8407. 'Would that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt' means that it would have been preferable for them to have been forsaken by the Lord when they were in the state involving molestations. This is clear from the meaning of 'would that!' as it would have been better or preferable; from the meaning of 'to have died by the hand of Jehovah' as to have been forsaken by the Lord, for 'to have died' in the spiritual sense means to be immersed in evils and the falsities arising from them, and therefore in damnation, 5407, 6119, 7494, and the expression 'dying by the hand of Jehovah' means being forsaken by the Lord, because those who are forsaken by Him, that is, who forsake Him, plunge into evils and falsities arising from them, and so into damnation (it has been shown many times before that 'Jehovah' in the Word is the Lord); and from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the state involving molestations, dealt with above in 8401. For what had been happening to those belonging to the spiritual Church, who are represented by 'the children of Israel', before they were delivered by the Lord - that they had been molested by those steeped in falsities arising from evil, who are represented by 'Pharaoh' and 'the Egyptians' - see 6854, 6914, 7474, 7828, 7932, 8018, 8099, 8159, 8321.

8158. Verses 10-14 And Pharaoh drew near. And the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were travelling after them; and they were in great fear, and the children of Israel cried out to Jehovah. And they said to Moses, Were there no graves in Egypt, [since] you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What is this you have done to us, to bring us out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, Leave us alone, and let us serve the Egyptians; for it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness? And Moses said to the people, Have no fear; stand firm and see the salvation of Jehovah, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you will see again no more for ever. Jehovah will fight for you, and you are to be silent.

And Pharaoh drew near' means an oppressive influx from there of falsity arising from evil. 'And the children of Israel lifted up their eyes' means the understanding part of the mind, and thought. 'And behold, the Egyptians were travelling after them' means the constantly increasing oppressiveness of falsity. 'And they were in great fear' means a feeling of horror. 'And the children of Israel cried out to Jehovah' means pleading for help. 'And they said to Moses' means the climax of the temptation, when there is despair. 'Were there no graves in Egypt, [since] you have taken us away to die in the wilderness?' means that if damnation was their lot it made no difference whether it came to them through the falsities of molesters or through a state of temptations in which they would go under. 'What is this you have done to us, to bring us out of Egypt?' means that their deliverance from molestations by falsities had been to no avail. 'Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying' means that something such as this had been thought by them when they were molested by falsities. 'Leave us alone, and let us serve the Egyptians' means that they would not be drawn back from surrendering themselves. 'For it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness?' means that damnation through the violence of falsity in the state of molestations would be preferable to damnation that came about through yielding in a state of temptations. 'And Moses said to the people' means being raised by God's truth from a state of despair. 'Have no fear' means that there should be no feeling of despair. 'Stand firm and see the salvation of Jehovah' means salvation from the Lord alone and not at all from themselves. 'Which He will accomplish today' means which will continue into eternity. 'For the Egyptians whom you see today you will see again no more for ever' means that falsities which are moved aside once will remain moved aside even into eternity. 'Jehovah will fight for you' means that the Lord alone endures the conflicts brought by temptations. 'And you are to be silent' means that by their own powers they will achieve absolutely nothing.