10252.“就是最好的没药”表对感官真理的感知。这从“带有气味的没药”的含义清楚可知。“带有气味的没药”是指对感官真理的感知；因为它的“气味”表示感知，如刚才所述，“没药”表示感官真理或感官层面的真理。接下来论述的主题是膏油，膏油表示属天良善，也就是至内层天堂中主的神性之爱的神性良善。该良善的性质是由制成它的芳香物质来描述的。这些物质就是最好的没药、香肉桂、香菖蒲、肉桂和橄榄油，它们表示在其适当次序中的属天真理和良善，也就是说，从最末和最低的依次排到首先的，或从最外层的依次排到最内层的，最末或最外层的由“没药”来表示。之所以用这种方式来描述属天良善，或至内层天堂的良善，是因为这些香料所表示的真理是这种良善产生并持续存在所用的手段。
不过，由于这个问题需要进行更深入的调查，所以必须对它的性质予以充分解释。为使属天良善，就是至内在的良善，能在一个人里面生出，而这一切通过被主重生实现，真理必须从圣言，或从取自圣言的教会教义中获得。这些真理首先在属世人或外在人的记忆中获得一席之地；它们从那里被主召唤出来进入内在人；当此人照它们生活时，这种情况就会发生。这个人越对它们有一种情感，也就是说，越热爱它们，它们就被主提升到更高或更内在的层面，并在那里转化为属天良善。
属天良善就是对为了良善，因而为了主而实行来自圣言的真理的爱之良善；因为主是良善的源头，因而就是这种良善；这就是该良善如何生出的。由此明显可知，这种良善通过来自圣言的真理，首先通过它们存在于人里面最外在的层面，也就是感官层或感官人，然后通过它们被提升到一个内在层面或内在人，最后被提升到至内在的层面，或至内在的人，它们在那里变成属天良善而产生。该良善因以这种方式通过在自己次序中的真理产生，所以后来也是通过这些真理以同样的次序持续存在；因为持续存在就是不断产生。当良善以它产生的那种方式持续存在时，它就是完整的。因为这时较高事物在较低事物上，如同在它们的层面上，并在它们的最外层或最末和最低层，也就是感官记忆真理上，如同在它们的根基上那样持续存在、止歇并依次存储自己。
约翰在启示录中将这些真理描述为形成从天而降的圣耶路撒冷城墙根基的宝石（启示录21:19，20）。“宝石”表示在良善里面所获得的神之真理（9476，9863，9873，9905节）。“带有气味的没药”表示感官真理或感官层的真理，这一点也清楚可见于诗篇：
你喜爱公义，所以神，就是你的神，用喜乐油膏你，胜过膏你的同伴。祂用没药、沉香、肉桂膏抹你一切的衣服。（诗篇45:7，8）
这些话论及主，唯独主是“耶和华的受膏者”，因为“膏油”所表示的神性之爱的神性良善在祂里面（9954节）。被说成是“用没药、沉香、肉桂膏抹”的祂的“衣服”表示存在于属世层里面的源于祂的神性良善的神性真理（5954，9212，9216，9814节）；因此，“没药”表示感官层的神性真理，因为经上首先提到它。
马太福音：
东方博士揭开宝盒，拿黄金、乳香、没药为礼物献给那里出生的主。（马太福音2:11）
此处“黄金”表示良善，“乳香”表示内在真理，“没药”表示外在真理；这两种真理都源于良善。此处首先提到的是黄金，因为它表示良善，良善是至内在的；其次是“乳香”，因为它表示源于良善的内在真理；再次或最后是没药，因为它表示源于良善的外在真理。“黄金”表示良善（9874，9881节）；“乳香”表示源于良善的内在真理（可参看本章34节的经文）。
东方的智者向那时出生的主献上这些礼物，是为了表明祂的人性里面的神性；因为他们拥有对应和代表的知识，故知道黄金、乳香和没药各表示什么。在那些时代，这种知识是存在于阿拉伯人、埃塞俄比亚人和其他东方人当中的主要知道；这也解释为何在圣言中，“阿拉伯”、“埃塞俄比亚”和“东方之子”在内义上表示那些拥有关于天上事物的认知或知识的人（1171，3240，3242，3762节）。但随着时间推移，这种知识消亡了，因为当生活的良善不复存在时，知识就沦为了巫术。它首先在以色列民族当中被抹除，然后在其余的民族当中被抹除。如今它已被抹除到如此程度，以致人们甚至不知道它的存在；事实上，它在基督教界是完全不存在的，以至于如果有人告诉他们说，圣言字义上的一切事物都凭它们的对应关系而表示天上的事物，并且这些构成圣言的内义，他们都不知道这话是什么意思。
由于“没药”表示最外在的真理，也就是感官真理，或感官层的真理，以及对这真理的感知，所以过去尸体是用没药和沉香来涂抹的。这种涂抹表示对一个人的一切真理和良善的保存，也表示复活。因此，这种香料被用来表示一个人生命的最末和最低层，这最末和最低层被称为感官生命。主的身体就用这类事物膏抹，并用它们，连同细麻布包裹，这是犹太人的习俗（可参看约翰福音19:39，40；路加福音23:53，56）。不过，要知道，在圣言中，论到主的话要在至高意义上来理解。因此，此处提到的这些香料表示祂在感官层面上的神性生命，也就是适合身体的生命，以及这身体与祂一起的复活。众所周知，和其他人不同，主是带着祂在世上所拥有的整个身体复活的，因为祂在坟墓里什么也没有留下。所以当门徒看见主，以为他们看见的是一个灵时，主对他们说：
你们为什么愁烦？看我的手、我的脚，摸我看看！灵无肉无骨，你们看，我是有的。（路加福音24:38，39）
Potts(1905-1910) 10252
10252. Best myrrh. That this signifies the perception of sensuous truth, is evident from the signification of "fragrant myrrh," as being the perception of sensuous truth; for its odor denotes perceptivity (as just above), and "myrrh" denotes sensuous truth. In what now follows, the subject treated of is the oil of anointing, by which is signified celestial good, which is the Divine good of the Lord's Divine love in the inmost heaven; its quality is described by the fragrant things of which it was compounded, which were best myrrh, aromatic cinnamon, aromatic calamus, cassia, and oil of olive, by which are signified celestial truths and goods in their order, namely, from ultimate to first ones, or from outermost to inmost ones; the ultimate or outermost ones being signified by "myrrh." The reason why celestial good, or the good of the inmost heaven, is thus described, is because this good comes forth by means of the truths which are signified, and it also subsists by means of them. [2] But as this is a subject of deeper investigation, it may be set forth further. In order that celestial good, which is inmost good, may