7439.“容我的百姓去，好叫他们事奉我”表他们要离开那些属于属灵教会的人，好叫这些人能在自由中敬拜他们的神。这从“容去”和“事奉耶和华”的含义，以及以色列人的代表清楚可知：“容去”是指离开或释放；以色列人，即此处“我的百姓”，是指那些属于属灵教会的人（6426，6637，6862，6868，7035，7062，7198，7201，7215，7223节）；“事奉耶和华”是指敬拜。他们要在自由中敬拜，这一点从下文（8:21-23）和以下事实明显看出来：系真正敬拜的一切敬拜必在自由中进行。
以色列人被称为“耶和华的百姓”，不是因为他们比其它民族更好，而是因为他们代表耶和华的子民，也就是那些属于主的属灵国度的人。他们并不比其它民族好，这一点从他们在旷野的生活明显看出来；在旷野，他们根本不信耶和华，而是从心里信埃及人的神，这从他们为自己所铸的金牛犊清楚可知，他们称这金牛犊为领他们从埃及地出来的神（出埃及记32:8）。这一点也可从他们随后在迦南地的生活，如圣言的历史所描述的，以及先知书对他们的论述，最后从主对他们的论述明显看出来。这也解释了为何他们当中很少有人在天堂，因为他们在来世照着他们的生活接受自己的命运。所以，不要相信他们优先于其他人被拣选上天堂。凡如此相信的人，都不相信死后各人的生活与他同在。他们也不相信人必须通过在世上的整个一生为天堂做好准备；尽管这一切是靠主的怜悯实现的，但没有人单靠怜悯，而不论他们在世上过着怎样的生活而进入天堂。他们对天堂和主的怜悯的这种观点就是由唯信和唯信得救、无需善行的教义造成的；因为持这种教义的人对生活漠不关心。因此，他们以为邪恶能被冲洗干净，就像污垢被水冲洗干净一样，进而以为人能在一瞬间进入良善的生命，从而被允许进入天堂。因为他们不知道，恶人若真的被剥夺邪恶的生命，就不会有任何生命；那些过着邪恶生活的人若真的被允许进入天堂，就会觉得天堂像地狱，并且越深入天堂，感觉越糟糕。
由此可见，以色列人和犹太人根本没有被拣选，只是为了代表属于天堂的事物而蒙接纳；并且他们必须在迦南地做这一切，因为主的教会自上古时代起就在那里，那里的所有地方由此成为天堂和神性事物的代表。以这种方式圣言也能被写就，圣言里的名就能用来表示诸如属于主及其国度的那类事物。
Potts(1905-1910) 7439
7439. Let My people go, that they may serve Me. That this signifies that they should release those who are of the spiritual church in order that they may worship their God in freedom, is evident from the signification of "letting go," as being to release; from the representation of the sons of Israel, here "My people," as being those who are of the spiritual church (n. 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223); and from the signification of "serving Jehovah," as being to worship. That they should worship in freedom is plain from what follows (verses 21-23), and also from the fact that all worship which is truly worship must be in freedom. [2] The sons of Israel being called "the people of Jehovah" was not because they were better than other nations, but because they represented the people of Jehovah, that is, those who are of the Lord's spiritual kingdom. That they were not better than other nations is plain from their life in the wilderness, in that they did not at all believe in Jehovah, but in their hearts believed in the gods of the Egyptians, as is evident from the golden calf which they made for themselves, and which they called their gods who had brought them forth out of the land of Egypt (Exod. 32:8). The same is evident also from their subsequent life in the land of Canaan, as described in the historicals of the Word, and from what was said of them by the prophets, and finally from what was said of them by the Lord. [3] For this reason also few of them are in heaven, for they have received their lot in the other life according to their life. Therefore do not believe that they were elected to heaven in preference to others; for whoever so believes, does not believe that everyone's life remains with him after death, nor that man must be prepared for heaven by his whole life in the world, and that this is done of the Lord's mercy, and that none are admitted into heaven from mercy alone, regardless of how they have lived in the world. Such an opinion about heaven and the Lord's mercy is induced by the doctrine of faith alone, and of salvation by faith alone without good works; for those who hold this doctrine have no concern about the life, and so believe that evils can be washed away like dirt by water, and thus that man can in a moment pass into the life of good, and consequently be admitted into heaven. For they do not know that if the life of evil were taken away from the evil, they would have no life whatever, and that if they who are in a life of evil were admitted into heaven, they would feel hell in themselves, and this the more grievously, the more interiorly they were admitted into heaven. [4] From all this it can now be seen that the Israelites and Jews were by no means elected, but only accepted to represent the things that belong to heaven; and that this must needs be done in the land of Canaan, because the Lord's church had been there from the most ancient times, and from this all the places there became representative of heavenly and Divine things. In this way also the Word could be written, and the names in it could signify such things as belong to the Lord and His kingdom.
Elliott(1983-1999) 7439
7439. 'Send My people away and let them serve Me' means that they should leave those who belong to the spiritual Church, in order that these may worship their God in freedom. This is clear from the meaning of 'sending away' as leaving; from the representation of the children of Israel, to whom 'My people' refers here, as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with in 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7075, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223; and from the meaning of 'serving Jehovah' as worshipping. That they should worship in freedom is evident from what follows in verses 21-23, and also from the consideration that all worship which is truly worship must take place in freedom.
