Spiritual Meaning of EXODUS 5:19-21
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AC 7154. Verses 19-21. And the officers of the sons of Israel saw that they were in evil when it was said, Ye shall not take anything away from your bricks on a day in its day. And they met Moses and Aaron standing to meet them as they went forth from Pharaoh; and they said unto them, Jehovah look upon you, and judge, because ye have made our odor to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword into their hand to slay us "And the officers of the sons of Israel saw that they were in evil," signifies that they saw themselves near damnation; "when it was said, Ye shall not take anything away from your bricks," signifies because nothing of the injection of falsities was diminished; "on a day in its day," signifies in every state whatever; "and they met Moses and Aaron," signifies thought about the law Divine and the doctrine thence derived; "standing to meet them as they went forth from Pharaoh," signifies manifestation at a time when falsities did not so much infest; "and they said unto them," signifies perception; "Jehovah look upon you, and judge," signifies the Divine disposal; "because ye have made our odor to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants," signifies that by reason of these things all who are in falsities have so great an aversion to our compliance; "to put a sword into their hand to slay us," signifies that hence they have so great an ardor to destroy the truths of the church by means of falsities.

AC 7155. And the officers of the sons of Israel saw that they were in evil. That this signifies that they saw themselves near damnation, is evident from the signification of "seeing," as being to perceive (n. 2150, 3764, 4567, 4723, 5400); from the signification of the "officers," as being those who most closely receive and communicate the infestations (n. 7111, 7136); and from the signification of" evil," as being damnation for regarded in itself evil is hell (n. 6279), thus damnation. That "to be in evil" denotes to be near damnation, is because those who most closely received and communicated the infestations were injured, which is signified by their being beaten by the taskmasters (n. 7136), and because through the falsities that were continually injected they were infested even to despair (n. 7147). Hence it is that by "they saw that they were in evil" is signified that they perceived themselves to be near damnation. For as those who are in despair suppose that they can no longer endure the assaults, they think that they must needs deliver themselves up as captives to falsities, such being the state of despair; but then they begin to be relieved, and to be led as it were out of thick darkness into light.

AC 7156. When it was said, Ye shall not take anything away from your bricks. That this signifies because nothing of the injection of falsities was diminished, is evident from the signification of "not taking anything away," as being that nothing was to be diminished (n. 7129) and from the signification of "making bricks," as being to endure the injected falsities (n. 7113, 7145).

AC 7157. On a day in its day. That this signifies in every state whatever, is evident from the signification of "clay by day," as being in every state whatever (n. 7133).

AC 7158. And they met Moses and Aaron. That this signifies thought about the Divine law and the doctrine thence derived, is evident from the signification of "meeting," as being thought, for by their meeting is here meant that they encountered them and spoke with them, which in the internal sense denotes to think about the things which they represent. "To speak" denotes to think, (n. 2271, 2287, 2619); from the representation of Moses, as being the Divine law (n. 6752); and from the representation of Aaron, as being the doctrine of good and truth (n. 6998, 7009, 7089).

AC 7159. Standing to meet them as they went forth from Pharaoh. That this signifies manifestation at a time when falsities did not so much infest, is evident from the signification of "standing to meet," when said of the Divine law and doctrine thence derived, as being manifestation; and from the signification of "going forth from Pharaoh," as being when falsities did not so much infest. "Pharaoh" denotes the infesting falsity, (n. 7107, 7110, 7126, 7142).

AC 7159a. And they said unto them. That this signifies perception, is evident from the signification of "saying," in the historicals of the Word, as being to perceive.

AC 7160. Jehovah look upon you, and judge. That this signifies the Divine disposal, is evident from the signification of "let Jehovah look and judge," as being the Divine disposal, for that which Jehovah sees and judges, He disposes. By "looking" is signified the Divine perception, properly foresight; and by "judging" is signified the Divine ordering, properly providence. Because these things are signified by these words in the internal sense, it was customary to say, when evil happened by anyone’s fault, "Let Jehovah look and judge."

AC 7161. Because ye have made odor to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants. That this signifies that by reason of these things all they who are in falsities have so great an aversion to our compliance, is evident from the signification of "making to stink," as being aversion, of which in what follows; and from the signification of "odor," as being the perceptivity of what is grateful (n. 925, 1514, 1517-1519, 3577, 4626, 4628, 4748); and as "odor" denotes the perceptivity of what is grateful, it denotes the perceptivity of faith and charity, for these are grateful (n. 1519, 4628, 4748); and because these are grateful, compliance is most grateful, for compliance is the very good itself of faith and charity; hence it is that by "odor" is here signified compliance.

[2] As "odor" denotes all that which is grateful to the Lord, so "stink" denotes that which is ungrateful to the Lord, consequently "stink" denotes aversion, and also abomination. moreover "stink" actually corresponds to the aversion and abomination which are of falsity and evil. As "stink" denotes that which belongs to aversion, it is used in the Word to denote aversion, as in Samuel:--

In these passages "stinking" denotes aversion. In Isaiah:--

where "stink" denotes evil that is abominable. In like manner in (Amos 4:10; Ps. 38:5, 6).

[3] That "in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants" denotes in the perception of all those who are in falsities, is evident from the signification of "eyes," as being perception (n. 4339); and from the representation of Pharaoh, as being those who are in falsities (n. 6651, 6679, 6683, 7107, 7110, 7126, 7142). That their odor is said "to stink in their eyes" is because all who are in falsities and evils feel aversion for goods, and truths stink to them.

[4] That they who are in evils and thence in falsities have a stink, is very evident from the hells which are called the cadaverous hells, where are assassins and those who are most tenacious of revenge; and from the hells which are called excrementitious, where are adulterers and those who have filthy pleasures as the end. When these hells are opened, intolerable stenches exhale from them (n. 4631); but these stenches are not so perceived except by those who have the interiors, which are of the spirit, open. Nevertheless those who are in these hells perceive these stinks as grateful, and therefore love to live in them (n. 4628); for they are like those animals which live in dead bodies and excrements, and find there the delight of their life. When they come out of the sphere of these stenches, sweet and grateful odors are foul and most ungrateful to them From all this it can be seen how it is to be understood that they who are in falsities feel such an aversion for the things of the law Divine and of the doctrine thence derived, which are represented by Moses and Aaron, of whom it is said that "they had made their odor to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants."

AC 7162. To put a sword into their hand to slay us. That this signifies that hence they have so great an ardor to destroy the truths of the church by means of falsities, is evident from the signification of a "sword," as being falsity combating and vastating (n. 2799, 6353, 7102); and from the signification of "slaying," as being to destroy the things of faith and charity (n. 6767). The things of faith and charity are signified by the sons of Israel," of whom it is said that they should be "slain for the essentials of the spiritual church, which is signified by the "sons of Israel" (n. 6637), are charity and faith

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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