9372. And He said unto Moses. That this signifies that which concerns the Word in general, is evident from the representation of Moses, as being the Word (of which below); and from the signification of “He said,” as involving those things which follow in this chapter, thus those which concern the Word (see n. 9370). (That Moses represents the Word, can be seen from what has been often shown before about Moses, as from the preface to Genesis 18; and n. 4859, 5922, 6723, 6752, 6771, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382, 8601, 8760, 8787, 8805.) Here Moses represents the Word in general, because it is said of him in what follows, that he alone should come near unto Jehovah (verse 2); and also that, being called unto out of the midst of the cloud, he entered into it, and went up the mount (verses 16-18).

[2] In the Word there are many who represent the Lord in respect to truth Divine, or in respect to the Word; but chief among them are Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and John the Baptist. That Moses does so, can be seen in the explications just cited above; that so do Elijah and Elisha, can be seen in the preface to Genesis 18; and n. 2762, 5247; and that John the Baptist does so is evident from the fact that he was “Elias who was to come.” He who does not know that John the Baptist represented the Lord as to the Word, cannot know what all those things infold and signify which are said about him in the New Testament; and therefore in order that this secret may stand open, and that at the same time it may appear that Elias, and also Moses, who were seen when the Lord was transfigured, signified the Word, some things may here be quoted which are spoken about John the Baptist; as in Matthew:

After the messengers of John had departed, Jesus began to speak concerning John, saying, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? a reed shaken by the wind? But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft things are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, even more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, Behold I send Mine angel before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee. Verily I say unto you, Among those who are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist; nevertheless he that is less in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he. All the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye are willing to believe, he is Elias who was to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Matthew 11:7-15; and also Luke 7:24-28).

No one can know how these things are to be understood, unless he knows that this John represented the Lord as to the Word, and unless he also knows from the internal sense what is signified by “the wilderness” in which he was, also what by “a reed shaken by the wind,” and likewise by “soft raiment in kings’ houses;” and further what is signified by his being “more than a prophet,” and by “none among those who are born of women being greater than he, and nevertheless he that is less in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he,” and lastly by his being “Elias.” For without a deeper sense, all these words are uttered merely from some comparison, and not from anything of weight.

[3] But it is very different when by John is understood the Lord as to the Word, or the Word representatively. Then by “the wilderness of Judea in which John was” is signified the state in which the Word was at the time when the Lord came into the world, namely, that it was “in the wilderness,” that is, it was in obscurity so great that the Lord was not at all acknowledged, neither was anything known about His heavenly kingdom; when yet all the prophets prophesied about Him, and about His kingdom, that it was to endure forever. (That “a wilderness” denotes such obscurity, see n. 2708, 4736, 7313.) For this reason the Word is compared to “a reed shaken by the wind” when it is explained at pleasure; for in the internal sense “a reed” denotes truth in the ultimate, such as is the Word in the letter.

[4] That the Word in the ultimate, or in the letter, is crude and obscure in the sight of men; but that in the internal sense it is soft and shining, is signified by their “not seeing a man clothed in soft raiment, for behold those who wear soft things are in kings’ houses.” That such things are signified by these words, is plain from the signification of “raiment,” or “garments,” as being truths (n. 2132, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248, 6914, 6918, 9093); and for this reason the angels appear clothed in garments soft and shining according to the truths from good with them (n. 5248, 5319, 5954, 9212, 9216). The same is evident from the signification of “kings’ houses,” as being the abodes of the angels, and in the universal sense, the heavens; for “houses” are so called from good (n. 2233, 2234, 3128, 3652, 3720, 4622, 4982, 7836, 7891, 7996, 7997); and “kings,” from truth (n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 6148). Therefore by virtue of their reception of truth from the Lord, the angels are called “sons of the kingdom,” “sons of the king,” and also “kings.”

[5] That the Word is more than any doctrine in the world, and more than any truth in the world, is signified by “what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet;” and by, “there hath not arisen among those who are born of women a greater than John the Baptist;” for in the internal sense “a prophet” denotes doctrine (n. 2534, 7269); and “those who are born,” or are the sons, “of women” denote truths (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3704, 4257).

[6] That in the internal sense, or such as it is in heaven, the Word is in a degree above the Word in the external sense, or such as it is in the world, and such as John the Baptist taught, is signified by, “he that is less in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he;” for as perceived in heaven the Word is of wisdom so great that it transcends all human apprehension. That the prophecies about the Lord and His coming, and that the representatives of the Lord and of His kingdom, ceased when the Lord came into the world, is signified by, “all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” That the Word was represented by John, as by Elijah, is signified by his being “Elias who is to come.”

