1096、“耶和华，闪的神是赐福的”表示被赋予那些出于内在事物敬拜主之人的一切良善。这从“赐福”的含义清楚可知。赐福涉及一切良善：属天的、属灵的和属世的。从内在意义上看，“赐福”表示这一切；但从外在意义上看，它表示一切世俗、肉体和尘世的良善。不过，后者若要成为一种赐福，就必须源于内在赐福，唯独这内在赐福才是真正的赐福，因为它是永恒的，与一切幸福相结合，是一切赐福的本质存在。事实上，除了永恒之物外，还有什么东西是真实存在的？其它存在的一切都不再存在。古人习惯说“愿耶和华赐福”，以此表示一切赐福，也就是一切良善皆来自祂。这句话也是感恩主赐福或已赐福他们的一种表达方式，如诗篇（28:6；31:21；41:13；66:20；68:19，35；72:18，19；89:52；119:12；124:6；135:21；144:1等等）。
此处之所以说“耶和华是赐福的”，是因为所论述的主题是闪或内在教会，该教会凭仁爱而被称为内在的。主存在于仁爱中，故在此被称为“耶和华神”。不过，祂在外在教会中不是被如此称呼的；尽管主也存在于其中，但这种同在不同于祂与内在教会成员的同在。因为外在教会成员仍以为他从自己行仁之良善，或说他自己是他所做的仁之善行的源头。因此，当论述的主题是外在教会成员时，主被称为神，如下一节论及雅弗的情形，即：“愿神使雅弗扩张”。一切良善都被赋予那些出于内在事物敬拜主的人，这一点也可从事物的秩序明显看出来。这秩序就是：一切属天事物都来自主，一切属灵事物都来自属天事物，一切属世事物都来自属灵事物。这就是万物产生的秩序，因而是流注的秩序。
属天之物是对主之爱和对邻之爱。哪里没有爱，哪里的联系或链条就断裂，主就不在，因为祂只经由属天之物，也就是经由爱流入。当属天之物不存在时，属灵之物也不可能存在，因为一切属灵之物经由属天之物而来自主。属灵之物是信。因此，信若不经由仁或爱而来自主，就不存在。这同样适用于属世之物。一切良善根据同样的秩序流入。由此可知，那些出于内在事物，也就是出于仁爱敬拜主的人拥有一切良善；而那些不是出于仁爱敬拜主的人则没有良善，只有假冒的良善；这种良善本身是邪恶，如伴随仇恨和通奸的快乐；就本身而言，这种快乐无非是粪便一样的快乐；这就是它在来世变成的样子。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1096. The fact that a blessing on Shem's Jehovah means that everything good comes to those who worship the Lord from deep inside can be seen from the symbolism of being blessed.
A blessing involves every heavenly and spiritual kind of benefit, and every earthly kind as well. These are what a blessing symbolizes in an inner sense. In a shallower sense, it symbolizes every temporal, personal, and worldly kind of benefit; but if these are to be true blessings, they have to stem from an inner blessing. Only an inner blessing really is a blessing, because it is eternal and carries with it a full range of happiness. An inner blessing is the essential reality of any blessing, because what else genuinely exists besides what is eternal? Everything else that exists ceases to exist.
"A blessing on Jehovah!" was a common phrase among the ancients,{*1} and by it they meant that all blessings — everything good, in other words — came from him. It was also a standard way to thank the Lord for his benefits in past and present. The phrase occurs in David, for instance, in Psalms 28:6; 31:21; 41:13; 66:20; 68:19, 35; 72:18-19; 89:52; 119:12; 124:6; 135:21; 144:1; and in other authors.
[2] The exact wording in this verse is "A blessing on Jehovah God" because it has to do with Shem, or the inner church. This church is called an inner one because of its charity. Charity holds within it the presence of the Lord, who is accordingly called Jehovah God here. It is not so in the outer church. In this church the Lord admittedly is present, but not the same way as he is with the people of the inner church. Those who belong to the outer church, you see, still believe that they do the good deeds of charity under their own power, and as a result, the Lord is called "God" when they are the people being spoken of. The next verse, for example, which talks about Japheth, says "May God broaden Japheth!"
The fact that everything good comes to those who worship the Lord from deep inside can also be inferred from the pattern of things. This is the pattern: the Lord is the source of all heavenly traits, heavenly traits are the source of all spiritual traits, and spiritual traits are the source of all earthly traits. This pattern governs the emergence of all things, and it sets the pattern by which those things flow into us.
