10219.“免得被数的时候在他们中间有灾祸”表免得当他们如同凭自己行善时会有邪恶的惩罚。这从“灾祸”和“数以色列人”的含义清楚可知：“灾祸”是指邪恶的惩罚，如下文所述：“数以色列人”是指按次序安排并布置信和爱的真理和良善，如前所述（10217节），因而是指将它们付诸实践。之所以说“如同凭自己”，是因为一个人所行的良善，都是如同凭自己而行的；在信由于爱而存在于他里面之前，他看不到这些行为的其它来源。因为良善从主流入并被人接受；但被接受的东西起初只被感觉是某种存在于他自己里面并起源于他自己的东西。此人并未发觉它始于主，直到他知道，后来又相信并承认这一点。在此之前，他不能深思这一观念：任何事物都是从神性流入的；他完全不能察觉它，也就是说，在自己里面感受它，直到他开始意愿并喜欢事情就是如此。
这一切就像人里面的生命本身，也像他的两个生命官能，即理解力和意愿。在接受教导之前，谁不认为生命在自己里面，是他与生俱来的，因而他的行为来源于他自己？谁不认为理解力和意愿同样是与生俱来的？而事实上，他总体上的生命，以及他的理解力和意愿都是流入到他里面的。构成理解力的真理和构成意愿的良善是由主那里从天堂而流出的，而构成理解力的虚假和构成意愿的邪恶则是从地狱流出的。因为除非灵人和天使与一个人同在，充当这些事物流入所经由的道路，否则此人片刻不能存活，因而也没有任何思维或意愿，这一点从论述流注的许多章节的末尾所提到的大量经历清楚看出来（参看9223，9276e，9682节）。
但只要一个人认为他所行的一切都来源于他自己，无论良善还是邪恶，他就不为良善所动，邪恶则附着于他。然而，他一承认并相信良善是从主，非他自己流入的，邪恶则是从地狱流入的，他就会被良善打动，邪恶不再附着于他。此外，良善感动他到何等程度，邪恶就被移走到何等程度，他在何等程度上以这种方式从邪恶中被洁净和解脱出来。但只要人的状态是这样：他无法察觉或感受到来自主的良善的流注，他就如同凭自己行善，然而应当承认并相信它们始于主。当此人如此行时，他也从邪恶中被解脱出来；但为叫他能从邪恶被解脱出来，这种承认必须是内心本身的告白，而不仅仅是口头的表白。
“灾祸”表示邪恶的惩罚，这是显而易见的，无需解释。有三样灾祸跟随着那些将信和爱的真理和良善归于自己，也就是认为他们由于自己的行为而配得天堂的人。因为那些将它们归于自己的人也相信他们由于自己所行的而配得天堂。这三样灾祸是：1）他们不能接受任何爱之良善或信之真理；2）邪恶和虚假不断追赶他们；3）自童年早期起所接受的真理和良善都毁灭。这三样惩罚由先知迦得因大卫数点百姓而摆在他面前的三样灾来表示，即：1）七年饥荒；2）在他们的敌人面前逃跑三个月；3）三日的瘟疫（撒母耳记下24:13）。
“饥荒”表示信和爱的良善和真理的匮乏和短缺，因为这些由饼、食物、小麦、大麦、油和酒来表示；只要饥荒持续，这些东西就是匮乏的。“在敌人面前逃跑”在内义上表示被邪恶和虚假追赶，因为那些将良善和真理归于自己的人无法与来自地狱的邪恶和虚假争战（9978节），这些就是灵义上的敌人，他们就在这些敌人面前逃跑，并被敌人追赶。但“瘟疫”表示自童年早期起所接受的良善和真理的荒废和消灭（7505节）。大卫选择瘟疫，七万人因这瘟疫而死亡，表示在以色列和犹太民族当中，信和爱的一切真理和良善都将毁灭，这事也的确发生了。因为他们不承认主；然而，主却是一切良善和一切真理的源头。“三日”表示直到完全，死亡的“七万人”也表示直到完全。
Potts(1905-1910) 10219
10219. That there be no plague in them in numbering them. That this signifies lest there be the penalty of evil in doing goods as from self, is evident from the signification of a "plague," as being the penalty of evil (of which below); and from the signification of "numbering the sons of Israel," as being to set in order and dispose the truths and goods of faith and love (of which above, n. 10217), thus to do them. It is said "as from self," because the goods which a man does he does as from himself, nor does he perceive otherwise until he is in faith from love. For goods flow in from the Lord and are received by man, and those which are received are at first felt no otherwise than as in himself and from himself; nor is it perceived that they are from the Lord until he comes into knowledge, and afterward into acknowledgment from faith. For before this he cannot reflect that anything flows in from the Divine; nor can he at all perceive this, that is, be sensible of it in himself, until he begins to will and to love that it be so. [2] This is like the life itself in man, and his two interior faculties of life, which are the understanding and the will. Who before instruction does not believe that life is in himself, and thus that what he does from this life is of himself, and in like manner his understanding and will? although both his life in general, and his understanding and will, flow in; the truths of the understanding and the goods of the will out of heaven from the Lord, but the falsities of understanding and the evils of will from hell. For unless there are spirits and angels with man through whom this influx is effected, he cannot live a single moment, consequently neither can he think or will (as can be seen from manifold experience related at the close of several chapters, where influx was treated of; see the places cited in n. 9223, 9276, 9682). [3] But so long as a man believes that he does all things of himself, both goods and evils, so long goods do not affect him, and evils adhere to him; but the moment that he acknowledges and believes that goods flow in from the Lord, and not from himself, and that evils are from hell, then goods affect him and evils do not adhere