the mount unto the people,
and sanctified the people, that they should wash their garments], vs.
14. Here sanctification is again treated of, to wit, the sanctifica
tion after Moses had come down from the mount, and here, as above
• The autograph has "tree of life" but this is manifestly a slip.
• This is a Hebrew word transliterated. Schmidius adds the interpretation
buccina (trumpet). The same transliteration is used in the Arcana Coelestia,
where, as in the present text, the word is defined as meaning " the sound of a
trumpet." The word translated buccina in verses 16 and 19 is shophar.
III Ad. 418-423 431
[vs. 10], by the washing of garments, therefore merely externally;

for which reason they could not go up.
Nor was Moses able to sanctify the people until he had been in
the mount and the mount had thus sanctified him; for we read that
Moses sanctified the people, meaning in the inmost sense that God
. Messiah 1 sanctified them. Moses waS to be sanctified first, and this
was done by his going up to the mount (as in verse 3 and seq.),
when he brought the words of the people [unto J ehovah, (vs. 8,
9) J.
4286. [And he said unto the peo'[Jle, Be ready after three days:
come not near unto a woman], vs. 15. Here the time of three days
is again treated of, to wit, that all should then be ready to receive
the bridegroom; as in the case of the ten virgins [Matt. ~51-13],
etc., etc.
H is said come not near unto a woman that they might not be
polluted; for betrothals and nuptials which are here signified in the
inmost sense, have regard to a mind unharmed in respect to loves
and, indeed, to conjugial love which is the one only love that win
exist in the kingdom of God Messiah, from which comes all felicity
arising from conjunction and harmony of minds. That conjugial
love is the true love which is inmostly regarded in this text, is evi
dent with sufficient clearness from the words come not near unto a
woman.
By coming near to a woman is also signified every love of the
body and animus which is set in the place of a foundation, and this
from various causes. In what way -all loves have regard to con
jugiallove and are derived therefrom as from their fount, one more
nearly and another more remotely, may be seen when we come to
treat of conjugiaI love, God Messiah granting. Therefore also
idolatries are called adulteries, etc., etc.
This moreover is the reason why the Word so often speaks of
this love; of adulteries; and of the organs that pertain to this love;
of nakedness and shame [as] in the case of Adam [Gen. 3 7,1°] ; of
circumcision of the foreskin; of oaths sworn by laying the hand
1 This word commenceS a new line at the top of the page, and in number
ing the paragraphs some time after writing them, Swedenborg mistook this
line as the beginning of a new paragraph, and so numbered it n. 4oii/5. See n.
1767 note.
43~ III Ad. 4~4-4~9
EXODUS XIX: 15-16 [4~87
under the thigh [Gen. ~42, 47 29 ] ; of the dislocation of Jacob's

thigh when he wrestled [Gen. ~~25], etc., etc.
4287. [And it came to pass on the third day, when it became
morning, that there were voices and lightnimgs, and a heavy cloud
upon the mount, and the 'lIoice of a trumpet exceeding loud; so that
(all 2 ) the people that was in the camp trembled], vs. 16. The
third day is the last day, when the kingdom of God Messiah is J;o
come, namely, to judge all men in all land~ fropl his Word and
from tpeir_conscience.
This is confirmed by the word morning; for wherever morning
is mentioned it signifies in the inmost sense the morning o_f the
blessed, as stated above En. 3800]. In the supreme sense, it is said
morning, and it became, in relation to God Messiah, and in relation
to the sons of Israel who are here represented.
Voices here signify the voices of many, and thus sound, voices
frequently signifying sound; for what was said at this time is not
told. There was therefore a murmur like that of armies; for it is
foretold that God Messiah will come with hosts of angels [Matt.
fl5 3 1, Mark 8 38 ].
Lightnings were the forerunners of the things to be told, and
this that He might terrify the people; for which reason He is called
the Lightning-hurler. Lightnings are the fires which appear in
the cloud. The fire will be spoken of later [at verse 18].
A heavy cloud. The hosts of angels by whom God Messiah will
be surrounded, appear before human eyes as clouds, but with vary
ing brightness and varying obscurity, according to their state, and
also according to the things which are uttered. Here it is not only
the law that is treated of but also the penalties of the law; hence
the thunders and the heavy cloud.
Upon the mount. The mount is God Messiah, and therefore it
is said, upon the mount. In this text, upon means round about.
The lowest representation [of God Messiah] is drawn from a
mountain. Therefore he willed to be no elsewhere than upon a
mountain, God Messiah being in their midst and the others round
about-but in the sense, as above; for God Messiah is the All in all,
and he himself was the mount.
The voice of a trumpet. Here a voice signifies sound. The
III Ad. 430-436

433
4Q88-89] THE WORD EXPLAINED
trumpet is an instrument of battle; for, as was said [n. 4Q87], the

subject treated of is also judgment from the law laid down, and
from conscience; therefore it is said" a mighty voice."
So that [all 3] the people trembled. This was in order that he
might strike them with terror/ for they who were like the sons of
Jacob were to be driven by terror 4 as was Jacob their father, for
which reason, to him He is said to be the Lightning-hurler. Here,
moreover, the presence of the Lightning-hurler is described by
voices, being thunders, and by a heavy cloud.
That was in the camp, that is to say, that was gathered to
gether. Here is signified the ~ntire gl.Qbe which shall be in the
camp. Camps are congregations and also armies.
The coming of God Messiah is described in like manner by him:;
self in his Word [Matt. Q4 29 - 3 1, Mark 132 4-7J.
4288. [And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to
meet with God; and they stood in the lowest part of the mount], vs.
17. The people in the camp were then in their tents or near their
tents. What tents are has been told above [n. 1Q55, 1Q90]. They
signify the being in expectation of God, and consequently in wor
ship and adoration, that thus they might he prepared-as stated
above [vs. 15J.
By ~M08es are here meant all those who will admonish the people
to repentance and will announce the coming of God Messiah. It is
these who will bring them forth into his sight; but they will bring
only sons of Israel, who here are represented.
To meet with God, that is, [to come] into his sight iT. various
ways, in that some will hear him, some will see his presence, and some
will behold his glory in another way.
In the lowest part of the mm£nt means from afar off. What is
signified by standing afar off and not touching the mount may be
seen above [n. 4Q8Q, 4Q84] ; for there is no communication between
what is holy and what is profane. Therefore, they only shall see
God Messiah, who have been sanctified by his blood.
There are also degrees of approach, but these are not mentioned
here.
4289. [And mount Sinai was wholly on smoke, because Jehovah
came down upon it in· fire: and the smoke thereof went up as the
• The Latin is tremor which means, trembling, dread, terror.
434 III Ad. 437-444
EXODUS XIX: 17-9l0 [49l90-91
smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly], vs. 18.
Here God Messiah appeared as a great smoke, and in fire, which sig
nifies the anger of Jehovah over all those who were then present;
for they had receded from the way of truth so often, and he fore
saw that they would recede in the future, and would not observe the
covenant, as also was the case at the end of forty days, in that they
worshipped the Egyptian gods [chap 39l4-6]. Hence the smoke
and the fire in the smoke. As such wiU he appear to those who are
called Jacob, wheresoever on earth they are; but not so to sons of
Israel.
Anger is also signified, in that the whole mount quaked, that is
to say, was tossed up. Concerninganger, the reader may see what
was said above En. 3394, 4039l], namely, that God Messiah appears
as though in anger and thus in the forms of anger, though he is
anything but angry. So one who inflicts punishments has pity,
but still he exercises justice. .
4290. [And the voice of the trumpet was contitnuitng, and it
waxed exceeditng strong; Moses spake, and God answered him by a
voice], vs. 19. Concerning the trumpet, see above [n. 49l84], and
also concerning the voice of the trumpet [n. 49l87].
Moses spa.ke. Who they are who are meant by Moses may be
seen above [n. 49l88]. The speech will be with these and this by
answers, as said above [n. 49l74].
That much was said on this occasion is evident. This signifies
that much is to be said which must precede; otherwise, if this were
not involved, it would here be told what was said.
4291. [And when Jehovah came down upon mount Sitnai, upon
the top of the mount, Jehovah called Moses to the top of the mount;
and Moses went up], vs. 9l0. To go down upon mount Sinai is to
go from heaven to the whole assembly of Israel; for as God Messiah
is the summit of the mount, so by the mount is signified his heaven
and also those who will go up into the mount and to whom God
Messiah will come down. Thus the whole mount is the assembly of
Israel. Therefore the text adds, upon the top of the mount.
Moses was called to the top of the mount, because it is God
Messiah who is represented by Moses. Thus by Moses those also
are signified who will be in the inmosts of the kingdom of God
Messiah and who also will come in to the top of the mount, that is
III Ad. 445-450 435
4~9~-93] THE WORD EXPLAINED
to say, to God Messiah himself, because there is the" kingdom of

priests and a holy people" [vs. 6].
4292. [And Jehovah said unto Moses, Go down, charge the
people, lest perchan<:e they break through unto Jehovah for to see,
and many of them fall], vs. ~l. Here God Messiah perceives,
though from eternity, that the people was impure and that they
thought themselves to be purified by the washing of garments, and
that so they might break through to the mount, that is, to God
Messiah; yet there can be no communication between the pure and
the impure. Therefore this was done lest they perish.
The actual presence was here, because presence signifies spir
itual communication which here is represented.
We read charge the people, namely, that they should not draw
near to see, that is, draw near to faith; for as far as there is an
approach to true faith, so far there is an approach to God Messiah.
Thus the degree of the approach should be evident from their
faith. They, therefore, who have Egyptian gods, etc., in mind
and worship them, cannot draw near to faith; for faith would thus
be polluted, which is a dreadful thing. Wherefore, precaution is
taken in countless ways that they shall not draw near to faith.
This is the reason for many things of which man is ignorant,
namely, that he is led off into errors and so is in shade, rather than
that he shall pollute faith, etc., etc.
This then is what is signified by " seeing"; for they who see
and do not believe fall by a more grievous death. In the text" to
fall" means [in the proximate sense] to die by the death of the
body; but in the inmost sense, "to fall" is to die by spiritual
death.
4293. [And the priests also, which come near to J ehovah, shall
sanctify themselves, lest J ehovah make a breach in them], vs. ~~.
It was known that the priests also were not sanctified and prepared;
for on the third day all men will see in what way they are prepared.
That the sanctification was effected by blood, is stated later,
for no one could or can be sanctified save by the blood of the Mes
siah. From this comes sanctification, because justification.
To make a breach means to break in upon them so that they
perish. Thus it involves the same thing as " falling"; that is to
say, not all fall, but only those who have not been sanctified. The
436 III Ad. 451-457
EXODUS XIX: n-9l5 [49l94-96
breach is made in the series and chain, and so in the order obtaining
in the assembly.
4294. [And Moses said unto Jehovah, The people could not
come ~tp to mount Sinai, for thou hast witnessed against us, saying,
Fence the mountain about, and sanctify it], vs. 9l3. As touching
Moses' answer, he did not know that the people was of such a char
acter. Therefore he answers in this way, to wit, that the moun
tain is fenced about and the people sanctified. 5
What a spiritual fencing is, can be evident from what has been
said, to the effect that many are led away from true faith because,
were they to draw near they would necessarily perish. They must
first be prepared and must be introduced in order, and so must
be sanctified rightly. The fence is brought about by angels of
various dispositions by means of doubts concerning things divine,
lest they see them in light; and also by various things which cannot
here be mentioned. It is such things that are here signified by the
fencing round about.
4295. [And Jehovah said unto him, Go, get thee do'U'n; after
wards come thou up, and Aaron with thee: but the priests ana the
people shall not break through to come up unto Jehovah, lest I
make a breach in them], vs. 9l4. God Messiah did not will that any
one of them should perish, even though they were of such a char
acter; therefore Moses was commanded to go down. From this it
is clear that Moses' answer [vs. 9l3] was not a becoming one. Had
he spoken from true faith, he would have gone down without any
answer. What then follows may be seen explained just above
[n. 49l94].
Moses and Aaron went up, in order that the divine Essence and
the human Nature of God Messiah might be represented, as was
said above [n. 3454] with respect to Moses and Aaron. Moreover,
they were the two heads of the republic. Moses was the head of the
whole government, especially the political, so that he signified the
royalty; while Aaron was the head of the government of the church,
and so signified the priestly, etc., etc.
4296. [So Moses went down unto the people, OIrtd told them], vs.
9l5. This is the execution of the command.
• Swedenborg evidently understood the "it" in the phrase "and sanctify
it" to refer to the people; an interpretation which is justified by the context.
See verses 10 and I~.
III Ad. 458-463 437
THE WORD EXPLAINED
That all these particulars signify the state of the last times
can be evident from the whole of them. There are three times:
THE FIRST commenced from Noah and continued to the present
time, when the glory of God appeared. THE SECOND was from this
time even to God Messiah, when he himself appeared; and indeed
to the time of his resurrection when he appeared again in glory.
THE THIRD time extends to the end, when he will return in glory to
judge the entire world. That this time is now at hand, this it may
be allowed to predict.
When the time of the new creation is divided into six days, like
the ages of man and like the time of the first creation, then the FIRST
DAY extends 6 from Noah's entrance into the ark and after the flood,
to his going out; the SECOND DAY extends to the time of Abraham;
the THIRD to the giving of the law in mount Sinai; the FOURTH to
the temple of Jerusalem; the FIFTH to the coming of the Messiah;
the SIXTH to the end of days, that is, to the coming of God Messiah
to judgment, that is, into glory.
EXODUS XX
1 Then God spake all these words, saying,
~ I am Jehovah thy God, who brought thee forth out of the
land of Egypt, out of the house of servants.
3 Thou shalt not have any other god 7 before my faces.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, or any figure
that is in the heavens from above, and that is in the earth beneath,
and that is in the waters under the earth.
5- Thou shalt not bow down to them, and thou shalt not worship
them; for I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upon the sons, upon the third and fourth generation,
as regards them that hate me;
6 And showing mercy unto a thousand generations, as regards
them that love me, and keep my commandments.
7 Thou shalt not take the name of J ehovah thy God in vain;
for Jehovah will not hold him innocent that taketh his name in vain.
8 Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work:
"(Crossed off:l from Noah to Abraham, to whom God Messiah appeared.
The second time
r See n. 430iJ note.
438 III Ad. 464
EXODUS XX: 1-26
10 But the seventh day shall be a sabbath to Jehovah thy

God; thou shalt not do any work, thou, and thy son and thy
daughter, thy manservant and thy maidservant, and thy beast, and
thy stranger that is within thy gates.
11 For in six days Jehovah made the heaven and earth, the sea,
and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day; wherefore
J ehovah blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.
12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may he
prolonged upon the land which J ehovah thy God giveth thee.
13 Thou shalt not kill.
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15 Thou shalt not steal.
16 Thou shalt not answer against thy neighbour as a false
witness.
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house; thou shalt not
covet thy neighbour's wife, and his· manservant, and his maidser-
vant, and his ox, and his ass, and anything that is thy neighbour's.
18 And when all the people saw the voices, and the torches, and
the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; when the
people saw this, they were greatly moved and stood afar off,
19 And said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, [and 8] we will
hear: but let not God speak with us, lest perchance we die.
20 But Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come
for this, that he might prove you, and that his fear may be before
your faces, that ye sin not.
21 Yet the people stood afar off; and Moses drew near unto the
thick darkness where God was.
22 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the
sons of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from
heaven.
23 Therefore ye shall not make ~ith me gods of silver, or gods
of gold shall ye not make unto you. 9
24 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, that thou
mayest sacrifice thereon thy whole burnt offerings, and thy peace
offerings, thy sheep, and thy herds; in every place where I put the
memory of my name I will come unto thee, and will bless thee.
25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stones, thou shalt not
• See n. 44ii?4 note.
439
erect them hewn: for if thou move thy tool upon them, thou pro
f anest them.
~6 But thou shalt not go up by steps upon mine altar, that
thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
4297. Now comes the Decalogue containing the Law, which
afterwards was written on two tables. How this law is observed by
sons of Jacob, that is, by sons of Judah, and how by sons of Israel,
can be seen from what follows. The two tables are treated of later.
The laws which look solely to Jehovah God are contained in the
first table, while those which look to society that it may be united,
are contained in the second table. The subject now treated of,
however, is the precepts of the Decalogue.
4298. [Then God spake all these words, saying], vs. 1. It is
said that God spake all these words, namely, the God who is to be
worshipped by their means. [The name] God has regard more
properly to worship, for at that time many gods were worshipped;
but what now comes first, is that One God is to be worshipped, he
namely who is God, the Creator and Possessor of heaven and earth,
as we read in verses ~ and 5.
4299. [I am Jehovah thy God, who brought thee forth out of
the land of Egypt, out of the house of servants], vs.~. Com
mencement is made from J ehovah God, because he is the beginning
and the end, and is the only One in all; thus in the words that fol
low, he alone is to be had in view. These words, therefore, refer to
aU and single the words that follow, for he is present in them all.
Jehovah God is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, this
being what is meant by Jehovah God; for Jehovah the Father can
not be approached save by means of the Son, nor the Son save by
means of the Holy Spirit. He therefore, who wills to approach
Jehovah the Father without the Son, wills to approach him without
a mediator, and this can never be done because there is then no con
junction. The Best can never be approached by the Worst, as
neither can good by evil, without a mediator who has conquered
evil and who dissipates evil. Contraries can never be conj oined in
the absence of restitution by a mediator. The man who is ruled
by the devil cannot approach Him who is infinitely holy, still less
can he worship Him, since in man is nothing but impurity. This
is as impossible as it is to mount immediately from earth to heaven
440 III Ad. 465-469
EXODUS XX: 1-~ [4300-01
as the saying is. What then would be the looking toward more
interior things, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.
Without love there is no life. Love is what conjoins all things,
and indeed the love of Jehovah, that is to say, infinite love because
divine; this will unite all things, etc., etc.
4300. Here He first describes himself, namely, that it is He who
brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, the house of servants,
by which words are meant all the deeds that were wrought in Egypt.
All these they were to call to mind, as previously commanded [chap.
133 ,14-16]. Who it was that brought them forth out of the land
of Egypt, can be seen stated above [vs. ~], namely, God Messiah,
as can be seen demonstrated by many passages; He who now was
also in mount Sinai and who spake these words.
Here faith is first described, namely, who it is they are to believe
in, and also what they are to believe in respect to the Egyptian
plagues; for in these may be seen the things which they comprehend,
etc., etc. ; these may be recited.
4301. The sum of all lies in the faith that He alone brought
them forth out of the land of Egypt which, in the proximate sense,
is the house of servants, the house namely, where they had been
bound to servitude, while now they were restored to liberty.1
In the proximate sense, captivity in that land is like the cap
tivity of J oseph in prison. He also afterwards became the master
and so was restored to liberty.
In the interior sense it is the captivity of man by things ex
ternal, namely, by such things as flow in through the senses, and
which are many in number. These so captivate the man and so
bind his animus and mind to servitude that his mind is wholly bound
and in prison, and is unable to come into any intellectual light.
In the more interior sense it is captivity by the cupidities of the
animus, that is to say, by loves, connate and implanted, which by
1 [Crossed off:] Animale Corpus, see corpus, animale, that it is a micro
cosm in the macrocosm. [These words are written at the top of page" A S3 "
and are at once followed by n. 4301. They clearly constitute an index entry,
though it is the only one of its kind in the present volume (codex 61) or in
the preceding (codex 60). Before being used for The Word Ewplained, these
two codices were paged AI, AS, etc., Bl, BS, etc., for the compiling of an index,
Codex 61 containing the pages marked A-M, and Codex 60, those marked
N-Z. See n. S53l note. We may add that the Index Biblicus contains no
entry Animale, or Corpus.]
III Ad. 470-478 441
their torch and fire entirely suffocate the spiritual flame and ex
tinguish spiritual light. As to how these things follow in order,
one after the other, see in the Lord's Prayer [Matt. 6 9- 13 ].
In the inmost sense it is spiritual captivity, being captivity in
temptations when the man is driven into a captivity wholly spiritual.
Consequently it is a captivity in which the man is held by the devil.
Temptations are the combats whereby, when the devil is conquered,
the man, from being in that captivity is restored to liberty.
In the supreme sense, it is the captivity and combat of the Mes
siah himself, it being he alone who fights for man, he alone who
conquers, he alone who gains the victory, he alone who applies the
victory to the man, and thus he alone who so works that we may
again be conjoined with Jehovah.
This is the sum of things, to wit, that God Messiah alone has
delivered us from the house of servants, that is to say, from the
power of the devil; and that he delivers us without the least force
and power on the part of man. Hence comes reconciliation and
hence introduction into the kingdom of God, which kingdom is
God Messiah.
4302. [Thou shalt not have any other god 2 before my faces],
vs. 3. Here it is said any other god, meaning that there shall not
be any other god.
All men and all things are called gods when they are worshipped,
being things external and things internal, things without man and
things within man.
Those things are called gods which are preferred to God Mes
siah; for men worship the things which they love and which they
fear. The things they love are innumerable, being those which
they desire; the things which they fear are also gods, because of
punishment.
4303. In the external sense, those things which follow are an
other god, to wit, idols; also men, and likewise kings, and the things
which exist before the senses.
In the interior sense, the loves of the world and of one's own
· l:l'~'~ literally gods. When used as a name of the Deity, all the inter
preters translate this word God; but when it is used to designate false gods,
Castellio, Tremellius, Pagnini, the Vulgate, and the A.V., translate it gods.
Excepting in this single text, Schmidius also follows the same practice, and this
suggests that the word god in the present case is a misprint for gods.
44~ III Ad. 479-487
EXODUS XX: 3 [4304-05
body are another god, being things which men prefer to the love of
God Messiah.
In the more interior sense, the interior loves of self are another
god, such, for instance, as the love of one's own understanding, of
one's own fame, of one's own preference in many matters, the at
tributing to oneself of the outcome of things, and also the worship
of nature.
In the inmost sense, another god·is the worship of Jehovah the
Father without mediation, which is no worship; for the man is then
remitted and reflected, as it were, to himself and the world. In such
case no love is possible, which comes from God Messiah alone and
from faith in God Messiah. Consequently, the man is remitted to
those spirits who have dominion in the world and in the body, and
thus to the devil and his crew.
Love alone is the bond and life; consequently God Messiah
alone, who is the one only Love of Jehovah the Father. If there
fore, man is without this infinite and divine love, he is then without
the bond and life; hence comes nought but separation, and so death.
4304. It is said before my faces, or in front of my faces, mean
ing in His sight. God Messiah regards all and single things in
man, and all his faces; that is to say, He regards things exterior,
interior, more interior, and inmost. These are the faces by which
God Messiah is regarded and which thus are applied to God Mes
siah. a
God Messiah has only one face, that is to say, he regards man
from love and so from mercy and grace; but by man he is regarded
with divers faces which more properly are faces of faith; for in the
inmost sense, " to see" is to have faith. Thus, as many as are the
faces of man's faith in God Messiah, so many are the faces at
tributed to Him, which yet, as was said, come from one face only.
Wherefore also it is said elsewhere 4, "Thou shalt not have any
other god before my (; faces," which are synonymous words.
4305. When God Messiah is regarded with faith, then exists
saving faith, intellectual faith; faIth, moreover, involves many
, [Crossed off:] What the faces of God MeSSiah are can be seen from man.
That there are many faces may be seen above [no 3080]. Men look to God
Messiah from divers faces, that is to say, with divers eyes of faith.
• This means probably "in some other version," though we know of no
version using these words.
• Reading meat for tua8 (thy).
III Ad. 488-493 443
things. Thus He is regarded by various men with various faces.

But what is meant in the text is that it is He alone who is to be
looked to. As to how those things are circumstanced, which the
doctrine of faith involves, this is known to God Messiah alone; for
all men are judged from their faith and, consequently, from that
which their faith contains; judged namely, as to how far they have
departed from the way of truth, and from what cause, etc., etc.
4306. What is said here is further explained in Deuteronomy,
chapters 5 and 6; to wit:
In CHAPTER 5: That Jehovah spoke with them" face to face
in the mountain, out of the midst of the fire" (vs. 4). That
Moses announced the Word of Jehovah, that is, announced God
Messiah who is the Word of Jehovah, because they were afraid" by
reason of the fire" (that this fire signified anger, see above [n.
3641, 3777]), and also that" they went not up" (vs. 5). In this
chapter, verses 6 and 7, occur the same words as are said in the
present text.
4307. In CHAPTER 6: That love to God must be above all things,
is clearly stated in these words: " Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God
from thy whole heart, and from thy whole soul, and from all thy
forces" (vs. 5). "From thy whole heart," that is, from the whole
love, love being described by the heart; that thus there may be love
of nothing save God Messiah, and that he may be the whole in all
that appears as love; but that, in respect to him, there be no 6 love
save toward him. From this supreme love, loves follow in their
series. " From thy whole soul," that is, from the whole life, the
soul standing for the life, and in the present case for intelligence;
thus, from those things wherein is the light of life. " From all thy
forces," that is, from all the active faculties. These forces are
internal and external. Thus many forces are here designated.
That there should be nothing else in the mind save God Messiah
alone, is expressed in verse 7 ; namely, nothing else in every speech,
in the house, outside the house, in the bed, on first wakefulness.
God Messiah is then present in the mind, and in the whole heart, in
the whole life and in all the forces-present namely, when the speech
comes from faith; and especially from faith according to precept.
In verses 8, 9, 10, 11, 1~, these things are further commanded,
• Reading nulhts for nullius; otherwise the translation would read "love of
none."
444 III Ad. 494-500
EXODUS XX: 4 [4308
and this to the end that they may never forget them; and lest,7 when
they come into the ha,ppiness of corporeal life, other loves obliterate
them.
Finally, it is said that they should do these things" that it may
be well with us all the days, that he may vivify us as at this day"
(vs. ~4). "To be well with us all the days" means to eternity.
" To vivify us" 8 means from being brutes to make us men. "As
at this day" means the manner in which this is effected. (As yet I
do not well comprehend this, but in itself it appears clear. 9 )
" And justice shall be ours if we observe to do all this com
mandment before Jehovah our God" (vs. ~5). These words
clearly involve that God Messiah is Justice; and that the Law is the
commandment which he spoke to Israel, is also evident (vs. 4).
A distinction is made between commandments, statutes, and
judgments (vs. 1), and also between statutes and commandments
(vs. ~). In the absence of internals, the law is a statute, but from
internals it is called a commandment; for what God Messiah com
mands is celestial and truly spiritual; He can command in no other
way. Statutes are rites, and these, when separated from internals,
are of no value. Thus statutes without commandments are not
divine, being dead and not living. Life comes solely from things
spiritual. Action without spiritual life is not human action but
is .like the animal action of the body or like something inanimate.
·Wherefore there must be life in actio·ns, and in this life consists the
essence and life of the Law, etc. etc.~
4308. [Thou shalt not make nnto thee a graven image, or any
figure that is in the heavens from above, and that is in the earth
beneath, and that is in the waters under the earth], vs. 4. By these
words are meant idols which represented gods. This is well known
from Roman history, in that the Romans had many gods, being
those whom they declared to have dQm~ in the h~~~ns, those
whom they declared to have dominion on eaE.,th, and those whom they
declared to have dominion in the sea. This is the proximate sense.
And because Jacob's-(fe;cEmdaIrls were of such a character that
they were easily turned aside to such gods, therefore, lest they
1 Reading 11.6 for quod.
8 [Crossed off:] as at this day, means to give eternal life.
• [Marginal note by the Author:] Confer Genesis 5020.