[2] The children of Israel are called Jehovah's people not because they were any better than other nations but because they represented Jehovah's people, that is, those who belonged to the Lord's spiritual kingdom. The fact that they were no better than other nations is evident from their life in the wilderness, where they did not believe at all in Jehovah. Instead they believed in their hearts in the gods of the Egyptians, as is clear from the golden calf which they made for themselves and which they called their gods who had led them out of the land of Egypt, Exod 32:8. The same fact is also evident from their life subsequently in the land of Canaan, dealt with in the historical sections of the Word; and the things said about them in the prophetical parts and finally by the Lord make it evident too.
[3] This also explains why few of them are in heaven; for the destiny they have met in the next life has been determined by the way they lived. Refuse to believe therefore that they have been chosen for heaven ahead of others. Those who believe that these people have been chosen for heaven ahead of others do not believe that each one's life remains with him. Nor do they believe that a person has to be made ready for heaven throughout his entire life in the world, and that although this is accomplished by the Lord's mercy, people are not admitted into heaven by mercy alone regardless of the life they have led in the world. The kind of notion they have of heaven and the Lord's mercy is the result of teachings about faith alone and salvation by it without good works; for such people are unconcerned about life. Hence they also believe that evils can be purged away like dirt with water, and so believe that a person can be brought in an instant into leading a life of goodness and consequently be admitted into heaven. Such people do not know that if the evil were deprived of their life of evil they would have no life whatever, and also that if those who lead an evil life were admitted into heaven it would feel like hell to them, and the further they went into heaven the worse would that feeling become.
[4] All this now makes it clear that the Israelites and Jews had not by any means been chosen; they were simply accepted in order that they might represent the things of heaven. And this they had to do in the land of Canaan because the Lord's Church had existed there since most ancient times and all places there had consequently become representative of heavenly and Divine realities. Then also the Word could be written, in which the names would serve to mean such things as belong to the Lord and His kingdom.
Latin(1748-1756) 7439
7439. `Mitte populum Meum, {1}et serviant Mihi': quod significet ut relinquant qui ab Ecclesia spirituali, ut colant Deum suum in libero, constat ex significatione `mittere' seu `dimittere' quod sit relinquere; ex repraesentatione `filiorum Israelis,' qui hic sunt `populus Meus,' quod sint qui ab Ecclesia spirituali, de qua n. 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223; et (c)ex significatione `servire Jehovae' quod sit colere; quod colerent in libero, patet ab illis quae sequuntur, vers. 21-23, tum ex eo quod omnis cultus qui vere cultus, erit in libero. 2 Quod filii Israelis appellentur populus Jehovae, non fuit quia aliis gentibus meliores essent sed quia repraesentarent populum Jehovae, hoc est, illos qui e regno spirituali Domini; quod non meliores fuerint aliis gentibus, patet {2}a vita illorum in deserto, quod prorsus non crediderint in Jehovam, sed quod corde suo {3}in deos {4}Aegyptiorum; ut constat ex vitulo aureo quem sibi fecerunt et quem dixerunt deos suos qui e terra Aegypti illos eduxerunt, Exod. xxxii 8; (m){5}patet etiam a vita (c)illorum postea in terra Canaane, de qua in historicis Verbi; tum quoque {6} quae in propheticis {7}de illis 3 dicta sunt, et denique quae a Domino;(n) {8} inde etiam est quod pauci illorum {9}in caelo sint, {10}nam sortem in altera vita {11}acceperunt secundum vitam suam; nolite itaque credere quod illi {12}prae aliis ad caelum electi fuerint; qui {13} credunt quod illi ad caelum electi fuerint prae aliis, illi non credunt quod vita sua unumquemvis maneat; nec credunt quod homo ad caelum {14}praeparandus sit per totam vitam suam in mundo, et quod hoc fiat ex misericordia Domini, et non quod admittantur in caelum ex sola misericordia utcumque in mundo {15}vixerunt; talem opinionem de caelo et de misericordia Domini inducit doctrina de sola fide, et de salvatione per illam absque bonis operibus; nam hi vitam non curant; inde etiam credunt quod mala abstergi queant sicut sordes ab aqua; et sic quod homo {16} in vitam boni transmitti possit momento, {17}consequenter in caelum admitti; {18}non scientes quod si vita mali auferretur malis, prorsus nihil vitae {19}haberent; {20}tum si illi qui in vita mali sunt {21} admitterentur in caelum, sentirent infernum in se, {22}et id gravius quo interius in caelum. 4 Ex his nunc constare potest quod Israelitae et Judaei prorsus non electi {23}fuerint, sed solum accepti ad repraesentandum illa quae caeli sunt; {24}et quod hoc in terra Canaane fieri debuerit, quia Ecclesia Domini ibi ab antiquissimis temporibus fuerat, et inde omnia ibi loca facta sunt repraesentativa caelestium et Divinorum; ita quoque Verbum conscribi potuit, in quo nomina significarent talia quae Domini ac Ipsius regni sunt. @1 ut I cp n. 7433$ @2 manifeste ex$ @3 praetulerint$ @4 Aegyptiorum altered to Aegypti$ @5 et quoque$ @6 i ab illis$ @7 After Domino$ @8 i et quoque constare potest, quod gens illa cum in Aegypto erant, serviverit diis illorum; ita quod non populus Jehovae fuerint;$ @9 After sint$ @10 sed quod$ @11 sicut aliae gentes, accipiant$ @12 electi sint, nec prae aliis sint in coelo$ @13 i hoc$ @14 a Domino praeparetur$ @15 vixerant$ @16 i malus$ @17 proinde$ @18 cum tamen$ @19 haberent altered to haberet$ @20 et$ @21 i, si$ @22 at$ @23 sint$ @24 A o, but see Appendix Volume.$