6015. In the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. That this signifies doctrinals from the memory-knowledges of the church, is evident from the signification of “carts,” as being doctrinal things (see n. 5945); and from the representation of Pharaoh, as being the memory-knowledge of the church in general; for by “Egypt” is signified the memory-knowledge of the church (n. 1462, 4749, 4964, 4966), and therefore by its “king” is signified this memory-knowledge in general, as also elsewhere in the Word; but in most passages, as by “Egypt,” so also by “Pharaoh,” is signified perverted memory-knowledge. That “Pharaoh” is memory-knowledge in general, is evident in Isaiah:

Fools are the princes of Zoan, the wise ones of the counselors of Pharaoh; counsel has become brutish; how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of the kings of antiquity? (Isaiah 19:11);

here “Pharaoh” is the memory-knowledge of the church in general, and therefore he is called the “son of the wise,” and the “son of the kings of antiquity;” the “wise,” and the “kings of antiquity,” denote the truths of the Ancient Church. But such knowledge made foolishness is here meant, for it is said, “fools are the princes of Zoan; the counsel is become brutish.”

[2] Again:

They depart to go down into Egypt, but they have not asked at My mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt. Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh become to you for a shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt for a reproach (Isaiah 30:2-3);

“to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt” denotes to trust to memory-knowledges in the things of faith, and not to have faith in any spiritual truth, unless memory-knowledge and what is sensuous dictate it, which nevertheless is of perverted order; for the truths of faith ought to be in the first place, and confirming memory-knowledges in the second place, because if these are in the first place nothing whatever of truth is believed.

[3] In Jeremiah:

Hath said Jehovah Zebaoth the God of Israel, Behold I visit upon Amon in No, and upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt, and upon its gods, and upon its kings; especially upon Pharaoh, and them that trust in him (Jeremiah 46:25);

here also “Pharaoh” denotes memory-knowledge in general; “they that trust in him” are those who trust in memory-knowledges, but not in the Word, that is, in the Lord in the Word. Thus everything is perverted in the doctrinals of faith, and hence comes falsity, and also denial that the Divine and heavenly is anything. Such especially are in the habit of saying, “Make me see these things with the eye, or show me scientifically that it is so, and then I will believe.” And yet if they were to see, and if it were shown, they would not believe, because what is negative reigns universally.

[4] In the same:

Against Pharaoh: Behold waters rise up from the north, which shall become an overflowing stream, and shall overflow the land and the fullness thereof, the city and them that dwell therein; so that the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl, at the voice of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses, and at the tumult of his chariot, the rumbling of his wheels (Jeremiah 47:1-2, 3);

from each of the things here said about Pharaoh, it is clear that “Pharaoh” is memory-knowledge in general, here in perverted order, which destroys the truths of faith. An “overflowing stream” is memory-knowledge destroying the understanding of truth, and thus vastating; “they shall overflow the land and the fullness thereof” denotes that this is done to the whole church; “the city and them that dwell therein” denotes to the truth of the church and the good thence derived; “the stamping of the hoofs of the horses” denotes the lowest memory-knowledges, which are direct from things of sense; “the tumult of the chariot” denotes the derivative false doctrine; “the rumbling of the wheels” denotes things of sense and their fallacies, which cause to advance.

[5] In Ezekiel:

Hath said the Lord Jehovih; Behold I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great whale that lieth in the midst of his rivers, that saith, The river is mine, and I have made myself. Therefore I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick to thy scales (Ezekiel 29:3-4);

here also “Pharaoh” denotes memory-knowledge in general, as in like manner is evident from all that is said of him.

[6] Again:

Take up a lamentation upon Pharaoh king of Egypt. Thou art as whales in the seas; and thou hast come forth with thy streams, and troubled the waters with thy feet, and fouled their streams. When I shall extinguish thee I will cover the heavens, and make the stars thereof black; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not make her light to shine; all the luminaries of light will I make black over thee, and will set darkness upon thy land (Ezekiel 32:2-3, 7-8).

