10429.“看哪，这真是硬着颈项的百姓”表他们不接受来自主的流注。这从“硬着颈项”的含义清楚可知。“硬着颈项”是指不接受流注；因为“颈项”表示高层事物和低层事物，或说在上之物和在下之物的结合和联系，因而表示流注（参看3542，3603，3695，3725，5320，5328，5926，6033，8079，9913，9914节），而“硬”表示抵制和弃绝，因而表示不接受。这百姓在此被称为这样的人，是因为他们的兴趣在于外在事物，不在于内在事物；像这样的人就会弃绝来自天堂或主的一切流注，因为流注经由内在之物流入外在之物。因此，当内在关闭时，外在里面就没有对神性的任何接受，只有从世界流入之物，因而只有尘世、肉体和世俗之物被接受。此外，在来世，当这种人在天堂之光中被观之时，他们似乎没有头和脸，取而代之的是某种全是牙齿，看似齿条箱的东西，或某种被毛发覆盖的东西，或某种没有生命的骨状物。因为脸对应于构成内在人的事物，身体对应于构成外在人的事物，而颈项或脖子对应于它们的联结。
此处必须简要解释一下当如何理解论及这个民族的话，即：他们的兴趣在于外在事物，不在于内在事物。每个人都一个内在和一个外在，内在就是他的思维和意愿，外在是他的言语和行为；但善人的内在与恶人的内在大不相同。因为每个人都有一个被称为内在人的内在和一个被称为外在人的外在。内在人是照着天堂的形像被造的，而外在人是照着世界的形像被造的（9279节）。对那些处于爱之良善和信之真理的人来说，内在人是打开的，他们通过内在人而在天堂之中。但对那些陷入邪恶和由此产生的虚假之人来说，内在人是关闭的，他们通过外在人只知道世界。
兴趣在于外在事物，不在于内在事物说的就是他们。诚然，这些人也有内在思维和感觉；但他们的内在思维和感觉是居于世界的外在人的内在思维和感觉，而不是居于天堂的内在思维和感觉。当内在人关闭时，外在人的内在思维和感觉是邪恶的，事实上是污秽的；因为此时，这些人只思想世界和自我，渴望那些只属于世界和自我的事物。他们根本不思想天堂和主，对它们也没有任何渴望。这一切表明兴趣在于外在事物，不在于内在事物是什么意思。
由于以色列民族就具有这种性质，故当他们处于一种外在的神圣状态时，他们的内在思维和感觉就被关闭，因为它们是肮脏、污秽的。也就是说，他们的内在思维和感觉充满对自我和世界的爱，因而充满与自己相比对他人的蔑视，充满对凡冒犯他们之人的仇恨，充满对他们的野蛮意图，充满残忍、贪婪、掠夺和其它类似恶习。这个民族就是这个样子，这一点从摩西之歌（申命记32:15-43）很明显地看出来；在那里，经上通过耶和华的训言描述了他们；还通过耶利米书中凡提到他们的地方，最后通过主自己在福音书中的话描述了他们。
Potts(1905-1910) 10429
10429. And behold it is a stiff-necked people. That this signifies that they do not receive influx from the Lord, is evident from the signification of "stiff-necked," as being not to receive influx; for by the "neck" [cervix and collum] is signified the conjunction and communication of things higher and lower, thus influx (see n. 3542, 3603, 3695, 3725, 5320, 5328, 5926, 6033, 8079, 9913, 9914), and by "stiff" is signified that which resists and refuses, thus that which does not receive. This people is so called because they were in external things without what is internal; and they who are such, refuse all influx out of heaven or from the Lord, for influx comes through what is internal into what is external. Therefore when the internal is closed, there is not any reception of the Divine in the external, for only that is received which flows in from the world, thus only what is worldly, bodily, and earthly. Moreover, in the other life, when such persons are seen in the light of heaven, there appear as it were grates of teeth, or as it were something hairy, or as it were a bony substance without life, instead of a head and face; for the face corresponds to those things which are of the internal man, and the body to those things which are of the external man, and the neck to the conjunction of these. [2] It shall here be briefly explained what is meant by being in external things without what is internal, as is said of that nation. Every man has an internal and an external, for the internal is his thought and his will, and the external is his speech and his action; but the internal with the good differs very much from the internal with the evil. Each has an internal which is called the internal man, and an external which is called the external man; the internal man being formed according to the image of heaven; but the external man according to the image of the world (n. 9279). With those who are in the good of love and in the truths of faith, the internal man is open, and by means of it they are in heaven; but with those who are in evils and in the consequent falsities, the internal man is closed, and by means of the external they are in the world only. These are they of whom it is said that they are in external things without what is internal. [3] These indeed also have interiors, but the interiors with them are the interiors of their external man which is in the world, and not the interiors of the internal man which is in heaven. These interiors (namely, those of the external man when the internal is closed), are evil, nay, filthy, for such persons think solely of the world and of themselves, and wish for those things only which are of the world and of self; and think nothing at all about heaven and the Lord, nor