4674# "约瑟将他们的恶名传到他们的父亲那里"这句经文表示通过他显明了他们的真实本质。在属灵意义上，"约瑟"代表从主而来的神性属灵或神性真理，而"父亲"则象征良善，此处特指由雅各所代表的古教会之良善（这一点将在本章末尾进一步阐述）。
"恶名"指的是那些由约瑟的兄弟们所象征之人的瑕疵和过失。这些兄弟代表教会中偏离良善和真理的成员。因此，这段经文在其内在意义上揭示：当从古教会的良善角度观察时，约瑟兄弟们所代表的瑕疵和过失被带到明处并显现出来。换言之，通过神圣真理的作用，这些人的真实本质得以显明。
【2】关于这一现象的情况是这样的：教会的伪谬和邪恶，或者说教会中人们的伪谬和邪恶，对于身在其中的人来说是不显明的。这是因为伪谬无法从伪谬的立场被看清，邪恶也无法被邪恶的人识别。伪谬的原则完全遮蔽了真理，而邪恶的生活则熄灭了真理的光芒。
这两种因素——伪谬的原则和邪恶的生活——会使人产生错觉，使伪谬看似真理，真理反被视为伪谬；同样，邪恶被误认为良善，而良善却被视为邪恶。这一点从多种经验中可以明确证实。
然而，教会或教会中的人在天堂中的表现则完全不同。在天堂中存在着来自主的神性真理，这神性真理在那里就是光。在这光中，一切事物的真实本质都会显现出来。这是因为每个人就其灵魂或灵而言，都处于某个群体中——要么是天使的群体，要么是魔鬼的群体。虽然人的思想活动在那些群体中进行，但他的言语和行为却是在人间的群体中表现出来。
【3】关于教会中的人如何在神性真理或神性之光中显现出真实本质，我们可以从以下事实进一步了解：刚从世界离开的恶灵，在投入地狱之前，比其他灵更渴望被接纳进天堂。他们相信只要获得接纳，任何人无论品质如何，都可以凭借恩典被允许进入天堂。然而，他们有时会被告知，主并不拒绝任何人进入天堂，如果他们能够在那里生存，就可以被接纳。甚至有些人被提升到天堂入口处的初级群体中。但当这些灵到达那里时，他们开始感到焦虑，几乎窒息，他们的思想和意志生命因此受到极大折磨。他们思想的生命因世上的伪谬原则而痛苦，意志的生命则因世上的邪恶生活而受苦。当他们在天堂之光中看到自己时，发现自己看起来像魔鬼，有些像尸体，有些则像怪物。因此，他们从那个群体中急忙逃离，进入某个地狱的阴云中，在那里恢复了先前的呼吸，并在幻想中看起来像是不邪恶的灵。通过这种方式，他们认识到了自己的真实本质。由此可以清楚地理解，为什么说他们通过神性真理显现出自己的本质。
4674.“约瑟将他们的恶行报给他们的父亲”表这些人的性质由此变得显而易见。这从“约瑟”的代表，以及“父亲”和“恶行”的含义清楚可知：“约瑟”是指来自主的神性属灵层或神性真理（4286，4675节）；“父亲”是指良善（3703，3704节），在此是指古教会的良善，由“雅各”来代表，这从本章末尾可以看出来；“恶行”是指“约瑟的兄弟们”所表之人的过错和瑕疵，“约瑟的兄弟们”表示远离良善与真理的教会成员，如前所述（4671节）。由此可见这些话在最近似内义上表示什么，即：当从古教会的良善来看待它们时，约瑟的兄弟们所表示的过错和瑕疵被神性真理暴露出来或变得显而易见；或也可说，这些人的性质因这真理而变得显而易见。
关于这些事，情况是这样：教会，也就是教会里的人之虚假和邪恶之所以没有被他们看到，是因为人无法从虚假看见虚假，也无法从邪恶看见邪恶。事实上，虚假原则完全使真理变暗，邪恶生活则扑灭它们。虚假原则和邪恶生活这二者造成一种表象，即：虚假看似真理，真理看似虚假；良善看似邪恶，邪恶看似良善。事实的确如此，这一点从大量经验明显看出来。但在天堂，教会或教会成员看上去完全不同；因为天堂里有来自主的神性真理，神性真理在天堂就是光。这些人的性质在这光中变得显而易见，因为每个人的灵魂或灵都在某个社群，要么在天使社群，要么在魔鬼社群。他的思维在那里，而他的言行则在彼此有各种来往的世人当中。
教会成员的性质因神性真理，或在神性之光中变得显而易见。其进一步的证据从以下考虑明显看出来：刚从尘世来的恶灵在将自己投入地狱之前，比谁都渴望被接入天堂。他们以为进天堂只不过是被接纳的问题；任何人，无论他的品质如何，都能凭恩典被准许进入天堂。他们有时被告知，主不拒绝任何人进入天堂，他们若觉得自己能留在那里，就能被准许进入。其中有些人甚至被提入位于天堂入口处的第一批社群。可当这些人到了那里时，他们开始感到痛苦，几乎窒息，因为他们思维和意愿的生命感受到沉重的压力和苦恼：其思维的生命由虚假原则构成，其意愿的生命由他们在世上所过的邪恶生活构成。当在那里的光中看自己时，他们发现自己就像魔鬼，有的像死尸，有的像怪物。因此，他们从该社群一头栽下去，从它的光进入地狱般的迷雾，在那里恢复以前的呼吸，并幻想自己看上去不像恶灵。他们以这种方式逐渐认识自己的本质。由此明显可知当如何理解这种解释，即：这些人的性质由此，即由于神性真理而变得显而易见。
Potts(1905-1910) 4674
4674. And Joseph brought their evil report unto their father. That this signifies that from it their quality was apparent, is evident from the representation of Joseph, as being the Divine spiritual or Divine truth which is from the Lord (n. 4286, 4675); from the signification of "father," as being good (n. 3703, 3704), here the good of the Ancient Church which is represented by Jacob, as will be seen toward the end of this chapter; and from the signification of an "evil report," as being the faults and vices of those signified by Joseph's brethren, who as before said (n. 4671) denote those of the church who turn away from good and truth. This shows what is signified by these words in the proximate internal sense, namely, that the faults and vices signified by Joseph's brethren were exposed to view or made apparent by Divine truth when they were regarded from the good of the Ancient Church; or what is the same thing, that from this truth their quality was apparent. [2] In regard to these things the case is this: The falsities and evils of the church (that is, of those who are in the church) do not appear to those who are therein, for falsities are not seen from falsities, nor evils from evils, because principles of falsity completely befog truths, and a life of evil extinguishes them. Both principles of falsity and a life of evil induce an appearance that falsities are truths and truths falsities, and that good is evil and evil good. That this is so is evident from manifold experience. But the church, or they who are in the church, appear entirely different in heaven; for in heaven there is Divine truth from the Lord, and Divine