[3] The heavenly element is love for the Lord and for our neighbor. Where love does not exist, the link is broken and the Lord is not present, since he enters into us only through what is heavenly — that is, through love. When there is no heavenly element, no spiritual element is possible either, because everything spiritual comes from the Lord by way of something heavenly. The spiritual element is faith, so faith is impossible unless it comes from the Lord by way of charity, or love. The same is true of the earthly element.
Everything good flows in according to the same pattern, from which it follows that those who receive it are those who worship the Lord from deep inside, or in other words, from charity. It also follows that people who do not worship him in charity do not receive anything good but the kind of things that merely imitate goodness and are essentially evil. An example is the thrill of hatred and adultery, which, viewed in itself, is no more than a delight in excrement; and this is what it turns into in the other life.
Footnotes:
{*1} The context would suggest that "ancients" here refers to the Jews of the biblical period. Compare a similar use in 1102:2. See also note 1 in 1102 below. [SS]
Potts(1905-1910) 1096
1096. Blessed be Jehovah the God of Shem. That this signifies every good for those who worship the Lord from internals, is evident from the signification of "blessed." Blessing involves every good: celestial, spiritual, and natural; and all these are signified by "blessing" in the internal sense. In the external sense, by "blessing" is signified every worldly, corporeal, and earthly good; but these, if they be a blessing, must necessarily be so from internal blessing; for this alone is blessing, because it is eternal, and is conjoined with every felicity, and is the very being of blessings. For what really is, unless it is eternal? Every other being ceases to be. It was customary among the ancients to say, "Blessed be Jehovah;" by which they meant that from Him is every blessing, that is, every good; and the same was also a formula of thanksgiving because the Lord blesses, and has blessed; as in David (Ps. 28:6; 31:21; 41:13; 66:20; 68:19, 35; 72:18, 19; 89:52; 119:12; 124:6; 135:21; 144:1; and many other places). [2] "Blessed be Jehovah" is said here because Shem, or the internal church, is the subject that is being treated of, which church is said to be internal, from charity. In charity the Lord is present, who is here called "Jehovah God." But He is not so called in the external church, for although the Lord is present in it, He is not present as He is in the man of the internal church. For the man of the external church still believes that he does the goods of charity from himself, and therefore when the subject treated of is the man of the external church, the Lord is called "God" as in the following verse concerning Japheth: "God shall enlarge Japheth." That every good is the portion of those who worship the Lord from internals, is evident also from the order of things; for the order is this: from the Lord is everything celestial, from the celestial is everything spiritual, from the spiritual is everything natural. This is the order of the coming forth of all things, and therefore it is the order of influx. [3] The celestial is love to the Lord and toward the neighbor. Where there is no love, the connection is broken, and the Lord is not present, who flows in solely through the celestial, that is, through love. When there is no celestial, there cannot possibly be any spiritual, because everything spiritual is through the celestial from the Lord. The spiritual is faith, and therefore there is no faith except through charity, or love, from the Lord. It is similar with the natural. According to this same order do all goods flow in; from which it follows that those have every good who worship the Lord from internals, that is, from charity; whereas those who do not worship Him from charity have no good, save such as counterfeits what is good, but in itself is evil, such as the delight of hatreds and adulteries, which regarded in itself is nothing but an excrementitious delight, into which also it is turned in the other life.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1096
1096. That 'blessed be Jehovah, [God] of Shem' means every good imparted to those who worship the Lord from things that are internal becomes clear from the meaning of 'blessed'. Blessing entails every good - celestial and spiritual, and natural as well. All these are meant in the internal sense by blessing, while in the external sense it means all worldly, bodily, and earthly good. But if the latter are to be a blessing, it is vital that they derive from internal blessing, for this alone is real blessing since it is eternal and is joined with all happiness. It is the Essential Being (Esse) of all blessings. For what has Being apart from that which is eternal? Everything else that has being is non-eternal. In early times it was customary to say 'Blessed be Jehovah', by which people meant that every blessing, that is, all good, flows from Him. It was also a way of expressing thanks for the Lord's blessing or having blessed them, as in David, Ps 28:6; 71:21; 41:13; 66:20; 68:19, 35; 72:18, 19; 89:52; 119:12; 124:6; 135:21; 144:1, and in other places besides these.
