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ACV9 S20 7106-7134
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7106. Verses 5-9. And Pharaoh said, Behold the people of the land are now many, and ye have made them cease from their burdens. And Pharaoh commanded in that day the taskmasters in the people, and their officers, saying, Ye shall no more give the people straw to make bricks, as yesterday and the day before yesterday; let them go and gather straw for themselves. And the tale of the bricks which they made yesterday and the day before yesterday, ye shall lay upon, them; ye shall not take away from it; for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. Let the service be made heavier upon the men, and let them do it; and let them not regard the words of a lie. “And Pharaoh said,” signifies the will of those who infest the truths of the church; “Behold the people of the land are now many,” signifies the multitude of those who are of the spiritual church; “and ye have made them cease from their burdens,” signifies that they have not infested enough; “and Pharaoh commanded in that day,” signifies the cupidity of infesting the truths of the church while in that state; “the taskmasters in the people, and their officers, saying,” signifies those who most closely infest and most closely receive; “Ye shall no more give the people straw,” signifies the lowest memory-knowledges which are the most general of all; “to make bricks,” signifies for the things fictitious and false that will be injected; “as yesterday and the day before yesterday,” signifies not as in the former state “let them go and gather straw for themselves,” signifies that they should procure for themselves these lowest memory-knowledges; “and the tale of bricks, which they made yesterday and the day before yesterday, ye shall lay upon them,” signifies that the things fictitious and false must be injected in abundance as before; “ye shall not take away from it,” signifies without diminution; “for they are idle,” signifies that they are not assaulted enough; “therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God,” signifies that consequently they have so much thought about such worship; “let the service be made heavier upon the men,” signifies that the assault should be increased; “and let them do it,” signifies to obtain the effect; “and let them not regard the words of a lie,” signifies lest they turn to truths.
7107. And Pharaoh said. That this signifies the will of those who infest the truths of the church, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being will (of which in what follows); and from the representation of Pharaoh, as being those who infest the truths of the church (see n. 6651, 6679, 6683), thus who infest those who are of the spiritual church, for these are said to be in the truths of the church. That “saying” signifies to will, or the will, is because it involves the things which follow it; for when anyone wills anything, he utters it. As “he saith” involves the things which follow, it consequently signifies various things, as command (n. 7036); exhortation (n. 5012, 7033, 7090); communication (n. 3060, 4131, 6228); thought (n. 7094); properly, perception (n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2862, 3509, 5687).
7108. Behold the people of the land are now many. That this signifies the multitude of those who are of the spiritual church, is evident from the signification of “the people of the land,” as being those who are of the spiritual church (see n. 2928) for by “people” are signified those who are in the truths of faith (n. 1259, 1260, 3581), and by “land” is signified the church (n. 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4447, 4535, 4577).
7109. And ye have made them cease from their burdens. That this signifies that they have not infested enough, is evident from the signification of “burdens,” as being infestations by falsities and the consequent combats (see n. 6757, 7104, 7105); hence “to make them cease from their burdens” denotes that they have not infested enough.
7110. And Pharaoh commanded in that day. That this signifies the cupidity of infesting the truths of the church while in that state, is evident from the signification of “commanding,” as being a mandate, and as in a mandate of the evil there is the cupidity of doing evil (for this is the source of the mandate that comes from them), therefore here by “he commanded” is also signified cupidity from the representation of Pharaoh, as being those who infest the truths of the church (see n. 6651, 6679, 6683); and from the signification of “day,” as being state (n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850).
7111. The taskmasters in the people, and their officers, saying. That this signifies those who most closely infest, and those who most closely receive, is evident from the signification of “taskmasters,” as being those who compel to serve (see n. 6852), and as this is effected by means of infestations, by “taskmasters” are also signified those who infest, but who most closely infest (of whom below); and from the signification of “officers,” as being those who most closely receive; for the officers were of the sons of Israel, and the taskmasters were of the Egyptians, as is evident from what follows. Thus in the internal sense the “officers” are they who most closely receive, and the “taskmasters” those who most closely infest.
[2] Who these are can be known from those in the other life who infest and inject falsities and evils, and from those who receive and communicate them. They who infest and inject falsities and evils are the hells, but in order that they may effect their purpose, they send forth from themselves emissaries, through whom they act. These appear not far from those who are being infested; and this is done in order that the thoughts and intentions of many may be concentrated, for otherwise they would be dispersed. These emissaries appear in certain fixed places of their own in the world of spirits, and from the very places where they appear it can be known from what hell they are; some appear above the head at various altitudes and in various directions; some near the head to the right or to the left, and also behind it; some below the head in various situations relatively to the body, in planes from the head down to the soles of the feet. They flow in with such things as are ejected from hell, and the spirit or the man does not perceive or know otherwise than that the things which flow in are in himself; that is, that he himself thinks and intends them. These emissaries are called “subjects” (of whom see what was shown above, from experience, n. 4403, 5856, 5983-5989). As these infest the most closely, they are signified by the “taskmasters;” but they who receive from them and communicate are the “officers,” and are intermediate spirits; for as before said the officers were of the sons of Israel, but the taskmasters were of the Egyptians.
[3] Those were called “officers” among the Israelitish and Jewish people, who said what was to be done, and who gave commandment; wherefore they also sat in the gates with the judges and elders, and spoke to the people the sentences of judgment, and also the things commanded by the leader, as can be seen from the following passages in Moses:
Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, according to thy tribes, who shall judge the people with the judgment of justice (Deut. 16:18).
