10543. 'At Mount Horeb' means within the external things of worship, the Church, and the Word. This is clear from the meaning of 'Mount Horeb' as Divine Truth present in external things. For Horeb was the mountainous region surrounding Mount Sinai, and 'Mount Sinai' means Divine Truth; consequently 'Horeb', being the mountainous region round about, means Divine Truth present in external things. For what is in the middle and higher than the outlying parts around it means that which is internal, and therefore what is around and below it means that which is external.

'Mount Sinai' means Divine Truth, see 8805, 9420.

The middle means that which is internal, 1074, 2940, 2973, 5897, 6084, 6103, 9164, and so does what is high, 2148, 4210, 4599, 9489, 9773, 10181.

What is round about means that which is external, 2973, and so does what is below.

Since the people's interest lay in external things and not in what was internal, when the Law was declared from Mount Sinai they stood in Horeb at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain was fenced off all the way round to prevent the people from touching it, Exodus 19:12-13, 21, 23-24; 20:21; Deuteronomy 4:10-12. The external of worship, the Church, and the Word is spoken of because the external of one is the external of another; for worship is performed by the Church, and the Church's truths and forms of good, and its worship, are derived from the Word. Those therefore who are interested in only the external things of worship and the Church are interested in only the external things of the Word.

9773. 'And the height five cubits' means the degrees of good and truth, also in a sufficient amount. This is clear from the meaning of 'the height' as degrees so far as good is concerned, dealt with in 9489, and since it has reference to the lowest heaven they are also degrees so far as truth is concerned, for the good and truth of faith are foremost in that heaven; and from the meaning of 'five' as a sufficient amount, dealt with in 9689. The reason why 'the height' means degrees so far as good and truth are concerned is that what is high means what is internal, 1735, 2148, 4599, and therefore the higher anything is, the more internal it is. What is more internal in heaven is closer to the Lord; for the Lord is at the inmost point, and what is inmost is the source from which everything emanates. Distances away from what is inmost are degrees of good and truth emanating from Him. Since the Lord is the inmost point He is also the highest point; for He is the Sun of heaven, from which all height in the heavens exists. This explains why in the Word the Lord is called the Most High.