1555、“从南方，直到伯特利”表示从聪明之光进入智慧之光。这从“南方”和“伯特利”的含义清楚可知：“南方”是指聪明之光，或也可说，内层的光之状态，如前所述（1458节）；“伯特利”是指源于知识或认知的属天之光，如前所述（1453节）。“聪明之光”描述的是通过信之真理与良善的知识或认知获得的光，而智慧之光是指通过聪明之光获得的生命或生活之光。聪明之光关乎心智的理性部分，或理解力；而智慧之光关乎意愿部分，或生命。
很少有人知道人如何被引向真正的智慧。聪明不是智慧，但通向智慧，因为理解何为真理与良善不是真正的真理与良善，而成为智慧才是真正的真理与良善。智慧只论及生命或生活，即论及他是哪种人。一个人通过世俗和宗教知识或认知被引入智慧，换句话说，被引入生命或生活。每个人都有两个部分，即意愿和理解力。意愿是首要部分，理解力是次要部分。人死后的生命或生活取决于他的意愿部分，而非他的理解力部分。从婴孩直到童年时期（译注：新世纪版本为青春期），主形成人的意愿，这种形成是通过在他里面灌输纯真、对父母、保姆、和同龄小孩子的仁爱，以及这人完全不知道的其它手段实现的。这些都是属天事物或说属天属性。除非这些属天事物或属天属性首先灌输给作为婴儿、儿童（译注：新世纪版本还有青少年）的人，否则他永远不可能成为一个人。第一层级就是这样形成的。
然而，除非人也被赋予理解力，否则他不是一个人；唯独意愿并不构成人，而是理解力和意愿一起构成人。此外，人若不通过世俗和宗教知识或认知，就不可能获得理解力。因此，他必须从童年时期起就逐渐吸收这些知识或认知。第二层级就是这样形成的。当理解力部分在这两种知识或认知，尤其在真理与良善的知识或认知上接受教导时，他才第一次能够重生。当他正在重生时，主就会利用知识或认知将真理和良善植入他自婴孩时就从主获得的属天事物。结果，他的理解力中的事物或观念与这些属天事物构成一体。当主以这种方式将两者联结起来时，这人就被赋予仁爱，并开始出于仁爱行事；这仁爱是良心的产物。他以这种方式第一次接受新生命，这一过程是逐渐的。这新生命之光，或说在这种新生活中所享有的光，被称为智慧；现在智慧起主导作用，被置于聪明之上。第三层级就是这样形成的。如果一个人活在肉身期间变成这样，那么在来世，他就会不断被完善。这些考虑表明什么是聪明之光，什么是智慧之光。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1555. From the south all the way to Bethel means from the light of understanding into the light of wisdom. This is established by the symbolism of the south as the light of understanding or, to put it another way, as a condition in which inner things are clear (dealt with earlier, in 搂1458), and by the symbolism of Bethel as heavenly light rising out of religious knowledge (dealt with earlier, in 搂1453).
The light we gain through knowledge of faith's true concepts and good actions is called the light of understanding, whereas the light of wisdom is part and parcel of life and is gained from life. The light of understanding relates to our intellectual side, or our intellect, while wisdom's light relates to our volitional side, or our life.
[2] Few if any know how we are led to true wisdom. Understanding is not wisdom but leads to wisdom, since to understand what is true and good is not to be true or good. To be wise is to be so. Wisdom is exclusively a question of the way we live, of actually being wise. Wisdom, or in other words, life, is what secular and religious knowledge introduces us into.
We each have two sides: intellect and will. The will is the first part; the intellect comes second. The kind of life we have after death depends on our volitional side, not our intellectual side.{*1} From infancy through adolescence the Lord forms our will by instilling innocence in us and goodwill toward our parents, caretakers, and playmates, and by other means that we are unaware of. These are heavenly attributes. If these heavenly attributes were not first instilled in us as babies, children, and youths, we could never become human. That is how the first level is formed.
[3] We are not human, however, unless also equipped with an intellect. The will alone does not make us human, but intellect together with will. Moreover, we cannot develop an intellect without both secular and religious knowledge. As a result, we need to absorb this knowledge by degrees, beginning in childhood. That is how the second level is formed.