When they shall go forth to war, the priest shall speak to the people, and shall admonish them not to be afraid; afterward the officers shall say that he who has built a house shall return, and also the fearful (Deut. 20:3, 5, 8).
In Joshua:
Joshua commanded the officers to say to the people that they should prepare provision for the journey, before they passed over Jordan (Josh. 1:10-11).
At the end of three days it came to pass, when the officers passed through the midst of the camp, they gave commandment that when they saw the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, they should also go forward (Josh. 3:2-3).
That the officers were governors of the people, distinct from their princes, see Deut. 1:15; also that they were distinct from the elders, Deut. 31:28; and from the judges, Joshua 8:33.
7112. Ye shall no more give the people straw. That this signifies the lowest memory-knowledges and the most general of all, is evident from the signification of “chaff” or “straw,” as being truths of memory-knowledge (see n. 3114), and indeed memory-knowledges the lowest and most general of all, for the lowest food in a spiritual sense is straw or chaff, because it is the food of beasts. Those knowledges are called lowest which are full of fallacies of the senses, which the evil abuse to pervert goods and truths, and thus to defend evils and falsities; for on account of fallacies these knowledges can be turned in favor of principles of falsity and of cupidities of evil. Moreover such knowledges are the most general of all, and unless they are filled with truths less general and more particular, they may be of service to falsities and evils, but in proportion as they are filled with truths, they are of less service to them. Such are the knowledges whereby they who in the world have professed faith alone, and yet have lived a life of evil, infest the upright in the other life; but as these knowledges are dispelled by the angels, it is now said that they should not give straw to make brick, that is, that they did not add these to the fictitious and false things that would be injected. Such is the internal sense of these words, which indeed appears remote from the sense of the letter; but be it known that there is nothing in the natural world which does not correspond to something in the spiritual world; and the angels with a man understand all things spiritually which the man understands naturally; they do not know what straw is, nor bricks; such things were known to them when they were in the world, but were forgotten when they came into heaven, because there they put on spiritual things. Hence it is that when the angels perceive the ideas of such things with a man, they turn them into corresponding spiritual things. That “straw” or “grass” denotes the lowest memory-knowledge, and that “bricks” denote things fictitious and false, can be seen from many considerations; for all herbage and straw have no other signification; but seeds, barley, wheat, and the like denote interior truths and goods; and stones not artificial denote truths.
7113. To make bricks. That this signifies to make things fictitious and false that will be injected, is evident from the signification of “making bricks,” as being to invent falsities (see n. 1296, 6669). In the historic sense of the letter it is said that the sons of Israel made bricks, and thus as it were that they invented falsities; but in the internal sense it is signified that the infernals who are in falsities injected them And since – as before said – such things appear to pertain to those who receive them, the sense of the letter is according to the appearance, which, however, is explained by the internal sense. (That there are very many such things in the sense of the letter, see n. 5094, 6400, 6948.)
7114. As yesterday and the day before yesterday. That this signifies not as in the former state, is evident from the signification of “yesterday and the day before yesterday,” as being what is past (see n. 6983); and as all times signify states (n. 2625, 2788, 2837, 3254, 3356, 4814, 4882, 4901, 4916), therefore “yesterday and the day before yesterday” signifies the former state.
7115. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. That this signifies that they should procure for themselves these lowest memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of “gathering” as being to procure; and from the signification of “straw,” as being the lowest memory-knowledges (of which just above, n. 7112).
7116. And the tale of the bricks which they made yesterday and the day before yesterday, ye shall lay upon them. That this signifies that things fictitious and false must be injected in abundance as in the former state, is clear from the signification of “the tale,” as being abundance, here the same abundance; from the signification of “bricks,” as being things fictitious and false (of which just above, n. 7113); from the signification of “yesterday and the day before yesterday,” as being the former state (of which also just above, n. 7114); and from the signification of “laying upon them,” as being to inject, because it is said of things fictitious and false. From all this it is evident that by “laying upon them the tale of the bricks which they made yesterday and the day before yesterday” is signified that things fictitious and false were to be injected in the same abundance as in the former state.
7117. Ye shall not take away from it. That this signifies without diminution, is evident without explication.
7118. For they are idle. That this signifies that they are not assaulted enough, is evident from the signification of “being idle,” as being not to be sufficiently infested by falsities, thus not to be assaulted enough. How the case herein is can also be known from those who are being infested by falsities in the other life. They who infest, as far as possible hinder the upright whom they infest from thinking about the Lord; as soon as any thought of the Lord openly occurs, they at once take it away, which they know how to do in a skillful manner. But as with those who are being infested, thought about the Lord is nevertheless universal, thus too interior to be in plain view (for it flows in through heaven), therefore as soon as they cease to be infested, they come into thought about the Lord, for that which flows in from heaven and reigns universally, reveals itself in every free state. From all this it is evident what is the internal sense of the words “for they are idle, therefore they cry, saying Let us go and sacrifice to our God.”
