4208# “雅各就指着他父亲以撒所敬畏的起誓”象征从神性人性而来的确认，在这种状态下称为“敬畏“。这可从"起誓"的含义得知，即确认（参2842，3375节）；也可从"以撒所敬畏的"的含义得知，即主的神性人性（参4180节）；关于誓言是通过主的神性人性而立的，参见2842节。
【2】经文中提到"亚伯拉罕的神，拿鹤的神，他们父亲的神"以及"雅各的父亲以撒所敬畏的"，这反映了一个重要的历史背景。他拉的后裔原本是拜偶像的民族，每个家庭都有自己敬拜的神明。这种做法在他们家族中是一个显著特征，因此经文特别区分了不同家庭所敬拜的神。
虽然亚伯拉罕的家族被特别命令要承认耶和华为他们的神，但他们对耶和华的认识仅停留在表面层次。他们把耶和华当作一个用来与外邦人区分的标志，仅仅是名义上的信仰。这种肤浅的信仰导致他们经常背离耶和华，转而敬拜其他神明，这一点在圣言的历史记载中多有体现。造成这种现象的根本原因是他们只注重外在形式，对信仰的内在本质既无认识，也无意愿去了解。
【3】对这个民族而言，他们教会的仪式本质上都带有偶像崇拜的性质，这是因为这些仪式与内在生命完全分离。任何与内在分离的教会仪式都会沦为偶像崇拜。然而，真正的教会的本质仍能通过他们得到代表，这是因为代表的功能不在于代表人，而在于代表灵性的事物本身（参665，1097，1361，3147节）。
为了建立一个代表性教会，使主能够通过天堂与人类保持交流，他们必须至少在表面上承认耶和华，即使这种承认仅仅停留在口头上。这是因为他们的代表功能完全建立在外在形式上，而不是像真正的教会那样通过内在生命来建立与主的交流。正因如此，他们的敬拜虽然表面上是神圣的，却无法真正触及他们的灵魂深处，也就不能为他们在来生带来永恒的福祉，而只能带来现世生活中的顺遂。
【4】为了让这个民族能够维持在外在崇拜的状态中，神迹频繁地在他们中间显现。这些神迹的频繁出现，恰恰说明他们缺乏内在的属灵生命；若他们具有内在生命，这些神迹就不会如此频繁地出现。同样的原因，他们也常常需要通过惩罚、被掳和威胁来被迫维持对主的敬拜。
这种强制性的外在管理方式与主对内在崇拜的态度形成鲜明对比。主从不强迫任何人在内心层面敬拜他，因为真正的内在崇拜只能在完全的自由中自然生长和建立（参1937，1947，2874-2881，3145，3146，3158，4031节）。对这个民族来说，最基本的外在要求就是承认耶和华，因为耶和华就是主自己，他在那个教会的一切仪式和规条中都被代表出来。关于耶和华就是主这一真理，可参见1343，1736，2921，3035节。
4208.“雅各就指着他父亲以撒所敬畏的起誓”表出自神性人身的确认，在这种状态下，神性人身被称为“所敬畏的”。这从“起誓”和“以撒所敬畏的”的含义清楚可知：“起誓”是指确认（参看2842，3375节）；“以撒所敬畏的”是指主的神性人身（4180节）。当人们起誓时，他们就是以主的神性人身之名起誓（参看2842节）。
此处之所以说“亚伯拉罕的神，拿鹤的神，他们父亲（即他拉）的神”和“以撒（即雅各的父亲）所敬畏的”，是因为他拉的子孙承认众多神灵；事实上，他们是偶像崇拜者（1353，1356，1992，3667节）。那个家族的主要特征是，每个家庭敬拜自己的神明。这就是为何此处说“亚伯拉罕的神，拿鹤的神，他们父亲的神”和“以撒所敬畏的”原因。虽然亚伯拉罕的家人被命令承认耶和华为他们的神，然而他们承认祂，就如同承认用来将他们与外邦人区别开来的另一个神，只是祂的名字不同而已。正因如此，他们经常向别神俯伏下拜，这一点从圣言的历史部分可以看出来。这种纯名义上承认的原因在于，他们唯独处于外在事物，根本不知道何为内在事物，也不想知道。
就他们的关注点而言，其教会的宗教仪式纯粹是偶像崇拜，因为它们脱离了内在事物；事实上，当脱离内在事物时，教会的一切宗教仪式都是偶像崇拜。然而，这些人仍有可能代表教会的纯正之物，因为代表与进行代表的人无关，只与所代表的事物有关（665，1097e，1361，3147节）。但为了一个代表性教会可以产生，并且以这种方式主与人通过天堂的某种交流可以存在，把他们保持在即便不是发自内心，仅仅口头上对耶和华的承认中尤为重要。因为他们当中的代表不是发自内在事物，而是发自外在事物。他们以这种方式与主交流；这与纯正教会截然不同，因为在纯正的教会，交流是通过内在事物实现的。因此，他们的神性敬拜对他们的灵魂根本没有任何影响，也就是说，并不能给予他们来世的祝福，只给予今世的繁华。
因此，为了把他们保持在这些外在事物中，他们当中才会有如此多的神迹发生；如果他们一直处于内在事物，这些神迹绝不会发生。由于同样的原因，他们还多次通过惩罚、被掳和威胁而被强迫敬拜耶和华；尽管主不会强迫任何人进行内在敬拜，因为内在敬拜只能在自由的状态下被植入（1937，1947，2874-2881，3145，3146，3158，4031节）。要求他们的主要外在做法是，他们要承认耶和华的名；因为耶和华就是主，在教会的一切事物中，所代表的都是主。耶和华就是主（参看1343，1736，2921，3035节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 4208
4208. And Jacob sware by the Dread of his father Isaac. That this signifies confirmation from the Divine Human, which in this state is called "the Dread," is evident from the signification of swearing," as being confirmation (see n. 2842, 3375) and from the signification of the "Dread of Isaac," as being the Lord's Divine Human (n. 4180). (That oaths were made in the name of the Lord's Divine Human may be seen above, n. 2842.) [2] The reason why it is here said, "the God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, the God of their father" (that is, of Terah) and "the Dread of Isaac," Jacob's father, is that the sons of Terah acknowledged this number of gods, for they were idolaters (n. 1353, 1356, 1992, 3667). And it was a peculiarity in that house that each family worshiped its own god. This is the reason why it is here said, "the God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, the God of their father, and the Dread of Isaac." Nevertheless it was enjoined upon the family of Abraham to acknowledge Jehovah as their God; and yet they did not acknowledge Him otherwise than as another god, by whom they might distinguish themselves from the Gentiles, thus they acknowledged Jehovah merely as to the name, and it was in consequence of this that they so often fell away to other gods, as may be seen