8261. 'Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to Jehovah' means that those belonging to the spiritual Church ascribed glory to the Lord because of their deliverance. This is clear from the meaning of 'singing a song' as ascribing glory, dealt with below - ascribing it to the Lord, since 'Jehovah' is used in the Word to mean the Lord, 1343, 1736, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5041, 5663, 6280, 6281, 6905, 6945, 6956; and from the representation of 'Moses and the children of Israel' as those who belong to the spiritual Church. For Moses together with the people represents that Church - Moses its head, since he also represents Divine Truth, and the people or the children of Israel the Church itself. For the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those who belong to the spiritual Church, see 6426, 6637, 6862, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223. The fact that they ascribed glory to the Lord because of their deliverance is evident from what was shown in the previous chapter. There it was shown that those belonging to the spiritual Church were saved solely through the Lord's Coming into the world, and that until then they had been held back on the lower earth, where they were molested by spirits steeped in falsities arising from evil and were delivered by the Lord after He had made Divine the Human within Himself. For the salvation of those belonging to the spiritual Church solely through the Lord's Coming into the world, see 2661, 2716, 2833, 2834, 6372; and for their being held back until then on the lower earth, and their deliverance by the Lord once He had made Divine the Human within Himself, 6854, 6914, 7035, 7091(end), 7828, 7932, 8018, 8054.

[2] The reason why 'singing a song' means ascribing glory, so that 'a song' means an ascription of glory, is that in the Ancient Church, and subsequently in the Jewish Church, songs were prophetic. Their theme was the Lord, in particular His coming into the world, His destruction of the devil's crew, which was prowling around then more than at any other time, and His deliverance of faithful believers from attacks by them. And because the prophetic words of the songs contained such exploits in the internal sense, an ascription of glory to the Lord was therefore meant by them, that is, praise of Him from gladness of heart was meant. For gladness of heart is expressed primarily through singing, the gladness in singing being so to speak a spontaneous eruption into sound. So it is that in songs Jehovah, that is, the Lord, is called Mighty Man, Man of War, God of Hosts, Conqueror, Might, Fortress, Shield, and Salvation; and the devil's crew, which was destroyed, is called the enemy, who was struck, swallowed up, drowned, and cast into hell.

[3] Even in former times those who had no conception of an internal sense thought that when in their external sense songs referred to things of a worldly nature - such as enemies, battles, victories, defeats, drownings - those things were the real meaning. But people who knew that all prophetic utterances embodied realities of a heavenly and Divine nature, and that these were represented within things of a worldly nature, also knew that those utterances were referring to the damnation of the faithless and the salvation of the faithful by the Lord when He came into the world. And in those times when these people who had knowledge of this contemplated it, and were consequently affected by it, they experienced an inner gladness, whereas the others' gladness was purely outward. At the same time the angels too who resided with people ascribed glory to the Lord. Therefore those who sang and those who listened to songs experienced heavenly gladness as a result of the holy and blissful influence from heaven, gladness in which it seemed to them as though they were transported into heaven. Such was the effect the songs of the Church had among the ancients. Such also is the effect they have at the present day, for the affections of spiritual angels are especially stirred by songs which refer to the Lord, His kingdom, and His Church. The songs of the Church had that effect because, for one thing, they inspired gladness of heart, which then burst from within right out into the outermost fibres of the body, making them quiver with a glad and at the same time holy feeling, and, for another thing, because in the heavens glory is ascribed to the Lord by choirs, thus by very many harmonizing with one another. Hence also angelic speech is harmonic; it falls into rhythmic measures. Regarding choirs, see 2595, 2596, 3350, 5182, 8115; regarding angelic speech, that it falls into rhythmic measures, 1648, 1649, 7191(end). So it was that when the ancients who belonged to the Church ascribed glory to the Lord they did so through songs, psalms, and various kinds of musical instruments. For the ancients who belonged to the Church experienced a joy surpassing all other joys when they called to mind the Lord's Coming and the salvation of the human race by Him.

[4] The fact that prophetic songs contained internally an ascription of glory to the Lord is clear from songs in the Word, as in Isaiah,

I Jehovah have called You in righteousness, and I will hold Your hand; I will guard You, and give You to be a covenant of the people, ¹ a light of the nations, to open the blind eyes, to bring the bound out of the prison, out of the dungeon-house him who sits in darkness. Sing to Jehovah a new song, His praise, O end of the earth! Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice. Let the inhabitants of the rock sing. Let them give glory to Jehovah. Jehovah will go forth as a Mighty Man, as a Man of Wars He will arouse zeal; He will prevail over His enemies. Isaiah 42:6-9ff.