7119. Therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice unto our God. That this signifies that consequently they have so much thought about such worship, is evident from the signification of “crying,” as here being thought; for by “saying” and “speaking” is signified thought (see n. 2271, 2287, 7094), and therefore also by “crying,” but by “crying” is signified strong thought and with full intention of doing, hence it is said “so much thought;” and from the signification of “sacrificing to their God,” as being the worship of the Lord (n. 6905, 7101). But because Pharaoh said that he did not know Jehovah (n. 7095, 7097), and because the Egyptians were averse to sacrifices (n. 1343), and because Moses said that they would go a way of three days into the wilderness (n. 6904, 7100), therefore it is said, “such worship.”
7120. Let the service be made heavier upon the men. That this signifies that the assault should be increased, is evident from the signification of “making heavier,” as being to be increased; from the signification of “service,” when said by those who infest by means of falsities, as being the intention to subjugate (n. 6666, 6670, 6671), thus assault, for they intend to subjugate by means of this assault; and from the signification of “the men,” as being those who are of the spiritual church. There are two words in the original language which signify man; the one is “Adam,” and the other “Enosh.” By the man called “Adam” is meant the man of the celestial church; but by the man called “Enosh” is meant the man of the spiritual church. Here “the men” are expressed by “Enosh,” because the subject treated of is those who are of the spiritual church.
7121. And let them do it. That this signifies to obtain the effect, is evident without explication.
7122. And let them not regard the words of a lie. That this signifies lest they turn to truths, is evident from the signification of “regarding,” as being to turn one’s self; and from the signification of “the words of a lie,” when said by those who are in falsities, as being truths; for they who are in falsities call truths falsities, thus “the words of a lie;” and falsities they call truths, for they are in what is opposite.
In these verses, in the internal sense, there has now been described the infestation by falsities of the upright in the other life; and there has also been set forth the way in which they are infested. Such infestation is permitted to the end that falsities may be removed, and truths be instilled, which cannot possibly be done without infestation; for after death there clings to a man, and there is in his memories, everything of his thought in the world, of his intention, of his will, of his speech, and of his action, for nothing is obliterated. That these things have been impressed on his memories, especially on the interior memory, which is properly the memory of his spirit, see n. 2469, 2470, 2474, 2475. And this being so, it must needs be that there cling to him things foul and filthy, and also evil and false, from his life in the world; and which cause the truths which the man has also learned, and the goods which he has imbued, to be hidden. For truths and goods cannot come forth among such things; and therefore before truths and goods can appear, and the man be thus associated with those who are in heaven, it is necessary that these evils and falsities be uncovered, so that he may see them and know them, and thus learn what is true and what is good. This cannot possibly be done without combat with the evils and falsities in himself; which combat takes place actually, the evil spirits exciting falsities and evils, and the angels excusing if the end has been good, and instilling truths. This is perceived as if it were in himself, as is the case with temptation in man, which is felt no otherwise than as being in him, when yet it is the combat of angels with evil spirits outside of him (see n. 3927, 4249, 4307, 5036, 6657). That this is so has been granted me to know with certainty from much experience. These things have been said in order that it may be known why infestation by falsities takes place with those who are of the spiritual church, which infestation has been treated of in the above verses, and is treated of also in those which follow.
7123. Verses 10-13. And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, Thus said Pharaoh, I will by no means give you straw. Go ye yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it; for nothing whatever shall be taken away from your service. And the people scattered into all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. And the taskmasters were urgent, saying, Complete ye your works, the work of a day in its day, as when there was straw. “And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers,” signifies the sending forth and presence of those who most closely infest, and of those who most closely receive; “and they spoke to the people, saying,” signifies perception; “Thus said Pharaoh,” signifies about the infestations; “I will by no means give you straw,” signifies no longer thence the most general memory-knowledges; “Go ye yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it,” signifies that they should procure these for themselves elsewhere, wherever they could; “for nothing whatever shall be taken away from your service,” signifies injections of falsities without diminution; “and the people scattered into all the land of Egypt,” signifies that they overspread the natural mind on every side; “to gather stubble for straw,” signifies to find some truth of memory-knowledge; “and the taskmasters were urgent,” signifies that they who most closely infested were insistent; “saying, Complete ye your works, the work of a day in its day,” signifies that they should serve falsities so called in every state; “as when there was straw,” signifies just as they served their truths so called.
7124. And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers. That this signifies the sending forth and presence of those who most closely infest, and of those who most closely receive, is evident from the signification of “going out,” as being a sending forth, because they who are signified by “taskmasters” are sent forth in order to serve as a means of communication, as can be seen from what was said above (n. 7111); moreover, that “to go out” denotes to present oneself before another in a form accommodated to him, see n. 5337; therefore it also denotes presence; from the signification of “taskmasters,” as being those who most closely infest; and from the signification of “officers,” as being those who most closely receive and communicate the infestations (n. 7111).
7125. And they spoke to the people, saying. That this signifies perception, is evident from the signification of “saying,” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception (see n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2862, 3509, 5687).
7126. Thus said Pharaoh. That this signifies about the infestations, is evident from the representation of Pharaoh, as being those who infest such as are of the spiritual church (see what has been said above), thus it denotes infestation.