[7] The same is signified by these words in Matthew:

The disciples asked Jesus, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? He answered and said, Elias must needs first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, that Elias hath come already, and they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they wished. Even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them. And they understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist (Matthew 17:10-13).

That “Elias hath come, and they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they wished” signifies that the Word has indeed taught them that the Lord is to come, but that still they did not wish to comprehend, interpreting it in favor of the rule of self, and thus extinguishing what is Divine in it. That they would do the same with the truth Divine itself, is signified by “even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them.” (That “the Son of man” denotes the Lord as to truth Divine, see n. 2803, 2813, 3704)

[8] From all this it is now evident what is meant by the prophecy about John in Malachi:

Behold I send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh (Malachi 4:5).

Moreover, the Word in the ultimate, or such as it is in the external form in which it appears before man in the world, is described by the “clothing” and “food” of John the Baptist, in Matthew:

John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, had His clothing of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:1, 4).

In like manner it is described by Elijah in the second book of Kings:

He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins (2 Kings 1:8).

By “clothing,” or a “garment,” when said of the Word, is signified truth Divine there in the ultimate form; by “camel’s hair” are signified memory-truths such as appear there before a man in the world; by the “leathern girdle” is signified the external bond connecting and keeping in order all the interior things; by “food” is signified spiritual nourishment from the knowledges of truth and of good out of the Word; by “locusts” are signified ultimate or most general truths; and by “wild honey” their pleasantness.

[9] That such things are signified by “clothing” and “food” has its origin in the representatives of the other life, where all appear clothed according to truths from good, and where food also is represented according to the desires of acquiring knowledge and growing wise. From this it is that “clothing,” or a “garment,” denotes truth (as may be seen from the citations above; and that “food” or “meat” denotes spiritual nourishment, n. 3114, 4459, 4792, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5576, 5579, 5915, 8562, 9003; that “a girdle” denotes a bond which gathers up and holds together interior things, n. 9341; that “leather” denotes what is external, n. 3540; and thus “a leathern girdle” denotes an external bond; that “hairs” denote ultimate or most general truths, n. 3301, 5569-5573; that “a camel” denotes memory-knowledge in general, n. 3048, 3071, 3143, 3145, 4156; that “a locust” denotes nourishing truth in the extremes, n. 7643; and that “honey” denotes the pleasantness thereof, n. 5620, 6857, 8056). It is called “wild honey,” or “honey of the field,” because by “a field” is signified the church (n. 2971, 3317, 3766, 7502, 7571, 9139, 9295). He who does not know that such things are signified, cannot possibly know why Elijah and John were so clothed. And yet that these things signified something peculiar to these prophets, can be thought by everyone who thinks well about the Word.

[10] Because John the Baptist represented the Lord as to the Word, therefore also when he spoke of the Lord, who was the Word itself, he said of himself that he was “not Elias, nor the prophet,” and that he was “not worthy to loose the latchet of the Lord’s shoe,” as in John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. The Jews from Jerusalem, priests and Levites, asked John who he was. And he confessed, and denied not, I am not the Christ. Therefore they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? But he said, I am not. Art thou the prophet? He answered, No. They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet. They said therefore, Why then baptizest thou, if thou art not the Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet? He answered, I baptize with water; in the midst of you standeth one whom ye know not; He it is who is to come after me, who was before me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose. When he saw Jesus, he said, Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, After me cometh a man who was before me; for he was before me (John 1:1, 14, 19-30).

From these words it is plain that when John spoke about the Lord Himself, who was Truth Divine itself, or the Word, he said that he himself was not anything, because the shadow disappears when the light itself appears, that is, the representative disappears when the original itself makes its appearance. (That the representatives had in view holy things, and the Lord Himself, and not at all the person that represented, see n. 665, 1097, 1361, 3147, 3881, 4208, 4281, 4288, 4292, 4307, 4444, 4500, 6304, 7048, 7439, 8588, 8788, 8806.) One who does not know that representatives vanish like shadows at the presence of light, cannot know why John denied that he was Elias and the prophet.

[11] From all this it can now be seen what is signified by Moses and Elias, who were seen in glory, and who spoke with the Lord when transfigured, of His departure which He should accomplish at Jerusalem (Luke 9:29-31); namely, that they signified the Word (“Moses” the historic Word, and “Elias” the prophetic Word), which in the internal sense throughout treats of the Lord, of His coming into the world, and of His departure out of the world; and therefore it is said that “Moses and Elias were seen in glory,” for “glory” denotes the internal sense of the Word, and the “cloud” its external sense (see the preface to Genesis 18, and n. 5922, 8427).

1672. And the kings that were with him. That this signifies the apparent truth which is of that good, is evident from the signification of “kings” in the Word. “Kings,” “kingdoms,” and “peoples,” in the historical and the prophetical parts of the Word, signify truths and the things which are of truths, as may be abundantly confirmed. In the Word an accurate distinction is made between a “people” and a “nation;” by a “people” are signified truths, and by a “nation” goods, as before shown (n. 1259, 1260). “Kings” are predicated of peoples, but not so much of nations. Before the sons of Israel sought for kings, they were a nation, and represented good, or the celestial; but after they desired a king, and received one, they became a people, and did not represent good or the celestial, but truth or the spiritual; which was the reason why this was imputed to them as a fault (see 1 Samuel 8:7-22, concerning which subject, of the Lord’s Divine mercy elsewhere). As Chedorlaomer is named here, and it is added, “the kings that were with him,” both good and truth are signified; by “Chedorlaomer,” good, and by “the kings,” truth. But what was the quality of the good and truth at the beginning of the Lord’s temptations has already been stated.

866. (Verse 5) And in their mouth was found no guile. That this signifies that they were averse to think of and persuade to falsities, is evident from the signification of the mouth, as denoting thought and speech therefrom; consequently also persuasion; concerning which see above (n. 580, 782, 794); and from the signification of guile, as denoting deliberately to deceive and lead astray, thus from an intention of the will; consequently, from the mind (animus), to think and persuade to falsities, which destroy a man for ever. That such things have no existence with those who are led by the Lord, or follow Him, is signified by no guile being found in their mouth. For the Lord is Divine truth united to Divine good; and in both of these are all those who are in the Lord; and these are they who acknowledge His Divine Human and do His precepts. And because to think falsities is to be in opposition to Divine truth, and to desire to persuade to belief in them is contrary to Divine good, therefore they are averse to so doing.

[2] What guile in the Word signifies besides is evident from passages where it is mentioned. As in the following:

In John:

Jesus said of Nathanael as he was coming to him, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile" (John 1:47).

By an Israelite is signified one who is in the good of charity, and, by virtue of this, is in truths; thus one who is in truths from good. These also are meant by the hundred and forty and four thousand who follow the Lord, in whose mouth is found no guile; by guile therefore in that place the same things are signified.

[3] In Zephaniah:

"The remnant of Israel shall not do perversity, nor speak a lie, neither shall a tongue of guile be found in their mouth" (3:13).

By the remnant of Israel are meant those who are in spiritual faith, because in the good of charity; similarly by the true Israelite. By speaking a lie is signified to teach falsity from ignorance of the truth; but by guile is signified falsity, not from ignorance, but from a deliberate purpose to deceive; as is the case with the impious.

[4] Similarly in the following passages:

"He did no violence, neither was guile in his mouth" (Isaiah 53:9).

This is spoken of the Lord:

"He shall redeem their soul from guile and violence" (Psalm 72:14).

"The rich men are filled with violence, and the inhabitants thereof speak a lie, and as to their tongue, guile is in their mouth" (Micah 6:12).

"They fill their master's house with violence and guile" (Zeph. 1:9).

"Men of bloods and of guile shall not live out half their days" (Psalm 55:23).

"Thou shalt destroy them that speak a lie; the man of bloods and of guile Jehovah will abhor" (Psalm 5:6).

By violence and blood is signified the perversion of truth and the falsification of the Word; and by guile doing these things from a deliberate purpose.

"Jehovah, turn an ear to my prayers, which are apart from lips of guile" (Psalm 17:1).

"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile" (Psalm 34:13).

"If my lips should speak iniquity, and my tongue should speak guile" (Job 27:4).

"Jehovah, deliver my soul from lying lips, from the tongue of guile; what shall he give to thee, what shall he add to thee, thou tongue of guile?" (Psalm 120:2, 3).

"Thou openest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth guile" (Psalm 50:19).

"The mouth of the wicked, the mouth of the guileful, have opened against me; they have spoken against me with a lying tongue" (Psalm 109:2).

"Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs as a sharp razor, working guile" (Psalm 52:2, 4).

"They mock every one his companion, and they speak not truth; they have taught their tongue to speak a lie; thy dwelling is in the midst of guile, by reason of guile they have refused to know me" (Jeremiah 9:5, 6).

By the lips and tongue with which they speak a lie and guile, is signified thought with the intention to persuade to falsities against truths, and of leading astray; for the lips and the tongue signify the same as the mouth.

"Blessed is the man to whom Jehovah imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile" (Psalm 32:2).

"The words of his mouth are iniquity and guile; he ceaseth from understanding and doing good" (Psalm 36:3).

"To speak iniquity, and talk guile" (Job 13:7).

Here iniquity refers to evil, and guile to falsity therefrom.

"From the man of guile and perversity, deliver me, O Jehovah" (Psalm 43:1).

"He that is clean in hands and pure in heart, who lifteth not up his soul to vanity, and sweareth not with guile" (Psalm 24:4).

