10235.“你要做一个铜盆”表在人的属世层里面的良善，洁净在属世层中进行。这从“盆”和“铜”的含义清楚可知：里面盛水用来洗濯的“盆”是指人的属世层，如下文所述；“铜”是指它的良善（425，1551节）。接下来的经文论述的主题是洗濯，经上说亚伦和他的儿子在进会幕，或是走近祭坛供职的时候，要洗他们的手和脚；在别处说，那些变得不洁净的人要洗身体和衣服，这样他们就洁净了。由此可以看出，洗代表从邪恶中洁净，因此洗身体和衣服代表心和心智的洁净。凡出于一点启示思考的人都能看出，洗濯不会清除心和心智中的邪恶，只能洗去身体和衣服上的污垢；这种污垢被清除之后，邪恶仍然存在；邪恶绝无可能被水冲走，只能通过悔改被冲走。
这一切再次表明，建立在以色列民族当中的事物是由代表内在事物的外在事物构成的，这些内在事物是他们当中教会的真实神圣事物，而不是没有内在事物的外在事物。但这个民族认为神圣完全在于外在事物或外在形式，根本不在于内在事物，这一点从主在马太福音中所说的话明显看出来：
你们这假冒为善的文士和法利赛人有祸了！因为你们洗净杯盘的外面，里面却盛满了勒索和放荡。你这瞎眼的法利赛人，先洗净杯盘的里面，好叫外面也干净了。你们好像粉饰的坟墓，外面好看，里面却装满了死人的骨头，和一切的污秽。（马太福音23:25-27；以及马可福音7:2-8；路加福音11:39）
“盆”之所以表示属世层，是因为在盆里“洗濯”表示从邪恶中洁净，从邪恶中洁净发生在属世层里面。此外，器皿一般表示那些属于属世人的事物（3068，3079，9394节），因为属世人是属于内在人的属灵事物的接受者。属世层是人的外在部分，也就是被称为外在人的那个部分。“盆”表示人里面的属世层，这种观念似乎有些牵强；但要知道，此处在内义上所论述的主题是从邪恶中洁净，被洁净的是人。由此可推知，在其中进行表示洁净的洗濯的物体是指人的某个部分。这个部分就是属世层，因为如前所述，洁净就发生在属世层。此外，为了敬拜而在以色列和犹太民族当中所建造的一切物体都表示那些属于天堂和教会的事物，因而表示诸如存在于一个人里面的那类事物；因为它们若非表示存在于一个人里面的某种事物，根本不会代表任何事物。
“盆”表示人里面的属世层，盆里的“水”表示信之真理，“洗濯”表示从邪恶中洁净。由此可见圣殿旁边的铜海，以及驮铜海的十二只牛表示什么。同样可以看出也摆在圣殿旁边的其它十个盆表示什么，雕刻的狮子、牛和它们上面的基路伯表示什么，以及它们下面像车轮一样的轮子表示什么。一旦知道盆、水和洗濯表示什么，并进一步知道从人里面的邪恶中洁净是何情形，所有这些事物的含义就都显而易见了，因为所有这些事物，无一例外，都是属天和属灵事物的代表。
经上是如此描述所罗门所造、放在圣殿旁的铜海的：
他又铸一个铜海，从这边到那边有十肘，四围是圆的，高五肘；四围的圆周线三十肘。在边缘之下周围有野瓜，一肘十个，四面围绕着铜海。铜海立在十二只牛之上，三只向北，三只向西，三只向南，三只向东；海在牛上，它们的后面部分都向内。海厚一手宽，它的边形如杯边，又如百合花，可容二千罢特。又将海放在房子的右边，就是东南边。（列王纪上7:23-26，39）
这个器皿或盆被称为“海”，是因为“海”表示总体上的记忆知识和属于属世人的一切记忆知识。“海”表示总体上的记忆知识（参看28，2850，8184节）；记忆知识属于属世人（1486，3019，3020，3309，3310，5373，6004，6023，6071，6077，9918节）。这盆之所以“形如杯边”，是因为“杯”或“碗”也表示属于属世人，或感官层的记忆知识（9557，9996节）。“十二只牛”表示整体上存在于属世和感官人里面的一切良善，因为它们取代底座而存在于那里，而“底座”表示提供支撑的最末和最低之物。“十二”表示整体上的一切事物（参看3272，3858，3913节）；“牛”表示属世人的良善（2781，9135节）。
这些牛之所以面向世上的四个方位，是因为属世人的良善是从世界流入的一切事物的容器，无论与良善有关的事物，还是与真理有关的事物。直径十肘表示完整或完全之物（3107节）；周长三十肘表示四围的完整性（9082节）；“二千罢特”表示良善和真理的结合，因而洁净和重生，因为重生无非是良善和真理的结合；“二千”与“二”具有相同的含义，因为相乘得来的数与构成它们的简单数具有相同的含义（5291，5335，5708，7973节）；“二”表示结合（5194，8423节）。将铜海“放在殿的右边，就是东南边”表示它面向主，因为主是东方（101，9668节）；房子或殿是指主所在的天堂和教会（参看3720节）。由此可见铜海表示什么，因而盆表示什么，即表示人里面的属世层，洁净就发生在属世层中。
Potts(1905-1910) 10235
10235. And thou shalt make a laver of brass. That this signifies the good of the natural man, in which is purification, is evident from the signification of "a laver," wherein is water for washing, as being the natural of man (of which below); and from the signification of "brass," as being the good of this (n. 425, 1551). The subject treated of in what now follows is washing, and it is said that Aaron and his sons should wash their hands and their feet when they entered into the Tent of meeting, or came near unto the altar to minister; and in other places it is said that they who had become unclean should wash themselves and their garments, and so they would be clean; from which it can be seen that washing represented purification from evils; thus the washing of the body and the garments represented the purification of the heart and mind. Everyone who thinks from any enlightenment can see that the evils of the heart and mind were not wiped away by the washing, but only the uncleanness of the body and the garments; and that after this was wiped away the evils still remained; and that evils cannot possibly be washed away by water, but by repentance. [2] From all this it is again evident that the things which were instituted among the Israelitish nation were external things that represented internal ones, and that these internal things were the real holy things of the church among them, and not the external things without the internal things. But that this nation nevertheless made all holiness to consist in the external things, and nothing of it in the internal things, is evident from the words of the Lord in the Gospel of Matthew as follows:
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and intemperance. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, and the outside also shall become clean. Ye make yourselves like unto whitened sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness (Matt. 23:25-27; also Mark 7:2-8; and Luke 11:39). [3] That the "laver" signifies the natural, is because by washing therein is signified purification from evils, and purification from evils is effected in the natural; and moreover by vessels in general is signified what is of the natural man (n. 3068, 3079, 9394), because the natural is the recipient of the spiritual things of the internal man. By the natural is meant the external of man, that is, what is called the external man. It may seem strange that by the "laver" is signified the natural of man; but be it known that the subject here treated of in the internal sense is purification from evils, and it is man that is purified; hence it follows that something of man is signified by that in which the washing, by which is signified purification, was effected. That this is the natural is because, as already said, purification is effected in this. Moreover, all things which were built up for the sake of worship among the Israelitish and Jewish nation signified things of heaven and the church, consequently such as belong to man; for unless they had signified something with man, they would not have represented anything. [4] As by the "laver" is signified the natural of man; by the "waters in the laver," the truths which are of faith; and by "washing," purification from evils; it can from this be known what was signified by the brazen sea near the temple, and what by the twelve oxen which bore it; and likewise by the ten other lavers also placed near the temple, and by the lions, the oxen, and the cherubs engraved on them, also by the wheels like those of a chariot under them. The signification of all these things is evident when it is known what is signified by a laver, by water, and by washing, and when it is further known how the case is with purification from the evils in man, for each and all were representative of celestial and spiritual things. [5] The brazen sea made by Solomon, and set near the temple, is thus described:
He made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, the height five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits compassed it round about. And under the brim of it round about were wild gourds, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about. It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set upon them above, and all their hinder parts were inward. Its thickness was a hand-breadth; and the brim thereof was according to the work of the brim of a cup, the flower of a lily; it held two thousand baths. And the sea was set on the right shoulder of the house eastward over against the south (1 Kings 7:23-26, 39). [6] This vessel or laver is called a "sea," because by the "sea" is signified memory-knowledge in general, and all memory- knowledge belongs to the natural of man (that the "sea" denotes memory-knowledge in general, see n. 28, 2850, 8184; and that this knowledge belongs to man's natural, n. 1486, 3019, 3020, 3309, 3310, 5373, 6004, 6023, 6071, 6077, 9918). The reason why this laver was "according to the work of the brim of a cup" was because by a "cup," a "bowl," or a "goblet," is also signified the memory-knowledge that belongs to the natural or sensuous of man (n. 9557, 9996). By the "twelve oxen" were signified all the goods of the natural and sensuous man in the complex, because they were for a base, and by a "base" is signified that which is ultimate, and supports. (That "twelve" denotes all things in the complex, see n. 3272, 3858, 3913; and that an "ox" denotes the good of the natural man, n. 2781, 9135.) [7] That they looked to all the quarters of the world was because the good of the natural man is the receptacle of all things that flow in from the world, as well those which relate to goods as those which relate to truths. The diameter of "ten cubits" signified what is full (n. 3107); and the circumference "thirty cubits" signified a full and complete complex (n. 9082); "two thousand baths" signified the conjunction of good and truth, thus purification and regeneration, for regeneration is nothing else than the conjunction of good and truth; "two thousand" signify the same as "two," for multiplied numbers signify the like as the simple ones from which they are compounded (n. 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973); and "two" denotes conjunction (n. 5194, 8423). The brazen sea being set "on the right shoulder of the house toward the east over against the south" signified that it looked to the Lord, for the Lord is the "East" (n. 101, 9668); the "house" or temple denotes heaven and the church where the Lord is (see n. 3720). From all this it can now be seen what was signified by the brazen sea, consequently what by the laver, namely, the natural of man, in which is purification.