7127. I will by no means give you straw. That this signifies no longer thence the most general memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of “by no means giving,” as being no longer to furnish; and from the signification of “straw,” as being the most general memory-knowledges of all (see n. 7112). How the case herein is has already been told. But it must be told further, that in the other life those who have been of the church, and have persuaded themselves that faith alone saves, yet have not lived the life of faith, but a life of evil, especially put straw (that is, the most general memory-knowledges of all) before the upright whom they are infesting. These men are of the same character there as they had been in the world; they are acquainted with confirming arguments in favor of faith alone, by which they say that man is saved no matter how he had lived; but these confirming arguments are nothing but reasonings that agree with the given proposition; for everything, even what is most false, can be confirmed by reasonings, and can also be presented to the simple as true, by means of the arts of eloquence and of inference.
[2] For this purpose they especially employ such things from the Word as are the most general of all, and which without the internal sense of the word can be drawn to favor any opinion whatever. Such are the things which they put before those who are of the spiritual church; and by means of which they infest them; although they are nothing but chaff or straw for making bricks, for they exclude the most essential thing of all, namely, charity.
They indeed say that works of charity are the fruits of faith, but still they make these works of no account, and persuade their hearers that man is saved by faith alone no matter what his life has been, even in life’s last moments; thus by faith without its fruits, consequently without the life of faith and charity.
[3] So long as such things are put before the upright in the other life, these wield fighting arguments, and are able to defend themselves, for they see that reasonings are fallacious when the essential, which is charity, is thus excluded, and also when they see that no regard is paid to the life. From everything in the other life, both in general and in particular, they see these things as in clear day. Such then is what is meant by the memory-knowledges the lowest and most general of all, which are signified by “straw.” They who have persuaded themselves that faith alone saves, and yet have lived a life of evil, are in hell at a considerable depth toward the right, a little in front; and I have heard them from thence infesting the upright with reasonings; but these, being led of the Lord by the angels, rejected the reasonings as being empty, and they also exposed the fallacies which were in the confirmations and arguments from the general things of the Word.
7128. Go ye yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it. That this signifies that they should procure these for themselves elsewhere, wherever they could, is evident from the signification of “getting wherever they could find,” as being to procure for themselves elsewhere, wherever they could; and from the signification of “straw,” as being memory-knowledges, the lowest and most general of all (n. 7112, 7127).
7129. For nothing whatever shall be taken away from your service. That this signifies injections of falsities without diminution, is evident from the signification of “nothing whatever being taken away,” as being without diminution; and from the signification of “service,” as being an assault by falsities (see above, n. 7120), thus also infestation.
7130. And the people scattered into all the land of Egypt. That this signifies that they overspread the natural mind on every side, is evident from the signification of “scattering themselves,” as being to overspread; and from the signification of the “land of Egypt,” as being the natural mind (n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301). There are two minds in man; one is the natural, and the other the rational mind; the natural mind is the mind of the external man, but the rational mind is the mind of the internal man. The things of the natural mind are called memory-knowledges, but those of the rational mind are called intellectual reasons; they are also distinguished from each other by the fact that the things of the natural mind are for the most part in the light of the world, which is called the light of nature; whereas the things of the rational mind are in the light of heaven, which light is spiritual light.
7131. To gather stubble for straw. That this signifies to find some truth of memory-knowledge,* is evident from the signification of “stubble for straw,” as being the truth of memory-knowledge, for “stubble” denotes such truth as is accommodated to the memory-knowledge that is signified by “straw.” That “stubble” denotes such truth is because it is the stalk in the top of which is the seed, and by “seeds” in the word are signified truths and goods; thus by the stalk which is beneath them is signified the general vessel of truth, consequently the truth of memory-knowledge; for the memory-knowledges of faith and charity are indeed truths, but general truths, thus are the recipient vessels of particular and singular truths, as can also be seen by everyone. For example: it is a truth of memory-knowledge that charity toward the neighbor is the essential of the church; also that faith cannot be except where charity is; and likewise that truth and good can be conjoined, but not truth and evil, nor good and falsity; besides many similar truths, which are truths of memory-knowledge. That these can be enriched with innumerable things, can be seen from the fact that volumes can be written about them, and yet the singular truths, which are the interior things of faith, can never be described, for these can only be seen in the light of heaven, and do not fall into natural words. These truths are like charity, which is spiritual affection, and which for the most part cannot be expressed by words, except its most general things, namely, those which put on a natural dress, and which can be compared with such things as are in the world. These things have been said in order that it may be known what general memory-knowledges are.
* Latin verum scientificum. This, as here defined, is such truth as is accommodated to, or is fitted into memory- knowledge, and which is “a general vessel of truth.” Such is the verum scientificum, or truth of memory-knowledge.–Reviser.
7132. And the taskmasters were urgent. That this signifies that they who most closely infest were insistent, is evident from the signification of “taskmasters,” as being those who most closely infest (see n. 7111); and from the signification of “urging,” as being to insist.
7133. Saying, Complete ye your works, the work of a day in its day. That this signifies that they should serve falsities so called in every state, is evident from the signification of “completing your works,” as being to serve falsities; for by “making bricks” are signified things fictitious and false that are injected (see n. 7113), and as these are the works which they were to complete, it signifies that they should serve these; it is said “falsities so called,” because the evil do not acknowledge the falsities which they speak as being falsities, but as being truths; and from the signification of “the work of a day in its day,” as being in every state (that a “day” denotes state, see n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850).
7134. As when there was straw. That this signifies just as they served their truths so called, is evident from the signification of “straw;” as being general memory-knowledge, which is the vessel of truth (see n. 7112, 7131). It is said “truths so called,” because these words are spoken by the evil, who do not acknowledge truths to be truths.
