1195、“麦西”是指记忆知识，这在前面（10:6）已经说明。“路低人、亚拿米人、利哈比人、拿弗土希人”是指如此多仅作为记忆知识术语存在的仪式，这从刚才的阐述清楚可知。那些通过推理探究属灵和属天事物，并由此为自己制造一种敬拜的人就被说成是拥有仅以记忆知识术语存在的仪式。这种敬拜的仪式因源于推理和记忆或事实知识，故被称为记忆知识或事实的仪式，其中没有任何属灵和属天之物，因为它们来源于自我。这就是埃及的偶像和巫术的起源。由于这就是他们仪式的起源，所以他们完全拒绝，甚至厌恶和憎恨古教会的仪式，这从经上的话（创世记43:32；46:34；出埃及记8:26）明显看出来。由于所表示的是这些事物，所以经上说他们是从麦西或埃及，也就是记忆知识生的。还由于他们的记忆知识或事实多种多样，所以源于它们的仪式也多种多样。这些多样性一般由如此多的民族来表示。路低人就表示这类事物，这一点从耶利米书清楚看出来：
埃及像河涨起，水翻腾像江河；他说，我要涨起，我要遮盖这地，我要毁灭城邑和住在其中的。马匹上去吧！车辆狂奔吧！勇士，就是紧握盾牌的古实人和弗人，并握紧拉弓的路德人，都出去吧。（耶利米书46:8-9）
此处“埃及的河”是指多种多样虚假的记忆知识或事实；“涨起遮盖这地”是指通过记忆知识或事实进入构成教会或信仰的事物；“毁灭城邑”是指摧毁真理；“古实人和弗人”是指认知或知识；“路德人”是指前面所说的记忆知识或事实的仪式；“握紧拉弓”是指进行推理。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1195. The fact that Mizraim (Egypt) means secular learning was demonstrated at verse 6 of this chapter. The fact that the Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, mean the respective types of ritual, which are merely secular, can be seen from the remarks directly above.
Ritual that is merely secular is attributed to people who use shallow logic to investigate spiritual and heavenly topics and manufacture a style of worship for themselves out of this. Because the ritual involved in this type of worship develops out of logic and fact, it is called secular. It has nothing spiritual or heavenly inside it, because it comes from human selfhood. This was the source of Egyptian idols and of the magical arts. Since this was the origin of those people's ritual, they completely rejected the rites of the ancient church. In fact they felt disgust and loathing for those rites, as indicated in Genesis 43:32; 46:34; Exodus 8:26. Because these are the things symbolized, those people are said to have been fathered by Mizraim, or Egypt — that is, by secular knowledge. And because they had many different kinds of knowledge, the ritual that sprang from it also came to be of many different types. The general varieties are symbolized by the respective nations.
The fact that the Ludim, or Lydians,{*1} have such a meaning can be seen in Jeremiah:
Egypt rises like a river, and like rivers its waters churn. And it has said, "I will go up; I will blanket the land; I will destroy the city and those living in it." Go up, horses; run mad, chariots; and let your mighty men march out, Cush and Put, as you grasp your shield, and Lydians as you grasp — as you bend — your bow. (Jeremiah 46:8-9)
The rivers of Egypt are different categories of information — false information. Going up and covering the land is using factual information as a means of entry into religious questions, or matters of faith. Destroying the city is destroying true ideas. Cush and Put are religious knowledge. Lydians (the subject here) are rituals that have emerged out of factual knowledge. Grasping and bending a bow is indulging in shallow logic.
Footnotes:
{*1} Lydia was a kingdom in western Asia Minor. [RS]
Potts(1905-1910) 1195
1195. That "Mizraim" or "Egypt" is memory-knowledge, was shown at verse 6 of this chapter. That "Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, and Naphtuhim" are so many rituals which are merely memory-knowledges, is evident from what has just been stated. Those are said to have rituals which are merely memory-knowledges, who explore spiritual and celestial things by means of reasonings, and thereby devise a worship for themselves. The rituals of this worship, being from reasonings and memory-knowledges, are called rituals of memory-knowledge [ritualia scientifica],* wherein there was nothing spiritual and celestial, because they were from themselves. Hence came the idols of Egypt, and its magic. And because their rituals were from this origin, they totally rejected, nay, loathed and hated, the rites of the Ancient Church, as is evident from what is said in Gen. 43:32, 46:34; Exod. 8:22. Because these things are signified, they are said to be begotten of Mizraim, or of Egypt, that is, of memory-knowledges; and as their memory-knowledges were diverse, the derivative rituals also became different. These diversities, in general, are signified by so many nations. That such things are meant by the Ludim, or Lydians, appears in Jeremiah:
Egypt riseth up like the river, and like the rivers the waters are troubled; and he saith, I will rise up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof. Come up, ye horses, and rage, ye chariots, and let the mighty come forth, Cush and Put, that handle the shield, and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow (Jer. 46:8-9). The "rivers of Egypt" here are diverse memory-knowledges which are false; "to go up and cover the earth" is to enter into the things that pertain to the church or to faith by means of memory-knowledges; "to destroy the city" is to destroy truths; "Cush and Put" are knowledges; "the Lydians" are the rituals of memory-knowledge spoken of above; "to handle and bend the bow" is to reason. * These Ritualia scientifica were evidently sacred rites that were so framed as to be the formal expressions of the learning of the nations in question, which learning consisted in a mere memory-knowledge of the correspondences and spiritual truths known in the Ancient Church. It is impossible to render the phrase into satisfactory English without a circumlocution. "Scientific rituals," the usual rendering, is ludicrously misleading. [Reviser.]
