Spiritual Meaning of EXODUS 33:12-17
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AC 10558. Verses 12-17. And Moses said unto Jehovah, See, Thou sayest unto me, Make this people come up; and Thou hast not made known to me whom Thou wilt send with me. And Thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in Mine eyes. And now I pray, If I have found grace in Thine eyes, make known to me, I pray, Thy way, that I may know Thee, because I have found grace in Thine eyes; and see that this nation is Thy people. And He said, My faces shall go, and I will make thee to rest. And he said unto Him, If Thy faces go not, do not make us to go up from hence. And wherein shall it ever become known that I have found grace in Thine eyes, land Thy people? is it not in Thy going with us? and we shall be rendered pre-eminent, and Thy people, above all the people that are upon the faces of the ground. And Jehovah said unto Moses, I will do this word also that thou hast spoken; because thou hast found grace in Mine eyes, and know thee by name. "And Moses said unto Jehovah," signifies indignation that the Divine, thus the church itself, was not with them; "See, Thou sayest unto me, Make this people come up," signifies a solemn promise that the church should be with that nation; "and Thou hast not made known to me whom Thou wilt send with me," signifies that this cannot be done without the Divine auspices; "and Thou hast said, I know thee by name," signifies his quality; "and thou hast also found grace in Mine eyes," signifies that he was accepted because he could preside over that nation; "and now I pray if I have found grace in Thine eyes," signifies if he was accepted on this account; "make known to me I pray Thy way, that I may know Thee," signifies instruction concerning what would be the nature of the Divine with them; "because I have found grace in Thine eyes," signifies because he was received to preside over the people; "and see that this nation is Thy people," signifies that they are the only ones in the world with whom is the Divine which is over all things; "and He said, My faces shall go, and I will make thee to rest," signifies that the Divine of the church, of worship, and of the Word shall be there, but with the nation itself what is external without it; "and he said unto Him, If Thy faces go not, do not make us go up from hence," signifies if the Divine be not there, there will not be anything of the church; "and wherein shall it ever become known that I have found grace in Thine eyes, I and Thy people? is it not in Thy going with us?" signifies reception above others if the Divine be manifested among them; "and we shall be rendered pre-eminent, I and Thy people, above all the people that are upon the faces of the ground," signifies their consequent pre-eminence to all in the whole world where the church is; "and Jehovah said unto Moses, I will do this word also that thou hast spoken," signifies that the Divine shall be in the external of the church, of worship, and of the Word, which is with them; "because thou hast found grace in Mine eyes, and I know thee by name," signifies that he is accepted on account of his quality.

AC 10559. And Moses said unto Jehovah. That this signifies indignation that the Divine was not with them, thus not the church itself, is evident from the signification of "saying," as here being indignation, for "saying" involves the things which follow, because these are what he said, and the things which follow are things of indignation on this account, that the Divine would not be with them, thus that the church would not be with them, whereby they might be rendered pre-eminent to all that were upon the face of the earth, as is plain from verse sixteen which follows. The reason why the words of Moses to Jehovah were words of indignation on that account, was that Moses here bears relation to the head of the Israelitish nation (n. 10556); wherefore he speaks for himself and for that nation, for he says, "I and the people" (verse 16). And because he here hears relation to that nation as its head, therefore by "Moses said unto Jehovah" is signified indignation; for a man who is such as was that nation, is indignant against God if he does not obtain his desires.

[2] This is done by all those who are in external things without what is internal, for if they reverence and adore God, and as it were love Him, it is not for His own sake, but for the sake of themselves, because they desire nothing else than eminence above others and wealth beyond others, this being the fire which excites their reverence and adoration, and as it were their love. But if they do not obtain what they desire, they forsake God. That that nation was of such a character is very evident from the historicals of the Word. The like is signified by the words of Jacob:--

these words mean that if he should receive these things, he would acknowledge Jehovah for his God; but if he should not receive them, he would not acknowledge Him. Such also was the nation descended from him. From this it is that that nation so often fell away, and worshiped other gods, until at last they were for this reason cast out from the land of Canaan, first the Israelitish nation, and afterward the Jewish. It is evident that the cause of the indignation above spoken of was that if Jehovah did not go with them they would not become preeminent to all in the whole world.