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7106. Verses 5-9. And Pharaoh said, Behold the people of the land are now many, and ye have made them cease from their burdens. And Pharaoh commanded in that day the taskmasters in the people, and their officers, saying, Ye shall no more give the people straw to make bricks, as yesterday and the day before yesterday; let them go and gather straw for themselves. And the tale of the bricks which they made yesterday and the day before yesterday, ye shall lay upon, them; ye shall not take away from it; for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. Let the service be made heavier upon the men, and let them do it; and let them not regard the words of a lie. “And Pharaoh said,” signifies the will of those who infest the truths of the church; “Behold the people of the land are now many,” signifies the multitude of those who are of the spiritual church; “and ye have made them cease from their burdens,” signifies that they have not infested enough; “and Pharaoh commanded in that day,” signifies the cupidity of infesting the truths of the church while in that state; “the taskmasters in the people, and their officers, saying,” signifies those who most closely infest and most closely receive; “Ye shall no more give the people straw,” signifies the lowest memory-knowledges which are the most general of all; “to make bricks,” signifies for the things fictitious and false that will be injected; “as yesterday and the day before yesterday,” signifies not as in the former state “let them go and gather straw for themselves,” signifies that they should procure for themselves these lowest memory-knowledges; “and the tale of bricks, which they made yesterday and the day before yesterday, ye shall lay upon them,” signifies that the things fictitious and false must be injected in abundance as before; “ye shall not take away from it,” signifies without diminution; “for they are idle,” signifies that they are not assaulted enough; “therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God,” signifies that consequently they have so much thought about such worship; “let the service be made heavier upon the men,” signifies that the assault should be increased; “and let them do it,” signifies to obtain the effect; “and let them not regard the words of a lie,” signifies lest they turn to truths.
7107. And Pharaoh said. That this signifies the will of those who infest the truths of the church, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being will (of which in what follows); and from the representation of Pharaoh, as being those who infest the truths of the church (see n. 6651, 6679, 6683), thus who infest those who are of the spiritual church, for these are said to be in the truths of the church. That “saying” signifies to will, or the will, is because it involves the things which follow it; for when anyone wills anything, he utters it. As “he saith” involves the things which follow, it consequently signifies various things, as command (n. 7036); exhortation (n. 5012, 7033, 7090); communication (n. 3060, 4131, 6228); thought (n. 7094); properly, perception (n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2862, 3509, 5687).
7108. Behold the people of the land are now many. That this signifies the multitude of those who are of the spiritual church, is evident from the signification of “the people of the land,” as being those who are of the spiritual church (see n. 2928) for by “people” are signified those who are in the truths of faith (n. 1259, 1260, 3581), and by “land” is signified the church (n. 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4447, 4535, 4577).
7109. And ye have made them cease from their burdens. That this signifies that they have not infested enough, is evident from the signification of “burdens,” as being infestations by falsities and the consequent combats (see n. 6757, 7104, 7105); hence “to make them cease from their burdens” denotes that they have not infested enough.
7110. And Pharaoh commanded in that day. That this signifies the cupidity of infesting the truths of the church while in that state, is evident from the signification of “commanding,” as being a mandate, and as in a mandate of the evil there is the cupidity of doing evil (for this is the source of the mandate that comes from them), therefore here by “he commanded” is also signified cupidity from the representation of Pharaoh, as being those who infest the truths of the church (see n. 6651, 6679, 6683); and from the signification of “day,” as being state (n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850).
7111. The taskmasters in the people, and their officers, saying. That this signifies those who most closely infest, and those who most closely receive, is evident from the signification of “taskmasters,” as being those who compel to serve (see n. 6852), and as this is effected by means of infestations, by “taskmasters” are also signified those who infest, but who most closely infest (of whom below); and from the signification of “officers,” as being those who most closely receive; for the officers were of the sons of Israel, and the taskmasters were of the Egyptians, as is evident from what follows. Thus in the internal sense the “officers” are they who most closely receive, and the “taskmasters” those who most closely infest.
[2] Who these are can be known from those in the other life who infest and inject falsities and evils, and from those who receive and communicate them. They who infest and inject falsities and evils are the hells, but in order that they may effect their purpose, they send forth from themselves emissaries, through whom they act. These appear not far from those who are being infested; and this is done in order that the thoughts and intentions of many may be concentrated, for otherwise they would be dispersed. These emissaries appear in certain fixed places of their own in the world of spirits, and from the very places where they appear it can be known from what hell they are; some appear above the head at various altitudes and in various directions; some near the head to the right or to the left, and also behind it; some below the head in various situations relatively to the body, in planes from the head down to the soles of the feet. They flow in with such things as are ejected from hell, and the spirit or the man does not perceive or know otherwise than that the things which flow in are in himself; that is, that he himself thinks and intends them. These emissaries are called “subjects” (of whom see what was shown above, from experience, n. 4403, 5856, 5983-5989). As these infest the most closely, they are signified by the “taskmasters;” but they who receive from them and communicate are the “officers,” and are intermediate spirits; for as before said the officers were of the sons of Israel, but the taskmasters were of the Egyptians.
[3] Those were called “officers” among the Israelitish and Jewish people, who said what was to be done, and who gave commandment; wherefore they also sat in the gates with the judges and elders, and spoke to the people the sentences of judgment, and also the things commanded by the leader, as can be seen from the following passages in Moses:
Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, according to thy tribes, who shall judge the people with the judgment of justice (Deut. 16:18).