This refers, as is self-evident, to the Lord, to His future coming to deliver those in spiritual captivity. Therefore it says, 'Sing to Jehovah a new song' and 'Let the inhabitants of the rock sing'. A similar example occurs in the same prophet,

I have given You as a covenant of the people - to restore the land; to share out the devastated inheritances; to say to the bound, Go out; to those who are in darkness, Reveal yourselves. They will feed along the ways, and on all slopes will their pastures be. Sing, O heavens! And be exultant, O earth! And resound, O mountains, with song! For Jehovah has comforted His people, and will have mercy on His afflicted. Isaiah 49:8-10, 13ff.

This too refers to the Coming of the Lord and the deliverance of the bound.

[5] In David,

Sing to Jehovah a new song; bless His name; declare His glory among the nations. All the gods of the peoples are idols, ² but Jehovah made the heavens. Glory and honour are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give to Jehovah glory and strength; give to Jehovah the glory of His name. Say among the nations, Jehovah reigns; the world also is firmly established, and will not be moved. Jehovah comes He comes to judge the earth. Psalms 96:1-end.

In the same author,

Jehovah caused me to come up out of the pit of vastation, out of the muddy clay, and He set my feet upon a rock. And He put into my mouth a new song, praise to our God; many will see and be confident. Psalms 40:2-3.

From these quotations too it is clear that 'a song' means an ascription of glory to the Lord because of deliverance. For songs included both gladness of heart and exaltation of the Lord - gladness of heart because of the Lord's Coming and salvation then, and exaltation because of victory over spiritual enemies. Gladness of heart coupled with exaltation of the Lord is what is meant by an ascription of glory.

[6] The fact that gladness of heart was meant by 'songs' is evident in David,

Confess Jehovah with the harp, make melody to Him on a ten-stringed lyre. Sing to Him a new song, play skillfully with a loud note. For He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He places the depths in storehouses. Psalms 33:2-7.

In Isaiah,

The joy of timbrels will cease, the noise of merry ones will cease, the joy of the harp will cease. They will not drink wine with singing. Isaiah 24:8-9.

And in Amos,

I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation. Amos 8:10.

The fact that exaltation of Jehovah, that is, the Lord, was effected by means of songs may be seen in David,

David the servant of Jehovah, who spoke to Jehovah the words of this song. [I will love You,] O Jehovah, my strength. Jehovah is my rock (petra), and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock (rupee) in which I trust, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my refuge. On Him who is to be praised, on Jehovah I will call; then I shall be saved from my enemies. Psalms 18:1-3.

In the same author,

Jehovah is my strength and my shield; therefore with song I will confess Him. Jehovah is their strength, and the saving strength of His anointed. Psalms 28:7-8.

In the same author,

Your salvation, O God, will bring me on high. I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify Him with confession. Psalms 69:29-30.

[7] The fact that the Lord was the theme in their songs is also clear in John,

The twenty-four elders sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the book, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood. Revelation 5:9-10.

Also in the same author,

I saw seven angels, and those who were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are Your works, O Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of saints! Who would not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? Revelation 15:1-4.

'The song of Moses and of the Lamb' is a song which in this chapter is called 'the song of the Lamb' because an ascription of glory to the Lord is the theme in it.

Footnotes:

6914. 'And I will give this people favour in the eyes of the Egyptians means fear, on account of the plagues, which those steeped in falsities had of those belonging to the spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving favour' as fear on account of the plagues, dealt with below; from the representation of the children of Israel, to whom 'people' refers here, as those belonging to the spiritual Church, dealt with in 6637; and from the representation of 'the Egyptians' as those who are steeped in falsities, often dealt with already. The fact that 'giving favour in the eyes of the Egyptians' means fear on account of the plagues that is present in those steeped in falsities is clear when one understands the matters described in the internal sense; for the subject is those who are steeped in falsities, meant by 'the Egyptians' - with the truths and forms of good which are to be taken away from them and passed on to those who belong to the spiritual Church. And since the subject is those who are steeped in falsities, 'favour' does not mean favour, for people who are steeped in falsities and evils do not feel in any way at all disposed to show favour towards anyone. If they treat anyone well or do not treat him badly they do so through fear of 'plagues'; these are the reason for their show of favour. This favour is the kind meant here in the internal sense. The internal sense displays things as they really are, not as they are made to stand in the letter, and makes every detail relevant to the subject. The truth of this is also evident from what follows regarding the Egyptians, where it is evident that they did not let the children of Israel go out of any disposition to show them favour, only out of fear on account of further plagues, Exodus 11:1; 12:33.

