2072# “笑”象征真理的情感，这可以从笑的起源和本质中得知。笑的起源不外乎是真理的情感或伪谬的情感，因此，这种情感通过笑在脸上表现出欢乐和喜悦；由此可见，笑的本质无它。
笑确实是身体的外在表现，因为它表现在脸上，但在圣经中，内在的事物通过外在的事物来表达。就像所有内心的情感通过脸部来表达，内在的聆听和顺从通过耳朵来表达，内在的观看或理解通过眼睛来表达，力量和能力通过手和臂来表达，等等。因此，真理的情感通过笑来表达。
【2】在人类的理性中，真理是主要的。理性中也有良善的情感，但这种情感存在于真理的情感之中，如同它的灵魂。在理性中的良善的情感不会通过笑来表现，而是通过某种喜悦，并因此通过愉悦的快乐来表现，因为在笑中通常也有一些不那么良善的东西。
理性中的主要是真理，其原因是理性通过真理的知识形成。因为如果没有这些知识，没有人能够成为理性的人。良善的知识和真理的知识同样是真理。
【3】“笑”在这里象征真理的情感，这可以从亚伯拉罕和撒拉在以撒出生前后都笑了这一事实中得知，以及以撒的名字源自“笑”，因为“以撒”意为“笑”。
亚伯拉罕听到关于以撒的消息时笑了，这可以从这节经文中得知，因为说到亚伯拉罕听到撒拉将生子时笑了。撒拉在以撒出生前听到耶和华说她将生子时也笑了，关于这一点，经上说：
撒拉（在帐棚门口听到后）心里暗笑，说：“我既已衰败，我主也老迈，岂能有这喜事呢？” 耶和华对亚伯拉罕说：“撒拉为什么暗笑，说：‘我既已年老，果真能生养吗？’ ”……撒拉就害怕，不承认，说：“我没有笑。”那位说：“不然，你实在笑了。”（创世记18:12-13，15）
（后来以撒出生时，）亚伯拉罕给撒拉所生的儿子起名叫以撒（意为“笑”）；撒拉说：“神使我笑，凡听见的必与我一起笑。”（创世纪21:3， 6）
如果笑和以撒的名字不包含这个意思，这些事情就不会被提及。
2072、“笑”表示对真理的情感。这从“笑”的起源和本质清楚可知：笑的起源只是对真理的情感，或对虚假的情感；这种情感产生了通过笑表现在脸上的欢喜和快乐，这表明笑的本质和笑的起源是一样的。事实上，笑是属于身体的外在事物，因为它属于脸；但在圣言中，内在事物通过外在事物来表达和表示。正如心智的一切内在情感都通过脸来表达和表示，内在听觉和顺从通过耳朵来表示，内在视觉或理解力通过眼睛来表示，能力和力量通过手和臂来表示，等等；同样，对真理的情感通过笑来表达和表示。
人的理性包含的主要元素是真理。它还包含对良善的情感，但这情感存在于对真理的情感里面，作为它的灵魂。在理性中的对良善的情感不是通过笑，而是通过某种喜悦和由此产生的不发笑的快乐愉悦感来表达自己，因为笑通常包含某种不怎么良善的东西。真理之所以是人的理性，或理性心智的主要元素，是因为理性通过真理的知识或认知形成。事实上，若不通过真理的知识或认知，任何人都绝无可能变得理性。良善的知识或认知，和真理的知识或认知一样是真理。
“笑”在此表示对真理的情感，这一点从以下事实清楚可知：本节经文讲述了亚伯拉罕窃笑，撒拉同样在以撒出生前后暗笑；以撒也因“笑”而得名，因为“以撒”这个词表示笑。从本节经文明显可知，亚伯拉罕听到以撒时就窃笑，因为经上说，当亚伯拉罕听到一个儿子从撒拉而出时，他就窃笑。当撒拉从耶和华那里听说她要生一个儿子时，她在以撒出生前也笑了。经上论到她说：
撒拉在帐棚门口也听见了，就心里暗笑说，我已衰老，我主也老了，岂能有这喜事呢？耶和华对亚伯拉罕说，撒拉为什么暗笑说，我已年老，果真能生育吗？撒拉就害怕，否认说，我没有笑。祂说，不然，你实在笑了。（创世记18:10，12-13，15）
后来，当以撒出生时：
亚伯拉罕给他儿子起名叫以撒（意思是笑）。撒拉说，神使我喜笑；凡听见的必与我一同喜笑。（创世记21:3，6）
若非“笑”和表示笑的“以撒”之名涉及这些元素，经上永远不会提及这些事。
Potts(1905-1910) 2072
2072. And laughed. That this signifies the affection of truth, may be seen from the origin and essence of laughter, for its origin is nothing but the affection of truth, or else the affection of what is false, from which come the gladness and merriment that in laughter display themselves in the face, which shows that the essence of laughter is nothing else. Laughter is indeed an external thing that belongs to the body because to the face; but in the Word interior things are expressed and signified by exterior things; just as all the interior affections of the mind are expressed and signified by means of the face, interior hearing and obedience being signified by the ear, interior sight or understanding by the eye, power and strength by the hand and arm, and so on, and in the same way the affection of truth by laughter. [2] In man's rational there is truth, which is its chief characteristic, and there is also the affection of good, but this is in the very affection of truth as its soul. The affection of good which is in the rational does not display itself by means of laughter, but by means of a certain joy and consequent pleasurable delight which does not laugh; for in laughter there is usually something that is not so good. The reason why truth is the chief characteristic in man's rational, is that the rational is formed by means of