[2] The expression 'blessed be Jehovah God' is used because Shem, or the internal Church, is the subject That Church is called an internal Church by virtue of charity. It is in charity that the Lord is present, Who is therefore called 'Jehovah God' here. But He is not called this in the external Church, for although the Lord is present there, that presence is not the same as with the member of the internal Church The member of the external Church still believes that he himself is the source of the good deeds of charity which he performs. Consequently when the subject is the member of the external Church the Lord is called God, as He is in the next verse in reference to Japheth - 'God enlarge Japheth'. That every good imparted to those who worship the Lord from things that are internal is meant becomes clear also from the order of things. The order is this: From the Lord comes everything celestial, from the celestial comes everything spiritual, from the spiritual comes everything natural. Such is the order by which all things are brought into being, and therefore is the order belonging to influx.
[3] That which is celestial is love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour. Where there is no love, the chain is broken and the Lord not present For He flows in solely by way of that which is celestial, that is, by way of love. When that which is celestial does not exist, that which is spiritual cannot either, for everything spiritual comes from the Lord by way of the celestial. That which is spiritual is faith. Consequently faith does not exist unless it comes from the Lord by way of charity or love. And the same applies to the natural. It is according to this same order that all goods flow in. From this it follows that every good is imparted to those who worship the Lord from things that are internal, that is, from charity. But to those who do not do so from charity no good is imparted, but only an imitation of good which is in itself evil, as the delight accompanying hatred and adultery, which regarded in itself is an absolutely foul delight, into which it is also converted in the next life.
Latin(1748-1756) 1096
1096. Quod 'benedictus Jehovah [Deus] Shemi' significet omne bonum illis qui ab internis colunt Dominum, constare potest a significatione 'benedictus': benedictio involvit omne bonum caeleste et spirituale, tum quoque naturale, quae significantur per benedictionem in sensu interno; et in sensu externo per benedictionem significatur omne bonum mundanum, corporeum et terrestre; sed haec, si benedictio sint, necessario erunt a benedictione interna, nam haec solum est benedictio, quia est aeterna et cum omni felicitate conjuncta, estque ipsum Esse benedictionum, nam quid Est nisi aeternum? omne aliud esse desinit esse: antiquis sollemne fuit dicere 'Benedictus Jehovah,' quo intelligebant quod ab Ipso omnis benedictio, hoc est, omne bonum, ac erat quoque formula gratiarum actionis quod Dominus benedicat et quod benedixerit, ut apud Davidem, Ps. xxviii 6; xxxi 22 [A.V. 21]; xli 14 [A.V. 13]; lxvi 20; lxviii 20, 36 [A.V. 19, 35]; lxxii 18, 19; lxxxix 53 [A.V. 52]; cxix 12; cxxiv 6; cxxxv 21; cxliv 1; praeter apud alios. [2] Benedictus Jehovah Deus hic dicitur quia de 'Shemo' seu interna Ecclesia; quae Ecclesia dicitur interna ex charitate; in charitate est Dominus praesens, Qui hic ideo 'Jehovah Deus appellatur; at vero in Ecclesia externa non ita, in qua tametsi Dominus est praesens, usque tamen non sicut in homine Ecclesiae internae; nam homo Ecclesiae externae usque credit quod bona charitatis faciat ex semet; quare cum agitur de homine Ecclesiae externae, tunc Dominus appellatur 'Deus,' ut in sequente versu de Japheto, 'dilatet Deus Japhetum.' Quod omne bonum illis qui ab internis colunt Dominum, constare potest etiam ab ordine rerum; hic enim ordo est, a Domino est omne caeleste, a caelesti est omne spirituale, a spirituali est omne naturale, hic est ordo existentiae omnium, inde est ordo influxus; [3] caeleste est amor in Dominum et erga proximum; ubi nullus amor, ibi copula est rupta et Dominus non praesens, Qui unice influit per caeleste, hoc est, per amorem; cum non caeleste, tunc nec dari potest spirituale, quia omne spirituale est per caeleste a Domino; spirituale est fides, quare nulla fides nisi per charitatem seu amorem a Domino; similiter se habet cum naturali; secundum eundem ordinem influunt omnia bona; inde sequitur quod illis omne bonum qui ab internis, hoc est, a charitate colunt Dominum; at qui non a charitate, quod illis non bonum, solum tale quod mentitur bonum, et in se est malum, sicut jucundum odiorum et adulteriorum, quod in se spectatum nusquam est nisi jucundum excrementitium, in quod etiam in altera vita vertitur.