[2] These two verses, when they say that the women of Israel were to ask the Egyptian women for silver, gold, and clothes, refer to 'the plundering' of the Egyptians. And because what is meant by this cannot at all be known except from a revelation describing things that take place in the next life - for the internal sense contains the kinds of things that take place among angels and spirits - the matter must therefore be discussed. Before the Lord's Coming the lower parts of heaven had been occupied by evil genii and spirits; but afterwards they were driven out from there and that region was given to those who belonged to the spiritual Church, see above in 6858. As long as the evil genii and spirits were there they were under constant watch by angels belonging to a higher heaven and were thereby restrained from committing evil deeds openly. At the present day too some who are more devious than others because they mislead people by their pretence of innocence and charity are under watch by celestial ones, and so long as they are under it they are held back from their unspeakable tricks. They are directly overhead; but the celestial angels under whose watch they are kept are even higher. This has allowed me to know what the situation was like of the evil genii and spirits who occupied the lower region of heaven before the Lord's Coming; during that time they were held back by angels belonging to a higher heaven from committing evil deeds openly.

[3] But as for the way in which they were held back from committing evil deeds openly, this too I have been allowed to know. They were kept in check by external restraints, which were fear of the loss of position and reputation, and fear that they would be deprived of places they hold in that region of heaven and would be thrust down into hell; and at that time good yet simple spirits were attached to them. It was like what happens with people in the world. Even though inwardly they may be devils those external restraints force them to keep up a pretence of honourableness and righteousness and to do good. And to ensure that they go on behaving in these ways spirits who are governed by simple good are attached to them. The situation was similar with the evil who were in the lower region of heaven before the Lord's Coming. At that time too they could be driven by selfish kinds of love to speak what was true and do what was good. They were not unlike wicked priests, indeed even very wicked ones, who inwardly are devils, but who can proclaim the teachings of their Church with such passion and seeming zeal that they move the hearts of their hearers to godliness. Yet all the while they are ruled by self-love and love of the world, for the thought of their own position and gain reigns in every part of them and is what fires them to proclaim those teachings in such a way. There are evil spirits present with them, ruled by the same kind of love and consequently thinking in the same kind of way, who lead them; but good yet simple spirits are attached to them. From all this one may recognize what the state of heaven was like before the Lord's Coming.

[4] But after the Lord's Coming the states of heaven and hell were completely altered; for then the evil genii and spirits who occupied the lower region of heaven were cast down and were replaced by those raised up there who belonged to the spiritual Church. At that time the evil who were cast down had the external restraints taken away from them, which, as stated above, were fear of the loss of position and gain and deprivation of places they hold in that region. They were thus left to their inner selves, which were entirely devilish and hellish, and so were banished to the hells. The removal of external restraints is effected in the next life by withdrawing the good spirits who have been attached to them; and when they have been withdrawn the evil can no more maintain any pretence of goodness, righteousness, or honourableness, but can only behave in accord with what they had been like inwardly in the world, that is, in accord with what they had really thought and desired, which they had concealed from others there, their only wish being to do what is evil. The good yet simple spirits who were withdrawn from those evil spirits were assigned or attached to those who belonged to the spiritual Church, to whom that region of heaven was given as a possession. This is why they were enriched with the truths and forms of good which the evil genii and spirits had had previously. Enrichment with truths and forms of good is effected in the next life by means of the attachment of spirits with whom truth and goodness are present; for communication is effected through them.

[5] These things are what are meant by the statement that the children of Israel would not go out of Egypt empty-handed, and that a woman should ask of her female neighbour, and of the female guest in her house, vessels of silver, vessels of gold, and clothes, and in so doing would plunder the Egyptians. Anyone can see that unless the kinds of things described above had been represented the Divine would never have commanded them to use that kind of guile against the Egyptians; for all behaviour like that is very far removed from the Divine. But since those people were completely representative they were allowed by the Divine, because such a thing would be done to the evil in the next life, to act in that kind of way. It should be recognized that very many things which were commanded by Jehovah or the Lord do not in the internal sense mean things that were commanded by Him but those that were permitted.