10570.“所以我和你的百姓才比地面上的所有人民都要尊贵”表由此而来的在教会所在的地方超越全世界所有人的显赫。这从“比地面上的所有人民都要尊贵”的含义清楚可知，“比地面上的所有人民都要尊贵”是指超越全世界所有人的显赫。之所以也表示在教会所在的地方，是因为“地”表示教会，如下文所述。
正是这个目的，就是他们要变得比全世界所有人都要显赫，促使以色列民族敬拜耶和华，并使他们能处于外在的神圣。这一点从前面关于这个民族的说明清楚看出来。这个人民能处于外在的神圣，并且在别人看来似乎是敬拜神的人，这一点从圣言的历史部分所提到的偶像崇拜者清楚看出来，他们同样能做表面上的事。但谁都能从以下事实看到并推断出，这些偶像崇拜者没有内在的神圣，即：使得敬拜变得内在的，是圣言中所揭示的神性真理，只要人们知道它们并照之生活。因为如果没有这些真理，一个人也能以一种神圣的方式敬拜神，那么就不需要任何教会的教义，也不需要任何讲道了。
由于这个民族具有这种性质，即他们比别人显赫的目的能使他们处于外在的神圣，并且在这样的人当中，代表属天和属灵事物的事物，也就是其敬拜的外在事物能传给天使，与天堂的联结由此得以建立，所以这个民族被接纳。但是，人若以为他们由此成为敬拜神的人，就大错特错了；因为他们是自我和世界的敬拜者，心里是偶像崇拜者。由于他们具有这种秉性，所以属于对主之信和爱的敬拜的内层事物并未揭示给他们。这一点从旧约，以及这一事实明显看出来：当主降世时，他们并不承认祂，现在仍不承认祂；即便从预言部分接受了关于主的教导，他们也不接受这些教导。他们渴望的是一位能把他们提升到全世界所有人之上的弥赛亚，而不是一位其国度在天上，并从那里着眼于地上所有人的拯救的弥赛亚。由此可见这个民族自古以来是什么样，为何经上在此说，耶和华与他们同去，他们才会比地面上的所有人都要尊贵。
“地面上”这个词要理解为凡教会存在的地方；因为“土地”（ground）和“地”所表相同，即表示教会（关于“地”表示教会，可参看9325节提到的地方）。但“土地”表示教会的原因和“田地”是一样的，也就是说，因为它接受各样种子，然后这些种子长成植物并结出果实，以此表示信和爱的真理和良善。因为人就是接受这些的一个容器，如同接受种子的土地。然而，地被称为一个教会是由于住在地上的人，教会与这些人同在。但由于土地和地一样，都意味着空间上的延伸，所以译者就用“地”这个词代替“土地”。他们在此说“地面上”，以取代“土地面上”，在其它地方也一样。然而在原文，表示“土地”的这个词来源于一个完全不同于表示“地”的这个词的词根。
“土地”表示教会，和“地”一样，这一点从圣言中的各处经文明显看出来，仅从中引用一些经文，如耶利米书：
他们的贵胄打发小子打水，他们来到坑边，见没有水，就拿着空器皿回来，因为无雨降在地上，土地都干裂。（耶利米书14:3，4）
此处“土地”表示教会，“地”也是，因为在内义上所论述的主题是真理的缺乏和由此导致的教会的毁灭；“水”表示真理；“坑”表示这些真理，因而教义存放的地方；“器皿”表示它们的接受者；“雨”表示来自天堂的它们的流注；“地”是指教会所在的地方；“土地”是指教会本身，经上说这教会由于干旱，因而由于缺乏来自天堂的真理而干裂。
以赛亚书：
七十年终了以后，耶和华必眷顾推罗，她就仍得淫资，与土地面上的地上万国行淫。最终她的货品和淫资都要归耶和华为圣。（以赛亚书23:17，18）
“推罗”表示关于真理和良善的认知或知识方面的教会，因而在抽象意义上表示这些认知或知识。当它们为了利益、地位和知道它们的名声而被教导时，因而当它们可以说被出售，而不是为了真理本身的缘故被教导时，就被称为“淫资”。在圣言中，这就是所谓的“淫妇”和“淫行”。“与地上万国行淫”表示与教会的一切真理如此行；“土地面上”表示凡教会所在的地方。由于关于真理和良善的认知或知识仍旧是关于真理和良善的认知或知识本身，因而仍旧是神性，尽管对教导并“出售”它们的人来说，它们被用来获利，因而是“淫资”，所以经上说“她的货品和淫资都要归耶和华为圣”。
凡思维超越字义的人都能看出，此处所指的不是淫资，也不是与地上万国行淫，这类事物也不会归耶和华为圣。
诗篇：
你发出你的灵，它们便受造。你使地面更换为新。（诗篇104:30）
“耶和华的灵”表示从主发出的神性真理（9818节）；“受造”表示被新造，也就是重生（10373节）；“使地面更换为新”表示改造并建立教会；“地面”表示凡教会之物能被接受的地方。其它经文提到的“地面”所给相同（如创世记7:4；8:8，13；出埃及记32:12；民数记12:3；申命记6:15；7:6；撒母耳记上20:15；撒母耳记下14:7）。
Potts(1905-1910) 10570
10570. And we shall be rendered pre-eminent, I and Thy people, above all the people that are upon the faces of the ground. That this signifies their consequent pre-eminence to all in the whole world where the church is, is evident from the signification of "being rendered preeminent above all the people that are upon the faces of the ground," as being preeminence to all in the whole world. That it also denotes where the church is, is because by "the ground" is signified the church (of which below). [2] That this end, that they might be rendered preeminent above all in the whole world, was the end for which the Israelitish nation worshiped Jehovah, and for the sake of which they could be in a holy external, is evident from what has been already shown concerning that nation. That such can be in a holy external, and appear to others as worshipers of God, is evident from the idolaters spoken of in the historical parts of the Word, who in like manner could be in external things. But that they had no holy internal can be known and inferred by everyone from the fact that it is the Divine truths revealed in the Word which cause worship to be internal, provided that men know them and live according to them. For if a man could worship God in a holy manner without them, there would be no need of any doctrine of the church, nor of any preaching. [3] As that nation was of such a nature that they could