ACV9 S05 6728-6753

Click to Print Reading 6728. Verses 5-9. And Pharaoh's daughter came down to wash at the river; and her girls were going at the side of the river; and she saw the ark in the midst of the sedge, and sent her handmaid, and took it. And she opened it and saw him, the child; and behold the boy wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. And his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call thee a woman, a nurse, from the Hebrew women, that she may suckle the child for thee? And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the girl went, and called the mother of the child. And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Take this child to thee, and suckle him for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child and suckled him. "And Pharaoh's daughter came down," signifies the religiosity there; "to wash at the river," signifies worship from falsity; "and her girls were going at the side of the river," signifies the ministries of that religiosity that was from falsity; "and she saw the ark in the midst of the sedge," signifies a perception of truth that it was of low value among false memory-knowledge; "and she sent her handmaid," signifies service; "and took it," signifies curiosity; "and she opened it, and saw him, the child," signifies investigation of its quality, and a perception that it was truth from the Divine; "and behold the boy wept," signifies sadness; "and she had compassion on him," signifies admonition from the Divine; "and she said, This is one of the Hebrews' children," signifies that it was of the church itself; "and his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter," signifies the truth of the church near the religiosity there; "Shall I go and call thee a woman a nurse from the Hebrew women?" signifies perception that good was to be instilled therein by the church itself; "and Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go," signifies consent from the religiosity there; "and the girl went and called the mother of the child," signifies the truth of good of the church, that it adjoined the things of the church; "and Pharaoh's daughter said to her," signifies consent from the religiosity there; "take this child to thee," signifies that it should adjoin it to itself; "and suckle him for me," signifies that it should insinuate into it good suited to the religiosity; "and I will give thee thy wages," signifies recompense; "and the woman took the child, and suckled him," signifies that good was instilled into it by the church. 6729. And Pharaoh's daughter came down. That this signifies the religiosity there, is evident from the signification of "daughter," as being the affection of truth and good, and hence the church (see n. 2362, 3963); and in the opposite sense the affection of falsity and evil, and hence the religiosity that is from these (n. 3024); here a religiosity from false memory-knowledges, because it was the daughter of Pharaoh, for by Pharaoh is here represented false memory-knowledge (see n. 6651, 6679, 6683, 6692). That by "daughters" in the Word are signified churches, can be seen from the numerous passages in which the church is called the "daughter of Zion," and the "daughter of Jerusalem;" and that by "daughters" are also signified the false religiosities of many nations, is plain also from the passages in which these are called "daughters;" as the "daughter of Tyre" (Ps. 45:12); the "daughter of Edom" (Lam. 4:22); the "daughter of the Chaldeans" and "of Babylon" (Isa. 47:1, 5; Jer. 50:41, 42; 51:33; Zech. 2:7; Ps. 137:8); the "daughter of the Philistines" (Ezek. 16:27, 57); the "daughter of Tarshish" (Isa. 23:10); the "daughter of Egypt," in Jeremiah: Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt. Make thee vessels of migration, O thou inhabitress daughter of Egypt. The daughter of Egypt is put to shame; she is given into the hand of the people of the north (Jer. 46:11, 19, 24); the "daughter of Egypt" denotes the affection of reasoning about the truths of faith, whether a thing be so, from memory-knowledges, when what is negative reigns; thus it denotes the religiosity which thence arises, which is of such nature that nothing but falsity is believed. 6730. To wash at the river. That this signifies worship from falsity, is evident from the signification of "washing," as being purification from filth spiritually understood (see n. 3147), hence it denotes worship, because worship is for the sake of purification; and from the signification of "river," in this case the river of Egypt, as being falsity (see n. 6693). 6731. And her girls were going at the side of the river. That this signifies the ministries of that religiosity that was from falsity, is evident from the signification of "girls," as being ministries, for when the "daughter of Pharaoh" signifies a religiosity, her "girls" signify its ministries; and from the signification of the "river," as being falsity (see n. 6730). Thus the ministries of a religiosity from falsity are signified by "the girls going at the side of the river." 