1093、“迦南当受咒诅”表示脱离内在敬拜的外在敬拜背离主，这从“迦南”和“受咒诅”的含义清楚可知。“迦南”是指脱离内在敬拜的外在敬拜，这一点从前面（1063，1077，1083:4节）关于迦南的阐述和经上说他“受咒诅”，以及下文说他“作奴仆的奴仆”明显看出来。此外，给闪和雅弗作奴仆的人只能表示脱离教会本身的某种东西，如完全外在的敬拜。这一点从“受咒诅”表示人自己背离的含义清楚可知，因为主绝不诅咒任何人，甚至不发怒。相反，正是人因背离主而自招诅咒（可参看前面的阐述和说明，223，245，592节）。主距离诅咒任何人、向他发怒，就像天距离地那样遥远。谁能相信全知、全能，以智慧统治宇宙，因而无限超越所有人类软弱的主，会向如此可怜、毫无价值的灰尘发怒，也就是向几乎不知道自己在做什么，凭自己只能行恶的人类发怒呢？因此，主永远不可能发怒，只会怜悯。
此处包含的奥秘仅从以下考虑就能看出来：尽管是含看见他父亲赤身，并告诉他的兄弟，但受到咒诅的却不是他，而是他的儿子迦南；而迦南并不是含唯一的儿子，甚至不是他的长子，按顺序是第四个儿子，这一点从后面的经文（10:6）明显看出来，那里提到了含的儿子，即：古实、麦西、弗和迦南。按照神性律法，儿子不会担当父亲的罪孽，这一点清楚可见于以西结书：
惟有犯罪的灵魂必死亡。儿子必不担当父亲的罪孽，父亲也不担当儿子的罪孽。（以西结书18:20；申命记14:16；列王纪下14:6）
这一点从以下考虑也能看出来：这个罪孽，也就是说，含看见他父亲赤身并告诉他的兄弟，似乎太过轻微，不至于让他的整个后代都因此受到诅咒。由此明显可知，此处含有奥秘。
这里之所以没有提到“含”，而是提到“迦南”，是因为“含”表示属灵教会中与仁分离之信；这信不能受到诅咒，因为在该教会，信拥有神圣在里面，因真理在那里。尽管没有仁，就没有信，但由于人通过信的认知或知识重生，所以这无仁之信仍可以与仁结合，从而是某种意义上的兄弟，或有可能成为兄弟；这就是为何受到诅咒的是迦南，而不是含。此外，迦南地的居民大多具有这种性质：他们认为一切敬拜都在于外在事物，那里的犹太人和外邦人一样多。这些就是此处所包含的奥秘，若非如此，迦南永远不会替代含。脱离内在敬拜的外在敬拜使自己背离，因而自招诅咒，这一点从以下事实很清楚地看出来，即：那些处于外在敬拜的人只关注世俗、肉体和尘世的东西。因此，他们向下看，将自己的心智和生活沉浸于这些东西；对此，我们稍后将予以详述。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1093. The fact that a curse on Canaan means that outward worship detached from inner worship turns its back on the Lord is established by the symbolism of Canaan and by the symbolism of being cursed. Canaan is outward worship detached from inner, as can be seen from what was said about Canaan earlier [1063, 1077, 1083:4] and also from his being described as cursed. Again, it can be seen from what follows, where he is called a slave of slaves, and where he is called a slave to both Shem and Japheth. This can only mean something detached from genuine religion, as worship consisting only of external forms is.
The meaning is established by the symbolism of being cursed in that being cursed actually means turning one's back. The Lord never curses anyone; he does not even get angry. It is we instead who curse ourselves by turning our backs on the Lord. (For a discussion of this, see what was said and shown above at 223, 245, 592.) The Lord is as far from cursing or being angry at anyone as heaven is from earth. He is all-knowing and all-powerful and rules the universe in wisdom, so he is infinitely above all weakness. How can anyone believe that he would indulge in anger against such wretched dust as we human beings are, who hardly even know what we are doing and on our own can do nothing but evil? For this reason, the Lord never feels anger but only pity.
[2] Even though Ham was the one who saw his father's nakedness and pointed it out to his brothers, it was not he who was cursed but his son Canaan. This alone indicates that the verse involves a hidden meaning. Canaan was not Ham's only child or even his firstborn but his fourth, as Genesis 10:6 below makes clear, where Ham's children are listed as Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. What is more, the divine law was that offspring would not bear their parents' sin, as Ezekiel shows:
The soul that has sinned, that soul shall die. A child shall not carry the wickedness of the parent, nor shall a parent carry the wickedness of the child. (Ezekiel 18:20; Deuteronomy 24:16; 2 Kings 14:6)
Yet another indication is the fact that this sin — seeing his father's nakedness and pointing it out to his brothers — was so mild that it never could have been grounds for cursing his entire posterity. These considerations clarify the fact that the verse contains a hidden meaning.
