1153、“歌篾的儿子”也表示那些拥有外在敬拜的人，但这种外在敬拜是从歌篾这个民族所采用的那种敬拜中发展出来的，这从前面关于“儿子”含义的阐述和说明，以及以下事实可推知：歌篾是那些拥有与内在敬拜相对应的外在敬拜的民族之一。前一节提到了七个实行这种敬拜的民族；此处又提到七个民族，它们被称为“歌篾和雅完的儿子”。但它们之间的具体差别是无法描述的，因为此处只提到它们的名字。但先知书在具体论述教会的这种或那种敬拜的地方，都会阐明不同之处。一般来说，外在敬拜，以及内在敬拜的所有差别，都取决于敬拜中对主的爱慕；而爱慕又取决于对主之爱和对邻之爱。因为主在爱里面同在，并由此在敬拜里面同在。因此，在此处所提到的这些民族当中的敬拜，其差别取决于主在里面同在的性质。
为了更清楚地解释敬拜如何不同，以及它在各个民族当中的古教会中如何不同，需要知道以下几点：一切真敬拜都在于对主的爱慕；对主的爱慕则在于谦卑；而谦卑在于人承认自己里面没有活物和善物，他里面的一切都是死的，甚至如死尸一般；谦卑还在于承认一切活物和和善物都来自主。人越发自内心，而不是口头承认这几点，就越谦卑；因而越爱慕，即拥有真正的敬拜，也越处于爱和仁，因而越幸福。第一点包含第二点，它们如此联结在一起，以至于不可分割。由此明显可知敬拜的这些差别及其性质是什么。
此处提到的这些被称为“歌篾和雅完的儿子”的人是指那些也拥有与内在敬拜相对应的外在敬拜的人，但他们距离前一节所提到的那些人稍微远一些。这也是为何他们被称为“儿子”。一代又一代的下降或衍生在此从内层发展到外层。人变得越感官化，他的敬拜就变得越外层，因而离对主的真敬拜就越远。因为它越关注世界、肉体和尘世，就越不关注灵，因而就变得越远。这些被称为“歌篾和雅完的儿子”的人因更感官化，故甚至比他们所谓的父母和亲属更将敬拜集中于外在事物。因此，他们在此构成第二类。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1153. The sons of Gomer also symbolize people who engaged in outward worship, but in a form of it that developed out of the kind adopted by the nation of Gomer. This follows from several previous statements and explanations regarding the symbolism of sons{*1} and from the fact that Gomer is one of the nations that engaged in external worship corresponding to internal.
The previous verse names seven nations that practiced this kind of worship; the present verse names seven more, which are called sons of Gomer and Javan. The precise difference between one nation and another cannot be described, because only their names appear here. The prophets, though, where they deal specifically with this or that type of worship in the church, can clarify the differences.
Speaking generally, all differences in outward worship (and in inward worship too) mirror the reverence for the Lord offered in worship; and reverence depends on love for him and love for one's neighbor. The Lord is present in love and so in worship. Accordingly, differences in worship among the nations mentioned reflected the same factors.
[2] To make it still clearer how worship differs, and how it differed among the various nations in the ancient church, the following needs to be known: All genuine worship consists in reverence for the Lord, reverence for the Lord consists in humility, and humility consists in admitting the truth about ourselves. That truth is that there is nothing living and nothing good inside ourselves, that everything inside us is dead and even cadaverous. It also consists in acknowledging that the Lord is the source of everything living and everything good. The more we acknowledge this with our hearts rather than our lips, the more humble we will be. The humbler we are, the more reverence we will have (or in other words, the more truly we will worship), the more love and charity we will feel, and the happier we will be. Each consequence contains the next, and they are tied so tightly together that they cannot be separated. This indicates what the identity and quality of differences in worship are.
[3] The people named here as Gomer's and Javan's sons also engaged in outward worship corresponding to inward (although it was somewhat further removed [from inward worship] than among the people mentioned in the last verse). So the people referred to in the current verse are called sons too. As the generations — or the stages of development — descend in order, they move from deeper to shallower. The more people depend on their senses, the more superficial they become and consequently the more remote from genuine worship of the Lord. The more our worship partakes of the world, the body, and the earth, the less it partakes of the spirit, and the more distant it is [from true worship].
The people in this verse were called Gomer's and Javan's sons because they focused more on the senses, and for this reason they identified worship with the outward show of it even more strongly than their "parents" or "cousins" did. So they constitute another category here.
