10017.“祭司的职分要给他们”表主拯救工作的一个跟一个的阶段。这从“祭司职分”的含义清楚可知，“祭司职分”是主拯救的整个工作的一个代表（参看9809节）。它之所以表示一个接一个的阶段，是因为此处所论述的主题是亚伦儿子的祭司职分，而他的儿子代表发出，因而按次序一个跟一个的事物（9807节）。此处的情况如下：亚伦所代表的祭司职分在于拯救那些在主的属天国度之人的工作；在圣言中，“祭司国度”严格意义上是指属天国度。但亚伦的儿子所代表的祭司职分在于拯救那些在直接从主的属天国度发出的主的属灵国度之人的工作。由此明显可知，“祭司职分”在此表示主拯救工作的一个跟一个的阶段。但利未人所代表的祭司职分在于再次从前者发出的主的拯救工作。
有三样事物按次序一个跟着一个。它们是属天之物，就是对主之爱的良善；属灵之物，就是对邻之仁的良善；以及源于这些事物的属世之物，就是信之良善。由于这三者是按次序一个跟一个的事物，所以天堂也有三层，良善同样按这个次序在它们里面彼此跟随。亚伦的祭司职分代表拯救那些处于属天良善之人的工作；亚伦儿子的祭司职分代表拯救那些处于属灵良善之人的工作；利未人的祭司职分代表拯救那些处于源于这些的属世良善之人的工作。由于按次序一个跟一个的事物是从亚伦及其祭司职分所代表的对主之爱的良善发出的，故经上论到利未人说，他们被交给亚伦。因为发出的事物属于它们从中发出的事物；这种发出或一个跟一个的阶段从这个源头获得自己的存在，正如刚才所说的（10011节）。利未人被交给亚伦和他的儿子，是为了叫利未人能在他们之下履行祭司的职责（参看民数记3:1至末尾）。
Potts(1905-1910) 10017
10017. And the priesthood shall be to them. That this signifies the Lord as to the work of salvation in successive order, is evident from the signification of "the priesthood," as being a representative of the Lord as to all the work of salvation (see n. 9809). That it denotes in successive order is because the subject here treated of is the priesthood of the sons of Aaron, and by his sons are represented the things which proceed, thus which succeed in order (n. 9807). The case herein is this. The priesthood which is represented by Aaron, is the work of salvation of those who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom, which kingdom is properly understood in the Word by the "kingdom of priests;" but the priesthood which is represented by the sons of Aaron, is the work of salvation of those who are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, which proceeds next from His celestial kingdom. Hence it is that by the "priesthood" is here meant the Lord's work of salvation in successive order. But the priesthood which is represented by the Levites is the Lord's work of salvation again proceeding from the former. [2] There are three things which succeed in order: the celestial, which is the good of love to the Lord; the spiritual, which is the good of charity toward the neighbor; and the natural thence derived, which is the good of faith. And because there are these three which succeed in order, there are also three heavens, and in them goods in this order. The work of salvation of those who are in celestial good is represented by the priesthood of Aaron; the work of salvation of those who are in spiritual good is represented by the priesthood of the sons of Aaron; and the work of salvation of those who are thence in natural good is represented by the priesthood of the Levites. And as the things that succeed in order proceed from the good of love to the Lord, which is represented by Aaron and his priesthood, therefore it is said of the Levites that they were "given to Aaron," for the things that proceed belong to that from which they proceed, because the things proceeding or successive derive their being from it, according to what was said just above (n. 10011). (That the Levites were given to Aaron and his sons in order that they might perform the ministry of the priesthood under them, see the book of Numbers, chapter 3, verse 1 to the end of the chapter.)