[3] The reason that not Ham but Canaan is mentioned here is that Ham symbolizes faith detached from neighborly love in a spiritual religion. Such faith cannot be cursed, because in a spiritual religion, faith has a holy quality, since it contains truth. Although it is not faith as long as there is no charity, still, since religious knowledge enables us to regenerate, it can be linked with charity. So in some measure it is a "brother," or at least can become a brother. That is why Canaan was cursed and not Ham.
In addition, most of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan were such that they completely identified worship with outward acts — the Jews there just as much as the non-Jews. These are the secrets hidden in the text; and had it not been for them, Canaan would never have been substituted for Ham.
The fact that outward worship separated from inward turns its back and so brings a curse on itself is sufficiently apparent from the focus of people whose worship is external. They look toward worldly, bodily, and earthly values — downward, that is — and immerse their character and their life in such things. People like this are described just below.
Potts(1905-1910) 1093
1093. Cursed be Canaan. That this signifies that external worship separate from internal averts itself from the Lord, is evident from the signification of "Canaan" and from that of "being cursed." That "Canaan" is external worship separate from internal, is evident from what has been said before about Canaan, and also from his being said to be "cursed" and from what follows about his being a servant of servants; moreover one who is a servant to both Shem and Japheth cannot signify anything else than something that is separated from the church itself, such as is worship in externals alone. This is evident from the signification of being "cursed" as being to avert oneself, because the Lord never curses anyone, nor is even angry; but it is man who curses himself by averting himself from the Lord. (See what was stated and shown above, n. 223, 245, 592.) The Lord is as far from cursing anyone and being angry with him as heaven is from earth. Who can believe that the Lord, who is omniscient and omnipotent, and by His wisdom rules the universe, and is thus infinitely above all infirmities, is angry with such wretched dust as men, who scarcely know anything of what they do, and can of themselves do nothing but evil? It is, therefore, never possible for the Lord to be angry, or be other than merciful. [2] That arcana are here contained, may be seen merely from this, that Ham is not cursed, when yet it was he who saw the nakedness of his father and told it to his brethren, but his son Canaan, who was not his only son nor his firstborn, but the fourth in order, as is evident from the tenth chapter, sixth verse, where the sons of Ham are named: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. It was also of the Divine Law that a son should not bear the iniquity of his father, as is evident in Ezekiel:
The soul that sinneth, it shall die; the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son (18:20; Deut. 24:16; 2 Kings 14:6). The same appears also from the consideration that this iniquity seems so light (that is to say, Ham's seeing the nakedness of his father and telling it to his brethren), that a whole posterity could not be cursed for it. From all this it is evident that there are arcana contained here. [3] That "Ham" is not now named, but "Canaan" is because "Ham" signifies faith separated from charity in the spiritual church; and this cannot be cursed, since in that church there is holiness in faith, because there is truth. Hence although there is no faith when there is no charity, still as man is regenerated by means of the knowledges of faith, this faith without charity may be joined to charity, and thus is in a certain sense a brother, or may become a brother; therefore not Ham but Canaan was cursed. Furthermore, the inhabitants of the land of Canaan were in great part of such a nature that they made all worship consist in externals, the Jews as well as the Gentiles. Such are the arcana here contained, and unless this were so, Canaan would never have been substituted in place of Ham. That external worship separated from internal averts itself and thus curses itself, is sufficiently evident from the consideration that those who are in external worship regard nothing but what is worldly, corporeal, and earthly; thus they look downward, and immerse their minds and their life in these things, of which we shall have more to say presently.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1093
1093. That 'cursed be Canaan' means that external worship separated from internal turned itself away from the Lord is clear from the meaning of 'Canaan' and from the meaning of 'being cursed'. That 'Canaan' is external worship separated from internal is clear from what has been stated already about Canaan, also from his being called 'cursed'; and from what follows about his being 'a slave of slaves'. And being a slave both to Shem and to Japheth cannot mean anything other than something separated from the Church itself, such as worship that is wholly external. This is clear from the meaning of 'being cursed' as turning oneself away, for the Lord in no way curses anybody, or is even angry. Instead it is man who brings the curse upon himself by turning himself away from the Lord. On these points see what has been shown already in 223, 245, 592. The Lord is as far from cursing or being angry with anyone as the sky is from the earth. Who can believe that the Lord, who is all-knowing and all-powerful, who with wisdom rules the universe, and so who is infinitely superior to all [human] weaknesses, is angry with such pitifully worthless dust, that is, with human beings who scarcely know anything of what they do and who of themselves are incapable of anything other than evil? With the Lord therefore anger is never present, only mercy.
