661# “互相馈送礼物”表示他们的联合。这从“馈送礼物”的含义清楚可知：“馈送礼物”是指出于爱和友谊通过善意而联合；因为出于这样一种情感和意向的礼物会将友好的人和不友好的人聚集在一起，在此则将那些反对由被杀，并被丢到按着灵意叫所多玛和埃及的大城街道上的“两个见证人”所表示的爱之良善和教义之真理的人聚集在一起。要知道，对不友好的人和恶人来说，没有什么比摧毁爱之良善和教义之真理，无论它们在哪里，并向有它们在里面的人行恶更快乐的了；因为他们对这些事物充满仇恨；因此，从这些人所在的地狱不断散发出对属天之爱和属灵之信，因而对天堂，尤其对主自己的致命仇恨；每当他们被允许行恶时，他们就处于内心的快乐。这就是地狱里的人的野兽性质。因此，这就是“他们会因他们而欢喜快乐”的意思。此外，不友好的人或恶人也会为了伤害友好的人而建立友谊并联合起来；仇恨的快乐，也就是他们的爱之快乐将他们联合在一起；这使得他们看似交心的朋友，而事实上，他们是仇敌。因此，这就是“互相馈送礼物”的含义。
由于礼物吸引心智并带来联合，所以在古代，当接近祭司和先知，以及首领和君王时，送礼物给他们是一种习俗(撒母耳记上9:7, 8)；这也是一种律例：他们在耶和华面前不可空手(也就是没有礼物)，在他们的节日，每个人都要照他所蒙的福分献上礼物(出埃及记23:15; 34:20; 申命记16:16, 17)；因此，东方的智者给刚出生的主带来礼物，即黄金、乳香和没药(马太福音2:11)；根据诗篇中的预言(诗篇72:10)；由于同样的原因，祭坛上的供物，也就是祭牲，以及素祭和奠祭，都被称为礼物(以赛亚书18:7; 57:6; 66:20; 西番雅书3:10; 马太福音5:23, 24; 以及别处)；这是因为外在的礼物表示内在或属灵的礼物，即诸如从心里发出，因而属于情感和信仰的那种；由于结合通过这些实现，所以“礼物”当论及神时，表示结合，当论及人时，表示联合。
661. And shall send gifts one to another.- That this signifies their consociation, is evident from the signification of sending gifts, as denoting to be consociated from love and friendship; for gifts from such an affection and disposition bring together both the well-disposed and the ill-disposed; in this case, those who are opposed to the goods of love and truths of doctrine, signified by the two witnesses who were slain and cast out into the street of the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt. It is to be observed that nothing is more delightful to the ill-disposed and the wicked than to destroy the goods of love and the truths of doctrine wherever these are, and to do evil to those in whom they are; for they burn with hatred against such things, and for this reason there continually exhales from the hell, where such persons are, a deadly hatred against celestial love and spiritual faith, consequently against heaven, and especially against the Lord Himself; and they are in the delight of their heart as often as they are permitted to do evil. Such is the wild-beast nature of those who are in hell. This therefore is what is meant by, they shall rejoice and shall be glad over them. The ill-disposed also enter into friendships and band together for the purpose of doing injury to the well-disposed; the delight of hatred, which is the delight of their love, unites them together, and then they appear to be friends in heart, although they are enemies. This, therefore, is the signification of sending gifts one to another.
[2] Since gifts captivate the mind and bring about consociation, therefore in ancient times it was customary to give gifts to priests and prophets, also to princes and kings, when they were approached (1 Sam. 9:7, 8). And it was also a statute that they should not appear empty, that is, without gifts, before Jehovah, but that in their feasts every one should bring a gift according to his blessing (Exodus 23:15; 34:20; Deuteronomy 16:16, 17); and therefore the wise men from the east brought gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, to the Lord as soon as He was born (Matthew 2:11), according to the prediction in David (Psalm 72:10); and for the same reason, the oblations upon the altar, which were sacrifices, and also the meat-offerings and drink-offerings, were called gifts (Isaiah 18:7; 57:6; 66:20; Zeph. 3:10; Matthew 5:23, 24; and elsewhere), and this because external gifts signified internal or spiritual gifts, namely, such as proceed from the heart, and thus belong consequently to affection and faith; and because conjunction is effected by means of these, therefore gifts, in the spiritual sense, signify conjunction when used in reference to God, and consociation when used in reference to men.
