Spiritual Meaning of EXODUS 1:22
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AC 6691. Verse 22. And Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, Every son that is born, ye shall cast him forth into the river, and every daughter she shall keep alive. "And Pharaoh commanded all his people," signifies general influx into the memory-knowledges opposed to the truths of the church; "saying, Every son that is born, ye shall cast him forth into the river," signifies that they should immerse in falsities all truths which appear; "and every daughter ye shall keep alive," signifies that they should not assault good.

AC 6692. And Pharaoh commanded all his people. That this signifies general influx into the memory-knowledges opposed to the truths of the church, is evident from the signification of "commanding," as being influx (n. 5486, 5732) here general influx, because done by Pharaoh, by whom is represented memory-knowledge in general (n. 6015); and from the signification of "his people," as being memory-knowledges opposed to the truths of the church. The Egyptians, who here are the "people," denote memory-knowledges, (n. 6838). That by the "Egyptians" are signified memory-knowledges opposed to the truths of the church, is because the representatives and significatives of the Ancient Church, which church had also been with them, were there turned into things magical; for by the representatives and significatives of the church of that time there was communication with heaven. This communication was with those who lived in the good of charity, and was open with many; whereas with those who did not live in the good of charity, but in its opposites, open communication was sometimes granted with evil spirits, who had perverted all the truths of the church, and together with these had destroyed its goods, whence came things magical. This can also be seen from the hieroglyphics of the Egyptians, which also were made use of in sacred things, for by them they signified spiritual things, and perverted Divine order.

[2] Magic is nothing but the perversion of order, and is especially the abuse of correspondences. It is order that the goods and truths which proceed from the Lord should be received by man. When this is done, there is order in everything the man intends and thinks. But when a man does not receive goods and truths according to the order which is from the Lord, but believes that all things are blind flowings, and that if there comes forth anything that has been determined, it is of his own prudence, he perverts order; for he applies to himself the things of order with a view to taking care only of himself, and not of his neighbor, except in so far as his neighbor favors him. Hence, wonderful to say, all who have firmly impressed on themselves that all things are of their own prudence, and nothing of the Divine providence, are in the other life very prone to magic, and in so far as they can, they imbue it, especially those who in consequence of trusting to themselves, and ascribing everything to their own prudence, have contrived various arts and craftiness to raise themselves above others. When such men are judged in the other life, they are cast down toward the hells of the magicians, which are in the plane beneath the soles of the feet to the right, a little toward the front, extending to a great distance; in the lowest depths of which are the Egyptians. Hence then it is that by "Pharaoh," the "Egyptians," and "Egypt," are signified memory-knowledges opposed to the truths of the church.

[3] Lest therefore the representatives and significatives of the church should be further turned into magic, the lsraelitish people was taken, with whom the representatives and significatives of the church might be restored; which people was of such a nature that it could not make anything magical therefrom, because it was altogether in externals, and had no belief in anything internal, still less in anything spiritual. With people of such a character, such magic as existed with the Egyptians cannot arise.

AC 6693. Saying, Every son that is born, ye shall cast him forth into the river. That this signifies that they should immerse in falsities all truths which appear, is evident from the signification of" son," as being truth (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373); and from the signification of "river," as being things that belong to intelligence (n. 108, 109, 2702, 3051), here in the opposite sense, things contrary, thus falsities. That "to cast forth" denotes to immerse is manifest.

[2] That the "river of Egypt" denotes what is contrary to intelligence, thus falsity, is evident also in Isaiah:--

The rivers shall recede; the rivers of Egypt shall diminish and be dried up; the papyri beside the river, beside the mouth of the river, and all the seed of the river, shall become dry, shall be driven forward; and therefore the fishers shall mourn, and all they that cast a hook into the river shall be sad, and they that spread a net upon the faces of the waters shall languish (Isa. 19:6-8);

that here by the "river of Egypt" no river is meant, nor by "fishers" fishers, but that other things are meant, which do not appear unless it is known what is meant by "Egypt," by the "river" there, and by "fishers," is also evident: if these things are known, the sense is manifest. That by the "river of Egypt" is signified falsity, is plain from the particulars here.