truth in heaven is light, and in this light their quality is apparent. For every man as to his soul or spirit is in some society, either angelic or diabolical. His thought is there, but his speech and actions are among men in various interactions with them. [3] How the case further is in regard to the quality of those who are in the church being made apparent by Divine truth, or in Divine light, may appear from the following considerations. Before evil spirits who are recently from the world cast themselves into hell, they above all others suppose that they will be received into heaven, believing that only reception is needed, and that everyone, of whatever quality, may of grace be admitted into heaven. But they are sometimes told that heaven is denied by the Lord to no one, and that they may be admitted if they are able to stay there. Some of them are even taken up into the first societies, at the entrance to heaven; but when they come thither they begin to be tormented and almost suffocated, so distressed is the life of their thought and will-the life of their thought from principles of falsity, and the life of their will from a life of evil, in the world. And when they look at themselves in the light there, they appear to themselves as devils, some as corpses, and others as monsters, and they therefore cast themselves headlong down from that society, and from its light into some dark infernal mist, where they recover their former respiration, and where from phantasy they appear to themselves as spirits not evil. In this way they learn their quality. From this it is now clear in what manner it should be understood that from it (that is, from Divine truth) their quality was apparent.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4674
4674. 'And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father' means that this showed up the essential nature of those people. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth from the Lord, dealt with in 4286, 4675;a from the meaning of 'father' as good, dealt with in 3703, 3704, in this case the good of the Ancient Church, which is represented by 'Jacob', as will be seen at the end of this chapter; and from the meaning of 'a bad report' as faults and blemishes in those meant by 'Joseph's brothers' who, it was stated above in 4671, are members of the Church who turn aside from goodness and truth. From all this one may see what these words mean in the proximate internal sense, namely that the faults and blemishes meant by 'Joseph's brothers' were brought into focus, that is, were shown up by Divine Truth when this was directed by the good of the Ancient Church to look at them. Or what amounts to the same, the essential nature of those people was thereby shown up by it.
[2] As regards the falsities and evils of the Church - that is, of people in the Church - they are not seen by those people, because from falsities one cannot see falsities, nor from evils see evils. For false assumptions altogether darken truths, and a life of evil snuffs them out. Both of these - false assumptions and a life of evil - make falsities look like truths and truths like falsities, and good look like evil and evil like good, as experience abundantly makes plain. But the Church, or its members, are seen completely differently in heaven, for in heaven Divine Truth from the Lord is present, and Divine Truth constitutes the light there. Within that light the essential nature of those people is revealed, for the soul or spirit of every one is present in some community, whether it is one of angels or of devils. His thought exists there, but his speech and actions exist among men in their associating with one another.