the knowledges of truth, for by no other means can anyone ever become rational. The knowledges of good are truths, equally as much as are the knowledges of truth. [3] That "laughter" here signifies the affection of truth, may be seen from its being related that Abraham laughed; and in like manner Sarah, both before Isaac was born, and afterwards; and also from Isaac's being named from "laughter," for the word "Isaac" means "laughter." That Abraham laughed when he heard about Isaac, is evident from this verse, for it is said that Abraham laughed when he heard about a son from Sarah. That Sarah also laughed before Isaac's birth, when she heard from Jehovah that she should bear a son, is told in the words, "When Sarah heard at the door of the tent, Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am grown old shall I have pleasure? and my lord old? And Jehovah said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, and I am become old? Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was, afraid. And He said, Nay, but thou didst laugh" (Gen. 18:12, 13, 15). And later, when Isaac had been born, "Abraham called the name of his son Isaac" (meaning "laughter"); and Sarah said, "God hath made laughter for me; everyone that heareth shall laugh with me" (Gen. 21:3, 6). Unless "laughing" and the name "Isaac," meaning "laughter," involved such things, these matters would never have been related.
Elliott(1983-1999) 2072
2072. 'And laughed' means the affection for truth. This becomes clear from the origin and essential nature of laughter. In origin it is nothing other than the affection for truth or the affection for falsity, which produces the mirth and pleasure exhibited in the face by means of laughter. This shows that the essential nature of laughter is nothing else. Actually laughter is something external belonging to the body since it belongs to the face; but in the Word interior things are expressed and are-meant by exterior. Just as all interior affections of both areas of mind (animus et mens) are expressed and meant by the face; interior hearing and obedience by the ear; internal sight, which is understanding, by the eye; power and strength by the hand and arm; and so on; so is the affection for truth expressed and meant by laughter.
[2] The principal element in man's rational is truth. Also present in the rational there is the affection for good, but this affection is present within the affection for truth, as the soul within it. The affection for good present within the rational does not express itself in laughter but in a type of joy and a resulting sense of delight which does not laugh. For laughter generally entails something that is not so good. The reason truth is the principal element in the rational man is that the rational is formed by means of cognitions of truth, for there is no other possible way in which anyone can become rational. Cognitions of good are truths just as much as cognitions of truth are truths.