do they wish for them. From this it can be seen what is meant by being in external things without what is internal. [4] As such was the nature of the Israelitish nation, therefore when they were in a holy external their interiors were closed, because these were loathsome and unclean, that is, were full of the love of self and of the world; thus of contempt for others in comparison with themselves, of hatred against all who offended them, of ferociousness against them, and of cruelty, avarice, rapine, and other like things. That this nation was of such a character is very evident from the song of Moses in Deuteronomy (32:15-43); where it is described by the command of Jehovah; and also from Jeremiah throughout; and lastly from the Lord Himself in the Gospels.
Elliott(1983-1999) 10429
10429. 'And behold, it is a stiff-necked people' means that they do not receive the inflow from the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'stiff-necked' as not receiving an inflow; for 'the neck' means the joining together and communication of things above and those below, and so means influx, see 3542, 3603, 3695, 3725, 5320, 5328, 5926, 6033, 8079, 9913, 9914, while 'stiff' means that which resists and rejects, and so means that which does not receive. The people are called such here because their interest lay in external things and not in what was internal; and those who are like this reject every inflow from heaven or from the Lord. For the inflow passes through the internal into the external, and therefore when the internal is closed there can be no reception within the external of that which is Divine. Only what flows in from the world is received, thus only that which is worldly, bodily, and earthly. Furthermore when such people in the next life are beheld in the light of heaven they seem to have instead of a head and face something that is all teeth, looking like a crate, or else something covered in hair, or something bony devoid of life. For the face corresponds to the things that constitute the internal man, and the body to those that constitute the external, while the neck corresponds to the joining together of them.
[2] A brief explanation must be given here showing what should be understood when in reference to that nation it is said that their interest lay in external things and not in what was internal. Every person has an internal and an external, the internal consisting in his thought and will, the external in his speech and action; but the internal with those who are good is very different from what it is with those who are bad. For every individual person has an internal, called the internal man, and an external, called the external man. The internal man has been created so as to conform to an image of heaven, but the external man to conform to an image of the world, 9279. In the case of those who are governed by the good of love and the truths of faith the internal man is open, and by means of it they are in heaven. But in the case of those who are ruled by evils and resulting falsities that internal man is closed, and by means of the external they are aware of nothing but the world.
[3] These are the ones whose interest is said to lie in external things and not in what is internal. Such people as well do, it is true, have inner thoughts and feelings; but in their case they are inner thoughts and feelings of their external man residing in the world, not inner thoughts and feelings of the internal man residing in heaven. When the internal man is closed the inner thoughts and feelings of the external are bad, indeed foul; for then people give thought only to the world and self, and desire solely things belonging to the world and self. They give no thought whatever to heaven and the Lord, and indeed have no desire for them. All this goes to show what should be understood by being interested in external things and not in what is internal.
