8589. 'Because of the wrangling of the children of Israel' means complaining on account of the bitterness of the temptation, so severe that they were close to giving in. This is clear from the meaning of 'the wrangling' as bitter complaining, dealt with in 8563. The fact that their being close to giving in is meant is clear from the nature of their wrangling; that is to say, it was such that they were on the verge of stoning Moses, they were tempting Jehovah, and they were saying, Is Jehovah in the midst of us?

4912. 'And said, She is more righteous than I am' means that no joining of what was external to what was internal existed, only what was internal to what was external. This is clear from what has been stated above regarding the Church among the Jewish nation and within that nation, in 4899, namely that the Church existed among that nation, that is, what was internal was joined to what was external, but that no Church existed within that nation, that is, what was external was not joined to what was internal. For if a Church is to exist within a nation, a reciprocal relationship must exist.