Footnotes:
{*1} For the symbolism of sons, see 570 and the passages cited at the end of 1147. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 1153
1153. And the sons of Gomer. That by these also are signified those who had external worship, but derived from that which existed in the nation Gomer, follows from what has been said and shown before concerning the signification of "sons;" and also from the fact that Gomer was one of those nations that had external worship corresponding to internal. There were seven nations named in the foregoing verse which were in such worship. Here again are seven nations, which are called "sons of Gomer" and "of Javan;" but what were the specific differences between them cannot be told, because here they are merely mentioned. But in the Prophets, where this and that worship of the church is treated of specifically, the differences can be distinguished. In general, all the diversities of external, as also of internal worship, are according to the adoration of the Lord in the worship; and the adoration is according to the love to the Lord and the love toward the neighbor. For the Lord is present in love, and thereby in worship; the differences of worship therefore among the nations here mentioned were of this nature. [2] That it may be still more clearly explained how the case is in respect to diversities of worship, and how it was with the various nations in the Ancient Church, let it be known that all true worship consists in adoration of the Lord, adoration of the Lord in humiliation, and humiliation in one's acknowledgment that in himself there is nothing living, and nothing good, but that all within him is dead, yea, cadaverous; and in the acknowledgment that everything living and everything good is from the Lord. The more a man acknowledges these things, not with the mouth, but with the heart, the more he is in humiliation; and consequently the more he is in adoration, that is, in true worship, and the more he is in love and charity, and the more in happiness. The one is in the other, so conjoined as to be inseparable. From this it is evident what and of what nature are these differences of worship. [3] Those here spoken of, called "sons of Gomer and Javan," are those who also had external worship corresponding to internal, but somewhat more remote than those who were named in the preceding verse. For this reason they are called "sons." The generations successively descending, or the derivations, here proceed from the interior toward the exterior. The more sensuous a man becomes, the more exterior his worship becomes, and consequently the more remote from the true worship of the Lord; for it partakes more of the world, of the body, and of the earth, and less of the spirit; and therefore it is more remote. These, who are called "sons of Gomer and Javan," being more sensuous, made worship still more to consist in externals than did their so-called parents and kindred. They therefore here constitute a second class.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1153
1153. That 'the sons of Gomer' also means those who possessed external worship, but an external worship derived from that which existed with the nation Gomer, follows from what has been stated and shown several times already about the meaning of 'sons', as well as from the fact that Gomer is one of those nations which possessed external worship corresponding to internal. Seven nations which possessed such worship are mentioned by name in the previous verse, and seven again, called 'the sons of Gomer and of Javan', in this. The specific differences however between one nation and another cannot be stated, as only their names are given here. In the Prophets however when the subject is specifically this or that type of Church-worship the differences can be established. In general all variations of external worship, as also of internal, arise according to the adoration of the Lord in the worship, and the adoration is according to the love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour that exist there. For it is within love that the Lord is present, and thus within worship. The differences of worship therefore existing among the nations mentioned here depend on the nature of His presence within.
[2] To make it easier to talk about how types of worship differ and how they did so in the Ancient Church among various nations, let it be realized that all true worship consists in adoration of the Lord. Adoration of the Lord consists in being humble; and being humble consists in the self-acknowledgement that with oneself there is nothing living and nothing good, but that with oneself everything is dead, indeed corpse-like. Being humble also consists in the acknowledgement that everything living and everything good come from the Lord. The more a person acknowledges these things not just with the lips but in his heart, the more humility he has; and consequently the more adoration - which is true worship - and the more love and charity, and the more happiness. The first contains the second, and they are so linked together as to be inseparable. This shows what these differences of worship are and the nature of them.
[3] Those who are mentioned here and are called 'the sons of Gomer and of Javan' are people who likewise possessed external worship corresponding to internal, but it was somewhat more remote than that of the people mentioned in the previous verse. This also is why they are called 'sons'. Generations descending one after another, or derivatives, here progress from what is interior towards things that are exterior. The more someone relies on the senses, the more exterior he becomes, and consequently becomes further removed from true worship of the Lord. For when it is more concerned with the world, the body, and the earth, and less with the spirit, it consequently becomes more remote. Because these people called the sons of Gomer and of Javan relied more on the senses, they focused worship even more on external things than those referred to as their parents and cousins had done. Consequently they form a second group here.
Latin(1748-1756) 1153
1153. Quod per 'filios Gomer' significentur etiam illi qui externum cultum habuerunt, sed derivatum ab illo qui fuit apud gentem Gomer, sequitur ex illis quae prius aliquoties dicta et ostensa sunt de significatione 'filiorum'; tum ex eo quod Gomer sit una gens inter illas quae cultum externum correspondentem interno habuit: septem gentes in priore versu nominantur quae in tali cultu fuerunt, hic iterum septem gentes quae 'filii Gomeri et Javanis' vocantur: quae autem differentia specifica fuit inter unam et alteram, non dici potest, quia hic solum nominantur; apud Prophetas autem ubi in specie de hoc et illo cultu Ecclesiae agitur, differentiae constare possunt: in genere omnes differentiae cultus externi, sicut etiam interni, se habent secundum adorationem Domini in cultu, et adoratio se habet secundum amorem in Dominum et amorem erga proximum; nam in amore est Dominus praesens, ita in cultu, cujus ideo differentiae apud has gentes quae nominantur, se ita habuerunt: [2] ut adhuc clarius dicatur quomodo differentiae cultus se habent et quomodo se in Ecclesia Antiqua apud varias gentes habuerunt, sciendum quod omnis verus cultus consistat in adoratione Domini; adoratio Domini in humiliatione; humiliatio in sui agnitione quod apud se nihil vivum et nihil bonum, sed quod apud se omne sit mortuum, immo cadaverosum; et in agnitione quod a Domino omne vivum et omne bonum; quo plus homo haec agnoscit, non ore sed corde, eo plus est in humiliatione, proinde eo plus in adoratione, hoc est, in vero cultu; et eo plus est in amore et charitate, et eo plus est in felicitate; in uno est alterum, ita conjuncta ut inseparabilia; inde quae et quales differentiae cultus sint, constare potest. [3]Qui hic nominantur et appellantur 'filii Gomeri et Javanis,' sunt illi qui etiam cultum externum correspondentem interno habuerunt, sed aliquanto remotiorem quam illi qui in versu praecedente nominati; ideo etiam vocantur 'filii'; generationes successive descendentes seu derivationes hic procedunt ab interiore versus exteriora; quo magis sensualis fit homo, eo magis exterior, proinde remotior fit a vero cultu Domini; nam magis participat de mundo, corpore et terra, et minus de spiritu, inde remotior; hi, quia 'filii Gomeri et Javanis' dicuntur, quia magis sensuales, in externis adhuc magis cultum posuerunt quam parentes ita dicti et patrueles, quare hic alteram classem constituunt.