7774. Verses 4-8 And Moses said, Thus said Jehovah, About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from Pharaoh's firstborn who is to sit on his throne, even to the firstborn of the servant-girl who is behind the mill, and all the firstborn of the beasts. And there will be a great cry in the whole land of Egypt, the like of which has never been, and the like of which will not be again. And against all the children of Israel not a dog will move its tongue, against man (vir) and even against beast, so that you may know that Jehovah makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel. And all these your servants will come down to me, and bow down to me, saying, Go out, your and all the people at your feet! ¹ And after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in wrath and anger. ²

'And Moses said, Thus said Jehovah' means instruction. 'About midnight' means when vastation is completed. 'I will go out into the midst of Egypt' means the presence of the Divine everywhere then. 'And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die' means the damnation of faith separated from charity then. 'From Pharaoh's firstborn who is to sit on his throne' means falsified truths of faith that occupy the first place. 'Even to the firstborn of the servant-girl who is behind the mill' means falsified truths of faith that occupy the very last place. 'And all the firstborn of the beasts' means adulterated forms of the good of faith. 'And there will be a great cry in the whole land of Egypt' means deep grief. 'The like of which has never been, and the like of which will not be again' means that the nature of the state was such that there could be none similar to it. 'And against all the children of Israel not a dog will move its tongue' means that with those belonging to the spiritual Church there would not be the smallest trace of damnation or grief. 'Against man and even against beast' means neither in respect of truth nor of good. 'So that you may know that Jehovah makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel' means so that the nature of the difference between those immersed in evil and those governed by good may be known. 'And all these your servants will come down to me' means those who are subordinate. 'And bow down to me' means respect for God's truth generated by fear. 'Saying, Go out, you, and all the people at your feet!' means pleading to let them depart from those guided by the truth from God, highest to lowest. 'And after that I will go out' means that God's truth will depart. 'And he went out from Pharaoh in wrath and anger' means a violent breaking off of the presence of God's truth from those who are to be damned.

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