120、和“埃及”一样，“幼发拉底河”也表示记忆知识，以及这些知识所来自的感官事物。这一点从先知书的圣言明显可知，如弥迦书：
她，我的仇敌，曾说，耶和华你的神在哪里？必有一日，祂要建造你的墙垣。到那日，命令必传到远方。当那日，祂必从亚述来到你这里，到埃及的城邑和大河（幼发拉底河）。（弥迦书7:10–12）
先知就是如此论到主的降临，祂要使人重生，好叫他变得像属天人。耶利米书：
现今你为何在埃及路上要喝西曷的水呢？你为何在亚述路上要喝大河（幼发拉底河）的水呢？（耶利米书2:18）
此处“埃及”和“幼发拉底河”同样表示记忆知识，“亚述”则表示由它们所构筑的理性。诗篇：
你使一棵葡萄树从埃及出来，赶出列族，把这树栽上。你使它的枝子发出，直到大海，使它的蔓子发出，直到大河（幼发拉底河）。（诗篇80:8，11）
在这段经文中，“幼发拉底河”表示感官事物和记忆知识或事实知识。因为幼发拉底河是以色列朝向亚述那一边的领土边界，正如记忆的知识是属灵和属天人的聪明和智慧的边界。向亚伯拉罕所说的话所表相同：
我已将这地赐给你的种，从埃及河直到大河，幼发拉底河或伯拉大河。（创世纪15:18）
这两个边界具有同样的含义。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]120. Like Egypt, the Euphrates symbolizes secular knowledge — facts — and the sensory impressions on which facts are based. The prophetic parts of the Word make this clear, as in Micah:
My enemy has said, "Where is Jehovah your God?" A day will come on which he will build your bulwarks. That is the day the set limit will be far off; that is the day when he will come all the way to you from Assyria, and to the cities of Egypt and to the River [Euphrates].{*1} (Micah 7:10, 11, 12)
This is how the prophets spoke about the Coming of the Lord, who was to regenerate us, so that we would come to be like heaven's inhabitants. In Jeremiah:
Why should you go to Egypt to drink the waters of the Sihor? And why should you go to Assyria to drink the waters of the River [Euphrates]? (Jeremiah 2:18)
Egypt and the Euphrates alike stand for facts, Assyria for rationalizations constructed out of them. In David:
You have caused a grapevine to travel from Egypt; you have driven away the nations; you have planted it. You have sent its offshoots all the way out to the sea, and its tendrils to the River [Euphrates]. (Psalms 80:8, 11)
In this passage the river Euphrates again stands for sensory and factual information. The Euphrates, after all, formed the boundary of Israel's dominions on the Assyrian side.{*2} Similarly for spiritual and heavenly people, facts in the memory are the outer limit of understanding and wisdom.
These words spoken to Abraham have the identical symbolism:
To your seed I will give this land, from the river of Egypt all the way to the great river, the river Euphrates. (Genesis 15:18)
These two boundaries symbolize the same things.
Footnotes:
{*1} This bracketed gloss, and the other two in subsequent quotations in this section, are Swedenborg's. [LHC]
{*2} Swedenborg views the land of Canaan as extending farther than is generally thought. He saw it as stretching to the Euphrates River — presumably on the north rather than the east, since he describes the borders of Canaan as being the Mediterranean, the Nile, the Jordan, and the Euphrates (see, for example, 5196). His reason, as he says at the end of 4454, is that these were considered the borders of Canaan in scriptural times, by the evidence of Genesis 15:18. According to 2 Samuel 8:3-6, David did take land in the area of the Euphrates and place garrisons in Syria. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 120
120. As by "Egypt" so also by "Euphrates" are signified memory-knowledges [scientiae seu scientifica], and also the sensuous things from which these knowledges come. This is evident from the Word in the Prophets, as in Micah:
My she-enemy hath said, Where is Jehovah thy God? The day in which He shall build thy walls [macerias], that day shall the decree be far removed; that day also He shall come even to thee from Asshur, and to the cities of Egypt, and to the river [Euphrates] (Micah 7:10-12). So did the prophets speak concerning the coming of the Lord who should regenerate man so that he might become like the celestial man. In Jeremiah:
What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? Or what hast thou to do in the way of Asshur, to drink the waters of the river [Euphrates]? (Jer. 2:18), where "Egypt" and "Euphrates" likewise signify memory-knowledges, and "Asshur" reasonings thence derived. In David:
Thou hast made a vine to go forth out of Egypt; Thou hast cast out the nations; Thou hast planted her; Thou hast sent out her shoots even to the sea, and her twigs to the river (Euphrates) (Ps. 80:8, 11), where also the "river Euphrates" signifies what is sensuous and of the memory [sensuali et scientifico]. For the Euphrates was the boundary of the dominions of Israel toward Assyria, as the knowledge of the memory is the boundary of the intelligence and wisdom of the spiritual and celestial man. The same is signified by what was said to Abraham:
Unto thy seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates (Gen. 15:18). These two boundaries have a like signification.
