'And Pharaoh said' means the will of those who molest the Church's truths. 'Behold, the people of the land are now many' means the greatness in numbers of those who belong to the spiritual Church. 'And you have made them rest from their burdens' means that they have not molested them enough. 'And Pharaoh gave orders that day' means a strong desire to molest the Church's truths while in that state. 'To the taskmasters over the people and to their officers, saying' means those in the nearest position to molest, and those in the nearest position to receive. 'You shall no longer give the people straw' means the basest kind of factual knowledge, which is the most general of all. 'To make bricks' means for fabrications and falsities which are to be introduced. 'As you did yesterday and the day before' means not as in the previous state. 'They must go and gather straw for themselves' means in order that they may acquire that basest kind of factual knowledge for themselves. 'And the tally of bricks which they were making yesterday and the day before shall you impose on them' means that fabrications and falsities are to be introduced in the same abundance as before. 'You shall not reduce it' means without diminution. 'For they are slack' means because they have not been sufficiently assaulted. 'Therefore they cry out, saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to our God' means that for that reason they give so much thought to such worship. 'Let the service be made heavy on the men means that the assault should be enlarged. 'And let them do it' means in order to produce the desired result. 'And pay no attention to lying words means to keep them from turning towards truths.

Notes