be born with man, which is effected by the Lord through regeneration, truths must be acquired from the Word, or from the doctrine of the church which is from the Word. These truths obtain their first seat in the memory of the natural or external man; from this they are called forth by the Lord into the internal man, which is done when the man lives according to them; and the more the man is affected with them, or loves them, the higher, or the more interiorly, they are raised by the Lord, and there become celestial good. [3] Celestial good is the good of the love of doing truths from the Word for the sake of good, thus for the Lord's sake; for the Lord is the source of good, thus is good; and this is the generation of this good. From this it is evident that this good comes forth by means of truths from the Word, first in the most external or sensuous man, next by their elevation into the internal man, and finally into the very inmost man, where they become celestial good. And as this good comes forth in this way by means of truths in their order, so it afterward subsists in a like order by means of the same truths, for subsistence is a perpetual coming-forth. And when it so subsists, as it had come forth, it is complete, for then the higher things subsist, rest, and store up themselves in order, upon the lower ones as upon their planes; and upon their outermosts or ultimates, which are sensuous memory-truths, as upon their foundation. [4] These truths are described by John in Revelation as the precious stones forming the foundation of the wall of the holy Jerusalem that came down out of heaven (Rev. 21:19, 20). By "precious stones" are signified truths Divine received in good (n. 9476, 9863, 9873, 9905). That "fragrant myrrh" denotes sensuous truth, is evident also in David:
Thou hast loved righteousness, therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows; with myrrh, aloes, and kesia, all Thy garments (Ps. 45:8, 9). This is said of the Lord, who alone is the "anointed of Jehovah," because there was in Him the Divine good of the Divine love which is signified by the oil of anointing (n. 9954). By His "garments" which are said to be "anointed with myrrh, aloes, and kesia," are signified Divine truths from His Divine good in the natural (n. 5954, 9212, 9216, 9814); thus by "myrrh" is signified Divine truth in the sensuous, because it is mentioned in the first place. [5] In Matthew:
The Wise men from the east, opening their treasures, offered unto the Lord then born, gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matt. 2:11). Here "gold" denotes good; "frankincense," internal truth; and "myrrh," external truth; both of these from good. That "gold" is here mentioned in the first place is because it signifies good, which is inmost; in the second place "frankincense," because it signifies internal truth from good; and "myrrh" is mentioned in the third or last place because it signifies external truth from good. (That "gold" denotes good, see the places cited in n. 9874, 9881; and that "frankincense" denotes internal truth from good will be seen in what follows at verse 34.) [6] The reason why the wise men from the east offered these things to the Lord then born, was that they might signify His Divine in the Human; for they knew what gold signified, what frankincense, and