8719. 'And roll down [the burden] from upon yourself, and let them bear [it] with you' means thus assigning them functions and duties. This is clear from the meaning of 'rolling down from upon yourself' as delegating also to others; and from the meaning of 'bearing with him' as being of assistance to. The reason why these words mean thus assigning them functions and duties is that in everything generally and specifically done by Him the Lord acts both directly from Himself and indirectly through heaven. He acts indirectly through heaven not because He needs their help but in order that the angels there may have functions and duties, and therefore life and happiness in keeping with the duties and services they perform. This accounts for the appearance to them that they act independently; yet they perceive that what they do comes from the Lord. These are the things which are meant by the advice that Moses should roll down [the burden] from upon himself, and that the rulers, who were to judge small matters, should bear [it] with him. Regarding the Lord's inflowing not only directly but also indirectly, not merely into the first levels of order but also into the middle and lowest levels, see 6982, 6985, 6996, 7004, 7007.

6985. 'For I am heavy in mouth and heavy in tongue' means that voice and speech from the Divine is not heard and not discerned. This is clear from the meaning of 'mouth' as voice, and from the meaning of 'tongue as speech. 'Mouth' means voice because it is the organ used by the voice, and 'tongue means speech because it is the organ used in speech. Anyone can see what the difference is between voice and speech, and that 'voice' is used in connection with being heard, but 'speech' with being discerned. In the literal sense written as history, where reference is made to Moses' being a person who could speak only with difficulty, there is no other way than 'heavy in mouth and heavy in tongue' to express the matter. But when this expression passes into the internal sense it is discerned by the angels in connection with the subject there; and when it is said of the Divine it is discerned to mean that the voice from the Divine cannot be heard directly, nor the speech from Him be discerned directly, only indirectly through spirits, as accords with what has been stated above in 6982.