1 The end of this paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written in the margin.
In Ad. 501-505 445

should attribute what they saw to these gods, that is to say, to those
to whom they ascribed the sun and the moon which they adored, also
to those to whom they ascribed the fruits of the earth and many
other things which are on earth and in society, and, moreover,
which are in rivers and in the sea-for this reason it was for
bidden them to look upon graven images and figures of this kind;
and this because of their pro~livity and e!ye~ity, and also, with
some, because of their ignorance or-shade, and so ecaus cU-!!Ie
w..!akness _of their understanding wherein they trusted, believing
that one God could not be over all and single things in the universe
and hear and see all and sin le things. Yet it is an_et rna truth
that if One were-not the All in all; -if He did not rovide for all
and single things, in thing~E1~t singular _a.!' in J:he l!!.1iversa,h!he
universe would perisnin. a momen-i. 2 Such is the connection of
things universal wjth thiiigs most single, that the {or~an never
exist without the latter. The universal is such as it is in things
most single. (Here perhaps it may be allowed to treat in a few
words concerning "y:nivers~l providence in things ~ost single.)
4309. Because they worshipped idols and were prone to idolatry,
it was forbidden them to have figures, for they were led by the
senses. A man who is led by the senses, like the ignorant herd,
when he is~rmed-6Y s~me l;~der, is prone to such idolatries; for
such-men adore everything which they see and wonder at, and this
from various causes-(perhaps it may be allowed to treat of the
causes, since the common eople is so rone to idolatry)-to wit,
because ~es in per!.~ted ~er andlSr~a ~s ray by the ~es
and the animus, 1!2! ar~ tEe~things interi~ ~rule the exterior.
(Moreover, from the above cause the learned, who trust in their
~J'\
. --' o~n unde~nding, ~_shi nature, which in her~e parts they
r,/~ ') make into gods; for their bounds are the bounds of the experience
I of the senses ex posteriori and h-:re is ipplied iheir philosophY.s
'Therefore, when they do not understand such things, then heaven
is torn away from earth. This then is what takes place in those
who worship nature, or acknowledge her as the cause of things in
man, in beasts, in the earth, etc., not knowing that without union
with heaven nature can never hold together; nor IS any union ever
----- -
• This sentence is emphasized by "N B " written in the margin.
• This reference to the learned is emphasized by "N B" written twice in
~rg~. --- - - --
446 III Ad. 506
EXODUS XX: 4 [4310-19l
possible without God Messiah and his love who sustains all con
junction, harmony, and union. (God Messiah granting, these
points may be further set forth and extended.) 4
4310. The loves of self and the world and the thence arising
cupidities, appetites, and delectations of the external man when
without the rule of the inter~man or without heavenly faith and
love, are what arouse all such things; for they produce shade, nay,
darkness, in things spiritual and celestial, and produce cold therein,
cold namely, in respect to God Messiah. Hence there is n~h
in eternl!!.Jife after death, and with the vanishing of this all else
follows. (Then men become worse than animals and in various
ways idolaters.)
4311. What are meant in the text in its more interior sense, are
imaginations not unlike the visual because they arise from these
and are afterwards variously compounded by the aid of the ra
tional mind. Such representations can be expressed by figures. It
is these figures that are meant in the internal sense.
4312. As touching representations, namely, that they are many
in number and are of such a nature that they enter into faith itself,
of this much can be said; and also as to how speech arises from such
representations. As yet it is not allowed to speak concerning them
(for they must be spoken of cautiously, if, God Messiah granting,
it be allowed to say anything).
As touching superior representations which are various, in that
things themselves are expressed by means of the figures of created
things, as is the case almost everywhere in the Word of God Mes
siah, of these also something might be said if it be then allowed.
(If allowed it should be done cautiously.)
Inmost representations cannot be expressed here; nor what ef
fect they produce in man's mind and in his life. (If it be allowed
to say something cautiously, God Messiah granting, let it then be
with caution.)
In this text three things ate mentioned, being those that con
cern superiors, to wit, those which are in the heavens; those that
concern inferiors, to wit, those which are in the world and in the
earth; and those that concern lowest things, which are expressed by
the waterlf under the earth and which concern hell.
• The latter part of this paragraph is emphasized hy "N B " written twice
in the margin.
III Ad. 507-5a 447
That there were many such representations among the Egyp

tians can be evident. 5 Therefore, precaution is used here, lest they
return to the worship of the Egyptian gods.
4313. [Thou shalt not bow down to them, and thou shalt not
worship them; for I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, upon the third and fourth
generation, as regards them that hate me], vs. 5. Here we have the
external gestures which must not be made before idols. Bowing
down, like the bending of the knees, corresponds to adoration.
The external gesture of adoration arouses the internal; but here it
is prohibited that there shall be any external whereby the internal
may be aroused; fuLwh~n the common pe~ple is such that it~eks
iJ;s internals from externals, that is, ;hen it lives in perverted order,
then internals are aroused by externals. Thus comes the adoration
and worship of an image, as can be evident from many considera
tions.
Here, therefore, let those take note who admit bowing and ~he
bending of the knees before images and statues. What can be
their sentiment? Are they ever excusable? To teach one thing
and permit another, is not lawful.
4314. The text treats of bowing down and worshipping before
images and statues-in the R~man S~01,6 and also how the common
people adore these; nay, they persuade them to adoration by the
confirmations of miracles; they permit them to bend the knees to
images, to kiss them, to pour out their prayers to them. Is not
all this done for an image? Suppose that it is addressed to him
whom the image represents, is it not then for some one under the
heavens and not for J ehovah God alone in accordance with the first
commandment? Are they not thus open idolaters? In the text
this is set forth in clear words, and it is for them to say whether
they can in any way be excused.
(43i5.. As to how it is with these things among the c0n:..mQlL.:R~o
~ ..!ho are acted on by exterE_als, and how among the lea~~<!~o
~seduced b an un~ ndinO' comI!osed.hLt~12ves of the body
and of the animus; also as to how [they are done] by those who live
- -
an inverted ~rder, and how by those who live a true order; all this
• [Crossed off:] from their hieroglyphics, etc.
• Palaestra.
448 III Ad. 513-517
EXODUS XX: 5 '[4316-17
may be set forth with many particulars, etc., etc. Prostration be-
fore the pope, what is this? 7
4316. In the proximate sense, " bowing down" is a gesture of
adoration like the bending of the knees. Prostrating oneself is
humiliation, and this must be before God only, l0ng a prostration
t2,. the ground by reason of the signification that one is dust and
thus nothing. - - -
In the interior sense it is the bo~ing down of the animus, mean-
ing that all and single things which are i; the animus -;:re of no
account; thus the entire rejection of them, etc., etc.
In the more interior sense it is the humiliating of the mind, in
that this also is of no account.
In the inmost sense it is.Jhe h~mBiating oLt~e~l, that is, of
the whole man, it being the soul in things most single that actuates
the body in the general whole. Thus the least things, together
with the greatest, must bow themselves down, that is to say, must
adore by means of humiliation even to nothingness, for this is the
way of truth. s
So likewise with worship which is an active force, while bowing
down is a passive. These two forces must be conjoined, and the
one follows the other. In the perverted man, bowing down, which
is a gesture, comes first; but in the spiritual man bowing down is a
spontaneous consequence of worship, adoration and internal humili-
ation, the g:esture or the general being the consequence of the in-
ternal state. 9
4317. God is called ,jealous or an avenger because he who does
aught else [than obey] is condemned.
Hence comes that disposition which remains to the descendants.
From perverted order comes perverted order; for according to the
state of man's more interior parts, such is the state derived into his
descendants, as shown above [n. 1043-4, ~034].
This is called iniquity or evil. The sum of all, is that there
ought to be humiliation, and confession that one is nothing. So
long as anything of man's own remains, in that he believes his own
to be something, so long he is in iniquity; and this iniquity is de-
T This paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written twice in the margin.
8 This paragraph is emphasized by "N B" written twice in the margin.
III Ad. 518-5~5 449
4318-9W] THE WORD EXPLAINED
rived to his posterity, and this to the degree that he thinks himself
to be something. 1
4318. Because of this derivation into their sons, it is here said,
visiting the iniquity upon the sons, that is, upon posterity. This
posterity is indeed emended and reformed by God Messiah, but when
the inclination is connate, the mediate emendation becomes more
difficult, because the iniquity recurs (on the subject of reformation,
see above where we treat of Laban's flock and Jacob's) ; not so
when it is done miraculously. That it is done mediately can be
evident to everyone from what has preceded; thus it is done by
knowledges, by means of the auspices of God Messiah, by means of
various courses from infancy to old age, by means of various
temptations, etc., etc.
That man is reformed, but by degrees-this also is clear. Here
it is said to the third and fourth generation, signifying, In the
posterity, more quickly.2 .
That in parents God Messiah remembers their posterity be
cause the latter are represented in these parents; and thus remem
bers those who were of hostile mind or in hatred; this likewise can
be evident. But it is also the case that sons of different disposi
tions are born of a single father, and this from causes of which we
have spoken above [no 1049, 1772, 1976]. These words, however,
contain more mysteries than can be told.
4319. [And showing mercy unto a thousand generations, as
regards them that love me, and keep my commandments], vs. 6.
Among the reasons why the blessing is derived from parents to their
posterity is also this, that each parent may take pains to love God
Messiah from his soul and mind, that is, from his whole heart; for
the greatest and inmost love of parents is toward their children,
being even greater than their love toward themselves. Wherefore
these words are said, to the end that parents may give thought to
their posterity and to the salvation of their children.
4320. The representation of sons in their parent can be evident
from many examples, as from the example of Abraham, in that
Isaae was blessed because of Abraham. It was also because of
Abraham that J acob was blessed, so that his posterity might enter
into the land of Canaan.
1 See preceding note.
2 [Crossed off:] or more slowly.
450 III Ad. 526-530

EXODUS XX: 6 [4g~1-~~
But the representation of the parent of the faithful went to

others of his descendants, and also to those who are represented in
him. Thus in Abraham, are represented all the faithful who are
said to arise from his seed because from his faith; and so likewise
in many other cases. Wherefore it is here said a thousand genera
tions, when yet there are no more than one hundred and fifty gen
erations from Abraham 8; and although the end of days is now at
hand, a thousand generations are mentioned in the text. 4 There
fore the blessing is transferred to others. 4 Thus by a thousand are
meant thousands and myriads, and by generations, generations aris
ing not from natural seed but from the seed of Abraham's faith,
etc., etc.
4321. As regards them that love me and keep my 5 command
ments. This looks also to those in the generations who love and
keep the commandments; thus not to the fathers alone, etc., etc.,
for it is said as regards them (that is, those among the sons) that
love and keep the commandments. 6
"To love" means faith, for faith without love is not a faith
that saves. "To keep the commandments" means to obey. Thus
we have faith and obedience, as observed above at Genesis, chapter
~~ and elsewhere.
In Abraham was faith whereby he was justified. The second
thing was obedience searched out by temptations; thus a tried faith.
These are represented in the names Reuben and Simeon. "To
love" means faith, for without love there is no faith. "To keep
the commandments" means to obey, not the external command
ments but the internal. The external are called statutes and judg
ments.
4322. The inmost law in what has now been said consists in this,
that man make himself of no account because he is nothing; that he
ought not to represent anything to himself as his own; that what
soever be presented before his senses, animus and mind, God Mes
siah must be present in all and single things. In this way he adores
• According to Usher's Ohronology, Abram was born B.C. 1996. Add to
this the year 1746 when Swedenborg was writing this text, and we have 374Sl
years. Allowing twenty-five years between each generation, this would make
one hundred and fifty generations.
• The last two sentences are emphasized by " NB" written in the margin.
• Reading mea for tua (thy).
III Ad. 581-585 451
nothing; for God Messiah alone is to be adored because he is the

All in all. "A graven image" [vs. 4], therefore, signifies what
soever is represented wherein is anything more than God Messiah,
nay, inmostly, wherein anything is other than God Messiah; so
that He is the whole and the sole, in the sense, namely, that when
you think of God Messiah then all and single things will be of no
moment. Therefore, by the graven image and the form [in verse
4] is meant everything that is represented in the thought, the
imagination, and the sensation. The thoughts must be directed
to God Messiah, in that all things come from him, there being
nothing whatever in the world before the senses, in the interior
natural things before the animus, and in the more interior things
before the mind, that does not regard the kingdom of God Messiah
and, consequently, God Messiah himself. Thus the universe was
created that all and single things may furnish such reflections.
Such was the primitive or infant church, and so far as there is re
cession therefrom, comes the iniquity which is "visited" [vs. 5],
that is, is punished in its own way. -This then is the graven image
and the form, in the inmost law. 7
4323. [Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in
vain; for Jehovah will not hold him innocent that taketh his name in
vain], vs. 7. As to what is meant by the name of God, this also is
t
evident from what was said above n. 3351], to wit, concerning
Abraham, that he called upon the name of God [Gen. 1~8, 134,
~183] .
The name of God is Jehovah, in that He alone is, He alone is
Essence and Life, and beside Him there is nothing.
The name of God involves all faith and obedience, and conse
quently every doctrine and confession of true faith, and so all
worship.
The name of God Messiah involves that He alone is the Savior,
He alone is Justice, Mediation, consequently all that follows in the
confession of faith.
The name of God is every truth and goodness, consequently an
internal light, and inmost heat or love.
T This paragraph is emphasized by "N B" written three times in the
margin. Following it comes the unnumbered paragraph, crossed off: "Verse 7.
To take the name of God in vain is to deceive by meanS of God, that is, to
bear testimony to the true God and in this way to deceive; thus all falsity."
45~ III Ad. 536-540
EXODUS XX: 7
4324. Since therefore, when they are in order, all and single
things involve the name of God, and thus also things external, in
terior, more interior, and inmost, in all of which there is nothing,
since they draw their being from the Supreme, that is, from Je
hovah God, thus from God Messiah in whom are all things which
are holy and which sanctify; so, when they are in order, all and
single things proceed from J ehovah God, thus from J ehovah the
Father by the Son, and from the Son by the Holy Spirit. This is
the name of God. Hence comes order from inmosts to externals;
for then Jehovah God is the whole of order.
4325. Inasmuch as nothing can ever express all and single the
things that have been said up to this point, save only the name of
God because he alone is in all and single things, being, in respect to
power,s in those also which are not in order; therefore the simple
utterance of the name of God involves all things.
Thus to call upon the name of God is to teach concerning God
Messiah and to worship him from faith and thus rightly.
4326. His name is taken in vain when he is not worshipped as
he taught, or when the belief is other than the true faith. 9
Thus to take [His name] in vain is to worship something else
in preference to God Messiah, nay, together with God Messiah;
for his name is taken in vain when God Messiah is worshipped for
the sake of aught save himself and his kingdom; thus when regard
is had to something else as the reason for the sake of which he is
worshipped.
Therefore, to take [his name] in vain is not to worship aright,
that is, not to worship from faith in God Messiah and indeed in
him alone; for there is no worship without faith in God Messiah,
the worship being such as the faith is.
To take [his name] in vain is to deceive him by the worship of
him; and also to deceive brethren an"d fellowmen; and to persuade
them by means of His name, that is to say, by things holy, etc., etc.
4327. Thus to speak and act against truth, that is, against a
conscience of true faith, this is lying; in the outmost sense, it is
swearing by God; in the more interior sense, it is simulating and
putting on faces other than what they are intrinsically, for the
purpose of deceiving; so likewise in the more interior sense. That
8 [Crossed off:] and permission.
• Literally, " than the faith must be."
In Ad. 541-548
453
vanity 1. is a lie, see Deuteronomy 5 20 *; thus it is falsity and all

that pertains to a lie and falsity, thus oaths-and that there should
be no oaths, see Matthew, chapter 533 •
4328. Thus, to take the name of God in vain is to live a per
verted order, for then, when things holy are used, his name is taken
in vain in all and single things, both in thoughts and in endeavors
and deeds. Thus to act, thus to imagine and comprehend, thus to
be delighted, thus to think and will, is [to take his name] in vain;
for the name of God is then profaned in all and single things.
This is blasphemy and profanation. What penalty they pay who
draw near to J ehovah God when they are impure, is sufficiently
tvident from what follows. By all such persons the name of God
is profaned. This is what is meant by taking the name of God in
vam.
Not to take the name of God in vain is to worship God Messiah
in a holy manner. Wherever he is not worshipped in a holy man
ner, there his name is taken in vain, and this in indefinite ways, etc.,
etc.
4329. He will not hold him Vwnocent that taketh the name of
God in vain, that is, a man may not be excused when he knows how
God is to be worshipped and does not worship him. Innocence
means being in the way of truth.
Not to hold one innocent means to present him as subject to
blame and punishment.
4330. He, therefore, who knows that the Messiah alone is to be
worshipped, and does not worship him, but, against his own con
science, suffers himself to be carried away by other opinions because
by other loves-such a man cannot be immune.
Thus one takes the name of God in vain, and can never be inno
cent, when he wishes to justify himself, that is, to merit the king
dom of God by the works of the law.
1 The words from, " That vanity" to the end of the paragraph, are a later
addition, written partly in the margin. The fundamental meaning of the word
vatiitas, as of the English word vanity, is "emptiness," "unreality," " nothing
ness." The use of this word in the text refers to the "in vain" of the com
mandment, being the translation of the Hebrew N;~2 (to nothingness).
* The force of this reference can be seen only in a literal translation of the
Hebrew, such as is given by Schmidius, to wit: "Thou shalt not answer against
thy neighbor a witneSs of vanity."
454 III Ad. 549-554
EXODUS XX: 8-9 [4331-34
4331. As to how the name of God is taken in vain by degrees,

that is to say, externally, internally, more internally, and inmostly;
and as to how man is thus not held innocent but is punished; this
follows from each of the points treated of above. Wherefore these
things cannot yet be given specifically, nor consequently those that
answer to them, that is to say, the punishments, these likewise be
ing external, internal, and more interior, and also lighter and more
grievous~all corresponding to the things that have been said con
cerning the taking of the name of God in vain.
With respect to this, see also Deuteronomy, chapter 5, verses 8,
9,10, ll.
4332. [Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy], vs. 8. In
the proximate sense, the reason from which comes the hallowing of
the sabbath or sixth day is that for one day they may abstain from
thoughts concerning the world, and the cares of the body, and be
diligent and watchful in heavenly things; that so they may then
worship God Messiah or call upon his name. That is to say, that
they may then observe in their heart the precepts which are in the
first Table and which are now declared. It is for this reason that
the precepts, which treat of J ehovah God and the worship of him,
are here premised. Hence it is said that the day of the sabbath is
to be hallowed.
4333. [Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work (vs. 9).]
For six days it was allowed them to attend to all such things as per
tained to the body and which thus concerned exterior matters.
Wherefore, unless there had been one day wherein they should rest
from such things, they would have become entirely corporeal, ani
mal, and worldly, and so would never have remembered J ehovah
God , '
4334. By "laboring" is here meant everything external, and
by "hallowing" is meant all that pertains to God; for J ehovah
God is not hallowed by rest from work but by things interior, to
wit, by thoughts and so by the spiritual man.
Labor in externals corresponds to that internal operation which
is the quiescence of the body; for no one can be led to thoughts
concerning God Messiah so long as his attention is given to the
body, a labor which is conjoined with the loves of the world and
self. These loves must be separated if there is to be room for
heavenly love.
HI Ad. 555-56~ 455
Therefore it was forbidden them under a heavy penalty to labor

at that time; for such was their nature that unless they entirely
rested they could never have been alive to internal worship, and it
was into this they were to be initiated.
4335. [But the seventh day shall be a sabbath to J ehovah thy
God; thou shrilt not do any work, thou, and thy son and thy daugh
ter, thy manservant and thy maidservant, and thy beast, and thy
stranger that is within thy gates], vs. 10. It is here said that the
whole house should rest, and thus not only the sons and daughters
but also the strangers and likewise the beasts; and this to the end
that nothing whatsoever might disturb their mind's rest. There
fore they ought not then to have the care of their beasts, that so
nothing might come before their minds and give rise to any work. 2
This was done for the sake of man, lest domestic cares arouse him.
In Deuteronomy. 5 14 are the added words "thy ox and thy ass
and every beast of thine." In the proximate sense [the meaning
is, that] every beast likewise rested. In the interior sense, by
beast, and in Deuteronomy by "ox" and "ass" is meant every
service, as is also explained there; in the more interior sense, every
thing which should be of service in the body, such as the passions
of the animus and the loves of the world and self, these being the
oxen and asses. In the inmost sense, the meaning is that man
should be entirely void of all cares, and should be alive only to
things heavenly. That by the ox and the ass is meant service is
more clearly evident from Deuteronomy 5 14 where the only repeti
tion is " thy manservant and thy maidservant."
4336. [For itn six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the sea,
and rill that itn them is, and rested on the seventh day; whe1"efore J e
hovah blessed the sabbath day and hrillowed it], vs. H. Here is
brought forward the reason why the seventh day is to be hallowed,
namely, because in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth and the
sea, and rested on the seventh day-as is evident from the first
chapter of Genesis; but this was the cause at the time, for then
also it was commanded (Genesis 9l 2,3). These days, however, in
volve as many days of the new creation, beginning from N oah and
going on to the seventh and last day when the kingdom of God
• [Crossed off:] but there was to be deep silence.
456 III Ad. 563-574
EXODUS XX: 10-11 [4337-38
or the holy day is to come. In the inmost senses, these are the
reasons why the seventh day 3 was hallowed.
It is for this reason that six days are so often mentioned, nay,
six years and six centuries, in that in the seventh year and the
seventh century the land was to have rest; for the times that pre
ceded are continual types of those that are to come. Thus the
first days of creation are types of the days of the new creation,
which is the reformation of the human ra,ce by means of the Mes
siah, this reformation being called the creation of a new heaven and
a new earth [Isa. 65 17 ]. This is the seventh day which is so often
mentioned in the Word of God Messiah. Later, moreover, it was
commanded that the land was to have rest [chap. Q3 11 , Lev. Q5 4 ],
and this for the same reason.
4337. What they were to remember on the seventh day was all
that had been done in Egypt, the house of servants, as is clearly
evident from Deuteronomy, chapter 5 15 , where the reason given
is not the same as in the present text but is another, being a reason
that concerns Egypt. Thus they were to remember all the works
of God Messiah in general, and in themselves in particular. The
thought is then directed solely to God Messiah in remembrance of
his labors and of his benefits toward the human race. Hence the
hallowing.
4338. Man can never be hal10wed by mere rest of the body; but
as already observed [n. 4335], the rest of the body is an external
cause whereby man is impelled to remembrance, that is to say, to
remembrance of all the works of Egypt. These involve not only
spiritual captivity but also spirittial deliverance, and thus the
struggle of the church while men are living in the body. In the
inmost sense they involve the kingdom of God Messiah, and in
the supreme sense God Messiah himself in whom are all things, and
froID whom are all and single things. Thus it is God Messiah who
hallows the seventh day in man because then his kingdom is repre
sented, and as to what this kingdolU involves, see above; for all and
single things have regard to his kingdom and thus to that heavenly
rest into which many have so greatly longed to enter, such as
David, etc., etc. That the heavenly kingdom is signified by the
seventh day is evident from the rest into which David so often
longed to enter [Ps. 1167 , 13Q14].
3 Swedenborg first wrote" day of the sabbath."
III Ad. 575-580 457
The other rest, that is to say, the mere rest of the body, involves
nothing of holiness; for what of holiness can rest involve without
the remembrance of the works of God Messiah? what of holiness
comes from the body? what from an ox, an ass, and a beast, because
they are at rest? what from the land? Therefore all and single
things have regard to that which hallows, that is to say, to God
Messiah who alone hallows because he alone is holy.
4339. In the inmost sense, the meaning is, that every day must
be holy, this being a type of the kingdom of God Messiah; and
while men are living on earth, and in every occupation, they should
remember God Messiah, there being nothing whatever that does not
represent his kingdom and that does not bring man to the behold
ing of God Messiah. Thus, with those who are spiritual, every
day will be holy. From others, however, no more is required than
the seventh day, that is to say, the seventh part of what God Mes
siah has given man.
4340. That the spiritual man continually remembers the works
of God Messiah is evident from the fact that it was enjoined on the
sons of Israel continually to remember the things which were
wrought in Egypt; see Exodus 136-16. Thus, with sons of Israel
there will be a perpetual passover, ever without leaven, etc.
4341. But when the seventh day is devoted to other thoughts
than those now spoken of, such as how they shall obtain gain and
shall deceive others, how they shall be revenged, how they shall in
dulge themselves, and so forth, then the day of the sabbath is pro
faned more than any day of the six, for then the man sins inte
riorly. Deeds of wickedness flow not from the labor of the body
but from the thought, and thus from purpose and deliberation, as
cah be a matter of familiar knowledge to everyone.
4342. The holy day is God Messiah himself, he being his king
dom and the Rest of the saints. Wherefore God Messiah is the
Lord of this day [Mark ~28, Luke 65 ]. Therefore also it is God
Messiah alone who hallows it, and this in man. Hence we read,
Wherefore Jehovah blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it. A
day cannot be blessed unless He be present who shall bless, and he
who shall be blessed. He who blesses is God Messiah alone, and
he who is blessed is man.
4343. Hence comes every subsequent blessing, this being from
God Messiah to man, from man to all man's work, and so to the
458 III Ad. 581-587
1
EXODUS XX: l~ [4344-45
whole earth. In this way heaven is united to the world, which by

Adam was disjoined, as is evident from the cursing of the earth
and of all things in the earth by means of man alone [Gen. 3 17 ].
Wherefore the conjunction is effected by God Messiah alone; hence
the new creation of heaven and earth.
4344. [Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may
be prolonged upon the land which J ehovah thy God giveth thee],
vs. l~. As concerns the honoring of parents, a long continuation
of life is promised to those who show this honor. In the proximate
sense this is their temporal reward, for such a reward follows obe-
dience to moral laws. But a like reward, that is to say, a spiritual
and celestial reward, follows from obedience to spiritual and celes-
tial laws. The same also is true of punishment, for according to
the way in which man lives, so he receives reward and punishment-
as can be evident from innumerable examples.
It is the same in all the precepts of the decalogue; according to
the state in which a man observes the laws, or commits deeds con-
trary to the laws, so is he rewarded or punished.
To Jacob's descendants the reward set forth and likewise the
appointed punishment was temporal or corporeal; for these de-
scendants looked solely to the life of the body and to life in the
world. Thus they loved length of life.
A similar law is given to the spiritual man, but one which flows
a priori, that is to say, from the internal to the external; thus ac-
cording to perfect order and from God Messiah himself who rules
man's superior things and so all the others. Man is indeed ruled
by God Messiah in respect to these other things, but by means of
[ spirits] such as is the man; otherwise, by means of His angels.
4345. That it may be evident what lies interiorly within these
words, it must be seen what "honoring" signifies in its different
senses, what "father" [and "mother"], and what "length of
life."
By "honoring," in the proximate sense, is meant to show one
honor; in the interior sense, to obey him; in the more interior sense,
to hold him dear, and in the inmost sense, to adore and love him.
In the supreme degree, to these correspond in God Messiah, mercy,
love, and grace, according to the state of the man, as observed
. above [n. 4344]. For God Messiah loves all men and therefore
III Ad. 588-593 459
shows mercy and grace to all according to their observance of the

laws.
By father in the proximate sense is meant the father whose son
one is; in the interior sense, every parent, such as grandfather and
great grandfather, for at that time he also was called father who
had lived many ages before and was the head of the family, as we
read concerning Abraham; so also all others from whom families
were named, were called simply fathers. (The sayings of the
Word of God Messiah may be adduced.) By father in the more
interior sense are meant all who perform good works both in educa
tion and in other matters. Therefore also men call them fathers,
especially when they instruct them in spiritual things, and thus love
them as a father his sons. By father in the inmost sense are meant
all who are in the church of God Messiah, for these love from their
hearts those who are in the communion. Thus they are fathers
from faith, in the same way as was Abraham, who is called the
father of all the faithful. In the supreme sense, the Father of all
who believe is God Messiah.
The like is meant by mother; but what is meant in the inmost
sense is the church of God Messiah, that is to say, the church con
sidered in the inmost sense, as the bride and wife of the Messiah.
4346. From these senses it can now be evident what is involved
in this commandment, namely, who they are who are to be honored,
who to be obeyed, who to be held dear, who it is who is to be adored,
and what things are to be loved; and so to whom it is that mercy is
actually shown by God Messiah, and from what cause. (Later,
these points might be more fittingly joined together, and might
also be confirmed by examples from the Word of God Messiah.)
4347. By" length of life," which is the reward, is meant in the
proximate sense what the words themselves say. This answers to
the honoring of the father, it being from him that the son has re
ceived life and afterwards education also, that is, spiritual life, or
the formation of the man; for the life that is conceived and born
is merely corporeal, external and animal, but the man is born
afterwards because afterwards is formed his mind from which man
is properly called man. By" length of life" in the interior sense
is meant a great posterity which shall long endure, it being in this
that men placed their life; for parents called themselves dead when
they were without children, as seen above [no 1997,3035], and this
460 III Ad. 594-597
EXODUS XX: Hl [4348-49
because in their sons they saw themselves again living after death.
This arises from natural causes,4 the love of parents toward their
sons being such that in them they see themselves. Therefore they
give so great thought to them; and therefore, it is a consequence
of parental love that they prefer the life of their sons to their own.
By "length of life" in the more interior sense is meant spiritual
length of life, in that his fame or memory will be long enduring,
and that thus he will be celebrated among posterity. But what is
meant in the inmost sense is eternal life with felicity, for he who is
in faith loves the church of God Messiah and thus the sons of God
Messiah; and he who loves these loves God Messiah. Hence also
the like mercy is shown him; for to him who does good to one
of those who are in the church of God Messiah, God Messiah at
tributes that deed as having been done to Himself [Matt. ~540].
Hence now it is clear that rewards and punishments follow en
tirely according to that state of man wherein he is, as said above
[no 4344-5].
4348. What is meant by land may be seen told above [n. 119~,
~845], to wit, in the proximate sense,G the land of their parents
which they will possess, thus, in the interior sense, the earthly and
corporeal blessing; in the more interior sense, a spiritual blessing
such as understanding, etc., and prudence; in the inmost sense, that
the man may live blessed to eternity, the land then being heaven in
place of Canaan on earth.
This involves blessings following one after the other in order;
for in Deuteronomy 5 16 we read in addition" That it may be weB
with thee upon the land which J ehovah thy God giveth thee."
Hence it can now be evident what blessing would be due to the
sons of Jacob who honor their father as Jacob, and what to those
who hold Abraham dear because of his faith, and who therefore call
him their parent. Confer Matthew, chapter 15, verses 4 to ~o
inclusive. 6
4349. Verse 13 contains several commandments; in themselves,
• Swedenborg first wrote ere cau-sw tam naturalibus quam; but lie crossed
quam off, though by inadvertence he failed to cross off tan'!. In the translation
we have therefore ignored this word.
• Reading sensu for term (land) which is clearly a slip.
• These references are a later addition to the text.
III Ad. 598-60~ 461
however, they are distinct commandments and are to be referred to

their own verses. 7
In respect to all the commandments, it must be observed in gen
eral that as man is in general such is he in all his parts; as he is in
the parts 8 such is he in his most single parts. To cite merely a
single case as an example; when a man is angry he is not only such
in his face, gestures, actions, and speech, which are his generals,
but he is likewise such in his several members and viscera; such in
the parts of those members and in the parts of the parts, and so in
the least parts of all; for when the general breaks out, it breaks
out from the most single parts which are affected in like manner,
but with a difference according to degrees. 9
Moreover, the origin of the natural things in man is the spir
itual. This is the first to be affected, and from it the affection
passes over to the natural things which then present the effect.
As it is with anger, so also is it with every other affection and
lust.
4350. Therefore, as regards those who observe the law in ex
ternals but with whom that law is not derived from internals, the
reason why they do so is for the most part that they have a fear
of punishment in society; or a fear of some misfortune which may
destroy their reputation, and thus, destroy the things which follow
therefrom, such as gain, etc.; or a fear of infernal punishment if
they do not observe the law in externals, and no fear if interiorly
they are like tigers. If such a man dared, he would lust after the
life and possessions of all his fellows. This is sufficiently evident
from the case of those who, being placed in natural liberty, carry
on wars and spare none, even the most innocent, provided only they
1 In Schmidius' version, verse 13 includes what in the other versions and
also in the Hebrew text is given as verses 13, 14, 15 and 16. The Hebrew,
however, is marked by a double set of accents, the one being designed for a
single verse, and the other for four verses. Here, though with some reserva
tion, and also in the Arcana Celestia, Swedenborg observes the same numbering
as Schmidius. In consequence of this numbering, chapter 20 consists of only
twenty-three verses, whereas in the A.V. it has twenty-six. In the present
translation, we have altered Schmidius' numbering to conform with that of the
A.V. The same remarks apply to Deuteronomy, chapter 5, where Schmidius
puts as verse 17 what in the A.V. is put as verses 17, 18, 19, 20. There also the
Hebrew has a double set of accents, as in Exodus 2018-6.
8 The autograph has in general, but the context indicates that this is a slip.
9 [Marginal note by the Author:] (These points should be explained with
many examples.)
462 In Ad. 603-606
EXODUS XX: 13 [4351-53
may possess all things. So is it with every such man regarded in

himself. From the case of kings we learn the nature of all other
men, if they should enjoy a like liberty. They yearn for the
wealth of others and more interiorly for their life, but because of
the above-mentioned fears, they lack the daring. Meanwhile they
put on countenances full of honesty when they are anything but
honest.1
4351. There are many other causes in addition to fears. In
general there is the love of self and the love of the world which are
hatreds of society and hatreds of heaven, nay, hatreds of them-
selves, inasmuch as these hatreds rend the man, whence come sick-
nesses and all diseases; for diseases have their roots in these hatreds.
From them therefore comes the death of the body and, finally,
eternal death. 2
From the order of his life, every individual can see what the
nature of that life is; not from its order in externals, and this for
the reasons already told, but from its order in internals, wherefrom
the externals follow.
4352. THE FIRST COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt not kill (vs. 13).
In the proximate sense, to kill is to deprive another of life, to shed
his blood; also by lies to take away his reputation which is said t~
go pari assu with his life. Thus one is not in any manner to take
aw-ay might that pertains to the life of another, whether to the life
of his body, or to the life of the parts or faculties of his body; that
is to say, this is not to be done from intention or from deliberation
and will, such doing being the deed of a man which comes from
mind; for which reason no crime against the Decalogue is ascribed
to an infant, or to an insane person save so far as something of
understanding remains with him.
4353. In the interior sense, to kill is to be angry with one's
guiltless neighbor without a cause; for he who is angry with his
neighbor kills him in his mind; consequently, [we are commanded]
not to curse him, or to say anything harsh and abusive against him,
as we read in Matthew 5 21 - 6 • In the interior and more interior
sense, to kill is also to love oneself above another, and still more
above society; for he who loves himself is in the will to kill another
or to remove him from his path as an obstacle, if that other can in
1 See n. 4349 note 9.
• See n. 4349 note 9.