When the intellectual side has received an education in both kinds of knowledge, especially the knowledge of truth and goodness, then we can first be reborn. And when we are being reborn, the Lord uses that knowledge to graft true ideas and good impulses onto the heavenly gifts we have received from him since infancy. In this way our intellectual abilities fuse with our heavenly gifts. When the Lord has united the two in this way, we receive the gift of love for others 钬?a product of conscience 钬?and start to act on it. This is how we first receive new life, which comes gradually. The light we enjoy in this new life is called wisdom, which now plays the leading role and overshadows any mere ability to understand. That is how the third level is formed.
If we become this kind of person during bodily life, in the next life we are constantly being perfected.
This indicates what the light of understanding is and what the light of wisdom is.
Footnotes:
{*1} The pairing of will (our "volitional side") and intellect (our "intellectual side") recalls the highly influential view of Augustine (354-430) that the soul is composed of memory, intellect (or understanding), and will. See Augustine On the Trinity 10.4. For more on the idea that our life after death is determined by "our volitional side" or the contents of our will, and not "our intellectual side" or the contents of our intellect, see True Christianity 658-660. For more on the terminology of will and intellect, see note 3 in 搂30. [RS]
Potts(1905-1910) 1555
1555. From the south and even to Bethel. That this signifies from the light of intelligence into the light of wisdom, is evident from the signification of "the south," as being the light of intelligence, or what is the same, a state of light as to the interiors (spoken of before, n. 1458); and from the signification of "Bethel," as being celestial light arising from knowledges (concerning which before, n. 1453). That is called the light of intelligence which is procured by means of the knowledges of the truths and goods of faith; but the light of wisdom is that of the life which is thence acquired. The light of intelligence regards the intellectual part, or the understanding; but the light of wisdom regards the will part, or the life. [2] Few, if any, know how man is brought to true wisdom. Intelligence is not wisdom, but leads to wisdom; for to understand what is true and good is not to be true and good, but to be wise is to be so. Wisdom is predicated only of the life-that the man is such. A man is introduced to wisdom or to life by means of knowing [scire et nosse], that is, by means of knowledges [scientiae et cognitiones]. In every man there are two parts, the will and the understanding; the will is the primary part, the understanding is the secondary one. Man's life after death is according to his will part, not according to his intellectual part. The will is being formed in man by the Lord from infancy to childhood, which is effected by means of the innocence that is insinuated, and by means of charity toward parents, nurses, and little children of a like age; and by means of many other things that man knows nothing of, and which are celestial. Unless these celestial things were first insinuated into a man while an infant and a child, he could by no means become a man. Thus is formed the first plane. [3] But as a man is not a man unless he is endowed also with understanding, will alone does not make the man, but understanding together with will; and understanding cannot be acquired except by means of knowledges [scientiae et cognitiones] and therefore he must, from his childhood, be gradually imbued with these. Thus is formed the second plane. When the intellectual part has been instructed in knowledges [scientiae et cognitiones], especially in the knowledges of truth and good, then first can the man be regenerated; and, when he is being regenerated, truths and goods are implanted by the Lord by means of knowledges in the celestial things with which he had been endowed by the Lord from infancy, so that his intellectual things make a one with his celestial things; and when the Lord has thus conjoined these, the man is endowed with charity, from which he begins to act, this charity being of conscience. In this way he for the first time receives new life, and this by degrees. The light of this life is called wisdom, which then takes the first place, and is set over the intelligence. Thus is formed the third plane. When a man has become like this during his bodily life, he is then in the other life being continually perfected. These considerations show what is the light of intelligence, and what the light of wisdom.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1555
1555. 'From the south and even to Bethel' means from the light of intelligence into the light of wisdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'the south' as the light of intelligence, or what amounts to the same, a state of light as regards interiors, dealt with already in 1458, and from the meaning of 'Bethel' as celestial light having its origin in cognitions, dealt with already in 1453. The expression 'light of intelligence' describes that light which is acquired through cognitions of the truths and goods of faith, whereas the light of wisdom is the light of life which is acquired from the light of intelligence. The light of intelligence has regard to the intellectual part of the mind, or to the understanding, whereas the light of wisdom has regard to the will part, or to life.
