9021. And he that curseth his father and his mother. That this signifies the denial in every possible way of the Lord and of His kingdom by those who are of the church, and thus the profanation of the good and the truth of the church, is evident from the signification of “cursing,” as being aversion and disjunction (see n. 245, 379, 1423, 3530, 3584, 5071), consequently also denial in every possible way, for he who turns himself away and disjoins himself from the Lord, at heart denies Him; and from the signification of “father and mother,” as being the Lord and His kingdom, and in the relative sense the good and truth which are from the the Lord, (n. 8897, 9015). The reason why it signifies “by those who are within the church” is that the commandments, judgments, and statutes which were promulgated by the Lord from Mount Sinai, were specifically for the sons of Israel, among whom the representative of a church was at that time being instituted, and by whom therefore the church was signified (n. 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223, 7957, 8234, 8805). Therefore also by “cursing father and mother” is signified profanation, for those within the church who wholly deny the Lord and the things which are of His kingdom and church, profane them. (That those who are within the church can profane holy things, but not those who are outside of the church, see n. 1008, 1010, 1059, 2051, 3398, 3399, 3898, 4289, 4601, 6348, 6959, 6963, 6971, 8882.) For this reason denial of the Lord is not profanation with those who are outside of the church, as for instance with the Gentiles, Mohammedans, and Jews.

2051. Circumcising he shall be circumcised. That this signifies that they must wholly remove from themselves the loves of self and of the world, that is, that they must do this who are within the church and who are signified by him “that is born in the house,” and by him “that is bought with silver,” is evident from the representation of circumcision,” as being purification from the loves of self and of the world (see above, n. 2039). It is here repeated that they are to be circumcised, and it is said, “circumcising he shall be circumcised,” by which is expressed the necessity, that is, for their being wholly purified from those loves. And as those are signified who are within the church, the “sons that are strangers” are not mentioned here, because by them (as shown above, n. 2049) are signified those who are outside the church.

[2] From the repetition of what was said in the preceding verse concerning those born in the house and those bought with silver, everyone can see that there is a Divine arcanum which is not seen from the sense of the letter. The arcanum is, that purification from those filthy loves is necessary most of all within the church, and this for the reason that they who are within the church are able to render holy things themselves impure, which they who are outside the church-that is, the Gentiles cannot do; so that the danger of damnation is greater in the case of the former. Moreover those who are within the church are able to form principles of falsity contrary to the very truths of faith, and to become imbued with them; whereas those who are outside the church cannot do this, because they are ignorant of these truths. Thus the former can profane holy truths, but not the latter (concerning which more may be seen in Part First, n. 1059, 1327, 1328).