1306、“一座塔”表示自我崇拜，这从“塔”的含义清楚可知。当人将自己置于他人之上，甚至到了被崇拜的地步时，自我崇拜就产生了。因此，自我之爱，也就是骄傲和傲慢，被称为“高大”、“崇高”、“抬高”，凡高大之物，都用来描述它，如以赛亚书：
到那日，人高傲的眼目必降卑，人的崇高必降低，惟独耶和华被尊崇。因为万军之耶和华的日子必临到一切骄傲高大的人和一切被抬高的人；他们都必降为卑；又临到黎巴嫩一切高大和抬高的香柏树，并巴珊一切的橡树；又临到一切高山和一切抬高的山冈；又临到一切高塔和一切坚固的城墙。（以赛亚书2:11-18）
这论及自我之爱，它被描述为高大和抬高的“香柏树”、“橡树”、“高山”、“山冈”和“高塔”。
同一先知书：
在大行杀戮的日子，高塔倒塌的时候，必有河沟流水。（以赛亚书30:25）
此处“塔”同样表示自我之爱和敬拜中的自我抬高。又：
看哪，迦勒底人的地！这民已不在；亚述在tziim（译注：或tsiyim，其含义不确定，史威登堡认为它们是某种鸟）中间发现这地；他们要筑起他们的瞭望塔，抬高他们的宫殿；他（亚述）必使它成为一片废墟。（以赛亚书23:13）
这论及推罗及其荒废；“瞭望塔”是一个不同于“塔”的词，表示由此产生的幻想。以西结书：
我必使许多民族上来攻击推罗，他们必破坏推罗的墙垣，拆毁它的塔楼；我也要刮净它的尘土，使它成为光滑的磐石。（以西结书26:3-4）
此处“塔”具有同样的含义。
敬拜中的自我之爱或自我崇拜之所以被称为“一座塔”，是因为“一座城”表示一种教义，如前所示（402节），以前的城建塔来防御，塔中有守望者。边境也有塔，塔因此被称为“守望者的塔”（列王纪下9:17；17:9；18:8）和“瞭望塔”（以赛亚书23:13）。此外，当主的教会被比作“葡萄园”时，那些属于敬拜和对它的保护的事物就被比作“榨酒池”和“葡萄园中的塔楼”，这明显可见于以赛亚书（5:1，2），马太福音（21:33）和马可福音（12:1）。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1306. The fact that a tower is self-worship can be seen from the symbolism of a tower. Self-worship exists when we set ourselves up above others, so much so that we seek to be worshiped. As a result, self-love — which is conceit and pride — is called height, loftiness, and elevation, and it is depicted by anything that is high up, as in Isaiah:
The eyes of human pride will lower, and the loftiness of men will sink, and Jehovah alone will be exalted on that day. For the day of Jehovah Sabaoth will come over all the proud and lofty and over all the haughty (and they will be brought down) and over all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lifted up, and over all the oaks of Bashan, and over all the lofty mountains, and over all the tall hills, and over every high tower, and over every fortified wall. (Isaiah 2:11-18)
The theme here is self-love, which is portrayed by cedars, oaks, mountains, hills, and a tower, which are tall and lofty.
[2] In the same author:
There will be brooks, channels of water, on the day of great slaughter, when towers fall. (Isaiah 30:25)
Again it stands for self-love and for mixing conceit with worship. In the same author:
Look: the land of the Chaldeans! This people was not.{*1} Assyria founded [the land] among tsiyim.{*2} They will erect their spy towers; [the Chaldeans] will raise up their palaces; [Assyria] will make it a ruin. (Isaiah 23:13)
This is about Tyre and its destruction. The spy towers — for which a different [Hebrew] word is being used{*3} — stand for the illusions that come from there. In Ezekiel:
I will bring many nations up against Tyre, and they will destroy Tyre's walls and demolish its towers, and I will remove its dirt from it and make it as dry as a rock. (Ezekiel 26:3-4)
The meaning is similar.
