1258、“各族就从这些宗族散布在地上”表示教会的一切敬拜，无论涉及良善的，还是涉及邪恶的（这些良善或邪恶由“各族”来表示），都来自他们。这从“民族”的含义清楚可知，如前所述（470，1159:3节），一个民族是指聚集在一起的许多宗族或家族。因为在上古教会和古教会，承认同一个祖先的许多宗族或家族构成一个民族。至于“民族”在内义上表示教会的敬拜，尤其涉及敬拜中的良善或邪恶，情况是这样：天使在看到宗族和民族时，从来不会想到一个民族，而只想到其中的敬拜。因为天使从真正的性质或品质本身，也就是从他们是哪种人的角度来看待一切。天堂根据一个人的性质或品质来看待他，这性质或品质就是他的仁和信。谁都很容易理解这一点，只要他认真想一想，当他看待任何人，任何宗族或家族，任何民族时，主要想到的是他们的品质；每个人都是出于当时在他里面占主导地位的东西来看待的。对他们品质的概念或形象会立刻进入脑海，他出于这种概念或形象在自己里面评估他们。这更适用于主，并从主适用于天使；天使只从仁和信方面的品质来看待一个人、一个宗族或家族和一个民族。这就是为何“民族”在内义上只表示教会的敬拜，尤其涉及该敬拜的品质，也就是仁之良善和由此衍生的信之真理。当“民族”这个词在圣言中出现时，天使根本不会照字面上的历史意义停留在“民族”这个概念上，而是停留在与所提到的这个民族同在的良善和真理的概念上。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1258. From them the nations scattered in the land means that this was the origin of all the varieties of worship in the church, with both their good and their bad aspects, and these are symbolized by the nations, as can be seen from the symbolism of nations.
As noted before [470, 1159:3], a nation means many clans taken together. A large number of clans acknowledging a single father made up one nation in the earliest church and in the ancient church. Yet in an inner sense nations symbolize different kinds of worship in the church, specifically its good and its bad aspects, and this is why: When angels look at clans and nations, they form no picture of a nation but only of the worship that the nation practices. They regard all people in terms of their true nature or quality, and the nature or quality in us from which heaven views us is charity and faith.
You can see this clearly by looking carefully at the way you view any individual, clan, or nation. Chances are that you evaluate others in terms of what is most important to you personally at the time, and the first thing that springs to mind is your assessment of their character [in that regard], which determines your private reflections on them. This is still more true of the Lord and from him of the angels. They cannot consider any individual, clan, or race except in terms of its charity and faith. So on an inner level, what nations mean is worship in the church, and specifically its quality — that is, the good embraced by charity and the truth espoused by the faith that comes of charity. When the word nations occurs in the Word, angels never linger over the idea of a nation, as the literal meaning of the narrative would have them do, but over the idea of the goodness and truth in the nation mentioned.
Potts(1905-1910) 1258
1258. And from these were spread abroad the nations in the earth. That this signifies that from them came all the worships of the church in respect to goods and evils, and that these are meant by the "nations," is evident from the signification of "nations." By a nation, as has been explained before, are meant many families together. In the Most Ancient and in the Ancient Church, the many families which acknowledged one father constituted one nation. But as to "nations" signifying in the internal sense the worships of the church, and this in respect to the goods or evils in the worship, the case is this: when families and nations are viewed by the angels, they have no idea of a nation, but only of the worship in it; for they regard all from the quality itself, that is, from what they are. The quality or character of a man, from which he is regarded in heaven, is his charity and faith. This anyone may clearly apprehend if he considers that when he looks at any man, or any family, or nation, he thinks for the most part of what quality they are, everyone from that which is dominant in himself at the time. The idea of their quality comes instantly to mind, and in himself he estimates them from that. Still more is this the case with the Lord; and, from Him, with the angels, who cannot but regard a man, a family, and a nation, from their quality in respect to charity and faith. And hence it is that in the internal sense by "nations" nothing else is signified than the worship of the church, and this in respect to its quality, which is the good of charity and the derivative truth of faith. When the term "nations" occurs in the Word, the angels do not abide at all in the idea of a nation, in accordance with the historical sense of the letter, but in the idea of the good and truth in the nation that is named.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1258
1258. That 'from these the nations on the earth were spread abroad' means that in these all the forms of that Church's worship took rise, all forms that entailed goods and those that entailed evils, and that these goods or evils are meant by 'the nations', is clear from the meaning of 'nations'. As stated already, nation is used to mean a number of families grouped together, for a number of families that recognized the same father made up one nation in the Most Ancient and Ancient Churches. But with regard to 'nations' in the internal sense meaning forms of the Church's worship, and in particular as to the goods or the evils entering into that worship, the situation is that when angels contemplate families and nations they never envisage a nation, but only the worship existing with it. For they contemplate all from the point of view of essential character, that is, what kind of people they are. The essential character or quality of a person from which heaven contemplates him is charity and faith. This any person may easily grasp if he considers that when he contemplates any individual, or any family, or any nation, he is thinking mainly of their character, each person doing so from that which rules in him at the time. A mental image of their character instantly comes to mind, and it is from this image that he considers them. This applies even more to the Lord, and from Him to the angels, who are incapable of contemplating a person, family, or nation except from the point of view of their character as regards charity and faith. This is why in the internal sense 'nations' means nothing other than the Church's worship, and indeed as regards the essential character of that worship, which is good stemming from charity and the truth of faith from this. When the expression 'nations' occurs in the Word, angels never dwell on the idea of a nation in accordance with the historical sense of the letter, but on the idea of the good and truth present with the nation that is mentioned.
Latin(1748-1756) 1258
1258. Quod 'ab illis dispersae sint gentes in terra' significent quod inde omnes cultus Ecclesiae quoad bona aut mala, {1}quod haec significentur per 'gentes' constat a significatione gentium: per gentem intellectae sunt, ut prius dictum, plures familiae simul; plures familiae quae unum agnoscebant patrem, faciebant unam gentem in Antiquissima et Antiqua Ecclesia; sed quod in interno sensu 'gentes' significent cultus Ecclesiae, et quidem quoad bona aut mala in cultu, ita se res habet: cum familiae et gentes spectantur ab angelis, nusquam habent ideam gentis sed modo ideam cultus apud eam; spectant enim omnes ex ipsa qualitate, seu ex eorum quali; qualitas seu quale hominis ex quo spectatur in caelo, est charitas et fides: hoc manifeste capi potest ab unoquovis, si attendat, cum aliquem hominem, aut aliquam familiam, aut aliquam gentem spectat; utplurimum cogitat quales sunt, quisque ab eo quod apud eum tunc regnat, idea qualitatis eorum ilico obvenit, et exinde apud se considerat eos; magis adhuc Dominus, et ab Ipso angeli, non spectare possunt hominem, familiam, et gentem, quam a quali eorum quoad charitatem et fidem, inde in sensu interno per 'gentes' nihil aliud significatur quam cultus Ecclesiae, et quidem quoad ejus quale, quod est bonum charitatis et verum fidei inde; quando vox gentium in Verbo occurrit, angeli nusquam manent in idea gentis, secundum sensum litterae historicum, sed in idea boni et veri apud gentem quae nominatur. @1 Perhaps et has been omitted here.$