Spiritual Meaning of EXODUS 16:1
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AC 8396. Verse 1. And they journeyed from Elim, and all the assemblage of the sons of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, in the fifteenth day of the second month of their going out of the land of Egypt. "And they journeyed from Elim," signifies what is successive; "and all the assemblage of the sons of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin," signifies unto another state of temptation; "which is between Elim and Sinai," signifies what is continuous and its quality; "In the fifteenth day of the second month," signifies the state relatively; "of their going out of the land of Egypt," signifies to their state when they were first liberated from infestations.

AC 8397. And they journeyed from Elim. That this signifies what is successive, is evident from the signification of "journeying," as being what is successive and continuous (n. 4375, 4554, 4585, 5996, 8181, 8345); and from the signification of "Elim," as being a state of consolation after temptation (n. 8367), consequently by "they journeyed from Elim," is signified what is successive of life in respect to states of temptations. For when those who are of the spiritual church are undergoing temptations, they are brought from one temptation into another. This is the successive that is here signified by "journeying." That "journeying" signifies what is successive of life, is because there are no spaces, as there are no times, in the other life; but states instead of them (n. 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387, 4321, 4882, 5605, 7381). Consequently movements do not signify movements, nor journeyings, journeyings; but changes and successions of states.

AC 8398. And all the assemblage of the sons of Israel came into the wilderness of Sin. That this signifies unto another state of temptation, is evident from the signification of "coming," as being the abode of the successive that is signified by "journeying" (n. 8397); from the signification of "the assemblage of the sons of Israel," as being those who are of the spiritual church (n. 7843); from the signification of "the wilderness," as being a state of undergoing temptations (n. 8098); and from the signification of "Sin," as being the quality of this state; for names include the whole quality of the state of the thing treated of, as has been abundantly shown above. From the temptation which is signified by the murmuring on account of the lack of bread and flesh, and from the consolation afterward which is signified by the manna and the quail, it is evident what "Sin" signifies, namely, the good which is from truth. Consequently "Sin," which was a city of Egypt, and from which the wilderness of Sin took its name, in the opposite sense signifies the evil which is from falsity, in Ezekiel:--

[2] here are treated of those who are in memory-knowledges, and hatch therefrom falsities from which are evils; "Egypt" here denotes memory-knowledge; "Sin," the evil which is from falsity; and "No," the falsity from which is evil. That a deeper sense lies concealed here than that which stands forth in the letter, can be seen by everyone from this consideration alone--that the Word is Divine, and that, unless a deeper sense were in it, there would be scarcely any sense that can be apprehended, still less a sense containing what is holy. Hence it is very manifest that the names in the Word denote things, and that from them there results a general sense that is worthy of the Word which is from Jehovah. He who acknowledges the Word to be Divine cannot possibly deny this, provided he is willing to think from reason, or to form conclusions from an understanding that is for a while enlightened.

AC 8399. Which is between Elim and Sinai. That this signifies what is continuous and its quality, is evident from the signification of "Elim," and from the signification of "Sinai," from which it is clear what that which is "between" signifies. For "Elim," from the fountains and palm-trees which were there, signifies the truth and good that belong to consolation after temptation (Exod. 15:27); and "Sinai," from the law which was there promulgated, signifies good and the derivative truth; consequently what is continuous and the quality that is signified by "Sin," are the good that is from truth. The good that is from truth is the good that is in the spiritual man before regeneration, for he then does good from truth, that is, because it has been so commanded, consequently from obedience; whereas the good from which is truth is the good which is in the spiritual man after regeneration, for he then does good from affection. The former good is signified by "Sin," the latter by "Sinai."

AC 8400. In the fifteenth day of the second month. That this signifies the state relatively, is evident from the signification of the number "fifteen," from the signification of "day," and from the signification of "month." By "month" is signified the end of a former state and the beginning of the following state, thus a new state (n. 3814); by "day" is signified state in general (n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850, 7680); and by "fifteenth" is signified what is new, for by "fourteen days," or "two weeks," is signified an entire period, or a state from its beginning to its end (n. 728, 2044, 3845); consequently by "fifteen" is signified what is new, here what is new in life, which is signified by the manna that they received from heaven; for "manna" denotes the good of truth, which is the life of the spiritual man. For the like is signified by "fifteen" as by "eight," because the eighth day is the first day of the following "week. "Eighth" denotes any beginning, thus what is new as distinguished from what was before, (n. 2044, 2866); and all numbers in the Word signify things, (n. 482, 487, 575, 647, 648, 755, 813, 1963, 1988, 2075, 2252, 3252, 4264, 4495, 4670, 5265, 6175).

AC 8401. Of their going out of the land of Egypt. That this signifies to their state when they were first liberated from infestations, is evident from the signification of "going out" and "being brought out," as being to be liberated; and from the signification of "the land of Egypt," as being infestations on the part of those who are in evil and the derivative falsities (n. 7278).

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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