10498. That Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin. That this signifies a complete estrangement and turning away, is evident from the signification of “sin,” as being a turning away and estrangement from the Divine (see n. 5229, 5474, 5841, 7589, 9346), here a complete turning away and estrangement, because it is called “a great sin.” Turning away and estrangement from the Divine is complete when there is no longer received anything of truth and good from heaven, for the truth and good from heaven is the Divine with man. That with that nation there was no reception of truth and good from heaven, consequently that there was a complete turning away from the Divine, is described by these words in Isaiah:

Say to this people, Hearing hear ye, but understand not; and seeing see ye, but know not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and blot out their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and their heart should understand, and be converted, that they may be healed (Isaiah 6:9-10; also John 12:37-40);

it is said, “lest they be converted that they may be healed,” by which is signified that if they were to understand the internal things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, they would profane them (according to what was said above, n. 10490).

2051. Circumcising he shall be circumcised. That this signifies that they must wholly remove from themselves the loves of self and of the world, that is, that they must do this who are within the church and who are signified by him “that is born in the house,” and by him “that is bought with silver,” is evident from the representation of circumcision,” as being purification from the loves of self and of the world (see above, n. 2039). It is here repeated that they are to be circumcised, and it is said, “circumcising he shall be circumcised,” by which is expressed the necessity, that is, for their being wholly purified from those loves. And as those are signified who are within the church, the “sons that are strangers” are not mentioned here, because by them (as shown above, n. 2049) are signified those who are outside the church.

[2] From the repetition of what was said in the preceding verse concerning those born in the house and those bought with silver, everyone can see that there is a Divine arcanum which is not seen from the sense of the letter. The arcanum is, that purification from those filthy loves is necessary most of all within the church, and this for the reason that they who are within the church are able to render holy things themselves impure, which they who are outside the church-that is, the Gentiles cannot do; so that the danger of damnation is greater in the case of the former. Moreover those who are within the church are able to form principles of falsity contrary to the very truths of faith, and to become imbued with them; whereas those who are outside the church cannot do this, because they are ignorant of these truths. Thus the former can profane holy truths, but not the latter (concerning which more may be seen in Part First, n. 1059, 1327, 1328).