[3] That 'laughter' here means the affection for truth becomes clear from the fact that this verse records Abraham's having laughed, as did Sarah both before Isaac was born and after, and also from the fact that he was given the name Isaac from 'laughter', for the word 'Isaac' means laughter. The fact that Abraham laughed when he heard about Isaac is clear from the present verse, for it is actually stated that when he heard about a son by Sarah he laughed. Sarah's laughing as well before the birth of Isaac when she heard from Jehovah that she was going to give birth is referred to as follows,
When Sarah heard at the tent door Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I have grown old, shall I have the pleasure, and my lord being an old man? And Jehovah said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I in truth bear now I have grown old? Sarah denied it, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And He said, No, but you did laugh. Gen 18:12, 13, 15.
Also later on after Isaac's birth,
Abraham called the name of his son Isaac (laughter). Sarah said, God has made laughter for me; everyone hearing of it will laugh at me. Gen 21:3, 6.
Unless 'laughing' and the name Isaac, which means laughter, embodied such things these occurrences would never have been mentioned.
Latin(1748-1756) 2072
2072. `Et risit': quod significet affectionem veri, constare potest ex origine et essentia risus; origo ejus non alia est quam affectio veri vel affectio falsi, inde hilaritas et laetitia quae exserit se in facie per risum; inde patet quod essentia risus non aliud sit; risus quidem est externum quid quod corporis quia faciei, sed in Verbo interiora per exteriora {1} exprimuntur et significantur, sicut omnes affectiones interiores animi et mentis per faciem, auditio interior et oboedientia per aurem, visus internus seu intellectus per oculum, potentia et robur per manum et brachium, et sic porro, ita affectio veri per risum: [2] in rationali hominis est verum, quod est praecipuum, in illo etiam est affectio boni, sed haec est in ipsa affectione veri, sicut ejus anima; affectio boni quae in rationali, non se exserit per risum sed per gaudium quoddam, et inde per jucundum voluptatis quod non (x)ridet; nam in risu communiter quoque aliquid est quod non ita bonum. Quod in rationali hominis verum sit praecipuum, causa est quia rationale formatur per cognitiones veri, nam nisi per illas, nusquam aliquis rationalis fieri potest; cognitiones boni sunt aeque vera ac cognitiones veri. [3] Quod `risus' hic significet affectionem veri, constare potest ex eo quod hic memoretur Abraham risisse, et similiter {2} Sarah, tam antequam natus Isacus quam postquam natus, tum quod Isacus a `risu' nominatus, nam `Isac' significat `risum'; quod Abraham, cum audivit {3} de Isaco, riserit, ex hoc versu constat, nam dicitur quod Abraham, cum audivit {4} de filio ex Sarah, riserit; quod etiam Sarah, antequam natus Isacus, cum audivit a Jehovah quod pareret, de qua ita, Sarah cum audivit ad ostium tentorii, risit Sarah intra seipsam, dicendo, Postquam consenui, eritne mihi voluptas, et dominus meus senex? et dixit Jehovah ad Abrahamum, Quare hoc risit Sarah, dicendo, Num etiam vere {5} pariam, et ego consenui?... Negavit Sarah, dicendo, Non risi, quia timuit; et dixit, Non, at risisti, Gen. xviii 12, 13, 15;dein etiam cum Isacus natus esset, Vocavit Abrahamus nomen filii sui,... {6} Jishak (risum)... dixit Sarah, Risum fecit mihi Deus, omnis audiens ridebit me {7}, Gen. xxi 3, 6;
nisi `ridere' et `nomen Isaci' quo significatur risus, illa involveret, nusquam haec memorata fuissent. @1 externa.$ @2 i quod.$ @3 audiverit I.$ @4 audiverit A.$ @5 vero.$ @6 i qui natus est sibi, quem peperit ipsi Sarah.$ @7 Hebrew [ ] (li). A had super me but d, i mihi, d and i me.$