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<< Exodus 19: The Ten Commandments >>
 We are in the very heart of the mountains. Here are great granite peaks (the highest is 8551 feet) from 'which there is a grand view over the mountains to the sea on either hand, and across the water to Egypt and Arabia. The "view at sunrise or at sunset, with its soft lights and shades and colors, is said to be wonderfully beautiful.
One rough granite mountain is called Jehel Moosa. (Jebel means "mountain," and Moosa is "Moses.") At one side the mountain ends in a fine great cliff, seamed and scarred by the weather. (Ras Sufsafeh: Ras means "head," and Sufsafeh "willow.") We can stand on the top of the cliff and think that here Moses came and was taught by the Lord what the people should do. We look down into the broad valley below, with gravel floor, where most of the people were camped; and there are smaller valleys at either side where some of their tents were pitched. In one of these valleys now stands the Convent of St. Catherine, where monks still live. It is famous for a manuscript of the Bible (the Codex Sinaiticus) which was found in its library
We must go down and stand in the sandy plain where the people stood. Bare rocky mountains were on either side. The stern cliff of Sinai rose up in front. Moses had had been up into the mountain and had brought the command from the Lord that the people should prepare themselves, for on the third day He would "come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai." Bounds should be set before the cliff that no one might go up into the mountain, nor even touch it with his hand. Then all the people heard the Ten Commandments. They are the Lord's own laws of life, which teach the ways in which every one must live to be happy in this world and in heaven.
In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount. And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; 19:4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice...
And God spake all these words, saying,
I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy
gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may e long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. Exodus XIX. 1-13, 16-19; XX. 1-18.
The Lord also wrote the Ten Commandments on two tables or tablets of stone. As you read the story you will learn that Moses broke the first tables which the Lord gave to him in the mountain, because the people were so disobedient : they made a golden calf to worship, such as they had seen worshipped in Egypt. But you will learn how other tables were made on which the Lord wrote the same words, and these were kept.
And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play...
And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted,he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear. And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount. And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.
...And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.--Exodus XXXI. 18; XXXII. 1-6, 15-20; XXXIV. 1-4, 28-35.
Author: William L. Worcester 1904
Spiritual Correspondences
Spiritual Meaning
EXODUS XIX
1, 2. In the third month of the going forth of the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt, in this day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. And they journeyed from Rephidim, and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and encamped in the wilderness; and Israel encamped close to the mountain.
"In the third month," signifies fullness of state; "of the going forth of the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt," signifies after those who were of the spiritual church had been liberated from infestations; "in this day," signifies that it was then; "they came into the wilderness of Sinai," signifies a state of good in which truths of faith were to be implanted; "and they journeyed from Rephidim," signifies continuity of life from the former state; "and came into the wilderness of Sinai," signifies to a state of good in which truths were to be implanted; "and encamped in the wilderness," signifies the arrangement in this state; "and Israel encamped close to the mountain," signifies the arrangement by Divine celestial good with those who are of the spiritual church.
-8. And Moses went up unto God, and Jehovah called unto him from the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say unto the house of Jacob, and declare to the sons of Israel: Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto Me. And now if hearing ye shall hear My voice, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be Mine own possession above all peoples; because all the earth is Mine; and ye shall be to Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation; these are the words which thou shalt speak unto the sons of Israel. And Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which Jehovah commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that Jehovah hath spoken we will do; and Moses reported the words of the people unto Jehovah.
"And Moses went up unto God," signifies the truth from the Divine which is beneath heaven conjoining itself with the Divine truth which is in heaven; "and Jehovah called unto him from the mountain, saying," signifies the union of the Divine good in heaven with the Divine truth there; "Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and declare to the sons of Israel," signifies the salvation of those who are of the external and internal spiritual church; "Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians," signifies the remembrance of all things that befell the evil who infested; "and I bare you on eagles' wings," signifies and that by means of truths they were raised to heavenly light; "and brought you unto Me," signifies thus to the good of love which is in heaven; "and now if hearing ye shall hear My voice," signifies the reception of truth; "and keep My covenant," signifies thus life in good and the consequent conjunction; "then ye shall be Mine own possession above all peoples," signifies that then the Divine truth shall be with them more than with others; "because all the earth is Mine," signifies that the Lord has all power in heaven and on earth; "and ye shall be to Me a kingdom of priests," signifies that then the good of truth shall be with them; "and a holy nation," signifies thus the spiritual kingdom; "these are the words which thou shalt speak unto the sons of Israel," signifies influx for the receiving of truths in good; "and Moses came and called the elders of the people," signifies the choosing of those who were primarily in the intelligence of truth; "and set before them all these words," signifies a setting forth, together with influx; "which Jehovah commanded him," signifies from the Divine; "and all the people answered," signifies reception; "and said, All that Jehovah hath spoken we will do," signifies according to influx from the Divine; "and Moses reported the words of the people unto Jehovah," signifies correspondence and conjunction.
9. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Behold I come unto thee in the density of the cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and may also believe in thee to eternity; and Moses declared the words of the people unto Jehovah.
"And Jehovah said unto Moses," signifies the influx of the Divine through truth from the Divine concerning revelation; "Behold I come unto thee in the density of the cloud," signifies that it shall be made in a form the most natural of all; "that the people may hear when I speak with thee," signifies that they who are of the spiritual church may apprehend Divine things; "and may also believe in thee to eternity," signifies that there may be the faith of truth which shall endure; "and Moses declared the words of the people unto Jehovah," signifies correspondence and conjunction.
10-13. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments. And let them be ready against the third day; because in the third day Jehovah will come down unto the eyes of all the people upon Mount Sinai. And thou shalt set bounds to the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mountain, or touch the extremity of it; everyone that toucheth the mountain, dying he shall die. No hand shall touch it, because stoning he shall be stoned, or shooting he shall be shot; if a beast, if a man, he shall not live: when the jobel is drawn out, they shall come up into the mountain.
"And Jehovah said unto Moses," signifies a revelation about the preparation; "Go unto the people," signifies conjunction; "and sanctify them today and tomorrow," signifies the veiling over of the interiors that they may appear in the holy of faith now and afterward; "and let them wash their garments," signifies the purification of their truths; "and let them be ready against the third day," signifies thus full preparation; "because in the third day," signifies because in the end when they are prepared to receive; "Jehovah will come down unto the eyes of all the people," signifies the coming of the Lord, and enlightenment then; "upon Mount Sinai," signifies in the good in which truth is to be implanted; "and thou shalt set bounds to the people round about," signifies extension into heaven no further than to the spiritual spheres of good; "saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mountain," signifies no extension whatever to the celestial societies which are in the love of good; "or touch the extremity of it," signifies not even to the intermediate things; "everyone that toucheth the mountain, dying he shall die," signifies that whosoever of the spiritual church inserts himself as far as the celestial societies will perish; "no hand shall touch it," signifies that they who insert themselves through any self-confidence; "because stoning he shall be stoned," signifies that thus the truths of faith which they have will perish; "or shooting he shall be shot," signifies that spiritual good also will perish; "if a beast, if a man, he shall not live," signifies that good and truth will lose their spiritual life; "when the jobel is drawn out," signifies with those who have a general perception of celestial good; "they shall come up into the mountain," signifies extension as far as the celestial societies.
16-19. And it was on the third day, when it was morning, that there were voices and lightnings, and a heavy cloud upon the mountain, and the voice of a trumpet exceeding strong, and all the people that were in the camp trembled. And Moses made the people go forth out of the camp to meet God; and they took their stand in the lower parts of the mountain. And Mount Sinai smoked, the whole of it, because Jehovah descended upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled mightily. And when the voice of the trumpet was going, and waxing strong mightily, Moses spake, and God answered him in a voice.
"And it was on the third day," signifies at the end of the purification; "when it was morning," signifies a state when they were in good; "that there were voices and lightnings," signifies a Divine state in which was revelation; "and a heavy cloud upon the mountain," signifies a Divine state in respect to those who were about to receive; "and the voice of a trumpet exceeding strong," signifies a celestial state which was round about; "and all the people that were in the camp trembled," signifies a holy tremor on the part of those who were about to receive; "and Moses made the people go forth out of the camp to meet God," signifies the power of truth from the Divine to prepare them to receive the Divine in the good with them; "and they took their stand in the lower parts of the mountain," signifies far from the good of celestial love; "and Mount Sinai smoked, the whole of it," signifies the appearing of celestial good in the greatest obscurity; "because Jehovah descended upon it in fire," signifies because the Divine was there in celestial love; "and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace," signifies obscurity like the obscurity from cupidities; "and the whole mountain trembled mightily," signifies the commotion of heaven; "and when the voice of the trumpet was going, and waxing strong mightily," signifies what is general of revelation through the angelic heaven; "Moses spake, and God answered him in a voice," signifies by means of an influx of truth from the Divine wherein was the Divine Itself.