[3] The reason self-love within worship (that is, self-worship) is called a tower is that a city symbolizes doctrine, as shown earlier (402), and towers patrolled by guards once formed the defenses of a city. Towers also dotted the borders and were accordingly called watchtowers (2 Kings 9:17; 17:9; 18:8) and spy towers (Isaiah 23:13). In addition, when the Lord's church is compared to a vineyard, different facets of worship and of its preservation are compared to a winepress and to a tower in the vineyard, as can be seen in Isaiah 5:1-2; Matthew 21:33; Mark 12:1.
Footnotes:
{*1} "Was not" is a Hebraism (לֹא הָיָה [lō hāyā]) suggesting that the people disappeared. At 1368:1, Swedenborg interprets the phrase as meaning that the people were not a people. [LHC]
{*2} Tsiyim is a transliteration of a plural Hebrew word (צִיִּים [ṣîyyîm]) whose meaning is uncertain. Although scholars today take them to be some kind of animal, Swedenborg took them to be some kind of bird (Marriage Love 430). Here as often elsewhere Swedenborg transliterates the word rather than translating it. [LHC]
{*3} Swedenborg is making a distinction between two terms for tower because they are different in Hebrew. To preserve this distinction, one (מִגְדָּל [miḡdāl]) is here translated "tower" (turris in Latin) and the other (בַּחוּנֵי [baḥûnê]) is translated "spy tower" (turris speculatoria in Latin). [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 1306
1306. That "a tower" is the worship of self, is evident from the signification of "a tower." The worship of self exists when a man exalts himself above others even to the point of being worshiped. And therefore the love of self, which is arrogance and pride, is called "height," "loftiness," and "being lifted up;" and is described by all things that are high. As in Isaiah:
The eyes of man's pride shall be humbled, and the loftiness of men shall be brought low, and Jehovah Himself alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of Jehovah of Armies is upon everyone proud and high and upon everyone that is lifted up, and he shall be humbled; and upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan; and upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every lofty tower, and upon every fenced wall (Isa. 2:11-18);
concerning the love of self, which is described by the "cedars," "oaks," "mountains," "hills," and "tower" that are "high" and "lifted up." [2] Again:
There shall be rivers, streams of waters, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers shall fall (Isa. 30:25);
in like manner denoting the love of self, and the exalting of self in worship. And again:
Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not; Asshur hath founded it in tziim; they will set up their watchtowers, they will raise up their palaces, he will make it a ruin (Isa. 23:13);
said of Tyre and its vastation; "watchtowers," expressed by another word, denote the phantasies therefrom. In Ezekiel:
I will cause many nations to come up against thee, O Tyre, and they shall ruin the walls of Tyre, and destroy her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and will make her the dryness of a rock (Ezek. 26:3-4);
the signification being similar. [3] The love of self in worship, or the worship of self, is called a "tower," for the reason that a "city" signifies a doctrine (as before shown, n. 402) and cities were formerly fortified with towers, in which there were watchmen; and there were also towers on the borders, which for this reason were called "towers of watchmen" (2 Kings 9:17; 17:9; 18:8), and "watchtowers" (Isa. 23:13). And besides, when the church of the Lord is compared to a "vineyard," those things which belong to worship and to its conservation are compared to a "winepress" and to "a tower in the vineyard," as is evident in Isaiah 5:1, 2; Matt. 21:33; Mark 12:1.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1306
1306. That 'a tower' means worship of self is clear from the meaning of 'a tower'. It is worship of self when a person sets himself up above everybody else even to the point of his being worshipped. Consequently self-love, which is pride and arrogance, is called height, loftiness, and exaltedness, and everything high is used to describe it, as in Isaiah,
The eyes of man's (homo) loftiness will be humbled, and the height of men (vir) brought low, and Jehovah alone will be exalted on that day, for the day of Jehovah Zebaoth will be against everyone that is lofty and high, and against everyone that is lifted up. and he will be humbled, and against all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and against all the oaks of Bashan, and against all high mountains, and against all hills that are lifted up, and against every lofty tower and against every fortified wall. Isa 2:11-18.
