4162# “拉班搜寻，却找不到特拉芬"象征这些真理不属于他，具体来说就是不属于拉班。这个含义来自"搜寻却找不到"这个描述。在外在的历史意义上，这段经文似乎在暗示这些特拉芬确实属于拉班，只是被藏起来了；但在内在意义上，它表明这些根本就不属于他。我们在4111节已经解释过，"特拉芬"象征着从神性而来的真理。至于这些事情是如何发生的，也就是为什么这些真理不属于拉班所代表的良善，而是属于内在真理的情感，这一点我们可以从4151节的解释中得到答案。通过以上的分析，我们现在可以看出在这些关于特拉芬的记载中隐藏着怎样深奥的奥秘。
【2】通过"特拉芬"象征从神性而来的真理，其原因是因为那些属于古教会的人以各种名称来标识神或主的性质，这是根据在效果中显现的各种不同情况。比如他们用"沙代神"这个名称来指代主在试探中为人争战，以及在试探之后赐予恩惠的情况（参1992，3667节）；他们用"基路伯"来称呼主的护理，特别是指主防止人擅自闯入信仰奥秘的护理作用（参308节）。
【3】他们称那些通过神的回应所获得的神性真理为"特拉芬"，并用特定的名称来称呼神性的其它属性。在他们当中，那些有智慧的人透过这些不同的名称只认识独一的主；然而那些心思简单的人则为自己制作了许多代表神性的形象。当神性敬拜开始转变为偶像崇拜时，人们就为自己塑造了许多神。这就导致外邦人中也出现了众多的偶像崇拜，而且他们还不断增加偶像的数量。然而，由于在古时这些名称是用来理解神性的，因此一些名称被保留了下来，如沙代、基路伯和特拉芬，在圣言中这些词仍然保持着前面所说的那些含义。"特拉芬"象征从神的回应而来的神性真理，这一点在《何西阿书》3:4中可以清楚看到。
4162.“这样，拉班搜寻神像，竟没有搜出来”表它们不是他的，也就是说，这些真理不是拉班的。这从“搜寻，竟没有搜出来”的含义清楚可知。就外在的历史意义而言，这些事的含义是这样：它们的确是拉班的，只是被藏了起来；但就内义而言，它们并不是他的。因为“神像或家中神像”表示出自神性的真理（参看4111节）。至于此中情形如何，也就是说，这些真理并不属于“拉班”所表示的良善，而是属于对内层真理的情感，可参看前面所述（4151节）。由此明显可知有什么样的奥秘隐藏在所记载有关神像的这些细节里面。
出自神性的真理之所以由“神像或家神”来表示，是因为那些属古教会的人以各种名称来辨别神性，也就是主；这些名称照着呈现在结果中的不同表象来描述祂的不同属性。例如，“沙代神”这个名称描述了主为人争战所在的试探，并且试探过后祂便赐予人益处（参看1992，3667节） 。他们将主唯恐人凭自己进入信之秘密的看顾称为“基路伯”（308节）；将通过答复所收到的神性真理称作“神像或家神”；他们还以特殊名称来称呼其它神性属性。
但他们当中的智者将所有这些名称都只理解为独一无二的主，而非其它；而简单人则为自己制作众多形像作为神性的代表，和它们的名称一样多。当神性敬拜开始沦为偶像崇拜时，他们就为自己塑造了众多神明。外邦人当中如此多的偶像崇拜也是由此产生的，他们又增加了这些神明的数目。但由于在古时，这些名称表示神性属性，所以有些名称就保留下来，如沙代，以及“基路伯”和“神像或家神”；在圣言中，它们表示所提到的那类事物。“神像或家神”表示出于答复的神性真理，这一点从何西阿书（3:4）明显看出来。
Potts(1905-1910) 4162
4162. And he searched, and found not the teraphim. That this signifies that they were not his (namely, that these truths were not Laban's) is evident from the signification of "searching and not finding." In the external historic sense these things involve that they were indeed Laban's, but were hidden; but in the internal sense, that they were not his. (That the "teraphim" denote truths from the Divine, may be seen above, n. 4111.) How the case herein is, namely, that these truths did not belong to the good signified by "Laban," but to the affection of interior truth, may be seen from what has been said above (n. 4151). From all this it is evident what arcanum lies concealed in that which is related concerning the teraphim. [2] The reason why truths from the Divine are signified by the "teraphim," is that those who were of the Ancient Church distinguished the Divine (that is, the Lord) by various names, and this according to the different appearances in the effects; as for instance by the name "God Shaddai," from the temptations in which the Lord combats for man, and after which He confers benefits upon him (see n. 1992, 3667); His Providence lest man should of himself enter into the mysteries of faith, they called "cherubs" (n. 308); the truths Divine which they received by answers, they said were "teraphim;" and other of the Divine attributes they also called by particular names. [3] They who were wise among them understood by all these names none but the one only Lord; but the simple made for themselves so many representative images of that Divine; and when Divine worship began to be turned into idolatry, they fashioned for themselves so many gods. From this arose so many idolatries among the Gentiles also, who increased the number of them. But as in ancient times Divine things were understood by these names, some of them were retained, as "Shaddai," and also "cherubs," and "teraphim," by which in the Word such things as have been stated are signified. That by "teraphim" are signified the truths Divine which came from answers, is evident in Hosea 3:4.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4162
4162. 'And he searched and did not find the teraphim' means that they were not his, that is to say, that those truths were not Laban's. This is clear from the meaning of 'searching and not finding'. The implications in the external historical sense are that they really were Laban's and had therefore been hidden away, but in the internal sense that they were not his; for 'the teraphim' means truths from the Divine, see 4111. What all this implies, that is to say, how these truths did not belong to the good meant by 'Laban' but to the affection for interior truth, may be seen from what has been stated above in 4151. From all this it is evident which particular arcanum lies concealed within these details which are recorded concerning the teraphim.
