872. 'The face ¹ of the ground' means those things that reside with the member of the Church, and the expression 'the ground' is used because it is the first stage at which man comes to be the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the ground', dealt with already, as the member of the Church who is at that point called 'the ground' when the goods and truths of faith can be sown within him. Previously he is called 'the land', as in Genesis 1 where 'the land' refers to man prior to his becoming celestial, while Chapter 2, when he has become celestial, refers to him as 'the ground' and 'the field'. It is similar in the present chapter. The expression 'the land' and the expression 'the ground' are sufficient by themselves to enable someone to recognize what is meant in the internal sense, not only here but also anywhere else in the Word. 'The ground' in the universal sense means the Church, and as the Church is meant so too is the member of the Church for, as stated already, every member of the Church is the Church.

Footnotes:

8336. Verses 20-21 And Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam responded to them, Sing to Jehovah, for He has highly exalted [Himself]; the horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea.

'And Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a timbrel in her hand' means ascribing glory to the Lord from the good of faith. 'And all the women went out after her' means every good of truth. 'With timbrels and with dances' means praise from joy and gladness. 'And Miriam responded to them' means a reciprocation. 'Sing to Jehovah' means that glory belongs to the Lord alone. 'For He has highly exalted [Himself]' means that He has displayed His Divinity within His Humanity. 'The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea' means that as a result simply of His presence falsities in faith and evils in life cast themselves into hell.