1068、“挪亚开始作起土地上的人来”一般表示从信之教义事物中得到教导的人。这从前面（268，566节）论述的“土地”的含义清楚可知，“土地”表示教会成员，或也可说，表示教会。因为若要教会存在，人必须成为一个教会。教会之所以被称为“土地”，是因为它接受信之种，或信之真理和良善。“土地”不同于“地”或“陆地”（“地”也表示教会，如前所示），犹如信不同于仁。正如仁包括信，地或陆地同样包括土地。因此，当总体上论述教会时，教会被称为“地”；当具体地论述教会时，它被称为“土地”，如在本节的情形。因为总体就是整个由源于总体的事物构成的综合体。古教会成员所拥有的教义来自上古教会的启示和感知，如前所述（519:1，521，609，920:4节）；这些启示和感知被保存下来，并且他们也信这些东西，就像今天我们信圣言一样。这些教义事物就是他们的圣言。因此，挪亚开始作起“土地上的人来”表示从信之教义事物中得到教导的人。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1068. The fact that Noah started as a man of the soil symbolizes those in general who are equipped with the doctrinal precepts of faith is established by the symbolism of the soil, or ground, discussed earlier in 268, 566. The soil is the people in the church or, to put it another way, the church itself, since if a church is to exist, each individual has to be a church.{*1} The church is called the soil because it receives the seeds of faith, or in other words, the true concepts and good urges of faith.
The difference between the soil and the earth (which also symbolizes the church, as shown) resembles that between faith and charity. Just as charity is what contains faith, the earth is what contains the soil. So when there is a general discussion of religion, it is referred to as the earth, and when there is a specific discussion of it, it is referred to as soil, which is the term used here. A general category is a composite of the items belonging to it.
The doctrinal teachings that the people of the ancient church possessed came from ideas revealed to and perceived by the earliest church, as noted before [519:1, 521, 609, 920:4]. These had been preserved, and the people of the ancient church believed in them, the same way we today believe in the Word. Those articles of doctrine were their Word. So Noah's starting as a man of the soil symbolizes those who are equipped with the doctrinal precepts of faith.
Footnotes:
{*1} See the references in note 1 in 966 just above. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 1068
1068. And Noah began to be a man of the ground. That this signifies in general man instructed from the doctrinal things of faith, is evident from the signification of "ground" (concerning which above, n. 268, 566), namely, the man of the church, or what is the same, the church; for that there may be a church, the man must be a church. The church is called "ground" because it receives the seeds of faith, or the truths and goods of faith. "Ground" is distinguished from "earth"-which, as shown, also signifies the church-as faith is distinguished from charity. Just as charity is the containant of faith, so is "earth" the containant of "ground." When therefore the church is treated of in general, it is called "earth;" and when specifically, it is called "ground" as in this verse; for the general is the complex of the things derived from it. The doctrinals possessed by the man of the Ancient Church were, as before said, from the revelations and perceptions of the Most Ancient Church, which had been preserved; and in these they had faith as at this day we have in the Word. These doctrinal things were their Word. Noah's beginning to be "a man of the ground" signifies therefore man instructed in the doctrinals of faith.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1068
1068. That 'Noah began to be a man of the ground' means in general a person who has been instructed from matters of doctrine concerning faith is clear from the meaning of 'the ground', dealt with already in 268, 566, as the member of the Church, or what amounts to the same, the Church. For if the Church is to exist at all the individual must be the Church. The Church is called 'the ground' from the fact that it receives the seeds of faith, which are the truths and goods of faith. 'The ground' is distinguished from 'the earth' or 'the land' - which, as has been shown, also means the Church - as faith is from charity. As charity includes faith within itself so does earth or land include the ground. Consequently when the Church is dealt with in general it is called 'the earth' or 'the land', and when dealt with specifically it is called 'the ground', as here. For that which is general is a complex whole consisting of the things deriving from it. The matters of doctrine which the members of the Ancient Church possessed had come down, as stated already, from revelations and perceptions of the Most Ancient Church which had been preserved, and in which they had faith, such as those we have today in the Word. Those matters of doctrine were their Word. 'Noah began to be a man of the ground' therefore means a person who has been instructed from matters of doctrine concerning faith.
Latin(1748-1756) 1068
1068. 'Coepit Noah vir humi': quod significet in genere hominem ex doctrinalibus fidei instructum, constat ex significatione 'humi,' de qua prius n. 268, 566, quod nempe sit homo Ecclesiae, seu quod idem est, Ecclesia, ut enim sit Ecclesia, homo debet esse Ecclesia: 'humus' dicitur Ecclesia ex eo quod recipiat semina quae sunt fidei, seu vera et bona fidei: 'humus' distinguitur a 'terra,' quae, ut ostensum, etiam significat Ecclesiam, ut fides a charitate; sicut charitas est continens fidei, ita terra est continens humi; inde cum in genere agitur de Ecclesia, appellatur illa 'terra,' cum in specie, appellatur 'humus,' ut hic, nam genus est complexus eorum quae inde. Doctrinalia quae habuit homo Antiquae Ecclesiae, fuerunt, ut prius dictum, ex Antiquissimae Ecclesiae revelationibus et perceptionibus conservatis quibus fidem habuerunt, sicut nos hodie Verbo; illa doctrinalia fuerunt illorum Verbum; quare 'quod Noahus coeperit vir humi' significat hominem doctrinalibus fidei instructum.