8143. 'And the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people' means a change of state, a change to evil within those steeped in falsities arising from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'the turning of the heart' as a change of state, to evil (the fact that 'being turned' means undergoing a change - at this point a change of mind, and so a change of state - is self-evident; and for the meaning of 'heart' as evil, see above in 8135); from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as those steeped in falsities arising from evil, dealt with above in 8132; from the meaning of 'servants' as those who belong to a lower rank and minister, and since these are meant, each and every one steeped in falsities arising from evil is meant, 7396; and from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those who belong to the spiritual Church. From all this it is evident that 'the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people' means a change of state, a change to evil feelings within all those steeped in falsities arising from evil, directed against those belonging to the spiritual Church.

7107. 'And Pharaoh said' means the will of those who molest the Church's truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as the will, dealt with below; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as those who molest the Church's truths, dealt with in 6651, 6679, 6683, thus who molest those who belong to the spiritual Church, for the latter are said to be in possession of the Church's truths. The reason why the word 'saying' means the will or act of willing is that that word also includes what follows it; for when anyone wills something he verbalizes it. Since the word 'says' includes what follows it, it has various meanings, for example, a command, 7036; an urgent demand or an admonition, 5012, 7073, 7090; communication, 3060, 4131, 6228; thought, 7094; or perception, which is its proper meaning, 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2862, 3509, 5687.