8871.“上天、下地”表存在于属灵之光中的事物和存在于属世之光中的事物。这从“上天各物的形像”和“下地各物的形像”的含义清楚可知：“上天各物的形像”是指那些在属灵之光中眼睛可见的事物，所以这些事物都与信之良善和真理，因而与对邻之仁和对主之爱有关（“作天上各物的形像”表示伪装和模仿这些事物或美德）；“下地各物的形像”是指那些在属世之光中眼睛可见的事物，就是那些与文明、道德的良善和真理有关的事物。“作地上各物的形像”表示伪装和模仿这些事物或美德。字义是指天空中所看到的那类事物，如太阳，月亮和星星；以及地上所看到的那类事物，如各种动物，包括飞的、走的和爬的。但内义是指这些事物所表示的那类事物，它们都与良善和真理有关，如前所述。
摩西五经以这些话进一步描述了这些事物：
惟恐你们为自己做雕像，造任何相似的形状，无论是男像或女像，或任何地上走兽的像，或任何飞在空中有翅膀的鸟儿的像，或任何地上爬物的像，或地底下水中鱼的像。又恐怕你向天举目，观看日、月、星，就是天上的万象，你就被勾引向它们下拜，事奉它们。你们要谨慎，免得忘记耶和华你们神与你们所立的约，为自己做任何形状的雕像。因为耶和华你的神乃是吞灭的火，是妒忌的神。你们生子生孙，在那地住久了，就败坏自己，做任何形状的雕像，我今日呼天唤地向你们作见证，你们必从这地上速速灭尽！耶和华必使你们分散在万民中，在那里你们必事奉人手所造的神，就是木石。（申命记4:16-19；23-28）
经上如此严厉地禁止作天上地上任何事物的形像，主要是因为出身于雅各的这百姓非常倾向于敬拜外在事物。这种倾向的原因在于，他们不愿知道关于教会内在事物的任何事，这些内在事物属于对主的信和爱，以及对邻之仁。因此，他们若被允许作事物的形像，就会向它们下拜，把它们当作神明来敬拜。这一点从他们在如此多的神迹中间为自己所铸的金牛犊，以及他们频繁地为了偶像崇拜而离弃对神的敬拜很明显地看出来。然而，内义上所表示的并不是这些行为，而是前面所解释的事物。
Potts(1905-1910) 8871
8871. Of that which is in the heavens above, or that which is in the earth beneath. That this signifies of those things which are in spiritual light, or of those which are in natural light, is evident from the signification of "a likeness of those things which are in the heavens above," as being those things which appear and are seen in spiritual light, all of which bear relation to the good and truth which are of faith, of charity toward the neighbor, and of love to the Lord-to counterfeit and make a pretense of these things is to "make a likeness of the things which are in the heavens above;" and from the signification of "a likeness of those things which are in the earth beneath," as being those things which appear and are seen in natural light, which are such as bear relation to civil and moral good and truth-to counterfeit and make a pretense of these things is to make a likeness of those things which are in the earth beneath. In the sense of the letter are meant such things as appear in heaven, as the sun, the moon, the stars; and such things as appear on the earth, as animals of various kinds, both flying, walking, and creeping; but in the internal sense are meant such things as are signified by these, all of which bear relation to good and truth, as was said above. [2] These things are further described in Moses, in these words:
Lest ye make you a graven image in the shape of any likeness, the figure of male or of female, the figure of any beast that is on the earth, the figure of any winged bird that flieth under heaven, the figure of anything that creepeth on the earth, of a fish that is in the waters under the earth. And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and look at the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the army of the heavens, and thou be impelled, and bow thyself to them, and serve them. Take heed to yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of Jehovah your God, which He made with you, and make you a graven image of any figure. For Jehovah thy God is a devouring fire, a zealous God. When ye shall beget sons, and sons' sons, and ye shall have grown old in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image of any figure, I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that perishing ye shall quickly perish from off the land. Jehovah shall scatter you among the peoples, where ye shall serve gods, the work of a man's hands, wood and stone (Deut. 4:16-19; 23-28). [3] The reason why it was so severely forbidden to make a likeness of anything in the heavens and on the earth, was chiefly for the reason that that people, which was from Jacob, was very prone to worship external things. The cause was that they were not willing to know anything about the internal things of the church, which belong to faith and love to the Lord, and to charity toward the neighbor. Therefore if they had been allowed to make likenesses of things, they would then have bowed themselves to them and worshiped them as gods; as is very evident from the golden calf which they made for themselves in the midst of so many miracles, and also from their frequent apostasy from Divine worship to idolatrous worship. Nevertheless in the internal sense such things as these are not meant, but the things which have been set forth above.