EXODUS XX
1. And God spake all these words, saying,
And God spake all these words, saying. That this signifies truths Divine for those in the heavens and for those on earth, is evident from the signification of "the words which God spake," as being truths Divine, for the things which God speaks are nothing else than truths. From this also truth Divine is called "the Word," and "the Word" is the Lord, according to John 1:1, for the reason that when the Lord was in the world He was the Divine truth itself, and afterward when He was glorified He became the Divine good, and thenceforth all Divine truth proceeds from Him. This Divine truth is light to the angels, which light is also that which illuminates our internal sight, which is that of the understanding.
2] As this sight does not see natural, but spiritual things, it has for its objects in the spiritual understanding the truths which are called the truths of faith; but in the natural understanding it has for its objects truths of the civil state which relate to what is just, and also truths of the moral state which relate to what is reputable, and lastly natural truths which are conclusions from the objects of the external senses, especially of the sight. From all this it can be seen in what order truths follow, and that all and each have their origin from truths Divine, which are the internal beginnings of all things. Moreover the forms in which they are have had their origin from the same source, for these were created to receive and contain. This shows what is meant in John by all things having been created through the Word (John 1:1-3); for truth Divine is the veriest essential, and is the only substantial through which all things are.
2-7. I am Jehovah thy God, who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of servants. Thou shalt have no other gods before My faces. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any likeness of that which is in the heavens above, or that which is in the earth beneath, or that which is in the waters under the earth; thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I Jehovah thy God am a zealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, upon the thirds and upon the fourths of them that hate Me; and doing mercy to thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
"I am Jehovah thy God," signifies the Lord as to the Divine Human universally reigning in each and all things of good and truth; "who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of servants," signifies liberation by Him from hell; "Thou shalt have no other gods before My faces," signifies that truths must not be thought of from any other source than the Lord; "Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image," signifies not from self-intelligence; "nor any likeness," signifies a semblance of those things which are from the Divine; "of that which is in the heavens above, or that which is in the earth beneath," signifies of those things which are in spiritual light, or of those which are in natural light; "or that which is in the waters under the earth," signifies of those which are in the sensuous corporeal; "thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them," signifies no Divine worship is to be paid them; "for I Jehovah thy God," signifies the Divine from the Lord in each and all things; "am a zealous God," signifies that falsity and evil are therefrom; "visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons," signifies the consequent prolification of falsity derived from evil; "upon the thirds and upon the fourths," signifies in a long series, and the conjunction of them; "of them that hate Me," signifies who absolutely reject the Divine of the Lord; "and doing mercy unto thousands," signifies good and truth unto them forever; "of them that love Me," signifies who receive the good of love; "and keep My commandments," signifies who receive the truths of faith; "Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain," signifies profanings and blasphemings of the truth and good of faith; "for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain," signifies that these things cannot be forgiven.
8-11. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work. And the seventh day is the Sabbath to Jehovah thy God; thou shalt not do any work, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and thy beast, and thy sojourner who is in thy gates. For in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested in the seventh day; wherefore Jehovah blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
"Remember," signifies what is perpetual in the thought; "the Sabbath day," signifies in the supreme sense the union of the Divine Itself and the Divine Human of the Lord, in the internal sense the conjunction of the Divine Human with the heavens, thus heaven, and so the marriage of good and truth there; "to keep it holy," signifies no violation in any manner; "Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work," signifies the combat which precedes and prepares for this marriage; "and the seventh day is the Sabbath to Jehovah thy God," signifies good implanted and thus the marriage; "thou shalt not do any work, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and thy beast, and thy sojourner who is in thy gates," signifies that in this case heaven and blessedness are in each and all things in the internal and in the external of man; "for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the sea," signifies the regeneration and vivification of those things which are in the internal and in the external man; "and all that is in them," signifies of all things therein; "and rested in the seventh day," signifies that then there are peace and the good of love; wherefore Jehovah blessed the Sabbath 8884-1 day," signifies that then is the heavenly marriage from the Lord; "and hallowed it," signifies that it cannot in any wise be violated.
12. Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be prolonged upon the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee.
"Honor thy father and thy mother," signifies love for good and truth, in the supreme sense for the Lord and for His kingdom; "that thy days may be prolonged upon the land," signifies the consequent state of life in heaven; "which Jehovah thy God giveth thee," signifies where the Divine is and the consequent influx.
13. Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not kill, signifies not to take away spiritual life from anyone, also not to extinguish faith and charity, as also not to hold the neighbor in hatred.
14. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not commit adultery. That this signifies that those things which are of the doctrine of faith and of charity are not to be perverted, thus that the Word is not to be applied to confirm falsities and evils, also that the laws of order are not to be upset, is evident from the signification of "committing adultery," "debauching," and "whoredom," as being in the spiritual or internal sense, to pervert the goods, and falsify the truths, which are of the doctrine of faith and of charity. And as these things are signified by "committing adultery," there is also signified to apply the Word to confirm evils and falsities; for the Word is the very doctrine itself of faith and charity, and the perversion of the truth and good of the Word is its application to falsities and evils. That these things are signified by "committing adultery" and "debauching" in the spiritual sense, is known to scarcely anyone at this day, for the reason that within the church few now know what the spiritual is, and in what respect it differs from the natural. And scarcely anyone knows that there is a correspondence between the two, and indeed of such a nature that the image of the one is presented in the other, that is, the spiritual is represented in the natural, consequently that the spiritual is like a soul, and the natural is like its body; and thus that through influx and the consequent conjunction they constitute a one; as in the regenerate man do his internal man which is also called spiritual, and his external man which is also called natural.
15. Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not steal, signifies that no one's spiritual goods must be taken away from him, and that those things which belong to the Lord are not to be attributed to self.
16. Thou shalt not answer against thy neighbor the witness of a lie.
Thou shalt not answer against thy neighbor the witness of a lie, signifies that good is not to be called evil, nor truth falsity; thus conversely, neither is evil to be called good, nor falsity truth.
Thou shalt not answer against thy neighbor the witness of a lie. That this signifies that good is not to be called evil, nor truth falsity; thus conversely, neither is evil to be called good, nor falsity truth, is evident from the signification of "the witness of a lie," as being the confirmation of falsity. (That "witness" denotes confirmation, see n. 4197; and that "a lie" denotes the falsity of faith will be plain from what follows.) "To answer against a neighbor" denotes to speak in such manner against anyone; for by "neighbor" is signified every man, and specifically everyone who is in good, and in the abstract sense, good itself (n. 3419, 5025, 6704, 6706-6711, 6818, 8123). Consequently "thou shalt not answer against thy neighbor the witness of a lie," in the internal sense denotes not to say to anyone what is false, that is, to say that what is good is evil, and what is true is false, or the converse.
17. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbors wife, and his manservant, and his maidservant, and his ox, and his ass, and anything that is thy neighbor's.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbors wife, and his manservant, and his maidservant, and his ox, and his ass, and anything that is thy neighbor's, signifies that one must beware of the love of self and of the world; and thus lest the evils which are contained in the preceding commandments become of the will, and so come forth.
18-20. And all the people saw the voices, and the torches, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and the people saw, and they quaked, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, speak thou with us, and we will hear; and let not God speak with us, lest perchance we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not; because God is come to tempt you, and that the fear of Him may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
"And all the people saw the voices, and the torches," signifies the perception of truths Divine from good; "and the voice of the trumpet," signifies the same things through heaven; "and the mountain smoking," signifies the good itself of truth not perceptible except in the external form; "and the people saw, and they quaked," signifies the tremor which there is when they are received; "and they stood afar off," signifies remoteness from internal things; "and they said unto Moses," signifies complaint; "Speak thou with us," signifies the reception of truth in an accommodated form, which in this manner they would obey; "and let not God speak with us," signifies truth in a form not accommodated; "lest perchance we die," signifies that thus the life of heaven with them would perish; "and Moses said unto the people," signifies information; "Fear not, because God has come to tempt you," signifies that the life of heaven will not perish; this is merely that it may be known that it exists, and what is its quality; "and that the fear of Him may be before your faces, that ye sin not," signifies holy fear therefrom of the Divine, and the consequent preservation of spiritual life.