[2] That arcana are contained here can be seen merely from the consideration that even though it was Ham who saw his father's nakedness and pointed it out to his brothers, he was not cursed but his son Canaan, who was not his only son nor even the firstborn but the fourth in line, as is clear from Chapter 10:6 later on, where the sons of Ham are mentioned as being Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. It can in addition be seen from the Divine Law that no son was to bear his father's iniquity, as is clear in Ezekiel,
The soul that has sinned will die. The son will not bear the iniquity of the father, nor will the father bear the iniquity of the son. Ezek. 18:20; Deut. 14:16; 2 Kings 14:6.
And the same can also be seen from the consideration that this iniquity of merely seeing his father's nakedness and pointing it out to his brothers seems too slight for all of his descendants ever to have been cursed on that account. From these considerations it is clear that arcana are contained here.
[3] The reason Ham is not mentioned here but Canaan is that Ham means faith separated from charity in the spiritual Church, which cannot be cursed because in that Church faith has holiness present within it because truth is present there. And although there is no faith when there is no charity, it is still possible - since it is by means of the cognitions of faith that a person is regenerated - for separated faith to be allied to charity, and in this way to be in some sense 'a brother' or may become one. This was why Canaan was cursed and not Ham. Furthermore the inhabitants of the land of Canaan were for the most part people such as made all worship consist in external things, the Jews there as much as the gentiles. These are the arcana contained here, but for which Canaan would never have been substituted for Ham. That external worship separated from internal turns itself away and so brings a curse on itself is quite clear from the fact that people whose worship is external have no regard for anything other than worldly, bodily, and earthly things. Thus they look downwards, and immerse their minds (animus) and life in those things; such will be dealt with a little further on.
Latin(1748-1756) 1093
1093. Quod 'maledictus Canaan' significet quod cultus externus separatus ab interno se avertat a Domino, constat a significatione 'Canaanis,' et a significatione 'maledici'; quod 'Canaan' sit cultus externus separatus ab interno, constat ex illis quae prius de Canaane dicta, tum exinde quod 'maledictus' dicatur; et a sequentibus quod sit 'servus servorum'; et utrique tam Shemo quam Japheto servus, quod non aliud potest esse quam separatum quid ab ipsa Ecclesia quale est cultus solus in externis. A significatione 'maledici' quod sit se avertere, nam Dominus nusquam alicui maledicit, ne quidem irascitur, sed homo est qui sibi maledicit per id quod se avertat a Domino, de quibus videantur quae prius dicta et ostensa sunt n. 223, 245, 592; tantum abest ut Dominus alicui maledicat et irascatur, quantum caelum a terra. Quis credere potest quod Dominus, Qui omniscius et omnipotens, et regit sapientia universum, et sic infinite supra omnes infirmitates, irascatur pulveri tam miserabili, hoc est, hominibus qui vix quicquam sciunt quid faciunt et nihil possunt ex se nisi malum? quare apud Dominum nusquam est irasci sed misereri. [2] Quod Hic arcana contineantur, solum ex illo videri potest quod non Ham maledicatur, cum tamen is fuerit qui nuditatem patris sui vidit et indicavit fratribus, sed Canaan filius ejus, qui non fuit unicus ejus nec primogenitus sed ordine quartus, ut constat a cap. seq. x, ubi filii Hami nominantur, Cush, Mizraim, Put, et Canaan, vers. 6, tum quod ex Lege Divina fuerit quod filius non portaret iniquitatem patris, ut constat apud Ezechielem, Anima quae peccavit, illa morietur; filius non portabit iniquitatem patris, nec pater portabit iniquitatem fila, xviii 20; Deut. xxiv 16; 2 Reg. xiv 6;ut et ex eo quod iniquitas haec tam levis videatur, quod nempe solum viderit nuditatem patris et indicaverit fratribus, ut nusquam ideo integra posteritas maledici potuisset; ex quibus constat quod arcana hic contineantur. [3] Quod Ham hic non nominetur sed Canaan, causa est quia 'Ham' significat fidem separatam a charitate in Ecclesia spirituali, quae non maledici potest, quoniam fidei in illa Ecclesia sanctitas inest quia veritas; quae, tametsi non fides est cum non charitas, usque quia per fidei cognitiones regeneratur homo, adjungi potest charitati et sic quadam ratione est 'frater,' aut fieri potest 'frater'; ideo non Ham sed Canaan maledicebatur: praeterea etiam incolae terrae Canaanis quoad multam partem tales fuerunt ut omnem cultum in externis posuerint, aeque Judaei ibi ac gentes; haec arcana sunt quae continentur, quae nisi forent, nusquam Canaan loco Hami substitutus fuisset. Quod cultus externus separatus ab interno se avertat et sic sibi maledicat, constat satis ex eo quod qui in cultu externo sunt, nihil aliud spectent quam mundana, corporea et terrestria, sic deorsum, et iis animum et vitam immergant; de quibus in mox sequentibus.