When they shall go forth to war, the priest shall speak to the people, and shall admonish them not to be afraid; afterward the officers shall say that he who has built a house shall return, and also the fearful (Deut. 20:3, 5, 8).
In Joshua:
Joshua commanded the officers to say to the people that they should prepare provision for the journey, before they passed over Jordan (Josh. 1:10-11).
At the end of three days it came to pass, when the officers passed through the midst of the camp, they gave commandment that when they saw the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, they should also go forward (Josh. 3:2-3).
That the officers were governors of the people, distinct from their princes, see Deut. 1:15; also that they were distinct from the elders, Deut. 31:28; and from the judges, Joshua 8:33.
7112. Ye shall no more give the people straw. That this signifies the lowest memory-knowledges and the most general of all, is evident from the signification of “chaff” or “straw,” as being truths of memory-knowledge (see n. 3114), and indeed memory-knowledges the lowest and most general of all, for the lowest food in a spiritual sense is straw or chaff, because it is the food of beasts. Those knowledges are called lowest which are full of fallacies of the senses, which the evil abuse to pervert goods and truths, and thus to defend evils and falsities; for on account of fallacies these knowledges can be turned in favor of principles of falsity and of cupidities of evil. Moreover such knowledges are the most general of all, and unless they are filled with truths less general and more particular, they may be of service to falsities and evils, but in proportion as they are filled with truths, they are of less service to them. Such are the knowledges whereby they who in the world have professed faith alone, and yet have lived a life of evil, infest the upright in the other life; but as these knowledges are dispelled by the angels, it is now said that they should not give straw to make brick, that is, that they did not add these to the fictitious and false things that would be injected. Such is the internal sense of these words, which indeed appears remote from the sense of the letter; but be it known that there is nothing in the natural world which does not correspond to something in the spiritual world; and the angels with a man understand all things spiritually which the man understands naturally; they do not know what straw is, nor bricks; such things were known to them when they were in the world, but were forgotten when they came into heaven, because there they put on spiritual things. Hence it is that when the angels perceive the ideas of such things with a man, they turn them into corresponding spiritual things. That “straw” or “grass” denotes the lowest memory-knowledge, and that “bricks” denote things fictitious and false, can be seen from many considerations; for all herbage and straw have no other signification; but seeds, barley, wheat, and the like denote interior truths and goods; and stones not artificial denote truths.
7113. To make bricks. That this signifies to make things fictitious and false that will be injected, is evident from the signification of “making bricks,” as being to invent falsities (see n. 1296, 6669). In the historic sense of the letter it is said that the sons of Israel made bricks, and thus as it were that they invented falsities; but in the internal sense it is signified that the infernals who are in falsities injected them And since – as before said – such things appear to pertain to those who receive them, the sense of the letter is according to the appearance, which, however, is explained by the internal sense. (That there are very many such things in the sense of the letter, see n. 5094, 6400, 6948.)
7114. As yesterday and the day before yesterday. That this signifies not as in the former state, is evident from the signification of “yesterday and the day before yesterday,” as being what is past (see n. 6983); and as all times signify states (n. 2625, 2788, 2837, 3254, 3356, 4814, 4882, 4901, 4916), therefore “yesterday and the day before yesterday” signifies the former state.
7115. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. That this signifies that they should procure for themselves these lowest memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of “gathering” as being to procure; and from the signification of “straw,” as being the lowest memory-knowledges (of which just above, n. 7112).
7116. And the tale of the bricks which they made yesterday and the day before yesterday, ye shall lay upon them. That this signifies that things fictitious and false must be injected in abundance as in the former state, is clear from the signification of “the tale,” as being abundance, here the same abundance; from the signification of “bricks,” as being things fictitious and false (of which just above, n. 7113); from the signification of “yesterday and the day before yesterday,” as being the former state (of which also just above, n. 7114); and from the signification of “laying upon them,” as being to inject, because it is said of things fictitious and false. From all this it is evident that by “laying upon them the tale of the bricks which they made yesterday and the day before yesterday” is signified that things fictitious and false were to be injected in the same abundance as in the former state.
7117. Ye shall not take away from it. That this signifies without diminution, is evident without explication.
7118. For they are idle. That this signifies that they are not assaulted enough, is evident from the signification of “being idle,” as being not to be sufficiently infested by falsities, thus not to be assaulted enough. How the case herein is can also be known from those who are being infested by falsities in the other life. They who infest, as far as possible hinder the upright whom they infest from thinking about the Lord; as soon as any thought of the Lord openly occurs, they at once take it away, which they know how to do in a skillful manner. But as with those who are being infested, thought about the Lord is nevertheless universal, thus too interior to be in plain view (for it flows in through heaven), therefore as soon as they cease to be infested, they come into thought about the Lord, for that which flows in from heaven and reigns universally, reveals itself in every free state. From all this it is evident what is the internal sense of the words “for they are idle, therefore they cry, saying Let us go and sacrifice to our God.”
