Arcana Coelestia 8554. In the preceding chapter, in the internal sense, the third temptation was treated of - that there was a lack of good. This having been given them, in the internal sense in this chapter the fourth temptation is treated of - that there was a lack of truth. This temptation is signified by "the murmuring of the sons of Israel because they had no water;" and therefore the truth of faith was given them by the Lord, which is signified by "the water out of the rock of Horeb."

Arcana Coelestia 8555. Then follows the combat of the falsity that is from evil against the truth and good of faith, which combat is represented by the fighting of Amalek against Israel. That they who are in the truth and good of faith conquer when they look upward to the Lord, and that they yield when they look downward, is represented by the sons of Israel conquering so long as Moses kept his hands raised, and by their yielding when he let them down.

8555. After this the subject is the conflict of falsity arising from evil with the truth and good of faith. That conflict is represented by the battle which Amalek fought against Israel. The fact that those who have the truth and good of faith within them are winning when they look up to the Lord, and losing when they look down, is represented by the children of Israel, who were winning as long as Moses kept his hands raised up, but losing whenever he let them down.