1356、“他拉”表示偶像崇拜，这从自第20节直到此处（11:20-26）所提到的衍生物清楚可知。这第二个古教会从一种内在敬拜中衰落下来，被如此掺入杂质，直到最终沦为偶像崇拜，如各教会通常所行的那样。它们从内在事物转向外在事物，最后终结于纯外在事物，而内在事物则被抹除。这个教会同样是这种情况，甚至到了大多数人不承认耶和华为神，而是拜别神的地步，这一点清楚可见于约书亚记：
约书亚对众民说，耶和华以色列的神如此说，古时你们的列祖，就是亚伯拉罕的父亲和拿鹤的父亲他拉，住在大河那边事奉别神。现在你们要敬畏耶和华，以诚意和真理侍奉祂；将你们列祖在大河那边和在埃及所侍奉的神除掉，去侍奉耶和华。若侍奉耶和华在你们眼里为恶，今日就可以选择所要侍奉的，无论是你们列祖在大河那边所侍奉的神，还是亚摩利人的神。（约书亚记24:2，14-15）
由此很明显地看出，他拉、亚伯兰和拿鹤都是偶像崇拜者。
拿鹤是一个存在偶像崇拜的民族，这一点从叙利亚人拉班也清楚看出来，他住在拿鹤城，敬拜拉结带走的神像或撒拉弗（创世记24:10；31:19，26，32，34）。亚伯拉罕有一个神，拿鹤另有一个神，而他们的父亲他拉又有一个神，这一点从创世记（31:53）清楚看出来。在摩西五经，经上论到亚伯拉罕还明确指出，他不认识耶和华：
我，耶和华，从前向亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各显现为沙代神；至于我名耶和华，我未曾让他们知道。（出埃及记6:3）
由此明显可知，该教会在这个民族当中偏离得何等之远，已经沦为在此由“他拉”表示的偶像崇拜。由于他拉表示这种敬拜，所以亚伯兰、拿鹤和哈兰也表示这种敬拜。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1356. The symbolism of Terah as idolatrous worship can be seen from the developments described from verse 20 to this point.
This second ancient church degenerated from a certain inward worship and was adulterated, till in the end it became idolatrous. Churches tend to do this, by shifting away from their deeper dimensions toward shallow ones, ending at last in purely superficial concerns, having obliterated any deeper ones. This church followed the same course, to the point where the majority of its people did not acknowledge Jehovah as God but worshiped other gods. This can be seen in Joshua:
Joshua said to all the people, "This is what Jehovah, God of Israel, has said: ‘Your ancestors lived across the river ages ago — Terah, father of Abraham and father of Nahor — and served other gods.'" (Joshua 24:2)
"Now fear Jehovah and serve him in integrity and truth; and take away the gods that your ancestors served across the river and in Egypt and serve Jehovah. And if it is bad in your eyes to serve Jehovah, choose for yourselves today whom you would serve, whether it is the gods that your ancestors who were across the river served or the gods of the Amorites." (Joshua 24:14-15)
This demonstrates plainly that Terah, Abram, and Nahor were idolaters.
[2] The fact that Nahor was a nation that practiced idolatrous worship can be seen from Laban the Syrian, who lived in Nahor's city and worshiped the images or teraphim that Rachel stole (Genesis 24:10; 31:19, 26, 32, 34).{*1} Abraham had one god, Nahor another, and their father Terah another, as Genesis 31:53 shows.{*2} In Moses it is also said explicitly of Abram that Jehovah was not known to him:
I, Jehovah, appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Shaddai,{*3} and by my name "Jehovah" I was not known to them. (Exodus 6:3)
Such evidence makes it clear how far this church, as it existed in this nation, strayed into the idolatrous worship symbolized by Terah. (And since that worship is symbolized by Terah, it is also symbolized by Abram, Nahor, and Haran.)