from the historic parts of the Word. The reason of this merely nominal acknowledgment was that they were solely in externals, and what internal things were they knew not at all, and did not desire to know. [3] Insofar as they were concerned the very rituals of their church were merely idolatrous, because they were separated from internal things; for when separated from its internal every ritual of the church is idolatrous. Nevertheless what is genuine of the church could be represented by them; for representations do not regard the person, but the thing (n. 665, 1097, 1361, 3147). Yet in order that a representative church might come into existence, and that there might thus be some communication of the Lord through heaven with man, it was of especial importance that they should be kept in the acknowledgment of Jehovah, if not in heart, still with the mouth; for with them the representatives did not issue from internal, but from external things; and it was in this way that they had communication with the Lord; quite otherwise than in the genuine church, in which the communication is effected by means of internal things. For this reason their Divine worship did not at all affect their souls, that is, did not make them blessed in the other life, but only prosperous in this world. [4] Therefore in order that they might be kept in these external things, there were so many miracles performed among them, which would never have taken place if they had been in internal things; and for this reason they were so many times driven to their worship by punishments, captivities, and threats; whereas no one is driven by the Lord to internal worship, but this is implanted through freedom (n. 1937, 1947, 2874-2881, 3145, 3146, 3158, 4031). Their principal external was that they should confess Jehovah; for Jehovah was the Lord, who was represented in all things of that church. (That Jehovah was the Lord may be seen above, n. 1343, 1736, 2921, 3035.)
Elliott(1983-1999) 4208
4208. 'And Jacob swore by the Dread of his father Isaac' means confirmation from the Divine Human, which in that state is called 'the Dread'. This is clear from the meaning of 'swearing' as confirmation, dealt with in 2842, 3375; and from the meaning of 'the Dread of Isaac' as the Lord's Divine Human, dealt with in 4180. The fact that when people swore oaths they did so by the Lord's Divine Human, see 2842.
[2] The reason for the use here of the expressions 'the God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, the God of their father (who was Terah)' and 'the Dread of Isaac, Jacob's father' is that Terah's sons acknowledged just so many gods, for they were idolaters, 1353, 1356, 1992, 3667. It was also a peculiar feature of that house that each family worshipped its own individual god. This is why at this point the expressions 'the God of Abraham', 'the God of Nahor', 'the God of their father', and 'the Dread of Isaac' are used. Abraham's family however was commanded to acknowledge Jehovah as its God. All the same, they did not acknowledge Him to be anything more than just another god by whom they could distinguish themselves from the gentiles, and so only His name was different. This also accounts for their defection on so many occasions to other gods, as is made clear in the historical sections of the Word. The reason why they defected was that they were interested solely in things of an external nature. What things of an internal nature were they did not know at all and did not wish to know.