what myrrh, because they were in the science of correspondences and representations. In those times this was the chief science among the Arabians, Ethiopians, and others in the east; and therefore also in the Word by "Arabia," "Ethiopia," and "the sons of the east," in the internal sense, are meant those who are in the knowledges of heavenly things (n. 1171, 3240, 3242, 3762). But in course of time this science perished, because when the good of life ceased it was turned into magic. It was first obliterated with the Israelitish nation, and afterward with the rest; and at this day so completely that it is not even known to exist. So much is this the case in the Christian world, that if it were said that all things of the Word in the sense of the letter signify heavenly things by correspondence, and that from this is its internal sense, no one would know what was meant. [7] As "myrrh" signified truth the most external, which is sensuous truth, and its perception, therefore the bodies of the dead were formerly anointed with myrrh and aloes, by which anointing was signified the preservation of all truths and goods with the man, and also their resurrection. For this reason such a substance was employed as signified the ultimate of life with man, which ultimate is called the sensuous life. (That the body of the Lord was anointed with such things, and was encompassed with them, together with a linen cloth, and that this was the custom of the Jews, may be seen in John 19:39, 40; Luke 23:53, 56.) But be it known that what is said of the Lord Himself in the Word is to be understood in a supereminent sense, and therefore these things here signify His Divine life in the sensuous, which is the life proper to the body, and also the resurrection of this. It is known that the Lord rose again with the whole body which He had in the world, differently from other men, for He left nothing in the sepulcher; and therefore He also said to the disciples, who when they saw the Lord supposed that they saw a spirit, "Why are ye troubled? behold My hands and My feet, touch Me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have" (Luke 24:38, 39).
Elliott(1983-1999) 10252
10252. 'The best myrrh' means the perception of truth on the level of the senses. This is clear from the meaning of 'odour-bearing myrrh' as the perception of truth on the level of the senses; for its 'odour' means perception, as immediately above, and 'myrrh' truth on the level of the senses. The subject in the verses that come now is the anointing oil, by which celestial good, which is the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Love in the inmost heaven, is meant. The nature of that good is described by the fragrant substances from which it was made. These were the best myrrh, sweet-smelling cinnamon, sweet-smelling calamus, cassia, and olive oil, which mean celestial truths and forms of good in their proper order, that is to say, ranging from those which are last and lowest in order to those which are first, or from those which are outermost to those which are inmost, the last or outermost being meant by 'myrrh'. The reason why celestial good, or the good of the inmost heaven, is described in this manner is that the truths meant by those spices are the means by which such good comes into being and is also kept in being.
