4500# “自信地来到城中，杀尽一切男丁”象征他们出于伪谬与邪恶的信心，根除古代教会的教义之真理。“城”象征教会的教义（参402，2449，2943，3216，4478），在此特指古代教会，因为“哈抹和示剑”，即该城的主人，代表了这教会。“自信地”表示伪谬与邪恶所产生的信心；“男丁”象征真理（参749，2046，4005节）。因此，这一行为描述了他们如何出于伪谬与邪恶的信心，彻底根除古代教会教义中的真理。
古代教会源自上古教会，而上古教会将在雅各的后代中被重建。然而，古代教会逐渐衰亡，其后代灭绝了一切信仰的真理与仁义的良善，从而也摧毁了对内在崇拜的理解。因此，在他们的后代中无法建立任何真正的教会。这一事实在内义中被描述为，由于他们固执己见，只能在他们中间建立一个代表性的教会（参4281，4288-4290，4293，4307，4314，4316，4317，4429，4433，4444节）。
4500.“不动声色地来到城中，把一切男丁都杀了”表他们灭绝了古人当中教会的教义真理。这从“城”、“不动声色”和“男丁”的含义清楚可知：“城”是指教会的教义（402，2449，2943，3216，4478节）。在此是指古人当中的教会的教义，因为该教会由哈抹和示剑来代表，它就是他们的城；“不动声色”是指出于信靠，在此是指出于对虚假与邪恶的信靠；“男丁”（即男性）是指真理（749，2046，4005节）。从这些含义明显可知，他们“不动声色地来到城中，把一切男丁都杀了”表示他们出于对虚假和邪恶的信靠而灭绝了古人当中教会的教义真理。
正是古人当中出身于上古教会的这个教会要建在雅各的后代的中间，因为古教会开始灭亡。但就内义而言，此处描述了以下事实：他们灭绝了自己里面的一切信之真理和一切仁之良善，因而灭绝了敬拜的一切内在，故教会不可能建在雅各的后代当中。这解释了纯粹的教会代表如何因他们的顽固坚持而建在他们中间（参看4281，4288-4290，4293，4307，4314，4316-4317，4429，4433，4444节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 4500
4500. And came upon the city boldly, and slew every male. That this signifies that they extirpated the truths of doctrine of the Church among the Ancients, is evident from the signification of a "city," as being the doctrine of the church (n. 402, 2449, 2943, 3216, 4478), here of the Church among the Ancients, because this church is represented by Hamor and Shechem, whose city it was; from the signification of "boldly," as being with assurance, here the assurance of what is false and evil; and from the signification of a "male," as being truth (n. 749, 2046, 4005). Hence it is evident that by "they came upon the city boldly and slew every male" is signified that from the assurance of falsity and evil they extirpated the truths of doctrine of the Church among the Ancients. It was the Church among the Ancients (that came from the Most Ancient Church) which would have been set up with the posterity of Jacob, because the Ancient Church had begun to perish; but it is here described in the internal sense that they extinguished in themselves all the truth of faith and good of charity, thus all the internal of worship, and that therefore no church could be instituted with that posterity; from which it came to pass that because they stubbornly insisted, the mere representative of a church was instituted with them (see n. 4281, 4288-4290, 4293, 4307, 4314, 4316-4317, 4429, 4433, 4444).
Elliott(1983-1999) 4500
4500. 'And came with confidence upon the city, and killed every male' means that they utterly destroyed the truths of doctrine of the Church among the Ancients. This is clear from the meaning of 'the city' as the doctrine of the Church, dealt with in 402, 2449, 2943, 3216, 4478, in this case of the Church among the Ancients, for that Church is represented by Hamor and Shechem whose city it was; from the meaning of 'with confidence' as with trust, in this case with trust in falsity and evil; and from the meaning of 'a male' as truth, dealt with in 749, 2046, 4005. From these meanings it is evident that 'they came with confidence upon the city, and killed every male' means that with a trust in falsity and evil they utterly destroyed the truths of doctrine of the Church among the Ancients.
[2] It was the Church among the Ancients, a descendant of the Most Ancient Church, that was going to be established among the descendants from Jacob, because the Ancient Church had begun to perish. But the fact that they utterly destroyed every truth of faith and good of charity, and thus every internal aspect of worship among them, and so the fact that no Church could be established among Jacob's descendants, is described at this point in the internal sense. This explains how it came about that, because of their stubborn insistence, that which was merely a representative of the Church was established among them 4281, 4288-4290, 4293, 4307, 4314, 4316, 4317, 4429, 4433, 4444.
Latin(1748-1756) 4500
4500. `Et venerunt super urbem confidenter, et occiderunt omnem masculum': quod significet quod exstirparent vera doctrinae Ecclesiae apud antiquos, constat ex significatione `urbis' quod sit doctrina quae Ecclesiae, de qua n. 402, (x)2449, 2943, 3216, 4478, hic Ecclesiae apud antiquos quia (c)ea Ecclesia per `Hamorem et Shechemum,' cujus urbs erat, repraesentatur; ex significatione `confidenter' quod sit ex fiducia, hic ex fiducia falsi et mali; et ex significatione `masculi' quod sit verum, de qua n. 749, 2046, 4005; inde patet quod per `venerunt super urbem confidenter et occiderunt omnem masculum' significetur quod ex fiducia falsi et mali exstirparent vera doctrinae Ecclesiae apud antiquos. [2] Erat Ecclesia apud {1} antiquos, (o)quae ex Antiquissima, quae apud posteritatem ex Jacobo instauraretur {2}, quia {3} Ecclesia Antiqua perire incepit, at quod omne verum fidei et bonum charitatis, ita omne internum cultus apud se exstinxerint, et sic quod nulla Ecclesia apud illam posteritatem institui potuerit, (t)in sensu interno hic describitur, unde factum, quod quia contumaciter institerant, solum repraesentativum Ecclesiae apud illos institutum sit, videatur n. 4281, 4288-4290, 4293, 4307, 4314, 4316, 4317, 4429, 4433, 4444 @1 i quae$ @2 restauraretur$ @3 nam$