be in a holy external for the sake of preeminence to others as their end in view; and as with such people the representatives of celestial and spiritual things, which are the externals of worship, can be in communication with the angels, and thereby there may be conjunction with heaven, therefore that nation was received. But he who believes that they were thereby worshipers of God, is very much mistaken, for they were worshipers of self and of the world, and at heart were idolaters. And as they were of such a character, the interior things of worship which belong to faith and love to the Lord were not revealed to them, as is plain from the books of the Old Testament, and also from the fact that they did not acknowledge the Lord when He came into the world, nay, do not yet acknowledge Him, and if instructed from the prophetic utterances concerning the Lord, still they do not receive it. They wish for a Messiah who shall exalt them above all in the whole world, and not a Messiah whose kingdom is in the heavens, and who consequently provides also for the salvation of all upon the earth. From all this it can be seen what was the character of that nation from the earliest ages, and why it is here said that by "Jehovah going with them they would be rendered preeminent above all the people that are upon the faces of the ground." [4] It is said "upon the faces of the ground," and thereby is meant wheresoever the church is, for by "ground," in like manner as by "land" or "earth" is signified the church (that it is signified by "land" or "earth," may be seen in the places cited in n. 9325). But "ground" signifies the church for a similar reason as does "field," thus from the reception of various seeds, and their growth and produce, by which are signified the truths and goods of faith and of love, of which man is such a receptacle as the ground is of seeds. But the church is called "land" or "earth" from the people with whom the church is who dwell therein. But as "ground" involves extension in respect to space, equally as does "land" or "earth," therefore instead of "ground" the translators say "earth;" as here "upon the faces of the earth," instead of "upon the faces of the ground" as also in other passages. And yet in the original tongue the Word which means "ground" is from a totally different origin from that of the Word which means "earth." That "the ground" signifies the church equally as does "land" or "earth," is evident from various passages in the Word, of which only a few may be adduced. [5] In Jeremiah:
Their grandees have sent their little ones for water; they came unto the pits, and found no waters; they returned with their vessels empty; because the ground hath been broken to pieces, in that no rain hath been in the land (Jer. 14:3, 4). Here "ground" denotes the church, and so does "land," for the subject treated of in the internal sense is the lack of truth, and the consequent vastation of the church; "waters" denote truths; "pits" denote where these are, thus doctrine; "vessels" denote the recipients; "rain" denotes influx from heaven; "land" denotes where the church is; and "ground" denotes the church itself, which on account of the drought is said to be "broken to pieces," thus on account of the lack of truth from heaven. [6] And in Isaiah:
