7786. 'So that you may know that Jehovah makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel' means so that the nature of the difference between those immersed in evil and those governed by good may be known. This is clear from the meaning of 'knowing' as being made known; from the representation of 'the Egyptians' as those immersed in evil (previously 'the Egyptians' meant those steeped in falsity, but now that they have undergone vastation of the Church's truths which they knew they mean those immersed in evil; for 'the death of the firstborn' means damnation, a state of evil); and from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with above in 7784, thus those who are governed by good, since those who belong to the spiritual Church are led through faith to charity, that is, through truth to good.

7784. 'And against all the children of Israel not a dog will move its tongue' means that with those belonging to the spiritual Church there would not be the smallest trace of damnation or grief. This is clear from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with in 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7227; and from the meaning of 'not a dog moving its tongue' as there being not the smallest trace of damnation or grief. For these words express the opposite of 'a great cry which there will be in the land of Egypt', that is, deep grief, 7782 - deep grief on account of damnation, meant by the death of the firstborn.

[2] When it is said that there will not be the smallest trace of damnation with those who belong to the spiritual Church, that is, with those governed by the good of that Church, this should not be taken to mean that they are without any evil, but that they are withheld from evil and maintained in good by the Lord. What is properly their own is altogether evil and damned, but what is properly the Lord's which they receive is good and so is free from all damnation. This is the meaning when it is said that there is no damnation at all with those who abide in the Lord.

[3] The expression 'not a dog will move its tongue' is used on account of the meaning that 'a dog' has. 'A dog' means the lowest of all within the Church, that is, the mean and lowly, as well as those outside the Church, and also those who blather a lot about things that have to do with the Church and have little understanding of them. And in the contrary sense it means those who are altogether outside the faith of the Church and who subject matters of faith to abuse. The fact that 'dogs' means those outside the Church is clear in Matthew,

"Jesus said to the woman who was Greek, a Syro-Phoenician, It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." But she said, "To be sure, Lord, but even the little dogs eat from the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answering said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire. And her daughter was healed." Matthew 15:26-28; Mark 7:27-28.

Here 'children' is used to mean those within the Church, and 'dogs' those outside it. Much the same is meant by the dogs that licked Lazarus sores, Luke 16:21; for 'the rich man' there is used to mean in the internal sense those who are within the Church and who consequently have an abundance of spiritual riches, which consist in knowledge of what is true and good.

[4] 'Dogs' stands for those occupying the lowest position within the Church who blather a lot about such things as have to do with the Church but have little understanding of them, and in the contrary sense those who hurl insults at the things which are matters of faith, in Isaiah,

His watchmen are all blind, they are without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark - watching, lying down, loving to sleep. Isaiah 56:10.

In David,

They make a noise like a dog, they go around in the city; for they belch with their mouth, swords are in their lips. Psalms 59:6-7, 14.

In the same author,

That your foot may press into blood the tongue of your dogs. Psalms 68:23.

In Matthew,

Do not give what is holy to the dogs; do not cast your pearls before swine, lest perhaps they trample on them with their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Matthew 7:6.

This is why the most inferior of all things, which was to be cast away, is meant by 'a dead dog' in 1 Samuel 24:14; 2 Samuel 9:8; 16:9.