HI Ad. 607-610 463
any manner stand in his way or if he does not study his interests.
But fear of the law and many other considerations, are the ob
structing reasons why a man dare not or cannot do what he wills.
This is evident enough from wars, for these make it clear that one
man esteems the life of another, nay, and of myriads of men, as
nothing, when he aspires after the glory of the world, is a lover of
himself, and lusts after the goods of another. Wherefore, in the
interior and more interior sense, it is every such lust arising from
the love of self and the world that is meant by killing. So the
devil with all his crew is in the lust of blotting man out entirely;
and he would blot him out if he could, that is to say, if all power
did not belong to God Messiah, who restrains him from his con
tinual endeavor; see the experience related above [n. 3594].
4354. In the ultimate sense, to kill is to ~t man's spiritual
death, as do all those who kach perversely ~ thus slay ma!!..'s ~'yl.
Such are an who persuade to idolatry; also those who persuad~ to
s~ch things as pervert man's state; thus an who persuade from
false doctrine; also those who while knowing the Lord's command
1- -
ments, do not teach them; that is to say, who, as instruments, are
- --,able to build man up, that is, to raise him from death to life, and do
not do so when called upon. To this commandment therefore be
long an who perver~;';'n's life; also those who when called upon,
omit to build DIm up. For they then bring upon him-spiritual
death, as was said to the prophets who were to teach thepeople,
andif they did not, this would be required of them, that is, "at
their hand" [Ezek. 331- 8 ].
4355. Those likewise are meant who see and look on, when men
kill, torment, torture or r~ilLthe innQ!:ent, and th~ugh a.ble, yet
do not bring aid. Such are their dukes 3 who are tranquil in mind,
and look on at these things and do no_t in any way -bring su~£.or. )
These then are those who kill and torment, f£E...they cOilsent to such
things, though they dare not do !,.h_em. There are many things
which hold them back, but these are loves opposed to true l.2!e.
They_ pr~fer what is their own good a!1d the love of themselves.
On this matter, moreover, I was engaged in discourse with those
who spoke
with me, one of whom, as I think, looked on at un~peakable
-- - --
3Duces, dukes or leaders. We understand the reference to be to dukes or
~ei's of provin2es who tolerate inquisitions in their domains.
464 lIr Ad. 611-613
EXODUS XX: 14 [4356-58
r crimes with a tranquil mind and yet made no movement in the

;ay-of bringing succor, when yet he_ might have done _so, for
he enjoyed great authority (if it were he 4). Thus (as seems
to foHow), with consent if not with favor, he would have
brought on war and so victory, without any sadness of mind. 5
See whether these particulars should be inserted, that is to
say, whether they perform any use in the elucidation of this
commandment. If not, then they must be crossed out. 6
4356. Whether a man studies hIS own good or the good of
others who, for many reasons, make one with him, and with whom
he is as with himself, as in the case of sons o-r--descendants who are
considered as being one with himself, etc., etc., it is the same thing.
4357. In the ultimate sense, " to kill" is the devil, in whom are
all those things which instigate to the bringing of spiritual death
to man. Therefore, he is also called Death [Apoc. 68 ] ; for as life
is opposed to death, so God Messiah, who is Life, is opposed to the
contrary, which is death and thus the devil and all his crew, both
outside the world and in the world. Therefore, all men who intend
in any way to injure the Messiah, and so to injure one of those who
are being led to life by God Messiah, are images of that death; and
they sin against this commandment. For to kill is to deprive of
life, the life being, in the proximate sense, the life of the body; in
the interior sense, those things which interiorly look to life; in the
more interior sense, spiritual life ; in the inmost sense, celestial life ;
in the supreme sense, the Messiah, who is verimost Life.
4358. THE SECOND COMMANDMENT. Thou shalt not commit
adultery (vs. 14 *). In the proximate sense, to commit adultery is
to have to do with the wife of another, this being properly called
adultery, and also with a harlot. In ancient times it was lawful
not only to have many wives but also to have concubines, as in the
case of Abraham and afterwards of Jacob with their handmaids,
but with the consent of the wife. This, however, was because of
• That is, Abram. See Table of Contents.
• This indented paragraph is cited by the Author in the Index to his Memo
rab-ilia, s. v. Abraham and Judaei, and, together with no. 6058, s. v. Consensus;
see Table of Contents.
• This last indented paragraph was written in the broad margin left by the
indentation of the preceding paragraph. It is not cited in the Author's Index
to his Memorabilia.
* The autograph has" 13 "; see n. 4349 note.
III Ad. 614-618 465
the depravity of their heart, that is, of their blood, lest from li
cense they should rush into things more u~ul_had__this n~en
permitted them. Thus in geneml this commandment concerns the
disho~ori~g of the conjugialbed ~;th~-;h~~i;;g-~~ne'sconjuii~l
love with many. - - -- ~
.. 4359. That a man ought to be the husband of one wife, comes
from the kingdom of God Messiah, the kingdom which conjugial
love has especially in view; for this love will reign, as also it does
reign between God Messiah and the church. He is the Head, and
thus is the divine active force which comes from the head alone; I
while the church, now br~de_andJhen_wife, is one only, and thus is ,
the_b02Y whi_ch {s ruled ~y ~hea<! alone, being ~ssive fo£,ce
although distinguished into many members and innumerable parts. )
Hence it came about that primitively no more than one wife was
allowed the husband, l!!1_~ at her death another wife. So also primi
tively a church was to be instituted of all men; when this died, an
other :as adopted in-its place. So likewise with the Jewish church;
~~n_tE.is die~d!p.oth"er _~~ceeded in its place.-X;-{ii-the general
so in the parts. TItere is no nearer type of the kingdom of God
Messiah than marriage on earth, for not only does conjugial love
reign in that kingdom but God Messiah is called the Husband, and
the church the bride and afterwards the wife. For this reason,
moreover, feasts are celebrated, or betrothals and nuptials, besides
many rites which (perhaps) are spoken of in the Word of God
Messiah. Marriages, therefore, must be conditioned after the
patterIL9L thLcburch aQd kip,g(!om ()CGod Messiah, both in the
betrothals and in the nuptials and likewise in the entire life of mar
riage, etc., etc.; confer Matthew, chapter 19, verse 3 seq.
Hence it can now be evident what committing whoredom is, and
what committing adultery.7
1 Quid est moechari, et quid adulterium committere. This, and the fact that
Swedenborg first wrote seu (or) which he changed to et, indicates that a dis
tinction is here made between moechari and adulterium committere or adulte
ral·e. For this reason we here translate the one word" to commit whoredom,"
and the other" to commit adultery." As a fact, however, the only distinction
between the two words is that one is from a Greek root and the other from a
Latin; their meaning is identical, namely, "to commit adultery." This also is
the only meaning of the Hebrew word of which they are the translation.
Schmidius and the Vulgate translate it moechari; Castellio, Pagnini, and Swe
denborg (in the A1'cana Coelestia) , adulteral'e; and TremeIlius, scorta1'i (to
commit whoredom). Therefore, except in the present paragraph, and in n.
466 III Ad. 619-6~O
EXODUS XX: 14 [4360-6~
4360. In the interior sense, to commit adultery is merely to de

sire it, so that one would indulge in it, were it not that many ob
stacles stand in the way, and that the !awy of order in the life of
marriage forbid. Every deed arises from desire, and therefore he
who does not commit the deed but desires it with the intention of
indulging in it, commits adultery. The n~ral desge is not itself
a sin; for that which enters into the an[~us from the world through
the ~~,-~rom th~ blood, ~the ()rdet:_a~~~t~e of it.:' life, frQ.m
the insti ation of the devil, cannot be sin; but it is sin when it
p;s;es ov~~ into-~se~t that is, into the will and so go;-rorth;
and ~ if it does not go f~rth, whenprevenfed-by.the fear of
many consequences or by impotence and the like, then in itself the
deed is committed, being the deed of the will. Man is considered
from _will in like manner_as from jfeed; for were impediments re
moved, it would be a deed; confer Matthew, chapter 5 27 [-8l.
4361. Fear, etc., is said to be the cause why desire does not come
into act; yet when desire is active, it enters into the will, and by
fear, etc., it is restrained; thus the man wishes that the im ediments
w~t..present. But when he curbs desires from fear of the di
vine law, it is not he who curbs them but God Messiah. Therefore,
when man acts from fear he is not so much without blame as when
he acts from love because he does not wish to commit the deed ;-rc;r
then ~nsent does not follow inasmuch as his more interior life is
reformed: He then regards desires as temptatiollS" which -;~e
aroused; and in these he rej oices in that he makes resistance. Thus
evil is_turned into good.
4362.-Asregards those who live a perverse order, the meaning
in the more interior sense is indeed the same as in the interior sense,
for desire excites consent and will. But there is a certain differ
ence, namely [as regards those J who know that it is contrary to
the commandment and nevertheless do it. Thus [the difference] is
according to the knowledges; consequently, the deed is done from
conscience, as it is called. The only· difference is in the inan; when
desire prevails over reason, then there is indeed sin, but it is a
lighter sin. The cause of the wicked deed, however, then goes back
to other things, being those which cause that desire, but which yet
the man might have avoided; there are many causes, and also those
4364 and 4366, we translate moechari as to commit adultery; as in nos. 4358,
4360, etc. Confer n. 4364.
III Ad. 6~1-6~3 467
which result in his not having knowledges, and so in his not having
a conscience of evil.
4363. Here indeed many things come up which are to be said
concerning adultery, in relation both to the institution of every
society, and, in man, to the state and condition of each indivi~al.
But since so many particulars come up here, they cannot be men
tioned, inasmuch as many would thus excuse themselves; for there
is never lacking an excuse or pretext for desires, etc., nor is it every
one who c~n duly weigh as to wh~tber tEe ~ause of the excuse is a
legitimate one or not. This is the reason why various laws are
laid down in vario;; places, according to the state of society in
general and in particular.
4364. In the more interior sense, to commit whoredom and
adulteries 8 is to love oneself and the world, for in the Word of
God Messiah all loves of self and the world are called adulteries.
Conjugial love is the fount and principle of all loves, these being
derived from it in various ways, as streams from their fountain
but this is an extensive subject; consequently also all cupidities,
these being various affections aroused because of the loves-which
also is a most extensive subject. Merely that it may be clear that
loves so called are derived from conjugiallove, the following only
shall be mentioned. Conjugial love is the principal love which
from two makes one; which conj oins that which in itself is dis
joined; which makes such harmony that there is a one, as it were,
though there are many things [therein] successively or simultane
ously; and, moreover, which makes the delight of the animus, and
the happiness of the mind. It is conjugial love that principally
does this, as can be well known from many considerations. Where
fore, in the first precept of marriage it is said that they shall be
one flesh [Gen. ~24J and also one ariimus and one mind. Now all
other loves will produce a similar effect, as for instance charity or
love toward companions; for charity so unites minds that the one
sees himself in the other and loves that other as himself. The love
of self, namely, the loving of all things in oneself and the deriving
of happiness therefrom, also conjoins 9 one with those who favor
him. So likewise does the love of the world, for then one is con
joined with the world, etc. This conjunction, however, is only
• Reading conjungit for conjungitur.
468 III Ad. 6~4-6~5
EXODUS XX: 14 [4365-66
apparent and illusory, being a conjunction before the eyes. In
itself, however, it is disjunction, as can be evident from many con
siderations. But as there is conjugial love, so there are deriva
tions therefrom, these being all other loves. The conjugiallove of
perverted men is entirely contrary to heavenly conjugial love; and
so also all their other loves. 1
4365. As to how all other loves are derived from conjugiallove
alone, this is seen solely from the conjugial love of God Messiah
toward his church as bride and afterwarclsas wi1e.-I11s- y means
O1'-G-~dMessiaJl alone th~t -the cliurchb~J::_~~--2!!.e;hence all
happiness and felicity. And sin~~_th~r~~_n91hLng_th/ll,.-.9.oes nQt
re ard the_kingdom_of God Messiah, and so_God Messiah himself,
this is also the case with love toward the neighbor or charity, which
is a derivation from conjugiallove; for as God Messiah loves those
WhO are in the church, so-must all men love their companions.
Hence comes unanimity and the lOLe ~.Lm~ny above oneself, ~l;1js
love, as was said, flowing from the love of God-Messiah-tmrd the
r chur~~C~nseq~entiy;-from this same f~ve~as cause fro;;its a
. prInciple, or as an effect from i~~ws the love ~f th~indi-
vidual toward his neighbor.· -
4366. Now conjugial love, that is to say, heavenly conjugial
love, can never exist in those '!.ho are against the church, but only
corporeal or carnal love witliout the heavenly bond. Such there
fore as this love is, such also are all other loves. (But God Mes
si;h-ir~~ti~g~ these ~atters sh~-uld-be weighed and explained in
better fashion.) Wherefore they are not loves but discords and
hatreds, for they disjoin, not conjoin. Therefore they are called
whoredoms and a:ciulteries, and are everywhere compared to those
things that are exercised by means of conjugiallove. Thus when
Adam was seduced by the devil and so by the love of self and the
world, he is said to have been ashamed because he was naked, etc.,
etc. [Gen. 310]. Hence comes circumcision, namely, !!I~t_ they
should
-~
cut
- -
off the loves-----
of self and
-
the---
world; hence the dislocation
of. Jacob in_ the_!higJl, or the nerve of the thigh, etc., etc. [Gen.
3~25, 31-2]. Thus all these loves, so called, a"i-e compared to those
things in man whereby conjugiallove is exercised. Such then are
adulteries in the spiritual sense.
1 [Crossed off:] Love with the consort is not conjugial love in the sense-
III Ad. 6~6-6~7 469
4367. Thus all hatreds against God Messiah and his church are
adultel:ies of the worst kind because they love themselves and the
world and favor those who pervert the kingdom of God Messiah,
and endeavor to destroy it. The bridegroom of all such and finally
the husband is e devil. It will then appear that there is nocon
. j ~giaiT~ve, -~u ~E y such love ~ exi~a~ong the wors!. 2f m:n, iJ
for each one tortures the other.
When m;n is here coilllii"anded not to commit adultery, he is
enjoined to live pure and holy, that is, in true conjugiallove, that
is to say, in the church and thus in the kingdom of God M~~
4368. In the sense as applied to the Jewi.sh church from which
God Messiah willed to set up a new paradise, this commandment
specifically concerns their marriages between families and genera
tions, and this because of various causes, including-t-he-cause, that
the seed of Abraham might be preserved. In the proximate sense
the seed of Abraham is Isaac, and also Ishmael who likewise is
called-the seed of Abraham [Gen. ~113] and in addition his other
sons. In the broader sense it is 2 spiritual seed joined to natural;
in the more interior and inmost sense, it is the faith whereby he was
6
, I justified [Gen. 15 ] ; in the su reme sense it is the Mes§iah hims~lf
who is meant by the seed of the wo~n en. 3 ~].
Lest, therefore, this seed be adulterated, it was specifically
enjoined upon Jacob's descendants that they should live chastely, as
is more clearly evident from the statutes and precepts of m;rriages.
4369. THE THIRD C01\n\IAND~!ENT: Thou shalt not steal (vs.
15 *). The previous commandment had regard to life which they
were not to take away; this has regard to possessions, that is, to
those things which in various ways iook to the sustenance of life.
There are many kinds of theft and of these kinds, many and
diverse species. But let us regard thefts in their different senses.
In each sense theft is distributed into its genera and species.
4370. In the proximate and external sense, theft is the taking
away of the possessions of another, thus violent invasion, and also
acting as robbers and thieves are wont to act by night or by day, by
means of various plots. Such thefts are distributed into their
genera and species, and punishments are laid down for them ac
cording to the laws.
Z [Crossed off:] charity toward the neighbor.
* The autograph has "13"; see n. 4349 note.
470 III Ad. 6~8-634
EXODUS XX: 15 [4371-73
4371. Taken in the broader sense, theft is the robbing of a man

by guile, that is, with the intention of deceiving him, so that he
loses what belongs to him. Thus it is the claiming to oneself, under
any kind of right, and against conscience, anything that belongs
to another, and so the setting up of controversies; hence the many
disputes that come to judgment seats and tribunals. Such thefts
arise from the desire of possessing the goods of others, and they
ensue in place of open thefts, because men are eager for the goods
of another and do not dare to seize them against the laws. This,
however, they would do, if it were allowed them, from a state of
license. This therefore is a sign of hostility which would be open
were it only allowed. This is interior theft and indeed is worse
than outward theft; for in this way men deceive the innocent and
this under the appearance of friendship and kind offices, etc., etc.
(It should be explained that theft of this kind is much worse than
theft by those who steal openly; and this from various causes.)
Such theft arises from the love of the world, and more indirectly
from the love of self. To wit: From the love of the world in that
the man wishes to possess the whole world, and that none shall be
more eminent than himself, this being love of the world. From
the love of self because he does not love the neighbor, nay, if that
neighbor were in the utmost poverty and were living in hunger and
in prison, he would not pity him, providing only he himself be rich
and live in luxury, and moreover, may promote his own desires.
~ence he yearns for the goods of others that he may indulge his
own inclinations, etc., etc.
4372 In the more interior sense, theft, that is to say, s:eiritual
theft, is the taking from others th~ knowledges ofthIngs spiritual
~c~al for the sake of one's own interests and gain; and at the
same time pretending and simulating such things as persuade others
under a species of hypocrisy; for he steals the knowledges of things
from the Word of God Messiah and keeps them for himself alone,
thus denying them to others whom he prohibits from reading such
things, or in any way understanding them and becoming wise-as
is done in the Roman School 3 and elsewhere.
4373. In the inmost sense, theft is the non~observance of the
things which God Messiah has commanded in his Word, and also of
what one has promised. These involve every doctrine of faith.
3 Palaestra.
In Ad. 635-638 471
4374. In the supreme sense, theft is the claiming to oneself that

which belongs to God Messiah, that is to say, clail!!i!1g t~ o~~f
the heavenly kingdom, claiming to oneself merit and justice. In
deed~-to claim an thing to oneself is supreme theft. So far as one
claims to himself any oTthe things thatlo""Okto faith, to justice,
and to the kingdom of God Messiah, so far is_l:heft committed; for \
so fa!:.-does itsome frQm.J;he devil '!-l:!Q cl1!-iI!!§_~y-exythi!!g to himself )
and continuall.r a!tempts_ ~_o oc~uP:Lt~~ throne of God Me~iah.
Consequently, so.J'~..Lg2es it cOIIl~1.!:Qm ~.h~IQYc of self and the love})
of the world. 4
4375. THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt not answer
against thy neighbour as a false witness (vs. 16 *), or as in Deuter
onomy, chapter 520, "a witness of vanity." 5 In the proximate
sense, this signifies false and lying testimony agai st the neighbor
-according to the words; thus all false speech: and lying.
This commandment concerns such things as pertain to the
neighbor, namely, that one should love the neighbor, that is, should
not hate him. Thus it concerns all that comes from hatred. But
as to what the words signify in their different senses, this, by the
divine mercy of God Messiah, shall be explained in a few words, to
wit, what is meant by neighbor, what by witness, and what by false.
4376. By the neighbor is meant (1) Everyone who is neighbor
to another, that is to say, neighbor to him in love, being called
neighbor because he loves him from some natural bond; as one loves
one's children, consort, parents, and also relatives according to the
degrees of the relationship, and furthermore friends; e [~] Thus
also those who, in various ways, have conferred benefits upon one.
These are neighbors, because it is !2.Y.~ that conioins one man to
~r, it being the nature of love that from many it makes, as it
were, one. Such persons, therefore, are loved as oneself, from
natural disposition. [3] Thus all who love oneself, the love be
ing mutual. [4] Thus those who show mercy. This is evident
from the comparison used by God Messiah concerning him who fell
into the hands of a robber [Luke 1030].
• This paragraph is emphasized by "N B " written in the margin.
* The autograph has "13 "; see n. 4349 note.
• The A. V. entirely ignores the distinction between the wording of these
two texts, which Schmidius here translates literall)7.
• [Crossed off:] and so acquaintances.
47~ III Ad. 639-643
EXODUS XX: 16 [4877-79
4377. In the broader sense, by the neighbor is meant every .!p!1n;

for every man is a part in society. Thus, being also oneself in the
body of that same society, one ought to love another; for iLQ..neJI
part in this body ha-!~ther, the body sickens and so erishes.
It is exactly the same as in the case of man's body; the love of each
member and part unifies the body and preserves it, while hatred or j' \
discord between one part and another Qrin~s on sicknesses and dis-
eases and so death, death being the sum of such discords, in that it
finally dissolves the entire body. In disease there is nothing that
} Id~o~ produce so~et~ing .0f__<Iiscord, and this 5s especially the
case in the cause of disease, which is hatred.
Since by the neighbor is meant every man, both friend and
enemy, therefore love dictates that all should be loved as oneself.
But there are deg~es of love toward the neighbor as oneself, one
man being loved more than oneself, and another as oneself. Many
are loved more than oneself according to ~gL~s, such as the
family, the generation, society, for instance, the country, society
according to its size, thus many societies, and finally the entire
world. These are to be loved more than oneself, for there is little
if any ratio between the all and the one. (God Messiah granting,
these matters may be set forth more clearly elsewhere.)
. 4378. In the more interior sense, by the neiglibor are meant
things spiritual, such as the moral virtues, these being considered as
eXIsting inman; for man is not a man save from his spiritual life.
When a man is loved, that in the man is loved from which he is a
man, namely, his virtues which are many in number, and which
likewise are exterior and interior. These moral and spiritual
virtues are the neighbor, it being these that are loved in man, and
the man for the sake of them.
4379. In the inmost sense, by the neighbor is meant faith in God
Messiah, faith in God Messiah being the heavenly gift for the sake
o'f which man is loved; thus all who are in the church of Go_d Mes-
hiap.. These are to be loved ;-bove all others. According as one
loves faith, so also he loves him who has faith; that is to say, ac-
cording as one loves God Messiah, so he loves those who love God
Messiah. Hence the neighbor is faith in God Messiah, and conse-
quently, is the sons of God Messiah, the heirs of his kingdom, @..d
so llie ch~h. I~ is lo,:e that conjoins, both in this life and in the
other;-ana n_o one can be i!!. the ng om of God unless he !Jas lo~d
III Ad. 644-647 478
his neighbor; for he can~ot be a J.!.nanimous part in such a kingdom

save by love. How can anyone be conjoined to another in the
heavenly life when he has hated his neighbor in the corporeal life?
So impossible is this that plainly it cannot be. During his life
everyone acquires his disposition from the love or affection in which
he is. If he then derives it from some other love than love of
God Messiah and so love of the neighbor, he puts on a disposition
not from that which can be conjoined to another but from~a love
that he may be disj oined; that is to say, from hatred.
4380. Therefore, in the supreme sense the neiglWor is God Mes
siah. That He is to be loved above all things can be evident from
so many considerations that they would fill whole pages. He is the
only one who gives a!l things; who gives life; who is the Head; who
loves. Who is to be loved save He who loves and this with infinite
love? etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.; who gives eternal}if~, who
gives the king9om, who from mere love and mercy rescues man from
the jaws of the devil, who guards all, etc., etc. /'
4381. In the proximate sense, to bear false witness is-t~ give
false testimony before a judge, that is, to lie; for false speech and
vanity 7 is a lie. No one can speak falsely against another except
from hatred toward the neighbor. If he does it from love toward
himself or some other person, then it must be from hatred, manifest
or internal, against him against whom he testifies, for such testi
mony can never be conjoined with love.
4382. To speak falsely against the neighbor is to condemn him
in one's heart, this being done in various ways; for he who loves
himself, ever hates the neighbor and entertains sinister thoughts
concerning him. That his thoughts do not break out, is due to
various causes. Nay, he who thinks that he loves the neighbor
because the latter comes down to his side and favors the considera
tion of himself and his profit, nevertheless hates him despite his
thinking that he loves him, this opinion being a fallacious one; for
if only that neighbor departs from the side which he loves and for
the sake of which that neighbor is loved, the bond is immediately cut
asunder. Thus hatred lies deeply within. (God Messiah grant
ing, this should be set forth at greater length.)
4383. To speak falsely, that is, to lie against the neighbor, has
reference to such things as are called neighbor in the different
7 See n. 43117 note.
474 III Ad. 648-651
EXODUS XX: 17 [4384-86
senses. That is to say [in the more interior sense] it has reference
to one who condemns the neighbor's virtues, of which we have
spoken above [n. 4378], and gives to everything an evil interpre
tation; in the inmost sense, to one who condemns his faith, thus, to
those who hold the church of God Messiah in hatred; in the supreme
sense, to those who hold God Messiah himself in hatred, and so
speak falsely concerning him. s For a man's character is known
from his love and his hatred; since he who holds the neighbor in
hatred holds those things in hatred which constitute the neighbor
in the more interior and inmost sense, and so in the supreme; for
these senses cohere together like a chain.
4384. [Thou shalt n<Jt covet thy neighbour's house; thou shalt
not covet thy neighbour's wife, and his manservant, and his maid
servant, and his ox, and his ass, and anything that is thy neigh
bour's], vs. 17. This verse treats of coveting, and indeed of covet
ing all the possessions of the neighbor, these being here recited.
Such coveting arises from the love of the world; for the love of, ,/
the world covets after all that belongs to the neighbor, that is to
say, that belongs to others.
The preceding commandment, the commandment namely, that
one should not be a false witness against the neighbor, has regard
to the love of self; for the love of self carries with it such witness
against the neighbor, as said above [no 4381-~].
In these two commandments, therefore, are contained the prime
origins of all evils and cupidities, as being in the love of self and
the love of the world. 9
4385. In them is contained the sum of all the commandments;
for in the Word of God Messiah, preceding things are closed, as it
were, by a summary. The love of self is vile and low, but the love
of the world is the vilest and lowest of all, for man is then entirely
pressed down to the earth, and thus to the lowest of things, nor is
he ever lifted up. Thus these affections are lower and the lowest.
Wherefore this coveting, which is called avarice, is treated of in the
last place.
4386. The former commandment [verse 16] or the loving of
oneself, consists in testifying ill concerning another, for it gives
• What follows is emphasized by " NB" written twice in the margin.
;, This and the preceding paragraph are each emphasized by "N B" writ
ten in the margin.
III Ad. 65~-657 475
the best testimony concerning oneself; therefore, in ascending from

himself to others he gives evil testimony. This commandment,
therefore, involves the love of self and thus hatred of the neighbor. 1
But the present commandment, or the loving of the world and
of the things that are in the world, is called coveting, for coveting
involves these things. What is coveted is the prop~rty of another;
aEd such~ the~nature of ~his c~v~tin£that it never r~ts, but i; ever
increasing by degrees, and the more it increases the more it covets,
even to _th_e coveting of the whQle world. Nay, according to the
degree of this in~rease, the man is ren~ered sad. ThusJr ne -;ere
I to_possess the entire globe he would be the saddest of all men, and
so would be more unhappy, and this because he must die, and also
from many other causes.
4387. From J acob, the Jove of self'.a:nd the love of the world was
inherent in the seed of these descendants; for from thaUime such
was the nature of this nation that they despised all in corn.pll;!i~on
with themselves, wished themselves alone to be the elect, and were
willi~g th;tthe whole world, nay,_heaven itself, should perish~p!o
vided only they might be l,2rds of all; they woul<!. hardly admit
otners, even to th~ vilest services. This can now be most surely
kllown to me inasmuch as I have been in
i~te~ourse and conversation with them after death so ~ny
times that I am wholly persuaded in respec£ to them. Yet
nothing will be further from the fact, seeing that they~old
God Messiah in hatred, nay, and would rend each other like
, wolves and-tigers -; for [such] they think themselves [to be],
etc., etc. 2
4388. As regards the recital of the possessions of others, this
was made because of causes of which we shall now speak, to wit,
that the may not covet what belongs to their neighbor. But the
adffiit of no other neighbor than one who is of that seed; yet, as was
said En. 4387], th.9 hold these_al~o in hatred, although they think
they love them-doing this, howev~er, from hatred againsJ; Lo.!e
,itself. Can there be love in such case? now can there be two con
tra""ries united together? who can conceive of this? that is to say,
when the One loves all, and all hold the One in hatred. Wherefore
1This paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written twice in the margin.
2n. 4387 is cited by the Author in the Index to his Memorabilia, s. v. Judaei.
See Table of Contents.
476 III Ad. 658-661
EXODUS XX: 17 [4389-91
they are unwilling to understand that their neighbors are those of

wh~m we have spoken above [n. 4376 se .].8
Confer also Deuteronomy, chapter 2\ where the wife is men
tioned first, and then the house, and so on in order with the addition
of " the field." There also, of the first it is said" covet" but of
the others " desire." 4
The house is all that which follows, being merely a specification.
In the proximate sense it is the man's dwelling place. In the
broader sense it is all that pertains to the house, as was said. 5
4389. Here neighbor is repeated three times, and from this it
can be evident that inquiry should be made as to who is the neighbor.
Nor must this inquiry be restricted to the proximate sense; for to
love one's children, wife, and relations, is a natural property, being
also connate with animals; thus such loves belong to the natural
man. But to love all men, especially those who contribute to the
; 1'1 common weal, and still more those who contribute to the ~hurch and
, kingdom of.90Q. Messiah; that is to say, to love such ~gs as
L JI Eertain to the kingdom of God, and this from one cause onry,
;amely, bec;use-G<;d-M~a~loved-the one is a spiritual prop
erty, and the other a c;lestial. '2.- -
4390. And now as regi;:rds these commandments, ten in number:

