10543. By Mount Horeb. That this signifies in the external things of worship, of the church, and of the Word, is evident from the signification of “Mount Horeb,” as being Divine truth in the external things, for Horeb was a mountainous region around Mount Sinai; and by “Mount Sinai” is signified Divine truth. Consequently “Horeb,” being a mountainous region round about it, signifies Divine truth in external things; for that which is in the midst and which is high above the things that lie round about, signifies what is internal; and consequently by that which is round about and beneath is signified what is external. (That “Mount Sinai” signifies Divine truth, see n. 8805, 9420; that “the midst” denotes what is internal, n. 1074, 2940, 2973, 5897, 6084, 6103, 9164; in like manner what is high, n. 2148, 4210, 4599, 9489, 9773, 10181; and that “roundabout” denotes what is external, n. 2973; in like manner “beneath.”) As the people were in external things, and not in what is internal, therefore when the Law was promulgated from Mount Sinai, they stood in Horeb beneath the mountain, and the mountain was hedged about to prevent its being touched by the people (Exodus 19:12-13, 21-24; 20:18; Deuteronomy 4:11-12). It is said “the external of worship, of the church, and of the Word,” because the external of one is the external of the other, for worship belongs to the church, and the truths and goods of the church and of its worship are from the Word; and therefore those who are in the externals of worship and of the church are in the externals of the Word.

9164. Or be led away captive. That this signifies removal, is evident from the signification of “to be led away captive,” when predicated of the good and truth with man, as being removal. The case herein is as follows. When a man is in truth from good, then that truth in which he has the greatest faith is in the middle; next follow the truths in which he has less faith; and finally those which are of doubtful faith. In the borders round about are falsities, which, however, are not in a series with the truths, and do not stand upright toward heaven as do the truths of good; but are bent downward, and look toward hell insofar as they come forth from evil. But when falsity usurps the place of truth, the order is inverted, and the truths pass off to the sides, and form the circumference, while the falsities of evil occupy the middle. From this it is evident what is here meant by “removal” (on which see n. 3436, 6084, 6103). That such a removal is signified by “being led away captive,” is because when falsities take truths captive, they lead them away in this manner. Such also is the signification of “being taken captive,” or “being led away captive,” in Jeremiah:

The wind shall feed all thy shepherds, and thy lovers shall be led away into captivity (Jeremiah 22:22).

Woe to thee, O Moab! The people of Chemosh hath perished; for thy sons have been led away into captivity, and thy daughters into captivity. Yet will I bring back the captivity of Moab in the end of the days (Jeremiah 48:46-47).

The “sons who were led away into captivity” denote truths; and the “daughters,” goods. And in Luke:

They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive among all the nations; and finally Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the nations (Luke 21:24);

speaking of the consummation of the age, which is the last time of the church. “To fall by the edge of the sword” denotes to perish through falsities, for “the sword” denotes falsity fighting against truth (n. 2799, 4499, 6353, 7102, 8294); “the nations among whom they were to be led away captive,” and by whom the church would be “trodden down,” denote evils from which are falsities (n. 1259, 1260, 1849, 1868, 6306); that “Jerusalem,” which should then be trodden down, denotes the church, see n. 2117, 3654.