Elliott(1983-1999) 120
120. Like Egypt, the Euphrates too means knowledge or facts, and also sensory evidence from which facts are obtained. This is clear from the Word in the Prophets, as in Micah, She, my enemy, said, Where is Jehovah your God? A day on which He will build your walls. On that day what has been determined will be absent afar off. That day also He will come to you from Asshur, and to the cities of Egypt and to the River (the Euphrates) Micah 7:10-12.
The Prophets spoke in this way when referring to the coming of the Lord, who was going to regenerate man so that he would become as a celestial man. In Jeremiah,
What have you to do with the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? And what have you to do with the way to Asshur, to drink the waters of the River (the Euphrates)? Jer 2:18.
Here similarly 'Egypt' and 'the Euphrates' stand for facts, and 'Asshur' for reasonings based on them. In David,
You did cause a vine to journey out of Egypt. You did cast out the nations, You did plant it. You did send out its shoots even to the sea, and its little branches to the River (the Euphrates) Ps 80:8, 11.
Here too 'the river Euphrates' stands for sensory evidence and factual knowledge. Indeed the Euphrates was the boundary to Israel's territories in the direction of Asshur, just as factual knowledge in the memory is the boundary of intelligence and wisdom of the spiritual and celestial man. The same is meant by these words addressed to Abraham,
To your seed I will give this land, from the river of Egypt even to the great river, the river Euphrates. Gen 15:18.
Both of these two boundaries have the same meaning.
Latin(1748-1756) 120
120. Sicut per Aegyptum, etiam per Euphratem, significantur scientiae seu scientifica, ut et sensualia ex quibus scientifica; quod constat a Verbo apud Prophetas, ut apud Micham, Dixit inimica, Ubi Jehovah Deus?...Dies quo aedificabit macerias tuas; dies ille, procul aberit statutum; dies ille et usque ad te veniet ab Asshure, et ad urbes Aegypti, et ad fluvium (Euphratem), vii 10-12;ita locuti sunt de Adventu Domini, Qui regeneraturus hominem ut similis caelesti fiat: apud Jeremiam, Quid tibi ad viam Aegypti ad bibendum aquas Shihoris? et quid tibi ad viam Asshuris, ad bibendum aquas fluvii (Euphratis)? ii, 18;
ubi 'Aegyptus' et 'Euphrates' similiter pro scientificis, 'Asshur' pro ratiociniis inde: apud Davidem, Vitem ex Aegypto proficisci fecisti, expulisti gentes, plantasti illam;...emisisti propagines ejus usque ad mare, et ad fluvium (Euphratem) ramusculos ejus, Ps. lxxx 9, 12 [A.V. 8, 11];
ubi etiam 'fluvius Euphrates' pro sensuali et scientifico. Erat enim Euphrates terminus ad Asshur quousque dominium Israelis, sicut scientificum memoriae est terminus intelligentiae et sapientiae hominis spiritualis et caelestis: idem significatur per haec quae Abrahamo dicta, Semini tuo dabo terram hanc a fluvio Aegypti, usque ad fluvium magnum, fluvium Euphratem, Gen. xv 18;
bini hi termini significant similia.