Spiritual Meaning of EXODUS 11:1-3
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AC 7764. Verses 1-3. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Yet one plague more will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterward he will let you go from hence; when he lets everything go, driving he shall drive you out from hence. Say now in the ears of the people, and let them ask a man from his companion, and a woman from her companion, vessels of silver and vessels of gold. And Jehovah gave the people favor 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. "And Jehovah said unto Moses," signifies instruction; "Yet one plague more will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt," signifies the end of vastation, which is damnation; "afterward he will let you go from hence," signifies that then they will be left; "when he lets everything go, driving he shall drive you out from hence," signifies that they will leave them completely, and will hold them in aversion, and shun their presence; "say now in the ears of the people," signifies instruction and obedience "and let them ask a man from his companion, and a woman from her companion, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, " signifies that the memory-knowledges of truth and good taken away from the evil who have been of the church, will be bestowed upon the good who are of it "and Jehovah give the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians," signifies the fear of those who are in evils on account of those who are of the spiritual church, by reason of the plagues; "moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt," signifies respect now for truth Divine; "in the eyes of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the eyes of the people," signifies with those who were in subordination there.

AC 7765. And Jehovah said unto Moses. This signifies instruction (n. 7186, 7267, 7304, 7380).

AC 7766. Yet one plague more will bring upon, Pharaoh, and upon Egypt. That this signifies the end of vastation, which is damnation, is evident from the signification of "yet one plague more," as being the last of vastation. That by the plagues brought upon Egypt were signified successive states of vastation, is evident from the explication of what goes before; that the last is damnation, namely, of faith separate from charity, will be seen from what follows; for by the firstborn given up to death in Egypt is signified the damnation of this faith; by "death," the damnation itself; and by "the firstborn," faith. Faith is said to be damned when the things of faith are applied to support falsities and evils; and when they support these, they pass over to their side, and become a means of confirming them. This is the case with those who both in doctrine and in life separate faith from charity; but with these there is no faith; there is only the memory-knowledge of such things as are of faith, which knowledge is by them called faith. This is meant by faith damned. Moreover the subjects themselves in whom the things of faith have been adjoined to falsities and evils, after vastations are in damnation. The damnation is made sensible by the putrid and offensive stench which exhales from them, more than from those who have not been possessed of the things of faith. This is the case in particular as in general; in general, if any evil spirit approaches a heavenly society where there is charity, the stench from him is plainly perceived; in like manner in particular where there had been such things as are of heaven, that is, such as are of faith, and in the same subject also such things as are of hell. From all this it is now evident that by "yet one plague more which shall be brought upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt" is signified the last of vastation, which is damnation; for by Pharaoh are represented those who have infested, and who are here being damned; and by "Egypt" is signified the natural mind (n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301, 6147, 6252).

AC 7767. Afterward he will let you go from hence. That this signifies that then they will be left, is evident from the signification of "to let go," as being to leave.

AC 7768. When he lets everything go, driving he shall drive you out from hence. That this signifies that they will leave them completely, and will hold them in aversion and shun their presence, is evident from the signification of "to let everything go," as being to leave completely; and from the signification of "driving he shall drive you out," as being to hold in aversion and shun those who are of the spiritual church whom they had infested; for he who holds in aversion the presence of anyone, also shuns his presence, and likewise drives him away from him. That they now hold in aversion and shun those who are of the spiritual church, is because the good and the truth which flow in, now torment them. The case herein is like that of painful ulcers which do not endure even the touch of warm water or a breath of air; or like that of an injured eye which cannot bear even the mild rays of the sun. The natural mind of such spirits is now such a sore; for after they have been vastated, that is, after the things that had been of faith have been rejected, they suffer at the least breath of good and truth, whence comes aversion.

AC 7769. Saying now in the ears of the people. That this signifies instruction and obedience, is evident from the signification of "saying," as here being instruction, for Jehovah now says what the sons of Israel were to do when they departed from Egypt. Obedience is signified by "saying in the ears," for the ears correspond to obedience, and consequently signify it (n. 2542, 3869, 4551, 4652-4660).