That they have mutual respect to each other, like the parts in a
chain, so that he who sins against one sins against all, is clear in
itself; for when God Messiah alone is loved above all things, or
when a man is such that the love of God Messiah is within him, he
observes all the commandments, such observance being the fruit
of faith. Where there is faith in God Messiah, there all things
follow as fruits.
4391. But when the loves of self and the world rule, that is to
say, hatred against God Messiah, then there is not a single com
mandment that is not broken, and this continually in all the
thoughts, in every will, in every desire, in every action. If a sin
is then committed merely against one commandment in general, it
is a sign that the man is such that he wills to sin against all the
others were there not some inhibiting cause. Moreover, there are
a This paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written twice in the margin.
• So in Schmidius' version, which is consistent with the present text; but in
the A. V. desire comes first, and then covet.
• [Crossed off:] In the spiritual sense man is the h0'l!-se.
III Ad. 66~-666 477
many cupidities, one excelling another or dominating over the

others; and in order to indulge in that one, he lives as a moral man,
and appears to be a good man, when yet, with the ceasing of this
predominance, he falls headlong into the others. Such is the case
with one who gives to many, including the poor, but in other re
spects does injury to the neighbor. The cause that excites man to
this, varies with various men. Thus one thinks that, by an ap
parent mercy which is not mercy, he will be delivered from his
wicked deeds; or he acts, that he may have merit; or that thus he
may make a good appearance; or also from some other cause. If
he acts from mercy it is a sign that God Messiah then operates
upon him, for the mercy is not his but is God Messiah's, etc., etc.
4392. Therefore when a man sins against a single command
ment, it is a sign that he also wills to sin against all; that is to say,
the principle of his actions is not love of God Messiah but hatred,
that is, the entire absence of faith, or the presence ;Of a faith such
as is called doubting. The nature of one's faith) rules in all his
works, it being will that constitutes action. Into will enter thought
and affection; and he who has faith arouses both thought and affec
tion, the one from the other, and the reverse. Therefore a man's
work is judged from his faith. From this it is clearly evident that
the divine Law does not consist in outmost things, that is to say,
in works according to the wording of the law, but in the interior
law, that man shall not covet or desire to do such things; and the
interior law consists in the more interior, that he ought not to will
them, for the will rules the desire. This then it is which makes an
action to be action, or a work, a work of the law. The will, how
ever, is ruled by the faith, and faith is the gift of God Messiah.
Hence it is clear what is involved in the works of the law exteriorly,
interiorly, more interiorly, inmostly, and supremely; and that these
can never be separated if there is to be observance of the law. 6
4393. They proceed from God Messiah, in the following order:
In God Messiah is the fullness of all divinity; thus in him most uni
versally and singularly are all things which look to the salvation of
man. This is the supreme degree. Afterwards in man comes
faith wherein is love of God Messiah, whence the faith is saving.
This is the inmost degree. After this comes knowledge and will.
In the knowledge must be faith such as was described, and in the
• This paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written four times in the margin.
478 III Ad. 667-668
EXODUS XX: 18 [4394-95
will, affection together with the things which are contained in
knowledge; and thus many things, such as hope, and charity,
charity being a derivation from the sole fount of love which is God
Messiah. Then comes pleasure and the desire of serving, wherein
this affection must be present. And finally comes action. If a
single thing be lacking in this series, it is like a link lacking in a
chain; for the things follow continuously and in coherence one
after the other. 7
4394. [And when all the people saw the voices, and the torches,
and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; when the
people saw this, they were greatly moved and stood afar off], vs. 18.
Being for the people of Jacob, the law when promulgated was
promulgated with terrifying signs, as they also confess in the next
verse. He appears thus terrible when appearing in smoke as of a
furnace, as we read above, chapter 1918 ,19. Prior to this he had
appeared differently to Moses, namely, in the flame of a bramble
[chap. 3 2 ] ; and after Moses had sprinkled the blood of the cove-
nant upon the people (chap. ~48), he appeared as described in chap-
ter ~4 verse 10.
4395. But this cloud, etc. [chap. 1321 ,22] was the appearing of
glory [chap. 1610]; and it is further described in chapter ~417,
where we read: " The appearance of the glory of J ehovah was like
devouring fire on the top of the mount before the eyes of the sons
of Israel."
In these words, and in the words of the present text is described
the glory of God Messiah, wherein he will come for the last judg-
ment, or when he will judge the entire world according to the Law,
that is, according to the internal Law, not according to the external
separate from the internal. When separate it is no law whatsoever,
but merely an effect as of an animal, nay, as of something inanimate.
The soul is brought into a deed and so into the works of the law
7 This paragraph is emphasized by "N B" written three times in the mar-
gin. It is followed by two unnumbered paragraphs crossed off by the Author:

" Verse 18. Concerning the mount itself, as to what its appearance was, this
has been described above, in chapter 19, verses 18 and 19, where also the words
of the present text are explained, to wit, that there were voices, torches of fire,
the voice of a trumpet and smoke as from a furnace.
.. Here God Messiah appeared terrible, and not as he appears to sons of
Israel. To these he will be seen in a different way, to wit, as mild, in shining
flame, and in a cloud like the dawn in which-"
III Ad. 669-671 479
....
by those in whom is a soul that is spiritual, celestial, and divine.

It is according to this law that man will be judged, it being this law
that has its seat in the mind and that affects the conscience, that is
to say, affects human minds. Such minds never derive their char
acter from mere works, but from that which is within the works,
that is to say, which is in the minds, interiorly, more interiorly, and
inmostly. For within works there must be minds, a work, if there
be no mind within it, being a mere corporeal action which does not
enter heaven. s
4396. That he appeared in terror is evident from the terror in
which the people were (vs. 19). Thus it is also evident from the
words of the text; for these appearances are called voices, being
rumblings as of armies in battle; torches or fire--a "devouring
fire," as we read later [chap. ~417J or, as we read earlier [(chap.
3 2 ) "a flame of fire "] ; the voice of a trumpet, being the sound of
a warlike instrument; likewise smoke which in verse ~1 is called
" darkness."
4397. The word" seeing" is used, and not" hearing" as in the
next verse where it is said they would hear Moses; and this although
there were voices and the voice of the trumpet; but hearing is ex
ternal while seeing is more interior and thus is perceiving.
4398. That there was terror is further evident from the present
verse, in that they were greatly moved and that they stood afar off.
What" standing afar off " means in the proximate sense is known.
In the interior senses it means being more or less remote from the
beholding of God Messiah. Such men are said to stand afar off;
consequently, to be more or less remote from that faith whereby
God Messiah is beholden, and also from the doctrine of faith.
This is the reason why the same thing is signified by their standing
afar off, their fearing lest they dte, and their not being admitted
to go up into the mountain as had been promised [chap. 1913 ] ; for
it was foreseen that they could do nought else than stand afar off
and be terrified. All these particulars are forebodings of the last·
judgment.
As regards the voices, the torches, the voice of the trumpet, and
8 [Crossed off:] though this is erroneously understood by many (they think
ing] that they will enter heaven with the body also.
480 III Ad. 67~-675
EXODUS XX: 18 [4899-4400
the mountaim smoking, see the explanations given above [n. 4~87
90].9
4399. As touching the series of these words, first there were
voices which they saw, that is, which they understood. And because
they then also perceived, that is, saw the more interior meaning
of the voices, they were greatly moved and were afraid that they
would die; for when God Messiah speaks, then what is said is under
stood; that is to say, the understanding of his sayings is poured
in at the same time. Such is the influx of words from God Messiah
that in their complex they involve that which is to be believed-as
can be clear from innumerable evidences. At that time, seeing that
the law was being promulgated, it must needs have been, that with
them there was also an actual understanding of the things, an un
derstanding which communicates itself to human minds according
to the state of the man's intellectual mind and according to the state
of his affection. vVherefore it is here said, and said twice, that
they saw the voices.
4400. "Then God Messiah speaks, he acts from the very essence
of things because from the superior and prior, as the expression is.
The words then follow from the essence of the things. Hence the
understanding of the words; for it is the understanding that is then
aroused, and the words are what express it. Thus the mind is then
held in intellection not by the words that follow but by the things
which the words express. It is different when man speaks; then,
the process is in the reverse order, the meaning, that is, the thing,
being gathered from the words. That the matter is
thus circumstanced might be illustrated by so many examples
and living proofs of experience that, were abundance of proofs
to have any effect upon me, no doubt concerning the matter
• [The following unnumbered paragraph is here crossed off by the Author:]
As touching voices, in the proximate sense these were a rumbling as of armies;
for that a voice signifies a sound is apparent from what follows where it is said
the voice of the trumpet, that is, the sound of the trumpet. In the interior
sense, voices or articulate sounds are such things as are perceived in the speech,
but representatively; for as regards the animus or natural mind, this does not
perceive anything save by a mode of representation, being a representation
which is called imagination. The present, however, is not the place for learning
the nature of this representation which is called imagination. In the more in
terior sense, voices are the words of God Messiah, thus the understanding of
those words ([ doubly crossed] which the people could not understand). In
the inmost sense, " to see voices" means faith or the possession of faith.
III Ad. 676-678 481
could remain. For heavenly minds are in the very essence of

things; from this they produce their meanings into words, and
the words follow from the things themselves. Angels, when
speaking, do not even know what words ensue, or of what lan
guage they are, and yet they well know all that lies within each
word. This I have observed with the utmost frequency, and at
times have spoken with them on the subject. Moreover, when I
spoke other languages with which I was familiar, they did not
know what language it was, unless I was thinking at the time,
that it was such and such a language; to pass by other proofs,
showing that the understanding itself flows in and this some
times more fully, sometimes more strictly, entirely according to
the decision of God Messiah who disposes the state of human
minds and pours in such things as may serve for use, etc., etc.
Hence it can be evident that it was the understanding of things
which then caused the people to be greatly moved, to stand afar
off, to be terrified; and thus that by the voices are meant the
words of God Messiah understood, etc., etc. 1
4401. Seeing that the law was promulgated by God Messiah
himself, it could not be otherwise than that voices and words were
perceived even as to their more interior meanings, according to the
intellection of each mind. It follows, therefore, that the law was
then promulgated not in externals but in internals; for, as stated
above en. 4395], there is no law separate from internals. Nor
should anyone imagine that this voice or these sounds came into
their minds through the air and so by way of the ear or hearing;
on the other hand, they came into their minds by a superior and
prior way because from the very undei'standing of things. Such
a voice, however, is so exactly like the voice which flows in by the
ear that the hearer, that is, the seer, can have no other conception
than as though it came through the ear; for although no by
stander can hear it, yet it is as distinct, nay, and sonorous, as speech
when produced through the ear by the mouth of a man. Respect
ing this matter, I have acquired such knowledge
that I can bear witness to it before everyone; on which matter
1 This indented paragraph is cited by the Author in the Index to his Memo
mbilia, s. v. Loqui, and together with n. 440~. s. v. Essentia, Infl;ux'U8, Interiora,

Res, and Vox.
III Ad. 679-680
EXODUS XX: 18 [440~-04
the reader may also see what has been said above En. 33~3,
3347].2
4402. Moreover, as to how the understanding of things
flows into vocal expressions when a prayer, as for instance the
Lord's Prayer, is repeated from memory, this also can be said
in many ways. It comes from above and is poured in some
times more fully, sometimes more strictly, according to the state
of the human mind. This I clearly and sensibly perceived when
I repeated that prayer, as I can sacredly testify. Such was the
case to day, the sixteenth day of May 3 1746, and he who was
speaking with me wondered at it and rejoiced. 4
4403. As concerns the torches, these signify affections, all af
fections being compared to some kind of heat. Moreover, affection
is expressed by heat; for when a man is affected he grows warm in
various ways according to the genus and species of the affection,
or, as it is said, according to the nature of the affection.
Therefore, voices signify the state of the mind as to the under
standing, and torches the state of the mind as to 5 affection.
In the present text, affection is compared to torches, while
previously, and later, it is compared to fire; for all affections come
from loves, and are the continuations therefrom. Loves are fires,
to which indeed they are compared, inasmuch as they correspond to
fires. This, moreover, is evident from experience; for the blood,
and hence the body, grows warm in various ways according to the
nature of the affection, as already stated.
4404. Hence he now appeared in fire; but the fact that it was in
fire and not in a mild flame, makes it clear that he was in a species
of burning wrath, and this from various causes, to wit, in the
present case, because of a stiffnecked people which could not draw
near to God Messiah in their heart; also because there were present
all and single the things which God Messiah would suffer from that
people whom he was so greatly favoring and whom he willed to
• n. 4401 is cited by the Author in the Index to his lIfemombilia, s. v. Loqui.
See the Table of Contents.
• Swedenborg first wrote "eleventh." This he crossed off and then wrote
"fifteenth of April." Subsequently, he deleted this also, and above "eleven"
wrote" sixteen," and above" April," "May."
• n. 4409 is cited in the Author's Index to his Mem01'abUia, s. v, Loqlli,
01'atio, and, together with the indented portion of n. 4400, s. v. Essentia, 1n
ftUX'llS, 1nteriora, Res, and Vox.
• [Crossed off: J the will, that is, as to the affection which enters in.
III Ad. 681-685 483
choose above all other peoples and nations in the entire globe; and
because he labored in vain. Here we have one reason for the burn
ing wrath signified by fire. It was also on account of the penalties
of the law, for without punishments law is not law. Law involves
rewards and punishments. When, in promulgating the law, God
Messiah saw the punishments in that people, he appeared to them
as a devouring fire [chap. J2417 ], exactly in accordance with what
was seen by Abraham, to wit: " When the sun was set, and darkness
had come, behold, a furnace of smoke and a torch of fire that
passed over between those pieces." (Genesis, chap. 1517.) These
words should be compared with those which we read later in Exodus
3J234 showing that they would enter into the land of Canaan but
only into that land.
4405. The voice of the trurnpet is the sound of an instrument of
war, signifying that Law, which in the supreme sense is God Mes
siah himself-for as God Messiah is Order, so also he is Law
produces war. God Messiah also speaks of this war,6 etc., etc.
Much can be said concerning war, the war, namely, between the
internal law and the external, as between the internal man and the
external. Hence the words that follow in verse J20, to wit, that he
proved them, that his fear may be before their faces that they sin
not. That their fear is from this source can be evident. That law
or order produces war, seeing that it consists in war, can be told in
many ways. To the end that order may be restored, there is a
combat between order perverted in man, thus between the things,
the men, and the one, which pervert order, and Him who restores
it. Hence comes all temptation, etc., etc.; hence the voice of the
trurnpet. 7
4406. The mountain was srnoking so that it quaked, as we read
in chapter 19 18 • This smoke, which is also called thick darkness
[vs. J21] and a cloud [chap. 19 16 ], signifies the state of that peo
ple, that it wished to live in thick darkness and to be ignorant of all
that is in light, that is, to be ignorant of truths. Ignorance comes
solely from man's state which is brought on by means of his loves,
all those being in thick darkness who love the world and themselves,
and consequently separate the external law from the internal.
• [Crossed off:] namely, that- [Cf. Matthew 24 6 , Mark 137, Luke 210].
• This paragraph is emphasized by "N B" written four times in the
margin.
484 III Ad. 686-687
EXODUS XX: 19 [4407-08
That this state might now be represented, it is said" the mountain

smoking" and "quaking," "smoke as of a furnace," "thick
darkness," " clouds," etc.
At the sight of all this, the people were greatly moved and stood
afar off; for they who are in such a state cannot stand in the pres
ence, but would die, as stated in the next verse.
4407. [And said unto Moses, Speak thou with us (and 8) we
will hear: but let not God speak with- us, lest pe1'chance we die], vs.
19. From these words it is seen how far removed they were from
the beholding of God Messiah, inasmuch as they could not bear to
see and hear the voices, the torches, the sound, and the smoke, al
though all these were tempered in accordance with their disposition.
For as none can approach a flame without suffering dissolution, so,
unless he be reformed, none can approach God Messiah. The nat
ural man can never approach, but only the spiritual man.
As is the faith in God Messiah, such is the drawing near. He
who wishes to draw near without faith dies. This is the reason
why many are held at a distance, greater with one and less with
another, in various ways, and this lest the man perish. (God Mes
siah granting, these matters should be set forth more fully.) But
this drawing near involves so many things that it cannot be set
forth in a few words. 9
4408. That none can ever draw near to J ehovah the Parent
without the Son, may be seen above En. 4~6~, 4~99]. Nor can he
draw near to God Messiah save by the means which have been insti
tuted, and thus by His Word. Therefore this Word is so spoken
that it is understood differently by one man than by another; and,
moreover, by one, merely in the proximate sense, by another in the
interior sense, by still another in the more interior sense, and by
sons of Israel in the inmost and so in the supreme sense. But man
can never rightly understand the Word in its inmost senses save
from God Messiah who calls forth those things which are at hand,
as knowledges from his Word. Thus these are variously aroused
III the natural man and are called forth irr the spiritual man, in
• The first half of this paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written twice
in the margin.
III Ad. 688-691 485
entire accordance with the state of man's mind. Hence the draw
ing near. 1
4409. The knowledges of inmost things, however, do no harm,
for such knowledges can be drawn from writings and speech, and
they rest in the mind in the same way as do other matters which are
entrusted to the memory. But as regards the sincere understand
ing of all things, with persuasion, and the sincere will of all, with
affection, this is the gift of God Messiah. It is by this gift that
man draws near; for love is conjunction. Thus affection causes
him to be more nearly conjoined. Therefore it is not by knowl
edges that men are drawn near or moved away, but by the state of
persuasion and especially by the state of affection with persuasion.
This state contains within it so many, nay, and indefinite things,
that to the intellectual mind it appears as a shadow. Yet so indefi
nite in number are the things which it contains, things confirming,
corresponding, and affecting, that a man can never perceive one
part of a myriad. Hence the faith which saves. It is God Mes
siah alone who sends these things in, and thus disposes the soul and
from this the mind into such states. Hence all the other things
are then aroused, and this by means, even to actions, and so to the
works of the law. 2
4410. Hence the people then spake unto Moses, Speak thou
with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest per
chance we die. s Thus the 'Vord coming from God Messiah is dif
ferent from the Word of God Messiah coming by means of a man,
although it is the same Word (but here we meet with many things
that cannot be told unless it so please God Messiah) ; differing both
in respect to its power and efficacy in human minds, and in respect
to the absolute obligation of doing the things said, these being com
mandments of the strictest kind. Furthermol'e [when it comes
from God Messiah] one is then in a different state than when a man
speaks it, and the words are most deeply impressed, etc., etc.
4411. Nevertheless, the way to God Messiah is denied to no
man; but still it is described with caution, even in the Word of God
Messiah. Thus from the case of one who approaches the sacra
l This paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written twice in the margin.
• This paragraph is emphasized by "N B" written three times in the

margin.
3 [Crossed off:] For when God Messiah speaks with anyone, this is so holy
a thing that the man can never comprehend the words.
486 III Ad. 695-695
EXODUS XX: ~o [44U
ment of the altar without previous preparation and preparatory

instruction, it is sufficiently evident what danger there is in ap
proaching God Messiah; for He is then a consuming fire, it being
openly said that they shall be liable to infernal punishment who do
not approach worthily (look up the words; from them it is evident
how the approach was to be made 4). It is also evident from many
examples of those among this people who approached without prep
aration. Many laws and examples are extant (which may here be
adduced).5
But when the priest speaks unto the people, even though it is
the Word of God Messiah, still there is no danger. This also can
be seen from many examples, as for instance, from the preaching
of Moses in Deuteronomy; from the Lord's Prayer; from the
reading of the Word of God Messiah; from discourse concerning
what is contained in the \Vord of God Messiah, etc., etc.; for these
are merely knowledges, as said above [n. 4409].
4412. [But Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is
come for this, that he might prove you, and that his fear may be
before ymtr faces, that ye sin not], vs. ~O. These words were said
by Moses because the people were now fearing death.
We read above [Genesis 43 14 , n. ~611] respecting Jacob, that
to him God Messiah was Terror, and to lsaac Fear, for which rea
son, moreover, he is called" the Fear of lsaac" [Gen. 31 42 , (3).
Here, however, the subject to be treated of is fear and love.
Love and fear mutually correspond to each other; but the more
of love there is, the less is there of fear-according to the descrip
tion of fear, of which also we shall speak, God Messiah granting.
• Presumably the reference is to the Exhortation to the Holy Communion

contained in the Book of Common Prayer. There it is said that without re
pentance " the receiving of the Holy Communion doth nothing else but increase
your damnation"; and the people are exhorted to previous self-examination
" lest, after the taking of that Holy Sacrament, the devil enter into you as he
entered into Judas, and fill you full of all iniquities, and bring you to destruc
tion, both of body and sou!." It may be noted that Swedenborg had been in
England from May 1744 till August 1745.
, The first half of this paragraph is emphasized by "N B" written twice
in the margin.
III Ad. 696-699 487
CONCERNING THE FEAR OF THOSE WHO ARE NOT SONS OF ISRAEL.

[AND CONCERNING FEAR AND LOVE.] 6
4413. There is a difference between" fearing one" and" fear

ing for one." "Fearing one" means fear according to the de
scription of fear, namely, the fear of one because he is terrible, and
inflicts punishments, and these the most direful, that is to say, in
fernal, upon those who do not observe his law; thus the fear of
one who punishes not the body but the soul.
According to the increase of the love of self and the love of the
world, such is the increase of this fear or terror, and such the in
crease of those bitings of conscience from which the terror comes,
because such the increase of hatred against God Messiah and
against all that comes from God Messiah, inasmuch as there is so
much the more that condemns. This is the reason why J acob and
his descendants were to be driven by such things as smote them with
amazement and terror. 7
As regards the effect of fear in man, it is of this nature, in
order that he may come into thoughts concerning punishment he
cause of his wicked deeds, an<;l thus into thoughts concerning him
self. Thus the things which he has done come to his mind to
gether with their punishments, that is to say, together with the
condemnation of himself.
Such is their first temptation in this life; for by the fear and
terror of punishment, they are brought to a knowledge of the wick
edness in themselves, that is to say, of their wicked deeds which are
opposed to the kingdom of God Messiah, etc., etc. Therefore it is
here said, Fear not: for God is come for this, that he might prove
you. That their thoughts were aroused, and thus the impurities
of their heart, and that so the image of death came before them, is
evident from their speech in verse 19, where they say" lest per
chance we die."
The very sight of God Messiah reveals all the opposing things
which are in man, that is to say, the impurities of his heart; for
God Messiah is holy while all men are profane. This sight is His
presence in the mind, and when the mind is impure, it cannot stand.
Hence, things which are contrary are aroused by those which are
• This heading is taken from the inside of the back cover of the Codex. See
Table of Contents.
7 This paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written in the margin.
488 III Ad. 700-704

FEAR AND LOVE [4414-15
entirely opposed to impurity, and fear arises; for no one can see
his wicked deeds in shade, but only in light. In shade they appear
as beautiful simulachra, but in light as terrible; hence comes fear.
This is the reason why it is so often said that no one can see Je-
hovah the Father and live [chap. 3320] ; and that no one can see
J ehovah the Father without the mediation of God Messiah [John
1 18 ].-
In sons of Jacob the" fear" and the" proving" is such as it
was in J acob when he heard that his hrother Esau was coming to
meet him (Gen. chap. 39l[7seq.l). Such also is the fear of those
who are called Jacob.
4414. And now, as touching love, it was said En. 4419l] that the
less there is of such fear, the more there is of love. Love is indeed
never unaccompanied by fear, but it is a different kind of fear,
being like that of a friend in respect to a friend, of a loving consort
in respect to a consort who loves him, and of a son in respect to his
father. Thus, as the love is, such is the fear, and as the degree of
the love, such the degree of this fear. It is conjoined not with
terror but with ardent striving, and it has in view that love shall
not perish. Thus it fears [the loss] of the love on which it is in-
tent. This fear, however, can hardly be described, because it is so
conjoined with love that they cannot be separated. The more of
this fear there is, the more there is of love, but the less of the fear
described above.
4415. As to the nature of this fear, and how it is conjoined with
the other fear and how separated therefrom, this can hardly be
described. Nay, even the sight of God Messiah is feared, not be-
cause the man is terrified but because he is fearful of his own im-
purity and his own impotence to do and execute that which is
enj oined upon him by the presence of God Messiah, the holy One
himself. For he sees that he should then cast away all within him
that is profane, and all that resists, and also all that is not holy.
And because he sees in himself the impotence or the impossibility,
as it were, of separating this from himself in his thought, will, and
action, therefore he fears the sight, that is to say, the presence, of
God Messiah, or that God Messiah should speak with him. There-
fore such speech is effected by means of others, and this according
* This paragraph is emphasized by "N B" written three times in the
margin.
III Ad. 705-707 489
to the disposition and capacity of the man. This fear is described

from experience in myself. As to whether it would also be such
in others, had they been in the same state of speaking with the
spirits of God Messiah and with so many other spirits, this I
do not yet know. s
4416. It is said in the text that his fear may be before your
faces, that ye sin not. This fear has already been described [no
4413] ; for fear based on the reason that he sin not, is the former
fear, it being in this way that man is withheld from sin.
But in the inmost sense, this former fear is also caned love, be
ing so conjoined with love that it cannot be separated therefrom.
Therefore when the one is spoken of, the other is understood. Ev
ery man who is not in fear of this kind is in shade; for were he in
light he would see innumerable things which make him unworthy
of the mercy of God Messiah.
4417. Faith does indeed remove fear, that is, the former fear,
but pure faith is never possible in ~an. When he is purified or
justified, the justice of God Messiah is imputed to him so that he
may be called just or holy. This imputation does indeed take away
such things as are profane but not to the very roots; and therefore
when the man is let back even to the least extent, then wicked deeds
spring up from the root. Man ought to fear this when he some
what recedes, for by reflection upo; himself he cannot but notice
that he is unworthy of so great mercy, and especially that, of his
own powers, he is impotent to do any good.
Thus love comes from God Messiah alone, but fear from man,
in that he is incapable of receiving love, etc., etc. Respecting this
fear, see further at chapter ~320-2, God Messiah granting.
4418. As said above [no 4413], the fear which is terror, exists
in the man of inverted order; wherefore it commences from the
body and fears the death of the body and also the loss of those
things which make the life of the body, this life being corporeal
and natural. Thus it comes by the posterior way.
But the other fear exists in the man of a more or less perfect
order, that is, in the reformed man. Thus it exists together with
8 n. 4415 is cited by the Author in the Index to his Memorabilia, s. v. Timor.
See the Table of Contents.

