Arcana Coelestia 7763. The subject treated of in this chapter in the internal sense is the damnation of faith separate from charity, which is signified by the firstborn of Egypt that were given up to death at midnight; and also the memory-knowledges of truth and good that were to be transferred to those who are of the spiritual church, which knowledges are signified by the vessels of silver and of gold that the sons of Israel were to ask from the Egyptians.

7763. Exodus 11

1. And Jehovah said to Moses, One more plague I will bring onto Pharaoh and onto Egypt; afterwards he will send you away from here. When he sends everything away he will surely drive you out from here.

2. Say now in the ears of the people, and let them ask, a man from his companion and a woman from her companion, vessels of silver and vessels of gold.

3. And Jehovah gave the people favour ¹ in the eyes of the Egyptians. Also the man Moses was exceedingly great in the land of Egypt, in the eyes of Pharaoh's servants and in the eyes of the people.

4. And Moses said, Thus said Jehovah, About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt;

5. And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from Pharaoh's firstborn who is to sit on his throne, even to the firstborn of the servant-girl who is behind the mill, and all the firstborn of the beasts.

6. And there will be a great cry in the whole land of Egypt, the like of which has never been, and the like of which will not be again.

7. And against all the children of Israel not a dog will move its tongue, against man (vir) and even against beast, so that you may know that Jehovah makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel.

8. And all these your servants will come down to me, and bow down to me, saying, Go out, you, and all the people at your feet! ² And after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in wrath and anger. ³

9. And Jehovah said to Moses, Pharaoh will not hear ⁴ you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.

10. And Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh; and Jehovah made Pharaoh's heart unyielding, and he did not send the children of Israel away from his land.

CONTENTS

This chapter deals in the internal sense with the damnation of faith separated from charity, which is meant by the killing at midnight of the firstborn of Egypt. In addition it deals with the known facts about what is true and good which were to be passed over to those belonging to the spiritual Church, meant by the vessels of silver and gold which the children of Israel were to borrow from the Egyptians.

각주: