9373. Come up unto Jehovah. That this signifies conjunction with the Lord, is evident from the signification of “coming up,” as being to be raised toward interior things (see n. 3084, 4539, 4969, 5406, 5817, 6007), consequently also to be conjoined (n. 8760). That it denotes conjunction with the Lord, is because by “Jehovah” in the Word is meant the the Lord, (n. 1343, 1736, 1793, 2004, 2005, 2018, 2025, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5663, 6280, 6303, 6905, 8274, 8864, 9315). A secret which also lies hidden in the internal sense of these words, is that the sons of Jacob, over whom Moses was the head, were not called and chosen; but they themselves insisted that Divine worship should be instituted among them (according to wh at has been said in n. 4290, 4293); and therefore it is here said, “and He said unto Moses, Come up unto Jehovah,” as if not Jehovah, but another, had said that he should come up. For the same reason in what follows it is said that “the people should not go up” (verse 2); and that “Jehovah sent not His hand unto the sons of Israel who were set apart” (verse 11); and that “the appearance of the glory of Jehovah was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the sons of Israel” (verse 17); and lastly that Moses, being called the seventh day, “entered into the midst of the cloud.” For by “the cloud” is meant the Word in the letter (n. 5922, 6343, 6752, 6832, 8106, 8443, 8781); and with the sons of Jacob the Word was separated from its internal sense, because they were in external worship without internal, as can be clearly seen from the fact that now, as before, they said, “all the words which Jehovah hath spoken we will do” (verse 3); and yet scarcely forty days afterward they worshiped a golden calf instead of Jehovah; which shows that this was hidden in their hearts while they were saying with their lips that they would serve Jehovah alone. But nevertheless those who are meant by “the called and the chosen” are those who are in internal worship, and who from internal worship are in external; that is, those who are in love to and faith in the Lord, and from this in love toward the neighbor.

491. The same things are signified by “sons” and “daughters” in this chapter (verses 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 26, 30), but such as is the church, such are the “sons and daughters” that is, such are the goods and truths; the truths and goods here spoken of are such as were distinctly perceived, because they are predicated of the Most Ancient Church, the principal and parent of all the other and succeeding churches.

166. (Verse 23) And I will kill her sons with death. That this signifies that thus falsities are extinguished is evident from the signification of sons, as being truths of the church from the Word, and, in the opposite sense, falsities, concerning which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of killing with death, as being to extinguish; for falsities are separated, and, as it were, extinguished by means of temptations, and by man's desisting from them, and fleeing from and holding them in aversion. The reason why sons in the Word signify truths, and, in the opposite sense, falsities is, that, in the spiritual sense of the Word, only those things are treated of that concern the church and heaven; and all things of the church and heaven have reference to the goods of love and the truths of faith. This is why names of consanguinities and affinities, as husband, wife, son, daughter, brother, sister, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, and several others, signify spiritual things that have reference to spiritual birth, which is regeneration, and to the heavenly marriage, which is the marriage of good and truth. The things born from this marriage are also goods and truths; hence it is that by daughters in the Word are signified goods, and by sons, truths, both from good, which is signified by father, and from truth, which is signified by mother. (That all the truths and goods pertaining to the regenerate man, are conjoined according to spiritual affinities, and follow in order, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2508, 3815, 4121. That all in heaven are also associated according to spiritual affinities, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 205. That sons signify truths and affections of truth, is shown in Arcana Coelestia, 489, 491, 533, 2623, 3373, 4257, 8649, 9807; that sons' sons signify truths in successive order, n. 6583, 6584; that by father, mother, brethren, children, are signified goods and truths, or evils and falsities, pertaining to man, n. 10490; that to smite the mother upon the sons, denotes to destroy everything belonging to the church, n. 4257; that the Lord called himself the Son of man, because He was Divine truth, and because all the truth of heaven and of the church proceeds from Him, see above, n. 63.)