1159、“各随各的舌头、宗族、民族”表示照着各自的性情；“（各随各的）舌头”表示照着各自的思维方式；“（各随各的）宗族”表示照着他们的正直；“（各随各的）民族”表示在总体上信仰和正直这两者方面。这从圣言中“舌头”、“宗族”和“民族”的含义清楚看出来；对此，蒙主的神性怜悯，容后再述。“舌头或语言”在内义上之所以表示一种思维方式或个人信仰，因而表示基本假设和说服，是因为舌头对应于人心智的理解力部分，也就是对应于他的思维，正如结果对应于它的原因。不仅说话时人的思维进入舌头动作的流注是这种情形，而且天堂的流注也是这种情形。对此，我有亲身经历；蒙主的神性怜悯，我将在别处（1638，3741:2，4044，4791，4801节）予以陈述。
“宗族”在内义上表示正直，也表示仁和爱，这一点源于以下事实：属于相爱的一切事物在天堂就像血亲和姻亲关系，因而像宗族（参看685节）。这就是为何在圣言中，属于爱或仁的事物被描述为“家”，以及“宗族”；无需在此停下来证实这一点。“家”就具有这种含义（参看710节）。
“民族” 在此表示总体上信仰和正直这两者，这从圣言中“民族”或“列族”的含义清楚可知。从正面意义上说，“民族”表示新的意愿和理解力的事物，因而表示爱之良善和信之真理。但从反面意义上说，它们表示邪恶和虚假。这同样适用于“家”、“宗族”和“舌头”，这一点可从圣言中的大量经文得以证实。原因在于，上古教会分为单独的家庭、宗族和民族。一对夫妇和他们的子女，外加仆婢就构成一个家庭。许多紧邻的家庭构成一个宗族，而许多宗族则构成一个民族。因此，民族表示作为一个整体合在一起的所有宗族。这同样适用于天堂，只是那里的所有关系都取决于对主的爱和信（参看685节）。
“民族”在内义上的含义由此而来，即：“民族”是一个统称，涵盖了意愿和理解力的事物，或也可说爱和信的事物。然而，它们的含义取决于构成它们的宗族和家庭。关于这个主题，可参看前面的说明（470，471，483节）。由此清楚可知，“民族”表示总体上信仰和正直这两者，“各随各的舌头、宗族、民族”表示照着各人、宗族和民族的性情，他们的敬拜源于古教会。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1159. Each by its tongue, by their clans, in their nations, means each according to its mentality. By its tongue is each according to its way of thinking, by their clans is according to its sense of ethics, and in their nations is in respect to both traits more broadly. This can be seen from the symbolism of tongue, clans, and nations in the Word, as explained below, by the Lord's divine mercy.
On the inner level, a tongue symbolizes a way of thinking, so it symbolizes assumptions and opinions. The reason for the symbolism is that the correlation between our tongue and our intellectual side — that is, our thoughts — is the same as that between an effect and its cause. And not only does a person's thinking flow into the movements of the speaking tongue in this way but heaven does too. The evidence of experience concerning these things will be given elsewhere, the Lord in his divine mercy willing [1638, 3741:2, 4044, 4791, 4801].
[2] The inner-level symbolism of clans as a sense of ethics, and also as charity and love, is due to the fact that all the bonds of mutual love in heaven resemble blood relationships and family ties and so resemble clans. (For more on this see 685.) In the Word, then, things that have to do with love or charity are depicted as households and clans, although there is no need to spend time proving it here. (For this symbolism of households, see 710.)
[3] The symbolism of the nations as both traits more broadly can be seen from the symbolism of a nation or nations in the Word. In a good sense, they symbolize the contents of the will and the intellect when these faculties have been renewed. As a result they symbolize the good effects of love and the true ideas of faith. In the opposite sense, though, they symbolize evil and falsity, as do households, clans, and tongues. These things can be corroborated by many passages in the Word.{*1} The reason for this symbolism is that the earliest church was divided into households, clans, and nations. A household comprised a married couple together with their children and their male and female servants; a clan comprised a number of households that were not too far apart; while nations comprised several clans. So the nations meant all clans taken together, or collectively. The situation in heaven is similar, but all relationships there are determined by people's love for the Lord and faith in him (see 685).