Elliott(1983-1999) 8871
8871. 'Which are in the heavens above, and which are on the earth beneath' means which exist in spiritual light' and which exist in natural light. This is clear from the meaning of 'a likeness of those things which are in the heavens above' as the things which are visible to the eye in spiritual light, all of which are connected with goodness and truth, and so are aspects of faith, charity towards the neighbour, and love to the Lord (feigning and simulating these virtues is meant by 'making a likeness of those things which are in the heavens above'); and from the meaning of 'a likeness of those things which are on the earth beneath' as the things which are visible to the eye in natural light, which are the kind that belong to goodness and truth on the level of people's public life and on that of their private life. Feigning and simulating these virtues is 'making a likeness of those things which are on the earth beneath'. The sense of the letter implies objects seen in the sky, such as the sun, moon, and stars, and objects seen on earth, such as various kinds of living creatures, both flying ones and those that walk or creep. But the internal sense implies the kinds of things that are meant spiritually by those objects, all of which are connected with goodness and truth, as stated above.
[2] Further description of these matters is contained in the following words in Moses,
... lest you make for yourselves a graven image in the form of any likeness, the figure of a male or a female, the figure of any beast which is on the earth, the figure of any winged bird which flies under heaven, the figure of any creeping thing on the earth, of a fish which is in the waters under the earth; and lest perhaps you lift your eyes to heaven and you look at the sun and moon and stars, all the host of heaven, and you are drawn away and bow down to them and serve them. Take care, lest you forget the covenant of Jehovah your God which He has made with you, and you make for yourselves a graven image of any figure For Jehovah your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God. When you beget children and children's children, and grow old in the land, and corrupt yourselves and make a graven image of any figure, I call heaven and earth today as witnesses against you, that you will altogether perish quickly from upon the land. Jehovah will scatter you among the peoples, where you will serve gods, the work of man 's hands - wood and stone. Deut 4:16-19, 23-28.
[3] The chief reason why making a likeness of anything in the heavens or on the earth was so strictly forbidden was that this people descended from Jacob were most prone to worshipping external objects. The reason for that proneness was that they had no wish to know anything whatever about the internal aspects of the Church, which are those of faith and love to the Lord, and of charity towards the neighbour. If therefore they had been allowed to make likenesses of things they would have bowed down to them and worshipped them as gods. This is plainly evident from the golden calf which they made for themselves in the midst of so many miracles, and also from their frequent apostasy, when they forsook the worship of God for idolatrous worship. Nevertheless such actions by them are not meant in the internal sense but the things which have been explained above.
Latin(1748-1756) 8871
8871. `Quae in caelis desuper, et quae in terra desubter': quod significet quae in luce spirituali, aut {1} quae in luce naturali, constat ex significatione `similitudinis illorum quae in caelis desuper' quod sint quae apparent et {2} visuntur in luce spirituali, quae objecta omnia se referunt ad bonum et verum, quae sunt fidei, charitatis erga proximum, et amoris in Dominum; illa mentiri ac simulare est `facere similitudinem illorum quae in caelis desuper'; et ex significatione `similitudinis illorum quae in terra desubter' quod sint quae apparent et visuntur in luce naturali, quae sunt talia quae se referunt ad bonum et verum civile et morale; haec mentiri et simulare est `facere similitudinem illorum quae in terra desubter.' In sensu litterae intelliguntur talia quae apparent in caelo {3}, sicut sol, luna, stellae {4}, et talia quae apparent in terra, ut animalia varii generis, tam volantia quam gradientia et repentia; sed in sensu interno intelliguntur talia quae significantur per illa, quorum omnia se referunt ad bonum et verum, ut supradictum est. [2] Haec describuntur amplius apud Moschen, his verbis, Ne faciatis vobis sculptile speciei ullius similitudinis, figuram maris aut feminae, figuram ullius bestiae quae in terra, figuram ullius avis alae quae volat sub caelo, figuram ullius reptilis in terra, piscis qui in aquis sub terra; et ne forte tollas oculos tuos ad caelum, aspiciasque solem, et lunam, et stellas, omnem exercitum caelorum, et impellaris, incurvesque te illis, et servias illis. Cavebitis vobis ne obliviscamini foederis Jehovae Dei vestri, quod excidit vobiscum, et faciatis vobis sculptile figurae ullius, nam Jehovah Deus tuus est ignis comedens, Deus zelotes. Cum genueritis filios et filios filiorum, et inveteraveritis in terra, et corruperitis {5} vos, et feceritis sculptile figurae ullius; testes contra vos voco hodie caelum et terram, quod (x)pereundo perituri sitis cito desuper terra; disperget Jehovah vos inter populos, ubi servietis diis, opus manuum hominis, lignum et lapis, [Deut.] iv 16-19, 23-28{6};[3] quod tam severe prohibitum fuerit similitudinem alicujus rei in caelis et in terris facere, erat praecipue ob causam quia populus ille qui ex Jacobo, pronissimus erat {7} colendi externa; causa erat quia non scire volebant quicquam de internis Ecclesiae, quae sunt fidei et amoris in Dominum, (c)ac charitatis erga proximum; idcirco si licuisset illis facere similitudines rerum, tunc incurvavissent se illis et pro diis coluissent; sicut manifeste patet a vitulo aureo quem sibi in medio tot miraculorum faciebant, et quoque a frequenti (c)eorum apostasia a cultu Divino ad cultum idololatricum; at usque in sensu interno non intelliguntur talia sed quae supra exposita sunt. @1 et AIT$ @2 aut$ @3 coelis$ @4 Before sol$ @5 corruperitis autem$ @6 16 ad 28 IT$ @7 fuit$