19. 'The Spirit of God' is used to mean the Lord's mercy, which is said 'to hover', like a hen over eggs, over what the Lord stores away in man and which in the Word are frequently called 'remnants'. These remnants are cognitions of truth and good which never come to light or into daylight until external things have been laid waste. These cognitions are here called 'the face ¹ of the waters'.

Footnotes:

9779. 'And you shall command the children of Israel' means the Lord's command to the Church through the Word. This is clear from the representation of Moses, to whom 'you' refers here, as the Lord in respect of the Word, or the Word which comes from the Lord, dealt with in 4859 (end), 5922, 6752, 7014, 7089, 9372; and from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as members of the spiritual Church, dealt with in 9340. From this it is evident that Moses' being told to 'command the children of Israel' means the Lord's command to the Church through the Word.