9160. Even unto God shall come the word of them both; he whom God shall condemn. That this signifies a searching and a judging by means of truth, is evident from the signification of “even unto God shall come the word,” as being a searching by means of truth (of which below); and from the signification of “condemning,” as being a judging and awarding of the penalty to him who has transgressed. That “even unto God shall come the word” signifies a searching by means of truth, is because “coming to God” denotes to come to the judges, who from truth were to search concerning this matter. Therefore also it is said “he whom God shall condemn,” with the verb in the plural number. Moreover, in the original tongue God is called El, in the singular number, but more frequently Elohim, in the plural; for the reason that the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is shared in heaven in many ways among the angels; for as many as are the angels, so many are the recipients of truth Divine, each in his own manner (n. 3241, 3744-3746, 3986, 4149, 5598, 7236, 7833, 7836). Hence it is that the angels are called “gods” (n. 4295, 4402, 7268, 7873, 8301); and also “judges,” because the judges were not to judge from themselves, but from the Lord. They judged also from the law of Moses, and thus from the Word which is from the Lord. Even at this day judgment is administered from the Lord when it is done from conscience, in accordance with truths.

[2] In the Word the Lord is called “God” from the Divine truth which proceeds from Him; and “Jehovah” from the Divine good (n. 4402, 6303, 6905, 7268, 8988). Hence where good is treated of in the Word, the Lord is called “Jehovah,” and “God” where truth is treated of (n. 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4402, 7268, 8988); thus “God” denotes truth (n. 4287, 7010, 7268). From all this it is now evident what is signified by “if the thief be not caught, the lord of the house shall be brought unto God” (verse 7); and here by “even unto God shall come the word of them both, and he whom God shall condemn, shall repay;” and also what is signified by “God” in the following passages:

Aaron shall speak for thee unto the people; and it shall come to pass that he shall be to thee for a mouth, and thou shall be to him for God (Exodus 4:16).

That “Moses” denotes the Divine truth, or the Law; and that “for a mouth” denotes the doctrine therefrom, which was represented by Aaron, see n. 7010. Again:

Jehovah said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet (Exodus 7:1. 7265).

And in the first book of Samuel:

Aforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said, Come and let us go to the Seer; for he that is now called the prophet was beforetime called the Seer (1 Samuel 9:9); where “the Seer” and “the prophet” denote truth Divine, and the doctrine of truth and good thence derived (n. 2534, 7269).

7091. Thus said Jehovah the God of Israel. That this signifies from the Divine Human of the Lord, namely, exhortation to those who are against the truths of the church, is evident from the fact that by “Jehovah the God of Israel” is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human. (That in the Word the Lord is “Jehovah,” see n. 1343, 1736, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5041, 5663, 6281, 6303, 6905.) He is called “the God of Israel,” because by “Israel” is signified the Lord’s spiritual kingdom (n. 6426, 6637), and because the Lord by His coming into the world saved those who were of that kingdom or church (n. 6854, 6914, 7035). The reason why “the God of Israel” is the Lord as to the Divine Human, is that they who are of that church have natural ideas about everything spiritual and heavenly, and also about the Divine; and therefore unless they thought of the Divine as of a natural man, they could not be conjoined with the Divine by anything of affection; for if they thought of the Divine not as of a natural man, they would either have no ideas, or extravagant ones, about the Divine, and would thereby defile the Divine.

Hence it is that by “the God of Israel” is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human, and indeed as to the Divine natural. (That by “Israel” and “Jacob” in the supreme sense is meant the Lord as to the Divine natural; by “Israel,” as to the internal Divine natural; and by “Jacob,” as to the external Divine natural, see n. 4570; also that they who are of the spiritual church were and are saved by the Divine Human of the Lord, n. 2833, 2834; and also that the man of the spiritual church, who is “Israel,” is interior natural, n. 4286, 4402.)

[2] From all this then it is evident why the Lord in the Word is called “Jehovah the God of Israel,” and “Jehovah the HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL.” Everyone can know that the Divine must be so named in agreement with something holy not apparent in the sense of the letter. That the Lord as to the Divine natural is meant by “the God of Israel” is plain from many passages in the Word; manifestly from the following:

That Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy elders of Israel saw the God of Israel, under whose feet was as it were a work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the substance of heaven for cleanness (Exodus 24:9-10).

[3] That it was the Lord and not Jehovah who is called the “Father” is evident from the Lord’s words in John:

No one hath ever seen God (John 1:18). Ye have neither ever heard His voice, nor seen His shape (John 5:37).

In Isaiah:

I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I am Jehovah, who have called thee by thy name, the God of Israel (Isaiah 45:3).

In Ezekiel:

Over the head of the cherubs was as it were the appearance of a sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne; and over the likeness of a throne a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above; and he had the appearance of fire and a rainbow, and of brightness round about (Ezekiel 1:26-28).

These are called “the glory of Jehovah,” and “of the God of Israel,” in the same (Ezekiel 1:28; 8:4; 9:3; 10:19-20), and also where the new temple is described (Ezekiel 43:2; 44:2); as also in many other passages (Isaiah 17:6; 21:10, 17; 24:15; 41:17; Psalms 41:13; 59:5; 68:8, 35; 6 9:6; 72:18, and elsewhere). So also He is called “the HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL” (Isaiah 1:4; 5:19; 10:20; 17:7; 30:1, 12, 15; 49:7; 60:9, 14; Ezekiel 39:7).

[4] That the “God of Israel” and the “HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL” are the Lord as to the Divine Human is also evident from the fact that He is called the “REDEEMER,” the “SAVIOR,” the “MAKER”—the Redeemer, in Isaiah:

Our Redeemer, Jehovah Zebaoth; His name the HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL (Isaiah 47:4; also Isaiah 41:14; 43:14 48:17; 54:5); also the SAVIOR (Isaiah 43:3); and the MAKER (Isaiah 45:11).

From all this it is also evident that by “Jehovah” in the Word of the Old Testament, no other is meant than the Lord, for He is called JEHOVAH GOD and the HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL, the REDEEMER, the SAVIOR, the MAKER—“Jehovah the Redeemer and Savior” in Isaiah:

That all flesh may know that I Jehovah am thy Savior, and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob (Isaiah 49:26).

That thou mayest know that I Jehovah am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob (Isaiah 60:16; as also (Isaiah 43:14) Isaiah 43:1 (Isaiah 44:6)44:24; (Isaiah 54:8) (Isaiah 63:16) 44:6, 24; 54:8; 63:16; Psalms 19:14).

[5] That the Lord saved Israel, that is, those who are of the spiritual church, is said in Isaiah:

I will make mention of the mercies of Jehovah, the praises of Jehovah, according to all that Jehovah hath recompensed to us; abundant in goodness to the house of Israel. He said, Surely they are My people; sons who do not lie; and therefore He became their Savior; in all their distress He had distress; and the angel of His faces liberated them; because of His love, and His indulgence, He redeemed them; and He took them up, and carried them all the days of eternity (Isaiah 63:7-9).