490 III Ad. 708-715
EXODUS XX: ~1
love which latter is poured in. From man comes a fear which does
not correspond to love, etc., etc.
4419. [Yet the people stood afm' off; and Moses drew near unto
the thick darkness where God was], vs. ~l. As to the people stand
ing afar off, that is, as to what standing far off signifies, see at
verse 18. All those stand afar off who live an inverted order of
life, they being separated as though by a fence [chap. 1912 ] ; for
the natural man can never approach the mount unless he is first
justified by blood, as we read later concerning the elders who were
allowed to draw near [chap. ~48, 9]. Therefore in the text it is
again said that they stood afar off.
4420. Moreover, that they should stand afar off was a neces
sity; for in their heart they cherished the worship of the Egyptian
gods, as they themselves proved by their action some weeks later.
Thus, as said above en. 4419], they could never have drawn near.
Therefore with them there could have been no other fear than that
which was described above en. 4413].
4421. As to the statement that Moses drew near unto the thick
darkness, this may be seen explained above [n. 4406], to the effect
that it was thick darkness because what was represented was the
shade and thick darkness wherein that people was. It was different
when the Messiah was surrounded by a bright cloud like snow and
appeared on the mountain before the three apostles [Mark 93 ,7].
That a cloud signifies intellectual light 9 and shade, according
to its brightness or obscurity, may be seen above en. 4129, 4~76].
Therefore he could not be represented in any other way; for God
Messiah is presented to man according to the nature of the man,
and as He is presented, so also is He represented.
Therefore it is said in the text that God was in thick darkness.
God Messiah is ever in light. Wherefore he was in thick darkness
in respect to the sons of J acob, as he was in thick darkness in their
minds. It was different after the blood of the covenant had been
sprinkled upon the people. Then the elders drew near; " and they
saw the God of Israel, and under his feet, as it were, the work of a
sapphire stone, and as the substance of heaven as to cleanness";
see below, chapter ~48-10.
4422. [And Jehovah said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto
• The autograph has life which is doubtless a slip.
III Ad. 716-7~3

491
the sons of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from
heaven], vs. ~~. They now perceived with both senses, to wit, with
the sense of sight and with that of hearing, that Jehovah or God
Messiah came down from heaven; that so they might be convinced.
To speak with one from heaven is to speak from above, and thus
[to flow] into the human mind by the prior way. Respecting this
way to the human mind, we have spoken elsewhere.
4423. The faculties of man are ascribed to their own seats, there
being as many seats as there are faculties. The superior seats are
the heavens of which Paul speaks [~ Cor. 1~2]. In the third
heaven is the seat wherein is the human soul; in which heaven all
things are incomprehensible, as can be evident from the preeminence
of this faculty. In the second heaven is the intellectual mind; in
this heaven are many things incomprehensible.1 In the first 2
heaven is the seat where is man's inferior mind, which sees and hears,
and intrinsically causes the man to see and hear. It is this heaven
to which God Messiah came down, and this through the supreme and
the second heaven. Moreover, that also is called heaven where the
sight is, and which is called ether, and likewise where the hearing is,
and which is called air. Into these heavens also, He came down
respecting which two heavens, see chapter ~41O. Then comes water
together with earth. So also is it in man. Wherefore, proceeding
from water and earth through the aerial and etherial atmospheres
and then through the three heavens properly so called, there are six
seats. Then comes the seventh heaven wherein is God Messiah.
This is his throne and so is above all that is in man. s
In this way is understood what was said above concerning the
coming down of Jehovah, as in chapter 1918 ,20, etc.
Thus God Messiah came down even to the heaven wherein is
sight and hearing; but he came by that way which is called the
superior way, as may be seen stated above [n. 44~~].
4424. [Therefore ye shall not make with me gods of silve1', 01'
t [Crossed off:] but they are comprehended by- [To this deleted phrase
belongs quidem,-as opposed to at (but)-which we have therefore omitted,
although it is not crossed off. OtherWise the translation would read, "In this
heaven are indeed many," etc.]
• The autograph has thil'd, but this is clearly a slip.
• This passage is emphasized by "N B " written three times in the margin.
49~ In Ad. 7~4-7~8
EXODUS XX: ~~-~3 [4424
gods of gold shall ye not make unto you 4], vs. 23. This then is
the principal thing treated of in the universal law, namely, that
they should not make with themselves gods of silver and gods of
gold.
What is meant by such gods is seen from the meaning of the
words. In the proximate sense they mean idols and graven images,
to the worship of which that people was prone from the time of
J acob and still more in Egypt, inasmuch as they lived a perverted
order; for those who are wise in nothing else than what the sense
of hearing and sight gives them to know, are prone to the worship
of such things as are presented before these senses. S~sQ is_.it
today with the com!JlOl} people when persuaded by their pr~sts, as
is 'Yell known to be the case in ~he Roman School. 5
In the proximate interior sense, they mean such things as are
signified by graven images and pictures, such as existed in Rome
where various gods were worshipped, being the genii who signify
man's various cupidities and potencies; also many things which are
c~n on the earth and in man; and so those who worship nature
and c~nsequently worship fallacies, vanities, and deceits. More
over, the natural man knows no other heaven than that which he
beholds, for he lives in perverted order, etc., etc., and thus in thick
darkness. 6
( In the more interior sense, by gods of gold and gods of silver
\ are signified the loves of self and the world. These loves_are indeed
loves of the natural mind, but in man they descend from the rational
, mind where they are cherished, for without this mind they can never
. be ~~pped seeing that they cannot be known and so cannot be
acknowledged.
( In the inmost sense, by gold. is meant g.oodness, an.d by silver
truth. All goodness, therefore, IS God MessIah, as also IS all truth,
for every goodness and truth is a ray coming down from his throne.
\ Therefore, what is said in the text is that they should acknowledge
I nothing as good and truth save God Messiah alone. Hence this
style of speech, namely, that they should not make with me 7 gods
• Schmidius interprets this as meaning, "Therefore ye shall not make with
me (anytMng:) gods of silver, or gods of gold (especially) shall ye not make
unto you." According to the Hebrew the 01' should be and.
• Palaestra.
• This last sentence is emphasized by " NB" written in the margin.
1 The autograph has S6cum (with themselves).
III Ad. 7~9-73~ 493

THE WORD EXPLAINED
of gold and gods of silver. Hence the first commandment (vs. 3).
In the next clause, however, it is said, Ye shall not make them
unto you; for they who live in a contrary order of life perceive all
\ things as the contrary. Thus in place of gold they perceive all
that which in itself is evil and which they think to be goo-d, such ~s
\ the t~~gs -to w:ii~~-!he !?ve of~lf yers~des; and [in place of
i silver] all t atwhich in itself is false [ana which] Q1~y think_t~_be
true, such as the things which t1}e 102'e of the world dictates. 8
4425. [An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, that thou
mayest sacrifice thereon thy whole burnt offermgs, and thy peace
otfermgs, thy sheep, and thy herds; m every place where I put the
memory of my name I will come unto thee, and will bless thee], vs.
!e4. We now come to the worship of God Messiah. At that time
this was performed by means of altars and of sacrificial victims
thereon, and this for reasons of which we have spoken above [no
585, 14!'l5, 1677]. Hence the construction of altars was then a
rite observed in almost all parts of the globe, and this from the time
of Abel and also of Noah-a circumstance which abundantly de
clares that by these altars is signified the primary thing in divine
worship, that is, God Messiah, etc., etc.
Since by an altar, in the supreme sense, is meant God Messiah
himself, it can be evident what is signified in various passages in his
Word by" stone" on which matter see above [no 3019-!'lO]. He is
called the" Stone of Israel" [Gen. 49 24 ].
What is meant by whole burnt otfermgs and peace offermgs,
and by the words that follow, will be seen later where these are
specifically treated of; also what is meant by the places where he
set the memory of his name. Every place is indeed suitable for the
adoring of God Messiah, but one place is preferred to another from
various causes, of which also we speak elsewhere [n. 33!'l6].
4426. By "the memory of a na~e" is meant worship. It is
said memory, to the end that they might remember all that they had
seen and heard, as stated above [n. 3803 J. (God Messiah grant
ing, these matters may be treated of in greater fullness.)
4427. In regard to the altars themselves, they were constructed
of earth or of unhewn stones. As touching the first, to wit, the
altar of earth, this was for the sake of simplicity of worship, to the
494 III Ad. 733-739
EXODUS XX: ~4-~5 [44~8-31
end, namely, that they should not see anything therein which they
might worship, such as something graven and depicted, and which
thus would draw their senses away from the interior worship of
God Messiah.
Moreover, it was of earth because they were in those lowest
things wherein is the earth, as said above [no 44~g], to which, in
man, is compared the body, this being the complex of all things
prior thereto, and thus simultaneous therein; as is the case in the
blood, which properly constitutes the body, the blood being the
complex of an things [prior], and also their ultimate form.
In the more interior sense, the altar was of earth to the end
that the ground might be signified, from which comes the harvest
whereby is signified that which pertains to the worship of God Mes
siah. (But why the altar was of earth is not yet very 0 clear. See
below n. 44~9.)
4428. [And if thou wilt make me an altar of stones, thou shalt
not erect them hewn: for if thou move thy tool upon them, thou
profanest them], vs. ~5. By an altar of stones is meant the same
as by a stone, namely, in the interior sense, the temple, etc.; in the
more interior sense, the worship which was performed; in the in
most sense, heaven itself which, like a stone, is from the mountain.
In the supreme sense, by a stone is meant the temple, worship, and
heaven-God Messiah himself.
4429. By" an altar of earth" [verse ~4] are signified the many
things of which they were to be mindful; thus, not only the harvest,
as stated above En. 44~7], but also the fact that they were from
dust and the ground; that all the earth belongs to God Messiah;
that the earth with its living offspring was the last work of J ehovah
God; and thus, that it contains, in a sum, all those things which are
the first, that is to say, everything thus far created.
4430. The altar would be profaned when they moved a tool
upon the stones, as is also stated later [Deut. ~75]. The reason
was, because a tool is a sign that the altar was graven and thus that
they adored it because of this device. This is the meaning in the
proximate sense. Thus, what is meant in the more interior sense,
is every art that comes from man; and in the inmost sense, every
will of man. Thus by a tool is meant that which comes from man.
4431. That man's will must not be mingled with the things per
• The word" very" (ita) is a later addition to the text.
III Ad. 740-745

495
443Q-33] THE WORD EXPLAINED
taining to the worship of God Messiah is clear, for man's will pro
ceeds from blind reason; nor, from himself, does he see aught but
the things present before him, seeing not the least of the things
which lie concealed therein. Yet God Messiah foresees all things
that are to come and all that can ever lie concealed therein. There
fore we must live simply according to the commandments, and it is
He who must be worshipped.
Moreover, everything that proceeds from man, as man, is evil,
being from an evil root. Hence man must not call such things
forth as from himself. This is the reason why man does not obtain
anything which he asks for from himself, as is
evident from many things which it has been granted me to
perceive, in that I did not obtain anything that I wished; re
specting which matter, God Messiah granting, more may be
said. 1
4432. Because nothing but evil proceeds from man, thus from
his will, therefore it is said in the text that thus the altar would be
profaned; in the proximate sense, because it would thus be a graven
thing and consequently would be constructed with various devices
so that human work would be seen therein. As to the construction
of an altar of stones, confer Deuteronomy Q7, verses 4 to 8 in
cIusive. 2
4433. [But thou shalt not go up by steps upon mine altar, that
thy nakedness be not discovered thereon] , vs. Q6. These points are
further confirmed by the statement that there should be no steps lest
their nakedness be discovered. What is meant by nakedness may
be seen above [no 46, 78], namely, the loves of self and the world,
such loves being expressed by nakedness. These loves are the roots
of evils, from which spring all evils, cupidities themselves, and thus
the human will.
How the human will is ruled by God Messiah, and so is bent
from evil to good; and how it appears as human, though it is
nothing else than what God Messiah suffers to be aroused in order
that it may thence be turned to good, and in this way a disposition
be put on, which from evil shall learn good, and so may be affected
by good-( God Messiah granting, more will be said elsewhere).
, This indented passage is cited by the Author in the Index to his Memo
rabilia, s. v. Voluntas. See Table of Contents.
496 In Ad. 746-753
EXODUS XX: ~6 [4434-35
Thus, what is meant in the text is purity of heart, namely, that

there be no nakedness but that all be clean, the love of God Mes-
siah alone.
By what is pure [is meant] nothing of one's o\vn; but all must
be God Messiah's. This must be believed because it is so.
4434. It must here be observed that the law brings condemna-
tion; for he who does not fulfil the law is condemned; indeed, if a
man acted against a single commandment he was devoted to death,
as is evident from examples. Therefore, the law consists not only
in externals, the transgression of which meant the death of the
body, but principally in internals, the transgression of which is
spiritual death or hell.
From what has preceded, it is now clearly evident that no man
is ever able to fulfil the law from internals, seeing that he is evil
from infancy, and wholly such from the root. From this root can
be born no other fruits than such as are evil and to be rejected. If
there is any fruit that can be called fruit, it is a fruit that kills the
man, like poison, etc., etc.
This then was the reason why God Messiah now came in smoke,
in fire, in a cloud, and in the sound of a trumpet [vs. 18, and
chap. 19 18- 9 ], namely, for the reasons stated; for the law was then
being delivered whereby man would be condemned, seeing that in
the absence of a law laid down, there is no other condemnation save
that which conscience might dictate. Therefore condemnation fol-
lowed the law. s
4435. But that salvation comes by the blood of the Messiah, is
evident from chapter 9l4[6-10 1, as was said above [n. 44~1]; for
after the people had been sprinkled with the blood of the covenant
there then appeared under his feet the likeness of a sapphire and
the likeness of heaven for cleanness. See how this reads. See the
words in that chapter, verses 8, 9, 10.'" For by reason of the
justice which man could never have fulfilled, the Messiah suffered
himself to be condemned and to be sacrificed as the victim. It is
from thence that justice comes, and never from the law, etc., etc.,
etc., etc., etc., etc. 4
Let those then who wish to live under the law and to be justi-
• n. 4434 is emphasized by " NB" written four times in the margin.
* This last reference is a later addition.
HI Ad. 754-76~ 497
fied by the same, judge whether they can be saved. Will not Je
hovah God then appear to them in fire, and in smoke or thick darl{
ness? etc., etc.
4436. As in a single action there are innumerable concurrent
thoughts and affections which enter into the will, so there are in
numerable wills, as it were. This can be demonstrated plainly
enough from the progression of the will in every single action;
for there are perpetual ends which are called mediate ends because
they look to some ulterior end; and these ulterior ends regard an
end still more ulterior both in the world and in oneself. Thus in
action there is nothing save the end, and when in the end there is
nothing save the love of self and the world, no other result can
ever be possible than a continuous series of evils. Entering into
the several thoughts and the several affections are things indefinite
in number, being all that are in the man; for the most single things
of all conspire to every affection, being not only such things as
are in the head or principles, but also such as are continued there
from, as in the fibres, spirits, bloods, etc., etc. Thus from head to
heel there is nothing whole. 5
4437. As to the fact that resistance is perceived to the carrying
out of what the law dictates, this comes from an evil root, as stated
above [n. 4434]; for the root from which the combat arises still
remains. But when the belief is solely in God Messiah, then he
directs all and single things, yea, the most single of all, to the best
end, that is, to himself; thus the man is reformed. This, however,
can never follow without faith in God Messiah, that is to say, with
out God Messiah's mercy toward the man.
EXODus XXI
1 Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before
them.
~ When thou buyest a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve:
but in the seventh he shaH go out as free for nothing.
3 If he came with his body, with his body shall he go out: if he
were the husband of a woman, his wife shall go out with him.
4 If his master hath given him a wife, and she have borne him
sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be his master's,
but he shall go out with his body.
• n. 4436 is emphasized by "N B " written four times in the margin.
498 III Ad. 763-764
EXODUS XXI: 1-11 [4438
5 And if the servant, saying, shall say, I love my master, and
my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:
6 His master shall hring him unto God, and shall bring him to
the door, or to the door post; and his master shall bore his ear
through with his awl, that he may serve him for ever.
7 And when a man shall sell his daughter to be a handmaid,
she shall not go out as the menservants go.
8 If she be evil in the eyes of her master, that he betroth her
not,6 he shall suffer her to be redeemed; he shall not have the power
to sell her unto a strange people, dealing treacherously with her.
9 And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with
her after the manner of daughters.
10 If he take him another woman; her food, her covering, and
her conjugal due shall he not diminish.
11 And if he do not these three unto her, she shall go out free
without money.
(But these verses may be seen explained a second time.)
[See n. 446~ seq.]
NB NB
4438.* In this chapter, that which concerns the restoring of a
servant to liberty signifies, in the proximate sense, that these de-
scendants had been captives and were now restored to liberty, as
• See n. 44<55 note.
* [On the page preceding tllis exposition, comes a previous exposition, which
is crossed off by the Author:] Exodus, chapter 21, verse 1 to - The laws
which now follow concern that society which then represented the church of
God Messiah; for everything here set forth has regard to the state of the church
and kingdom of God Messiah. These laws are partly moral and partly civil;
for these descendants [of J acob] were almost without natural law, as it is
called, seeing that they came from Egypt. With them the laws handed down
by their parents had been obliterated, and they were now initiated into the
customs of the Egyptians, and indeed were considered as slaves. In order,
therefore, that they nlight know the things which had been known of old,
statutes were given them by J ehovah by means of Moses.
vs. 1. They are called judgments because this people was to be judged
according to them. Thus they were the laws of judges, respecting whom, that
they were set above the people, see above, chapter 1813, 20-2, 26.
Moreover, judgments inmostly involve the things which will take place at
the last judgment, like all the laws given by God Messiah, whether they be
spiritual, moral, forensic, etc.; for there is no law that does not involve such
things as look to the kingdom of God Messiah and his church, being things
which are among the arcana of God Messiah.
III Ad. 765 499
was done with Joseph. See concerning his captivity and liberty.
4439. What is meant in the interior and more interior sense is
the spiritual captivity in which man is, it being from this that he
is delivered; that is to say ,-fi'o~b-eing a servant man he is restored
to being a free man, or, from being natural to being spiritual; for
the natural man dominates from infancy and thus holds the spir
itual man captive. Afterwards he is restored, and then the natural
man with its pleasures and cupidities gives way, and in its place
comes heavenly love.
To set befol'e them means to set before their eyes, that is, that they may
know them.
Vs. iil Here commencement is made concerning the liberty into which man
comes after captivity; for this people is now coming out of captivity. Where
fore it is the law of liberty that is now first set forth.
This law, in the interior sense and so forth, involves the state of liberty
into which man comes after spiritual captivity, respecting which latter, see
above [n. 4010, 4301].
This captivity is represented by servants, being servants who have been
bought. Thus in the proximate sense it involves that captivity into which the
sons of Jacob and [their] sons had also been sent. These had not indeed been
bought as had the Egyptians [Gen. 47 28 ], but still they were bought by means
of the grain given them by Joseph. This was a necessity of life, so that they
were in a condition like that of servants. They were sold, for otherwise they
would have perished.
There they remained not seven years but seven ages multiplied by six.
Thus this also agrees with the time of their captivity. [The reference is evi
dently to the four hundred and thirty years spoken of in Exodus liil 4 0 as being
the time of the sojourning of the Israelites in Egypt. Seen. 3868 and r. iil738.]
That these words have regard to the last times, and thus to the kingdom of
God Messiah which will come on the seventh day; thus, that they mean the
same as the six days of creation, as noted above [no 4iil96]; is evident from the
words themselves, namely, that in the seventh year he shall go ou.t free for
notliing.
Thus all men in the entire globe are bought and redeemed by God Mes
siah, and are his servants. On the seventh day they shall go out free; for
liberty is spoken of after the captivity which they bear in the life of the body,
wherein they are as in a prison house and are in well nigh continual combat
with the devil; thus in varied captivity, being held so especially by themselves,
from the loves of self and the world. Afterwards they will be freed, and
will be sons of God Messiah, sons of the kingdom and heirs of the kingdom, as
was said above of J oseph.
It is said for nothing because there is no price, or because man can never
redeem himself, as said above [n. 4415, 4434]. Wherefore the text adds that
he shall go out for nothing. Moreover it is said" to go out," meaning to go
out from servitude.
Vers 3
500 III Ad. 766
EXODUS XXI: 1-11 [444o-4~
4440. In the inmost sense, the meaning is that the church of

God Messiah, or those in the church who are sons of Israel, are in
combat with the devil; for the latter desires them to be held in cap
tivity, but by God Messiah they are restored to liberty. This is
done when we are affected no longer by the love of self and the
world but by the love of God Messiah; for all that is free which
comes from affection or love, and all that is slavery which is done
against affection and love. Spiritual liberty, therefore, consists in
the love of God Messiah. This love is also called the love of
heaven in contrast with the love of the world, and the love of God
Messiah in contrast with the love of self. Hence it can be evident
what liberty is, what captivity, and what servitude. 7
4441. Man is never free when he thinks himself to be free, his
will being ruled by evil from his very conception and infancy.
Hence, so long as he is ruled by evil and thus by himself, he thinks
he is free when yet the opposite is the case. All liberty, which is
predicated of the will, consists in a man aspiring to the best end,
that is to say, in his having that cnd in intention. When he is left
to God Messiah, then he is led to the best end, and so is led against
himself. ' Hence comes combat, and hence finally affection for a
freer state. s But as to whether man comes into the state of liberty
in this life-this is rare. (God Messiah granting, this shall be
spoken of elsewhere.)
4442. In the supreme sense, God Messiah is Liberty itself, while
in the opposite or ultimate sense, the devil is captivity. Where
fore, that He might release man from captivity, the Messiah him
self became a captive and servant, that so he might redeem man.
Thus it is God Messiah himself who wages combat when leading
man out of captivity, it being he alone who leads man OUT OF CAP
TIVITY, THAT IS, FROl\l HELL, AND RESTORES HIM TO LIBERTY, that is,
to heaven, that is to say, to his kingdom and thus to himself, he
alone being heaven and he alone his kingdom. It is said that God
Messiah is Liberty itself, the meaning being that it is he alone who
is free; for he has power or dominion over the whole of heaven and
the whole of earth, and he does all and single things from pure
love, and this in order that one and all they may tend to the best
end, that is to say, to the glory of Jehovah his Father, and so to
, This paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written four times in the margin.
S This paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written twice in the margin.
111 Ad. 767-770 501

his kingdom, and consequently to the salvation of the human race.

This is the end to which he is led from pure love. Thus he alone is
free, and for this reason is to be called Liberty itself, as he is Wis
dom itself, Intelligence itself, etc. 9
4443. As touching the seven years, that in the seventh year the
servant should go out [vs. 2], this comes from the same cause [as
the command], that six days thou shalt work and shalt rest on the
seventh [chap. 20 9- 10 ], that is to say, it comes from the days of
the old and new creation, the seventh of which will be rest, being
that rest which signifies the kingdom of God Messiah.
4444. It was according to this law, to wit, the law here given,
from verses 1 to 11, concerning the freeing of servants, that the
ancients lived in the primitive church. Thus the same law had been
laid down at that time, and it remained in their minds as a natural
law, inasmuch as exactly the same thing is said in regard to Jacob
and Laban. FIRST: J acob contracted to serve for seven years or
for a week (Genesis 29 18 ), which week was twice continued. So we
read here that the servant bought, shall go out in the seventh year
for nothing (vs. 2). SECOND: Laban claimed J acob's wives as his
own possession, and also their children, as Laban confesses and
Jacob suspects; see Genesis 30 26 , 31 15 ,42,43, which words, when ex
amined, are the same as those occurring in the present text, verse 4.
The other particulars are also in harmony, as for instance, what
Laban said to J acob in Genesis, chapter 31 50 , as compared with
what is said in the present chapter, verses 9 and 10. So ~lso with
respect to the rest. Wherefore the same law existed in the house
of Laban and consequently prior to this in the house of Nahor and
Abraham. But now it had been wholly blotted out, and therefore
was promulgated anew. Thus it was a law wholly divine, a law
known of old in the primitive church, and according to which they
lived. Yet Laban did not have the same right over J acob as over
a servant, as can better be seen from the text.
4445. Because this precept concerning servitude and liberation
was so well known in ancient times, the fact that it was now promul
gated by God Messiah by means of Moses involves arcana, and in
deed more than can ever appear save with God Messiah as teacher.
And since, as said above [n. 4438 note] there is nothing which in
• The first half of this paragraph is emphasized by "N B " written in the
margin.
502 III Ad. 771-774
EXODUS XXI: l-~ [4446-48
its interiors and inmosts does not regard the church and kingdom
of God Messiah, so with these several precepts, even though they
are civil precepts and concern the life of society.
4446. All laws, both moral and civil, which regard society and
persons in society, and are promulgated by God Messiah, have re
gard, in the supreme sense, to God Messiah himself; in the inmost
sense, to his kingdom and the church; and so forth. It is from
this that laws derive their origin. To adduce merely a single
example, namely, the law that a husband shall have one wife and
not many, and that the husband is said to be the head of the wife
and the wife his crown. This law clearly signifies God Messiah as
Husband, and the church as bride and afterwards as wife. Thus
it signifies one husband, not many, and that he is the head, since
from the head comes all the life of the body, the church being then
called the body. And because in the kingdom of God Messiah the
church is like a crown around the sun, therefore she is then
likened to a crown, being elevated to this dignity. This example,
however, merely shows that every precept has regard to the king
dom of God Messiah, and derives its origin therefrom. But the
arcana contained herein will be more clearly apparent from the
words of the text.
4447. [Now these m'e the judgments which thou shalt set before
them], vs. 1. They are called judgments, as above [chap. 66 ,7 4 ],
because judgment was to be made according to them; hence the
judges. They are indeed civil laws, but with God Messiah they are
judgments and indeed heavenly judgments, for inmostly they con
cern that. heavenly society which sh~ll constitute the kingdom of
God Messiah.
4448. [When thou buyest a Hebrew servant, six years he shall
serve: but im the seventh he shall go out as free for nothimg], vs. ~.
That the Hebrew servant should serve six years, that is, a week, as
did J acob, signifies the same thing as the six days of the old and
new creation, namely, that in the seventh year he shall be free; for
what is here signified in the inmost sense, is the kingdom of God
Messiah wherein is liberty and rest, as' also it is called.
By a Hebrew se1"Vant are meant the elect, being the sons of God
Messiah and the heirs of the kingdom, for they are opposed to the
Egyptians, as above [no ~159, ~688-9] to whom they were an
abomination; as we read in respect to Joseph [Gen. M3 32 J.
III Ad. 775-779 503
By a Hebrew servant in the supreme sense is meant the Messiah 1

who suffered himself to be led into captivity and servitude that he
might deliver all men from captivity and so might make them free.
4449. That he shall go out for nothimg signifies, in the inmost
sense, that those who are in the church shall go out for nothing.
They are not to be redeemed by money, for the Messiah has lib
erated them for nothing, they having contributed nothing what
ever.
That they had served, means that they had been in temptations
and in spiritual captivity, and also in corporeal. Then, it was not
they who fought and in this way suffered and obtained the victory,
but God Messiah alone, who fights for them and who continually
conquers the enemy with whom they were in combat. Thus they
are liberated for nothing, this being what is here represented.
This discourse concerns Hebrew servants who had been bought,
that is, it concerns the elect, being those whom God Messiah rescued
and redeemed by blood.
By the" master" [vs. 4] is here meant God Messiah, of whom
all men are the servants, because bought. These servants shall thus
go out for nothing, that is to say, "not for money; for they are
delivered for nothing.
4450. [If he came with his body, with his body shall he go out:
if he were the husband of a woman, his wife shall go out with him],
vs. 3. By the words if he came with his body is meant ifh~ came
alone without a wife. The words with his body are used with a
view to another body, that is, to his being with a wife with whom
he is one body; for immediately afterwards the wife is spoken of.
That he will likewise be alone if with a wife,2 is because they
are one body-according to the precept of marriage [Gen. fl24].
Therefore they cannot be disjoined 3 by means of servitude and
thus neither by temptations, etc., for she sustains what he does.
1 Swedenborg first wrote God Messiah.
• The Latin is ac si cum uxore (as if he were with a wife), but we have ig
nored the word ac as being opposed to the context. Swedenborg first wrote ac
cum 'U.'Vore (as with a wife). He then added si above the line, but seemingly
failed to realize that with this addition the context would require the elimination
of ac.
• The Latin is conjungi (conjoined), but the context clearly indicates that
this is a slip.
504 In Ad. 780-786
EXODUS XXI: 3-6 [4451-52
W'hat is treated of is matrimony contracted before servitude.

As to matrimony contracted after servitude, of this we read later.
(What these words have regard to in the church and in the
kingdom of God Messiah is not yet evident. God Messiah grant
ing, it may be evident elsewhere, where the subject treated of is
servitude, captivity, the church, the heavenly marriage or the king
dom of God Messiah.) Indeed, they have many things in view;
as to whether they a so have in view propagation by lawful mar
riage, etc., see below at verse 5."
4451. [If his master hath given him a wife, and she have borne
him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be his mas
ter's, but he shall go out with his body], vs. 4. What is now
treated of is the wife whom his master gives him, that she shall not
go out but shall remain together with her children according to the
law of Laban 4 who claimed as his own possession his daughters and
their children, and also all Jacob's flock (Genesis, chapter 30 26 ,
chapter 3150).
At that time daughters and handmaids were more under the
authority of the father than of the husband, because they were of
the father's seed; and the first precept of marriage was that the
husband should leave father and mother and remain with his wife
and so should found a new house where his wife was.
The words of the text involve the same things as the precept in
question (Genesis 2 24 ), which precept must first be explained.
4452. [And if the servant, saying, shall say, I love my master,
and my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: His master
shall bring hvm unto God, and shall bring him to the door, or to the
door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with his awl,
that he may serve him for ever], vs. 5, 6. The subject treated of
is the punishment of him who does not wish to be free but would
rather remain in servitude because of his wife.
Therefore what is treated of in the proximate sense, both here
* The reference to verse 5 is a later addition made when Swedenborg was
writing his second exposition of these words.
• The text reads, the words in parentheses being crossed off: secundum
(legem Labanis) Labanam. In the translation we have assumed that Sweden
borg inadvertently omitted to restore the word legem, and that what he intended
to write was secundem legem Labanam (according to the Laban law); other
wise we would have to read Labanem, in which case the translation would be
" according to Laban."
III Ad. 787-793 505
and above, is servitude with the gentiles, that they do not wish to be
delivered therefrom.
In the interior sense it is the propagation of the stock in order
that a new house may be raised up therefrom and thus a new stock;
and that a confusion of families may be avoided.
In the more interior and thus in the spiritual sense, it is cap
tivity by the loves of self and the world and man's wishing to re
main therein.
In the inmost sense, it is the elect.
In the supreme sense, it is God Messiah, that he became a ser
vant, and that he was the master; for in this sense both these have
regard to God Messiah and his kingdom. 5
4453. In the proximate sense, this punishment, the punishment
namely, that the ear was to be bored with an awl, involves that the
man was of an asinine disposition, denoted by the ear.
In the more interior sense it involves hearing-that he has not
heard this precept concerning liberty. 6
In the more interior sense, that he has not seen and obeyed it;
thus that he will not live as a man of sound reason who wishes to be
free.
In the inmost sense, that he does not have actual faith.
In the supreme sense, that God Messiah who is the Master, will
deny him such faith and obedience if he does not hearken to the
precepts; that He wills him to be free, that is to say, to be delivered
from the loves of self and the world and so to be affected by such
things as regard the best end, that is, Himself. For faith can never
be given to him who wills to serve these loves, and still less obedience
and intellectual sight; and, consequently, neither can hearing.
Then his master is the lord of those loves; for it is said" because
he loves his master," a master whom God Messiah uses in order that
he may blind the man that he may prefer servitude to liberty.
Wherefore it is then said that he shall serve forever. Hence
we read that many are called to the feast but they made a pretext
of the pleasures of the body, wherefore they were left and others
are summoned in their place. Thus they are called no more [Luke
1416 se q .].
• In the autograph, each paragraph of n. 44Ml, with the exception of the
first, is emphasized by " NB" written in the margin.
• [Crossed off:] and that they have not hearkened.
506 III Ad. 794!-803
EXODUS XXI: 7-8 [4454-55
4454. [And when a man shall sell his daughter to be a handmaid,

she shall not go out as the menservants go], vs. 7. The fact that
there was another law for daughters when they were sold, shows
that daughters could be invited to an alien house even though they
were of another family; 7 as when Abraham took Hagar, and Jacob
Silpah and Bilhah. For, despite this, there was a like implanta
tion, provided only she was a legitimate wife from the family or
from the generation. s At that time it was customary for men to
give handmaids to their sons, even as wives in addition to the
genuine wife, as was said above [n. 4358] ; and this for the sake of
propagation and because of sterility on the part of the legitimate
wife, as was said.
It also signifies that the church of the gentiles was invited to
the church which was then the Jewish, that they might come to
gether in one stem and might be implanted therein. This there
fore was a representation. "Vherefore a daughter was not to go
out like a manservant; for here, instead of a daughter not of the
family is meant the church of the gentiles.
4455. [If she be evil in the eyes of her master, that he betroth
her not,9 he shall suffer her to be redeemed; he shall not have the
power to sell her unto a strange people, dealing treacherously with
her], vs. 8. An evil daughter could [not] be sold, that is to say,
in the inmost sense, a daughter who was not of the true faith and
thus of the fruits of faith; thus a daughter of known evil dis
10riginally this paragraph ended with the words "another family."
Swedenborg then commenced a new paragraph as follows: "This precept has
regard to that which Abraham said to his elder servant." This he then crossed
off, and above it he wrote a continuation of the preceding paragraph com
mencing with the words: " As when Abrabam," etc., and continued this addition
below the crossed off lines. In his hasty numbering of the paragraphs at
a later time, he mistook this continuation as two new paragraphs and so num
bered them. See n. 3630 note.
S This first part of the paragraph is emphasized by "N B " written twice
in the margin.
• Schmidius here gives an exact translation of the Hebrew text, as also
does Castellio, Tremellius, Pagnini, the Swedish Bible, and Swedenborg in his
Arcana Coelestia. These versions, however, are the direct opposite of the A. V.,
where instead of "that he betroth her not" we read" who hath betrothed her
to himself." The difference rests on a correction of the Hebrew text, the A. V.
being based on the assumption that ~6 (not) is an error for;~ (to him). We
may add that the Vulgate ignores the Hebrew text, giving the free translation
" to whom she has been given."
III Ad. 804-809 507
position. Such a daughter, having once been received, must not