6732. And she saw the ark in the midst of the sedge. That this signifies a perception of truth that it was of low value among false memory-knowledge, is evident from the signification of "seeing," as being a perception (n. 2150, 3764, 4567, 4723, 5400); from the signification of an "ark of rush," as being what is of low value but nevertheless derived from truth (n. 6723), thus truth which is of low value; and from the signification of "sedge," as being false memory-knowledge (n. 6726); thus "in the midst of the sedge" denotes among such memory-knowledge. How the case herein is has been unfolded above. 6733. And she sent her handmaid. That this signifies service is evident without explication. 6734. And took it. That this signifies curiosity, is evident from the signification of "taking it," namely, the ark, when it was perceived that there was some truth that was of low value among the memory-knowledge (n. 6732), as being curiosity, namely, to know the quality of that truth. 6735. And she opened it, and saw him, the child. That this signifies investigation of its quality, and a perception that it was truth from the Divine, is evident from the signification of "to open," as being to investigate of what quality it was, for he who opens in order to see what and of what quality a thing is, investigates; and from the signification of "seeing" as being perception (see n. 6732); and from the representation of Moses, who is here "the child," as being the law Divine or truth Divine (of which in what follows), thus truth from the Divine. 6736. And behold the boy wept. That this signifies sadness, is evident without explication. 6737. And she had compassion on him. That this signifies admonition from the Divine, is evident from the signification of "having compassion," as being an influx of charity from the Lord; for when anyone from charity sees another in misery (as here Pharaoh's daughter saw the child in the ark of rush and weeping), compassion arises; and as this is from the Lord, it is an admonition. Moreover, when they who are in perception feel compassion, they know that they are admonished by the Lord to give aid. 6738. And she said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. That this signifies that it was of the church itself, is evident from the signification of "the Hebrews," as being the things of the church (see n. 6675, 6684); thus the "children of the Hebrews" denote those who are of the church itself. That the "Hebrews" signify the things of the church, is because when the Ancient Church ceased, the Hebrew Church, which was the second Ancient Church, began. This church retained many of the representatives and significatives of the Ancient Church, and also acknowledged Jehovah; hence it is that by the "Hebrews" is signified the church. (Concerning the Hebrew Church, see n. 1238, 1241, 1343, 4516, 4517, 4874, 5136.) 6739. And his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter. That this signifies the truth of the church near the religiosity there, is evident from the signification of "sister," as being the truth of the church (see n. 6727); and from the signification of "Pharaoh's daughter," as being the religiosity there (n. 6729). Near is signified by her being at hand when Pharaoh's daughter opened the ark. 6740. Shall I go and call thee a woman a nurse from the Hebrew women? That this signifies perception that there was to be instilled therein good from the church itself, is evident from the signification of "a woman, a nurse," as being the instilling of good (see n. 4563), for by the milk which the nurse gently introduces is signified the good of truth, or what is the same, the celestial spiritual (n. 2184); and from the signification of "the Hebrew women," as being the things of the church (n. 6675, 6684). Its being a perception that good thence derived was to be instilled is signified by her saying, "Shall I go and call?" because in the internal sense the truth of good which has perception is meant; but in the sense of the letter is meant a girl who had no perception. That a "nurse" denotes the instilling of good, is plain also in Isaiah: They shall bring thy sons in their bosom, and thy daughters shall be carried upon the shoulder. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers (Isa. 49:22-23); "kings shall be thy nursing fathers" denotes the instilling of truth, which is of intelligence; "queens, nursing mothers," denotes the instilling of good, which is of wisdom. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all are gathered together, they come to thee; thy sons come from far, and thy daughters are carried by nurses at the side (Isa. 60:4); "sons who come from far" denote truths with the Gentiles, which being far off from the truth of the church, are said to "come from far;" "daughters that are carried by nurses at the side" denote the goods which are continually being instilled; for "daught