This refers to self-love, described by the cedars, oaks, mountains, hills, and tower that are high and exalted.
[2] In the same prophet,
There will be brooks, streams of water, on the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. Isa 30:25.
Here likewise 'tower' stands for self-love and for exaltedness in worship. In the same prophet,
Behold, the land of the Chaldeans! This people was not. Asshur founded her in tziim.Notes
a They will erect their watch-towers; they will raise up her palaces, he will make her into a ruin. Isa 23:13.
This refers to Tyre and laying it waste. 'Watch-towers', a different expression from 'towers', stands for resulting delusions. In Ezekiel,
I will cause many nations to come up against Tyre, and they will break down the walls of Tyre, and destroy her towers, and I will scrape her dust from her and make her a bare rock. Ezek 26:3, 4.
Here likewise 'towers' has the same meaning.
[3] The reason why self-love in worship, or worship of self, is called 'a tower' is that 'a city' means doctrine, as shown already in 402, and cities in former times were fortified by towers with watchmen in them. Towers were also placed on their borders, and they were therefore called towers for watchmen, 2 Kings 9:17; 17:9; 18:8, and watchtowers, Isa. 23:13. In addition, when the Lord's Church is compared to a vineyard, things of worship and also the preservation of it are compared to a winepress and to 'a tower in the vineyard', as is clear in Isa. 5:1, 2; Matt. 21:33; Mark 12:1.
Latin(1748-1756) 1306
1306. Quod 'turris' sit cultus sui, constat ex significatione 'turris'; cultus sui est cum ipse homo se altum facit prae alio, usque ut colatur; quare amor sui, qui est fastus et superbia, vocatur altitudo, celsitudo, elatio, et describitur per omnia quae alta sunt, ut apud Esaiam, Oculi superbiae hominis humiliabitur, et deprimetur altitudo virorum, et exaltabitur Jehovah solus Ipse in die illo, nam dies Jehovae Zebaoth, super omnem superbum et altum, et super omnem elatum, et humiliabitur; et super omnes cedros Libani altas et elatas, et super omnes quercus Bashanis, et super omnes montes altos, et super omnes colles elatos; et super omnem turrim excelsam, et super omnem murum munitum, ii 11-18; ubi de amore sui, qui per 'cedros, quercus, montes, colles, turrim, quae alta et elata sunt,' describitur: apud eundem, [2] Erunt... rivi, ductus aquarum, in die caelis magnae, cum cadent turres, xxx 25; similiter pro amore sui, et elatione in cultu: apud eundem, En terra Chaldaeorum, hic populus non fuit, Asshur fundavit eam in tziim, erigent speculatorias turres suas, excitabunt palatia sua, ponet eam in ruinam, xxiii (x)13; de Tyro et ejus vastatione; 'speculatoriae turres,' alia voce, pro phantasiis inde: apud Ezechielem, Ascendere faciam contra Tyrum gentes multas,... et perdent muros Tyri, et destruent turres ejus, et detraham pulverem ejus ab ea, et dabo eam ariditatem petrae, xxvi 3, 4; [3] similiter. Quod amor sui in cultu seu cultus sui vocetur 'turris,' est causa quia 'urbs' significat doctrinam, ut ostensum est prius n. 402, et olim urbes muniebantur turribus, in quibus custodes; etiam turres erant in terminis, quare appellatae sunt turres custodum, 2 Reg. ix 17; xvii 19; xviii 8; et turres speculatoriae, Esai. xxiii 13; praeter etiam cum Ecclesia Domini comparatur vineae, illa quae sunt cultus, tum conservationis ejus, comparantur torculari et 'turri in vineae, ut constat apud Esai. v 1, 2; Matth. xxi 33; Marc. xii 1.