7119. Therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice unto our God. That this signifies that consequently they have so much thought about such worship, is evident from the signification of “crying,” as here being thought; for by “saying” and “speaking” is signified thought (see n. 2271, 2287, 7094), and therefore also by “crying,” but by “crying” is signified strong thought and with full intention of doing, hence it is said “so much thought;” and from the signification of “sacrificing to their God,” as being the worship of the Lord (n. 6905, 7101). But because Pharaoh said that he did not know Jehovah (n. 7095, 7097), and because the Egyptians were averse to sacrifices (n. 1343), and because Moses said that they would go a way of three days into the wilderness (n. 6904, 7100), therefore it is said, “such worship.”
7120. Let the service be made heavier upon the men. That this signifies that the assault should be increased, is evident from the signification of “making heavier,” as being to be increased; from the signification of “service,” when said by those who infest by means of falsities, as being the intention to subjugate (n. 6666, 6670, 6671), thus assault, for they intend to subjugate by means of this assault; and from the signification of “the men,” as being those who are of the spiritual church. There are two words in the original language which signify man; the one is “Adam,” and the other “Enosh.” By the man called “Adam” is meant the man of the celestial church; but by the man called “Enosh” is meant the man of the spiritual church. Here “the men” are expressed by “Enosh,” because the subject treated of is those who are of the spiritual church.
7121. And let them do it. That this signifies to obtain the effect, is evident without explication.
7122. And let them not regard the words of a lie. That this signifies lest they turn to truths, is evident from the signification of “regarding,” as being to turn one’s self; and from the signification of “the words of a lie,” when said by those who are in falsities, as being truths; for they who are in falsities call truths falsities, thus “the words of a lie;” and falsities they call truths, for they are in what is opposite.
In these verses, in the internal sense, there has now been described the infestation by falsities of the upright in the other life; and there has also been set forth the way in which they are infested. Such infestation is permitted to the end that falsities may be removed, and truths be instilled, which cannot possibly be done without infestation; for after death there clings to a man, and there is in his memories, everything of his thought in the world, of his intention, of his will, of his speech, and of his action, for nothing is obliterated. That these things have been impressed on his memories, especially on the interior memory, which is properly the memory of his spirit, see n. 2469, 2470, 2474, 2475. And this being so, it must needs be that there cling to him things foul and filthy, and also evil and false, from his life in the world; and which cause the truths which the man has also learned, and the goods which he has imbued, to be hidden. For truths and goods cannot come forth among such things; and therefore before truths and goods can appear, and the man be thus associated with those who are in heaven, it is necessary that these evils and falsities be uncovered, so that he may see them and know them, and thus learn what is true and what is good. This cannot possibly be done without combat with the evils and falsities in himself; which combat takes place actually, the evil spirits exciting falsities and evils, and the angels excusing if the end has been good, and instilling truths. This is perceived as if it were in himself, as is the case with temptation in man, which is felt no otherwise than as being in him, when yet it is the combat of angels with evil spirits outside of him (see n. 3927, 4249, 4307, 5036, 6657). That this is so has been granted me to know with certainty from much experience. These things have been said in order that it may be known why infestation by falsities takes place with those who are of the spiritual church, which infestation has been treated of in the above verses, and is treated of also in those which follow.
7123. Verses 10-13. And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, Thus said Pharaoh, I will by no means give you straw. Go ye yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it; for nothing whatever shall be taken away from your service. And the people scattered into all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. And the taskmasters were urgent, saying, Complete ye your works, the work of a day in its day, as when there was straw. “And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers,” signifies the sending forth and presence of those who most closely infest, and of those who most closely receive; “and they spoke to the people, saying,” signifies perception; “Thus said Pharaoh,” signifies about the infestations; “I will by no means give you straw,” signifies no longer thence the most general memory-knowledges; “Go ye yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it,” signifies that they should procure these for themselves elsewhere, wherever they could; “for nothing whatever shall be taken away from your service,” signifies injections of falsities without diminution; “and the people scattered into all the land of Egypt,” signifies that they overspread the natural mind on every side; “to gather stubble for straw,” signifies to find some truth of memory-knowledge; “and the taskmasters were urgent,” signifies that they who most closely infested were insistent; “saying, Complete ye your works, the work of a day in its day,” signifies that they should serve falsities so called in every state; “as when there was straw,” signifies just as they served their truths so called.
7124. And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers. That this signifies the sending forth and presence of those who most closely infest, and of those who most closely receive, is evident from the signification of “going out,” as being a sending forth, because they who are signified by “taskmasters” are sent forth in order to serve as a means of communication, as can be seen from what was said above (n. 7111); moreover, that “to go out” denotes to present oneself before another in a form accommodated to him, see n. 5337; therefore it also denotes presence; from the signification of “taskmasters,” as being those who most closely infest; and from the signification of “officers,” as being those who most closely receive and communicate the infestations (n. 7111).
7125. And they spoke to the people, saying. That this signifies perception, is evident from the signification of “saying,” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception (see n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2862, 3509, 5687).
7126. Thus said Pharaoh. That this signifies about the infestations, is evident from the representation of Pharaoh, as being those who infest such as are of the spiritual church (see what has been said above), thus it denotes infestation.
