6692.“法老吩咐他的众民”表进入与教会真理相对立的记忆知识的总体流注。这从“吩咐”和“他的民”的含义清楚可知：“吩咐”是指流注（参看5486，5732节），在此是指总体流注，因为是法老所吩咐的，而法老代表总体上的记忆知识（参看6015节）；“他的民”是指与教会真理相对立的记忆知识。此处“民”所指的埃及人表示记忆知识，这在前面已频繁说明（参看6838节）。“埃及人”之所以表示与教会真理相对立的记忆知识，是因为古教会，即也一直存在于他们当中的教会的代表形式和有意义的符号在那里沦为了巫术。因为那时通过教会的代表形式和有意义的符号才会有与天堂的交流。这种交流存在于那些活在仁之良善的人中间，并且在许多人当中是开放的。然而，在那些没有活在仁之良善，而是活在它的对立面之人中间，开放的交流有时存在于败坏教会一切真理，并将它的良善连同这些真理一道毁灭的恶灵中间，巫术由此产生。这一点从埃及人的象形文字也可以看出来，他们在神圣仪式中也用到象形文字。埃及人用它们来表示属灵事物，并用它们来败坏神序。
巫术无非是败坏秩序、滥用对应关系。真正的秩序若要存在，人必须接受从主发出的良善与真理。当这一切成就时，真正的秩序便存在于此人意图和思维的一切事物中。但当人不照着源于主的秩序接受良善与真理，反而相信一切事都是无目的的盲目流入的，即便有任何事的确带有目的，那也是由于他自己的谨慎时，他就败坏了真正的秩序。因为他运用属于秩序的事物只是为了他自己的利益，而不是为了其邻舍的利益，除非他的邻舍偏向他。这就解释了一个惊人的事实：所有坚信一切事都归于自己的精明，丝毫不归于圣治或天命的人，在来世都非常倾向于巫术，并尽可能地涉足其中；那些因信靠自己并将一切归于自己的精明而想出诡诈、奸滑的方法来超越别人的人尤其如此。像这样的人一旦在来世经历审判，就会被送入巫师的地狱。这些地狱在右方脚底之下那个层面，稍向前一点，并延伸到很远的地方；埃及人在最低层的深渊。正因如此，“法老”、“埃及人”和“埃及”表示与教会真理相对立的记忆知识。
因此，为防止教会的代表形式和有意义的符号进一步沦为巫术，以色列百姓才被选中，并且教会的代表形式和有意义的符号要在他们中间重新建立。这百姓具有这样的性质：它不可能从中制造巫术，因为它只对外在事物感兴趣，不信任何内在事物，更不信任何属灵事物。在这种人中间，诸如存在于埃及人当中的那类巫术不会出现。
Potts(1905-1910) 6692
6692. And Pharaoh commanded all his people. That this signifies general influx into the memory-knowledges opposed to the truths of the church, is evident from the signification of "commanding," as being influx (see n. 5486, 5732) here general influx, because done by Pharaoh, by whom is represented memory-knowledge in general (see n. 6015); and from the signification of "his people," as being memory-knowledges opposed to the truths of the church. (That the Egyptians, who here are the "people," denote memory-knowledges, has been often shown above, see n. 6838.) That by the "Egyptians" are signified memory-knowledges opposed to the truths of the church, is because the representatives and significatives of the Ancient Church, which church had also been with them, were there turned into things magical; for by the representatives and significatives of the church of that time there was communication with heaven. This communication was with those who lived in the good of charity, and was open with many; whereas with those who did not live in the good of charity, but in its opposites, open communication was sometimes granted with evil spirits, who had perverted all the truths of the church, and together with these had destroyed its goods, whence came things magical. This can also be seen from the hieroglyphics of the Egyptians, which also were made use of in sacred things, for by them they signified spiritual things, and perverted Divine order. [2] Magic is nothing but the perversion of order, and is especially the abuse of correspondences. It is order that the goods and truths which proceed from the Lord should be received by man. When this is done, there is order in everything the man intends and thinks. But when a man does not receive goods and truths according to the order which is from the Lord, but believes that all things are blind flowings, and that if there comes forth anything that has been determined, it is of his own prudence, he perverts order; for he applies to himself the things of order with a view to taking care only of himself, and not of his neighbor, except insofar as his neighbor favors him. Hence, wonderful to say, all who have firmly impressed on themselves that all things are of their own prudence, and nothing of the Divine providence, are in the other life very prone to magic, and insofar as they can, they imbue it, especially those who in consequence of trusting to themselves, and ascribing everything to their own prudence, have contrived various arts and craftinesses to raise themselves above others. When such men are judged in the other life, they are cast down toward the hells of the magicians, which are in the plane beneath the soles of the feet to the right, a little toward the front, extending to a great distance; in the lowest