[3] In Jeremiah:--

Who is this that riseth up like the river, whose waters are tossed like the rivers? Egypt riseth up like the river, and his waters are tossed as the rivers; for he hath said, I will go up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city, and them that dwell therein (Jer. 46:7, 8);

here also the "river of Egypt" denotes falsities; to "go up and cover the earth" denotes to do so to the church; to "destroy" the city," denotes to destroy the doctrine of the church; "and them that dwell therein," denotes the goods thence derived. The "earth" is the church (n. 6649); and the "city," the doctrine of the church, (n. 402, 2449, 3216, 4492, 4493); and "inhabitants," the goods therein, (n. 2268, 2451, 2712).

[4] In Ezekiel:--

Behold I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great whale that liest in the midst of his rivers; who hath said, The river is mine, and I have made myself. Therefore I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will mad the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will make thee go up out of the midst of thy rivers, and every fish of thy rivers shall stick in thy scales. I will leave thee in the wilderness, and every fish of thy rivers (Ezek. 29:3-5, 9, 10);

what these things signify no one can know without the internal sense (that Egypt is not meant, is evident), thus unless it is known what is meant by "Pharaoh," and what by a "river," a "whale," a "fish," and "scales." "Pharaoh" is the natural where memory-knowledge is, (n. 5160, 5799, 6015); and "whales" are the generals of memory-knowledges in the natural, (n. 42); and "fishes" memory-knowledges under the general, (n. 40, 991). "Scales" denote those things which are manifestly external, thus sensuous, to which memory-knowledges which are falsities adhere. When these things are known, it is evident what is meant in the above passage by the "river of Egypt," namely, falsity.

[5] Again:--

In that day when Pharaoh shall go down into hell I will make a mourning; I will cover the abyss over him, and I will curb his rivers, and the great waters shall be dammed up (Ezek. 31:15).

Shall not the earth he shaken for this, and everyone mourn that dwelleth therein, so that it shall go up all of it like a brook, and be driven out, and overwhelmed as by the river of Egypt? In that day I will make the sun to set at noon, and I will darken the earth in the day of light (Amos 8:8, 9; 9:5);

the "earth" which shall be "shaken" denotes the church (n. 6649); "to be overwhelmed as by the river of Egypt" denotes to perish by falsities and because falsities are signified, it is said that "the sun shall set at noon," and that "the earth shall be darkened in the day of light." By "the sun setting at noon" is signified that the good of celestial love would recede, and by "the earth being darkened in the day of light," that falsities would take possession of the church. That the "sun" is the good of celestial love, may be seen above (n. 1529, 1530, 2441, 2495, 3636, 3643, 4060, 4696); also that "darkness" is falsity, (n. 1839, 1860, 4418, 4531); and that the "earth" is the church (n. 82, 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1411, 1413, 1607, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 2928, 2355, 4447, 4535, 5577). Everyone can see that other things are signified here than what appear in the letter, as that "the earth shall be shaken," and that "everyone that dwelleth therein shall mourn," that "the sun shall set at noon," and "the earth be darkened in the day of light." Unless the church is understood by the "earth," falsity by the "river," and celestial love by the "sun," no sense which can be unfolded is found there.

[6] As the "river of Egypt" signifies falsity, therefore Moses was commanded to smite with his staff upon the waters of that river, and they were consequently turned into blood, and every fish died in the river, and the river stank (Exod. 7:17-21); and Aaron also was commanded to stretch out his hand with the rod over the rivers, over the streams, and over the pools, whereupon frogs came up over the land of Egypt (Exod. 8:1, 2). That "waters" in the opposite sense signify falsities (n. 790); and as the waters are those of the river, the "river" relatively denotes falsity in general.

AC 6694. And every daughter ye shall keep alive. That this signifies that they should not assault good, is evident from what was said above (n. 6677), where like words occur.