ACV9 S06 6754-6769

Click to Print Reading 6754. Verses 11-14. And it came to pass in those days, and Moses grew, and he went out unto his brethren, and saw their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian man smiting a Hebrew man, one of his brethren. And he looked forth hither and thither, and saw that there was no man, and he smote the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. And he went out the second day, and behold two Hebrew men quarreling; and he said to the wicked one, Wherefore smitest thou thy companion? And he said, Who set thee for a man, a prince, and a judge over us? Sayest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely the word is known. "And it came to pass in those days, and Moses grew," signifies when those states lasted, and there was increase in true memory-knowledges; "and he went out unto his brethren," signifies conjunction with the truths of the church; "and saw their burdens," signifies a noticing that they were infested by falsities; "and he saw an Egyptian man smiting a Hebrew man," signifies alienated memory-knowledge endeavoring to destroy the truth of the church; "one of his brethren," signifies with which he was conjoined; "and he looked forth hither and thither, and saw that there was no man," signifies foresight as to whether he was in safety; "and he smote the Egyptian," signifies that he destroyed the alienated memory-knowledge; "and hid him in the sand," signifies that he removed it to where falsities are; "and he went out the second day," signifies conjunction again with the church; "and behold two Hebrew men quarreling," signifies a noticing that within the church they were fighting among themselves; "and he said to the wicked one, Wherefore smitest thou thy companion?" signifies rebuke because one desired to destroy the faith of another; "and he said, Who set thee for a man a prince and a judge over us?" signifies perception that he was not yet so far advanced in the truths of the church as to settle differences within the church; "sayest thou to kill me," signifies wouldest thou destroy my faith; "as thou killedst the Egyptian," signifies as thou hast destroyed falsity; "and Moses feared, and said, Surely the word is known," signifies that he was among alienated memory-knowledges, and not yet in truths so as to be safe. 6755. And it came to pass in those days, and Moses grew. That this signifies when those states lasted, and there was increase in true memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of "days," as being states (see n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850); hence by "it came to pass in those days," denotes when those states lasted; and from the signification of "to grow," as being increase (as above, n. 6749). That the increase was in true memory-knowledges is plain from what has been unfolded above (n. 6751). 6756. And he went out unto his brethren. That this signifies conjunction with the truths of the church, is evident from the signification of "brethren," as being the truths of the church (of which in what follows) and from the signification of "going out unto them," as being to be conjoined with them. As regards "brethren," they sometimes signify the goods, and sometimes the truths of the church; when the celestial church is treated of, they signify goods, and when the spiritual church is treated of, they signify truths, because the celestial church is in good, but the spiritual church in truth. And in ancient times all who were of the church called themselves "brethren." They too who were of the spiritual church called themselves "brethren," from good (see n. 3803); but the men of the internal church did this with a difference according to the quality of the good, thus according to truths, for good has its quality from truths. Afterward, when the church turned aside from good, and hence also from truth, they then no longer called one another "brethren" from spiritual consanguinity and affinity, which are of charity and of faith, but only from natural consanguinity and affinity, and also from friendship. Moreover, they began to be indignant that one of meaner condition should call himself a "brother." The reason was that they made little or nothing of relationship from a spiritual origin, but very much, and indeed everything, of relationships from a natural and civil origin. (That the truths of the church are called "brethren," is evident from the fact that the sons of Jacob represented the truths of the church in the complex, see n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512.) [2] The reason why in ancient times they were called "brethren" from spiritual affinity, was that the new birth, or regeneration, made consanguinities and affinities in a higher degree than natural birth; and because the former derive their origin from one father, that is, from the Lord. Hence it is that men after death, who come into heaven, no longer acknowledge any brother, nor even a mother or father, except from good and truth, in accordance with which they find there new brotherhoods. From this then it is that they who were of the church called one another "brethren." [3] That the sons of Israel called all those "brethren" who were from Jacob, but others "companions," is plain from these passages: I will commingle Egypt with Egypt, that a man shall fight against his brother, and a man against his companion (Isa. 19:2). A man helpeth his companion, and he saith to his brother, Be courageous (Isa. 41:6). Beware ye a man of his companion, and confide ye not upon any brother; for every brother supplanting will supplant, and every companion will slander (Jer. 9:4). [4] That all who were from Jacob called themselves "brethren:"- Then shall they bring all your brethren out of all nations, an offering to Jehovah, upon horses, upon chariot, and upon litters (Isa. 66:20). Thou shalt surely set over them a king, whom Jehovah thy God shall choose; from the midst of thy brethren thou shalt set a king over them; thou mayest not put over them a man a foreigner, who is not their brother (Deut. 17:15). They also called the sons of Esau "brethren," because they were from Jacob, as in Moses: We passed over with our brethren the sons of Esau, who dwell in Seir (Deut. 2:8). [5] That in ancient times they who were of the church called themselves "brethren," was as before said because they acknowledged the Lord as the one only Father, and because from Him they had a new soul and new life. Therefore the Lord says: Be not ye called Rabbi, for one is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren (Matt. 23:8). As spiritual brotherhood is from love, namely, that one may be another's, and they who are in good are "in the Lord, and the Lord in them" (John 14:20), therefore they are called "brethren" by the Lord: Jesus stretching forth His hand toward His disciples said, Behold My mother and My brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of My Father who is in the heavens, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother (Matt. 12:49-50). Insofar as ye have done it to one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it to Me (Matt. 25:40); and He also calls the disciples "brethren" (Matt. 28:10; John 20:17). By "disciples" in the representative sense are meant all who are in the truths of faith and the good of charity. 6757. And saw their burdens. That this signifies a noticing that they were infested by falsities, is evident from the signification of "seeing," as being to notice (of which above, n. 6732); and from the signification of "burdens," as being infestations by falsities; for the burdens which were laid upon the sons of Israel by Pharaoh are in the spiritual sense nothing else. "Pharaoh" denotes false memory-knowledge (n. 6651, 6679, 6683); and infestation by falsities are nothing else than burdens to those who are in truths. How the case is with infestations by falsities, which are burdens to those who are in truths, cannot be known by man during his life in the world; for he is not then so infested, because his mind then either cleaves to falsities or shakes them off, and this without infestation being felt. But in the other life, when those who are in truths are infested by falsities, they are then held by evil spirits as it were bound in them; but the interiors of the mind are held in truths by the Lord, by which truths the falsities are shaken off. The state of infestations by falsities, such as exists in the other life, is here meant in the internal sense, as are many other things; for the Word has been written not for man only, but also for spirits and angels. 6758. And he saw an Egyptian man smiting a Hebrew man. That this signifies alienated memory-knowledge endeavoring to destroy the truth of the church, is evident from the signification of an "Egyptian" as being memory-knowledge alienated from truth (n. 6692); from the signification of "smiting," as being to destroy, here to attempt to destroy, because falsities cannot destroy truths; and from the signification of a "Hebrew man," as being the truth of the church, for by a "man" is signified truth (see n. 3134), and by a "Hebrew," the church (n. 6675, 6684). 6759. One of his brethren. That this signifies with which he was conjoined, is evident from the signification of "brethren," as being the truths of the church (see n. 6756); and as he himself was in these, and it was the truths which are signified by his "brethren" with whom he was conjoined, therefore here, by reason of the connection of things in the internal sense, there is meant conjunction. 6760. And he looked forth hither and thither, and saw that there was no man. That this signifies foresight as to whether he was in safety, can be seen without explication. 6761. And he smote the Egyptian. That this signifies that he destroyed the alienated memory-knowledge, is evident from the signification of "smiting," as being to destroy (as above n. 6758); and from the signification of the "Egyptian,...