EXODUS XXXI
18. And He gave unto Moses, in His completing to speak with him on Mount Sinai, the two tables of the Testimony.
And He gave unto Moses, in His completing to speak with him on Mount Sinai, the two tables of the Testimony. That this signifies the conjunction of the Lord with man through the Word, is evident from the representation of Moses, as being the Word (concerning which see the places cited in n. 9372); from the signification of "in completing to speak with him," as being after all things had been instituted, for the things which Jehovah spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai were those which were to be instituted among the sons of Israel, thus which were of the church; from the signification of "Mount Sinai," as being heaven, whence comes Divine truth (n. 8805, 9420); from the signification of "the two tables," as being the Law in the whole complex, thus the Word (n. 9416); and from the signification of "the Testimony," as being the Lord as to Divine truth (n. 8535, 9503). Conjunction thereby with man is signified by the tables being two, and being joined together according to the likeness of a covenant (n. 9416); by "two" being signified conjunction (n. 5194, 8423). Thus it is plain that by the words, "Jehovah gave unto Moses, in completing to speak with him on Mount Sinai, the two tables of the Testimony," is signified that after the church has been set up, there is conjunction of the Lord with man through the Word, which has been sent down from Him out of heaven. (That it is the Word through which the Lord flows in with man, speaks with him, and is conjoined with him, see n. 1775, 2310, 2899, 3476, 3735, 3982, 4217, 9212, 9216, 9357, 9380, 9396, 9400, 9401, 10290.)
Tables of stone, written with the finger of God. That this signifies Divine truth therein from the Lord Himself, is evident from the signification of the "tables," as being the Law in the whole complex, thus the Word (see n. 9416); from the signification of "stone," as being Divine truth in ultimates (of which presently); and from the signification of "written with the finger of God," as being from the Lord Himself; for that which is written with the finger of anyone is from him. The reason why these tables were of stone, and the words of the Law were written on stone, was that "stone" signifies truth in ultimates, and Divine truth in ultimates is the sense of the letter of the Word, within which is the internal sense. (That "stone" denotes truth, see n. 643, 1298, 3720, 6426, 9476; and that it denotes truth in ultimates, n. 8609.)
EXODUS XXXII
1-6. And the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain; and the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Rise, make us gods which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that made us come up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what hath become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Tear off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your women, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people tore off the golden earrings that were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them from their hand, and formed it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf; and they said, These are thy gods, O Israel, which made thee come up out of the land of Egypt. And Aaron saw, and built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, Tomorrow is a feast to jehovah. 10395-1 And they rose up in the morning on the morrow, and offered burnt-offerings, and brought-peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
"And the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain" signifies the Israelitish nation when it did not notice in the Word anything from heaven; "and the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron" signifies that they turned themselves to the externals of the Word, of the church, and of worship, separate from what is internal; "and said unto him" signifies exhortation; "Rise, make us gods which shall go before us" signifies falsities of doctrine and of worship, thus things idolatrous; "for as for this Moses, the man that made us come up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what hath become of him" signifies that it is altogether unknown what other Divine truth there is in the Word, which raises man from what is external into what is internal; "and Aaron said unto them" signifies the external of the Word, of the church, and of worship, without what is internal; "Tear off the golden earrings that are in the ears of your women, of your sons, and of your daughters" signifies the drawing out from the sense of the letter of the Word of such things as favor external loves and the principles thence derived; "and bring them unto me" signifies a bringing together into a one; "and all the people tore off the golden earrings that were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron" signifies the effect; "and he received them from their hand" signifies things that favor what is their own; "and formed it with a graving tool" signifies from their own intelligence; "and made it a molten calf" signifies according to the delight of the loves of that nation; "and they said, These are thy gods, O Israel" signifies which is to be worshiped above all things; "which made thee come up out of the land of Egypt" signifies which had led them; "and Aaron saw" signifies approval; "and he built an altar before it" signifies worship; "and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow is a feast to jehovah" signifies that this is a very essential of the church which is to be celebrated, and a very divine 10395-2 which is to be perpetually adored; "and they rose up in the morning on the morrow" signifies incitement by their loves; "and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings" signifies the worship of their loves, thus of the delights of these loves, and of the falsities thence derived; "and the people sat down to eat and to drink" signifies the appropriation of these things; "and rose up to play" signifies the consequent festivity of their interiors, and consent.
