1366、“哈兰死在他父亲他拉面前，就在他的出生地迦勒底的吾珥”表示内在敬拜被抹除，成了完全的偶像崇拜，这从“哈兰”、“他拉”、“出生”、“迦勒底的吾珥”的含义，以及经上说“他死在他父亲他拉面前”清楚可知。至于内在敬拜被抹除，不复存在，情况是这样：教会无法在任何民族当中重新出现，除非它被彻底毁坏，以至于它的内在敬拜中没有一丝邪恶或虚假存留。只要它的内在敬拜中有邪恶存留，那些构成其内在敬拜的良善和真理就会受阻。因为只要邪恶和虚假在那里，良善和真理就无法被接受。这一点从以下事实清楚看出来：那些出生于某种异端，并确认虚假，以至于完全被说服的人即便有可能，也很难被引导接受违背其虚假的真理。但对于不知道何为信之真理，却过着仁爱生活的外邦人来说，情况就不同了。这就是主的教会无法在犹太人当中恢复，却能在没有信之知识或认知的外邦人当中恢复的原因。犹太人会利用虚假将真理之光完全变暗，由此熄灭它。而外邦人不会这样，因为他们不知道何为信之真理；人们无法将自己不知道的东西变暗，并熄灭之。
由于现在要重建一个新教会，所以为了形成它，就拣选了那些能植入良善和真理的人。对他们来说，信之良善和真理的一切知识都被抹除了，他们成了外在偶像崇拜者，和外邦人一样。至于他拉和亚伯兰，前面（1356，1363节）已说明，他们就是这种人；也就是说，他们拜别神，不知道耶和华，因而不知道何为信之良善和真理。因此，他们比叙利亚中尚有知识或认知存留于其中的其他人更适合接受真理的种子。知识或认知仍存留在一些人中间，这一事实从来自叙利亚的巴兰明显看出来；他不仅拜耶和华，还献祭，同时也是一位先知。这些就是本节所包含的东西，即：内在敬拜被抹除，成了完全的偶像崇拜。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1366. Haran died in the presence of Terah, his father, in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans, means that deeper worship was obliterated and became purely idolatrous. This can be seen from the symbolism of Haran, Terah, birth, and Ur of the Chaldeans, and by the fact that Haran is said to have died in the presence of Terah, his father.
In respect to the obliteration or annihilation of deeper worship, the fact of the matter is that the church cannot emerge anew in any nation until it has been so thoroughly devastated that no trace of evil or falsity remains in its inward worship. As long as evil lingers in the church's inward worship, it blocks off the good impulses and true concepts that constitute the church's inward worship, because as long as evil and falsity remain, nothing good or true can be received.
This fact is illustrated by people who have been born into some heresy and have confirmed themselves in its falsities to the point of total conviction. It is hard if not impossible for them to reach a point where they can accept true ideas that run counter to their falsities. The case is different, though, with non-Christians who have no idea what the truth of the faith is and yet live a life of neighborly love. (This was the reason that the Lord's church could not be restored among Jews but only among non-Jews who lacked all knowledge of the faith.) The former completely obscure the light of truth with their falsities and in this way blot it out. The latter do not, because they do not know what the truth of the faith is, and what they do not know they also cannot obscure or blot out.
[2] Since a new church was now to be restored, a group was selected to have the good impulses and true ideas of faith planted in them. Those selected were people in whom all knowledge of religious goodness and truth had been wiped out and who had outwardly become idolaters, like the surrounding nations.
Terah and Abram were people of this kind, as shown above [1356, 1363]. They worshiped other gods and did not know Jehovah, so they also did not know about the goodness and truth of the faith. As a result, they had become better suited to receiving the seed of truth than others in Syria who still retained some knowledge. (Balaam's existence demonstrates that the knowledge remained with some people; he was from Syria and not only worshiped Jehovah but also conducted sacrifices and was a prophet as well.){*1} These, now, are the contents of the present verse — inward worship was obliterated and became purely idolatrous.
Footnotes:
{*1} On Balaam, a sorcerer engaged by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the Israelites, and on the descent of the Hebrews from the Syrians, see 1343:6, the Bible passages cited there, and note 3 in 1343. [RS]
Potts(1905-1910) 1366
1366. And Haran died upon the faces of Terah his father, in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. That this signifies that interior worship was blotted out and became merely idolatrous, is evident from the signification of "Haran," of "Terah," of "nativity," and of "Ur of the Chaldees;" and also from its being said that he "died upon the faces of Terah his father." As regards the fact that interior worship was blotted out, or that there came to be none, the case is this. The church cannot come forth anew among any nation until it has been so vastated that nothing of evil and falsity remains in its internal worship. So long as there is evil in its internal worship, the things that are good and true, which constitute its internal worship, are impeded; for so long as evils and falsities are present, goods and truths cannot be received. This may be seen from the fact that they who have been born in any heresy, and have so confirmed themselves in its falsities that they are entirely persuaded, can with difficulty, if ever, be brought to receive the truths which are contrary to their falsities. But with Gentiles who do not know what is the truth of faith, and yet live in charity, the case is different. This was the reason why the Lord's church could not be restored among the Jews, but among Gentiles who had no knowledges of faith. The former, by their falsities, entirely darken and thus extinguish the light of truth; but the Gentiles not so much, for they do not know what is the truth of faith; and what they do not know they cannot darken and extinguish. [2] As a new church was now to be restored,* those were taken to form it with whom goods and truths could be implanted, being those with whom all knowledge of the good and of the truth of faith had been blotted out, and who, like the Gentiles, had become external idolaters. As regards Terah and Abram, it has been shown above that they were of this character, that is to say, they worshiped other gods, and had no knowledge of Jehovah, nor consequently of what is the good and the truth of faith. They had thus become better fitted to receive the seed of truth than others in Syria among whom knowledges as yet remained. That they did remain with some is evident from Balaam, who was from Syria, and who not only worshiped Jehovah, but also offered sacrifice, and was at the same time a prophet. These therefore are the things contained in this verse, namely, that interior worship had been blotted out and had become merely idolatrous. * As Swedenborg all through his theological Writings speaks of "restoring" (restaurare) and "renewing" (instaurare) a new church, he may have had a special reason for this seeming solecism. [REVISER.]