It shall come to pass at the end of seventy years, that Jehovah will visit Tyre, and she shall return unto her harlot hire, and shall commit whoredom with all the kingdoms of the earth upon the faces of the ground; at last her merchandise and her harlot hire shall be holiness to Jehovah (Isa. 23:17, 18). By "Tyre" is signified the church in respect to the knowledges of truth and good, thus in the abstract sense these knowledges, which are called "harlot hire" when they are taught for the sake of gain, of honor, and of reputation for the sake of these, and are thus as it were sold, and are not taught for the sake of truth itself. In the Word this is called "harlotry," and "whoredom." "To commit whoredom with all the kingdoms of the earth" denotes to do so with all the truths of the church; "upon the faces of the ground" denotes wheresoever the church is. As the knowledges of truth and good still remain knowledges of truth and good in themselves, thus Divine, although to the man who teaches and "sells" them they are for profit, and consequently are "harlot hire," therefore it is said that "her merchandise and her harlot hire shall be holiness to Jehovah." Everyone who thinks beyond the sense of the letter can see that harlot hire is not meant here, nor whoredom with all the kingdoms of the earth, nor that such things shall be holiness to Jehovah. [7] In David:
Thou sendest forth Thy spirit; they are created; and Thou renewest the faces of the ground (Ps. 104:30). "The spirit of Jehovah" denotes the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord (n. 9818); "to be created" denotes to be created anew, that is, to be regenerated (n. 10373); "to renew the faces of the ground" denotes to reform and to set up the church; "the faces of the ground" denote wheresoever anything of the church can be received. In like manner in other passages where "the faces of the ground" are mentioned (as Gen. 7:4; 8:8, 13; Exod. 32:12; Num. 12:3; Deut. 6:15; 7:6; 1 Sam. 20:15; 2 Sam. 14:7).
Elliott(1983-1999) 10570
10570. 'And I and Your people will be made more distinguished than all the people who are on the face of the ground' means the consequent pre-eminence over all throughout the whole world where the Church exists. This is clear from the meaning of 'being made more distinguished than all the people who are on the face of the ground' as pre-eminence over all throughout the whole world. The reason why where the Church exists is also meant is that 'the ground' means the Church, which is dealt with below.
[2] It was this end in view - that they should be made more distinguished than all throughout the whole world - that caused the Israelite nation to worship Jehovah and enabled them to be outwardly holy. This is clear from what has been shown previously regarding that nation. The fact that such people are able to be outwardly holy and to seem to others to be worshippers of God is clear from the idolaters spoken of in the historical narratives of the Word, who were able in like manner to do the outward things. But anyone may see and deduce that those idolaters possessed no inner holiness from the consideration that the Divine Truths which have been revealed in the Word are what make worship internal, when people know them and lead a life in keeping with them. For if a person were able to worship God in a holy way without those Truths there would be no need for any of the Church's teachings, nor for any preaching.