[2] Few if any people know how a person is led to true wisdom. Intelligence is not wisdom but it leads to wisdom, for having an understanding of what truth and good are is not the same as being a true and good person; but being wise is. Wisdom can be used only in reference to a person's life, to what kind of person he is. To wisdom, or life, he is introduced through coming to know and being aware, that is, through knowledge and cognitions. With every person there are two parts of the mind - the will and the understanding- the will being the primary part and the understanding the secondary; and the nature of his life after death is as the nature of the will part, not the understanding part, of his mind. A person's will is being formed by the Lord from infancy on into childhood, and this is achieved through the innocence that has been instilled into him, and through the exercise of charity towards parents, nursemaids, and other young children of his own age, and through further things that he is quite unaware of and which are celestial. Unless those celestial things were first instilled in a person while an infant and child he could not possibly become truly human. In this way the first degree is formed.
[3] But because a person is not human unless he is provided with understanding as well, will alone does not make a human being but understanding and will together. And understanding cannot be acquired except by means of knowledge and cognitions, and therefore he has to be endowed with these step by step from childhood onwards. In this way the second degree is formed. Once the understanding part of the mind has been furnished with knowledge and cognitions, especially cognitions of truth and good, he is for the first time able to undergo regeneration. And when he is being regenerated, truths and goods are implanted by the Lord by means of cognitions within the celestial things he has been granted by the Lord since infancy. The result is that the ideas now in his understanding make one with those celestial things. And once the Lord has joined them together so, he is endowed with charity from which he starts to act and which constitutes conscience. This is how he comes to receive new life for the first time, something that is achieved step by step. The light of this life is called wisdom, which then plays the leading role and is set above intelligence. In this way the third degree is formed. If this has happened to a person during his lifetime he goes on being perfected in the next life. These considerations show what the light of intelligence is, and what the light of wisdom.
Latin(1748-1756) 1555
1555. 'A meridie et usque Bethelem': quod significet a luc intelligentiae in lucem sapientiae, constat a significatione 'meridie quod sit lux intelligentiae, seu quod idem, status lucidus quod interiora, de qua prius n. 1458, et ex significatione 'Bethelis' quo sit lux caelestis oriunda a cognitionibus, de qua prius n. 1453. Lux intelligentiae dicitur illa quae comparatur per cognitiones veritatum et bonitatum fidei; lux autem sapientiae est vitae quae inde comparatur; lux intelligentiae spectat partem intellectualem seu intellectum, lux autem sapientiae partem voluntariam seu vitam. [2] Pauci si ulli norunt quomodo homo ad veram sapientiam perducitur; intelligenti non est sapientia sed ducit ad sapientiam, nam intelligere quid verum et bonum, non est esse verus et bonus, sed sapere est esse; sapienti praedicatur solum de vita, quod homo talis sit; ad sapientiam seu vitam introducitur per scire et nosse, seu per scientias et cognitiones apud unumquemvis hominem sunt binae partes, voluntas et intellectus; voluntas est primaria pars, intellectus est secundaria; vita ejus post mortem est secundum partem ejus voluntariam, non secundum intellectualem; voluntas apud hominem formatur a Domino ab infanti; ad pueritiam, quod fit per insinuatam innocentiam, et charitatem erga parentes, nutrices, infantes similis aetatis, et per plura qua homo nescit, quae sunt caelestia; nisi caelestia illa primum insinuarentur homini dum infans et puer, nusquam fieri posset homo; sic formatur primum planum. [3] Sed quia homo non est homo, nisi quoque intellectu praeditus sit, voluntas sola non facit hominem, sed intellectus cum voluntate; et intellectus non comparari potest nisi per scientias et cognitiones, quare a pueritia per gradus illis imbuendus; sic formatur alterum planum. Cum intellectualis pars instructa est scientias et cognitionibus, cumprimis cognitionibus veri et boni, tunc primum regenerari potest; cumque regeneratur, tunc a Domino vera et bona per cognitiones implantantur ejus caelestibus quibus ab infantia a Domino donatus, sic ut intellectualia ejus unam rem faciant cum caelestibus, quae cum Dominus ita conjunxit donatur charitate e qua incipit agere, quae est conscientiae; ita primum novam vitam accipit, et hoc per gradus; lux hujus vitae appellatur sapientia quae tunc primas agit et praeest intelligentiae; sic formatur tertium planum. Cum talis factus est homo in vita corporis, in altera vita {1}continue perficitur: inde constare potest, quid lux intelligentiae, et quid lux sapientiae. @1 continuo I$