10458. And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp. That this signifies hell, in which that nation then was, is evident from the signification of “the camp of the sons of Israel,” as being heaven and the church (see n. 4236, 10038); consequently when they were in idolatrous worship, adoring a calf instead of Jehovah, by their “camp” is signified hell; for what is representative of heaven and of the church is turned into what is representative of hell when the people turn themselves from Divine worship to diabolical worship, such as was the worship of the calf. The like is signified by “camp” in Amos:

I have sent among you the pestilence in the way of Egypt; your young men have I slain with the sword, with the captivity of your horses; so that I have made the stink of your camp to come up even into your nose (Amos 4:10).

The vastation of truth is here treated of, and when this is vastated, the “camp” signifies hell. That the vastation of truth is treated of is evident from the details of the passage as viewed in the internal sense; for “pestilence” denotes vastation (n. 7102, 7505); “way” denotes truth, and in the opposite sense falsity (n. 10422); “Egypt” denotes what is external, and also hell (see the places cited in n. 10437); “a sword” denotes falsity fighting against truth (see n. 2799, 4499, 6353, 7102, 8294); “young men” denote the truths of the church (n. 7668); “to be slain” denotes to perish spiritually (see n. 6767, 8902); “captivity” denotes the privation of truth (see n. 7990); “horses” denote an understanding which is enlightened (n. 2760-2762, 3217, 5321, 6125, 6534); and “a stink” denotes what is abominable exhaling from hell (n. 7161). From this it is evident that in this sense a “camp” denotes hell. Hell is also signified by the “camp” of the enemies who were against Jerusalem, and in general against the sons of Israel, in the historicals of the Word.

7022. And Moses took his wife. That this signifies good adjoined, is evident from the representation of Moses, as being the Lord as to the law, or truth, from the Divine (of which above); and from the signification of “wife,” as being good adjoined (see n. 4510, 4823). In the internal sense, and also in the supreme sense in which the Lord is treated of, by the wife of Moses is represented good conjoined with truth, because in each and all things in the spiritual world and in the natural, there is a likeness of a marriage. There is a likeness of a marriage where there is what is active and what is passive; and there must be the active and at the same time the passive where anything has to come into existence; for without the conjunction of these two nothing can possibly be produced. That there is in all things a likeness of a marriage, is because all things bear relation to good and truth, thus to the heavenly marriage, which is that of good and truth; and the heavenly marriage bears relation to the Divine marriage, which is that of Divine good and Divine truth. And because as before said nothing can come into existence and be produced unless there is an active and a passive, thus unless there is a likeness of a marriage, it is very evident that the truth which is of faith without the good which is of charity cannot produce anything, nor the good which is of charity without the truth which is of faith; but that there must be a conjunction of both to produce fruits, and to make the life of heaven in man. That in all things there is a likeness of a marriage, see n. 1432, 2173, 2176, 5194; and that in every detail of the Word there is the marriage of good and truth, see n. 683, 793, 801, 2516, 2712, 4138, 5138, 6343; consequently in every detail of the Word there is heaven, for heaven is this marriage itself; and as in every detail of the Word there is heaven, in every detail of the Word there is the Lord, because the Lord is the all in all things of heaven. From all this it can be seen why the wife of Moses represents good conjoined with truth, even in the supreme sense, in which the Lord is treated of; in like manner as does Sarah the wife of Abraham (n. 2063, 2065, 2172, 2173, 2198); and also Rebecca the wife of Isaac (n. 3012, 3013, 3077).