[3] Since that nation was such that their end in view - to be pre-eminent over others - enabled them to be outwardly holy, and since among people such as these the things that are representative of celestial and spiritual realities, which the outward things of their worship were, can be conveyed to angels and a link with heaven can thereby be established, that nation was accepted. But anyone who supposes that this made them worshippers of God is very much mistaken; for they were worshippers of self and the world, and idolaters at heart. And because they were such, neither was any revelation given them of the interior things of worship, which have to do with faith in the Lord and love to Him. This is evident from the books in the Old Testament, and also from the fact that they did not acknowledge the Lord when He came into the world, and indeed still do not acknowledge Him; and if presented with teachings about the Lord contained in the prophetical parts, even then they do not accept them. They desire a Messiah who will exalt them above all throughout the whole world, not a Messiah whose kingdom is in heaven and who looks from there to the salvation also of all on earth. From all this it becomes clear what that nation has been like since the earliest ages, and why it is that it says here that by Jehovah's going with them they would be made more distinguished than all the people who are on the face of the ground.
[4] By the words 'on the face of the ground' wherever the Church exists should be understood; for 'the ground' has the same meaning as 'the earth', namely the Church (for the meaning of 'the earth', or 'the land', as the Church, see in the places referred to in 9325). But 'the ground' means the Church for the same reason as 'the field' does, that is, because it receives various kinds of seeds, which then grow into plants and bear fruit, by which the truths and forms of the good of faith and love are meant. For the human being is a recipient of these just as the ground is of seeds. The earth is called a Church however on account of the people inhabiting it, with whom the Church exists. But since the ground implies that which extends spatially just as the earth or the land does, translators use the word 'earth' instead of 'ground'. Here they say 'on the face of the earth' instead of 'on the face of the ground', as they do in other places. And yet in the original language the term that denotes the ground is derived from an entirely different root from the one that the term denoting the earth springs from.
[5] The fact that 'the ground' means the Church, just as 'the earth' or 'the land' does, is clear from various places in the Word, of which let only some be quoted, such as this in Jeremiah,
The nobles sent their inferiors for water, they came to the pits, and they found no water; their vessels returned empty, because the ground was broken up in pieces, no rain had come to be on the land. Jer 14:3,4.
Here 'the ground' means the Church, and so does 'the land', for the subject in the internal sense is the lack of truth and resulting ruination of the Church. 'Water' means truths; 'pits' where those truths, thus religious teachings, are stored; 'vessels' recipients of them; and 'rain' the influx of them from heaven. 'The land' is where the Church is situated, and 'the ground' the actual Church, which is said to be 'broken up in pieces' owing to drought, that is, to the lack of truth from heaven.
[6] In Isaiah,
It will happen at the end of seventy years, that Jehovah will visit Tyre, and she will return to her harlot's reward and commit whoredom with all the kingdoms of the earth on the face of the ground. At length her merchandise and her harlot's reward will be holy to Jehovah. Isa 23:17,18.
'Tyre' means the Church in respect of its cognitions or knowledge of truth and good, and so in the abstract sense means those cognitions. These are called 'a harlot's reward' when they are taught for the sake of gain, position, and reputation for knowing them, thus when they are put on sale so to speak, and are not taught for truth's own sake. In the Word this is called harlotry and whoredom. 'Committing whoredom with all the kingdoms of the earth' means doing so with all the truths of the Church; 'on the face of the ground' means wherever the Church is situated. Since cognitions of truth and good continue to be cognitions of truth and good and so continue to be Divine, even when they are used for gain by a person who teaches and puts them up for sale, and they are consequently 'a harlot's reward', it says that 'her merchandise and her harlot's reward will be holy to Jehovah'. Everyone whose thought extends beyond the sense of the letter can see that a harlot's reward should not be understood in these verses, nor whoredom committed with all the kingdoms of the earth, nor that such a thing will be holy to Jehovah.
[7] In David,
You send forth Your spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the ground. Ps 104:30.