Elliott(1983-1999) 1195
1195. That 'Mizraim' or Egypt is knowledge has been shown already at verse 6 of this chapter; that 'Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, and Naphtuhim' are just so many forms of ritual that exist merely as items of knowledge is clear from what has just been stated. People who probe into spiritual and celestial things by means of reasonings and who thereby produce a form of worship for themselves are said to possess forms of ritual that exist merely as items of knowledge. Because the forms of ritual belonging to such worship originate in reasonings and in factual knowledge they are called fact-constituted forms of ritual, which have nothing spiritual or celestial within them because they originate in self. Such was the origin of Egyptian idols and so of magic. And such being the origin of those people's ritual forms they utterly rejected the religious practices of the Ancient Church; indeed they were repelled by them and loathed them, as is clear from Gen 43:32; 46:34; Exod 8:26. Because those things are meant, they are said to be begotten from Mizraim or Egypt, that is, from facts. And because their facts were diversified, so also were the ritual forms originating in them. These diversities in general were meant by just so many nations. That the Ludim or Lydians mean such things is clear from Jeremiah,
Egypt comes up like the river, and like the rivers the waters are tossed about; and he said, I will go up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and those who dwell in it Go up, O horses, and rage, O chariots, and let the mighty men go forth, Cush and Put, that handle the shield, and the Ludim that handle and bend the bow. Jer 46:8, 9.
Here 'the rivers of Egypt' are diverse facts that are false 'Going up and covering the earth' is entering into those things that constitute the Church or faith by means of facts 'Destroying the city' is destroying truths. 'Cush and Put' are cognitions 'The Lydians' are fact-constituted forms of ritual, the subject of the present verse. 'Handling and bending the bow' is engaging in reasoning.
Latin(1748-1756) 1195
1195. Quod 'Mizraim seu Aegyptus' sit scientia ad vers. 6 hujus capitis ostensum est: quod 'Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, et Naphtuhim' sint totidem ritualia quae mere scientifica sunt, constat ex illis quae modo dicta. Ritualia mere scientifica praedicantur de illis qui per ratiocinia explorant spiritualia et caelestia, et inde fingunt sibi cultum; ritualia istius cultus quia ex ratiociniis et scientificis, vocantur ritualia scientifica, in quibus nihil spirituale et caeleste, quia a semet; inde idola Aegyptiaca, et inde magiae; et quia inde eorum ritualia, Ecclesiae Antiquae ritus prorsus rejecerunt, immo nausearunt et odio habuerunt, ut constat ex Gen. xliii 32; xlvi 34; Exod. viii 22; haec quia significantur, dicuntur geniti a Mizraim seu ab Aegypto, hoc est, a scientificis: et quia scientifica eorum fuerunt diversa, ideo quoque ritualia inde diversa facta fuerunt; diversitates in genere significatae sunt per totidem gentes: quod talia per 'Ludim seu Ludios' intelligantur constat apud Jeremiam, Aegyptus sicut flumen ascendit, et sicut flumina commoventur aquae, et dixit, Ascendam, obtegam terram, perdam civitatem, et habitantes in ea; ascendite equi, insanite currus, et egrediantur fortes Cush et Put apprehendentes scutum, et Ludii apprehendentes, tendentes arcum, xlvi 8, 9;ubi 'flumina Aegypti' sunt scientifica diversa quae falsa; 'ascendere et obtegere terram' est per scientifica intrare in illa quae sunt Ecclesiae seu fidei; 'perdere urbem' est destruere vera; 'Cush et Put' sunt cognitiones; 'Ludii' sunt scientifica ritualia, de quibus; 'apprehendere' et tendere arcum' est ratiocinari.