[4] Because the Israelite nation was like this, when they were brought into an outwardly holy state their inner thoughts and feelings were closed off because they were foul and defiled. That is to say, those inner thoughts and feelings were full of selfish and worldly love, thus full of contempt for others in comparison with themselves, full of hatred towards all who wronged them, full of savage intentions towards them, and full of cruelty, avarice, pillage, and other similar vices. The fact that that nation was like this is perfectly clear from the Song of Moses in Deut 32:15-43, where they are described, as commanded by Jehovah,
Latin(1748-1756) 10429
10429. `Et ecce populus durus cervice ille': quod significet quod non recipiat influxum ex Domino, constat ex significatione `duri cervice' quod sit non recipere influxum, per `cervicem' enim et per `collum' significatur conjunctio et communicatio superiorum et inferiorum, ita influxus, videatur n. 3542, 3603, 3695, 3725, 5320, 5328, 5926, 6033, 8079, 9913, 9914; et per `durum' significatur quod resistit ac renuit, ita quod non recipit; ita vocatur `populus' hic, quia in externis absque (x)interno erat; et qui tales sunt, illi renuunt omnem influxum e caelo seu a Domino, influxus enim fit per internum in externum, clauso itaque interno non est aliqua receptio Divini in externo; recipitur enim solum quod influit e mundo, ita solum quod mundanum, corporeum, et terrestre est; etiam tales in altera vita, cum visuntur in luce caeli, apparent sicut crates dentium, aut sicut crinitum quid, aut sicut osseum absque vita, pro capite et facie; facies enim correspondet illis quae interni hominis sunt, et corpus illis quae externi, ac cervix conjunctioni eorum. [2] (s)Hic {1} paucis {2}explicabitur quid intelligitur per esse in externis absque interno, quod dicitur de {3}gente illa: quisque homo habet internum et externum, internum enim est cogitatio ejus et voluntas ejus, et externum est loquela ejus et actio ejus; sed internum apud bonos valde differt ab interno apud malos; est enim unicuique internum, quod vocatur internus homo, et externum, quod vocatur externus homo; internus homo est ad imaginem caeli formatus, externus autem ad imaginem mundi, n.9279; {4}apud illos qui in bono amoris sunt et veris fidei, internus homo apertus est, et per illum sunt in caelo; at apud illos qui in malis sunt et inde falsis, internus ille homo clausus est, et per externum modo in mundo sunt; hi sunt, de quibus dicitur quod in externis sint absque interno; [3] habent quidem hi quoque interiora, sed interiora apud eos sunt interiora externi eorum hominis, qui est in mundo, sed non interiora interni hominis, qui est in caelo; illa interiora, nempe quae sunt externi hominis, clauso interno, sunt mala, immo foeda, nam cogitant {5}modo de mundo, deque semet, et volunt {6}solum illa quae mundi sunt et quae sui, et prorsus nihil cogitant de caelo et de Domino, immo nec volunt illa; inde constare potest quid intelligitur per esse in externis absque interno; quia talis erat gens Israelitica, ideo cum illa in sancto externo erat, clausa erant interiora eorum, quia ea foeda et spurca, plena nempe amore sui et mundi, ita contemptu aliorum prae se, odio contra omnes qui sibi peccarunt, saevitia in illos, et crudelitate, avaritia, rapina, et similibus aliis; quod {7}gens illa talis fuerit, constat manifeste ex Cantico Moschis, Deut. xxxii 15-43, ubi ex mandato Jehovae describitur; et quoque {8}ubivis apud Jeremiam; et {9}denique ab Ipso Domino apud Evangelistas.(s) @1 i etiam$ @2 dicetur$ @3 illo populo$ @4 qui in coelo sunt, hoc est, qui in bono amoris et veris fidei, apud illos internus ille homo apertus est, at qui in malis sunt et inde in falsis, apud illos internus ille homo clausus est; hi apud quos internus homo clausus est, sunt qui in externis sunt absque interno: interiora enim apud eos sunt interiora externi hominis, qui est in mundo, et$ @5 solum$ @6 modo$ @7 tales fuerint$ @8 in Propheticis Jeremiae$ @9 quoque a$