5973. 'And Israel said' means spiritual good now. This is clear from the representation of 'Israel' as spiritual good, as in 5801, 5803, 5806, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5832, 5833. For what spiritual good is, represented by 'Israel', and what natural good is, represented by 'Jacob', see above in 5965. Anyone unacquainted with the internal sense of the Word cannot possibly know why Jacob is called Jacob at one point and Israel at another; for within a single chapter, even within a single verse, one name may be used, then the other. This shows quite plainly that the Word has an internal sense, as it does at this point where one reads,

The spirit of Jacob their father revived, and Israel said . . .

Similar examples appear elsewhere, such as the following,

Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers. And the sons of Israel came to buy in the midst of others who came. Genesis 42:4-5.

And Israel set out. God said to Israel in visions in the night, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Behold, here I am. Genesis 46:1-2.

Jacob rose up from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father. Genesis 46:5.

All the souls of the house of Jacob as he came into Egypt were seventy. Joseph harnessed his chariot, and went up to meet Israel. And Israel said to Joseph . . . Genesis 46:26, 29-30.

Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. And Israel's days drew near when he must die. Genesis 47:27-29.

And someone told Jacob and said, Behold, your son Joseph has come to you; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on his bed. And Jacob said to Joseph... Genesis 48:2-3.

Jacob called his sons, and said, Assemble together and hear, O sons of Jacob; hear Israel your father. Genesis 49:1-2.

Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is hard. ¹ I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel. Genesis 49:7.

The arms of his hands will be made strong by the hands of the powerful Jacob; from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. Genesis 49:24.

The same use of the two names also occurs frequently in the Prophets.

Poznámky pod čarou:

8148. 'And he took six hundred chosen chariots' means each and every doctrinal teaching that upholds falsity belonging to separated faith, in their own order. This is clear from the meaning of the number 'six hundred' as each and every aspect of the truth and good of faith taken all together, and so in the contrary sense as each and every aspect of the falsity and evil of faith separated from charity (this meaning of 'six hundred' may become clear from what has been shown regarding the number 'six hundred thousand' in 7973); and from the meaning of 'chariots' as doctrinal teachings upholding faith, in this instance separated faith, dealt with just above in 8146. 'Chosen chariots' means the chief doctrinal teachings that uphold that faith, to which all other teachings are subordinate. Those that are subordinate to them or serve them are meant by 'the chariots of Egypt', referred to immediately after the six hundred chosen ones.

[2] It should be recognized that these falsities - the ones that are meant here by Pharaoh, his army and people, and also his chariots, horses, and horsemen - are chiefly falsities present with people whose faith is no more than persuasion, that is, people who persuade themselves that the teachings of the Church they are in are true and who nevertheless lead a life of evil. This kind of faith, unlike saving faith, goes together with evil in life, because it is a faith in which people persuade themselves that everything the Church teaches is true, yet do so not for the sake of truth, or for the sake of life, or even for the sake of salvation (since they have scarcely any belief in this), only for their own advantage, that is, to acquire important positions and wealth, and reputation because of these. It is to gain such advantages that they imbibe religious teachings. Thus they do not learn them to the end that they may be of service to the Church and the salvation of souls, but to themselves and their dependents. Therefore it makes no difference to them whether those teachings are true or false. They do not care which they are, much less do they bother to find out; for they have no affection for truth because it is the truth. They endorse those teachings regardless of the character of them; and when they have endorsed them they tell themselves that they are true, without stopping to think that falsities can be endorsed just as much as truths, 4741, 5033, 6865, 7012, 7680, 7950.

[3] This is how faith that is no more than persuasion arises. And since it does not see the neighbour and the good of the neighbour, or therefore the Lord, as the end in view, only self and the world, that is, important positions and material gain, that kind of faith is linked to evil in life, and not to good in life. For faith, when linked to this good, is saving faith. This kind of faith is imparted by the Lord, but the other has its origin in people themselves. Faith imparted by the Lord remains forever, the other kind melts away in the next life. It even melts away in the world if they can gain nothing by it. As long as they can gain anything they fight for it as if for heaven itself, though in fact they do so not for that faith but for themselves. For the things that belong to faith, which are religious teachings, are for those people simply the means to an end, which is high position and wealth. People in the world with this type of faith are scarcely distinguishable from those possessing saving faith, since they speak and proclaim in favour of religious teachings with an ardour that seemingly belongs to true zeal, but is an ardour fired by selfish and worldly love.

[4] These are the people who are meant in particular by 'Pharaoh' and 'the Egyptians', who in the next life undergo vastation of that kind of faith. When that vastation is completed they are steeped in utter falsities arising from evil, for falsities now burst out of evil. Falsities do so because all evil has falsity present with it, since the two have been joined together. Those falsities make their appearance when such people are left exposed to the evil in their life. That evil is then like fire, and the falsities are like the light coming from a fire. This kind of evil, and the falsity arising from it, is altogether different from other kinds of evil and derivative falsities. It is more loathsome than all the rest, because it is contrary to the forms of good and the truths of faith, and that kind of evil consequently holds profanation within it. Profanation consists in acknowledging truth and good and yet living contrary to them, 593, 1008, 1010, 1059, 2051, 3398, 3898, 4289, 4601, 6959, 6963, 6971.