15-20. And Moses looked back, and came down from the mountain, and the two tables of the Testimony were in his hand; the tables were written on the two crossings, hereupon and hereupon were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. And Joshua heard the voice of the people in their shouting, and he said unto Moses, There is a voice of war in the camp. And he said, It is not the voice of a cry for victory, neither is it the voice of a cry for being overcome: the voice of a miserable cry do I hear. And it came to pass, as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf and the dances; and Moses waxed hot with anger, and he cast the tables out of his hand, and broke them beneath the mountain. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, and ground it even to powder, and strewed it upon the faces of the waters, and made the sons of Israel drink.
"And Moses looked back and came down from the mountain," signifies the Word let down from heaven; "and the two tables of the Testimony were in his hand," signifies the Word of the Lord in special and in general; "the tables were written on the two crossings, hereupon and hereupon were they written," signifies by which there is the conjunction of the Lord with the human race, or of heaven with the world; "and the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables," signifies that the external and the internal sense of the Word were from the Divine, and are Divine truth; "and Joshua heard the voice of the people in their shouting," signifies survey and taking notice in respect to the quality of the interiors of that nation; "and he said unto Moses, There is a voice of war in the camp," signifies an assault upon the truth and good which are of heaven and of the church, by falsities and evils which are from hell; "and he said, It is not the voice of a cry for victory, neither is it the voice of a cry for being overcome," signifies heaven acting on one side and hell on the other, thus falsity against truth and truth against falsity; "the voice of a miserable cry do I hear," signifies the lamentable state of their interiors; "and it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp," signifies hell, in which that nation then was; "that he saw the calf and the dances," signifies infernal worship, which was according to the delight of the external loves of that nation, and its consequent interior festivity; "and Moses waxed hot with anger," signifies the turning away of that nation from the internal of the Word, of the church, and of worship; "and he cast the tables out of his hand, and broke them beneath the mountain," signifies the external sense of the Word changed and different on account of that nation; "and he took the calf which they had made," signifies the delight of the idolatrous worship of that nation; "and burnt it with fire," signifies derived altogether from the loves of self and the world, which are condemned to hell; "and ground it even to powder," signifies the infernal falsity therefrom; "and strewed it upon the faces of the waters," signifies commixture with truths; "and made the sons of Israel drink," signifies conjoined and appropriated to that nation.
EXODUS XXXIV
1-4. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stones like the former ones, and I will write upon the tables the words that were upon the former tables, which thou brakest. And be thou ready against the morning, and come up in the morning unto Mount Sinai, and stand for Me there upon the head of the mountain. And no man shall come up with thee, and moreover no man shall be seen in all the mountain; and no flock nor herd shall feed over against this mountain. And he hewed two tables of stones like the former ones, and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto Mount Sinai, as Jehovah commanded him, and took in his hands the two tables of stones.
"And Jehovah said unto Moses" signifies the conclusion about the Israelitish nation; "Hew thee two tables of stones like the former ones" signifies the external of the Word, of the church, and of worship, such as it was on account of that nation; "and I will write upon the tables the words that were upon the former tables, which thou brakest" signifies that the interior Divine celestial and spiritual things [of the Word, of the church, and of worship] are in these externals also; "and be thou ready against the morning, and come up in the morning unto Mount Sinai" signifies a new beginning of the revelation of Divine truth; "and stand for Me there upon the head of the mountain" signifies from the inmost heaven where is the Divine love; "and no man shall come up with thee" signifies that the Israelitish nation cannot be in Divine truth; "and moreover no man shall be seen in all the mountain" signifies that they have been quite removed from it, thus outside of it; "and no flock nor herd shall feed over against this mountain" signifies that neither could they be instructed about the interior and exterior good of the church, of worship, and of the Word; "and he hewed two tables of stones like the former ones" signifies the external of the Word, of the church, and of worship, such as it was on account of the Israelitish nation; "and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto Mount Sinai" signifies a new beginning of the revelation of Divine truth; "as Jehovah commanded him" signifies that it was so done because they insisted; "and took in his hand the two tables of stones" signifies the external of the Word, of the church, and of worship, such as it was on account of the Israelitish nation; "and Jehovah descended in the cloud, and stood with him there" signifies the external of the Word in which is the Divine; "and called on the name of Jehovah" signifies the worship of the Lord from the truths and goods of faith and love; "and Jehovah passed by over his faces" signifies internal Divine things over external ones; "and called, Jehovah, Jehovah, God, merciful and gracious" signifies the Divine Itself, the Divine Human, and the Divine Proceeding, from which is all good; "long-suffering with angers" signifies the Divine clemency; "and great in goodness and in truth" signifies that He is good itself and truth itself; "keeping goodness unto thousands" signifies forever; "bearing iniquity, and transgression, and sin" signifies the removal of evil and of its falsity so that it does not appear; "and in absolving will not absolve" signifies bearing even to the consummation; "visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, and upon the sons' sons" signifies the rejection and condemnation of evils and the derivative falsities in a long series; "upon the thirds and upon the fourths" signifies [the rejection and condemnation] of falsities and the derivative evils; "and Moses made haste, and bowed himself to the earth, and adored" signifies reception then from influx into the external, and worship from humiliation; "and he said, If I pray I have found grace in Thine eyes, O Lord" signifies because such an external was received; "let the Lord, I pray, go in the midst of us" signifies that the Divine may be within it; "for it is a stiff-necked people" signifies although the Israelitish nation does not receive the Divine interiorly; "and be propitious unto our iniquity and unto our sin" signifies that their interiors may be removed which abound in falsities and evils; "and make us Thine inheritance" signifies that nevertheless the church may be there.
