Spiritual Meaning of EXODUS 23:1-3
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AC 9247. Verses 1-3. Thou shalt not take up a report of emptiness.. Put not thy hand with the wicked to be a witness of violence. Thou shalt not be after many to do evils; and thou shalt not answer upon a cause to turn aside after many to pervert it; and thou shalt not reverence a poor man in his cause. "Thou shalt not take up a report of emptiness," signifies no listening to falsities; "put not thy hand with the wicked," signifies no obedience to malignities; "to be a witness of violence," signifies no affirmation of such things as are contrary to the good of charity; "thou shalt not be after many to do evils," signifies no association with such things; "and thou shalt not answer upon a cause to turn aside after many to pervert it," signifies no association with those who turn goods and truths into evils and falsities, and conversely; "and thou shalt not reverence a poor man in his cause," signifies that no favor is to be shown to the falsities in which are those who are in ignorance of truth.

AC 9248. Thou shalt not take up a report of emptiness. That this signifies no listening to falsities, is evident from the signification of "taking up a report," as being to hear and do, thus to listen, for in the original tongue "a report" is expressed by a term which means "hearing;" and from the signification of "emptiness," as being falsity, and indeed the falsity of doctrine and of religion, as can be seen from the following passages. In Ezekiel:--

"the prophets," of whom it is here said that they "see emptiness and divine a lie," signify those who teach, and in the abstract sense the teaching or doctrine (n. 2534, 7269); and " seeing" is predicated of "the prophets," who therefore were in ancient times called "seers" (1 Sam. 9:9); and "divining" also is predicated of them.

[2] By "seeing," or by "vision," when predicated of the prophets, is signified in the internal sense the revelation which has regard to doctrine; and by "divining," or by "divination," is signified the revelation which has regard to life; and as " emptiness" signifies the falsity of doctrine, and "a lie" the falsity of life, it is said "they have seen emptiness and the divination of a lie." Again:--

That "emptiness" denotes the falsity of doctrine and of religion, is also plain in these passages:--

In like manner in (Isa. 5:18; 30:28; 59:4; Ps. 12:2; 119:37; 144:8, 11.

AC 9249. Put not thy hand with the wicked. That this signifies no obedience to malignities, is evident from the signification of "putting the hand," as being obedience, for by "the hand" is signified power (n. 878, 3387, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328, 6292, 7188, 7189, 7518, 7673, 8153, 8281), and also what belongs to anyone, thus one‘s self in so far as one has the power, (n. 9133), consequently "to put the hand with" anyone denotes to make common cause with him, and when this is done from malignity, which is signified by "the wicked," it denotes to obey, because the malignity persuades and leads; and from the signification of "the wicked," as being one who is malignant, and in the abstract sense, malignity. It is said "in the abstract sense," because the angels, who are in the internal sense of the Word, that is, who perceive the Word spiritually, think and speak abstractedly from person (n. 4380, 8343, 8985, 9007). That the idea of person with them is turned into the idea of the thing, (n. 5225, 5287, 5434).

AC 9250. To be a witness of violence. That this signifies no affirmation of such things as are contrary to the good of charity, is evident from the signification of "a witness," as being confirmation (n. 4197, 8908); and from the signification of "violence," as being the destruction of the good of charity (n. 6353); thus "a witness of violence" denotes affirmation contrary to the good of charity.

AC 9251. Thou shalt not be after many to do evils. This signifies no association with such things as those mentioned above, namely, listening to falsities, obedience to malignities, and affirmation of such things as are contrary to the good of charity. These are the evils which are meant. By "being after many" is signified being with many, thus associating; for in the original tongue it is said "to be after," "to go after," and "to walk after;" and the meaning is to be with and to follow; thus also to be associated with (Jer. 7:9; 11:10; 1 Sam. 17:13; 1 Kings 14:8; Deut. 4:3; 8:19).

AC 9252. And thou shalt not answer upon a cause to turn aside after many to pervert it. That this signifies no association with those who turn goods and truths into evils and falsities, and conversely, is evident from the signification of "answering upon a cause," as being to do so about what is just and equitable, and what is good and true, concerning which there is contention (n. 9024); to answer is to declare one’s opinion, and to judge; and from the signification of "turning aside after many," as being to conform to, and thus associate with many; and from the signification of "perverting," as being to turn truth into falsity, and good into evil; and conversely.

AC 9253. And thou shalt not reverence a poor man in his cause. That this signifies that no favor is to be shown to the falsities in which are those who are in ignorance of truth, is evident from the signification of "a poor man," as being those who are in few truths, and are also in falsities from ignorance. But those among them who are in good, wish to be instructed in truths; whereas those who are in evil, do not wish to be instructed. For with those who are in good, falsities can be bent to truths, and finally can be dissipated; whereas with those who are in evil, falsities cannot be bent to truths, thus cannot be dissipated. Of these "poor men" it is said "thou shalt not reverence them in their cause," that is, thou shalt not favor their falsities; for by "reverencing" is signified favoring, and by "a cause" is signified a controversy of truth against falsity, and of falsity against truth. That the "poor" denote those who are in few truths, and are in falsities from ignorance, (n. 9209); and that the falsities with those who are in good are gentle and flexible, while the falsities with those who are in evil are hard and inflexible, (n. 4736, 6359, 8051, 8149, 8298, 8311, 8318).

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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