7127. I will by no means give you straw. That this signifies no longer thence the most general memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of “by no means giving,” as being no longer to furnish; and from the signification of “straw,” as being the most general memory-knowledges of all (see n. 7112). How the case herein is has already been told. But it must be told further, that in the other life those who have been of the church, and have persuaded themselves that faith alone saves, yet have not lived the life of faith, but a life of evil, especially put straw (that is, the most general memory-knowledges of all) before the upright whom they are infesting. These men are of the same character there as they had been in the world; they are acquainted with confirming arguments in favor of faith alone, by which they say that man is saved no matter how he had lived; but these confirming arguments are nothing but reasonings that agree with the given proposition; for everything, even what is most false, can be confirmed by reasonings, and can also be presented to the simple as true, by means of the arts of eloquence and of inference.
[2] For this purpose they especially employ such things from the Word as are the most general of all, and which without the internal sense of the word can be drawn to favor any opinion whatever. Such are the things which they put before those who are of the spiritual church; and by means of which they infest them; although they are nothing but chaff or straw for making bricks, for they exclude the most essential thing of all, namely, charity.
They indeed say that works of charity are the fruits of faith, but still they make these works of no account, and persuade their hearers that man is saved by faith alone no matter what his life has been, even in life’s last moments; thus by faith without its fruits, consequently without the life of faith and charity.
[3] So long as such things are put before the upright in the other life, these wield fighting arguments, and are able to defend themselves, for they see that reasonings are fallacious when the essential, which is charity, is thus excluded, and also when they see that no regard is paid to the life. From everything in the other life, both in general and in particular, they see these things as in clear day. Such then is what is meant by the memory-knowledges the lowest and most general of all, which are signified by “straw.” They who have persuaded themselves that faith alone saves, and yet have lived a life of evil, are in hell at a considerable depth toward the right, a little in front; and I have heard them from thence infesting the upright with reasonings; but these, being led of the Lord by the angels, rejected the reasonings as being empty, and they also exposed the fallacies which were in the confirmations and arguments from the general things of the Word.
7128. Go ye yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it. That this signifies that they should procure these for themselves elsewhere, wherever they could, is evident from the signification of “getting wherever they could find,” as being to procure for themselves elsewhere, wherever they could; and from the signification of “straw,” as being memory-knowledges, the lowest and most general of all (n. 7112, 7127).
7129. For nothing whatever shall be taken away from your service. That this signifies injections of falsities without diminution, is evident from the signification of “nothing whatever being taken away,” as being without diminution; and from the signification of “service,” as being an assault by falsities (see above, n. 7120), thus also infestation.
7130. And the people scattered into all the land of Egypt. That this signifies that they overspread the natural mind on every side, is evident from the signification of “scattering themselves,” as being to overspread; and from the signification of the “land of Egypt,” as being the natural mind (n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301). There are two minds in man; one is the natural, and the other the rational mind; the natural mind is the mind of the external man, but the rational mind is the mind of the internal man. The things of the natural mind are called memory-knowledges, but those of the rational mind are called intellectual reasons; they are also distinguished from each other by the fact that the things of the natural mind are for the most part in the light of the world, which is called the light of nature; whereas the things of the rational mind are in the light of heaven, which light is spiritual light.
7131. To gather stubble for straw. That this signifies to find some truth of memory-knowledge,* is evident from the signification of “stubble for straw,” as being the truth of memory-knowledge, for “stubble” denotes such truth as is accommodated to the memory-knowledge that is signified by “straw.” That “stubble” denotes such truth is because it is the stalk in the top of which is the seed, and by “seeds” in the word are signified truths and goods; thus by the stalk which is beneath them is signified the general vessel of truth, consequently the truth of memory-knowledge; for the memory-knowledges of faith and charity are indeed truths, but general truths, thus are the recipient vessels of particular and singular truths, as can also be seen by everyone. For example: it is a truth of memory-knowledge that charity toward the neighbor is the essential of the church; also that faith cannot be except where charity is; and likewise that truth and good can be conjoined, but not truth and evil, nor good and falsity; besides many similar truths, which are truths of memory-knowledge. That these can be enriched with innumerable things, can be seen from the fact that volumes can be written about them, and yet the singular truths, which are the interior things of faith, can never be described, for these can only be seen in the light of heaven, and do not fall into natural words. These truths are like charity, which is spiritual affection, and which for the most part cannot be expressed by words, except its most general things, namely, those which put on a natural dress, and which can be compared with such things as are in the world. These things have been said in order that it may be known what general memory-knowledges are.
* Latin verum scientificum. This, as here defined, is such truth as is accommodated to, or is fitted into memory- knowledge, and which is “a general vessel of truth.” Such is the verum scientificum, or truth of memory-knowledge.–Reviser.
7132. And the taskmasters were urgent. That this signifies that they who most closely infest were insistent, is evident from the signification of “taskmasters,” as being those who most closely infest (see n. 7111); and from the signification of “urging,” as being to insist.
7133. Saying, Complete ye your works, the work of a day in its day. That this signifies that they should serve falsities so called in every state, is evident from the signification of “completing your works,” as being to serve falsities; for by “making bricks” are signified things fictitious and false that are injected (see n. 7113), and as these are the works which they were to complete, it signifies that they should serve these; it is said “falsities so called,” because the evil do not acknowledge the falsities which they speak as being falsities, but as being truths; and from the signification of “the work of a day in its day,” as being in every state (that a “day” denotes state, see n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850).
7134. As when there was straw. That this signifies just as they served their truths so called, is evident from the signification of “straw;” as being general memory-knowledge, which is the vessel of truth (see n. 7112, 7131). It is said “truths so called,” because these words are spoken by the evil, who do not acknowledge truths to be truths.