8926. Verses 18-20.* And the people stood afar off, and Moses came near unto the thick darkness where God was. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the sons of Israel, Ye have seen that I have spoken with you from heaven. Ye shall not make with Me gods of silver and gods of gold, ye shall not make unto you. "And the people stood afar off," signifies remoteness from internal truths; "and Moses came near unto the thick darkness where God was," signifies conjunction still of the truth of spiritual good with truth Divine; "and Jehovah said unto Moses," signifies instruction further; "Thus shalt thou say unto the sons of Israel," signifies those who are of the spiritual church; "Ye have seen that I have spoken with you from heaven," signifies all things of the Word by means of influx from the Divine through heaven; "ye shall not make with Me gods of silver and gods of gold," signifies that they should wholly abstain from such things as in the external form appear as true and good, but in the internal form are false and evil; "ye shall not make unto you," signifies that they must carefully beware.
* Verses 21-23 in the English Bible.