That these things, like many in the prophets, cannot be comprehended by anyone without the internal sense, is evident, as that Pharaoh is as whales in the seas, that he came forth from his streams, and troubled the waters with his feet; that over him the heavens should be covered, the stars should be made black, and all the luminaries of light; that the sun should be covered with a cloud, the moon not give her light, and darkness be set upon his land. But the internal sense teaches what these things signify, namely, that memory-knowledges pervert the truths of the church if a man enters by their means into the secrets of faith and believes nothing unless he sees it from them, nay, unless he sees it from things of sense. That this is the internal sense is evident from the explication of each expression.

[7] Pharaoh is called “king of Egypt” from memory-truth; for memory-knowledge is truth in the natural (that a “king” denotes truth, see n. 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044), and that the king of a people has the like signification as the people (n. 4789); thus “Pharaoh” has the like signification as “Egypt,” but in general. That “Egypt” is memory-knowledge has been frequently shown. Pharaoh is compared to “whales in the seas,” because a “whale” or “sea-monster” signifies the generals of memory-knowledges (n. 42), and “seas” signify collections of memory-knowledges (n. 28). It is also said that he “came forth with his streams,” because by “streams” are signified the things of intelligence (see n. 108, 109, 2702, 3051), here of insanity, because derived from things of sense and memory-knowledges (see n. 5196). It is then said that he “troubled the waters with his feet, and fouled their streams,” because by “waters” are signified spiritual truths (n. 680, 739, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668), and by “feet,” the things of the natural (n. 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952), thus “to trouble the waters with his feet” denotes to defile and pervert the truths of faith through the memory-knowledges of the natural; and “to foul their streams” is to do thus to intelligence.

[8] It is finally said that “when he shall be extinguished the heavens shall be covered,” because by the “heavens” are signified the interiors of man, since these are indeed his heavens. These are closed when memory-knowledges have dominion over the truths of faith, or the natural over the spiritual. That then the knowledges of truth and of good perish, is signified by the words, “I will make the stars of the heavens black, and all the luminaries of light” (that the “stars” are these knowledges see n. 2495, 2849, 4697; and that “luminaries” are goods and truths, n. 30-38). That then neither can the good of love anymore flow in, is signified by “I will cover the sun with a cloud;” and that neither can the good of faith flow in, is signified by “the moon shall not make her light to shine” (that the “sun” is the good of love, and the “moon” the good of faith, see n. 1529, 1530, 2120, 2495, 3636, 3643, 4060, 4696). And that thus only falsities will have possession of the natural mind, is signified by “I will set darkness upon thy land” (that “darkness” is falsities, see n. 1839, 1860, 4418, 4531; and that the “land of Pharaoh” or the “land of Egypt” is the natural mind, n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301). From all this it is now evident what is the sense contained in these prophetic words. As by “Pharaoh” is signified memory-knowledge in general, by him is also signified the natural in general (n. 5799).

1462. That relatively to the Lord, “Egypt” is the memory-knowledge of knowledges, but relatively to all other men is memory-knowledge [scientia] in general, is evident from its signification in the Word (concerning which above in 1164-1165 places, especially in n. 1164,1165). For the Ancient Church was in Egypt as well as in many other places n. 1238); and when this church was there, memory-knowledges [scientiae] flourished there more than anything else; hence by Egypt has been signified memory-knowledge. But after the people desired to enter by means of memory-knowledges into the mysteries of faith, and thus from their own power to investigate the truth of Divine arcana, Egypt became addicted to magic, and signified things of memory-knowledge which pervert, whence come falsities, and from these evils, as is evident in Isaiah 19:11.

[2] That useful memory-knowledges are signified by “Egypt,” thus in the present passage the memory-knowledge of knowledges, which is able to serve as vessels for celestial and spiritual things, is evident from the following passages in the Word.