Elliott(1983-1999) 1366
1366. That 'Haran died in the presencea of Terah his father, in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans' means that interior worship was erased and became wholly idolatrous is clear from the meaning of 'Haran', 'Terah', 'birth', and 'Ur of the Chaldeans', and also from the statement that 'he died in the presence' of Terah his father'. As regards interior worship being erased and made non-existent, the Church cannot arise anew with any nation until it has been so vastated that no trace of evil or falsity remains in its internal worship. As long as evil is present in internal worship, those goods and truths which constitute its internal worship are obstructed. For as long as evils and falsities are there, goods and truths cannot be received. This becomes clear from the fact that people who have been born into any heresy and who have so confirmed themselves in its falsities as to be entirely persuaded about it can be led only with difficulty, if at all, to receive the truths which are contrary to their falsities. It is different however in the case of gentiles who do not know what the truth of faith is and yet lead charitable lives. This was the reason why the Lord's Church could not be restored among the Jews but could among gentiles who possessed no cognitions of faith. By means of falsities the Jews darken the light of truth altogether, and in so doing extinguish it. This is less true of gentiles, for they do not know what the truth of faith is, and what people do not know they cannot darken and extinguish.
[2] As a new Church had now to be established, people were selected with whom the goods and truths of faith might be implanted. All knowledge of the good and truth of faith had been wiped out with them, and they had become external idolaters like the gentiles. In reference to Terah and Abram it has been shown above that they were such, that is to say, they worshipped other gods, and did not know Jehovah or consequently what the good and truth of faith were. They had thus become more fitted to receive the seed of truth than other people in Syria with whom cognitions still remained. The fact that cognitions remained with some is clear from Balaam, who came from Syria. He not only worshipped Jehovah but also offered sacrifices and at the same time was a prophet. These considerations then are what this verse contains, that is to say, that interior worship was erased and became wholly idolatrous.
Latin(1748-1756) 1366
1366. Quod 'mortuus est Haran super facies Terahi, patris sui, in terra nativitatis suae, in Ur Chaldaeorum' significet quod interior cultus obliteratus sit et factus mere idololatricus, constat a significatione 'Haranis, Terahi, nativitatis, et Ur Chaldaeorum,' tum quod 'mortuus dicatur super facies Terahi patris sui.' Quod cultus interior obliteratus seu nullus factus sit, ita se res habet: quod apud aliquam gentem non possit Ecclesia e novo existere priusquam ita vastata sit ut nihil mali et falsi remaneat in cultu ejus interno; quamdiu malum est in cultu interno, impediuntur illa quae bona et vera sunt quae internum ejus cultum constituent; nam quamdiu sunt mala et falsa, non possunt recipi bona et vera; quod constare potest ex eo quod qui in aliqua haeresi nati sunt et se in falsis ejus confirmarunt ita ut sibi prorsus persuaserint, difficile, si usquam, possint perduci ad recipiendum vera quae eorum falsis contraria sunt; aliter vero gentes quae non sciunt quid verum fidei, et usque in charitate vivunt: quae causa fuit quod Ecclesia Domini non potuisset restaurari apud Judaeos, sed apud gentes quae nullas cognitiones fidei habuerunt: illi per falsa obtenebrant prorsus lucem veritatis, et sic exstinguunt; hae vero non ita, nam non norunt quid verum fidei, et quod non norunt, nec possunt obtenebrare et exstinguere. Quia nunc nova Ecclesia restauranda erat, illi apud quos bona et vera fidei implantanda essent, assumpti sunt; apud quos omnis cognitio boni et veri fidei obliterata fuit, et sicut gentes, idololatrae externi facti sunt. De Teraho et Abramo supra ostensum est quod tales fuerint, nempe coluerint alios deos, et ignoraverint Jehovam, proinde quid bonum et verum fidei; ita aptiores facti ad recipiendum semen veritatis quam alii in Syria, apud quos adhuc manserunt cognitiones; quod apud quosdam manserint, constat a Bileamo qui fuit de Syria, qui non solum Jehovam coluit sed etiam sacrificavit et simul propheta fuit. Haec nunc sunt quae continentur in hoc versu, nempe quod interior cultus obliteratus sit, et factus mere idololatricus.