6867. Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh? That this signifies not being yet in such a state as to seem to himself to be able to go and remove the infesting falsities, is evident from the signification of “Who am I?” as being that he was not yet in such a state; and from the signification of “going to Pharaoh,” as being to go to the infesting falsities, for by “Pharaoh” is signified falsity which infests (see n. 6651, 6679, 6683). That it also denotes to remove, is because the holy proceeding from the Lord’s Human (of which above, n. 6864) removes falsities and evils, because these are quite unable to endure its presence. As these things were said from humiliation, it is said that he did not yet seem to himself able to do this.

6651. And there arose a new king over Egypt. That this signifies separated memory-knowledges which are opposed to the truths of the church, is evident from the representation of Pharaoh, who is here the “king,” as being memory-knowledge in general (see n. 6015). He is called a “king,” because a “king” in the genuine sense signifies truth (n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3670, 4581, 4966, 5044, 6148), and in the opposite sense falsity; and when by the “king” is meant Pharaoh, false memory-knowledge is signified, that is, memory-knowledge which is opposed to the truths of the church. From this also a “new king” is mentioned, for he who was king in Joseph’s time represented memory-knowledge that was in agreement with the truths of the church. (That “Egypt” denotes memory-knowledge, here in particular, see above, n. 6638)