[4] This, then, is why on an inner level the nations symbolize something broader that incorporates attributes of both will and intellect — or aspects of both love and faith, to put it another way — in relation to the clans and households that compose them. (For more on this, see what was said earlier, at 470, 471, 483.)
These things show that the nations symbolize both traits more broadly and that each by its tongue, by their clans, and in their nations means the mentality of every person, clan, and nation that inherited its worship from the ancient church.
Footnotes:
{*1} For corroboration of what "nations" symbolize, see the passages mentioned in 1259, 1261, 1416, and Swedenborg's Revelation Unveiled 282. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 1159
1159. Everyone according to his tongue, according to their families, as to their nations. That this signifies that these were according to the genius of each; "according to their tongue," according to the opinion of each; "according to their families," according to their uprightness; and "as to their nations," as regards both in general, may be seen from the signification of "tongue," of "families," and of "nations," in the Word; concerning which of the Lord's Divine mercy hereafter. That "tongue," or "language," in the internal sense, signifies opinion, thus principles and persuasions, is because there is a correspondence of the tongue with the intellectual part of man, or with his thought, like that of an effect with its cause. Such also is not only the influx of a man's thoughts into the movements of the tongue in speaking, but also the influx of heaven, concerning which some things from experience, by the Divine mercy of the Lord, will be told elsewhere. [2] That "families" in the internal sense signify uprightness, and also charity and love, comes from the fact that in the heavens all things which are of mutual love are circumstanced as are relationships by blood and by marriage, thus as families (see n. 685). In the Word therefore the things which pertain to love or charity are expressed by "houses," and also by "families," which it is unnecessary here to stop to confirm. (That such is the signification of a "house" may be seen at n. 710.) [3] That "nations" here signify both, in general, is evident from the signification of a nation, or nations, in the Word. In a good sense "nations" signify things of the new will and understanding, consequently the goods of love and truths of faith; but in the opposite sense they signify evils and falsities; and in like manner so also do "houses," "families," and "tongues," as may be confirmed by very many passages from the Word. The reason is that the Most Ancient Church was distinguished into houses, families, and nations. A married pair with their children, and their menservants and maidservants, constituted a house; a number of houses that were not far distant from one another constituted a family; and a number of families, a nation. Hence "nations" signified all the families taken together in the aggregate. It is much the same in heaven; but the relation of all there is according to love and faith toward the Lord (see n. 685). [4] From this then comes the signification of "nations" in the internal sense, as a general term comprising things of both the will and the understanding, or what is the same of both love and faith; but relatively to the families and houses of which they are composed. (See also what has been said before concerning this subject, n. 470, 471, 483.) It is evident from these considerations that "nations" signify both [opinion and uprightness] in general; and that "everyone according to his tongue, according to their families, as to their nations," signifies according to the genius of each man, family, and nation, to whom worship was derived from the Ancient Church.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1159
1159. 'Every one according to his tongue, according to their families, as to their nations' means that they were ranged according to the character of each one, 'according to his tongue' meaning according to each one's individual belief, 'according to their families' meaning according to uprightness, 'as to their nations' meaning as to both belief and uprightness in general. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'tongue', and 'families', and 'nations' in the Word, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on. The reason why in the internal sense 'tongue' means individual belief, and so basic assumptions and persuasions, is that the tongue corresponds to the understanding part of man's mind, that is, to his thought, in the way that an effect corresponds to its cause. Such is the case not only with the influx of a person's thoughts into the movements of the tongue in speaking, but also with the influx of heaven, about which something from personal experience will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated elsewhere.
[2] That 'families' in the internal sense means uprightness, as well as charity and love, arises from the fact that all things belonging to mutual love are in the heavens like blood relatives and relatives by marriage, and so are like families, see 685. This is why in the Word things belonging to love or charity are described as 'houses' and also as 'families', points which there is no need to pause over and confirm here. That 'a house' has this meaning, see 710.
