6769. 'And Moses was afraid, and said, Surely the matter is known!' means that he was among alienated factual knowledge and not yet so strong in truths as to be safe from harm. This is clear from the meaning of 'being afraid' as not being safe from harm; for when a person feels unsafe he feels afraid. He is unsafe because he is not strong in truths; for people who are strong in truths are kept safe from harm wherever they go, even if they are in the midst of hell. The reason why people who are not yet strong in truths are not safe from harm is that untruths link them up with evil spirits. These considerations are meant by the words, 'Moses was afraid, and said, Surely the matter is known', that is, known to the Egyptians whom he was among; and they are also evident from what immediately follows, where it says that when Pharaoh heard of this matter he sought to kill Moses.