depths of which are the Egyptians. Hence then it is that by "Pharaoh," the "Egyptians," and "Egypt," are signified memory-knowledges opposed to the truths of the church. [3] Lest therefore the representatives and significatives of the church should be further turned into magic, the Israelitish people was taken, with whom the representatives and significatives of the church might be restored; which people was of such a nature that it could not make anything magical therefrom, because it was altogether in externals, and had no belief in anything internal, still less in anything spiritual. With people of such a character, such magic as existed with the Egyptians cannot arise.
Elliott(1983-1999) 6692
6692. 'And Pharaoh commanded all his people' means a general influx into factual knowledge opposed to the Church's truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'commanding' as an influx, dealt with in 5486, 5732, here a general influx since the command came from Pharaoh, who represents factual knowledge in general, 6015; and from the meaning of 'his people' as factual knowledge opposed to the Church's truths. The meaning of the Egyptians, to whom 'people' refers here, as factual knowledge has been demonstrated often, see 6638. The reason why factual knowledge opposed to the Church's truths is meant by 'the Egyptians' is that the representative forms and meaningful signs of the Ancient Church, a Church which had existed also among them, had been turned there into magic. For through the Church's representative forms and meaningful signs there was contact at that time with heaven. This contact existed among those who led lives filled with the good of charity, and among many it was open contact. Among those however who did not lead a good charitable life but acted in ways contrary to it, open contact sometimes existed with evil spirits who perverted all the Church's truths, and along with them destroyed all that was good, from which magic arose. This may also be recognized from the hieroglyphics among the Egyptians, who also used them in their sacred rituals. They used them as signs of spiritual things, and they used them to pervert Divine order.
[2] Magic is nothing else than the perversion of order; in particular it is the misuse of correspondences. If true order is to exist, goodness and truth as they emanate from the Lord must find acceptance in a person. When they do, true order is present in every particular aspect of the person's intentions and thoughts. But when they do not find acceptance in him as true order originating in the Lord requires and he instead believes that everything is a purposeless stream of events, or if anything does have purpose, that it is attributable to his own prudence, he perverts true order. For he makes use of what belongs to order solely for his own interests and not those of his neighbour, except insofar as his neighbour is favourably disposed towards him. This accounts for the astonishing fact that all who have become firmly convinced that everything is attributable to their own prudence and nothing at all to Divine providence are very much inclined towards magic in the next life, and also involve themselves in it as much as they can. This is especially so with those who, trusting in themselves and ascribing everything to their own prudence, have worked out many sly and cunning ways of gaining superiority over others. Once people like this have undergone judgement in the next life they are sent off to the hells of those who work magic. These hells are on the right on a level with the soles of the feet, a little way out in front and extending to a considerable distance; and the Egyptians are in the deepest ones. Here then is why 'Pharaoh', 'the Egyptians', and 'Egypt' mean factual knowledge opposed to the Church's truths.
