10480. 'For Aaron had caused them to become so undisciplined' means that the external things which they loved were the cause of this. This is clear from the meaning of 'causing to become undisciplined' as turning away from what is internal, and so from what is Divine, as immediately above in 10479; and from the representation of 'Aaron' as the external, also dealt with above, in 10468. Which they loved is meant because those whose interest lies in external things separated from what is internal, love external things alone. The reason why 'causing to become undisciplined' here means turning away and not causing to turn away is that Aaron is not meant in the internal sense by 'Aaron' but the external, and so it is meant without reference to that person, in accord with what has been stated above in 10469.

10469. 'What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?' means, Why is it that that nation has so turned itself away from the Divine? This is clear from the meaning of 'what did this people do to you?' as, Why is it that that nation is such? ('doing to you' here does not mean doing something to him, for 'Aaron' is not used to mean Aaron but the external, the essential nature of which is contemplated from the internal, and therefore 'what did they do to you?' - when understood in the abstract sense, without reference to persons - means, Why is it?); and from the meaning of 'a sin' as a turning away from the Divine, dealt with in 5841, 9346. Consequently 'bringing upon them so great a sin', when the external in that abstract sense is meant by 'Aaron', describes such and so great a turning away from the Divine.