7137. 'Whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them' means those who were introduced by the ones who were the molesters. This is clear from the meaning of 'setting over them' as being introduced, for what happens is accomplished by the kind of introduction described below; and from the meaning of 'the taskmasters' as those who molest, dealt with in 7111. What is implied here cannot be known without experience of the kinds of things that go on in the next life. It has been stated above that 'the taskmasters' means those in the nearest position to molest, and that 'the officers' means those in the nearest position to receive things and pass them on, see 7111. Those in the nearest position to receive things and pass them on are simple but upright spirits who perform primarily this kind of service. By skillful methods known only in the next life the molesters introduce them into a community with which they are preparing a channel of communication for themselves. This is done by those who molest and who are meant by 'the taskmasters'. In this way the hells establish a channel of communication from their side, and those who are being molested have a channel from theirs. I have seen that this is so a hundred if not a thousand times, and have also had experience of it. From all this it is evident that no one can know what the meaning of these words is in the internal sense without experience of the kinds of things that go on in the next life.