9344. Thou shalt not make a covenant with them, and with their gods. That this signifies no communication with evils and falsities, is evident from the signification of “making a covenant,” as being to be conjoined (see n. 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778), thus also to be communicated, for they who communicate together are conjoined; from the signification of “the inhabitants of the land,” who in this case are those with whom they were not to make a covenant, as being evils (of which just above, n. 9342); and from the signification of “gods,” as being falsities (n. 4402, 4544, 7873, 8867, 8941).

8867. Thou shalt have no other gods before My faces. That this signifies that truths must not be thought of from any other source than the Lord, is evident from the signification of “gods,” as being truths, and in the opposite sense as being falsities (see n. 4402, 4544, 7268, 7873, 8301); and from the signification of “faces,” when predicated of God, as being love, mercy, peace, good (n. 222, 223, 2434, 5585), thus the Lord Himself, for it is the Lord from whom these are. That “no other gods before My faces” signifies that truths must not be thought of from any other source than the Lord, is also because the Divine Human of the Lord, which is signified by “I am Jehovah thy God,” is first spoken of, and consequently holds the first place in order, and must universally reign in each of the truths that follow (n. 8864, 8865); and therefore there are now perceived such things as must be avoided, because they would destroy and prevent the universal reign of the Lord in all and each of the truths contained in the commandments and statutes that were dictated and commanded from Mount Sinai. The first thing which would destroy is the thinking of truths from some other source than the Lord, which is signified by the command to have no other gods before the Lord’s faces. The rest of the things that would destroy this universal regnant are contained in the things which follow in order, namely, that they should not make to themselves a graven image, nor the likeness of anything that is in the heavens, in the earth, or in the waters, and that they should not bow down themselves to them nor serve them. After this therefore it again follows “for I am Jehovah thy God,” by which is signified that the Lord must be in each and all things.