[3] So far as those people's participation in them was concerned, the religious practices of their Church were wholly idolatrous because they had been separated from the things of an internal nature; for every religious practice of the Church when separated from what is internal is idolatrous. Yet it was still possible for those people to represent the genuine condition of the Church since representations have nothing to do with the person who represents, only with the thing represented, 665, 1097 (end), 1361, 3147. But in order that a representative Church might come into being, and in this way some kind of communication between the Lord and man through heaven might exist, it was particularly necessary for them to be kept in their acknowledgement of Jehovah, if not in their hearts yet with their lips. For among them representatives were not an expression of internal entities but of external ones. And this was the kind of communication they had, different from that in the genuine Church in which communication was effected through things of an internal nature. For this reason also their Divine worship made no difference to their souls, that is, it did not yield them blessings in the next life, only prosperity in the world.
[4] In order that they might be kept in external things so many miracles were therefore performed among them which would never have taken place if things of an internal nature had had a place among them. For the same reason they were also compelled on many occasions to worship Jehovah through the imposition of punishments, captivities, and threats, though no one is compelled by the Lord to engage in internal worship, for this is implanted only in a state of freedom, 1937, 1947, 2874-2881, 3145, 3146, 3158, 4031. The chief external practice required of them was that they should confess the name Jehovah, for Jehovah was the Lord who was represented in all the practices of that Church. On the point that Jehovah was the Lord, see 1343, 1736, 2921, 3035.
Latin(1748-1756) 4208
4208. `Et juravit Jacob in Pavorem patris sui Jishaki': quod significet confirmationem a Divino Humano quod `Pavor' dicitur in illo statu, constat a significatione `jurare' quod sit confirmatio, de qua n. 2842, 3375; et ex significatione `pavoris Jishaki' quod sit Divinum Humanum Domini, de qua n. 4180; quod juramenta fierent per Divinum Humanum Domini, {1} n. 2842. [2] Quod hic dicatur `Deus Abrahami, Deus Nahoris, Deus patris eorum' seu Terahi, et `Pavor Jishaki patris Jacobi' est quia filii Terahi totidem agnoscerent deos, fuerunt enim idololatrae, n. 1353, 1356, 1992, 3667; et peculiare fuit in illa domo quod unaquaevis familia suum deum coleret, inde hic dicitur Deus Abrahami, Deus Nahoris, Deus patris eorum, et pavor Jishaki; familiae tamen Abrahami injunctum fuit ut agnoscerent Jehovam pro suo Deo; sed usque Ipsum non agnoscebant aliter quam sicut alium deum per quem se distinguerent a gentibus, ita quoad solum nomen; quapropter etiam toties desciverunt ad alios deos, ut constare potest ab historicis Verbi;causa fuit quia solum in externis erant; quid interna, prorsus non sciebant, nec {2} scire volebant; [3] ipsa ritualia Ecclesiae eorum respective ad illos non fuerunt aliter quam idololatrica, quia separata erant ab infernis, omne enim rituale Ecclesiae separatum ab interno est idololatricum; at usque potuit genuinum Ecclesiae per illos repraesentari, nam repraesentationes non spectant personam sed rem, n. 665, 1097 f., 1361, 3147; {3} verum ut repraesentativa Ecclesia existeret, et sic aliqua communicatio Domini per caelum cum homine, teneri debuerunt imprimis in eo ut agnoscerent Jehovam, si non corde usque ore; repraesentativa enim apud illos non exibant ab internis sed ab externis et sic se communicabant, aliter ac in Ecclesia genuina in qua per interna fit communicatio; quapropter etiam cultus eorum Divinus nihil animas (c)eorum affecit, hoc est, beatos fecit in altera vita, sed solum faustos in mundo: [4] ut itaque in externis tenerentur, ideo toties miracula apud illos, quae nusquam exstitissent si in internis fuissent; et ideo toties cogebantur per punitiones, per captivitates et per minas ad cultum, cum tamen nemo cogitur ad cultum internum a Domino, sed ille per liberum implantatur, n. 1937, 1947, 2874-2881, 3145, 3146, 3158, 4031; principale externum erat ut Jehovam `confiterentur, nam Jehovah erat Dominus Qui in omnibus Ecclesiae illius repraesentabatur; quod Jehovah esset Dominus, videatur n. 1343, 1736, 2921, 3035. @1 i videatur$ @2 i imo$ @3 sed$