10642.“所以你要推倒他们的祭坛”表必须弃绝包含在这种宗教和源于它的敬拜里面的邪恶。这从“祭坛”和“推倒”的含义清楚可知：“祭坛”是主和源于良善的对祂的敬拜的主要代表（参看921，2777，2811，4541，8935，8940，9388，9389，9714，9964，10242，10245节），故在反面意义上是偶像崇拜，因而源于邪恶的敬拜的代表，如下文所述；“推倒”是指弃绝。因为论到祭坛，就说它们要被推倒；但论到这些民族的祭坛所表示的包含在敬拜中的邪恶，就是它们要被弃绝。
本节提到了“祭坛”、“柱子”和“小树林”，它们一般表示与偶像崇拜有关的一切事物；“祭物”表示源于邪恶的敬拜；“柱子”表示源于邪恶之虚假的敬拜；“小树林”表示伴随它们的宗教教义。这些东西之所以要根除，是因为这些代表物不是用来敬拜主的，而是用来敬拜诸神的，如巴力和其他许多人，他们原是普普通通的人。这种敬拜是属魔鬼和地狱的，事实上，拜人而不是拜神自己，也就是主，是属魔鬼的；因为一个人会与他所拜的那个人相联结。
此处的情形是这样：如果拜一个人为神，那么来自地狱的灵人就与他联结。这是因为信和爱创造一种联结；也就是说，对真理的信和对良善的爱将一个人与主相联结；但对虚假的信和对邪恶的爱则将一个人与地狱相联结。因为每个人都有来自地狱的灵人和来自天堂的天使与他同在；没有他们的同在，此人就无法存活。如果一个人敬拜某个曾在世为人的人，那么与此人同在的地狱灵人就会以为他们就是那受到敬拜的人；因为地狱里的每个人都想要成为神，这些灵人会将这种敬拜传到他们所属的地狱社群。因此，这些人在何等程度上受到敬拜，来自天堂的天使就远离到何等程度。结果，这个人就被吸引到地狱的欲望中，直到最后，就他里面的一切生命而言，他变得像那些灵人，死后也就成为他们当中的一员。而另一方面，当一个人敬拜主，也就是天地之神时，与此人同在的天堂天使不会把这种敬拜归给自己，因为他们将一切信之真理和一切爱之良善都归给主，丝毫不归给自己。结果，通往主自己的道路通过他们被打开，然后主以信和爱将他们与自己相联结。由此可见敬拜主自己何等重要，祂拥有天上地上一切的权柄，正如祂自己在马太福音（28:18）中所宣称的。
Potts(1905-1910) 10642
10642. Wherefore ye shall overturn their altars. That this signifies that the evil of such a religious persuasion and of the consequent worship must be rejected, is evident from the signification of an "altar" as being the principal representative of the Lord and of the worship of Him from good (see n. 921, 2777, 2811, 4541, 8935, 8940, 9388, 9389, 9714, 9964, 10242, 10245), and therefore in the opposite sense it is a representative of idolatrous worship, thus worship from evil (of which below); and from the signification of "to overturn," as being to reject; for it is said of the altars that they are to be overturned; but of the evils of worship which are signified by the altars of the nations, that they are to be rejected. [2] Mention is made in this verse of "altars," "pillars," and "groves," and by these in general are signified all things of idolatrous worship; by "altars," worship from evil; by "pillars," worship from the falsity of evil; and by "groves," the teachings of these. The reason why these things were to be extirpated, was that the Lord was not worshiped by means of these representatives; but gods were worshiped that were men, as the baals, and many others. And this worship was diabolical and infernal; for to worship men instead of God Himself, who is the Lord, is diabolical, because a man is conjoined with him whom he worships. [3] But the case herein is this. If a man is worshiped as a god, then someone from hell is conjoined with him, for faith and love conjoin. The faith of truth and the love of good conjoin the man with the Lord; but the faith of falsity and the love of evil conjoin the man with hell; for there are with every man spirits from hell, and also angels from heaven. Without these a man cannot live. If anyone is worshiped who had been a man, then the spirits from hell suppose that they themselves are worshiped; for everyone in hell wishes to be a god, and these spirits communicate such worship to the infernal society from which they are. In proportion therefore as these are worshiped, in the same proportion the angels who are from heaven recede; consequently the man is carried away into infernal cupidities, and finally becomes like these spirits in respect to his whole life; and moreover, comes among them after death. But on the other hand, when the Lord is worshiped, who is the God of heaven and earth, then the angels from heaven who are with the man do not claim to themselves anything of worship, because they attribute all truth of faith and good of love to the Lord, and nothing to themselves; consequently there is opened through them a way even to the Lord Himself, who conjoins them with Himself in faith and love. From all this it can be seen how important it is to worship the Lord Himself, who has all power in the heavens and on earth, as He Himself says in Matthew 28:18.