AC 7770. And let them ask a man from his companion, and a woman from her companion, vessels of silver and vessels of gold. That this signifies that the memory-knowledges of truth and good taken away from the evil who have been of the church, will be bestowed upon the good who are of it, is evident from the signification of "vessels of silver and vessels of gold," as being memory-knowledges of truth and good. "Silver" denotes truth, and "gold" good, (n. 1551, 1552, 2954, 5658, 6112); and "vessels" denote memory-knowledges, (n. 3068, 3079). Memory-knowledges are called vessels of truth and good, because they contain them. It is believed that the memory-knowledges of truth and good are the very truths and goods of faith; but they are not. It is the affections of truth and good that make faith, and these flow into memory-knowledges, as into their vessels. To ask these things of the Egyptians denotes to take them away and adjudge them to themselves. Hence it is said that they should "spoil the Egyptians" (Exod. 3:22); and that they "spoiled them." (Exod. 12:36). Its being said that "a man should ask of his companion and a woman of her companion," is because "man" relates to truth, and "woman" to good, as they also signify them.

[2] How the case herein is, see the explication at (Exodus 3:22), (n. 6914-6917), from which it can be seen that the very memory-knowledges of truth and good which have been possessed by those of the church who have known the arcana of faith and yet have lived a life of evil, are transferred to those who are of the spiritual church. How this transfer is effected, (n. 6914). These things are signified by the Lord‘s words in Matthew:--

[3] The reason is that with the evil the knowledges of good and truth are applied to evil uses, and with the good the knowledges of good and truth are applied to good uses; the knowledges are the same, but the application to uses effects their quality with each person. The case herein is like that of worldly riches, which with one person are disposed for good uses, with another for evil uses; consequently riches are such with each person as are the uses unto which they are disposed. From this also it is evident that the same knowledges, like the same riches, which the evil had possessed, can be with the good and serve for good uses. From all this it can now be seen what is represented by the command that the sons of Israel should ask from the Egyptians vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and should thus deprive and despoil them: such seizure or despoiling would never have been commanded by Jehovah unless it had represented such things in the spiritual world.

[4] Similar to this is what is written in Isaiah:--

speaking of Tyre, by which are signified the knowledges of good and truth (n. 1201); "merchandise" and "meretricious hire" denote knowledges applied to evil uses; that these should be given to the good who will apply them to good uses, is signified by "her merchandise being for them that dwell before Jehovah to eat to sate themselves, and for the ancient one in covering himself."

[5] Also in Micah:--

"to break in pieces many peoples" denotes to devastate them; the "gain which is devoted to Jehovah and to the Lord of the whole earth" denotes the knowledges of truth and good. That David sanctified to Jehovah the silver and the gold that he had taken from the nations which he had subdued, from the Syrians, from Moab, from the sons of Ammon, from the Philistines, from Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer (2 Sam. 8:11, 12); and that Solomon put the sanctified things of his father among the treasures of the house of Jehovah (1 Kings 7:51), involve the like.

AC 7771. And Jehovah gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. That this signifies the fear of those who are in evils on account of those who are of the spiritual church by reason of the plagues, is evident from what was unfolded above (n. 6914), where are like words.

AC 7772. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt. That this signifies respect now for truth Divine, is evident from the representation of Moses, as being truth Divine; from the signification of "very great," as being respect, here respect from fear, for the evil `who are in hell have no other respect for the Divine than that of fear (that "very great" denotes respect, is manifest, for it is said "in the eyes of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the eyes of the people"); and from the signification of "the land of Egypt," as being the natural mind (n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301, 6147, 6252). From this it is evident that by "the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt," is signified respect for truth Divine in the mind, namely, in that of the infesters.

AC 7773. In the eyes of Pharaoh‘s servants, and in the eyes of the people. That this signifies, with those who were in subordination there, is evident from the signification of "servants" and of "people," as being those who are subordinate; for by Pharaoh are represented the chief ones who infested, under whom the rest were subordinate. That the subordinate are signified is because among the evil as well as among the good, that is, in hell as in heaven, there is a form of government, that is, there is rule, and there is subordination, without which society would have no coherence. But the subordinations in heaven are wholly different from the subordinations in hell. In heaven all are like equals, for one loves another as brother loves brother; nevertheless one sets another before himself in proportion as he excels in intelligence and wisdom. The very love of good and truth causes everyone, as it were of himself, to subordinate himself to those who are superior to him in the wisdom of good and the intelligence of truth. But the subordinations in hell are those of despotic authority, and consequently of severity; for he who commands rages fiercely against those who do not favor all his commands; for everyone regards another as his enemy, although outwardly as a friend, for the sake of banding together against the violence of others. This banding together is like that of robbers. They who are subordinate continually aspire to rule, and also frequently break forth in revolt, and then the conditions there are lamentable, for then there are severities and cruelties and this takes place by alternations. From all this it can be seen how the case is with subordinations in the other life.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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