again return to the gentiles, that is, to strangers, for then she
would return to ido~atry, which would be the worst possible thing,
after she has once been initiated into the church; for then to desert
the church is the worst possible thing; as also it would be if her
master sold her, for the daughter was not in his power, seeing that
after the fall it was commanded that she should be under her hus
band; see the precept in Genesis, chapter 3 16 • Wherefore it is said
that then he would be dealing treacherously with her.
The text also involves the church of God, to wit, that it should
not be delivered over to a strange church, and this for causes which
as yet I am not able to bring forward on account of obscurity of
intellect. It is so greatly constrained,
that I am unable to expatiate in thought, and this because of
causes, as it seems to me, that I was snatched away to the servi
tude of those who wish to dominate-who are not good. 1
4456. [And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal
with her after the manner of da:ughters], vs. 9. To betroth-that
is to say, if she were of the family he would betroth her as a legit
imate wife; otherwise as a concubine.
4457. [If he take hitm another woman; her food, her covering,
and her conjugal due shall he not ditminish] , vs. 10. If he take him
another that is, if his son do this. Thus, that he shall not diminish
these things. It was this that Laban had in view when he said to
J acob that he should not take other wives (Genesis ~n 50).
The ~ext also concerns two churches, to wit, if the one, that is to
say, the prior church was not loved but another was superadded,
then the former was not to be repudiated but should be fed and
clothed, and should not be degrived of he! conjygial dge. But as
concerns love, faith -;nd the fruits of faith, which are here signified
in the inmost sense, these belong to t~e c~urch which h~~s.
Thus, where love is, therejs spiritual undersffiiding; but she whom
he does not love is the natural und~st~ding, this being a repre
sentation-as is evident enoug.
4458. In the proximate sense, the food is the food of the body,
that she may live in the body; but in the imI1g§i.s.ense it is con' ugial
love, it ~eing this that nourishes and vivifies marriage. Thecover
1 This indented paragraph is not cited in the Author's Index to his Memor
abilia.
508 III Ad. 810-816
EXODUS XXI: 9-11 [4459-61
ing is that whereby this love is covered, being thus the things which
come from the love, and so all that is without and below conjugial
love. The conjugial due, in the inmost sense, is that which e;.ists
from conjugial love, that it may give birth; but in the proximate
sense it is money and the like, this being called the dowry.2
4459. Thus all things follow from love and faith in God Mes-
siah. He never repudiates any church save for the cause of
adultery, that is to say, for the cause of idolatry, the worship of the
devil, that is, of the world and self; thus, for the cause of avarice
and pride or an elated mind, which thinks that it is they alone who
will inherit the kingdom of God Messiah. Yet, by reason of those
loves, etc., they are repudiated and a new wife is taken in their
place; but they have not yet been dismissed, as noted below, n.
4461.-
4460. [And if he do not these three unto her, she shall go out
free without money], vs. 11. She shall then go out free without
money. What is spoken of is the due to be furnished by the hus-
band, the due namely, in respect to food, covering, and the con-
jugial due. When these are not furnished by the husband, she is
free and is no longer a servant. But for a wife who is repudiated,
there is another law which is spoken of later.
4461. As to the other things which these words have in view,
these I dare not well tell, the things, namely, which have in view the
Jewish church. This church is indeed repudiated, but still is not
yet dismissed; for he will furnish her with food, covering, etc. But
as regards dismissal, if they wish they can depart free without
money. and choose themselves another leader;
but Abraham, speaking in a voice which I heard, entirely re-
fused this; thus perhaps Jacob also, who caught hold of Esau's
heel-of which we have spoken above. 3
EXODUS XX! [REPETITION]
1 Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before
them.
* This paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written twice in the margin,
• This indented paragraph is not cited in the Author's Index to his M em01'-
abilia.
III Ad. 817-8~1 509
THE WORD EXPLAINED
~ When thou buyest a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve:

but in the seventh he shall go out as free for nothing.
S If he came with his body, with his body shall he go out: if he
were the husband of a woman, his wife shall go out with him.
4 If his master hath given him a wife, and she have borne him
sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be his master's,
but he shall go out with his body.
5 And if the servant, saying shall say, I love my master, and
my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:
6 His master shall bring him unto God, and shall bring him to
the door, or to the door post; and his master shall bore his ear
through with his awl, that he may serve him for ever.
7 And when a man shall sell his daughter to be a handmaid, she
shall not go out as the menservants go.
8 If she be evil in the eyes of her master, that he betroth her
not,4 he shall suffer her to be redeemed: he shall not have the power
to sell her unto a strange people, dealing treacherously with her.
9 And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with
her after the manner of daughters.
10 If he take him another woman; her food, her covering, and
her conjugal due shall he not diminish.
11 And if he do not these three unto her, she shall go out free
without money.
U He that smiteth a man, so that he die, dying he shall die.
IS And if he laid not in wait, but God set it before his hand,
I will appoint thee a place whither he may flee.
14 But if he had the purpose against his neighbour of slaying
him with guile; thou shalt take him from-with mine altar, that he
may die.
15 He that smiteth his father or his mother, dying he shall die.
16 He that stealeth a man, and selleth him, but he be found in
his hand, dying he shall die.
17 If a man curse his father, or his mother, dying he shall die.
18 And if men strive together, and a man smite his companion
with a stone, or with his fist, so that while he dieth not, he yet
keepeth his bed;
19 If he rise again and walk abroad upon his staff, the smiter
510
..
EXODUS XXI (REPETITION)
shall be guiltless; only he shall recompense his idleness, and healing

shall heal him.
flO And if a man smite his manservant, or his handmaid, with
a rod, and he die under his hand, avenging he shall be avenged.
fll Yet if he survive for a day or two days, he shall not be
avenged, for he is his silver.
flfl If men strive, and they strike a woman with child so that her
births go forth, and yet no harm follow; being fined, he shall be
fined according as the woman's husband shall lay upon him; and he
shall give it before judges.
fl3 And if harm follow, then thou shalt give soul for soul;
fl4 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
fl5 Burning for burning, wound for wound, blow for blow.
fl6 And if a man smite the eye of his manservant, or the eye of
his handmaid, and destroy it; he shall let him go free for his eye.
fl7 So if he smite out his manservant's tooth [or his maidser
vant's tooth 5] ; he shall let him go free for his tooth.
fl8 If an ox gore a man or a woman, that he die; with stoning,
the ox shall be stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the master
of the ox shall be guiltless.
fl9 But if the ox were wont to gore from yesterday, the day
before yesterday, and it hath been testified to his master, and he
kept him not in, so that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox
shall be stoned, and his master also shall be put to death.
30 But if a redemption be laid on him, he shall give the re
demption of his soul, according to all that shall be laid upon him.
31 VVhether he have gored a son or have gored a daughter, ac
cording to this law shall it be done unto him.
3fl If the ox shall gore a manservant or a handmaid, he shall
give unto his master thirty shekels of silver; but the ox shall be
stoned.
33 If a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit and not
cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein;
34 The master of the pit shall make restitution; he shall give
silver unto its master; but the carcase shall be his.
35 If the ox of a man shall smite the ox of his companion that
he die; they shall sell the live ox, and divide its silver; the carcase
also they shall divide.
511
446fl-63] THE WORD EXPLAINED
36 But if it be known that the ox hath gored, from yesterday

and the day before yesterday, and his master hath not kept him in;
restoring, he shall restore ox [for ox 6] ; but the carcase shall be
his.
4462. The nature of the interior senses can be learned as [set
forth] above; for what has been set forth on the subject of servi
tude and liberty is founded on things more interior, that is to say,
on such things as concern servitude and liberty in man; thus spir
itual servitude and liberty, and consequently servitude and liberty
in the church of God Messiah and so in his kingdom.
It must be observed in general that in man there is an active and
a passive, for nothing exists, su1;>sists, is formed or is born without
the one conjoined with the other. The active is the husband, while
the passive is the female, or wife.
It is these in man, especially in his interior, that are had in
view; and thus are founded the present laws.
4463. That it is the active and the passive from which a thing is
born, can be evident from a mere enumeration [of examples]. Thus
in supreme things God Messiah is the sole Agent; his kingdom,
consisting of the minds of men, is the passive; and so we have hus
band and wife. God Messiah is the Bridegroom; the church is the
bride; hence the children, these being faith, obedience, etc. So
likewise in all other cases. Love is the agent, faith the patient;
thus faith without love is like a dead woman without offspring; for
which reason they who were without offspring were considered as
dead. The offspring is called the fruit of faith, and this can never
be born from faith alone which is intellectual faith or knowledge,
but only from faith arising from love which is saving faith and
prolific. 1
So likewise there is an agent and a patient in the interior of
man. The agent is his will, the patient his understanding, it being
goodness or the affection of good that constitutes the will, and
truth that constitutes the understanding. Unless the affection of
good and hence the affection of truth constitutes the understanding
there is no offspring, for offspring is born according to affection
which is the parent.
T This paragraph is emphasized by "N B " written twice in the margin.
512 III Ad. 821 (bis )-826

EXODUS XXI (REPETITION) [4464-66
It is the same in things natural and corporeal. There nothing

can exist which is not active and passive, as for instance, things in
the animus and in the body; but when the order is perfect these
likewise are joined together. For, taken in a good sense, that
which is said to desire and to be pleasurable is derived from the af
fection of a superior good; while to represent something to oneself,
and to sensate, etc., is derived from truth in the understanding,
etc., etc.
4464. Therefore, these judgments or civil laws, when viewed in
the more interior and inmost sense, derive their origin wholly from
this source.
Take what is said in verse 3. The subject there treated of is
man's servitude and also his liberty; the master whom he must serve
is God Messiah. No one can come into the kingdom of God Mes
siah unless he has first served. To act from affection, that is to
say, to act from the affection of the best end, is to be free; but to
act without affection is to be a servant.
He who enters into this servitude with the affection of good and
the intuition of truth is, as it were, the husband of a woman, and
both of them go out free as above [no 4450]. But when man enters
into servitude with affection alone, he goes out with his body only.
4465. Verse 4. As to him who enters [into servitude] with af
fection, and while serving is given the intelligence of truth, when
he becomes free, this intelligence is taken away from him and he
retains the affection. So likewise with the children.
That affection is like a husband, has already been told [n.4464].
From affection is born intelligence; and so they live conjoined to
gether. In this way is formed the disposition. But these matters
are arcana which I cannot as yet understand inasmuch as I am
greatly obscured.
4466. Thus the things that follow, up to verse 11 inclusive, are
arcana, being the arcana on which these laws concerning the servi
tude and liberty of the Hebrews are found. But I know for cer
tain that it is in them alone that each of these laws is founded, in
asmuch as they spring therefrom, for they are divine. Thus
supremely they are founded in the kingdom of God Messiah, where
shall be that grand society which these laws have in view; for the
Jacobean society was a continual representation. That is to say,
these laws have in view the things spoken of above, in n. 4463.
In Ad. 89l7-833 513
Something of the same kind is met with in the whole of nature when
perfect, and from her, perhaps, can be taken many demonstrative
examples; for in nature we have the agent and the patient, she being
a likeness of society, etc., etc.
No one is-ever free save when he becomes the servant of God
Messiah, for then he is ruled according to truth and the best end,
and he is wise and is affected by the end.
A GENERAL DIVISION OF THE SUBJECTS TREATED OF IN THIS
CHAPTER
4467. The FIRST subject treated of, is servitude and liberty.

The SECOND is conjugial love.
The THIRD is hatred exercised both against the person and
against his possessions. The exercise of hatred against the person
is called murder, etc., and the exercise of hatred against his posses
sions is caUed theft.
4468. [Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before
them], vs. 1. They are called j~tdgments, meaning sentences,
whether rewards or punishments. Judgment follows from the
law,s judgments being the ultimate effects; for they follow from
firsts the one after the other, in order. The effect is judgment, this
being twofold, namely, for those who obey the law, and for those
who transgress it. Therefore it is said" the Last Judgment,"
which will be a judgment for the pious and the impious.
Judgments and sentences are the effects or ultimates of the
laws, being contained in the laws; for all piety carries its own re
ward with it, and all transgression its own punishment.
From obedience and from transgression, is formed the dis
position. Therefore, since [the judgment] is within the disposi
tion it is within the obedience and the transgression as in its cause. 9
4469. [When thou b~tyest a Hebrew servant, six years he shall
serve: but in the seventh he shall go out as free for nothing], vs. ~.
A Hebrew servant is one descended from Seth. 1 Opposed to these
servants are the Egyptian servants, or still more, those Egyptians
• The autograph has" The laws follow from the judgments," but the con
text indicates that this is a slip. See n. 4088-90, 4238, and note preceding
n.4438.
1 See n. 1976 note, and n. 2159.
514 III Ad. 834-84~

EXODUS XXI: 1-~ (REPETITION) [4470-71
to whom the Hebrews were an abomination [Gen. 4332 ]. Abraham

also is called a Hebrew [ibid. 14 13 ], and likewise J oseph [ibid.
3917 ], etc. Moreover, as was well known at that time, many others
besides those born of Abraham, Isaac, and J acob, were called He
brews, being of the family descended from Heber and his sons,
grandsons, great grandsons, and their descendants. 2 Later the
sons of J acob were called Hebrews because they were chosen in order
that the Hebrews, that is, Israel, might be represented in them.
Therefore J acob's name was changed and was extended to the ut
most universality on account of the representation, as stated.
4470. That Hebrew servants, when bought, should serve for six
years, has in view the same thing as Jacob's serving for a week
[Gen. ~927]. " The period of a week" was an expression then in
universal use because it represented the six days of the old creation
and the six days of the new; the seventh day will be holy, being in
general the kingdom of God Messiah. This then is what is re
garded in the inmost sense.
4471. The foundations of these laws are things spiritual.
Therefore what is had in view is spiritual servitude and spiritual
liberty, which may be seen treated of in many preceding passages.
There is liberty when one is able to regard the best end, that
is, is able to be wise, and at the same time is able to be affected by
that end. The best end is eternal felicity. The Best is God Mes
siah. Wherefore liberty consists in one's being affected by this end.
All other ends, when it is they that are regarded by man and affect
him, are servitudes as compared with liberty. This servitude, how
ever, is natural servitude appearing as liberty; but spiritual servi
tude is the temptation which is undergone by Israel, the Wrestler
of God [Gen. 39l28 ].
Moreover, a distinction must be made between servitude and
captivity, as in the case of Joseph who was a servant and a captive;
but of these matters we speak elsewhere.
He shall go mtt as free. The man is not free of his own right,
but of God Messiah's by whom he is ruled. Then he is utterly
free, for then he is led as a free man. Therefore it is here said
as free.
Man is never less free than when he thinks himself to be free and
is led to evil ends, for then freedom is license. Loves are what make
• See n. 2159, 2688, 3358.
III Ad. 843-849 515
man appear to be free. He who is led by the love of self and of the
world is thought to be utterly free when yet he is a captive and is
utterly a servant. This, no one can ever perceive in the natural
sense, save when he is in a state of liberty, that is, when he is af
fected by the best end.
It is said for nothing, that is, without money; in the spiritual
sense, without the works of the law or without justice from oneself.
For all men have been bought by God Messiah, all are his servants,
and all are delivered from servitude by God Messiah alone 3 -and
thus for nothing.
4472. Here servitude and liberty are treated of first, because it
was these that were primarily represented in the Jacobeans. They
had been servants for fOUl! hundred and thirty years, and at the
end had been oppressed by harsh servitude, though of the body, in
order that they might be brought to liberty and so might come to
the land of Canaan.
Human life is a perpetual combat, and from this servitude man
passes on to liberty. This is in accordance with what was said by
Joseph (Genesis, 5020), namely, that He turned his servitude into
liberty and dominion; wherefore, because of the spiritual sense, it
is added" to make a great people alive."
But contrary to this is the order with those who are not Israel.
From apparent liberty they come into harsh servitude, thus from
natural good into spiritual evil, and this means being put to death.
4473. [If he came with his body, with his body shall he go out:
if he were the husband of a woman, his wife shall go out with him],
vs. 3. That a husband shall go out with his wife, has regard to
things more interior, as stated above [no 4463-4], namely, to such
as are active and passive in things spiritual; just as in the supreme
sense it has regard to God Messiah and the church.
So in man; when he enters into servitude, his antecedent state
is indeed emended, for there is a combat between the loves of the
body or animus and the love of heaven and of God Messiah. In
this combat consists temptation, and also remorse of conscience.
Thus, in the time of temptation the love of the world and of self
is taken away; hence the combat. But such as the disposition was
previously, that is, before this servitude, such it remains and is
3 [Crossed off:] by His servitude and that of His Son.
516 III Ad. 850-856
EXODUS XXI: 3-4 (REPETITION) [4474-75
present after the servitude. Nevertheless, it is later emended.

Thus, when love is the husband, faith is the wife, etc., etc., etc.
So likewise in every individual man. As his disposition is when
he dies, such does he enter into the kingdom of God Messiah, when
he is a spiritual or new man. A disposition can never be formed
without an active joined to a passive, that is to say, without affec
tion which forms the understanding and so the state of the mind.
But in these words are contained more arcana than have yet
been revealed to me.
4474. What is signified, is that the intellectual arouses the af
fection, and thus, that he goes out alone with his body, the intellect
being the form and thus the body of the love; for the intellect is
formed and so is born. Also that husband and wife are these two,
joined together, namely, intellect and at the same time affection
it being affection that rules and kindles the will, which is spiritual
-and so, are truth and goodness. For there are those who are
intelligent and good; and at the same time, those who partake more
or less of the one or the other. Thus there is a species of marriage.
When they are conjoined it is called wisdom; for there can be in
telligence without love-almost; not so wisdom. 4
4475. [If his master hath given hinn a wife, and she have borne
him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be his mast
er's, but he shall go out with his body], vs. 4. Hence what now fol
lows in the text. For if during the time of servitude or temptation
a man is endowed with love or affection, and this brings forth the
fruits of faith, then neither the affection nor these fruits belong to
the man who was in the servitude, they having been born and given
to him in servitude. What follows in the temptation comes there
fore from another source, being from anguish and anxiety and thus
from fear, and so from another state [than the man's own], being a
state in which the disposition is not thus formed. Therefore, when
he comes into his former state they are separated from him.
So likewise, when a man has previously had none but intellectual
faith, etc., without love, that is to say, truths without goodnesses,
if later, in temptation, he is affected and becomes good and brings
forth goods, then, when liberated, he does not take these goods
with him, though he can afterwards acquire them for himself; for
• The latter third of this paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written in the
margin.
III Ad. 857-861 517
they are his Master's, who gave them to him that he might be
emended, as already stated.
These were the laws which Laban had in view when he said that
Jacob's wives and all his flock were his [Gen. 31 43 ]. The fact,
however, was different. Jacob had served for them and so had
bought them with service as though with money. Moreover, Jacob
was not a purchased man but a relation; still less was he a servant,
save from will, to the end that he might acquire these things for
himself.
4476. [And if the servant, saying, shall say, I love my master,
and my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: his master
shall bring him unto God, and shall bring him to the door, or to the
door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with his awl,
that he may serve him for ever], vs. 5, 6. What these words sig
nify can be understood when it is first known what the state of true
liberty is. The state of true liberty is to be affected above all
things by the best end, that is, by the Best, who is God Messiah
and his kingdom; and to be affected by the neighbor, that is to
say, to love him and from love and mercy to be of service to him.
This is uttermost freedom. That love gives freedom and simulates
freedom is most clearly evident. The man then acts from will;
hence the expression " free will." 5
4477. As said above [n. 4471], the state of servitude consists in
not being affected by the Best, that is, by the best end, as already
stated. Hence in the spiritual man born into servitude there is
combat and thus temptation, etc.; for in this way the servant-love
is dissolved and the man comes into a state such that he can become
free.
The state of servitude consists also in seeing and knowing the
best end, but not being affected by it; or not being able to wish to
be affected by it. This state of servitude existed with myself when
these
words were written; for as yet, I have in no way been able to
he freed from spirits who wished to force me to write these
words. Therefore, when I was desirous of comprehending
these matters in my thought, and desired therefore that the love
of the end might be aroused, that is to say, the love of serving
margin.
518 III Ad. 86~66
the public and of being intent on uses, they induced obscurity

upon me. This state came on me gradually, and then I was
able to write nothing with clearness save such things as were
dictated to me tacitly, as it were. Yet I did not know with per-
suasion whether it was true and good or not true and good
[not knowing this] from persuasion, still less from affection.
That they are truths mixed with non-truths, this I learned, this
being the cause of the supplication designated below by the
sign aa.6
In what is here said concerning a servant, regard is also had to

things which exist in man; that is to say, it concerns the natural
man or servant, and the spiritual or free man, as can be evident
from verses ~O-~1. From this might also be known the origins
of laws. 7
4478. Here therefore the wife and children are all such things
as come from an affection which, though spiritual, is yet other
than that one only affection which regards God Messiah. They
are various sweetnesses, even spiritual and mediate. 8 Thus, as said
above, they are such things as are passive without an active in that
degree. But these matters are still mysteries to me.
4479. As touching the penalty, being the subject now treated
of, there is a penalty because the man prefers something else to this
liberty. If one loves anything more than God Messiah who is
Liberty itself, as said above En. 444~], he is punished, in that he
becomes a perpetual servant, that is to say, not a servant of God
Messiah. The service of God Messiah, while called servitude, is
• The reference here given is not to be found in the MS. as now preserved.
Though a reference to " below" wouId Iead one to expect something written on
the same page, yet the fact that the page does not satisfy this expectation leads
to the conclusion that by "below" was meant at the end of the volume. See
n. 3994 note. Possibly the passage referred to was the passage subsequently
incorporated in the Memorabilia as n. 81, which is cited in the Author's Index
to his Memorabilia, s. v. Intuitio, Man'U.s, Oratio, and Vox, as follows: " That
in the supplication of the Lord's Prayer, my hands were folded and unfolded
by a manifest force; also that the words were elevated, as it were, and in-
tuitions of the things poured in." We may add that this indented passage of
n. 4477, is cited in the above-mentioned Index, s. v. Bonum, Ignorantia, Usus,
and Veritas. See Table of Contents.
• This paragraph is written lengthwise in the space left by the writing of
the preceding indented paragraph.
S This sentence is written in the margin, with a sign indicating the place of
insertion. , i ,J
In Ad. 867-868 519
yet liberty; for to serve God Messiah alone is to be utterly free,

since the man is then affected by the best, and so is led by affection
as of himself or as a free man. That this is
liberty and not servitude, so that it derives not the least thing
from servitude, can be confirmed in many ways; but they must
be passed by, etc., etc. 9
As touching the penalty, it is perpetual servitude, both in this
life and in the other. The sign of the servitude is set forth in this
way, namely, that his ear was to be bored. By the ear, in like man
ner as by hearing, is signified obedience. By his being brought to
the door is signified his entrance into servitude, and by the door
post, that he will cleave to this servitude perpetually, and it will be
continuous, etc., etc.
4480. [And when a man shall sell his daughter to be a hand
maid, she shall not go out as the menservants go], vs. 7. As con
cerns a daughter, when she is sold into service or to be a handmaid, ,
as it is said in the text, she is not called a servant because it is her
characteristic, as it were, to be ruled by affection, it being the na
ture of the female sex to be ruled by affection, while the male is
ruled by understanding. Thus in marriage, they correspond to
these, like the understanding and the will, truth and goodness,
faith and love, etc., in a word, like the active and the passive. It is
this that is inmostly regarded in the present precept.
4481. As concerns the male, he is born such, that from the loves
of the world and self he may acquire understanding, as also is the
case; but this to the end that knowledges concerning God Messiah,
his kingdom, spiritual salvation, liberty, etc., may enter into that
understanding, entering first without affection. Thus his under
standing must rule his loves or affections; and finally, when he is
led by God Messiah, spiritual affection will thus be aroused. It is
well known that the human characteristic is to understand and thus
to be aroused by the understanding, and indeed, aroused to things
spiritual. Therefore [the male] is not ruled by any affection of
such things until he acquires understanding or knowledges, faith
not being possible without knowledge, whereby he may know what
to choose, and may know the Good and the Best.
• This indented paragraph is not cited by the Author in the Index to his
Memorabilia.
5~0 III Ad. 869-87~
EXODUS XXI: 7 (REPETITION) [448~-83
This then is the husband in man/ while affection is represented

by the wife. This, however, was after the fall, it having been
different before the fall. After the fall the precept was that the
wife shall be under obedience to her husband [Genesis 3 16 ]. These
are the things that are here had in view. 2
4482. By a daughter is meant one whose intellect is indeed
formed in like manner by affection, and yet, by reason of the
sweetnesses of conjugial love, she is such that affection prevails
over the understanding, thus goodness over truth. Therefore,
after the fall, lest she be led astray, she was submitted to the under
standing of the husband, by which her understanding is to be ruled
and thus to be formed.
Such is the spiritual meaning of these words-words which have
these inmost things in view and thence exhibit the law in ultimates.
Thus they determine the nature of the law in ultimates.
When the case is otherwise, so that the male predominates in
affection, that is to say, whim he is led by the love of self and of
the world, order is perverted. It is different, however, in the spir
itual state, for then man becomes a man after the image of the first
man, and the first precept then comes into use. (But as yet I do
not well know these matters. God Messiah granting, it may be
permitted to weigh them in better fashion.)
A daughter, being ruled by affection, and serving from nature
and implanted love, cannot go out like the menservants; for she
cannot become free of herself but only by marriage with a husband.
By this she is restored to freedom, for thus her husband rules her
affections, and finally she can thus be affected.
4483. That these words have regard to the church of God Mes
siah as bride, and ultimately to the kingdom of God Messiah as
wife, is clear. Hence comes the life of this law.
Therefore instructed wives or women are more greatly affected
than are men and indeed by spiritual love. Hence by means of the
love of marriage the affection redounds to the man also, for con
jugial love reigns everywhere and thus affects. Hence that mar
riage is had in view wherein is the heavenly marriage.
1 homo.
2 n. 4.481 is emphasi2ed by " NB" written four times in the margin.
III Ad. 873-879
Hence then the second precept of marriage in the natural man

has regard to the first precept [Gen. ~24] in the spiritual state. 3
4484. [If she be evil in the eyes of her 'TIUlster, that he betroth
her not,4 he shall suffer her to be redeemed: he shall not have the
power to sell her unto a strange people, dealing trea<:herously with
her], vs. 8. Here a clear distinction is made between a daughter led
by evil affection and a good daughter, for both kinds exist, as is the
native disposition from the seed, etc. When therefore a Hebrew
daughter is of the seed of Abraham or Seth,5 she ought not to be
sold to the stranger, for then by the stranger she is instructed in
evil and so is affected by evil; for as was said, affection is what pre
vails, and as she is instructed, so she is led.
By nature she is a handmaid, being ruled only by affections.
Therefore she is never free save by marriage with a husband, as
was said above [no 448~]. This is the reason why she was not to
go out as the manservant but was to be redeemed; in order, namely,
that she might be betrothed to some other husband of the Hebrews.
These words also have regard to faith and love, and conse
quently to the church and God Messiah. When betrothed to a
stranger, then, according to the precepts of marriage, she becomes
an adulteress. Thus she must be given'to some kindred.
4485. [And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal
with her after the manner of daughters], vs. 9. A good daughter,
however, will be betrothed to the son, according to custom. At
that time men did not enter into matrimonies for the sake of gain
but for causes pertaining to the kingdom of God whose state is
represented in marriage, just as the state of the heavenly paradise
is represented in the marriage of Adam with Eve, which the reader
may consult.
These words also have regard to the kingdom of God Messiah,
and to the church which, if good, he will betroth, as said above.
Hence the origin of this law. 6
• n, 871-80 together with n. 64fJ3 (our n. 4480-3, and n. 6683), are referred
to by Swedenborg in the margin of his copy of Schmidius' Bible at Genesis g24
in connection with the word cleave.
• See n. 36g5 note.
• [Crossed off:) Verse 9. What is said in this text concerns a good daugh
ter. He will act as though she were not a bought woman, or a handmaid-for
she is a wife.
In Ad. 880-885
She then becomes free, and not a handmaid; for she is the wife
of a husband, and indeed of the son of the house.
4486. [If he take hirm another woman; her food, her covering,
and her conjugal due shall he not diminish], vs. 10. This is said of
a good wife not of an evil; and also of an evil husband not of a
good, to wit, that if he does not do these three things, then she, the
wife, can go out for nothing, and thus be a free woman [vs. 11].
She is said to be deserted, because by another woman is then meant
the adulteress to whom he has transferred conjugiallove.
The law for an evil wife and a good husband is different, in that
the latter might give her a bill of divorcement, and thus entirely
dismiss her [Deut. fl4 1-4J.
The words of the text have regard to churches and to the king
dom of God Messiah. Of this comparison we speak elsewhere.
In the proximate sense, these three things mentioned in the text
are all that is due to the wife. The first two were also due to hand
maids, but the conjugal due signifies what is due to the wife.
In the spiritual sense, these three things involve such things as
pertain to spiritual life, as follows: By food is meant all that which
nourishes the spiritual mind, such as every doctrine concerning
faith in God Messiah; thus things essential. By covering are
meant things formal; for all essentials must be clothed and invested,
as is the case everywhere. Hence comes the form which is meant
by the covering. Moreover, we are instructed by the Word of
God Messiah, as to what these spiritual formalities are, to wit, that
they are various rites which signify and contain 7 things essential.
In the proximate sense the conjugal due was money, the upkeep of
the home, honor. In the spiritual sense it means that she is a wife
and thus a free woman, freedom being given her by means of her
husband.
4487. [And if he do not these three unto her, she shall go out
free without money], vs. 11. If he did not these three things, the
wife being a good woman, he is an evil husband. Thus she can go
out free, without money. But if the wife is evil and the husband
T The autograph reads: inque (se) contineant (and in themselves contain).
The parentheses enclose what Swedenborg crossed off. \Vith this deletion, the
translation would read, "and in contains "-which is meaningless. We have
presumed, therefore, t11at Swedenborg intended to cross off inqu6 also, and
this would necessitate the adding of the word et (and).
III Ad. 886-89fl 5flS
good, he could send her away. Of this matter, God Messiah grant
ing, we shall speak elsewhere. Thus she will be a free woman, to be
considered as a wife. 8
4488. All these words have regard to love and faith, to God
Messiah and the church, and especially to his kingdom where are
the laws of heavenly order. Hence, before this people, which rep
resented Israel or the internal man, they were given in external
form as civil laws or laws of society, and this because of the repre
sentation of internal and inmost laws, etc.
4489. [He that smiteth a matn, so that he die, dying he shall
die], vs. 12. Here it is hatred that is treated of, and indeed the
ultimate deed thereof which finally ends in the murder of the
neighbor, for hatred carries this WIth it. If fear of one's own
death by law, or otherwise, did not stand in the way, one man
would then kill another. Thus men are dissentient, for the one
wills alone to be the greatest, and alone the most powerful; and
when there are many such men in a society, the one slays the other
in his mind. This can be evident from examples, from wars, from
hatreds; nay, these arise on the basis of the slightest deed com
mitted against oneself.
It is the ultimate deed that is here set forth, namely, the slay
ing of the neighbor. Thus, when this is done, it follows that the
cause and principle, that is to say, the root, is evil. Hence if it
breaks forth into words of contempt, such as hatred suggests, the
punishment is in itself the same.
Hatred is the opposite of charity or love toward the neighbor.
It carries with it the punishment of hell, where hatreds reign.
Hence come all torments, and the inmost torment, in that one has
had hatred against love itself-God Messiah; and this rends minds
inmostly. Wherefore, they who break out into words of contempt,
etc., etc., are said by God Messiah to be condemned to Gehenna 9
[Matt. 5 22 ].
Therefore it is said in the text: dying he shall die, that is to
say, shall die the death of the body or a natural death, and the
death of the soul; thus a twofold death.
4490. [And if he laid not in wait, but God set it before his
• This last sentence is a later addition.
• In the A.V. the Greek r1J" 'Y~E""Q./I rou 1rUPOS (the gehenna of fire) is trans
lated " hell fire."
5~4 III Ad. 893-898
EXODUS XXI: 12-14 [4491-92
hand, I will appoiJnt thee a place whither he may flee], vs. 13. A
distinction is made between that killing which is done from will and
that which comes by accident. The fact that it is done from the
animus or mind-for in such matters these are concurrent-is
proof that it springs from hatred as its root, hatred being aroused
to the deed, and this by the devil. But what comes by accident may
happen in the case of a man who is good toward his friend; nay,
it may happen among the closest of friends.
4491. It is said in the text, if God set it. This clearly shows
that all contingencies are foreseen by God Messiah, and that no
contingency is possible which is not foreseen. Thus the provi
dence of God Messiah is engaged in contingencies and the series
thereof, to the end that man may be ignorant of them, and may
not be urged to faith by them as by miracles. Contingencies rule
the universe, human prudence counting for nothing; nay, thoughts
flow from contingencies. Therefore it is here said: if God set it.
See below, n. 4547.
The places of asylum are treated of later. What these places
signify can be seen later.
4492. [But if he had the purpose against his neighbour of slay
ing him with guile; thou shalt take him from-with mine altar, that
he may die], vs. 14. The subject in verse 12 is wrath, here it is
revenge; for there are torrents of evil affections which spring from
hatred according to men's natural states, whether acquired, re
ceived, or contingent. These evil affections can be enumerated,
and it can also be told how the general state rules in all the thoughts
and endeavors. Thus we have guile, which springs from envy and
revenge.1
Hatred, being contrary to love toward the neighbor, must needs
be drawn away from the altar; for the altar represents God Mes
siah, because like the Temple, it represents the worship of Him.
Therefore, things contrary thereto are drawn away of themselves,
for the two can never be together. This is the reason for this
judgment. The profane is drawn away from the holy.
* Naturally, the reference to n. 4547 was made at a later date. Subse
quently, however, as it would appear, Swedenborg was not satisfied with this
bare reference, for in the margin he added: "See n. 10113 [our n. 4547] seq.,
and perhaps this may be inserted here, and passages cited from the prophet
to the effect that God also does evil."
1 This paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written twice in the margin.
III Ad. 899-903 525