[3] That it was also a cause of indignation that the church itself was not with them, follows from the fact that to be brought by Jehovah into the land of Canaan denotes to become the church. The reason of this is that the church had been in the land of Canaan from the most ancient times, and that the Word could not have been written elsewhere, thus except with the nation which possessed that land; and where the Word is, there is the church. That the Word could not have been written anywhere else was because all the places that were in the whole of that land, and that were round about it, such as the mountains, the valleys, the rivers, the forests, and all the rest, had become representative of celestial and spiritual things; and it was necessary that the sense of the letter of the Word, in both the historical and the prophetical parts, should consist of such things, because the interior things of the Word, which are celestial and spiritual, must close in such things, and as it were stand on them like a house upon its foundation; for unless the Word in respect to the sense of the letter, which is its ultimate, stood upon such things, it would be like a house without a foundation. That this is so is evident from the Word, in that mention is so often made of the places of that land, all of which, having become representative, signify the things of heaven and of the church.

[4] From this it is that to be brought into the land of Canaan signifies the setting up of the church, and that the indignation of Moses involves this also, although he did not think of it. That the church was in the land of Canaan from the most ancient times, and that consequently all the places therein became representative, (n. 3686, 4447, 4454, 4516, 4517, 5136, 6306, 6516, 8317, 9320, 9325); and that from this "the land of Canaan" in the Word signifies the church, (n. 9325).

AC 10560. See, Thou sayest unto me, Make this people come up. That this signifies a solemn promise that the church should be with that nation, is evident from the signification of "Thou sayest unto me," when the saying is by Jehovah, as being a solemn promise; and from the signification of "making this people come up," as being that the church should be set up with that nation. These are the things which are signified in the internal sense by these words. But in the sense nearest the letter is signified that they should be brought into the land of Canaan and should possess it. That to be brought into the land of Canaan and to possess it denotes to set up the church, (n. 10559). How the case is in regard to these things has been shown throughout in the preceding pages, namely, that no church could be instituted with that nation, but only the representative of a church, because they were in external thing separate from what is internal, and those who are of such a character cannot receive any influx from the Divine; and get the church with man is in his internal, but not in what is external separate therefrom. They who are of such a character can indeed represent the church, but cannot be the church. To represent the church and not be the church is to worship external things, and to call them holy and Divine; but not to acknowledge and perceive them in faith and love from heaven. See what has been said above concerning the signification of "making the people come up into the land," (n. 10526).

AC 10561. And Thou hast not made known to me whom Thou wilt send with me. That this signifies that this cannot be done without the Divine auspices, is evident from the signification of "sending with Moses and with that nation," when sending by Jehovah is meant, as being that the Divine shall lead, because Moses knew that he could indeed bring the people into the land of Canaan; but that if this were done without the Divine leading and auspices, they would not come into possession of it; which involves and signifies that the church would not be instituted with that nation (n. 10559, 10560). From this it is evident that by "make this people come up, but Thou hast not made known to me whom Thou wilt send with me," is signified that the church could not be instituted with that nation without the Divine auspices. Thus do the angels perceive these words, howsoever they may be perceived by men; for the angels perceive all things of the Word according to its internal sense; but men according to the external sense, in which nevertheless is the internal. That "sending with them," when said of Jehovah, denotes that the Divine shall lead, is because by being "sent by Jehovah" is signified the Divine leading, and also the Divine proceeding. Therefore in the original tongue angels are so called from "sent," and therefore the Lord so frequently spoke of Himself as being "sent" by the Father, by which is signified the Divine proceeding (n. 4710, 6831). From all this it is evident what is meant in the internal sense by "whom Thou wilt send with me."

AC 10562. And Thou hast said, I know thee by name. That this signifies his quality, is evident from the signification of "knowing," when said of Jehovah, as being to know and foresee from eternity (n. 5309); and from the signification of "name." as being the quality of a state, thing, or man (n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3004-3011, 3421, 6674, 6887, 8274, 8882, 9310). The quality of Moses is involved in the things which follow. From this it is evident that by, "I know thee by name," when said by Jehovah, is signified to know and foresee from eternity what is his quality.