[2] But since this matter demands to be investigated more deeply, the whole nature of it must be explained more fully. In order that the birth of celestial good, which is inmost good, may take place in a person, which is accomplished through being regenerated by the Lord, truths must be acquired from the Word, or from the teachings of the Church which are drawn from the Word. These truths first finda their seat in the memory within the natural or external man. From there they are summoned by the Lord into the internal man, which happens when the person leads a life in keeping with them. And so far as the person has an affection for them, that is, loves them, they are raised by the Lord to an even higher or more internal level, where they are transformed into celestial good.
[3] Celestial good is the good of the love which desires to put truths from the Word into practice for the sake of good, thus for the Lord's sake since the Lord is the source of good and therefore is such good. This is how that good comes to be born, from which it is evident that such good is brought into being by means of truths from the Word, first by their presence on the most external level in a person, which is that of the senses, then by their being raised to an internal level, and finally to the inmost one itself, where those truths are transformed into celestial good. And since that good is brought into being in this way by means of truths in their own order, so subsequently is it kept in being in similar order by means of those very truths; for continuance in being is a perpetual coming into being. When good is kept in being in that manner, the same as it had been brought into being, it is complete. For now higher things descending in order have lower ones to depend on as an infrastructure for their continued existence, for a resting-place, and for a plane of support.
[4] And they have outermost or last and lowest ones, which are truths present within knowledge on the level of the senses, as a foundation. These truths are described in John, in the Book of Revelation, by the precious stones forming the foundations of the wall of the Holy Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, Rev 21:19,20. By 'precious stones' God's truths received within good are meant, see 9476, 9863, 9873, 9905. The fact that 'odour-bearing myrrh' means truth on the level of the senses is also clear in David,
You have loved righteousness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions. With myrrh, aloes, and kessiab [He has anointed] all Your garments. Ps 45:7,8.
These words refer to the Lord, who alone is Jehovah's Anointed, because the Divine Good of Divine Love, meant by 'anointing oil', was within Him, 9954. By 'His garments', which are said to have been anointed with myrrh, aloes, and kessia, Divine Truths springing from His Divine Good, present in the natural degree, are meant, 5954, 9212, 9216, 9814, so that 'myrrh' means Divine Truth on the level of the senses since it is mentioned first.
[5] In Matthew,
Opening their treasures the wise men from the east offered gifts to the new-born Lord - gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matt 2:11.
'Gold' here means good, 'frankincense' internal truth, and 'myrrh' external truth; both kinds of truth spring from good. In this instance 'gold' is the first to be mentioned because it means good, which is inmost; 'frankincense' is the second because it means internal truth springing from good; and 'myrrh' is the third or last to be mentioned because it means external truth springing from good. For the meaning of 'gold' as good, see in the places referred to in 9874, 9881; and for that of 'frankincense' as internal truth springing from good, see below at verse 34 of the present chapter.
[6] The wise men from the east offered those gifts to the Lord born at that time to indicate His Divinity within His Humanity; for having a knowledge of correspondences and representations they knew what gold, frankincense, and myrrh each served to mean. That knowledge was the chief kind that existed in those times among Arabs, Ethiopians, and others in the east, which also explains why in the Word those who possess cognitions or knowledge of heavenly things are meant in the internal sense by Arabia, Ethiopia, and 'the sons of the east', 1171, 3240, 3242, 3762. But such knowledge during that time perished, for when the good of life passed away the knowledge was turned into magic. First it was erased among the Israelite nation, and subsequently among all the rest. At the present day it has been erased to such an extent that people do not even know of its existence; indeed it is so completely absent from the Christian world that if anyone tells them that all things in the literal sense of the Word serve by virtue of their correspondence to mean heavenly realities, and that these constitute its internal sense, they do not know what to make of it.
