1311、“耶和华降临”表示对他们的审判，这从上下文，以及论及耶和华时“降临”的含义清楚可知。前几节（1302-1309节）论述的是建造一座城和巴别塔，接下来的几节（1319-1328节）论述的是变乱语言和分散，而“降临”当论及耶和华时，指的是审判发生之时。耶和华或主无处不在，并且自永恒就知道一切；因此，论到祂时，不能说祂“降临要看看”。只是字义用这些词语来表述，如此表述是为了适应世人看待事物的方式。而内义则不然，因为内义呈现的不是事物的表象，而是事物本来的样子。所以在本节，“降临要看看”表示审判。
审判论及邪恶达到顶点，或按圣言的话说，事情完结或罪孽满盈时的一种状态。此处的情形是这样：每一种邪恶都有它可以达到的极限。当它超过这些极限时，就会招致邪恶的惩罚。这既适用于细节，也适用于总体。邪恶的惩罚就是那时所谓的审判。起初主似乎没有看见或发现恶事正在发生（因为当一个人做恶，却未受到惩罚时，他便以为主不在意这事，但当他受到惩罚时，就开始认为主看到了，甚至以为是主在惩罚他），因此，经上照着这些表象说“耶和华降临要看看”。
耶和华被描述为“降临”，是因为祂被描述为“至高者”或在“至高处”；这也与表象相符，因为祂不是住在至高处，而是住在至内在的地方，或说至深处；这就是为何在圣言中，“至高”和“至内”具有同样的含义。另一方面，审判，或邪恶的惩罚发生在低层和最低层。这解释了为何经上说祂“降临”，如诗篇：
耶和华啊，求你使天下垂，亲自降临，摸山，山就冒烟。求你发出闪电，使他们四散。（诗篇144:5-6）
这也表示邪恶的惩罚，或审判。以赛亚书：
万军之耶和华也必降临在锡安山和它的冈陵上争战。（以赛亚书31:4）
同一先知书：
那时你降临，诸山在你面前崩裂。（以赛亚书64:3）
此处“降临”同样表示邪恶的惩罚或审判。弥迦书：
耶和华出了祂的地方，降临践踏地的高处；众山在祂以下熔化。（弥迦书1:3-4）
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1311. The symbolism of and Jehovah went down as a judgment on them is established by remarks above and below and by the symbolism of coming down, when it is Jehovah who does so. With respect to remarks above: earlier sections [1302-1309] discuss the building of the city and tower of Babel. With respect to remarks below: later sections [1319-1328] discuss the muddling of their language and the scattering of the people. With respect to the symbolism of coming down, when it is Jehovah who does so: Jehovah is said to come down when there is a judgment.
Jehovah (the Lord) is present everywhere and knows everything from eternity, so he cannot be said to come down to see. Only the letter of the story speaks in these terms, and in doing so it adapts to the human way of seeing things. The true, inner sense does not. That sense presents things not as they appear to be but as they are in themselves. So in the current instance, the inner sense presents "coming down to see" as a judgment.
[2] It is called a judgment when evil reaches its peak. The Word expresses this as a time when things in general culminate or when wickedness does.{*1} The situation is that every evil has limits it is allowed to reach. When it goes beyond these limits, it brings evil on itself as a punishment. This is true at a specific and at a general level. The evil it brings on itself as punishment is what is then called a judgment.
At first it seems as though the Lord does not see or notice that anything bad is happening, because when we go unpunished for the evil we do, we think the Lord does not care. The moment we pay a penalty is when we first believe the Lord sees, and we even imagine he inflicts the punishment. It is because of these appearances, then, that the text says Jehovah went down to see.