[3] To prevent therefore any further perversion of the Church's representative forms and meaningful signs into forms of magic, the Israelite people were selected, and among them the Church's representative forms and meaningful signs were to be re-established. The nature of this people was such that it could not create magic out of them, for they were interested solely in external things and had no belief in anything internal, let alone anything spiritual. Among people like this no magic can arise such as existed among the Egyptians.
Latin(1748-1756) 6692
6692. `Et praecepit Pharao omni populo [suo]': quod significet influxum communem in scientifica contraria veris Ecclesiae, constat ex significatione `praecipere' quod sit influxus, de qua n. 5486, 5732, hic influxus communis quia a `Pharaone' per quem repraesentatur scientificum in communi, n. 6015; et ex significatione `populi ejus' quod sint scientifica contraria veris Ecclesiae; quod `Aegyptii,' qui hic sunt populus, sint scientifica, saepius ostensum est, videatur n. 6638. Quod per `Aegyptios' scientifica contraria veris Ecclesiae significentur, est quia repraesentativa et significativa Ecclesiae Antiquae, quae {1}Ecclesia etiam apud illos fuerat, ibi versa fuerunt in magica, nam per repraesentativa et significativa Ecclesiae eo tempore fuit communicatio cum caelo; quae communicatio fuit apud illos qui in bono charitatis vixerunt, et aperta apud plures; at qui non in bono charitatis vixerunt, sed in contrariis {2}, communicatio `quandoque dabatur' aperta cum spiritibus malis qui omnia vera Ecclesiae {3} perverterunt, et cum illis destruxerunt bona,' inde magica; {4}hoc quoque constare potest a hieroglyphicis Aegyptiorum, {5}quibus etiam in sacris utebantur, nam per illa significabant spiritualia, et ordinem Divinum perverterunt'. 2 Magia non aliud est quam perversio ordinis, imprimis est abusus correspondentiarum; ordo est ut bona et vera quae a Domino procedunt ab homine recipiantur; cum hoc fit, ordo est in singulis quae homo intendit et cogitat; at cum homo {6}non recipit illa secundum ordinem qui est a Domino, sed {7}credit quod omnia sint fluxus caeci, et si aliquid determinatum existit, quod sit prudentiae propriae, is ordinem pervertit, nam illa quae ordinis sunt applicat ad se, {8}ut modo sibi consulat, non autem proximo, nisi quantum ille sibi favet; inde quod mirum, omnes qui sibi firmiter impresserunt quod omnia sint propriae prudentiae, et nihil providentiae Divinae, illi in altera vita ad magiam pronissimi sunt, et quantum possunt, etiam imbuunt; {9}imprimis illi qui, quia sibi fiderunt et omnia suaemet prudentiae ascripserunt, plures artes et astutias excogitarunt ad se elevandos supra alios; tales, cum in altera vita judicati sunt, conjiciuntur versus inferna magicorum, quae sunt in plano sub plantis ad dextram paulo versus anteriora, extensa ad multam distantiam, in quorum profundissimis sunt Aegyptii; inde nunc est quod per `Pharaonem, Aegyptios, et Aegyptum' significentur scientifica contraria veris Ecclesiae. 3 (s)Ne itaque amplius repraesentativa et significativa Ecclesiae in magica {10}verterentur, assumptus est populus Israeliticus, apud quem repraesentativa et significativa Ecclesiae restaurarentur; qui populus talis erat ut is non posset magicum inde facere, nam erat prorsus in externis et in nulla fide quod aliquid internum esset, minus quod aliquid spirituale, apud tales magicum non potest existere quale apud Aegyptios.(s) @1 apud illos etiam fuit,$ @2 i and d vixerunt i fuerunt$ @3 i et cum veris bona$ @4 quod$ @5 quae significativa erant spiritualium, per quae abutebantur ordine Divino, et illum pervertebant$ @6 After illa$ @7 sibi suaeque prudentiae solum fidit, tunc$ @8 et ad faciendum malum illis qui sibi non favent$ @9 qui vitam mali simul vixerunt$ @10 perverterentur$