Spiritual Meaning of EXODUS 2:20-22
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AC 6787. Verses 20-22. And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is this that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread. And Moses was willing to dwell with the man; and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. And she bare a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, I have been a sojourner in a strange land. "And he said unto his daughters," signifies thought concerning the holy things of the church; "and where is he? why is this that ye have left the man?" signifies how without that truth could they be conjoined with the good of the church; "call him," signifies that it must be conjoined; "that he may eat bread," signifies confirmation in good; "and Moses was willing to dwell with the man," signifies that they were in agreement; "and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter," signifies that he adjoined to it the good of his church; "and she bare a son," signifies truths thence; "and he called his name Gershom," signifies their quality; "for he said, I have been a sojourner in a strange land," signifies that he was instructed in truths in a church not his own.

AC 6788. And he said unto his daughters. That this signifies thought concerning the holy things of the church, is evident from the signification of "saying," as being thought (n. 3395); and from the signification of "daughters," as being the holy things of the church (n. 6775). The holy things which are here signified by "daughters" are truths. In the Word these are called "holy," by reason that the truths which with man become truths of faith, are from good; and because that which proceeds from the Lord‘s Divine Human is Divine truth from Divine good. Hence it is that the "Holy Spirit" is the holy which proceeds from the Lord; for the Spirit itself does not proceed, but the holy which the Spirit speaks, as everyone can understand who considers the matter. That the Holy Spirit, which is also called the "Paraclete," is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord’s Divine Human, and that the holy is predicated of the Divine truth, is evident from the Lord‘s words in John:--

If these passages are collated with many others, it can he understood that the Holy Spirit is the holy which proceeds from the Lord’s Divine Human; for the Lord says, "Whom the Father shall send in My name;" also, "Whom I will send unto you from the Father;" and further, "He shall take of Mine and declare it unto you; all things that the Father hath are Mine, therefore said 1, that He shall take of Mine, and shall declare it unto you." It is also evident that the holy is predicated of truth, for the Paraclete is called the "Spirit of truth."

AC 6789. And where is he? why is this that ye have left the man? That this signifies how without that truth could they he conjoined with the good of the church, is evident from the signification of an "Egyptian," who is here "the man whom they had left," as being true memory-knowledge (n. 6784); and from the signification of "why is this that ye have left the man?" as being how without that truth could they be conjoined with good, for "to leave the man" here denotes not to be able to be conjoined.

[2] How the case herein is, shall be told. True memory-knowledge, which is here represented by Moses, is the truth of the external church; this truth arises from the truth which is of the law from the Divine, which truth also is "Moses" (n. 6771, 6780), and the truth which is of the law from the Divine is the truth of the internal church. Unless external truth is from internal truth, it cannot be conjoined with good. Take the Word as an illustration. Unless the internal of the Word flows in with those who read the Word and abide in the literal sense, no conjunction is effected of truth from the Word with good; and the internal of the Word flows in and is conjoined with good when the man esteems the Word holy; and he esteems it holy when he is in good.

[3] Take as another illustration the Holy Supper. Scarcely any know that the "bread" therein signifies the Lord‘s love toward the universal human race, and the reciprocity of man; and that the "wine" signifies charity. Nevertheless, with those who receive the bread and wine holily, conjunction is effected with heaven and with the Lord through these; and the goods of love and charity flow in through the angels, who then do not thing of bread and wine, but of love and charity (n. 3464, 3735, 5915). Hence it is evident that external truth is conjoined with internal truth when the man is in good, without his knowing it.

AC 6790. Call him. That this signifies that it should be conjoined, is evident from the signification of "calling," as being to be conjoined (n. 6047).

AC 6791. That he may eat bread. That this signifies confirmation in good, is evident from the signification of "bread," as being the good of love (n. 2165, 2177, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735). That "to eat bread" denotes confirmation in good, is because by "eating" is here meant an eating together, which in the Word is called a "feast." Eating together or feasts took place among the ancients within the church for the sake of conjunction, and of confirmation in good (n. 3596, 3832, 5161).

AC 6792. And Moses was willing to dwell with the man. That this signifies that they were in agreement, is evident from the representation of Moses, as here being true memory-knowledge (n. 6784); from the signification of "dwelling," as being to live (n. 1293, 3384, 3613), and of "dwelling with" anyone, as being to live together (n. 4451), consequently to be in agreement; and from the signification of a "man," as being the truth of the good of that church. A "man" is truth, (n. 3134).

AC 6793. And he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. That this signifies that he adjoined to it the good of his church, is evident from the signification of "giving," namely, to wife, as being to adjoin; from the signification of "daughter," as being good (n. 489-491), and also the church (n. 2362, 3963, 6729), "Zipporah" signifying the quality of the good of that church; and from the representation of Moses, as being true memory-knowledge (n. 6784).

AC 6794. And she bare a son. That this signifies truths thence derived, is evident from the signification of "bearing," as being said of the things of the church, which are faith and charity, these births springing from the heavenly marriage, which is that of good and truth, which marriage is represented by marriages on earth; and from the signification of a "son," as being truth (n. 489, 491, 533, 2623, 3373).

AC 6795. And he called his name Gershom. That this signifies the quality thereof, namely, of truths, is evident from the signification of a "name," and of "calling by name," as being the quality (n. 144, 145, 1754, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3421, 6674). The name "Gershom" involves the quality of these truths, namely, that they are those in which he was instructed in a church not his own, as now follows.

AC 6796. For he said, I have been a sojourner in a strange land. That this signifies that he was instructed in truths in a church not his own, is evident from the signification of "to be a sojourner," as being one who is instructed in the things of the church; and from the signification of "land," as being the church (n. 662, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 2928, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577); hence "a strange land" is a church not one’s own.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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