[2] The reason why 'the teraphim' means truths from the Divine is that those who belonged to the Ancient Church gave to the Divine or the Lord various illustrious names which were descriptive of His different attributes as these manifested themselves in outward effects. The name God Shaddai, for example, was descriptive of the temptations in which the Lord fights on man's behalf and after which He bestows benefits, see 1992, 3667. His providence guarding against man's entering of himself into the mysteries of faith they called 'cherubim', 308, and Divine truths which they received through answers they referred to as 'teraphim'. And for every other Divine attribute also they had a specific name. But the wise among them did not understand by each of those names anything but the one and only Lord, whereas the simple made images for themselves which were representative of that Divine, as many images as were those names. Then, when Divine worship began to be converted into idolatry, they invented as many gods for themselves. This was how many forms of idolatry arose among the gentiles, who added to the number of these gods. But because in ancient times Divine attributes had been meant by those names, some were retained, such as Shaddai and also 'cherubim' and 'teraphim', and when used in the Word mean the kinds of things that have been mentioned. By 'the teraphim' are meant Divine truths contained in the answers given by them, as is evident in Hosea 3:4.
Latin(1748-1756) 4162
4162. `Et scrutatus est, et non invenit teraphim': quod significet quod ejus non essent, nempe quod vera illa non Labanis, constat a significatione `scrutari et non invenire'; haec in sensu externo (o)historico involvunt quod quidem Labanis essent sed abscondita, at in sensu interno, quod non ejus essent; quod `teraphim' sint vera a {1} Divino, videatur n. 4111. Quomodo haec se habent, nempe quod vera illa non boni per `Labanem' significati essent, sed affectionis veri interioris, constare potest ab illis quae supra n. 4151 dicta sunt. Ex his nunc patet quodnam arcanum in his quae de teraphim memorantur, reconditum latet. Quod per `teraphim' significentur vera ex Divino, est causa quia illi qui ab Antiqua Ecclesia fuerunt {2}, variis nominibus insigniverunt Divinum seu Dominum, et hoc secundum diversa quae in effectibus apparuerunt, sicut nomine `Dei Shaddai' a tentationibus in quibus Dominus pugnat pro homine, et post quas dein benefacit, videatur n. 1992, 3667;providentiam Ipsius ne homo ex se intret in mysteria fidei, vocarunt `cherubos,' n. 308; [3] vera Divina quae tulerunt per responsa, dixerunt `teraphim'; reliqua attributa Divina etiam singularibus nominibus vocarunt; sed qui sapientes inter illos fuerunt, per omnia illa nomina non intellexerunt quam unicum Dominum; simplices autem totidem imagines repraesentativas Divini illius sibi {3} fecerunt; et cum cultus Divinus incepit verti in idololatriam, totidem deos sibi finxerunt; inde tot idololatriae etiam inter gentiles qui numerum auxerunt: at quia antiquis temporibus Divina per nomina illa intellecta sunt, aliqua retenta sunt, sicut Shaddai, et quoque cherubi, tum teraphim, et in Verbo significantur per illa talia quae dicta sunt; quod per `teraphim' vera Divina quae ex responsis, patet apud Hosheam iii 4. @1 quae$ @2 in Antiqua Ecclesia$ @3 before totidem$