9282. And all that I have said unto you ye shall keep. That this signifies that the commandments, the judgments, and the statutes are to be done is evident from the signification of “all that Jehovah had said unto them,” as being all things of the life, of worship, and of the civil state; for the things of life were called “commandments,” those of worship were called “statutes,” and those of the civil state were called “judgments” (see n. 8972); and from the signification of “keeping” or observing, as being to do, for by doing them they are observed. As the laws of life, of worship, and of the civil state, are not anything with a man so long as they are in his understanding only, but become something with him when they are in the will, therefore it is said in the Word throughout that they must be “done;” for doing is of the will; but knowing, understanding, acknowledging, and believing are of the understanding. These latter, however, have no being with man until they become of the will, nor do they come forth with him until they become of the understanding from the will; for the being of man is to will, and the coming forth is to acknowledge and believe therefrom. The things which have no such being and coming forth with a man are not appropriated to him, but stand without, and are not as yet received into the house; and therefore they do not contribute anything to the eternal life of the man; for unless such things have been made of the life, they are dissipated in the other life; those only remaining which are of the heart, that is, of the will and from this of the understanding. This being so, it is said in the Word throughout that the commandments and the statutes must be “done;” as in Moses:

Ye shall do My judgments, and keep My statutes, to walk therein. Ye shall therefore keep My statutes, and My judgments; which if a man do, he shall live by them (Leviticus 18:4-5; also Matthew 5:20; 7, 24-27; 16:27; John 3:21);

and in many other passages.

8972. Verse 1. And these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them, signifies exterior truths, such as there must be in the civil state where there is a representative church, and which flow from the internal truths which are of order in the heavens. That these things are signified by “the judgments which were to be set before the sons of Israel” is evident from the signification of “judgments,” as being truths (see n. 2235, 6397, 7206, 8685, 8695). The reason why “judgments” denote truths is that all judgment is effected by means of truths; consequently by “doing judgment” in the Word is signified doing truth, that is, judging according to truths. But by “judgments,” in the plural, are signified civil laws, thus exterior truths such as are in the civil state. It is said “where there is a representative church,” for the reason that interiorly they contain and involve in them those truths which are of order in the heavens, as can be seen from their internal sense.

[2] The laws which were enacted and commanded the sons of Israel by the Lord were distinguished into “commandments,” “judgments,” and “statutes.” Those were called “commandments” which belonged to life; those “judgments” which belonged to the civil state; and those “statutes” which belonged to worship. As regards “judgments” specifically, they are such things as are contained in this chapter, and also in several chapters that follow. They served for laws in a church wherein the internal things which are of heaven and the church were represented by external things. But they do not serve for laws in a church wherein internal things are no longer represented by external, as in the Christian Church. The reason is that to the man of this Church internal things have been revealed, and therefore communication with heaven is effected by means of internal things, and not by means of external things, as before. This is the reason why the man of the Christian Church is not bound to observe in their external form those things which are called “judgments” and “statutes,” but in their internal form. Nevertheless holiness abides in them, because they contain holy things within them, as do also all and each of the things commanded in the Word about sacrifices. Although these things have been abrogated, they nevertheless are holy things of the Word by reason of the Divine things which are in them, and which they represented. For when they are read by a Christian man, the Divine things that are within them, and that were represented, are perceived in the heavens, and fill the angels with that which is holy, and at the same time by influx from the angels they fill the man who reads, especially if he himself then thinks of the Divine things that are within them. From this it is plain that the Word even of the Old Testament is most holy.

[3] That the laws enacted by the Lord and commanded the sons of Israel were distinguished into “commandments” which relate to life, into “judgments” which relate to the civil state, and into “statutes” which relate to worship, is plain in the following passages:

Jehovah said unto Moses, Go, say to them, return ye into your tents. But as for thee, stand thou here with Me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them (Deuteronomy 5:28, 30-31).

Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which Jehovah your God commanded to teach you (Deuteronomy 6:1).

Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them (Deuteronomy 7:11).

If his sons forsake My law, and walk not in My judgments; if they profane My statutes, and keep not My commandments; I will visit their transgression with the rod (Psalms 89:30-32).

[4] Moreover all the laws, insofar as they belonged to the representative church, were in general called “judgments” and “statutes,” as in Moses:

Now, therefore, O Israel, hear the statutes and the judgments which I will teach you, that ye may do them. What great nation is there that hath statutes and judgments so just as all this law, which I will give before you this day? (Deuteronomy 4:1, 8; 5:1).

Jerusalem hath changed My judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and My statutes more than the lands that are round about her; for they have rejected My judgments, and have not walked in My statutes (Ezekiel 5:6-7).

Let them walk in My statutes, and keep My judgments, to do the truth (Ezekiel 18:9).

Besides many other places (as Leviticus 18:5; 19:37; 20:22; 25:18; 26:15; Deuteronomy 26:17; Ezekiel 11:12, 20; 20:11, 13, 2 20:25; 37:24).