4967# “埃及人”象征自然层面的真理，这一含义可以从“人”在属灵意义上象征真理，以及“埃及”在整体上象征事实性知识得出。既然“埃及”象征事实性知识，也就属于自然层面，因为所有的事实性知识在人类身上都在自然层面，即使是关于属灵和属天事物的事实性知识。原因在于，人只能通过自然层面来认识这些事物；如果不是通过自然层面，他就无法理解。
不过，重生的人，也就是属灵之人，与未重生、纯粹属自然的人，对这些知识的理解是不同的。对于属灵的人，这些知识会被天堂之光所照亮；而对于纯粹属自然的人，则不是这样，他们所获得的光来自那些处于伪谬和邪恶之灵，这种光本源自天堂之光，但在他们那里却变得昏暗，如同黄昏或夜晚的光。
这些灵，以及受他们影响的人，就像猫头鹰一样，夜里看得清楚，白天反而模糊。也就是说，他们对伪谬之事看得很清楚，而对真理则模糊不清，因此他们对世俗之事非常明了，而对天堂之事则几乎一无所知。
由此可见，真正的事实性知识就是自然层面的真理；凡是在良善意义上由“埃及”所象征的真知识，都是自然层面的真理。
4967.“一个埃及人”表属世真理。这从“人”和“埃及”的含义清楚可知：“人”是指真理（参看3134节）；“埃及”是指总体上的记忆知识，如刚才所述（4964，4966节）。“埃及”因表示记忆知识，故也表示属世层；事实上，人里面的一切记忆知识都是属世的，因为它居于他的属世人，甚至包括涉及属灵和属天事物的知识。其原因在于，人在属世层里面并从属世层看见这些知识。他从属世层所看不见的事物，他并不理解。但被称为属灵的重生之人和纯属世的未重生之人则以不同的方式看见这些知识。对前者来说，知识被天堂之光光照；但对后者来说却不是如此，而是被经由陷入虚假与邪恶的灵人流入的光光照。诚然，这光来自天堂之光，但在他们里面却变得昏暗，就像晚上或夜间的光。因为这类灵人，因而像他们那样的世人看东西就像猫头鹰，夜里看得清清楚楚，白天却模糊不清。也就是说，他们看虚假清清楚楚，看真理却模糊不清；因而看世界的事物清清楚楚，而天堂的事物，即便看到，也是模糊不清。由此明显可知，纯正的记忆知识是属世真理；因为一切纯正的记忆知识，就是诸如“埃及”在正面意义上所表示的那类，是属世真理。
Potts(1905-1910) 4967
4967. An Egyptian man. That this signifies natural truth, is evident from the signification of a "man," as being truth (see n. 3134); and from the signification of "Egypt," as being memory-knowledge in general, treated of just above (n. 4964, 4966); and because "Egypt" is memory-knowledge, it is also the natural; for all the memory-knowledge in man is natural, because it is in his natural man, even the memory-knowledge concerning spiritual and celestial things. The reason of this is that man sees these knowledges in the natural, and from it; and those which he does not see from the natural, he does not apprehend. But the regenerate man, who is called spiritual, and the unregenerate man, who is merely natural, see these knowledges in different ways; with the former the knowledges are enlightened by the light of heaven, but with the latter not so, but by the light which flows in through spirits who are in falsity and evil; which light is indeed from the light of heaven, but becomes in them opaque, like the light of evening or of night; for such spirits, and hence such men, see as owls-clearly at night, and obscurely in the daytime, that is, they see falsities clearly and truths obscurely; and hence see clearly the things of the world, and obscurely, if at all, the things of heaven. From these considerations it is evident that genuine memory-knowledge is natural truth; for all genuine memory-knowledge, such as is signified by "Egypt" in a good sense, is natural truth.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4967
4967. 'An Egyptian man' means natural truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a man' as truth, dealt with in 3134, and from the meaning of 'Egypt' as factual knowledge in general, dealt with immediately above in 4964, 4966. And since 'Egypt' means factual knowledge it also means the natural, for all the factual knowledge present with a person constitutes his natural since it resides in his natural man, and includes knowledge about spiritual and heavenly realities. The reason for this is that the natural is the position within which and from which he sees those realities. Those which he does not see from that position are unintelligible to him. But a regenerate person, who is called spiritual, sees them in one way, an unregenerate person, who is called merely natural, in another. In the case of a regenerate person factual knowledge has the light of heaven shed upon it, but not so in the case of an unregenerate one. The light shed on the unregenerate person's factual knowledge comes by way of spirits governed by falsity and evil, a light which, it is true, begins as the light of heaven but among such spirits is reduced to a dim light like that of evening or night. Indeed spirits of this kind, and consequently men like them, see in the way owls do - clearly at night but dimly during the daytime. That is, they see falsities clearly and truths dimly, and therefore worldly things clearly but heavenly ones dimly, if at all. From this one may recognize that genuine factual knowledge is natural truth; for all genuine factual knowledge that is of the kind meant in the good sense by 'Egypt' is natural truth.
Latin(1748-1756) 4967
4967. `Vir Aegyptus': quod significet verum naturale, constat ex significatione `viri' quod sit verum, de qua n. 3134; et ex significatione `Aegypti' quod sit scientificum in genere, de qua mox supra n. 4964, 4966; et quia `Aegyptus' est scientificum, etiam est naturale; omne enim scientificum apud hominem est naturale quia in naturali ejus homine, etiam scientificum de spiritualibus et caelestibus; causa est quia homo in naturali et ex naturali videt illa; quae non ex naturali videt, {1} non capit; sed aliter videt illa homo regeneratus qui spiritualis vocatur, {2} aliter homo non regeneratas qui mere naturalis; apud illum scientifica illustrantur a luce caeli, apud hunc autem non ita sed a luce quae {3}influit per spiritus qui in falso et malo sunt, quae lux quidem est a luce caeli, sed facta apud illos opaca, sicut lux vesperae aut noctis;vident enim tales spiritus, et inde tales homines, sicut noctuae, clare noctu et obscure interdiu, hoc est, clare falsa {4}et obscure vera, et inde clare quae mundi sunt et obscure si quicquam, illa quae caeli. Ex his constare potest quod scientificum genuinum sit verum naturale; omne enim scientificum genuinum quale per `Aegyptum' in bono sensu significatur, est verum naturale. @1 i haec$ @2 i et$ @3 influit after sunt$ @4 sed$