Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 7410

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

7410. Verses 11-15 And Pharaoh saw that he could breathe again,a and he made his heart stubborn, and did not hearb them, as Jehovah had spoken. And Jehovah said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Stretch out your rod and strike the dust of the land, and it will then be lice in all the land of Egypt. And they did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the land, and there were lice on man and on beast. All the dust of the land became lice in the whole land of Egypt. And the magicians did the same with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not; and there were lice on man and on beast. And the magicians said to Pharaoh, The finger of God is this. And Pharaoh's heart was unyielding, and he did not hear' them, as Jehovah had spoken.

'And Pharaoh saw that he could breathe again' means that the weariness ceased. 'And he made his heart stubborn' means obstinacy. 'And did not hear them' means disobedience. 'As Jehovah had spoken' means as accorded with what had been foretold. 'And Jehovah said to Moses' means instruction anew. 'Say to Aaron' means an influx of inward law into outward law. 'Stretch out your rod' means commanding him to demonstrate the Divine power. 'And strike the dust of the land' means that he should remove those things in the natural which are damned. 'And it will then be lice' means that evils will rise up from them. 'In all the land of Egypt' means in the whole natural mind. 'And they did so' means putting it into effect. 'And Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod' means the power of inward truth directed through outward truth. 'And struck the dust of the land' means that the things which were damned were removed. 'And there were lice on man and on beast' means that evils rose up from those things - interior and exterior evils attached to wicked desires. 'All the dust of the land became lice in the whole land of Egypt' means that those evils rose up from the things that were damned. 'And the magicians did the same with their enchantments to bring forth lice' means the endeavour to pervert Divine order and produce something that looked the same in these things also. 'But they could not' means that they acted to no avail. 'And there were lice on man and on beast' means the evils, interior and exterior, that are attached to wicked desires. 'And the magicians said to Pharaoh' means perception and communication of it to those immersed in evils. 'The finger of God is this' means that the power came from the Divine. 'And Pharaoh's heart was unyielding' means obstinacy. 'And he did not hear them' means disobedience. 'As Jehovah had spoken' means as accorded with what had been foretold.

Notes

a lit. respiration had come about, i.e. there was a respite from the plagues
b lit. hear towards


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church