5749. Ye have done evil in so doing. That this signifies that it is contrary to Divine law to claim it to themselves, is evident from the signification of “theft,” which is meant here by the “evil which they did,” as being to claim to oneself that which belongs to the Lord, namely, the truth which is signified by Joseph’s silver cup (see n. 5747). That this is contrary to the Divine law is manifest (n. 2609). The reason why man ought not to claim to himself anything that is from the Lord, thus not truth and good, is that he may be in the truth; and insofar as he is in the truth, so far he is in the light in which angels are in heaven; and insofar as he is in this light, so far he is in intelligence and wisdom; and insofar as he is in intelligence and wisdom, so far he is in happiness. This is the reason why man ought to acknowledge from the faith of the heart that nothing of truth and good is from himself, but all from the Lord, and this because it is so.

2609. But as regards the Precepts of Life, such as all things in the Decalogue, and many in the Law and the Prophets-these, being of service to man’s very life, are of use in both senses, both the literal and the internal. The things contained in the literal sense were for the people and peoples of that period, who did not apprehend internal things; and the things contained in the internal sense were for the angels, who have no care for external things. Unless the precepts of the Decalogue contained internal things also, they would never have been promulgated on Mount Sinai with so great a miracle; for such things as it contains, such as that parents are to be honored, that men must not steal, must not kill, must not commit adultery, must not covet what is another’s, are things which the Gentiles also know and have prescribed in their laws; and which the sons of Israel as men must have been well acquainted with, without such a promulgation. But as those precepts were for the service of life, in both senses, and were as external forms produced from internal, that corresponded to each other-this was the reason why they came down out of heaven upon Mount Sinai with so great a miracle, and in their internal sense were uttered and heard in heaven, while in their external sense they were uttered and heard on earth.

[2] Take as an example the promise that they who honor their parents shall have their days prolonged upon the land: by “parents” the angels in heaven perceived the Lord; by the “land,” His kingdom, which those who worship Him from love and faith should eternally possess as sons and heirs; whereas by “parents” men on earth understood parents; by “land,” the land of Canaan; by the “prolongation of their days,” the years of their life. Take again the precept that men must not steal: by this the angels who were in heaven perceived that they should take nothing away from the Lord, and should not claim anything of righteousness and merit for themselves; whereas men on earth understood that they must not steal; from which we can see that these precepts are true in both senses. Take again the precept that men must not kill: by this the angels in heaven perceived that they should not hate anyone, and should not extinguish anything of good and truth with anyone; whereas men on earth understood that their friends must not be killed. The case is the same with all the other precepts.