1140、本章和下一章，直到提及希伯的地方，沿用了上古风格；然而，此处的风格介于虚构历史风格和真实历史风格之间。因为挪亚和他的儿子闪、含、雅弗、迦南在抽象意义上并非表示别的，只表示敬拜方面的古教会，即：闪表示内在敬拜，雅弗表示与内在敬拜相对应的外在敬拜，含表示败坏的内在敬拜，迦南表示脱离内在敬拜的外在敬拜。挪亚和他的儿子们从来不是真实人物，而是如此命名的各种敬拜，因为其它一切不同敬拜形式，也就是一切具体差异都可追溯到它们的基本差异。因此，挪亚一般只表示古教会，它是包含其余所有教会的母教会。事实上，除了希伯和他的后代外，本章出现的名字都表示如此众多的民族；构成古教会的，就是那里的众多民族；该教会广泛分布于迦南地的周边地区。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1140. The mode of the earliest church continues through this chapter and the next up to the mention of Eber, but it is halfway between a made-up story and true history. Noah and his offspring — Shem, Ham, Japheth, and Canaan — did not and do not mean anything but the ancient church in respect to its worship, in the abstract. Specifically, Shem means inner worship; Japheth, outward worship that corresponds to it; Ham, inner worship corrupted; and Canaan, outward worship detached from inner. These particular people never existed. Instead, different kinds of worship were given their names, because all the different forms of worship, or all the specific differences among them, could be reduced to these basic kinds.
Noah, then, simply meant the ancient church in general, embracing all types of worship, as their progenitor.
Still, aside from those of Eber and his descendants, the names in the current chapter mean individual nations, and all of them were nations forming a part of the ancient church. That church was scattered far and wide in the lands surrounding Canaan.
Potts(1905-1910) 1140
1140. In this chapter, and in the following one as far as Eber, the most ancient style is continued; but here it is intermediate between the style of made-up history, and that of true history. For by Noah, and his sons, Shem, Ham, Japheth, and Canaan, nothing else was meant, nor is anything else meant, than the Ancient Church regarded abstractly as to its worship-namely, by "Shem" internal worship, by "Japheth" corresponding external worship, by "Ham" internal worship corrupted, by "Canaan" external worship separated from internal. Such persons never existed; but the kinds of worship were so named because all other different kinds, or all specific differences, could be reduced to these as fundamental ones. By "Noah" therefore was meant merely the Ancient Church in general, as a parent comprehending all. And yet by the names in this chapter, except those of Eber and his posterity, are meant so many nations; and so many nations there were that constituted the Ancient Church; which church was widely spread around the land of Canaan.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1140
1140. This chapter, and the next as far as Eber, continue the most ancient style; yet here it lies between the style of made-up history and that of true history. For by Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, Japheth, and Canaan, nothing else was meant nor is meant than, in the abstracted sense, the Ancient Church as to the varieties of its worship; that is to say, Shem is used to mean internal worship, Japheth to mean external worship corresponding to this, Ham to mean corrupted internal worship, and Canaan to mean external worship separated from internal. Noah and his sons never were actual persons but varieties of worship so named because all other differing forms of worship, that is, every specific difference, could be traced back to them as to the basic differences. Consequently nothing else was meant by Noah than the Ancient Church in general, as the parent incorporating all the rest. Indeed the names in this chapter, apart from Eber and his descendants, are used to mean just so many nations- just so many nations as constituted the Ancient Church, a Church that was spread abroad widely throughout areas surrounding the land of Canaan.
Latin(1748-1756) 1140
1140. In hoc capite et in sequente, usque ad Heberum, continuatur stilus antiquissimus, sed est medius inter stilum historicum factum et stilum historicum verum; nam per Noahum, et ejus filios, Shemum, Hamum, Japhetum, et Canaanem, nihil aliud intellectum fuit nec aliud intelligitur quam abstracte Ecclesia Antiqua quoad cultus ejus; nempe per 'Shemum' cultus internus, per 'Japhetum' cultus externus correspondens, per 'Hamum' cultus internus corruptus, per 'Canaanem' cultus externus separatus ab interno; tales personae nusquam fuerunt; sed nominati sunt ita cultus quia ad illos, ut fundamentales, potuerunt redigi omnes differentes alii seu omnes differentiae in specie: quare per 'Noahum' nec aliud intellectum fuit quam Antiqua Ecclesia in genere, comprehendens sicut parens omnes. At vero per nomina in hoc capite, praeter Heberum et ejus posteritatem, totidem intelliguntur gentes, et totidem gentes fuerunt, quae Antiquam Ecclesiam constituerunt, quae Ecclesia late dispersa fuit circum terram Canaanem.