Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 6771

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6771. 'And Pharaoh heard of this matter and sought to kill Moses means that having discerned this matter false factual knowledge wished to destroy the truth which the law from God possessed. This is clear from the meaning of 'hearing' as discerning, dealt with in 5017; from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as factual knowledge which is opposed to the Church's truths, and so is false, dealt with in 6651, 6679, 6687; from the meaning of 'killing' as destroying, dealt with in 6767, so that 'seeking to kill' is wishing to destroy; and from the representation of 'Moses' as the law of God and God's truth, dealt with in 6752, and so the truth which the law of God possessed. The expression 'the truth which the law of God possessed', and not simply 'the law of God', is used because the subject is still the development of the law of God within the Lord's Human. From all this it is clear that 'Pharaoh heard of this matter and sought to kill Moses' means that having discerned this matter false factual knowledge wished to destroy the truth that the law of God possessed.


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