Elliott(1983-1999) 10017
10017. 'And the priesthood shall be theirs' means the stages, following one after another, of the Lord's work of salvation. This is clear from the meaning of 'the priesthood' or 'the priestly office' as that which is representative of the Lord's whole work of salvation, dealt with in 9809. The reason why the stages following one after another is meant is that the priesthood of Aaron's sons is the subject here, and his sons represent the things which emanate and so follow in order one after another, 9807. The situation in all this is that the priesthood which Aaron represents consists in the work of saving those who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom, this kingdom being the proper meaning in the Word of 'a kingdom of priests'. But the priesthood which Aaron's sons represent consists in the work of saving those who are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom emanating directly from His celestial kingdom. From this it is evident that 'the priesthood' is used in the present instance to mean the stages, following one after another, of the Lord's work of salvation. But the priesthood which the Levites represent consists in the Lord's work of salvation at a further stage.
[2] There are three realities which follow one another in order. These are the celestial, which is the good of love to the Lord; the spiritual, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour; and the natural springing from these, which is the good of faith. Since these three are realities which follow one another in order there are also three heavens, and in them the types of good follow in that order. The work of saving those with whom celestial good exists is represented by Aaron's priesthood; but the work of saving those with whom spiritual good exists is represented by the priesthood of Aaron's sons, and the work of saving those with whom the natural good springing from these exists is represented by the priesthood of the Levites. And since the things following one another in order emanate from the good of love to the Lord, which is represented by Aaron and his priesthood, it is said of the Levites that they were given to Aaron. For things which emanate belong to that from which they emanate; such emanations or stages following one after another owe their very existence to that source, as accords with what has been stated a little above in 10011. The fact that the Levites were given to Aaron and his sons to perform priestly duties under them, see Num 3:1-end.
Latin(1748-1756) 10017
10017. `Et illis erit sacerdotium': quod significet Dominum quoad opus salvationis in ordine successivo, constat ex significatione `sacerdotii' quod sit repraesentativum Domini quoad omne opus salvationis, de qua n. 9809; quod sit in ordine successivo, est quia de sacerdotio filiorum Aharonis hic agitur, et per filios ejus repraesentantur illa quae procedunt, ita quae succedunt in ordine, n. 9807. Cum his ita se habet: sacerdotium, quod per Aharonem repraesentatur est opus salvationis illorum qui in caelesti regno Domini sunt, quod regnum proprie intelligitur in Verbo per regnum sacerdotum; sacerdotium autem quod per filios Aharonis repraesentatur, est opus salvationis illorum qui sunt in regno spirituali Domini proxime procedente ex regno caelesti Ipsius; inde est quod per sacerdotium hic intelligatur opus salvationis Domini in ordine successivo; sacerdotium autem quod per Levitas repraesentatur, est opus salvationis Domini iterum ab illo procedens. [2] Sunt {1} tria quae ordine succedunt: est caeleste, quod est bonum amoris in Dominum, est spirituale, quod est bonum charitatis erga proximum, et est naturale inde, quod est bonum fidei; quia illa tria sunt quae ordine succedunt, etiam tres caeli sunt, et in illis bona in (c)illo ordine; opus salvationis illorum qui in bono caelesti sunt repraesentatur per sacerdotium Aharonis, opus (x)autem salvationis illorum qui in bono spirituali (o)sunt repraesentatur per sacerdotium filiorum Aharonis, et opus salvationis illorum qui inde in bono naturali sunt {2} repraesentatur per sacerdotium Levitarum; et quia illa quae succedunt ordine, procedunt {3} (c)ex bono amoris in Dominum, quod repraesentatur per Aharonem et ejus sacerdotium, ideo de Levitis dicitur quod dati sint Aharoni, nam quae procedunt sunt ejus a quo procedunt, procedentia enim seu successiva {4} inde suum esse ducunt, secundum illa quae mox supra n. 10,011 dicta sunt. Quod Levitae dati sint Aharoni et filiis ejus ut obirent ministerium sacerdotii sub illis, videatur Num. iii 1-fin. @1 i enim$ @2 in bono naturali inde,$ @3 successiva enim$ @4 succedunt, ordine procedunt$