Elliott(1983-1999) 10235
10235. 'And you shall make a laver of bronze' means the good within the natural degree in a person, in which purification takes place. This is clear from the meaning of 'the laver', in which there is water for washing, as the natural degree within a person, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'bronze' as its good, dealt with in 425, 1551. Washing is the subject in the verses that come now. They state that Aaron and his sons were to wash their hands and their feet whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar to minister; and elsewhere it is stated that those who became unclean should wash themselves and their garments, and that if they did so they would be clean. From all this it may be recognized that washing represented purification from evils, so that the washing of body and garments represented the purification of heart and mind. Everyone who is at all enlightened in his thinking may see that washing does not purge away evils in the heart and mind, only dirt on the body and clothes, and that after this has been purged away the evils still remain; also that evils could not ever be washed away by means of water, only through repentance.
[2] All this shows yet again that what had been established among the Israelite nation consisted of external forms which represented internal realities, and that the internal realities were the real holy things of the Church among them, not the external forms without those realities. But that nation nevertheless thought that holiness lay entirely in the external forms and not at all in internal realities, as is clear from the Lord's words in Matthew,
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You cleanse the exterior of the cup and the plate, but the interiors are full of pillage and lack of restraint. Blind Pharisee! Cleanse first the internal of the cup and the plate, in order that the external may be made clean also. You make yourselves like white-washed sepulchres, which outwardly do indeed appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and of all uncleanness. Matt 23:25-27.
See also Mark 7:2-8and Luke 11:39.
[3] The reason why 'the laver' means the natural degree is that 'washing' in the laver means purification from evils, and purification from evils takes place in the natural degree. Furthermore vessels in general mean those things that belong to the natural man, 3068, 3079, 9394, since the natural is a recipient of spiritual realities belonging to the internal man. By the natural degree the external part of a person should be understood, that is, the part that is called the external man. The idea that 'the laver' means the natural degree within a person may seem to be far-fetched, but it should be remembered that purification from evils is the subject at this point in the internal sense; and that which undergoes purification is a person. From this it follows that some part of a person is meant by that object in which washing - meaning purification - took place. That part is the natural degree, because this is where purification takes place, as has been stated. Furthermore all the objects which had been made among the Israelite and Jewish nation for the sake of worship were signs of those things that belong to heaven and the Church and therefore of such things as exist within a person; for unless they had been signs of something that exists within a person they would not have represented anything at all.
[4] 'The laver' means the natural degree within a person, 'the water' in the laver means the truths of faith, and 'washing' purification from evils. From this it may be seen what the bronze sea next to the temple meant, and also what the twelve oxen which were carrying it meant. In like manner it may be seen what the other ten lavers, also placed next to the temple, meant; what the engraved lions, oxen, and cherubs therea meant; and also what the chariot-like wheels underneath them meant. What all these were signs of is evident once it is known what the laver, water, and washing mean, and once it is known what the purification from evils that takes place with a person entails. For all these things without exception were representative of celestial and spiritual realities.
[5] The bronze sea made by Solomon and placed next to the temple is described as follows,
He made the sea [of] cast [bronze], ten cubits from brim to brim, completely roundb; five cubits was its height; and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumferencec. Below the brim were gourds going round, ten to a cubitd, all the way around the seae. It was standing on twelve oxen, three looking north, and three looking west, and three looking south, and three looking east; but the sea was upon them above, and all their hinder parts were inwards. Its thickness was a hand's breadth; its brim was shaped likef the brim of a cup, [like] the flower of a lily. It contained two thousand bathsg. And the sea was placed on the right sideh of the house towards the southeasti. 1 Kings 7:23-26,39.
[6] This vessel or laver is called a sea because a sea means factual knowledge in general, and all factual knowledge belongs to the natural man.
