5874. And the Egyptians heard. That this signifies even to ultimates, is evident from the signification of “hearing,” namely, the voice in weeping, as being a perception of mercy and of joy; and from the representation of the Egyptians, as being memory-knowledges (see n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462), thus ultimates, for the memory-knowledges with man are his ultimates. That memory-knowledges are the ultimates with man, namely, in his memory and thought, is not apparent, for it seems to him as if they make the whole of intelligence and of wisdom. But it is not so. They are only vessels containing the things of intelligence and of wisdom, and indeed the ultimate vessels, for they conjoin themselves with the sensuous things of the body. That they are ultimates is plain to him who reflects upon his thought, when he inquires into any truth, in that memory-knowledges are then present, but are not apparent; for the thought then extracts what they contain (and this from very many scattered here and there and even deeply hidden), and thus forms conclusions; and the more interiorly the thought penetrates, so much the farther does it remove itself from them. This may be manifest from the fact that when man comes into the other life and becomes a spirit, he indeed has with him memory-knowledges, but he is not allowed to use them, for several reasons (n. 2476, 2477, 2479); and yet he thinks and speaks concerning truth and good much more distinctly and perfectly than in the world. Hence it may be seen that memory-knowledges are serviceable to man for forming the understanding, but when the understanding has been formed, they then constitute an ultimate plane in which the man no longer thinks, but above it.

1165. That by “Mizraim,” or “Egypt,” in the Word, are signified the memory-knowledges (that is, the various matters of memory) wherewith men desire to explore the secrets of faith, and to confirm the principles of falsity thereby conceived; and that it also signifies simply memory-knowledges, thus such as are useful, is evident not only from the passages already adduced, but from very many others also, which, if all cited, would fill pages. (See Isaiah 19:1; 30:1-3; 31:1-3; Jeremiah 2:18, 36; 42:14 end; 46:1 end; Ezekiel 16:26; 23:3, 8; 29:1; 30:1-26 the end; Hosea 7:11; 9:3, 6; 11:1, 5, 11; Micah 7:15 ¹ ; Zechariah 10:10-11; Psalms 80:8.

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