[7] Because myrrh served to mean the most external truth, which is truth on the level of the senses, and perception of that truth, the bodies of those who had died were anointed in former times with myrrh and aloes. That anointing served to mean the preservation of all of a person's truths and forms of good, and also to mean resurrection. Therefore also such [spices] were used as served to mean the last and lowest level of a person's life, called the life of the senses. The Lord's body was anointed with such, and together with them was wrapped in a linen cloth; and this was the custom among the Jews, see John 19:39,40, and also Luke 23:55,56. But it should be remembered that things said in the Word about the Lord Himself are to be understood in a pre-eminent sense. Consequently the spices mentioned in those verses mean His Divine life on the level of the senses, which is the life proper to the body, and also the resurrection of this with Him. As is well known, unlike anyone else the Lord rose again with the whole body He had in the world, for He left nothing in the tomb. Therefore also, when the disciples beheld the Lord and thought that they were seeing a spirit, He said to them,
Why are you troubled? See My hands and My feet; handle Me, see; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see Me have. Luke 24:38,39.
Latin(1748-1756) 10252
10252. `Myrrham optimam': quod significet perceptionem veri sensualis, constat ex significatione `myrrhae odoriferae' quod sit perceptio veri sensualis, `odor' enim ejus est perceptivum, ut mox supra, et `myrrha' est verum sensuale. Agitur in nunc sequentibus de oleo unctionis, per quod significatur bonum caeleste, quod est Divinum Bonum Divini Amoris Domini in caelo intimo; ejus quale describitur per odorata ex quibus conficiebatur, quae fuerunt myrrha optima, cinnamomum aromaticum, calamus aromaticus, casia, et oleum oliva per quae significantur vera et bona caelestia in suo ordine, nempe ab ultimis ad prima, seu ab extremis ad intima; {1}ultima seu extrema significantur per `myrrham'; causa quod ita describatur bonum caeleste, seu bonum intimi caeli, est quia bonum illud existit per illa vera quae significantur, et quoque subsistit per illa. [2] Sed quia hoc {2} altioris indaginis est, licet ulterius exponere quomodo cum hoc se habet: ut bonum caeleste, quod est bonum intimum nascatur apud hominem, quod fit per regenerationem a Domino, acquirentur vera ex Verbo, seu ex doctrina Ecclesiae quae {3} ex Verbo; haec vera {4}primum suam sedem nascuntur in memoria naturalis seu externi hominis; inde evocantur illa in {5}internum hominem a Domino, quod fit cum homo vivit secundum illa; et quantum homo afficitur illis, seu amat illa, tantum elevantur adhuc superius, seu interius a Domino, [3] ac fiunt ibi bonum caeleste; bonum caeleste est bonum amoris faciendi vera ex Verbo propter bonum, ita propter Dominum, nam Dominus est a Quo bonum, ita bonum; haec est generatio boni illius; ex qua patet quod id bonum existat per vera ex Verbo, primum in maxime externo seu sensuali homine, dein per elevationem eorum in internum, et demum in ipsum intimum, ubi illa fiunt bonum caeleste; et quia sic bonum illud per vera in suo ordine existit, ita postea illud in simili ordine per {6}eadem vera subsistit, nam subsistentia est perpetua existentia; et cum ita subsistit, sicut (x)exstiterat, completum est, nam tunc superiora subsistunt, requiescunt, et se reponunt ordine super inferioribus ut super suis planis, et super extremis seu ultimis, quae sunt vera scientifica {7}sensualia, ut super suo fundamento. Describuntur haec vera apud Johannem in Apocalypsi per lapides [4] pretiosos ex quibus fundamentum muri Sanctae Hierosolymae descendentis e caelo, xxi 19, 20; per `lapides {8} pretiosos' significantur vera Divina {9}recepta in