3401. 'And Abimelech commanded all the people, saying' means a decree. This is clear from the meaning of 'commanding' as making a decree; from the representation of 'Abimelech' as people who possess the doctrine of faith, dealt with in 3392, and in the highest sense the Lord, 3393; and from the meaning of 'people' as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with in 3398. From this it is evident that 'Abimelech commanded all the people' means a decree from the Lord made within the spiritual Church. The decree itself is what follows next, which is that Divine Truth and Divine Good are not to be exposed, insomuch that not even any approach is to be made towards them by faith, because of the danger of eternal condemnation if they are made profane. This point is dealt with next.

2080. That 'God said' means the reply that was perceived is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with just above in 2077. And because in the previous verse the words 'Abraham said' were used, which meant perception, and in this verse the words 'God said' (or replied) occur, a perceived reply, that is, a reply received in the form of perception, is consequently meant. All perception entails both a proposition and a reply, the perception of the two being expressed here in the historical sense by the phrases 'Abraham said to God' and 'God said'. That 'God's saying' means perceiving, see 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, and in various places above in this chapter.