'Jehovah's spirit' means the Divine Truth emanating from the Lord, 9818; 'being created' means being created anew, that is, being regenerated, 10373; 'renewing the face of the ground' reforming and establishing the Church, 'the face of the ground' meaning wherever anything of the Church can be received. The like is meant in other places where the expression 'the face of the ground' occurs, such as Gen 7:4; 8:8,13; Exod 32:12; Num 12:3; Deut 6:15; 7:6; 1 Sam 20:15; 2 Sam 14:7.
Latin(1748-1756) 10570
10570. `Et praestantiores reddemur ego et populus Tuus prae omni populo qui super faciebus humi': quod significet inde eminentiam super omnes in universo orbe ubi Ecclesia, {1}constat ex significatione `praestantiores reddi prae omni populo qui super faciebus humi' quod sit eminentia super omnes in universo orbe; quod etiam sit ubi Ecclesia, est quia per `humum' significatur Ecclesia, de qua sequitur'. [2] {2}Quod ille finis, ut praestantiores redderentur prae omnibus in universo orbe fuerit, propter quem gens Israelitica coluit Jehovam, et propter quem in sancto externo potuit esse, constat ex illis quae de illa gente prius ostensa sunt; quod tales in sancto externo possint esse, et apparere aliis sicut cultores Dei, {3}constat ex idololatris, de quibus in historicis Verbi, {4}qui similiter potuerunt in externis esse, sed quod illis non internum sanctum {5}fuerit, quivis potest {6}scire et concludere ex eo quod Divina Vera quae in Verbo revelata sunt faciant ut cultus sit internus, si illa sciant et secundum illa vivant; nam si homo absque illis sancte (x)posset colere Deum, non opus foret aliqua doctrina Ecclesiae, nec aliqua praedicatione. [3] Quoniam gens illa (t)fuit talis ut propter eminentiam super alios ut finem posset in sancto externo esse, et {7}quoniam apud tales repraesentativa {8}caelestium et spiritualium, quae erant externa cultus, possunt communicari cum angelis, et per id conjunctio esse cum caelo, ideo gens illa recepta fuit; sed qui credit quod per id cultores Dei fuerint, {7} maxime fallitur, fuerunt enim cultores sui et mundi, et corde idololatrae; et quia tales erant, nec illis revelata sunt interiora cultus, quae sunt fidei et amoris in Dominum, ut patet ex libris Veteris Testamenti; {10}et quoque ex eo quod non agnoverint Dominum cum in mundum venit, immo nec adhuc agnoscunt; et si docentur ex propheticis de Domino, usque non recipiunt; volunt Messiam qui evehat illos {11}super omnes in universo terrarum orbe, et non Messiam cujus regnum est in caelis, et inde prospicit omnium saluti etiam in terris. Ex his constare potest qualis gens illa fuit a primis aevis, et unde est quod hic dicatur quod per id quod Jehovah iret cum illis, praestantiores redderentur prae omni populo qui super faciebus humi. [4] (s)Dicitur super faciebus humi, et per id intelligitur ubicumque Ecclesia, per `humum' enim similiter ac per `terram' significatur Ecclesia, quod per `terram,' videatur in locis citatis n. 9325; sed `humus' {12}significat Ecclesiam ex simili causa ex qua ager, ita ex receptione variorum seminum, (c)ac eorum nascentia et proventu, per quae significantur vera et bona fidei et amoris, {13}homo enim est horum receptaculum sicut humus illorum; terra autem dicitur Ecclesia ex populo qui ibi, apud quem Ecclesia; sed quia humus {14} involvit extensionem quoad spatium aeque ac terra, ideo interpretes pro humo dicunt terram, ut hic super faciebus terrae pro super faciebus humi, et quoque alibi, {15}et