9284. 'It shall not be heard on your lips' means that they should not obey them or in any way affirm them. This is clear from the meaning of 'hearing' as obeying, dealt with in 2542, 3869, 4652-4660, 5017, 7216, 8361; and from the meaning of 'not being on the lips' - when it refers to teachings that present what is false, meant by 'the name of other gods' - as not affirming. The reason why the name of other gods was not to be mentioned or to be heard on their lips was in order that heavenly and Divine things which were the Lord's might be represented by all the statutes, judgements, and commandments that were decreed. And those things were indeed represented as long as they uttered Jehovah's name and worshipped Him; for then what was Divine and the Lord's was present, and heaven with Him. But when they uttered the name of other gods and worshipped them hellish things were represented, for spirits from hell were present, who wished to be worshipped as gods. This is the unceasing desire of those in hell, because self-love and love of the world reign there, see 3881 (end).

2542. 'And spoke all these words in their ears' means an exhortation made to confirmations from this source, even until they should become obedient. This becomes clear from the train of thought in the internal sense, and also from the meaning of 'ears'.

From the train of thought: There are many matters of a confirmatory nature that lend support to whatever the rational acknowledges; indeed its acknowledgement is due entirely to those confirmatory matters. This is why, when rational concepts are brought into a condition of obedience, an exhortation is made to things that confirm, for these are for ever at hand and so to speak rising up.

From the meaning of 'ears': 'Ears' in the internal sense of the Word means obedience because of the correspondence that exists between hearing and obeying. Furthermore, this correspondence lies hidden within the very word 'hearing', more so in 'hearkening'. This correspondence has its origin in the next life where those who are obedient and willing belong to the province of the ear. Indeed they correspond to the faculty of hearing itself, an arcanum unknown as yet. But these matters will be seen more easily when correspondence will be dealt with in the Lord's Divine mercy later on. The fact that 'ears' has this meaning becomes clear from very many places in the Word; but for the time being let only the following in Isaiah be quoted,

Make the heart of this people fat and their ears heavy, and plaster over their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and their heart understands. Isaiah 6:10.

Here 'seeing with the eyes' means understanding, and 'hearing with the ears' means perceiving with affection and therefore means obeying. And nothing else is meant when the Lord says,

He who has an ear to hear, let him hear. Matthew 11:15; 13:9, 43; Luke 8:8; 14:35.