So likewise 2 in the natural man; he ought never to have the

dominion over the spiritual man. Wherefore he is drawn away of
himself, and is separated in various ways; these it would be too
lengthy to bring forward here.
4493. [He that smiteth his father or his mother, dying he shall
die], vs. 15. Parents, in respect to their sons, are in the place of
God Messiah, for they are in paternal love toward them.
A deed committed against those who love, is judged from the
degree of the love; for love is conjunction, while hatred, whence
comes smiting, is disjunction. Judgment is made relatively to the
love and its bond. .
Moreover, the crime becomes greater according as it is against
other representations of God Messiah, such as priests and kings;
consequently, according as the responsibilities are more universal,
etc., etc.
Every house ought to represent a kingdom and thus the king
dom of God Messiah. It is from this that the present law is taken;
for he who is in hatred against God Messiah, dying he shall die;
thus intrinsically those who are in some hatred against their father.
4494. [He that stealeth a man, and selleth hilm, but he be found
in his hand, dying he shall die], vs. 16. Here the text deals with
the deed of hatred in respect to possessions, to wit, that the man
wishes to possess that which is owned by his neighbor. This is
called theft. That the very desire of possessing the property of
others is damnable, see the laws of the Decalogue [chap. ~017J.
This statute is founded on the law that no one from being a
free man ought to become a servant. A man does this in himself,
when, being free or spiritual, he will become a servant or natural;
and he also does it when he makes some other free man a servant,
and thus seduces him from the true worship of God Messiah to the
worship of idols. This is the foundation of the present law; that
is to say, to steal a man or to deceive him is the same as deceiving
God Messiah himself. 3
It is for this reason that the punishment is so grievous, the
punishment, namely, that dying he shall die. His being found in
his hand means that it is manifest.
4495. [If a 1noJ11, curse his father, or his mother, dying he shall
• Reading similiter for simul.
5~6 III Ad. 904-914

EXODUS XXI: 15-19 [4496-97
die], vs. 17. [The statute as to] cursing the father is founded on
the law that this is directed against God Messiah whom the father
represents as said above [n. 4493]. What is here meant is cursing
with the lips, but in the more interior sense, cursing with the heart,
the cursing being the deed or offspring arising from this root.
For this, therefore, the like punishment remains.
4496. [And if men strive together, and a man smite his com
panion with a stone, or with his fist, so that while he dieth not, he
yet keepeth his bed], vs. 18. Hatred is the root of all evils, just
as love is the cause of all goods. In itself hatred is latent anger
interiorly determining itself to revenge, etc., etc. But open
hatred, like a fire breaking out into flames, is called anger and fury.
From this follows in order the effect, such as quarrels, and then
blows.
A kind of wrath comes also from love; but this is zeal, in that
it has regard to the emending of the neighbor; and it is zeal joined
with love and applied to him with whom the man is angry, as it
were. This anger, however, does not pass over into blows. It is
no different than as with a judge who, from various causes, con
demns to the lash. This is the justice which is here treated of.
Since the smiting comes from a quarrel, inquiry must be made
as to whether the man is injured, wh~ther it was in defence, whether
the quarrel arose from zeal or from hatred, etc.. Here, therefore,
there are many concurrent circumstances. Therefore, since Je
hovah God alone knows this, no other penalty is inflicted [than that
described in the next verse] .
4497. [If he rise again and walk abroad upon his staff, the
smiter shall be guiltless; only he shall recompense his idleness, and
healing shall heal him], vs. 19. Therefore the text now continues
that he shall be responsible only for the man's idleness, and his cure.
This is founded on the inmost law, that is to say, on love and
charity. These words, therefore, have regard to the kingdom of
God Messiah where is love and charity; to the end 4 that each man
may be content with his place and his lot, whence comes hannony.
There are two principles of law, the one being love, and its
contrary being hatred. In the former consists the kingdom of
God Messiah, while in hatred consists the kingdom of the devil.
All goods and all rewards follow from love; all evils and all punish
• The autograph has: " But to the end," etc.
III Ad. 915-99l9l

5917
ments flow from hatred. These carry their punishment with them,
being an abiding punishment.
That there is no punishment for the suffering and injury,
comes from the cause spoken of above [n. 4496], to wit, that it is
God Messiah who judges causes, these being various, and also
whether they are accidental. They vary in every case.
4498. [And if a man smite his manservant, or his handmaid,
with a rod, and he die under his hand, avenging he shall be avenged.
Yet, if he survive for a day or two days, he shall not be avenged, for
he is his silver], vs. QO, Ql. Servants 5 are the vilest members in so
ciety. Thus they are considered like animals, it being these that
servants here represent. A man who is a servant is considered in
no other way, seeing that he enjoys no liberty, and cannot have
regard to the best ends, and so cannot be affected by them. For
he is under the rule of a master, and thus under obedience; and he
lives at his master's command, will, and decision, and not at his own.
By servants are here represented the gentiles who were servants
because they were the slaves of vices and idolatry. Thus they
looked downward and never upward. But when the servant was a
Hebrew, then it was another matter, for then his master did not
have the right of life and death, save with some restriction, and
this because of the representation.
In man it is the cupidities of the natural mind that make him a
servant-man, and these must be ruled by the intellectual mind as a
master. They are not to be extinguished but are to be chastised, to
the end, namely, that they may be obedient and so may perform
many services to the body.
4499. What further these words have regard to in the kingdom
of God Messiah, I do not yet know. There are masters, servants,
and handmaids in that kingdom also; for it must be a most perfect
form of society, both in the universal and thus in every singular,
that is to say, in the greater part and in the lesser, seeing that these
parts must be types of the grand effigy. There must be those in
the last place, who are said to be bought with silver and thus ac
quired as things of service. The nature of the right granted to
the master over his servant I do not yet know. Is it not as in a
body of more perfect order? There the master, that is, the intel
lectual mind, can chastise those inferior things which are bondmen,
• The Latin Bln·vi means "servants" and also " slaves."
5Q8 III Ad. 9Q3-9~7
.------------
EXODUS XXI: ~O-~~ [4500-03
such as cupidities, pleasures, appetites, and can kill them entirely,

if this is done from a just cause. This is what is signified by the
statement that if the eye be an offence to one, it must be plucked
out, and if the hand, it must be cut off, etc., etc. [Matt. 5 29-30].
It is on these teachings that this law seems to be founded.
4500. The rod was an instrument of chastisement. Avengmg
he shall be avenged, refers to the avenger who has been appointed
to put murderers to death, and to whom would be given permission
to take vengeance. His silver means his acquired possession which
he could cast off, etc., etc.
4501. [If men strive, and they strike a woman with child so that
her births go forth, and yet no harm follow; bemg fined, he shall be
fined according as the woman's husband shall lay upon him; and he
shall give it before judges], vs. ~~. Here, it is the same in spir-
itual things as in natural, but in spiritual things, with indefinite
variety and in greater perfection than in natural. From the simili-
tude between spiritual things and natural flow various comparisons,
and these, when they correspond, are everywhere concordant. That
is to say, there is spiritual truth and natural truth. 6 Hence comes
the dictate of the understanding, in that it perceives in laws, etc.,
that which is true and good, just and equitable; for the spiritual
rules over the natural and dictates the concordance; hence the truth
and goodness is perceived. Therefore, a man is conscious that
there is such a thing within, even though he does not know it, etc.,
etc.
4502. So likewise here with respect to a woman with child and
her offspring. The case is the same in spiritual things, where-
from this law in civil affairs has its birth. When it is the church
that is the mother, her genuine offspring is faith, and this is born
from love by means of the knowledges of spiritual truths. After
faith has been conceived, God Messiah forming it, if then con-
fession of faith be extorted before it is born of itself, then it is
immature, and he who extorts it deserves to be fined-as also is
well known.
4503. So likewise when one extorts the fruit of faith before that
fruit comes from faith and love, he also must be fined, for such
faith, when brought forth before its time, is like an unripe fruit.
Saving faith brings fruit to the birth, as an infant brings himself.
• The preceding words are emphasized by "N B" written in the margin.
III Ad. 9~8-931 5~9
Hence can be seen the many things on which this law is founded,
all of which have respect to faith and love and thus to the kingdom
of God Messiah which is the basis of all spiritual things.
Thus the several words of this text can now be applied. The
application must be such that they correspond in meaning.
4504. [And if harm follow, then thou shalt give soul for soul;
eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning
for burning, wound for wound, blow for blow], vs. 9l3-9l5. These
words have regard to a woman with child, and thus to what was
said above En. 4509l-3] concerning faith and the fruit of faith;
for if faith is extorted, or is demanded of an unwilling subject, as
when the fruit [is extorted] when it does not come from faith,
harm is done, and it cannot come forth. Every action produces
on the disposition some change, and thus a change for good or for
evil. Therefore he who does this must be fined. So also if a man
does it in himself.
This is what is regarded by God Messiah who avenges such
things; for whatsoever brings harm to faith and hence to the spir
itual man, this He sees in the clearest light and avenges. There
fore it is here said that" he shall give it before judges" [vs. 9l9l].
4505. The several things which are here recited, such as eye,
tooth, hand, foot, burning, wound, blow, have a spiritual significa
tion. Thus the eye signifies the understanding, the tooth appetite,
the hand power, the foot liberty, burning cupidity, wound all that
which is injured in particular, and blow that which is injured in
general. 7
4506. This law is called the law of retaliation. This also has
regard to love toward the neighbor, in that a man ought to be the
same toward his neighbor as toward himself. Therefore, these
punishments are dictated from the law of retaliation, in order that
man may know in what way the neighbor is injured; for what he
does to the neighbor, this he himself must suffer. The rule here
treated of, and which is the principal rule in society, is that from
whence flow all other rules; and it is called charity.
It is clear from the testifications of providence, indefinite in
number, that the law of retaliation is exercised by God Messiah, the
law, namely, that as one does to his neighbor from will, almost the
T This paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written in the margin.
530 III Ad. 939l-939
EXODUS XXI: 9l3-9l5 [4507-09
same thing befalls himself; nay, being founded on this law, it falls
on his posterity also.
4507. It is celestial truths that are the principal and funda
mental of' all truths. They have regard to the soul and are called
supracelestial. After these come purely spiritual or celestial
truths which belong to the intellectual mind and its will. Then
come moral truths, thus truths mediate between spiritual truths
and natural, or heavenly 8 truths and earthly. Finally come nat
ural truths. Thus they are all in mutual correspondence. From
the first truths arise all the others in order; but these are not
recognized save by correspondence, by similitude, and thus by that
comparison which is everywhere in use and from which the spiritual
and celestial is known and also is described. 9
4508. In the Word of God Messiah, things supracelestial and
spiritual are expressed naturally, because such expressions flow
from them in order. The cause of our perverted order of life is
that we have little understanding of them because in his mind man
goes downward not upward. Thus he wishes to understand all
things naturally, nay, and cares nothing for spiritual things;
when yet, without things spiritual and celestial, natural things are
of no account. 1 Nay, men do not know this truth, although it is
very familiar in prayer. Therefore, being ignorant of the truth,
they inquire whether a thing is true, and so never come to its appli
cation.
Comparisons, which in themselves are sometimes 2 correspond
ences, in which case truths are naked, are drawn from the fruits
and trees of the earth, thus from the vegetable kingdom; also from
the mineral kingdom; and especially from the animal kingdom. As
to how they are everywhere drawn from one or other of the so
called kingdoms of the earth, and also from the world and its at~
mospheres, this will be explained, God Messiah granting. 3
4509. Order is present everywhere from first things to last.
The first are not known from the last unless God Messiah makes
• or celestial; see Histo?'y of Creation n. 1'24 note.
margin.
1 The preceding part of this paragraph is emphasized by "N B " written

2 [Crossed o'ff:] and for the most part.

III Ad. 940-944 531
4510-U] THE WORD EXPLAINED
them manifest. From the prior, posterior things appear as in

light; but from things posterior, superior things appear as in the
densest shade, etc., etc. Hence come" all fallacies, and these put on
the appearance of light, when yet it is the utmost shade. And
when anything is seen in the shade, then all sorts of things take
on form at will, according to the imagination-ghosts 4 which ap
pear as forms. This anyone can see, if he looks with his eye at
some object outlined in the shade. Then, with the addition of his
own fancy, anything whatsoever may assume form, and it appears
as so formed; but with the coming of light it is seen to be nothing
but some rough object devoid of figure or form. This can be
ascertained by anyone if he pays attention. 5
4510. From the correspondence of superior truths with in
ferior, it is evident how the heavenly paradise is represented in the
earthly, both in the fruit garden and in the man,6 etc. Thus from
the heavenly paradise it is permitted us to view the earthly para
dise; which comes into being when the two correspond. It is not
allowed to view the heavenly paradise from the earthly unless order
and thus correspondence be restored by God Messiah. (Here many
things are involved.)
4511. [And if a man smite the eye of his manservant, 01' the eye
of his handmaid, and destroy it; he shall let him go free for his eye.
So if he smite out his manservant's tooth (or his maidservant's
tooth 7); he shall let him go free for his tooth], vs. ~6, ~7. Here,
for example, without a knowledge as to what in spiritual things
corresponds to an eye and a tooth, no one can ever know why such
a law was declared; the law, namely, that a servant shall be free for
his eye or his tooth. Nay, without this knowledge, the raw con
tains something repugnant, both in itself and in its being classed
among laws; and yet knowledge must be drawn from laws of per
fect order.
4512. The eye signifies sight, the instrument being taken for the
principal. So the tooth is taken for the appetite. This is a usage
very familiar in the Word of God Messiah.
In the proximately interior sense, sight means the interior sight,
• [Crossed off: I or spectres.
• This paragraph is emphasized by "N B" written four times in the
margin.
• We take this to refer to the garden in which Adam was placed.
53~ III Ad. 945-948
EXODUS XXI: 26-29 [4518
that is, the imagination. After this comes thought; but because
the subject bere treated of is the eye of a servant, it is that thought
which is called phantasy, being acquired from external objects;
thus a thought that is fallacious and. is called science, of which we
have so often said that it deceives natural men and seduces them,
etc.
When, therefore, this is destroyed, that is to say, when phan
tasy is destroyed or the science that has arisen in this way and is
fallacious; and also when the tooth is destroyed, that is to say, evil
appetites, cupidities and affections which, being predicated of
servants, are likewise unordered; then the man will be set free; for
unless these be first exterminated, he can never be wise as to the na
ture of good, and can never understand what truth is, and so can
never behold and desire the best end. Therefore, he then comes
into a state of liberty, while the state of servitude is destroyed or
" smitten out."
This is the foundation of the present law; for the subject
treated of is the servitude in which were the descendants of Jacob.
They were now to be introduced to liberty because to the land of
Canaan.
4513. [If an ox gore a man or a woman, that he die; with ston
ing, the ox shall be stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the
master of the ox shall be guiltless. But if the ox were wont to gore
from yesterday, the day before yesterday, and it hath been testified
to his master, and he kept him not in, so that he hath killed a man
or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his master also shall be put
to death], vs. 28, 29. This also appears to be a harsh law if the
more interior sense is not understood. That is to say, if it is not
known what is represented by an ox wont to gore, it appears to be
a harsh law that the ox should be stoned and its master put to death.
But by an ox is meant that in man which is a servant; and by
wont to gore, such petulance as can bring injury to the internal
man, who is here meant by man and woman. Or, more expressly,
by an ox is meant the whole natural man who in himself is a servant,
this being also the signific~tion of an ox in many other passag~s.
That it is an ox wont to gore means that the passions of his animus
and body cannot be governed.
When therefore this natural, or this servant in man, gores the
intellectual mind, which is the man, it being from this that man is
In Ad. 949-954 588
a man, so that this mind dies, that is to say, th~}_Lbe~not

human bu..Lanimal, it being spiritual death that is meant in the In
terior sense, namely, de~'!J1 of the mind; then the punishment of
that natural man is that he be covered with rocks and be stoned,
"that is to say, be carried off and hidden away from human life and
Jls~ty. And because the mdster, that is, th,;i~telleetual mind,
knows this and is aware of its being so, yesterday and the day be
fore yesterday, that is, previously, not at any definite time, he then
acts against conscience, and the man dies spiritually; for~~rs
~lf.Yt.he slain by the natural m~n.
It is the same in society. When one knows that anothe:r:.js
bringing injury ~iritual man and does not draw him away,
'I(being able to do so, he is worthy of a like punishment; as for in
J stance, iLhe do not turn him away from a false faith, etc., etc. It
is then a sign of a perverse state, ~eing a sign that i!!-some waY..E.e
Jfl assents to the crime, serving the natural or impious man more than
G.Q4JI~~ah who is the SJ!iritual Man in the supreme sense, etc.,
etc. .
4514. His flesh shall not be eaten because it is accursed flesh.
Here we have the fundamental of this law.
But if the master is in ignorance, this ignorance then excuses,
for no one is ever punished who is entirely ignorant and is not able
to know. 8
4515. [But if a redemption be laid on him, he shall give the re
demption of his soul, according to all that shall be laid upon him],
vs. 30. That these words have regard to the exterior man when he
slays the interior is clearly seen from this passage where redemption
is treated of; to wit, while the man is then condemned to death, as
was said [n. 4513], yet if redemption then intervenes, which be
longs to God Messiah alone who redeems those condemned to death,
the man will bear all that God Messiah imposes upon him. As to
what these things are, in many cases it seems possible to tell them
remotely, but here is not as yet the place, etc., etc.
4516. [Whether he have gored a son or have gored a daughter,
according to this law shall it be done unto him], vs. 31. The same
8 [Here comes the following unnumbered paragraph:l Verse 30. That such
meaning is contained deeply within these words, is clearly evident from the re
demption. What is regarded in the supreme sense is the redemption of God
Messiah.
534 III Ad. 955-960
EXODUS XXI: 30-3~ [4517-18
is also confirmed from this verse, to wit, that the law will be the
same whether it be the case of a son or of a daughter. There
would have been no need of bringing this forward unless it were
the son or daughter of the master that was had in view.
What is meant by a son and daughter can also be known, to
wit, that it is those who are in the church of God Messiah, as told
above.
4517. [If the ox shall gore a manservant or a handmaid, he shall
give unto his master thirty shekels of silver; but the ox shall be
stoned], vs. 3~. As regards the servant, the law originates from
the servant-man, such a man being necessary that he may serve.
So in man, there must be a natural mind, with its cupidities and
appetites, which are the exciters of his corporeal life ; but only that
these cupidities and appetites may serve--for they must obey.
Wherefore, entirely to kill them is a crime, for in this way one ex
tinguishes the life of the body. Such also is the case in society.
Things of service are, as it were, the ultimate lives of society. As
its ultimate members, servants must carry out its effects; so also
with those things which are in ultimates. 9
Thirty shekels of silver was the common penalty in place of the
hire of the servant; for the master must comply with the law of
retaliation, and a servant was considered as money, and as a worldly
possession. Thirty shekels for a servant signifies the three general
times of servitude. Hence this penalty.
The ox was to be stoned, because one servant ought not to kill
another, for then also comes the punishment of retaliation. With
the extinguishing of every cupidity, which is as the fire of life, the
body withers away, especially in a servant-man. Thus the ox is
adjudged to death.
4518. In regard to cupidities in the spiritual man, however, it
is another matter. These are servant-affections which obey, not
rule. As appetites, they must be servants and must not be extin
guished-but they must be reduced by the intellectual mind to
• (The following unnumbered paragraphs are here crossed off by the Au
thor:J It was said above (vs. fJ6) that the servant should be free if he had been
smitten in the eye or tooth.
An ox signifies general servitude under which are many particular servi
tudes. A goring ox signifies petulance, as said above [no 4513J. If the master
permits this, that is, if he knows of it, then the ox shall die.
III Ad. 961-967 535
THE WORD EXPLAINED
obedience which is their natural function, dominion being taken

away from them, etc., etc.
4519. Certain of the laws, like the present, seem to be somewhat
far-fetched; but the reason is because natural things have regard
to things spiritual as their principles, some more directly and others
more indirectly. Nevertheless, they do have this regard. Hence
they appear as remote. Moreover things which in themselves are
spiritual and things which in themselves are natural, being of a
different essence, do not appear to be alike, unless 1 in light; as,
for instance, when we say ocular sight and intellectual sight, etc.,
etc.
4520. [If a moo shall open a pit, or if a moo shall dig a pit and
not cover it, and an ox or 00 ass fall therein; the master of the pit
shall made restitution; he shall give silver unto its ma3ter; but the
carcase shall be his], vs. 88, 84. The particulars that follow con
cerning the pit and concerning some other matters in the ensuing
verses, are not applicable in their different circumstances to a per
verse society. Laws are applied according to the vices of the soci
ety and to its proclivity to these vices, and its progression into
them. Thus the laws may be varied according to the society; for
human societies live in a perverted order and state, under various
governments, that is to say, kings, after whose example society is
perverted. As the head is, so is the body.
4521. But these laws were instituted according to perfect order,
and in ultimates this must consist of laws of this kind; not for the
reason that, with these laws perverted, the people would not live
with good morals as do other peoples, a fact which may be suffi
ciently evident, but because the laws were laid down by God Mes
siah that they might represent the society of Israel on earth.
Therefore they are of such a nature as to be the patterns and
foundations of laws~as can be sufficiently evident from the respect
which they have to things superior, interior, and prior. 2
4522. Spiritually considered, what is said of the pit and of the
ox falling into the pit has regard to those who, with malice, deceit
and intention, so act that the servant-man, that is, the natural man,
from the ignorance in which he is, may fall or lapse; for" to fall
into a pit" is to lapse by reason of blindness and ignorance, as
1 [Crossed off:] they are reflected on.
I nos. 455!o-l are each emphasized by "N B " written twice in the margin.
586 III Ad. 968-971
EXODUS XXI: 83-34 [45~3-~5
when the blind leads the blind and both fall into the pit [Matt. 1514 ,
Luke 639 ]. Thus [it is lawful] to draw them out of the pit on
the seventh day [Matt. 1~11, Luke 145 ]. Wherefore, by " falling
into a pit" is meant lapsing into deadly sins; for with the ancients
a pit signifies also a sepulchre and death, as is sometimes evident.
That it is servants that are meant, can be seen from the fact
that it is an ox and ass that is mentioned here, and not a horse,
goat, or other animaJ.3
4523. In its principle, therefore, this law regards FIRST the case
of the man who deceives himself by opening or digging a pit, that
is to say, does things which are contrary to true faith. This is
done in the mind, which here is the man who does the opening and
lthe digging. And SECOND, the case of him who---.Elot~~~ngs,
J so that afterwards he himself falls from ignorance, from cupidity,
1etc. Wherefore principles must be insis~n; and as soon as one
) \ sees a pit to be open, it behooves him to cover it. Thus what is
meant is habit which puts on nature. " To dig a pit" is to do the
act, it being thus that man digs; but" to open a pit" means that
the accomplished act again gives to blind nature the occasion for
la . g. etc., etc.
4524~ So likewise in things spiritual. When a man acts against

another with deceit, so that he knows that the blind man, who is the
"l
i ox, must fall; thus when a ma~deceives by ~.!!!!!ling; ~e it is wQo
Ji\o~~~~_pit ~nd~ig~ t~t. As, for instance, wjlen one com
panion who enjoys understanding, deceives another who is blind;

when ~rs deceive their followers who are ig~nt, nay, and
l~ad_th~ into blin~less, to the end that they maytall~as is done tl
i~ Roma~ol which makes alCmen serv.!:.nts, blind rr:en ?r~'
Cl~~_~. the end_tEat they may faIl.
4
Thus this law has respect to the devil who deceives the ~al.\
and servant man; who likewise holds him in blindneSs;and fears the
light; and so takes measures that none shall ~ his deceits· in light.
4525. And now follows the punishment which is the law of re
taliation, and this from the cause of which we have spoken above
[no 4506]. This moreover is confirmed, in that from him who de
• This paragraph is written in the margin, where it is numbered "972" and
is marked" NB."
• The last third of this paragraph is emphasized by " NB" writte_n twice
in the margin.
III Ad. 97~976 587
4526-27] THE WORn EXPLAINED
ceives is demanded the soul, and he must pay the penalty (see the
passages) ; that is to say, this will be demanded of him who does
not tell and of him who deceives. This then is what is meant by
giving silver to its master, and by making restitution, for which
reason the text speaks of making restitution and giving silver.
The carca~e shall be his. By a carcase is signified death, the
carcase being in the pit. To give silver and also the obligation of
taking the carcase out, is a spiritual punishment. As to carcases,
much is said of them in what follows. (For I think that it was
not allowed to eat them but they were to be carried outside the
camp. Thus all this must be borne by the man who had dug the
pit and had not covered it.)
4526. [If the ox of a man shall smite the ox of his companion
that he die; they shall sell the live ox, and divide its silver; the car
case also they shall divide], vs. 35. This law derives its origin
from the law that the servants of one society must not fight with
the servants of another, for then society perishes. Society is con
sidered as a single man, and the things that serve are those in man
which are ultimate. If ultimates fight among themselves the man
cannot subsist; for servants must be those who obey commands and
carry them out. Without servants there would be no body and
hence no carrying out of the will. 5
If therefore they fight among themselves, they must be re
jected by both societies; but the latter must divide the price in
order that they may get for themselves other things of service
which do not fight.
The penalty is, that they must accept the half; for things that
serve depend on the head and hence must be governed therefrom.
It was also a penalty that they shall divide the carcase or the dead
ox. Both must bear this infamy.
As to how this is applicable to an individual man, that is, to
his things of service,6 [this can easily be deduced from the above].
4527. [But if it be knouln that the ox hath gored, from yester
day and the day before yesterday, and his master hath not kept him
in; restoriJng, he shall restore ox (for ox 7); but the carcase shall be
• [Crossed off:] and also to the things which take place among evil genii
and their crews, this can easily be deduced from the above.
538 III Ad. 977-983

EXODUS XXI: 35-XXII: 31 [45~7
his], vs. 36. The former law [vs. 35] has regard to ignorance,
but not to obstinate ignorance; for inquiry could be made as to
what kind of servant he was, seeing that he stands under his obe-
dience.
But the present law treats of what occurs in the same matter,
when, though having previous conscience or knowledge, he had yet
not used prudence. This convicts him of malice or sluggishness,
or deceit, etc. Then the same punishment remains for him, as
above in verses 33 and 34.
EXODUS XXII '*

1 If a man shall steal an ox, or a cattle,8 and kill it, or sell it;
he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four cattle for a cattle.
~ If a thief be caught digging through, and be smitten that he
die, there shall be no bloods for him.
3 If the sun hath risen upon him, there shall be bloods for him;
but restoring he shall restore; if he have not enough, he shall be
sold for his theft.
4 If in finding, the theft be found in his hand alive, from an
ox even to an ass, even to a cattle, he shall restore double.
5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, when he
putteth in his beast that it may feed in another man's field; of the
best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he
make restitution.
6 If fire break out, and catch hold of thorns, so that the heap
is consumed, or the standing grain, or the field; he that was the
author of the fire, making restitution shall make restitution.
7 If a man shall give to his companion silver or vessels to keep,
and it be taken from the man's house by theft; if the thief be
found, he shall restore double.
8 If the thief be not found, the master of the house shall be
brought unto God, as to whether he have not put forth his hand
unto the work of his companion.
* In the autograph this chapter is cited as "Chapter XXI verse 37-Chap.
XXII verso !'J, 3, 4, etc. to 30 inclusive." This follows the arrangement as ob-
served in the Hebrew Bible. In the A.V., however, chapter !'J137 and chapter
221-80 are entered as chapter 221-81. In the translation, therefore, we have
everywhere altered Swedenborg's references to conform with the arrangement
of the A.V.
S See n. 3762 note.
III Ad. 984-985 539

