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.

9773. And the height five cubits. That this signifies the degrees of good and truth also as much as is sufficient, is evident from the signification of “height,” as being degrees in respect to good (see n. 9489), and because this is predicated of the ultimate heaven, it denotes degrees also in respect to truth, for this heaven is in the good and truth of faith; and from the signification of “five,” as being as much as is sufficient (n. 9689). The reason why by “height” are signified degrees in respect to good and truth is that by “what is high” is signified what is internal (n. 1735, 2148, 4599); therefore the higher anything is, so much the more interior it is. In heaven that which is more interior is nearer to the Lord, for the Lord is in the inmost, and from the inmost all things proceed. Distances from the inmost are degrees of good and truth from Him. As the Lord is the inmost, He is also the Highest, for He is the Sun of heaven, from which is all height in the heavens. For this reason it is that the Lord is called in the Word “the Highest.”