In Isaiah:

They have seduced Egypt, the cornerstone of the tribes (Isaiah 19:13),

where it is called “the cornerstone of the tribes,” as it should serve for a support to the things that are of faith, which are signified by “the tribes.” Again:

In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak with the lip of Canaan, and swear to Jehovah Zebaoth; each shall be called the city of the sun. In that day there shall be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to Jehovah at the border thereof. And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto Jehovah Zebaoth in the land of Egypt; for they shall cry unto Jehovah because of the oppressors, and He shall send them a Saviour and a Prince, and He shall deliver them; and Jehovah shall become known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know Jehovah in that day; and they shall offer sacrifice and meat-offering, and shall vow a vow to Jehovah, and shall perform it. And Jehovah shall smite Egypt in smiting and in healing, and they shall return unto Jehovah, and He shall be entreated of them, and shall heal them (Isaiah 19:18-22).

Here Egypt is spoken of in a good sense, denoting those who are in memory-knowledges [scientifica], that is, in natural truths, which are the vessels of spiritual truths.

[3] Again:

In that day there shall be a path from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria shall come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve Assyria. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the land, which Jehovah Zebaoth shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel Mine inheritance (Isaiah 19:23-25).

Here by “Egypt” is signified the memory-knowledge of natural truths; by “Assyria,” reason or rational things; by “Israel,” spiritual things; all of which succeed one another; and therefore it is said that “in that day there shall be a path from Egypt to Assyria,” and that “Israel shall be the third with Egypt and with Assyria.”

[4] In Ezekiel:

Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was thine expansion, that it might be to thee for an ensign (Ezekiel 27:7); concerning Tyre, by which is signified the possession of knowledges; “fine linen with broidered work” denotes the truths of memory-knowledges, that serve; for memory-knowledges, being of the external man, ought to serve the internal man. Again:

Thus saith the Lord Jehovih, At the end of forty years will I gather Egypt from the peoples whither they have been scattered, and I will bring back the captivity of Egypt (Ezekiel 29:13-14);

denoting the same that is said in many places concerning Judah and Israel, in that they should be gathered from the peoples and brought back from captivity.

In Zechariah:

And it shall come to pass that whoso of the families of the earth goeth not up unto Jerusalem to worship the King Jehovah Zebaoth, upon them there shall be no rain; and if the family of Egypt go not up and come not (Zechariah 14:17-18);

also concerning Egypt in a good sense, and by which the like is meant.

[5] That memory-knowledge, or human wisdom, is signified by “Egypt,” is evident also in Daniel, where the memory-knowledges of celestial and spiritual things are called “the hidden things of gold and silver,” and also “the desirable things of Egypt” (Daniel 11:43). And it is said of Solomon that “his wisdom was multiplied above the wisdom of all the sons of the east, and above all the wisdom of the Egyptians” (1 Kings 4:30). The house built by Solomon for Pharaoh’s daughter represented nothing else (1 Kings 7:8, etc.).

[6] That the Lord when an infant was brought into Egypt, signified the same that is here signified by Abram; and it took place for the additional reason that He might fulfill all the things that had been represented concerning Him. In the inmost sense the migration of Jacob and his sons into Egypt represented the first instruction of the Lord in knowledges from the Word, as is also manifest from the following passages. It is said of the Lord in Matthew:

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I tell thee. And he arose and took the young child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called My son (Matthew 2:13-15, 19-21); concerning which it is said in Hosea:

When Israel was a child then I loved him, and called My son out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1);

from which it is evident that by the “child Israel,” is meant the Lord; and that His instruction when a child is meant by the words, “I called My son out of Egypt.”

[7] Again in Hosea:

By a prophet the Lord made Israel to go up out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he kept (Hosea 12:13-14); where in like manner by “Israel” is meant the Lord; by “a prophet” is signified one who teaches, and thus the doctrine of knowledges.

In David:

Turn us again, O God Zebaoth, cause Thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. Thou didst bring a vine out of Egypt, Thou didst drive out the nations, and planted it (Psalms 80:7-8); where also the Lord is treated of, who is called “a vine out of Egypt” in regard to the knowledges in which He was being instructed.