10417. Verses 7-14. And Jehovah spoke unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people have corrupted themselves which thou madest to come up out of the land of Egypt; they have gone back suddenly from the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten calf, and have adored it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, These are thy gods, O Israel, which made thee to come up out of the land of Egypt. And Jehovah said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and behold it is a stiff-necked people. And thou, suffer Me, that Mine anger may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make thyself into a great nation. And Moses besought the faces of Jehovah his God, and said, Wherefore, O Jehovah, shall Thine anger wax hot against Thy people, which Thou has brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, saying, Into evil did He bring them forth, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from upon the faces of the earth? Turn back from the wrath of Thine anger, and repent Thee of the evil to Thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel Thy servants, to whom thou swarest by Thyself and spoke unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and all this land that I have said will I give to your seed, and they shall inherit it for an age. And Jehovah repented of the evil which He said He would do to His people. "And Jehovah spoke unto Moses" signifies perception and instruction concerning the Israelitish nation as to its quality within; "Go, get thee down" signifies to look at their external; "for thy people have corrupted themselves" signifies that they have completely turned themselves away from the Divine; "which thou madest to come up out of the land of Egypt" signifies whom thou didst believe to be led to the Divine; "they have gone back suddenly from the way which I commanded them" signifies that they have removed themselves from Divine truth; "they have made them a molten calf" signifies worship according to the delight of the loves of that nation; "and have adored it, and have sacrificed to it" signifies that they worship this as good itself and as truth itself; "and said, These are thy gods, O Israel" signifies that this is to be worshiped above all things; "which made thee to come up out of the land of Egypt" signifies which have led them; "and Jehovah said unto Moses" signifies further instruction; "I have seen this people" signifies what is foreseen; "and behold it is a stiff-necked people" signifies that they do not receive influx from the Lord; "and thou, suffer Me" signifies that there should not be so stubborn an insistence; "that Mine anger may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them" signifies that thus they turn themselves away from internal things, thus from things Divine, so that they must needs perish; "and I will make thyself into a great nation" signifies that the Word elsewhere would be good and excellent; "and Moses besought the faces of Jehovah his God" signifies that the Lord in mercy remembered; "and said, Wherefore, O Jehovah, shall Thine anger wax hot" signifies the turning away of that nation; "against Thy people which Thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt" signifies elevation even from this; "with great power and with a strong hand" signifies by virtue of Divine power; "wherefore should the Egyptians speak, saying" signifies those who are in mere external things concerning those who are being raised into internal things; "into evil did He bring them forth, to slay them in the mountains" signifies that those who are in good will perish; "and to consume them from upon the faces of the earth" signifies that those who are of the church will perish; "turn back from the wrath of Thine anger" signifies that thus the turning away of that nation will not be hurtful; "and repent Thee of the evil to Thy people" signifies mercy for them; "remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel Thy servants" signifies for the sake of heaven and of the church; "to whom Thou swarest by Thyself" signifies confirmation by the Divine; "and spoke unto them" signifies foresight and providence; "I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens" signifies goods and truths, and the knowledges of these; "and all this land that I have said will I give to your seed" signifies from which are heaven and the church; "and they shall inherit it for an age" signifies eternal life; "and Jehovah repented of the evil which He said he would do to His people" signifies mercy for them.