661. And shall send gifts one to another, signifies their consociation. This is evident from the signification of "to send gifts," as being to be consociated by love and friendship through good will; for gifts from such an affection and disposition bring together both the well-disposed as well as the ill-disposed; here those are meant who are opposed to the goods of love and the truths of doctrine, which are signified by "the two witnesses" who were killed and cast forth into the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt. It is to be known that to the ill-disposed and wicked nothing is more delightful than to destroy the goods of love and the truths of doctrine wherever they are, and to do evil to those with whom these are; for such burn with hatred against these; consequently from the hell where such are there continually breathes forth a deadly hatred against celestial love and spiritual faith, and therefore against heaven, and especially against the Lord Himself; and as often as they are permitted to do evil they are in the delight of their heart. Such is the brutal nature of those who are in hell.
This, therefore, is what is meant by "they shall rejoice over them and shall be glad." Moreover, the wicked enter into friendships and consociate themselves for doing harm to the well disposed; they are consociated by the delight of hatred, which is the delight of their love; this makes them appear as if friends in heart, when yet they are enemies. This, therefore, is the signification of "shall send gifts one to another."
[2] Because gifts captivate the mind and consociate, it was a custom in ancient times to give gifts to the priest and the prophet, as also to the prince and the king, when they were approached (1 Samuel 9:7, 8); and it was also a statute:
That they should not appear empty (that is, without a gift) before Jehovah, but in their feasts everyone should bring a gift according as he had been blessed (Exodus 23:15; 34:20; Deuteronomy 16:16, 17).
So too:
The wise men from the east brought gifts to the Lord just born, gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11);
according to the prediction in David (Psalms 72:10). So again:
The oblations upon the altar, which were sacrifices, and also the meal offerings and drink-offerings, were called gifts (Isaiah 18:7; 57:6; 66:20; Zephaniah 3:10; Matthew 5:23, 24; and elsewhere);
and this because external gifts signified internal or spiritual gifts, namely, such as go forth from the heart, and thence are of the affection and faith; and as by these conjunction is effected, in the spiritual sense "gifts" in reference to God signify conjunction, and in reference to men consociation.
661. "Et munera mittent invicem." - Quod significet consociationem eorum, constat ex significatione "mittere munera", quod sit consociari ex amore et ex amicitia per benevolentiam, nam munera ex ea affectione et ex eo animo consociant tam probos quam improbos; hic illos qui contra bona amoris et vera doctrinae sunt, quae significantur per "binos testes occisos et projectos in plateam urbis magnae, quae vocatur spiritualiter Sodoma et Aegyptus." Sciendum est quod improbis et impiis nihil jucundius sit quam destruere bona amoris et vera doctrinae ubicunque sunt, et malefacere illis apud quos sunt: ardent enim odio contra illa; inde est quod ab inferno, ubi tales sunt, jugiter exspiret odium internecinum contra caelestem amorem et spiritualem fidem, proinde contra caelum, et imprimis contra Ipsum Dominum; et quoties permittitur malefacere, in sui cordis jucundo sunt: talis ferina natura est illis qui in inferno sunt; hoc itaque intelligitur per quod "gaudeant super illis et laetentur." Improbi etiam ineunt amicitias et consociantur ad damnum inferendum probis; jucundum odii, quod est amoris eorum, consociat, et tunc apparent sicut corde amici forent, cum tamen sunt hostes; hoc itaque est quod significatur per quod "munera mittant invicem."
[2] Quoniam munera captant animos et consociant, ideo antiquis temporibus solenne fuit munera dare sacerdoti et prophetae, tum principi et regi, cum illos adirent (1 Samuelis 9:7, 8); et quoque statutum fuit
Quod non vacui (hoc est, absque munere) comparerent coram Jehovah, sed in festis quisque secundum benedictionem suam munus adferret (Exodus 23:15; 34:20; Deuteronomius 16:16, 17);
et ideo
Sapientes ex orientalibus attulerunt Domino recens nato munera, aurum, thus et myrrham (Matthaeus 2:11),
secundum praedictionem apud Davidem (Psalms 72:10); et ideo quoque,
Oblationes super altari, quae erant sacrificia, et quoque minchae et libamina, vocabantur munera ( 1
Esai. 18:7; 57:6; 66:20; Zephanias 3:10; Matthaeus 5:23, 24: et alibi);
et hoc quia munera externa significabant munera interna seu spiritualia, quae nempe procedunt ex corde, et quae inde sunt affectionis et fidei; et quia per haec fit conjunctio, ideo per "munera" in spirituali sensu significatur conjunctio quando de Deo, et consociatio quando de hominibus.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.