'A sea' means factual knowledge in general, see 28, 2850, 8184. Factual knowledge belongs to the natural man, 1486, 3019, 3020, 3309, 3310, 5373, 6004, 6023, 6071, 6077, 9918.
The reason why this laver was shaped like the rim of a cup was that 'a cup' too means factual knowledge present in the natural man, on the level of the senses, 9557, 9996. 'Twelve oxen' served to mean all forms of good in their entirety present in the natural man, on the level of the senses, because they existed there in place of a pedestal, and 'a pedestal' means that which is last and lowest and provides support - 'twelve' meaning all things in their entirety, see 3272, 3858, 3913, and 'ox' the good of the natural man, 2781, 9135.
[7] The reason why the oxen looked towards all four quarters of the world was that the good present in the natural man is the receptacle of all things that flow in from the world, both those connected with good and those connected with truth. A diameter of ten cubits meant that which is complete, 3107, and a circumference of thirty cubits meant completeness all round, 9082. 'Two thousand baths' meant goodness and truth joined together, thus purification and regeneration; for regeneration is nothing other than the joining together of goodness and truth. Two thousand has the same meaning as two, for compound numbers are similar in meaning to the simple ones of which they the product, 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973, 'two' meaning a joining together, see 5194, 8423. The placement of the bronze sea on the right side towards the southeast meant that it was directed towards the Lord, for the Lord is the East, 101, 9668; the house or temple is heaven and the Church, where the Lord is, 3720. From all this it now becomes clear what 'the bronze sea' meant, and consequently what 'the laver' means, namely the natural degree within a person, in which purification takes place.
Latin(1748-1756) 10235
10235. `Et facies labrum aeris': quod significet bonum naturalis hominis, in quo purificatio, constat ex significatione `labri' in quo aqua pro lavatione, quod sit naturale hominis, de qua sequitur, et ex significatione `aeris' quod sit bonum ejus, de qua n. 425, 1551. Agitur in nunc sequentibus de lavatione, et dicitur quod Aharon et filii ejus lavarent manus suas et pedes suos cum intrarent in tentorium conventus, aut accederent ad altare ad ministrandum {1}; et alibi dicitur quod immundi facti lavarent se et vestes, et sic quod mundi (d)essent; ex quibus constare potest quod lavatio repraesentaverit purificationem a malis, ita lavatio corporis et vestium purificationem cordis et mentis; quisque qui ex aliqua illustratione cogitat videre potest quod per lavationem non mala cordis et mentis abstersa fuerint sed modo sordes corporis et vestium, et quod postquam hae abstersae fuerunt, usque mala remanserint; et quod mala nequaquam ablui {2}possent per aquas, sed per paenitentiam. [2] Ex his iterum patet quod illa quae apud gentem Israeliticam instituta fuerunt, externa (x)fuerint quae repraesentaverunt interna, et quod interna essent ipsa sancta Ecclesiae apud illos, et non externa absque illis; sed quod gens illa, usque omne sanctum in externis et nihil in internis posuerit, constat a Domini verbis apud Matthaeum, Vae vobis, Scribae et Pharisaei, hypocritae! purgatis exterius poculi et patinae, interiora vero plena sunt rapina et intemperantia; Pharisaee caece, purga prius internum poculi et patinae, {3}ut fiat etiam externum mundum. Similes vos facitis sepulcris dealbatis, quae foris quidem apparent pulchra, intus vero plena sunt ossibus mortuorum et omni immunditie, xxiii 25-27;tum Marc. vii 2-8; et Luc. xi 39. [3] Quod `labrum' significet naturae, est quia per `lavationem' inibi significatur purificatio a malis, et purificatio a malis fit in naturali; et praeterea per vasa {4}in genere significantur illa quae sunt naturalis hominis, n. 3068, 3079, 9394, quoniam naturale est recipiens spiritualium quae interni hominis. Per naturale intelligitur externum hominis, hoc est, id quod vocatur externus homo {5}. Videri potest sicut alienum quod per `labrum' significetur naturale hominis; sed sciendum quod {6}in sensu interno hic agatur de purificatione a malis, et {7}homo est qui purificatur; inde sequitur quod aliquid hominis significetur per id in quo {8}fiebat lavatio, per quam significatur purificatio; quod id sit naturale, est quia inibi, ut dictum est, fit