bono, (x)videatur n. 9476, 9863, 9873, 9905. Quod `myrrha odorifera' sit verum sensuale, constat etiam apud Davidem, Amasti justitiam, propterea unxit te Deus; Deus tuus oleo laetitiae prae sociis tuis; myrrha, aloe, et kesia omnes vestes tuas, Ps. xlv 8, 9 [A.V. 7, 8];dicuntur haec de Domino, Qui solus est Unctus Jehovae, quoniam Divinum Bonum Divini Amoris, quod significatur per oleum unctionis, fuit in Ipso, n. 9954; per `vestes Ipsius,' quae unctae dicuntur myrrha, aloe, et kesia, significantur Divina Vera ex Divino Bono Ipsius, in naturali, n. 5954, 9212, 9216, 9814, {10}ita per `myrrham' Divinum Verum in sensuali, quia primo loco nominatur: apud Matthaeum, [5] Sapientes ex Oriente aperientes thesauros suos, (x)obtulerunt Domino nato dona, aurum, tus, et myrrham, ii 11;
`aurum' ibi est bonum, `tus' est verum internum, et `myrrha' est verum externum, utrumque ex bono; (d)quod primo loco ibi {11}nominetur `aurum,' est quia `aurum' significat bonum, quod est intimum, secundo loco `tus,' quia significat verum internum ex bono, et quod tertio seu ultimo loco {11}nominetur `myrrha,' est quia significat verum externum {12}ex bono; quod `aurum' sit bonum, videatur in locis citatis n. 9874, 9881, et quod `tus' sit verum internum ex bono, videbitur in sequentibus ad vers. 34 hujus capitis. [6] Quod sapientes ex Oriente illa obtulerint Domino tunc nato, erat ut significarent Divinum Ipsius in Humano, sciverunt enim illi quid aurum significabat, quid tus, et quid myrrha, nam in scientia correspondentiarum et repraesentationum erant; illa scientia fuit praecipua illis temporibus apud Arabes, Aethiopes, et apud alios in Oriente, (x)quapropter etiam in Verbo per Arabiam, Aethiopiam, et per filios Orientis, in sensu interno intelliguntur illi qui in cognitionibus caelestium sunt, n. 1171, 3240, 3242, 3762; sed scientia illa tempore periit, quoniam, cum desiit bonum vitae, versa fuit in magiam; (c)ac primum obliterata {13} apud gentem Israeliticam, et postea apud reliquas; et hodie usque adeo ut ne quidem sciatur quod sit, in Christiano orbe in tantum ut si dicatur quod omnia et singula Verbi in sensu litterae ex correspondentia significent caelestia, et quod inde sensus ejus internus, nesciatur quidnam hoc. (s)Quia myrrha significabat verum maxime externum, quod est verum sensuale, et ejus perceptionem, ideo corpora mortuorum ungebantur olim myrrha et aloe, per quam unctionem significabatur conservatio verorum et bonorum omnium apud hominem, (c)et quoque resurrectio; quapropter (t)etiam adhibebatur tale, quod significabat ultimum vitae apud hominem, {14}quod ultimum vocatur vita sensualis; quod talibus unctum fuerit, et una cum linteo circumdatum corpus Domini, et quod ille mos fuerit apud Judaeos, videatur apud Johannem xix 39, 40; tum apud Lucam xxiii 55, 56; sed sciendum quod quae de Ipso Domino in Verbo dicuntur, in supereminenti sensu intelligenda sint, quare illa ibi significant vitam Ipsius Divinam in sensuali, quae est vita propria corporis, et quoque {15}Hujus resurrectionem; quod Dominus resurrexerit toto corpore quod in mundo habuit, secus ac alii homines, notum est, nam nihil in sepulcro reliquit; quapropter etiam dixit ad discipulos, putantes se videre spiritum, cum Dominum, Quid perturbati estis ? videte manus Meas et pedes Meo palpate Me, videte, nam spiritus carnem et ossa non habet, sicut videtis Me habere, Luc. xxiv (x)38, 39.(s) @1 ultima seu extrema significantur altered to ultimum seu extremum significatur$ @2 i arcanum$ @3 i est$ @4 primam sedem suam habent$ @5 internum altered to interiorem$ @6 illa$ @7 ex sensuali$ @8 i enim$ @9 ex Verbo$ @10 perceptivum et communicativum illorum describitur per aromatica illa; et$ @11 nominatur$ @12 ita verum sensuale ex bono, eo enim ordine sequuntur$ @13 i est$ @14 quae vita$ @15 d hujus i illius$