[3] That 'nations' means both belief and uprightness in general is clear from the meaning of 'a nation' or 'nations' in the Word. In the good sense nations mean things of the new will and understanding, and so mean the goods of love and the truths of faith. But in the contrary sense evils and falsities are meant. The same applies to houses, families, and tongues, as may be confirmed from very many places in the Word. The reason is that the Most Ancient Church was distinguished into separate houses, families, and nations. A married couple with their children, together with menservants and maidservants, constituted one house. A number of houses in close proximity in turn constituted one family, while a number of families constituted a nation. Consequently nations meant all families taken together as a whole. The same applies in heaven, but all relationships there are determined by love to and faith in the Lord, 685.
[4] This then is how nations come to mean what they do in the internal sense, namely that which is general embracing things both of the will and of the understanding, or what amounts to the same, both the things of love and those of faith. Their meaning however depends on the families and houses of which they consist. For these points, see also what has been stated already in 470, 471, 483 From these considerations it is clear that 'nations' means both belief and uprightness in general, and that 'everyone according to his tongue, according to their families, and as to their nations' means the disposition of each person, family, and nation whose worship was derived from the Ancient Church.
Latin(1748-1756) 1159
1159. Quod 'quaelibet juxta linguam suam, juxta familias suas, quoad gentes suas' significent quod illa secundum cujusvis genium; 'juxta linguam' quod sit juxta opinionem cujusvis; 'juxta familias suas' quod sit juxta probitatem; 'quoad gentes suas' quod sit quoad utrumque in communi: constare potest a significatione 'linguae,' et 'familiarum,' et 'gentium' in Verbo, de quibus ex Divina Domini Misericordia, in sequentibus. Quod 'lingua' significet in sensu interno opinionem, ita principia et persuasiones, causa est quia talis est linguae correspondentia cum intellectuali parte hominis, seu cum ejus cogitatione, qualis est effectus cum sua causa; talis etiam est influxus non solum cogitationum hominis in linguae loquentis motus, sed etiam talis est influxus caeli, de quo aliqua ab experientia, ex Divina Domini Misericordia, alibi. [2] Quod 'familiae' significent in sensu interno probitatem, tum charitatem et amorem, inde venit quia omnia quae amoris mutui sunt, se habent in caelis sicut consanguinitates et affinitates, ita sicut 'familiae,' de quibus videatur n. 685; quare in Verbo illa quae amoris aut charitatis sunt, exprimuntur per 'domos' ut et per 'familias,' quibus confirmandis hic non immorandum; quod 'domus' significet talia, videatur n. 710. [3] Quod 'gentes' significent utrumque in communi, constat ex significatione 'gentis seu gentium' in Verbo; gentes in bono sensu significant voluntaria et intellectualia nova, proinde bona amoris et vera fidei; at in sensu opposito significant mala et falsa; similiter etiam 'domus, familiae, linguae,' quod permultis confirmari potest a Verbo; causa est quia Antiquissima Ecclesia distincta fuit in domos, in familias, et in gentes; domum constituerunt conjuges cum liberis et cum servis et ancillis; familiam constituerunt plures domus quae non longe ab invicem distabant; gentes autem constituerunt plures familiae; inde gentes significabant in uno complexu omnes familias simul; similiter se habet in caelo, sed omnium respectus ibi est quoad amorem et fidem in Dominum, n. 685. [4] Inde nunc significatio 'gentium' in sensu interno, quod sit commune complectens tam voluntaria quam intellectualia, seu quod idem est, tam quae sunt amoris quam quae sunt fidei, respective ad familias et domos ex quibus; de his videantur etiam quae prius n. 470, 471, 483. Ex his constat quod 'gentes' significent utrumque in communi; et quod 'quaelibet juxta linguam suam, juxta familias suas, et quoad gentes suas' significent genium cujusvis hominis, familiae, gentis, ad quam cultus ab Ecclesia Antiqua derivatus est.$@