8567. 'Why do you tempt Jehovah?' means that their complaining is against the Divine, from whom they despair of receiving aid. This is clear from the meaning of 'tempting Jehovah' as complaining against the Divine. The reason why going so far as to despair of receiving aid from Him is meant is that such despair lies within what people say when they complain in temptations; for temptations consist in ever-recurring feelings of despair over salvation. Initially those feelings are slight, but in course of time they weigh heavily on a person, till finally he doubts, almost denies God's presence or the possibility of aid from Him. In temptations the spiritual life is for the most part brought to this extremity, for in that way the natural life is snuffed out, since while a person is in the midst of despair the Lord keeps his inmost actively engaged in the fight against falsity. As a consequence also such despair is soon after that dispelled by the comfort which is then supplied by the Lord; for all spiritual temptation is followed by comfort and so to speak newness of life. Regarding the prolongation of temptations to the point of despair, see 1787, 2694, 5279, 5280, 7147, 7155, 7166, 8165; and regarding comfort after temptations, 3696, 4572, 5246, 6829, 8367, 8370 (end).

7155. 'And the officers of the children of Israel saw themselves to be in evil' means being close to damnation. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as discerning, dealt with in 2150, 3764, 4567, 4723, 5400; from the meaning of 'the officers' as those in the nearest position to receive molestations and pass them on, dealt with in 7111, 7136; and from the meaning of 'evil' as damnation, for regarded in itself evil is hell, 6279, thus damnation. The reason why 'being in evil' means being close to damnation is that those who were in the nearest position to receive the molestations and pass them on suffered harm, meant by their being beaten by the taskmasters, 7136, and that the molestation of falsities that were constantly introduced brought them even to the point of despair, 7147. So it is that 'they saw themselves to be in evil' means their discernment that they were close to damnation. For because those who are at the point of despair suppose that they can no longer withstand the attacks made on them, they think that they cannot do anything else but surrender like prisoners to falsities. This is what the state of despair is like; yet in that state they begin to be lifted out of it and be led so to speak from thick darkness into light.