10543. 'At Mount Horeb' means within the external things of worship, the Church, and the Word. This is clear from the meaning of 'Mount Horeb' as Divine Truth present in external things. For Horeb was the mountainous region surrounding Mount Sinai, and 'Mount Sinai' means Divine Truth; consequently 'Horeb', being the mountainous region round about, means Divine Truth present in external things. For what is in the middle and higher than the outlying parts around it means that which is internal, and therefore what is around and below it means that which is external.
'Mount Sinai' means Divine Truth, see 8805, 9420. The middle means that which is internal, 1074, 2940, 2973, 5897, 6084, 6103, 9164, and so does what is high, 2148, 4210, 4599, 9489, 9773, 10181. What is round about means that which is external, 2973, and so does what is below.
Since the people's interest lay in external things and not in what was internal, when the Law was declared from Mount Sinai they stood in Horeb at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain was fenced off all the way round to prevent the people from touching it, Exod 19:12,13,21,23,24; 20:21; Deut 4:10-12.The external of worship, the Church, and the Word is spoken of because the external of one is the external of another; for worship is performed by the Church, and the Church's truths and forms of good, and its worship, are derived from the Word. Those therefore who are interested in only the external things of worship and the Church are interested in only the external things of the Word.
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