THE WORD EXPLAINED
9 Over every word of transgression, over an ox, over an ass,

over a cattle, over raiment, over everything that is lost, whereof
one shall say, It is this or that, even unto God, shall come the word
of both. He whom God shall condemn, shall restore double unto
his companion.
10 If a man give unto his companion his ass, or ox, or cattle,
or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be broken, or be led away cap
tive, no man seeing it:
11 The oath of Jehovah shall be between them both, as to
whether he hath put his hand unto the work of his companion;
then shall the master thereof take what is left; and he shall not
make restitution.
1~ And if it be taken from-with him by theft, he shall repay
the master thereof.
13 If being rended it be rended, he shall bring a witness
thereof; that which is rended he shall not restore.
14 If a man receive from-with his companion in loan, and it
be broken, or die, the master thereof not being with it, restoring,
he shall restore.
15 But if the master thereof be with it, he shall not make resti
tution. If it is brought for hire, it shall come for its hire.
16 And if a man persuade a virgin that is not betrothed, and
lie with her, with dowry he shall end~w her to be his wife.
17 If her father, refusing shaH refuse to give her unto him, he
shall pay silver according to the dowry of virgins.
18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
19 Whosoever lieth with a beast, dying he shall die.
~O He that sacrificeth unto gods, shall be accursed; Save to
J ehovah alone.
~1 Thou shalt not constl'ain a sojourner, nor oppress him;
for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
~~ A widow, or an orphan, ye shall not afflict.
~3 If afflicting thou afflict him, and if crying he cry unto me,
hearing I will hear his cry;
~4 And mine anger shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the
sword; and your wives shall become widows, and your sons orphans.
~5 If thou lend silver to my people, to him with thee that is
poor, thou shalt not be to him as a moneylender; thou shalt not lay
interest upon him:
540
EXODUS XXII: 3 [45~8-~9
~6 If taking in pledge thou shalt take in pledge thy com

panion's garment, before the sun goeth down thou shalt restore it
unto him.
~7 For this alone is his covering, this is his garment for his
skin: upon what shall he sleep? therefore it shall be, that when he
crieth unto me, I will hear; for I am merciful.
~8 Thou shalt not curse God, and the prince among thy peo
ple thou shalt not execrate.
~9 The firstfruits of thy produce, and the firstfruits of thy
vine, thou shalt not defer; the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give
unto me.
30 So shalt thou do to thine ox, and to thy cattle; seven days
it shall be with its dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it unto
me.
31' And ye shall be men of holiness unto me; therefore ye shall
not eat flesh that is rended in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.
CONCERNING THEFT
4528. The subject treated of in this chapter is theft. The laws

here presented in ultimates, being the laws of Jewish society which
was a representative society, have regard to spiritual laws and spir
itual punishments which are directed against those who lead men
[astray]. That is to say, they have regard to the devil and his
crew. That if he shall destroy anyone, he must make restitution
in the same degree, has regard to [the last] times and other [pe
riods of time].
These laws likewise have regard to the spiritual punishments
of men who seduce others from the true faith and thus steal men
away from heaven, that is, from God Messiah to whom all men
belong, having been created for Him, because for His kingdom.
Furthermore, they have regard to every individual man con
sidered in himself; for man is a society, being created, indeed, that
he may be a spiritual society.
4529. [If the sun hath risen upon hinn, there shall be bloods for
him; but restoring he shall restore; if he have not enough, he shall
be sold for his theft, vs. 3.] That when the sun has risen there
shall be bloods,9 is because then the man acts from intention and in
III Ad. 98~990 541
4580-31) THE WORD EXPLAINED
light. As the sun gives natural light, so in the mind, there is inten
tion and intellectual sight.
Here, as above [n. 3435], it is said, there shall be bloods, 9 be
cause there are many bloods, and these signify lives; for in the
blood is the life of the body. The other bloods are called auimal
spirits, and also those superior essences from which the mind lives,
as the body lives from the blood.
4530. [If in finding, the theft be found in his hand alive, from
an ox even to an ass, even to a cattle, he shall restore double], vs. 4.
That he shall restore double if the ox be found, etc., but fivefold if
he has killed or sold it [vs. 1] is because it is then found and was
not destroyed; but when slain and sold, it is destroyed.
Theft is not punished with death, because the law is that of
retaliation, as stated above [n. 4506], being thus a law of prop
erty for property; but the punishment of theft is as stated in the
text. Spiritually it has regard to the fact that he likewise is to
be slain and sold. Wherefore it is [the last] times that are had in
VIew.
Perhaps there are five periods of time b.ecause the devil has
stolen almost the whole of one period. For the time of reformi
tion commences principally from NOah and ~s from one man as
from a single stem. J ehovah God spared him because of the inter
cession of God Messiah. From thi~, however, it does not follow
but that many antediluvians also are say",:d. But concerning this
matter, see above [n. 3~37], with respect to the flood. Wherefore
the covenant is entered into by baptism, etc. 1
4531. [If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, when
he putteth in his beast that it may feed in another mcvn's field; of
the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall
he make restitution], vs. 5. The field or vineyard is the human or
intellectual mind. The beast is the malevolent man. If therefore
[by means of his beast] he feeds on or despoils [the field] of an
other, that is to say, if he seduces one man by means of another, the
law of retaliation is, that he shall give of his own.
Being spiritual, this truth is contained in the civil law which
flows from it. The law of retaliation obtains in spiritual things
because these forces must be resisted. Thus the harm that is in
• The autograph has " There shall not be bloods."
1 This' paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written twice in the margin.
54~ III Ad. 991-996

EXODUS XXII: 4-7 [453~-33
tended is brought upon him who intends it-but with that reserva
tion of which we spoke above [n. 4514, 45~7], the reservation,
namely, as to whether the deed is from will or from ignorance.
Such is the vengeance which God Messiah inflicts on the male
volent, and this lest by their forces, they inflict injury. For then
they lose those forces whereby they injure, as a serpent loses its
poison.
4532. [If fire break out, and catch hold of thorns, so that the
heap is consumed, or the standmg gram, or the field; he that was
the a·uthor of the fire, malcmg restitution shall make restitution],
vs. 6. This law would never have been published had not its origin
been derived from things spiritual and celestial; for this crime is
exceedingly rare.
But fire is cupidity; thorns are evil acts springing from an evil
root; the standing grain and the field are good existing in the mind.
Thus if, whether by means of doctrine or of example, one is re
sponsible for cupidities seducing a man and thus extinguishing the
good harvest; and so, if one is a stumbling block; or if, in any
other way, he excite the evil desires of another so that the harvest
perishes; the one responsible shall make restitution, that is to say,
he himself shall lose and shall give of his own to the other.
4533. [If a man shall give to his companion silver or vessels to
keep, and it be taken from the man's house by theft; if the thief be
found, he shall restore double], vs. 7. That civil and forensic and
all other laws are founded on spiritual law is clear from many con
siderations. Thus, it is lawful to eat things which formerly were
held to be impure. This is because nations, which [by the Jews]
were held to be impure, were chosen and were called to the church;
for there is nothing profane in those who are in God Messiah.
This law, as is well known, is founded on divine law. So also all
the other laws.
When the internal is pure, externals cannot be said to be im
pure, for they do not vitiate the man, since they do not enter into
him; as is the case in perverted order, when things impure, being
those of the body and the animus, do enter in. Not so in perfect
order. This is the reason why it was forbidden the Jews to eat
things impure, lest such impurities should enter in; for they were
living in perverted order. By the advent of God Messiah, how-
III Ad. 997-1001 543
ever, this order was to be changed, etc., etc. [See Matt. 15 17- 9 ,
Mark 7 18-23.]
In sons of God Messiah it is things internal that are regarded;
in the Jews it was things external. That the latter might be con
cordant with things internal, the externals whereby they were de
filed were first to be wiped away. This is the reason for the
prohibition spoken of below [vs. 31].·
4534. In verse 7, the vessels and the silver that are to be kept,
are knowledges of truth and good. He who gives them is God
Messiah, here called M an, and also, in His place, the Word, the
priest, etc. The thief is the evil spirit who takes these knowledges
away. It is said that he must restore double, but it is God Messiah
who punishes and who pays back; for he turns evil into good in
more than double measure, and so makes restitution, while with the
thief, he turns good into evil in equal measure. Thus comes the
punishment of retaliation, God Messiah being the Judge. 2
The silver and vessels are knowledges of truth and affections of
good. These the thief takes away, and he can never make any
restitution from his own store. Thus it is paid back by God Mes
siah. It is the same if one man takes them from another.
4535. [If the thief be not found, the master of the house shall be
brought unto God, as to whether he have not put forth his hand
unto the work of his companion], vs. 8. Whether the man does this
or does not do it, it is yet said that the man himself does it, in that
he does it from nature, disposition, will, and consent. This is what
is meant by putting his hand unto the work of his companion, that
is to say, unto the work of another. Therefore it is said in the
text that he shall be brought unto God, that is to the priest who is
in the place of God, and also to the judge, but, in the inmost sense,
to God Messiah himself who knows and searches into all and single
things; also to his own conscience. Wherefore it is said in verse 9,
"he whom God shall condemn," etc., and, "unto God shall come
the word." 3
4536. [Over every word of transgression, over an ox, over an
ass, over a cattle, over raiment, over everything that is lost, whereof
* no. 4533 is emphasized by a series of .. NB's" written in the margin.
• This paragraph is emphasized by .. NB" written in the margin.
S The last three paragraphs are each emphasized by .. NB" written in the
margin.
544 III Ad. 100~1006
EXODUS XXII: 8-11 [4537-38
one shall say, It is this or that, even unto God, shall come the word
of both. He whom God shall condemn, shall restore double unto his
companion], vs. 9. This therefore is called a word of transgres
sion; that is to say, the word is the truth and is confession with
respect to guilt and non-guilt, etc.
What is here spoken of concerns him who gives something to be
kept, and him who receives it. In the supreme sense, he who gives
it to be kept is God Messiah, who alone gives all truth and all good,
and who pays back and punishes; but in the inmost sense it is the
priest or some other ministering servant in place of the Messiah,
from whom God will require this thing, as is well known from
J eremiah ~ (as I think). Thus also those who write things other
than what are consonant with the Word of God Messiah: These
are the deposits, and they mainly concern such things as regard
the doctrine of true faith. 5
4537. [If a man give unto his companion his ass, or ox, or
cattle, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be broken, or be led
away capt'ive, no man seeing it], vs. 10 These words are similar,
meaning, if these deposits are dead, so that they have been de
stroyed; or are interpreted in various ways, and so are mutilated,
which is here called being broken.
Here, under the heading of cattle,6 are represented those goods
which were a man's natural possessions, as also were the silver and
the vessels [vs. 7]. Thus all possessions are enumerated from the
greatest to the least, and this in an order not yet well understood.
Spiritually it is possessions of the mind that are meant, it being
possessions of the mind that are preached, being spiritual posses
sions thus set forth.
A man is said to be captive when he remains in doubt and cannot
discern freely.
4538. [The oath of Jehovah shall be between them both, as to
whether he hath put his hand unto the work of his companion; then
shall the master thereof take what is left; and he shall not make
restitution], vs. 11. By an oath is here meant conscience, for the
predicate answers to its subject, a fact which must be well observed. 7
• See Ezekiel 3S.
• The latter part of this paragraph is emphasized by " NB" written twice
in the margin.
• See History of Creation n. 6 note.
• This is emphasized by "N B " written in the margin.
III Ad. 1007-1011

545
4539. [And if it be taken from-with him by theft, he shall repay

the master thereof], vs. 1fl. If it be taken by theft, means if he has
not well guarded it; for the things which are given in the doctrine
of faith are to be guarded like a treasure.
4540. [If being rended it be rended, he shall bring a witness
thereof; that whu:h is rended he shall rwt restore], vs. 13. "In
rending being rended," means that the natural mind and thus the
disposition has consumed and thus destroyed it, etc.
4541. [If a 7ft-an receive from-with his companion in loan, and it
be broken, or die, the master thereof not being with it, restoring, he
shall restore. But if the master thereof be with it, he shall not
make restitution. If it is brought for hire, it shall come for its
hire], vs. 14, 15. There are three things, namely, deposits, loans,
and things brought for hire. These are distinct, and they must be
conceived of distinctly in the spiritual and celestial things to which
they correspond. The correspondences may be seen.
4542. [And if a man persuade a virgin that i$ not betrothed,
and lie with her, with dowry he shall endow her to be his wife. If
her father, refusing shall refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay
silver according to the dowry of virgins], vs. 16, 17. In inmosts,
the subject here treated of is the church, faith, and all that pertains
to faith, the church being compared to a virgin. Thus the subject
treated of is marriage; Hence follow these laws, etc., etc.
4543. [Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Whosoever lieth
with a beast, dying he shall die. He that sacrificeth unto gods,
shall be accursed; save to J ehovah alone], vs. 18, 19, flO. This con
cerns idolatrous or contrary worship, as is clearly evident from
verse 9l0, that he who sacrifices to gods shall be accursed. Thus the
text treats of things unlawful.
4544. [Thou shalt not constrain a sojourner, nor oppress him;
for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt], vs. fll. By a so
journer are meant those who are wandering in life; for all men are
sojourners and wanderers until they are brought into the way.
Wherefore, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were sojourners, and after
wards the descendants of the latter, to the end that they might
represent wanderers; for sojourning is [the course of] life, as fre
quently stated above.
Sojourners were not to be constrained or oppressed, but were
546 III Ad. 101fl-1019
EXODUS XXII: 1~-9n [4545-47
to be brought back to the way; for all sons of Israel are such, as
also was J oseph.
A sojourner in the land of Egypt is one who is in damnation,
thus who is on the downward path or the path to hell, until they are
led upward and carried to heaven. Thus to constrain and oppress
means downward, when yet they are to be lifted up.
4545. The law of retaliation dictates not only that thou shalt
not do to another what thou wouldest not have done to thee [Matt.
712, Luke 631 ], but also that as thou hast been well dealt with, so
thou shouldest deal wen with other~. Hence the words in the
Lord's Prayer, that sins may be forgiven according as he forgives
who says the prayer, etc., etc. [Matt. 612 ] Hence the present
words that they had been sojourners, to the end that they might
learn this law. The same is also the case at this day, when they
are sojourners; and if they could, they would afflict them, etc.
4546. As there is a correspondence between spiritual things and
natural, so there is a correspondence between the judgments or
effects, that is, the rewards and the punishments which result there
from. In spiritual things, that which is called the law of retalia
tion arises from love, being the law that as one loves, so he is loved
and receives the reward that flows from love, such being the char
acter in which he is presented; and as one hates, so he is punished
with hatred. So with all other laws, for they have regard to love
and hatred, etc., etc.
4547. God Messiah who rules and directs all and single things
in human thoughts and endeavors, and indeed the least of all-and
this is the verimost truth-rules and thus judges according to the
above-mentioned correspondence of spiritual things with natural.
This can indeed be known by all men from examples; but seeing that
man thinks that he is ruled by himself; and seeing that he is igno
rant of this other ruling, and wishes all things to take place accord
ing to his own will; therefore he is blind, in the presence of thou
sands of examples. Moreover, because judgments come later,
appearing indeed like contingencies in the presence of which man
regards the causes as coming from himself, he immediately attrib
utes them to himself and his own good fortune or imprudence.
Moreover, the judgments are sometimes presented in his descend
ants who are born from him, for these judgments are propagated.
This is confirmed, in the Word of God Messiah, and by myriads of
III Ad. lO~O-lO~3 547
examples. These show that the laws of retaliation are everywhere

in evidence, etc., etc., but that they are regulated, and judgments
follow from them, according to the order of each individual life and
the state arising therefrom; and this, to the most recent end,
whither all providence directs its view. s
4548. [A widow, or am, orpham" ye shall not afflict. If afflictilng
thou afflict hirm, and if crying he cry unto me, hearing I will hear his
cry; And mine anger shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the
sword; and your wives shall become widows, and your sons or
phans] , vs. flfl, fl3, ~4. By widows are meant all men who are like
widows, and also all things. So by orphans are meant men who are
like orphans, and also things. Thus those are meant who are poor
in spirit, who are needy, who lack counsel, who are defenceless. To
these God Messiah takes the part of father, husband, and protector.
Therefore, those who injure these, injure in general all who are
such.
That they are such, they themselves know, being men who do
not trust in their own powers but in the one God Messiah; men who
have weak faith but yet are affected [thereby]. These are in such
a state that they cry to Him as to a protector, etc.
Because so many things are involved in the word widow, and are
also understood thereby-as, for instance, the universal church of
God Messiah which does not confide in her own powers, and so,
without God Messiah, is as a widow deprived of her hllsband, and
as children deprived of their parent, these being in temptation and
as though without hope; for such they are, and God Messiah takes
pity upon them-therefore we have here the reason for the punish
ment, which also is a punishment of retaliation; and likewise the
reason why it is inscribed on human hearts, that men spontaneously
take pity on widows and orphans. This therefore is innate; for of
these is the kingdom of God Messiah [Mark 10 14 ).
Such is the state of the church on which God Messiah has pity,
as on innocence. Wherefore he loves infants because of their in
nocence and their state of innocence.
He who injures these as widows and orphans, also injures those
who are such in the church, as stated above. Hence the punishment
of retaliation.
• nos. 4545-7 are emphasized by a series of " NB's" written in the margin.
548 III Ad. 10fl4-10fl9
EXODUS XXII: 9l9l-9l5 [4549-51
4549. This discourse, therefore, is addressed to husbands who

think themselves to excel in strength and intellect, and thus to
surpass their wives who are weak in disposition, being ruled more
by affection than by intellect; for which reason, according to the
precept of marriage after the fall [Gen. 3 16 ], they must be under
marital authority and are called weak vessels.
The present precept concerns widows in general, such being the
state of widows, a state which God Messiah alone knows. If, how-
ever, they are such as has been described, and so are members of the
church of God Messiah, he takes pity on them, otherwise he does
this because of the representation; if they are evil it is a different
matter.
4550. [If thou lend silver to my people, to him with thee that is
poor, thou shalt not be to him as a moneylender; thou shalt not lay
interest upon him], vs. 9l5. That in this representative people,
lending on interest was forbidden, especially with respect to the
poor, has its origin in things spiritual; for in spiritual things the
poor are those who are afflicted by temptations and, seeing with
themselves no means of restoration and solace, cast everything on
God Messiah. Being sometimes without hope, they doubt con-
cerning salvation, and so are utterly poor.
It is the duty of all men, and especially of priests, to strengthen
such persons from the Word of God Messiah, and from the gifts
which they have received from him alone. Nor ought they on this
account to attribute anything to themselves, that this is their own
doing, and so to claim a reward as for a good work done by them-
selves. Thus nothing is to be arrogated to oneself, etc., etc. If
anything is arrogated, it is usury in things spiritual, which was
prohibited in Israel. This is represented in the text by usury or
interest taken from the poor.
For they must be "men of holiness," as we read in verse 31.
Holiness can never come from any man, man being radically evil
and condemned, and thus profane. Thus it comes from the only
One, who is God and at the same time Man, being the Most Holy;
for which reason he is called the only One, the Holy One of Israel.
4551. [If takirng in pledge thou shalt take in pledge thy com-
panion's garment, before the sun goeth down thou shalt restore it
unto him. For this alone is his coverirng, this is his garment for his
skin: ~"pon what shall he sleep? therefore it shall be, that when he
III Ad. 1030-1035 549
crieth unto me, I will hear; for I am merciful], vs. ~6, ~7. What
these words have in view in those spiritual and celestial things to
which they hark back, and [from which] they become the moral and
civil law, whence laws are made, can likewise be evident.
A garment means all externals, such as sacrifices, the worship of
that people, and also the works of the law. These were the ex
ternals of that people, to the end that by them they might be led
to things spiritual; for a man of perverted state is led from the
posterior to things prior, and afterwards, when regenerated and
reformed, from the prior to the posterior, as is generally the case
in man. It is so likewise in regeneration. Thus their worship
consisted in externals, that from these they might learn to behold
internals and finally God Messiah, and so might learn to remove all
the filthiness that comes from the loves of self and the world; with
these removed, then comes the other path, [of influx, namely, from
the prior to the posterior], etc., etc. 9 "
This then is the garment and the covering wherein man lies.
When this is taken away, he is entirely naked; and he appears naked
like Adam after the fall, and flees th"e sight of God Messiah [Gen.
38-10].
4552. That such was the order, is also clear from the two tables
of the Decalogue, the first of which treats of the interior man's
worship, and the second of the exterior man's. And since, when
they adored the Egyptian calf [chap. 3~1-6] they failed to observe
even exterior worship, therefore, by permission of God Messiah,
the tables written by the hand of God were broken [chap. 3~19].
That it is exterior, nay, outmost things that were laid upon
them, is declared in the text, in that a garment stands for the skin.
Society is like a man, and that which covers it is its skin. When
this is taken away it perishes. 1
As regards the Jews, it is here indicated that they should return
the garment before the sun goeth down. For them the sun went
down when God Messiah came, thus there was no internal light.
Wherefore, for them the sun has gone down but for sons of Israel,
it has arisen.
Otherwise this law would never have been dictated, were it not
margin.
1 [Crossed off:] The text in no way deals with interior things.
550 In Ad. 1036-1041

EXODUS XXII: ~6-~9 [4558-54
for this interior meaning, and also because he took pity upon this
people, which was so wicked; for they were dealt with from mercy
alone and from grace toward Abraham. 2
4553. [Thou shalt not curse God, atnd the prince among thy
people thou shalt not execra.te] , vs. ~8. :From these words it is evi
dent that [spiritual and natural] laws correspond; for to execrate
the prince is to execrate God Messiah who is the head of the society
of Israel and the church, and who thus is represented by princes.
By the prince therefore is meant God Messiah who, now that he
had spoken concerning the garment, and concerning the sun which
would set with this people [vs. ~6], is at once mentioned by name.
Hence the series.
The series of the interior things of the law is a perfect series;
but no exterior series is apparent before human eyes. Therefore,
if the series of spiritual and celestial things alone were drawn out
therefrom, the law would be perfect. This can be seen clearly
enough and to spare, in the Prayer of our Lord; for in that
Prayer, such is the order and series of things inmost and celestial
that nothing more perfect is possible-on which matter, God Mes
siah granting, we speak elsewhere.s
That the order of the ultimates or externals does not seem to
be in the same sequence is due to many causes-of which we speak
in other connections.
4554. [The first fruits of thy produce, atnd the first fruits of thy
vine, thou shalt not defer; the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give
unto me], vs. ~9. Here again it is very evident how that [spiritual
and natural laws] are concordant, in that the nrstfruits of the
produce and of the vine have regard to the same thing as the nrst
born among men, nay, and among cattle. Wherefore the cor
respondences extend to the two kingdoms, etc.
As to what is meant by produce and what by vine, this may be
seen above [no ~334, ~545, ~65~], namely, that produce or grain is
spiritual food, and so is that which forms the understanding; while
the vine is that affection which makes man to be well nourished.
Hence he becomes a spiritual and celestial man, the spiritual being
predicated of the understanding, and the celestial of the love or
• [Crossed off:] Otherwise they were not worthy of any mercy.
III Ad. l04~-l047 551

affection. Thus, in the regenerate there is a spiritual celestial;

but in those who are not regenerated, a spiritual natural. 4
Of the firstborn we have spoken above at times, to the effect that
in the regenerate the firstborn is faith and love, as is evident from
the names Reuben, Simeon and Levi, these being the firstborn.
Therefore, things that are firstborn belong to God Messiah, it
being he who gives all things and who thus blesses man. Hence
comes holiness.
4555. [So shalt thou do to thine ox, and to thy cattle: seven
days it shall be with its dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it
unto me], vs. 30. The same is likewise represented in the ox and
the cattle. Thus it is represented in all things that are first.
Wherefore the representation by the sons of Jacob was a mere
representation, as also was that by the ox and cattle. Thus this
representation was not on account of that people being more holy
and chosen above others, but this people also represented Israel;
that is to say, the internal man was represented by the external."
The same thing is also signified by the first day of the following
week; for six days together with the seventh make a week. These
firstfruits were given not on the seventh day but on the first day
of the following week, and this because of various causes of which
much might be said, it being well kp.own that all times, etc., are
distinguished into three's or seven's, for on the seventh day they
have regard to the kingdom of God Messiah. Within these days
the progress was from things more imperfect to things more per
fect, as was the case in the first creation. In this way man is re
formed by degrees, etc., etc.
It shall be with its dann, that is, it shall drink milk and so be
nourished, etc., etc.
4556./ [And ye shall be men of holiness unto me; therefore ye
shall not eat flesh that is rended in the field; ye shall cast it to the
dogs], vs. 31. From things interior, they must now be men of
holiness. This holiness is never possible through externals, for all
holiness comes from things inmost, and, in man's inmosts, from the
Supreme Being, God Messiah himself, who alone is holy. From
this source, all becomes holy that follows on from inmosts according
margin.
559l III Ad. 1048-1059l
EXODUS XXII: 30-31 [4557-58
to order; for in inmosts life is universal; and in things most single

it rules the more general lives. Thus, when inmosts are ruled by
God Messiah, the life of all the faculties becomes holy. From this
it is evident that these laws have regard to things inmost, and thus
to the supreme. For what is holy and pure in man? Nothing!
He becomes holy by imputation, when that which in itself is per
verted, is ruled by God Messiah that it may be bent to good, etc.,
ete. 6
4557. The final clause is that they should not eat flesh that has
been Tended in the field. This signifies spiritual things-that the
(
devil perverts them and bends them to things natural. In this way
he rends man and so turns good into evil. This is what is meant
\ by being rended, for then nothing is coherent; hatred succeeds in
,I place of love, insanity in place of intelligence and wisdom, and the
man becomes a brute animal. Thus, in spiritual things, there is

nothing coherent. This is represented by the rended flesh which
is to be cast to the dogs, that is to say, to those who are impure, as
is the devil and his crew.
4558. From this it is again evident that the things commanded
to this people are mere representations of things spiritual and
celestial, and this for reasons of which we have spoken above [no
4555] ; to the end, namely, that by this people might be signified
sons of Israel in every land, and so likewise those among the people
who also were true Israelites; and that thus the Word of God Mes
siah might be promulgated-a Word which was by no means for
that people alone but for the entire globe. Therefore theJ were
chosen that they m!gh~ ~ps~s~t, and might be mirrors-but as to
what kind of mirrors they were, this also is well known.
• n. 4556 is emphasized by a series of "N B's" written in the margin.
END OF VOL. IV
III Ad. 1053-1055 553

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THE WORD

OLD TESTAMENT EXPLAINED

ALFRED ACTON, MA, D.Th.

THE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH

ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH

BRYN ATHYN, PA.

[The above is inserted here in accordance with a sug­

LANCASTER PRESS, INC., LANCASTER, PA.

[THE PERSECUTIONS OF THE CHURCH]

3199. There are universal persecutions greater and less, and

8~05-07] THE WORD EXPLAINED

they persecute, torture, and slay without check or fear of punish­

cially by sacrilegious means, in that they sell t~ ~hings _of_heaven.

8195-7], who were to be killed; for b sons are meant thin~­

3231. Concerning the multiplication of the sons of Israel in the

To cast the faith of infants into the torrent of pleasures is an easy

[THE THREE PERIODS OF THE REFORMATION OF THE HUMAN

3237. In the preceding pages it has several times been men­

among them and the law promulgated, when nevertheless, as is well

of days; but now he is to come as a King glorious in his majesty. \

in m~~ ~ integrity, it also shines out from the face-but in~ostly.

~Luke 2'~ 4,22; John 1'5, 6'2.]

• The autograph has calor (heat) but this seems to be a slip.

the Sea Suph received its name.

3265. By daughters, almost everywhere in the Word of God

again in each individual of those who acknowledge him and his

mo eJLby h.~tred toward the gentiles, so called, that is to say, to--=::- _

w rd-C-hristians. How the former church b~re witness-to its love

to';;rd the Jews is evident. This is what is expressed by the

words: This is one of the children of the Hebrews, words which

the child to a nurse to be suckled, and adopted him as her son.

",ould condemn t~ to deatl1 as t~9' did Christ himself, and would

them into that place which is signified by a sepulchre, and would

by the dreadful.and r.ebellious motions of those who had been \ I

3275. Since, therefore, by Phamoh's daughter is here_repre­

in number [Gen. 8640- 3 ] ; against Abraham's own seed from

commencing with the words" Concerning other peoples," etc.]

* This passage and also n. 3283 is emphasized by .. NB" written several

here signified. These were also foretold as being carried in Re­

Midian, of which posterity we have spoken above [no 3~89] ; for

because he was a sojourner there, or because he became a sojourner

3305. The subject here treated of is the deliverance of the sons

:\;0 the last captivity ~llich is the !p~s.Ldireful~all, a;n~~~_r

3315. In a flame of fire in 6 the midst of a bramble. This was

Synop. Stirp., p. 467; Blancart, Lex. Med., s. v. Rubus.

sacrifices were first instituted on this mountain. He who in them

8 See History of Creation 24-5; n. 475, 1148.

as I can solemnly testify. Therefore, if anyone, whether on

is to be atoned for, he must adore God Messiah alone.

told above. (The passages may here be adduced as confirmation

their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows], vs. 7. As stated

Moses himself is now present with me, and confesses 3 that

Author's Index to his Memorabilia, s. v. Organa, Substantia. See Table of

3347. Why then do they think of Moses, that it is he who will

Memorabilia, s. v. Loqui. See Table of Contents.

lived in mere ignorance, for which reason a deep silence is main­

So likewise in the end of days, which is what these words have

devil leads. Verily there is no conjunction here, for conjunction

3363. We read for the first time concerning Babel in Genesis 10

" When ye go, ye .~hall not .go empty."

[The above is inserted here in accordance with a sug

they persecute, torture, and slay without check or fear of punish

8195-7], who were to be killed; for b sons are meant thin~

3237. In the preceding pages it has several times been men

3275. Since, therefore, by Phamoh's daughter is here_repre

here signified. These were also foretold as being carried in Re

lived in mere ignorance, for which reason a deep silence is main

This is so clearly evident from what follows that it can be con

God 1 that is to say, [a wilderness] where God Messiah is neverthe

~~ And Moses returned unto J ehovah, and said, Lord, where

chyle and with a manifold menstruum, just as flour in kneading