9779. 'And you shall command the children of Israel' means the Lord's command to the Church through the Word. This is clear from the representation of Moses, to whom 'you' refers here, as the Lord in respect of the Word, or the Word which comes from the Lord, dealt with in 4859 (end), 5922, 6752, 7014, 7089, 9372; and from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as members of the spiritual Church, dealt with in 9340. From this it is evident that Moses' being told to 'command the children of Israel' means the Lord's command to the Church through the Word.

3190. 'And they rode on the camels' means the understanding part of the mind, raised up above natural facts. This is clear from the meaning of 'riding' as the understanding when raised up, dealt with in 2761, 2762, and from the meaning of 'camels' as general facts in the natural man, dealt with in 3048, 3071, and so natural facts. The implications of this are that when truth from the natural is raised up into the rational it is borne out of the sphere of worldly light into that of heavenly light - so to speak from the obscurity of night into the brightness of day. For the things that belong to the light of the world, in which all natural objects exist, dwell so to speak in night, compared with things belonging to the light of heaven; but things that belong to the light of heaven, in which all spiritual objects exist, dwell so to speak in daylight, compared with things belonging to the light of the world. Consequently when truth from the natural is raised up towards the rational, the person is raised up at the same time into intelligence and wisdom. All the intelligence and wisdom present with man comes from this source. These are the things meant by the understanding part, raised up above natural facts.