AC 10563. And thou hast also found grace in Mine eyes. That this signifies that he was received because he could preside over that nation, is evident from the signification of "finding grace in the eyes of Jehovah," as being to be received, here on account of his quality, which is signified by "I know thee by name." His quality was that he could preside over that nation, for Moses was foreseen by the Lord to preside over the Israelitish people. That this was foreseen is evident from the fact that he was brought up in the palace of king Pharaoh, where there were lordships, and from this he acquired the disposition of being preeminent to others; on which account he was received to preside over his people. His quality likewise was such that he could receive speech from the Divine better than others of that nation, for he was not so much in what is external separate from what is internal as they were. These therefore are the things which are signified by, "I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in Mine eyes."

AC 10564. And now I pray, if I have found grace in Thine eyes. That this signifies if he was accepted, is evident from what was said just above (n. 10562, 10563).

AC 10565. Make known to me I pray Thy way, that I may know Thee. That this signifies instruction concerning what would be the nature of the Divine with them, is evident from the signification of "making known the way of Jehovah," as being instruction concerning the Divine, for by "making known" is signified instruction, and by "the way of Jehovah" is signified the Divine truth leading; and from the signification of "knowing Jehovah," as being to know the quality of the Divine with them. That "way" denotes truth, (n. 627, 2333, 10422); here Divine truth leading. Because I have found grace in Thine eyes, signifies because he was received to preside over the people and to lead them (n. 10563, 10564).

AC 10566. And see that this nation is Thy people. That this signifies that they are the only ones in the world with whom is the Divine which is over all things, is evident from the signification of "the nation of Jehovah," as being where the Divine Itself dwells, and in the spiritual sense where the church of the Lord is, for all those who acknowledge the Lord in faith and love, taken together, are "the nation of Jehovah." But at that time the sons of Israel thought nothing of the church; but only of the possession of the land of Canaan, and of eminence over others. And as it was told Moses that the name of their God was Jehovah, which however they had not previously known (Exod. 3:13, 14); and because they saw such great miracles wrought by Him in Egypt, and at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness, they therefore acknowledged Jehovah for their God. Nevertheless in their hearts they did not believe in Him, for they believed that there were many gods, as can be sufficiently well seen from the golden calf which, while Moses tarried, they adored as their god, yea as jehovah; and afterward from the gods to whom they so often turned aside, as is evident from the historical parts of the Word. From all this it can be seen that they worshiped Jehovah merely on account of the miracles, and not because He alone was God; and he who worships God merely on account of miracles, only worships the name of God, and not God, and falls away whenever he does not obtain his desires. That the Israelitish nation worshiped Jehovah merely in respect to the name, (n. 3732, 4299, 6877); and that at heart they were idolaters, (n. 4208, 4281, 4820, 5998, 6877, 7401, 8301, 8882); and that they were the worst nation, (n. 4314, 4316, 4317, 4444, 4503, 4750, 4751, 4815, 4820, 4832, 5057, 7248, 8819, 9320, 10396). From all this it can now be seen what is signified by the words "this nation is Thy people," namely, that they were the only ones among whom was Jehovah, and that in this way they would become preeminent to all other nations. But although in the proximate sense, these things are signified by these words, nevertheless by the same words in the internal sense is signified that the Divine was with them, consequently the church.

AC 10567. And he said, My faces shall go, and I will make thee to rest. That this signifies that the Divine of the church, of worship, and of the Word shall be there, but with the nation itself what is external without it, is evident from the signification of "faces," as being the interiors (n. 9546), and when said concerning Jehovah, as being things Divine, here the Divine things of the church, of worship, and of the Word; from the signification of "going," as being to live (n. 3335, 4882, 5493, 5605, 8417, 8420, 9440), but when said of Jehovah, it denotes to give life, to be present, and to lead; for from this does man live; and from the signification of "making Moses rest," as being the external of the church, of worship, and of the Word, in which interior Divine things close; for by Moses is represented this external (n. 10563), and by "resting" is signified to rest and to close, thus that in which interior Divine things rest or in which they close; moreover in the original tongue this word means to rest and close. That the interior things of the church, of worship, and of the Word close in their external, and that they rest upon it as upon their plane, or as a house upon its foundation, (n. 9216). That these things are signified by "making Moses rest," is evident from what follows in this chapter in the internal sense, in which the interiors of the Word, of the church, and of worship are treated of, and the external wherein they close. This external is that which is represented by Moses.