purificatio; {9}praeterea omnia quae cultus gratia, apud gentem Israeliticam et Judaicam, exstructa fuerunt, significabant illa quae caeli et Ecclesiae, proinde talia quae sunt apud hominem, nam nisi significavissent aliquid apud hominem, non aliquid repraesentavissent. [4] Quoniam per `labrum' significatur naturale hominis, per {10}aquas in labro {11}vera quae fidei, et per lavationem purificatio a malis, inde sciri potest quid significatum fuit per mare aeneum juxta templum, et quoque quid per duodecim boves qui portabant illud; similiter quid per decem reliqua labra etiam juxta templum posita, (c)et per {12}insculptos ibi leones, boves, et cherubos, tum per rotas sicut currus sub illis; omnia haec quid significabant, {13}patet cum notum {14}est quid significatur per labrum, aquam, et lavationem, et cum notum {14}est quomodo se habet cum purificatione a malis apud hominem, nam omnia et singula {15}erant repraesentativa caelestium et spiritualium. [5] Mare aeneum a Salomone factum, (c)et positum juxta templum, ita describitur, Fecit mare fusile decem cubiti a labro ad labrum, rotundum circumcirca; quinque cubiti altitudo; et linea triginta cubitorum circumdabat illud circumcirca. (x)Colocynthides infra labrum circumeuntes, decem cubitorum circumdantes mare circumcirca. Stans super duodecim bobus, tres spectantes septentrionem, et tres spectantes occidentem, et tres spectantes meridiem, et tres spectantes orientem; mare autem super illis superius, et omnia posteriora eorum introrsum. Crassities ejus palma, labrum ejus juxta opus labri calicis, flos lilii. Duo milia bathorum continebat; {16}et positum fuit mare ab umero domus dextro versus orientem e regione meridiei, 1 Reg. vii 23-26, 39;
[6] hoc vas seu hoc labrum vocatur mare, quia per `mare' significatur scientificum in communi, et omne scientificum est naturalis hominis; quod `mare' sit scientificum in communi, videatur n. 28, 2850, 8184, et quod scientificum sit naturalis hominis, n. 1486, 3019, 3020, 3309, 3310, 5373, 6004, 6023, 6071, (x)6077, 9918; quod hoc labrum esset juxta opus labri calicis, erat causa quia per `calicem,' `scyphum,' seu `poculum,' etiam significatur {17}scientificum quod naturalis {18}seu sensualis hominis, n. 9557, 9996; per `duodecim boves' significabantur (d)omnia bona (d)naturalis et sensualis hominis in complexu, quoniam baseos loco erant, et per `basin' significatur {19}id quod ultimum est, ac sustentat; quod duodecim sint omnia in complexu, videatur n. 3272, 3858, 3913, et quod `bos' sit bonum naturalis hominis, n. 2781, 9135; quod spectaverint ad omnes plagas mundi, erat quia bonum naturalis [7] hominis est receptaculum omnium quae ex mundo influunt, tam quae se referunt ad bona quam quae ad vera; diameter decem cubitorum significabat plenum, n. 3107, et circumferentia triginta cubitorum significabat complexum plenarium, n. 9082; `duo milia bathorum' significabant conjunctionem boni et veri, ita purificationem et regenerationem, nam regeneratio non aliud est quam conjunctio boni et veri; duo milia idem significant quod duo, nam numeri multiplicati simile significant cum simplicibus a quibus sunt, n. 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973; quod duo sint conjunctio, videatur n. 5194, 8423; quod mare aeneum positum esset ab umero dextro versus orientem e regione meridiei, significabat quod ad Dominum, nam Dominus est Oriens, n. 101, 9668; domus seu templum est caelum et Ecclesia ubi Dominus, n. (x)3720. Ex his nunc constare potest quid per `mare aeneum' {20}significabatur, consequenter quid per `labrum,' quod nempe naturale hominis, in quod purificatio. @1 i, ne morerentur$ @2 possint$ @3 et AIT$ @4 omnis generis$ @5 i, de quo et de cujus distinctione ab interno, pluries actum est$ @6 After hic$ @7 homo est altered to quod homo sit$ @8 purificatio fiebat quae significatur per lavationem$ @9 praeterea omnia quaecunque exstructa fuerunt, cultus gratia, apud gentem Israeliticam, significabant talia quae sunt apud hominem, et se referunt ad vera et bona fidei et amoris, nam nisi ad hominem se referrent, non aliquid repraesentavissent, apud hominem solum sunt vera et bona fidei et amoris$ @10 aquam$ @11 verum quod$ @12 sculpturas$ @13 patent AI$ @14 d est i fit$ @15 ibi repraesentativa erant coelestia et spiritualia, qualia sunt in coelis apud angelos, et qualia erunt in mundo apud homines$ @16 mare posuit$ @17 scientifica$ @18 et$ @19 sensuale quod ultimum vitae hominis$ @20 significantur$