"Against the quiet in the land they think words of guile; they opened their mouth exceedingly against me" (Psalm 35:20, 21).

"Wickedness is in the midst thereof; fraud and guile depart not from her street" (Psalm 55:11).

"Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes; for their guile is a lie" (Psalm 119:118).

"This people turneth itself away; Jerusalem continues averse; they retain guile; they refuse to return; I have attended and heard, but they speak not right" (Jeremiah 8:5, 6).

Guile in these passages does not mean guile in the natural sense, which consists in fraudulent contrivances and malicious falsehood against another; but guile in the spiritual sense, by which is meant thought from the intention of the will, or from a deliberate purpose of speaking and persuading to falsities, and thereby destroying the soul.

[5] To the same purpose it is said of the prophets in Jeremiah:

"Is it not in the heart of the prophets that prophesy a lie; and of the prophets of the guile of their own heart?" (23:26).

In the same:

"The prophets prophesy unto you a vision of falsehood and divinations, and a thing of nought, and the guile of their own heart" (14:14).

By prophets, in the spiritual sense, are meant those who teach truths from the Word, and doctrine; and hence in the abstract sense, the Word itself as to doctrine is signified by them. Therefore, in the opposite sense, as in these passages, they signify those who teach falsities, thus those who falsify the truths of the Word; and to do this from a deliberate purpose is meant by the guile of their heart.

[6] That by guile, in the spiritual sense, is meant the falsification of the truths of the Word from a deliberate purpose, also from the lust of leading astray, is evident in Hosea:

"Ephraim hath compassed me about with a lie, and the house of Israel with guile" (Hosea 11:12).

By Ephraim is signified the understanding of the truths of the church, and by the house of Israel the church itself; whence by guile and a lie is signified to persuade to falsities from a deliberate purpose and desire.

[7] In the same:

"They are become as deceitful bows; their princes shall fall by the sword, from the rage of their tongue" (Hosea 7:16).

And in David:

"They are turned aside as deceitful bows" (Psalm 78:57).

They are compared to a deceitful bow, because by a bow is signified doctrine combating, in both senses; that is, the doctrine of falsity fighting against truth, and of truth against falsity. For arrows and darts signify falsities or truths, by which combat is maintained. That such things are signified by bow and by darts, may be seen above (n. 357). From these things it is again evident that by guile is meant, in the spiritual sense, guile, which is in opposition to the truths and goods of the Word and of the church, thus it is the will and lust to destroy them.

[8] That the will and lust to destroy the truths and goods of the Word, of doctrine, and of the church, thus of destroying them from a deliberate purpose, is signified by guile, is evident in Jeremiah:

"They speculate as he that setteth snares; they set a trap that they may catch men; as a cage full of birds, so their houses are full of guile" (5:26, 27).

In Moses:

"If a man have a purpose against his neighbour to slay him with guile, thou shalt take him away from mine altar" (Ex. 21:14).

And because it was so grievous a sin, therefore it is said in Jeremiah:

"Cursed is he who doeth the work of Jehovah with guile (48:10).

The reason why guile was so grievous a crime is, that deliberate purpose is of the will; and whatever is of the will is of the man himself, and is called the evil of his heart. For the will is the man himself; but the thought before consent, which is of the will, is not in man, but external to him; because the things that flow into the thought are as objects which flow from the world into the sight, some of which are pleasing and some not; and those which do please enter the delight of his life, but those which do not please are rejected. This is the case with every thing that flows into man's internal sight, which belongs to the understanding and the thought therefrom. If it is pleasing it enters the will, and adds itself to its life; but if it is not pleasing, it is rejected.

[9] It must be observed that all evil persons have the intention and lust, and therefore the will, to destroy the truths of heaven and the church by falsities. The reason is, that they are conjoined to hell; and the infernals, from the delight of their love, burn with the lust to destroy all things of heaven and the church, and this by the most crafty devices, which they artfully contrive, and carry out in a wonderful way; if I should describe these from experience, they would fill many pages. It was made evident therefore that guile in general signifies all evil of intention to destroy truths by means of falsities.

In addition to this, see what is written concerning guile in the Arcana Coelestia; where it is shown that guile destroys everything pertaining to the spiritual and interior life in man (n. 9013); that guile, fraud, and simulation were regarded by the ancients as monstrous crimes (n. 3573); that the deceitful, when viewed by the angels, appear like serpents and vipers (n. 4533); that they are also meant by serpents and vipers, in the Word (n. 9013); that poison, in the Word, signifies guile (n. 9013).

Concerning the punishments of those who have insidiously deceived others by guile, see in the same work (n. 831, 957, 958, 959, 960, 1273); concerning their hells (n. 830, 831, 947, 4951).