6757. 'And saw their burdens' means a discernment that they were being molested by falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as a discernment, dealt with above in 6772; and from the meaning of 'burdens' as molestations by falsities, for in the spiritual sense the burdens laid by Pharaoh on the children of Israel are nothing else. 'Pharaoh' is false factual knowledge, 6651, 6679, 6683; and molestations by falsities are nothing other than 'burdens' to those who are guided by truths. As for the nature of molestations by falsities, which are 'burdens' to those guided by truths, that cannot be known by anyone while he lives in the world, for he does not suffer that kind of molestation then. While he is in the world his mind either clings to falsities or dispels them, without any conscious feeling of molestation. But in the next life when those guided by truths suffer molestation by falsities they are held by evil spirits in the grip of those falsities like people in bonds. But the Lord holds the interior parts of their minds in truths, which are used to dispel the falsities. A state of molestation by falsities such as is experienced in the next life is what is meant here in the internal sense, as are many other things; for the Word has been written not only for man but also for spirits and angels.

6650. Verses 8-14 And a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are many and numerous, more than ourselves. Come, let us use prudence with them; perhaps they will multiply, and it will be when wars occur, that they also will join themselves to our enemies and fight against us, and go up out of the land. And they set princes of tributes ¹ over them, to afflict them with burdens. And they built cities of store-houses for Pharaoh - Pithom and Raamses. And according as they afflicted them, so they multiplied and so they grew; and they were filled with loathing because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigour. And they made their life bitter with hard service, in clay and in bricks, and in all [manner of] service in the field, with all their [other] service in which they made them serve with rigour.

'And a new king arose over Egypt' means separated factual knowledge, which is opposed to the Church's truths. 'Who did not know Joseph' means which is completely alienated from the internal. 'And he said to his people' means subordinated factual knowledge. 'Behold, the people of the children of Israel are many and numerous, more than ourselves' means that the Church's truths are prevailing over alienated factual knowledge. 'Come, let us use prudence with them' means guile. 'Perhaps they will multiply, and it will be when wars occur' means superior strength if they increase. 'That they also will join themselves to our enemies and fight against us' means that in that way allied forces who inflict harm will be made stronger. 'And go up out of the land' means that the Church will have thereby been established. ' And they set princes of tributes over them' means falsities which would compel them to serve. 'To afflict them with burdens' means increasing distress caused by forms of hard service. 'And they built cities of store-houses for Pharaoh' means teachings composed of falsified truths in the natural where alienated factual knowledge resides. 'Pithom and Raamses' means the essential nature of those teachings. 'And according as they afflicted them, so they multiplied' means that in the measure that there were molestations, so the truths increased. 'And so they grew' means that they became strong. 'And they were filled with loathing because of the children of Israel' means greater aversion. 'And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve' means the aim to bring them under their control. 'With rigour means without showing any mercy. 'And they made their life bitter with hard service' means to such an extent that the aim to bring them under their control became vexatious. 'In clay and in bricks' means on account of the evils which they devised and the falsities which they fabricated. 'And in all [manner of] service in the field' means the aim to bring things of the Church under their control. 'With all their [other] service in which they made them serve with rigour' means the aim to bring them under their control by the use of many methods, without showing them any mercy.

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