28-35. And he was there with Jehovah forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten words. And it was, as Moses went down from Mount Sinai, and the two tables of the Testimony in Moses' hand as he went down from the mountain, that Moses knew not that the skin of his faces shone when he spoke with Him. And Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, and behold the skin of his faces shone; and they feared to come near unto him. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the princes in the assemblage returned unto him; and Moses spoke unto them. And afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them all things that Jehovah had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And Moses left off from speaking with them, and he put a veil upon his faces. And when Moses entered in before Jehovah to speak with Him, he removed the veil until he went out; and he went out, and spoke unto the sons of Israel that which was commanded; and the sons of Israel saw the faces of Moses, that the skin of Moses' faces shone; and Moses drew back the veil upon his faces until he entered in to speak with Him.
"And he was there with Jehovah forty days and forty nights" signifies temptations before there is any internal of the church, of worship, and of the Word; "he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water" signifies meanwhile there is no appropriation of the good of love and truth of faith; "and he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant" signifies the Word, through which there is the conjunction of heaven with man; "the Ten Words" signifies all truths Divine therein; "and it was, as Moses went down from Mount Sinai" signifies the influx of the internal into the external of the Word, of the church, and of worship; "and the two tables of the Testimony in Moses' hand" signifies a representative of the Word; "that Moses knew not that the skin of his faces shone when he spoke with Him" signifies the internal of the Word shining forth in its external without the external perceiving it; "and Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses" signifies a noticing by those who are in the external things of the church, of worship, and of the Word without the internal things; "and behold the skin of his faces shone" signifies that the internal shines forth through the external; "and they feared to come near unto him" signifies that they could not endure the external of the church, of worship, and of the Word when it was of this character; "and Moses called unto them" signifies the approach of that nation to what is external; "and Aaron and all the princes in the assemblage returned unto him" signifies the chief of those who were in external things without internal things, and yet represented internal things; "and Moses spoke unto them" signifies instruction; "and afterward all the sons of Israel came near" signifies all who were in external things without internal things and yet represented internal things; "and he commanded them all things that Jehovah had spoken with him in Mount Sinai" signifies a command concerning the primary truths which were to be represented as revealed from heaven; "and Moses left off from speaking with them" signifies after information concerning the primary truths which were to be represented in external things; "and he put a veil upon his faces" signifies that the internal of the church, of worship, and of the Word did not appear to the Israelitish nation, but only the external without the internal; "and when Moses entered in before Jehovah to speak with Him" signifies the state of the external when the internal from the Lord flowed in, and the external received information; "he removed the veil until he went out" signifies a state of enlightenment then; "and he went out, and spoke unto the sons of Israel that which was commanded" signifies communication with those who are in external things without what is internal concerning those things about which he was informed through the internal; "and the sons of Israel saw the faces of Moses, that the skin of Moses' faces shone" signifies that the Israelitish nation did indeed acknowledge that there is an internal in the Word, but that they did not wish to know the nature of it; "and Moses drew back the veil upon his faces" signifies that for this reason internal things were closed to them; "until he entered in to speak with him" signifies no matter how much they may be informed. [AC 8749-8925] AC 10375-10707]
Author: Emanuel Swedenborg
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