10220. 'This is what everyone passing over to those who have been numbered shall give' means the attribution to the Lord of all that constitutes faith and love. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving' - that is to say, giving the expiation for the soul, which was half a shekel - as deliverance from evils through the acknowledgement that all of faith and love comes from the Lord and none at all from man, dealt with above in 10218. Consequently 'everyone passing over to those who have been numbered' means any truth and good whatever that is arranged and set in order by the Lord. For 'everyone passing over' implies every one of the children of Israel, and all spiritual forms of good and truths are meant by 'the children of Israel', 5414, 5801, 5803, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833, 5879, 5951, 7957, 8234, 8805; and by 'those who have been numbered' things which have been arranged and set in order by the Lord are meant, 10218.

8234. 'And the children of Israel went on dry ground into the middle of the sea' means that those governed by the good of truth and guided by the truth of good passed through that hell in safety without suffering molestation. This is clear from the explanation above in 8185, where similar words occur. The expression 'those governed by the good of truth and guided by the truth of good' is used to mean the spiritual Church; for members of that Church are first governed by the good of truth, then later on are guided by the truth of good. At first they do good because truth lays down that it should be done; therefore they act out of obedience to it. But subsequently they do good out of affection for it, at which time truth is seen and also practiced by them from the standpoint of good. From this it is evident that before a member of the spiritual Church receives a new will from the Lord, that is, before he has been regenerated, he practices truth out of obedience to it. But after he has been regenerated he practices it out of affection for it, at which time truth comes for him to be good since it now resides in his will. For to act out of obedience is to act from the understanding, but to act out of affection is to act from the will. This also is the reason why those who practice truth out of obedience to it are members of the external Church, whereas those who practice it out of affection for it are members of the internal Church. From all this it is evident that those who belong to the spiritual Church are meant when the expression 'those governed by the good of truth and guided by the truth of good' is used.