AC 10568. And he said unto Him, If Thy faces go not, do not make us go up from hence. That this signifies that if the Divine be not there, there will not be anything of the church, is evident from the signification of the "faces of Jehovah," as being the interior Divine things of the church, of worship, and of the Word (n. 10567); and from the signification of "not making us go up hence," as being that there will not be anything of the church. The reason why this is signified by these words, is that by being "brought into the land of Canaan" is signified the setting up of the church; thus by "not making us go up from hence" is signified that thus there will not be anything of the church. That by being "brought into the land of Canaan" is signified the setting up of the church, may be seen above (n. 10560, 10561); and this is signified for the reason that by "the land of Canaan" in the Word nothing else is understood in heaven but the church, for in heaven all things of the Word are spiritually perceived. Wherefore when mention is made of any land, they think there of such things as are of the church in that land, or with the nation there. The angels of heaven cannot keep the mind in the idea of any land, because the idea of land is material; nor in the idea of any nation, for this idea also is material. Wherefore a spiritual idea at once occurs to them, which idea is about the church. In general a spiritual idea is about the Lord, His kingdom, heaven, the church, love to and faith in the Lord, and about countless things that belong to faith and love, thus that belong to the church. And if you will believe it, it is impossible for any material idea to enter heaven; it is put off at the first threshold. Such is the case with the whole and every part of the Word. From this then it is that by being" brought into the land of Canaan" is signified the setting up of the church; and by "not being brought," as here, is signified no setting up of it.

AC 10569. And wherein shall it even become known that I have found grace in Thine eyes, I and Thy people? is it not in Thy going with us? That this signifies reception above others if the Divine be manifested among them, is evident from the signification of "becoming known," when said of the Divine among them, as being to be revealed; from the signification of "finding grace in the eyes of Jehovah," as being to be received (n. 10563), here, above others, because there follows, "and we shall be rendered preeminent, I and Thy people, above all the people that are upon the faces of the ground;" and from the signification of "going with us," when said of Jehovah, as being the Divine leading, here into the land of Canaan (n. 10567). From this it is evident that by "wherein shall it ever become known that I have found grace in Thine eyes, I and Thy people? is it not in Thy going with us?" is signified reception above others if the Divine be manifested among them.

[2] It is said "in the eyes of Jehovah," and thereby is signified the Divine presence of the Lord in the truths and goods of faith and of love with men on earth and with angels in the heavens. The reason why the presence of the Lord is in the truths and goods of faith and of love, is that these are from the Lord Himself; and when the Lord is present in these with men and with angels, He is then present in His own with them, and not in what is their own, for this is evil. From this also it is that by "eyes" in the Word, when said of men who receive the Divine things of the Lord, is signified faith and also a recipient understanding; for the understanding is the internal eye; and faith is truth which is seen and perceived. That the "eyes," when said in the Word of men, signify faith and also understanding, (n. 2701, 4407-4421, 4523-4534, 9051).

[3] It shall also be told whence comes this sight. There is a real light which illumines the understanding, and which is quite distinct from the light which illumines the sight of the body. The light which illumines the understanding is from heaven; but that which illumines the sight of the body is in the world. The light of heaven is from the Lord as a sun there, and is in its essence the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord’s Divine good. From this it is evident whence it is that by the "eyes," when said of Jehovah, is signified the Divine presence of the Lord; and by the "eyes," when said of men who receive the Divine truth of the Lord, or His light, is signified faith and an enlightened understanding.

[4] That it is a real light which illumines minds, and effects understanding with men, is not known in the world, although men attribute sight and light to the understanding, and although in the Word the Lord is often called "the Light," by which is meant that He is seen by faith and the light thereof. That it is a real light which illumines minds, and that the Divine truth which proceeds from the Lord as a sun is this light, and that where it is received it gives the understanding of truth, (n. 9548, 9684, 9570, 9571, 9594).

[5] From all this it can be seen what is signified in the Word by "the eyes of Jehovah," as in these passages:--

AC 10570. And we shall be rendered preeminent, I and Thy people, above all the people that are upon the faces of the ground. That this signifies their consequent pre-eminence to all in the whole world where the church is, is evident from the signification of "being rendered preeminent above all the people that are upon the faces of the ground," as being preeminence to all in the whole world. That it also denotes where the church is, is because by "the ground" is signified the church.