[3] Further evidence that the essential nature of members of the Church is shown up by Divine Truth, that is, within Divine Light, is provided by the following: Before casting themselves into hell evil spirits recently arrived from the world desire more strongly than anyone else to be accepted into heaven. They believe that it is merely a matter of being accepted and that anyone, irrespective of what he is really like, may by grace be admitted into heaven. They are sometimes told that the Lord refuses heaven to none and that they can be admitted if they feel able to live there. Some are even taken up to the first communities situated in the outskirts of heaven. But when these get there they start to be seized with pain and to be almost suffocated, because of the strain placed on the life of their thought and will - the life of their thought consisting of false assumptions and the life of their will of the evil life they led in the world. And when they look at themselves in the light there they see themselves as devils, some being corpse-like, some monster-like. For this reason they cast themselves down headlong from that community, passing from the light there into a hellish mist, where they start to breathe again as they had done previously and where they are deluded into thinking they look like spirits who are not evil ones. This is the way they get to know what they are like essentially. From this it is now plain how one is to understand the explanation that this - Divine Truth - showed up the essential nature of those people.
Latin(1748-1756) 4674
4674. `Et adduxit Joseph malam famam illorum ad patrem illorum':quod significet quod ab ipso appareret quales essent, constat (c)ex repraesentatione `Josephi' quod sit Divinum Spirituale seu Divinum Verum quod a Domino, de qua n. 4286, 4675; ex significatione `patris' quod sit bonum, de qua n. 3703, 3704, hic bonum Antiquae Ecclesiae, quae {1} repraesentatur per `Jacobum' ut videbitur ad finem hujus capitis; et ex significatione `malae famae' quod sint naevi et vitia quae illis {2} (o)qui per `fratres Josephi' significantur, qui quod sint illi ab Ecclesia qui deflectunt a bono et vero, supra n. 4671 dictum est; inde patet quid per illa verba in sensu interno proximo significatur, quod nempe naevi et vitia per `fratres Josephi' significata {3} in medium proferrentur seu apparerent a Divino Vero, in spectando illa a bono Ecclesiae Antiquae; seu quod idem, quod ab ipso appareret quales essent. [2] Cum his ita se habet: falsa et mala Ecclesiae, hoc est, illorum qui sunt in Ecclesia, non apparent illis qui ibi sunt, ex falsis enim falsa non spectantur, nec mala a malis, nam principia {4} falsi adumbrant prorsus vera, et vita mali exstingui illa; utrumque, nempe principia falsi et vita mali, inducunt species sicut (t)falsa vera sint et (t)vera falsa, et sicut (t)bonum malum sit et (t)malum bonum; quod ita sit, ex multiplici experientia evidens est; at Ecclesia seu illi qui in Ecclesia, prorsus aliter apparent in caelo; in caelo enim est Divinum Verum a Domino, et Divinum Verum ibi est lux; in hac luce apparent quales sunt; nam unusquisque homo quoad animam seu spiritum suum est in societate quadam vel angelica vel diabolica; cogitatio illius ibi est, sed loquela et actiones ejus sunt inter homines in eorum consortiis; [3] quomodo ulterius se habet cum his, quod nempe illi qui in Ecclesia [sunt], appareant a Divino Vero, seu in Divina Luce, quales sunt, constare potest ab his: spiritus mali qui recentes e mundo (o)sunt, antequam in infernum se conjiciunt, prae reliquis concipiunt {5} ut recipiantur in caelum, credentes quod modo (t)sit receptio, et quod quilibet qualiscumque sit, ex gratia in caelum admitti queat; sed quandoque dicitur illis quod caelum (o)a Domino nemini negetur et quod illi admitti queant si ibi esse possint, et quoque aliqui eorum in primas societates quae in atrio ad caelum, elevantur, sed cum illuc veniunt, incipiunt angi ac paene suffocari, laborante sic vita cogitationis et voluntatis eorum, vita cogitationis ex principiis falsi et vita voluntatis ex vita mali in mundo; cumque in luce ibi se {6} inspiciunt, apparent sibi sicut diaboli, quidam sicut cadavera, quidam sicut monstra, quapropter e societate illa se praecipites dejiciunt, et a luce ibi in nimbum aliquem infernalem, ubi priorem suam respirationem recipiunt ac ubi apparent sibi ex phantasia sicut spiritus non mali; ita sciunt quales sunt; inde nunc liquet quomodo intelligitur, quod ab ipso, nempe a Divino Vero, appareant quales sunt. @1 quod$ @2 In A this follows 4675 above.$ @3 Ecclesiae per fratres Josephi repraesentatae.$ @4 principia enim$ @5 cupiunt. Quite possibly S had concupiunt in copy for printer which was misread.$ @6 se ibi$