to him; and, moreover, insofar as goods affect him, so far evils are removed, thus he is purified and liberated from them. But so long as the state of man is such that he cannot perceive and be sensible of the influx of goods from the Lord, so long he does goods as from himself, and yet ought to acknowledge and believe that they are from the Lord. When this is the case, he also is liberated from evils; but in order that he may be liberated from evils this acknowledgment must be the confession of the heart itself, and not of the lips only. [4] That a "plague" denotes the penalty of evil, is evident without explication. There are three plagues which follow those who attribute to themselves the truths and goods of faith and love, or who believe that they merit heaven by their works; for they who attribute these to themselves believe also that of themselves they merit heaven. These three penalties are: 1. That they cannot receive anything of the good of love and the truth of faith. 2. That evils and falsities continually pursue them. 3. And that the truths and goods received from infancy perish. These three penalties are signified by the three plagues which were proposed to David by the prophet Gad on account of numbering the people, which were: 1. Seven years of famine. 2. A fleeing of three months before their enemies. 3. And a pestilence of three days (2 Sam. 24:13). [5] For by "famine" is signified a lack and scarcity of the goods and truths of faith and love, because these are signified by bread, food, wheat, barley, oil, and wine, which are lacking while the famine lasts. By "fleeing before enemies" in the internal sense is meant to be pursued by evils and falsities, for those who attribute goods and truths to themselves cannot fight against the evils and falsities which are from hell (n. 9978), and which in the spiritual sense are the enemies before whom is the fleeing, and by whom they are pursued. But by "pestilence" is signified the vastation and consumption of the goods and truths which have been received from infancy (n. 7505). That David chose the pestilence, and that seventy thousand died of it, signified that every truth and good of faith and love would perish with the Israelitish and Jewish nation, which also came to pass, for they did not acknowledge the Lord, from whom nevertheless are all goods and truths. "Three days" signified to the full, and the same was also signified by the "seventy thousand" men who died.
Elliott(1983-1999) 10219
10219. 'That there may be no plague among them when they are numbered' means in order that there may be no punishment of evil when they do good as from themselves. This is clear from the meaning of 'plague' as the punishment of evil, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'numbering the children of Israel' as arranging and setting truths and forms of the good of faith and love in order, dealt with above in 10217, thus putting them into practice. The expression 'as from themselves' is used because the good deeds which a person does he does as from self; until faith resides in him as a result of love he can see no other origin of those deeds. For good flows in from the Lord and is received by the person; but what is received is not felt initially to be other than something residing and originating in himself. And the person does not perceive that it begins in the Lord until this is made known to him and then believed and acknowledged by him. Till then he is not capable of reflecting on the idea that something flows in from the Divine; and he is totally incapable of perceiving it, that is, feeling it within himself, until he begins to will and desire it to be so.