Footnotes:
{*1} Laban was Nahor's grandson. Genesis 24:10 mentions the city of Nahor as the setting of a story that introduces Laban (Genesis 24:29). The verses from Genesis 31 that are listed tell about Rachel's theft of her father Laban's religious images. The word applied to those images, "teraphim," is a transliteration (supplied by Swedenborg here and also used by Schmidt 1696) of the Hebrew word תְּרָפִים (tǝrāṕîm). [LHC]
{*2} In Genesis 31:53, Laban makes an oath in which he refers individually to the god of Abraham, the god of Nahor, and the god of their father. [LHC]
{*3} On the name Shaddai, see note 3 in 97. [Editors]
Potts(1905-1910) 1356
1356. That by "Terah" is signified idolatrous worship, may be seen from the derivations spoken of from the twentieth verse to this place. This Second Ancient Church degenerated from a kind of internal worship, and was so adulterated that at last it became idolatrous; as churches are wont to do, in that from internal things they go to external, and finally terminate in mere external things, internal things being blotted out. That such was the case with this church, insomuch that a great part of them did not acknowledge Jehovah as God, but worshiped other gods, is evident in Joshua:
Joshua said unto all the people, Thus hath said Jehovah the God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt of old time beyond the river, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor; and they served other gods. Now therefore fear Jehovah, and serve Him in integrity and in truth; and put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the river, and in Egypt, and serve ye Jehovah. And if it be evil in your eyes to serve Jehovah, choose ye this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods that your fathers served, that were beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites (Joshua 24:2, 14-15). Here it is very plain that Terah, Abram, and Nahor were idolaters. [2] That Nahor was a nation in which there was idolatrous worship, is also evident from Laban the Syrian, who dwelt in the city of Nahor, and worshiped the images or teraphim which Rachel carried away (Gen. 24:10; 31:19, 26, 32, 34). And that there was one god of Abraham, another god of Nahor, and another of their father, that is, of Terah, is evident from Genesis 31:53. It is also plainly stated by Moses concerning Abram, that Jehovah was not known to him:
I Jehovah appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, in God Shaddai, but by My name Jehovah I was not known to them (Exod. 6:3). From all this it is evident how much this church fell away among this nation into the idolatrous worship which is here signified by Terah; and because it is signified by Terah, it is also signified by Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1356
1356. That 'Terah' means idolatrous worship becomes clear from the derivatives mentioned from verse 20 down to this point. This second Ancient Church declined from a kind of internal worship, becoming adulterated as it did so until in the end it became idolatrous, as Churches usually do. They pass from internal things to external, ending up with mere externals when internal things have been erased. The fact that the same happened to this Church, even to the extent that a large part of them did not acknowledge Jehovah as God but worshipped other gods, is clear in Joshua,
Joshua said to all the people, Thus said Jehovah, the God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt of old beyond the River, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. Josh 24:2.
From this it is quite evident that Terah, Abram, and Nahor were idolaters.
[2] The fact that Nahor was a nation in which idolatrous worship existed is clear also from Laban the Syrian, who dwelt in the city of Nahor and who worshipped the images or seraphim which Rachel carried away with her, Gen 24:10; 31:19, 26, 32, 34. And the fact that Abraham had one god, Nahor another, and Terah their father yet another, is clear from Gen 31:53. It is also explicitly stated in Moses that Jehovah was unknown to Abram,
I, Jehovah, appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Shaddai, and by My name Jehovah I was not known to them. Exod 6:3.
From this it is evident how much this Church with this people declined into idolatrous worship, which is meant here by 'Terah'. And since Terah means that worship, so do Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Latin(1748-1756) 1356
1356. Quod per 'Terahum' significetur cultus idololatricus, constare potest a derivationibus, de quibus a vers. 20 huc usque: Ecclesia haec altera Antiqua a cultu quodam interno degenerata est, et adulterata usque ut demum facta sit idololatrica, ut solent Ecclesiae, quod ab internis suis vadant ad externa, et demum desinant in meris externis, obliteratis internis: quod haec Ecclesia talis facta, usque ut multa pars eorum non agnoverit Jehovam pro Deo, sed quod coluerit alios deos, constat apud Josuam, Dixit Josua ad omnem populum; Sic dixit Jehovah Deus Israelis; Trans fluvium habitarunt patres vestri a saeculo, Terahus pater Abrahami, et pater Nahoris, et serviverunt diis aliis, (x)xxiv 2;Nunc timete Jehovam, et servite Ipsi in integritate et veritate; et removete deos, quibus serviverunt patres vestri trans fluvium, et in Aegypto; et servite Jehovae: et si malum in oculis vestris servire Jehovae, eligite vobis hodie, cui serviatis; sive diis, quibus serviverunt patres vestri, qui trans fluvium, sive diis Emoraei, ibid. vers. 14, 15;
ubi quod Terahus, Abram et Nahor idololatrae fuerint, manifeste patet. [2] Quod Nahor gens fuerit apud quam cultus idololatricus, constat quoque a Labane Syro, qui fuit in urbe Nahoris, et coluit imagines seu teraphim, quas abstulit Rachel, Gen. xxiv 10; xxxi 19, 26, 32, 34, et quod alius fuerit deus Abrahami, alius deus Nahoris, et alius patris eorum seu Terahi, constat ex Gen. xxxi 53; manifeste etiam dicitur de Abramo quod Jehovah ei non notus fuerit, apud Mosen, Ego Jehovah apparui Abrahamo, Isaco et Jacobo in Deo Shaddai, et nomine Meo Jehovah non notus fui illis, Exod. vi 3;
inde patet quantum Ecclesia haec apud hanc gentem desciverit in cultum idololatricum, qui hic per 'Terahum' significatur; et quia per Terahum, etiam per Abramum, Nahorem, et Haranem.