5952. 'And he gave them carts, according to Pharaoh's command' means that from the internal they received matters of doctrine, as seemed pleasing to them. This is clear from the representation of Joseph, the one who 'gave' the carts, as internal good, dealt with already; from the meaning of 'carts' as matters of doctrine, dealt with above in 5945; and from the meaning of 'according to Pharaoh's command' as what seemed pleasing to them - to spiritual truths, which are 'the sons of Israel' - for those truths are within the natural, which is represented by 'Pharaoh', 5160, 5799, and 'the carts', meaning matters of doctrine, were placed at their disposal. The expression 'as seemed pleasing to them' is used because the matters of doctrine that are meant by the Egyptian 'carts' are obtained from the literal sense of the Word, 5945. Which without the internal sense can be applied to any kind of good. For the Lord does not openly teach anyone truths but leads him by means of good to think what the truth is, and also imparts to the person, though he is not aware of it, a discernment and consequent adoption of a thing as being true because the Word declares it to be so, and because it squares with the Word. Thus the Lord adapts truths to accord with the individual's acceptance of good. And since all this is done by Him in accordance with each person's affection, thus in his freedom, the expression 'as seemed pleasing to them' is used.

5945. 'Take for yourselves from the land of Egypt carts' means matters of doctrine belonging to factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as factual knowledge, dealt with already; and from the meaning of 'carts' as matters of doctrine. Chariots and horses are mentioned in various places in the Word where Egypt is the subject. There 'chariots' is used to mean matters of doctrine, sometimes false, at other times true ones, while 'horses' is used to mean intellectual concepts, likewise true or false ones. (For the meaning of 'chariots' as matters of doctrine, see 5721.) It is similar with 'carts' there, but matters of doctrine belonging to factual knowledge are meant by them. Matters of doctrine belonging to factual knowledge are religious teachings drawn from the literal sense of the Word, which serve especially those people who are being introduced for the first time to interior truths that the Church possesses, such as the teaching that good should be done above all to widows, to orphans, and to the poor in the streets. Other such religious teachings are contained in the ten commandments. These and many other teachings are matters of doctrine belonging to factual knowledge and are meant by 'carts belonging to Egypt'. Because such matters of doctrine are the first to be learned by a person they also serve him subsequently as a groundwork; for when progress is made towards more internal teachings those learned first become the last and lowest. Moreover celestial and spiritual realities actually terminate in them, for they stand and rest so to speak on the matters of doctrine learned first. Indeed the spiritual world has so to speak its feet and the soles of its feet planted on the natural world; and so far as his spiritual life is concerned a person has his feet planted on matters of doctrine that belong to factual knowledge. The internal sense of the Word rests in a similar way on its literal sense. The particular word for 'carts', by which those matters of doctrine are meant, occurs in only a few places in the Word. It is used in the original language where it is said that the Ark was placed on one, 1 Samuel 6:7; 2 Samuel 6:3; and also when the tabernacle was consecrated, Numbers 7:3. The reason for the use of the word is that 'the Ark' represented heaven, 3478, which stands and rests, as has been stated, on matters of doctrine belonging to factual knowledge.