[2] The situation in all this is like that with the actual life present in a person and like that with the two inner powers of life, the understanding and the will. Is there anyone who does not think, before receiving instruction in the matter, that life dwells innately within him and that his actions therefore originate in himself? Is there anyone who does not think that understanding and will are likewise innate? But in actual fact both his life in general and his understanding and will are flowing into him. Truths constituting the understanding and forms of good composing the will are flowing out of heaven from the Lord, while falsities constituting the understanding and evils composing the will are flowing from hell. For unless spirits and angels are present with a person, acting as channels through which those things flow in, the person cannot have life for even a single moment, nor therefore have any thought or will, as becomes clear from plenty of experiences mentioned at the ends of a number of chapters, where influx is the subject; see the places referred to in 9223, 9276(end), 9682.
[3] But for as long as a person thinks that everything he does originates in himself, both good deeds and bad ones, he is unmoved by good influences and evils cling to him. As soon however as he acknowledges and believes that good desires flow in from the Lord and do not begin in himself, and that evil desires flow in from hell, he is moved by good influences, and evils stop clinging to him. Furthermore to the extent that the good influences move him the evils are removed, and in this way he is purified and delivered from them. But for as long as the person's state is such that he is not capable of perceiving or feeling the presence of good influences from the Lord, he performs good deeds as from himself; nevertheless he ought to acknowledge and believe that they begin in the Lord. When the person does this he is also delivered from evils; but in order that he may be delivered from the evils, that acknowledgement must be a confession not of the lips alone but of the heart itself.
[4] The fact that 'plague' means the punishment of evil is clear without explanation. There are three plagues or punishments which follow those who attribute truths and forms of the good of faith and love to themselves, that is, who think that they merit heaven because of their deeds. For those who attribute them to themselves are also given to think that they merit heaven because of what they themselves have done. Those three punishments are, 1 Their inability to receive any good of love or truth of faith at all; 2 Evils and falsities constantly pursuing them; 3 Destruction of the truths and forms of good received since early childhood. These three punishments are meant by the three plagues which were presented by the prophet Gad to David because of his numbering the people, 2 Sam 24:13.
[5] These were, 1 Seven years of famine; 2 Flight for three months before his enemies; 3 Three days of pestilence. For 'famine' means a lack and shortage of the forms of good and of the truths that belong to faith and love, since these are meant by bread, food, wheat, barley, oil, and wine, which are lacking so long as famine lasts. 'Flight before enemies' however is used to mean in the internal sense pursuit by evils and falsities; for people who attribute good and truth to themselves cannot fight against the evils and falsities that come from hell, 9978, these being in the spiritual sense the enemies before whom they flee and by whom they are pursued. But 'pestilence' means the laying waste and annihilation of the forms of good and the truths received since early childhood, 7505. David's choice of the pestilence and the death from it of up to seventy thousand men meant that among the Israelite and Jewish nation all truth and good of faith and love would be destroyed, which was indeed what happened. For they did not acknowledge the Lord; yet He is the Source of all good and all truth. Three days meant to completeness, as did the seventy thousand men who died.
