8858. A person's whole character is determined by the nature of whatever dominates his life; this is what marks him off from others. His heaven is formed in accordance with it if he is good, or his hell if he is bad. For it constitutes his true will and so the true being of his life, which is unchangeable after death. From all this one may see what the life is like in a person who has been regenerated, and what it is like in one who has not been regenerated.

8863. Verses 2-7 I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves. You shall not have other gods before My face. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness [of things] which are in the heavens above, and which are on the earth beneath, and which are in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them, and you shall not serve them; for I am Jehovah your God, a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the sons, ¹ on the third and on the fourth [generations] of those who hate Me, and showing mercy to thousands who love Me and keep My commandments. You shall not take the name of [Jehovah] your God in vain; for Jehovah will not render him innocent who takes His name in vain.

'I am Jehovah your God' means the Lord in respect of the Divine Human reigning universally, in every single aspect of goodness and truth. 'Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves' means deliverance by Him from hell. 'You shall not have other gods before My face' means that there must be no thought about truths from any source other than the Lord. 'You shall not make for yourself a graven image' means no product of self-intelligence. 'Or any likeness' means a resemblance of those things which are from God. 'Which are in the heavens above, and which are on the earth beneath' means which exist in spiritual light, and which exist in natural light. 'And which are in the waters under the earth' means which exist on the level of the bodily senses. 'You shall not bow down to them, and you shall not serve them' means that no Divine worship must be offered to them. 'For I am Jehovah your God' means that the Divine from the Lord is in every single thing. 'A jealous God' means that as a result there is falsity and evil. 'Visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the sons' means the consequent propagation of falsity from evil. 'On the third and on the fourth [generations]' means in a long sequence, and joined together. 'Of those who hate Me' means those who completely reject the Lord's Divinity. 'And showing mercy to thousands' means goodness and truth imparted to them for evermore. 'Who love Me' means who receive the good of love. 'And keep My commandments' means who receive the truths of faith. 'You shall not take the name of your God in vain' means instances in which the truth or the good of faith is profaned or blasphemed. 'For Jehovah will not render him innocent who takes His name in vain' means that these things cannot be forgiven.

Bilješke:

6303. 'And God will be with you' means the Lord's Divine Providence. This is clear from the meaning of 'God will be with you' as the Lord's Divine Providence; for when the Lord is with someone He leads him and makes provision so that all that happens, whether sad or joyful, may bring him what is good. This is Divine Providence. It is called the Lord's Providence because the words 'God will be with you' are used and in the Word 'God' and 'Jehovah' mean the Lord since there is no other God apart from Him. For truly He is the Father and truly He is the Son, because they are one; the Father is in Him, and He is in the Father, as He Himself teaches in John 14:9-11, see 1743, 1736, 2921, 3035, 5663.