Elliott(1983-1999) 10642
10642. 'Therefore you shall overthrow their altars' means that the evil involved in that type of religion and in the worship springing from it is to be rejected. This is clear from the meaning of 'altar' as the chief representative of the Lord and of worship of Him which springs from good, dealt with in 921, 2777, 2811, 4541, 8935, 8940, 9388, 9389, 9714, 9964, 10242, 10245, and therefore in the contrary sense as that which is representative of idolatrous worship, thus worship springing from evil, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'overthrowing' as rejecting. For of altars it is said that they are to be overthrown, but of evils involved in worship, meant by the altars of the nations, it is said that they are to be rejected.
[2] In this verse altars, pillars, and groves are mentioned, and in general they mean everything connected with idolatrous worship, worship that springs from evil being meant by 'altars', worship that springs from the falsity of evil by 'pillars', and religious teachings that go with them by 'groves'. The reason why they were to be completely banished was that those representative objects were not used to worship the Lord but to worship gods, such as the baals and many others, who had once been ordinary human beings. This worship was devilish and hellish, because worshipping human beings instead of God Himself, who is the Lord, is devilish; for a person is linked to whomever he worships.
[3] The situation is this: If a person is worshipped as a god, anyone who comes from hell is linked to him. This is because belief and love create a link; that is, a belief in what is true and a love of what is good link a person to the Lord, but a belief in what is false and a love of what is evil link a person to hell. For everyone has spirits from hell and angels from heaven present with him; without their presence the person could not live. If someone who was once a human being in the world is worshipped by a person the spirits from hell with that person think that they are the ones who are being worshipped (for everyone in hell wishes to be a god), and these spirits transmit that worship to the hellish community they belong to. To the extent therefore that these are worshipped the angels from heaven depart. As a consequence the person is drawn away into hellish desires, till at length, so far as all the life within him is concerned, he becomes like those spirits; and after death he also comes to be one of them. But when the Lord, who is the God of heaven and earth, is worshipped by a person the angels from heaven who are present with that person arrogate none of his worship to themselves, because they ascribe all the truth that people believe and all the good that they love to the Lord, and none to themselves. Through them consequently the way right through to the Lord Himself is laid open, and He then joins them to Himself in faith and love. From all this it may be recognized how extremely important it is to worship the Lord Himself, who has all power in heaven and on earth, as He Himself declares in Matthew 28:18.
Latin(1748-1756) 10642
10642. `Quare altaria eorum evertetis': quod significet quod malum religiosi istius et inde cultus rejiciendum, constat ex significatione `altaris' quod sit principale repraesentativum Domini et Ipsius cultus ex bono, de qua n. 921, 2777, 2811, 4541, 8935, 8940, 9388, 9389 9714, 9964, 10242, 10245, et inde in opposito sensu est repraesentativum cultus idololatrici, ita ex malo, de qua sequitur; et ex significatione `evertere' quod sit rejicere; de altaribus enim dicitur quod evertenda, at de malis cultus, quae per altaria gentium significantur, dicitur quod rejicienda. [2] Memorantur in hoc versu altaria, statuae, et luci, et per illa in genere significantur omnia cultus idololatrici, per altaria cultus ex malo, per statuas cultus ex falso mali, et per lucos doctrinalia eorum; causa quo illa {1}exstirpanda essent, erat quia per repraesentativa illa non colebatur Dominus, {2} sed colebantur dii qui fuerunt homines, sicut baales et plures alii, qui cultus erat diabolicus et infernalis, nam colere homines pro ipso Deo, Qui est Dominus, est diabolicum, {3}homo enim conjungitur ei qui colitur; [3]sed res ita se habet: si homo colitur pro deo, tunc aliquis ex inferno ei conjungitur, fides enim et amor conjungunt, fides veri et amor boni conjungunt hominem Domino, at fides falsi (x)et amor mali conjungunt hominem inferno; sunt enim apud unumquemvis hominem {4} spiritus ab inferno et sunt angeli e caelo, absque illis homo non vivere potest; si aliquis colitur qui fuerat homo, tunc spiritus ab inferno autumant quod ipsi sint qui coluntur, nam unusquisque in inferno vult deus esse, et hi spiritus communicant eum cultum cum societate infernali e qua sunt; quantum itaque illi coluntur, tantum recedunt angeli qui e caelo; inde homo aufertur in cupiditates infernales, et tandem similis fit illis spiritibus quoad omnem suam vitam, inter quos etiam venit post mortem; et vero, cum Dominus colitur, Qui est Deus caeli et terrae, tunc angeli qui e caelo sunt apud hominem, non {5}sibi aliquid cultus vindicant, quia illi omne {6}verum fidei et bonum amoris tribuunt Domino et nihil sibi; inde per illos aperitur via usque ad Ipsum Dominum, Qui illos Sibi conjungit fide et amore. Ex his constare potest quantopere interest colere Ipsum Dominum, Cui omnis potestas est in caelis et in terris, ut Ipse dicit apud Matthaeum xxviii 18. @1 delenda$ @2 i ut prius,$ @3 qui enim colitur, illi conjungitur homo fide et amore, quare si homo colitur pro deo, tunc aliquis ex inferno ei conjungitur, fides enim et amor conjungit, nam ita se res habet, sed$ @4 i sunt$ @5 sibimet$ @6 bonum amoris et verum fidei$