usque in lingua originali vox quae significat humum ex prorsus alia origine est quam ex qua vox quae significat terram. Quod `humus' significet Ecclesiam aeque ac terra, constat ex variis locis in Verbo, [5] quorum aliqua solum licet adducere, ut apud Jeremiam, Magnates miserunt minorennes suos aquae causa, venerunt ad foveas, nec invenerunt aquas, reversa sunt vasa eorum vacua, propterea quod humus confracta sit, quod non facta sit pluvia in terra, xiv 3, 4;ibi `humus' est Ecclesia, et quoque `terra,' agitur enim ibi in sensu interno de defectu veri, et inde Ecclesiae vastatione; `aquae' sunt vera, {16}foveae' sunt ubi illa, ita doctrina, `vasa' sunt recipientia, `pluvia' est influxus e caelo; `terra' est ubi Ecclesia, et `humus' est ipsa Ecclesia, quae confracta dicitur ex siccitate, ita ex defectu veri e caelo: [6] apud Esaiam, Fiet a fine septuaginta annorum, visitabit Jehovah Tyrum, et redibit ad mercedem meretriciam suam, et scortabitur cum omnibus regnis terrae super faciebus humi; tandem erit mercatura ejus, et merces meretricia ejus sanctum Jehovae, xxiii 17, 18;
per `Tyrum' {17} significatur Ecclesia quoad cognitiones veri et boni, ita in sensu abstracto cognitiones illae; quae `merces meretricia' vocantur cum docentur {18}causa lucri, honoris, et famae propter illa, sic quasi venduntur, et non docentur propter ipsum verum, {19}hoc vocatur meretricatus et scortatio in Verbo; `scortari cum omnibus regnis terrae' est ita facere cum omnibus veris Ecclesiae; `super faciebus humi' est ubicumque Ecclesia; quoniam cognitiones veri et boni usque manent cognitiones veri et boni in se, ita Divinae, tametsi homini docenti et venditanti illas sint pro lucro, et inde merces meretricia, ideo dicitur quod `mercatura ejus et merces meretricia ejus erit sanctum Jehovae': quod ibi non merces meretricia intelligatur, nec scortatio cum omnibus regnis terrae, nec quod tale erit sanctum Jehovae, (x)quivis qui ultra sensum litterae cogitat, videre potest: [7] apud Davidem, Emittis spiritum Tuum, creantur, et renovas facies humi, Ps. civ 30;
`spiritus Jehovae' est Divinum Verum procedens a Domino, n. (x)9818, `creari' est e novo creari, {20}hoc est, regenerari, n. 10,373, `renovare facies humi' est reformare et instaurare Ecclesiam; {21} `facies humi' est ubicumque {22}aliquid Ecclesiae recipi potest; similiter ac alibi ubi `facies humi' dicuntur, ut Gen. vii 4, viii 8, 13; Exod. xxxii 12; Num. xii (x)3; {23}Deut. vi 15, vii 6; {24}1 Sam. xx 15; 2 Sam. xiv 7{25}.(s) @1 A has the following d sentence in m: constat ex significatione praestantiores reddi prae omni populo qui super faciebus humi, quod sit eminentia super omnes in universo orbe; quod sit ubi Ecclesia, est quia per humum significatur Ecclesia in genere, seu ubivis per terram Ecclesia in specie, seu in terra Canaanie, quod humus sit Ecclesia$ @2 Quod hic finis fuerit, propter quem coluerint Jehovam, et propter quem sancto externo potuerunt esse, et mandata fecerunt$ @3 constare potest$ @4 quod similiter possint ex$ @5 sit$ @6 inde concludere$ @7 quia$ @8 coelestia et spiritualia, quae etiam sunt$ @9 i ac salvati$ @10 ideo quoque nec agnoverunt$ @11 supra$ @12 dicitur Ecclesia$ @13 ideo per humum ex qua illa, significatur Ecclesia$ @14 i in sensu proprio$ @15 sed$ @16 fovea est$ @17 i ibi$ @18 alicujus lucri causa, et$ @19 ita facere$ @20 seu$ @21 i praeter pluries alibi;$ @22 aliqua Ecclesia, ut quoque$ @23 Before Gen. vii 4$ @24 Before Deut. vi 15$ @25 i, et alibi$