[4] It is said "upon the faces of the ground," and thereby is meant wheresoever the church is, for by " ground," in like manner as by "land" or "earth" is signified the church. That it is signified by "land" or "earth," (n. 9325). But "ground" signifies the church for a similar reason as does "field," thus from the reception of various seeds, and their growth and produce, by which are signified the truths and goods of faith and of love, of which man is such a receptacle as the ground is of seeds. But the church is called "land" or "earth" from the people with whom the church is who dwell therein. But as "ground" involves extension in respect to space, equally as does "land" or "earth," therefore instead of "ground" the translators say "earth;" as here "upon the faces of the earth," instead of "upon the faces of the ground " as also in other passages. And yet in the original tongue the word which means "ground" is from a totally different origin from that of the word which means "earth." That "the ground" signifies the church equally as does "land" or "earth," is evident from various passages in the Word, of which only a few may be adduced.

[5] In Jeremiah:--

here "ground" denotes the church, and so does "land," for the subject treated of in the internal sense is the lack of truth, and the consequent vastation of the church; "waters" denote truths; "pits" denote where these are, thus doctrine; "vessels" denote the recipients; "rain" denotes influx from heaven; "land" denotes where the church is; and "ground" denotes the church itself, which on account of the drought is said to be "broken to pieces," thus on account of the lack of truth from heaven.

[6] And in Isaiah:--

by "Tyre" is signified the church in respect to the knowledges of truth and good, thus in the abstract sense these knowledges, which are called "harlot hire" when they are taught for the sake of gain, of honor, and of reputation for the sake of these, and are thus as it were sold, and are not taught for the sake of truth itself. In the Word this is called "harlotry," and "whoredom." "To commit whoredom with all the kingdoms of the earth" denotes to do so with all the truths of the church; "upon the faces of the ground" denotes wheresoever the church is. As the knowledges of truth and good still remain knowledges of truth and good in themselves, thus Divine, although to the man who teaches and "sells" them they are for profit, and consequently are "harlot hire," therefore it is said that "her merchandise and her harlot hire shall be holiness to Jehovah." Everyone who thinks beyond the sense of the letter can see that harlot hire is hot meant here, nor whoredom with all the kingdoms of the earth, nor that such things shall be holiness to Jehovah.

[7] In David:--

"the spirit of Jehovah" denotes the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord (n. 9818); "to be created" denotes to be created anew, that is, to be regenerated (n. 10373); "to renew the faces of the ground" denotes to reform and to set up the church; "the faces of the ground" denote wheresoever anything of the church can be received. In like manner in other passages where "the faces of the ground" are mentioned (Gen. 7:4; 8:8, 13; Exod. 32:12; Num. 12:3; Deut. 6:15; 7:6; 1 Sam. 20:15; 2 Sam. 14:7).

AC 10571. And Jehovah said unto Moses, I will do this word also that thou hast spoken. That this signifies that the Divine shall be in the external of the church, of worship, and of the Word, which is with them, is evident from the representation of Moses, in that as the head of that nation he denotes the external of the church, of worship, and of the Word, not so separate from the internal as was the external of these with the nation itself (n. 10557, 10563); and from the signification of "doing the word which Moses spake," when said by Jehovah, as being that the Divine shall be in the external; for by "doing the word" is meant to go with them and bring them into the land of Canaan, and by "going with them and bringing them into the land of Canaan" is signified that the Divine shall be manifested among them (n. 10569). The secret hidden in these and the following verses can with difficulty be described, unless there is some idea of the external of the church, of worship, and of the Word, which Moses represents; and of the external of the church, of worship, and of the Word, in which was the nation itself. The one is distinguished from the other in the fact that the external which Moses represents is an external not so separate from the internal as is the external in which was the nation itself. From this it is that at one time mention is made of "Moses and the people," at another time of "Moses" without the people, and at another of "the people" without Moses; and that when Moses speaks to Jehovah, he says, "I and the people," and when Jehovah speaks to Moses, He speaks of Moses alone (verses 12, 14, 17, 19-23), or of the people separately from him as in (Exodus 34:2, 3).

AC 10572. Because thou hast found grace in Mine eyes, and I know thee by name. That this signifies that he was received on account of his quality, is evident from what was said and shown above (n. 10562, 10563), where are the like words.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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