[3] Jehovah is depicted as descending because he is described as the Highest, or as being on the highest heights, and this too accords with appearances, because he is not on the highest heights but at the deepest inner depths. That is why "highest" and "inmost" mean the same thing in the Word. The actual judging or punishment of evil reveals itself at a lower level or at the lowest, which is why Jehovah is said to come down, as he also is in David:
Jehovah, bend your heavens and come down and let me speak with you.{*2} Touch the mountains and they will smoke; hurl lightning and scatter them. (Psalms 144:5-6)
Here too Jehovah's coming down stands for the punishment of evil, or a judgment on evil. In Isaiah:
Jehovah Sabaoth will come down to do battle on Zion's mountain and on its hill. (Isaiah 31:4)
In the same author:
You will come down; before you, mountains will disintegrate. (Isaiah 64:3)
The descent here is likewise for the purpose of punishment — or judgment — on evil. In Micah:
Jehovah was leaving his place, and he came down and trampled on the lofty places of the earth, and the mountains melted under him. (Micah 1:3-4)
Footnotes:
{*1} For biblical passages Swedenborg mentions elsewhere that speak of "things in general" culminating, or being finished, or coming to an end (Latin consummari or consummatio), see, for example, Isaiah 28:22; Jeremiah 4:27; 30:11; Daniel 9:27; 12:7; Matthew 13:39-40, 49; 24:3; 28:20; for passages that speak specifically about sin, iniquity, or wickedness culminating, see Genesis 15:16; Lamentations 4:22; Daniel 9:24; James 1:15. [LHC, JSR]
{*2} The words "and let me speak with you" do not actually appear in Psalms 144:5. They may possibly be an accidental import from Numbers 11:17, where Jehovah speaks of coming down to talk with Moses. [LHC, SS]
Potts(1905-1910) 1311
1311. And Jehovah came down. That this signifies judgment upon them, is evident from what has gone before and from what follows, and also from the signification of "coming down," when predicated of Jehovah; from what has gone before, in that the subject has been the building of the city and tower of Babel; from what follows, in that the subject is the confusion of lips and of dispersion; from the signification of "coming down," when predicated of Jehovah, in that this is said when judgment takes place. Jehovah or the Lord is everywhere present and knows all things from eternity; and therefore it cannot be said of Him that He came down to see, except in the literal sense, where it is so said according to the appearances with man. But in the internal sense it is not so, for in this sense the subject is presented as it is in itself, and not according to the appearances; so that in the passage before us "to come down to see" signifies judgment. [2] Judgment is predicated of a state when evil has reached its highest, or, as it is termed in the Word, when it is "consummated," or when "iniquity is consummated." For the case herein is that all evil has its limits as far as which it is permitted to go; but when it goes beyond these limits, it incurs the penalty of the evil. This is so both in particular and in general. The punishment of evil is what is then called a judgment. And because it appears at first as if the Lord did not see or observe that the evil exists-for when a man does evil without punishment, he supposes that the Lord troubles not Himself about the matter, but when he undergoes the penalty he begins to think that the Lord sees, and even that the Lord inflicts the punishment-it is therefore said, in accordance with these appearances, that Jehovah came down to see. [3] To "come down" is predicated of Jehovah, because "the highest" is predicated of Him, that is, He is said to be in the highest, and this too according to the appearance, for He is not in things highest but in things inmost, and this is the reason why in the Word what is highest and what is inmost have the same signification. On the other hand, judgment or the penalty of evil takes place in lower and lowest things. This explains why He is said to "come down;" as also in David:
O Jehovah, bow Thy heavens and come down; touch the mountains and they shall smoke; cast forth lightning and scatter them (Ps. 144:5-6), where the punishment of evil, or judgment, is signified. In Isaiah:
Jehovah of Armies shall come down to fight upon Mount Zion, and upon the hill thereof (Isa. 31:4). And again:
O that Thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at Thy presence (Isa. 64:1). Here in like manner to "come down" denotes the penalty, or judgment, inflicted upon evil. In Micah:
Jehovah cometh forth out of His place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth, and the mountains shall be molten under Him (Micah 1:3-4).
Elliott(1983-1999) 1311
1311. That 'Jehovah came down' means judgement on them is clear from the meaning of the previous verses, and of those that follow, and also from the meaning of 'coming down' when used of Jehovah. Previous verses dealt with building a city and the tower of Babel, those that follow deal with the confounding of lips and with dispersion, while 'coming down' when used of Jehovah has reference to the time when judgement takes place. Jehovah or the Lord is present everywhere and knows everything from eternity. Consequently it cannot be said of Him that 'He comes down to see' except in the literal sense where things are stated as they appear to man to be. But this is not the case in the internal sense. In that sense a matter is presented not according to appearances but as it is in itself. Consequently 'coming down to see' in this verse means judgement.