Latin(1748-1756) 10219
10219. `Et non sit in illis plaga in numerando illos': quod significet ne sit poena mali in faciendo bona sicut a semet, constat (c)ex significatione `plagae' quod sit poena mali, de qua sequitur, et ex significatione `numerare filios Israelis' quod sit ordinare et disponere vera et bona fidei et amoris, de qua supra n. 10,217, ita facere illa; dicitur {1}sicut a semet, quoniam bona quae facit homo, facit sicut a semet, non aliter percipit antequam in fide est ex amore; influunt enim bona a Domino, et recipiuntur ab homine, et quae recipiuntur primum non aliter sentiuntur quam in ipso et ab ipso, nec percipitur quod a Domino priusquam in cognitionem venit ac postea in agnitionem ex fide; prius enim non reflectere potest quod aliquid a Divino influat, et prorsus non percipere, hoc est, sentire in se, priusquam incipit velle et amare quod ita sit; se {2}habet hoc sicut ipsa vita apud hominem, ac [2] sicut binae vitae facultates interiores, quae sunt intellectus et voluntas; quis non credit priusquam instructus est, quod vita sit in {3}ipso, et sic quod inde agit sit a se? similiter intellectus et voluntas; cum tamen et vita in communi, (c)ac intellectus et voluntas influunt, vera intellectus bona voluntatis e caelo a Domino, at falsa intellectus et mala voluntatis ab inferno; nam nisi spiritus et angeli sint apud hominem, per quos fit influxus, homo ne quidem uno momento vivere potest, proinde nec cogitare nec velle, ut constare potest (c)a multiplici experientia, de qua ad finem plurium capitum ubi de influxu actum est; videantur loci citati n. 9223, 9276 fin., 9682; quamdiu {4}autem homo credit quod omnia [3] a se faciat, tam bona quam mala, tamdiu bona non afficiunt illum, et mala adhaerent illi; at vero ut primum agnoscit et credit quod bona a Domino influant et non a semet, et quod mala ab inferno, tunc bona afficiunt illum et mala non adhaerent illi; et quoque quantum bona afficiunt illum, tantum removentur mala, ita purificatur et liberatur ab illis; sed quamdiu talis status est {5}hominis ut non percipere ac sentire possit influxum bonorum a Domino, {6}tamdiu facit bona sicut a semet, sed usque debet agnoscere et credere quod a Domino; quod cum fit, etiam liberatur a malis; ast ut liberatur a malis, agnitio illa non erit confessio solius oris sed confessio ipsius cordis. [4] Quod plaga sit poena mali, constat absque explicatione; sunt tres plagae, seu tres poenae, quae sequuntur illos qui {7}sibimet tribuunt vera et bona fidei et amoris, seu qui credunt mereri caelum ex {8}suis operibus, nam qui sibi illa tribuunt, etiam caelum ex semet mereri credunt; tres poenae illae sunt, 1. Quod non aliquid boni amoris et veri fidei recipere possint, 2. Quod mala et falsa illos jugiter persequantur, 3. Et quod vera et bona recepta ab infantia pereant; hae tres poenae significantur per tres plagas quae Davidi per Gadem prophetam propter numerationem populi proponebantur, quae erant, 1. septem annorum fames, 2. trium mensium fuga coram hostibus, 3. ac trium dierum pestis, 2 Sam. xxiv 13; per `famem' enim significatur defectus et penuria bonorum et verorum quae fidei et amoris, nam haec per panem, cibum, triticum, hordeum, oleum, et vinum, quae cum perstat fames, deficiunt, significantur; per `fugam' autem `coram hostibus' in sensu interno intelligitur persecutio a malis et falsis; qui enim sibi tribuunt bona et vera, illi non pugnare possunt contra mala et falsa quae ab inferno, n. 9978, quae sunt hostes in spirituali sensu coram quibus fuga et a quibus persecutio; per `pestem' autem significatur vastatio et consumptio bonorum et verorum quae ab infantia recepta sunt, n. 7505; quod David elegerit pestem, ac per illam mortui fuerint {9} ad septuaginta milia virorum, significabat quod apud gentem Israeliticam et Judaicam periturum omne verum et bonum fidei et amoris; quod etiam factum est, nam non agnoscebant Dominum, a Quo tamen {10}omnia bona et vera; tres dies {11}significabant ad plenum, et quoque septuaginta milia (d)virorum qui mortui. @1 quasi$ @2 habent haec$ @3 se$ @4 itaque$ @5 homini$ @6 ideo facere debet$ @7 sibi$ @8 semet$ @9 i usque$ @10 illa$ @11 significant$