[2] Judgment is used of the time when evil has reached its furthest limit, which in the Word is called coming to a close or the time when iniquity has come to a close. For the fact of the matter is that every evil has its limits to which it is allowed to extend. When it is carried beyond those limits it incurs the punishment of evil. This applies both in particular and in general. The punishment of evil is what is then termed judgement. And since it seems at first as though the Lord does not see or notice the existence of evil - for when someone commits evil without getting punished he imagines that the Lord does not care, but when he does suffer punishment he supposes that this is when the Lord sees for the first time, and indeed that it is the Lord who is punishing him - these are the appearances which lead to the use of the expression 'Jehovah came down to see'.
[3] 'Coming down' is used of Jehovah because 'the most high', or His being 'in the highest', are phrases used of Him This too is phraseology based on appearances, for He dwells not in the highest but in inmost places, and therefore in the Word most high and inmost are identical in meaning. Judgement itself, or the punishment of evil, takes place at a lower or the lowest level. This is why He is spoken of as 'coming down', as He also is in David,
O Jehovah, bow Your heavens and come down.a Touch the mountains and they will smoke; send out lightning and scatter them. Ps 144:5, 6.
This too stands for the punishment of evil, which is judgement. In Isaiah,
Jehovah Zebaoth will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. Isa 31:4.
In the same prophet, You will come down, the mountains will dissolve at Your presence. Isa 64:3.
Here likewise 'coming down' stands for the punishment of evil, that is, for judgement. In Micah,
Jehovah came forth out of His place, and He came down and trod upon the lofty places of the earth; and the mountains melted beneath Him. Micah 1:3, 4.
Latin(1748-1756) 1311
1311. 'Et descendit Jehovah': quod significet judicium super eos, constat ab illis quae praecedunt et quae sequuntur, tum a significatione 'descendere' respective ad Jehovam: ab illis quae praecedunt, ibi actum est de aedificatione urbis et turris Babylonicae; ab illis quae sequuntur, ibi agitur de confusione labiorum et dispersione; a significatione 'descendere' respective ad Jehovam quod praedicetur cum judicium fit; Jehovah seu Dominus ubique praesens est et omnia novit ab aeterno, quare non dici potest de Ipso 'descendere ad videndum,' solum in sensu litterali ubi secundum apparentias apud hominem ita dicitur; in sensu vero interno non ita, in illo sensu sistitur res, non qualis est secundum apparentias sed qualis in se, quare hic 'descendere ad videndum' quod sit judicium; [2] judicium praedicatur cum malum ad summum perductum est, quod appellatur in Verbo cum consummatum vel cum consummata iniquitas; ita enim se res habet: omne malum habet suos terminos quousque vadere permittitur; cum ultra hos terminos perducitur, incurrit in poenam mali, hoc in particulari et in communi; poena mali est quae tunc vocatur judicium; et quia apparet primum sicut quod non Dominus videat seu animadvertat quod malum sit, nam cum homo malum facit absque poena, putat is quod Dominus non curet, at cum poenam subit, tunc primum autumat Dominum videre, immo quod Dominus puniat; quare secundum apparentias istas dicitur quod 'Jehovah descenderit ad videndum': [3] descendere praedicatur de Jehovah quia praedicatur altissimum, seu quod sit in altissimo, et hoc quoque secundum apparentiam, non enim est in altissimis sed in intimis, quare in Verbo altissimum et intimum idem significat; ipsum judicium seu poena mali sistitur in inferioribus et infimis, quare dicitur 'descendere,' sicut etiam apud Davidem, Jehovah inclina caelos tuos, et descende {1}, tange montes, e fumigabunt, emitte fulmen, et disperge eos, Ps. cxliv 5, 6;ubi etiam pro poena mali seu judicio: apud Esaiam, Descendet Jehovah Zebaoth ad militandum super monte Zionis, et super colle ejus, xxxi 4;
apud eundem, Descendes, coram Te montes diffluent, lxiv 2;
ubi 'descendere' similiter prae poena seu judicio super malum: apud Micham, Jehovah exiens e loco Suo, et descendit, et calcavit super excelsa terrae, et liquefacti sunt montes sub Ipso, i (x)3, 4. @1 I has Descende et loquar Tecum but there seems to be no evidence for the inclusion of these words, which S. omits in A.E. 405.$