1557、“到了伯特利和艾的中间”表示知识或认知的属天和世俗种类。这从“伯特利”和“艾”的含义清楚可知：“伯特利”是指通过宗教知识或认知而来的智慧之光（参看1453节）；“艾”是指通过世俗知识而来的光（也可参看1453节）。从那里（1453节）的讨论可以看出那时主处于何种状态，也就是说，这是一种童年状态或孩子般的状态；童年或孩子的状态是这样：世俗事物是存在的。事实上，在真理与良善通过知识或认知植入属天事物之前，世俗事物是无法被驱散的，因为一个人无法区分属天事物和世俗事物，除非他知道何为属天之物，何为世俗之物。知识或认知会将一个笼统而模糊的观念转变为一个清晰而明确的观念，并且这个观念通过知识或认知变得越清晰，世俗事物就越能被分离出去。
然而，童年状态或孩子般的状态仍是神圣的，因为它是纯真的。无知完全不能消除神圣，只要纯真存在于它里面，因为神圣就住在纯真的无知里面，或说以纯真的无知为家。除了主以外，对所有人来说，神圣只能住在无知里面，或说只能以无知为它的家；若不住在无知里面，就不是神圣。即便在享有聪明和智慧的最大光明的众天使本人当中，神圣也住在无知里面，因为他们知道并承认，他们凭自己一无所知，凡他们所知道的，都来自主。他们还知道并承认，与主的无限知识、聪明和智慧相比，他们的一切记忆知识、聪明和智慧等同于无；因此，他们的全部就是无知。人若不承认，与他所知道的相比，他所不知道的是无限的，就无法体会天使的神圣无知。
神圣的无知并不在于比别人更无知，而在于承认人凭自己一无所知，并且他所不知道的与他所知道的相比，是无限的；尤其在于承认，与属天事物相比，记忆知识或事实知识和理解的概念微不足道，也就是说，与构成生活的事物相比，构成理解力的事物微不足道。对主来说，祂即将把人性或人身事物与神性事物结合起来，故按秩序前进，现在首先到达祂还是个孩子时就已拥有的属天状态；在这种状态下，世俗事物也是存在的。通过从这个状态前进到更为属天的状态，祂最终进入婴孩的属天状态，并在此状态下将人性或人身本质与神性本质完全结合在一起。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1557. Between Bethel and Ai symbolizes heavenly and worldly categories of knowledge. This can be seen from the symbolism of Bethel as the light of wisdom, coming by way of religious knowledge (搂1453), and from the symbolism of Ai as the light shed by worldly knowledge (also mentioned in 搂1453).
The discussion in 搂1453 shows what kind of state the Lord was then in: a youthful one, which is such that worldly concerns are present. Worldly concerns cannot be dispelled until truth and goodness are grafted onto our heavenly qualities by means of knowledge. We cannot possibly distinguish between heavenly and worldly values until we learn to recognize what belongs to heaven and what to the world. Knowledge brings a vague, general idea into clear focus, and the clearer the idea becomes as a result of knowledge, the more easily we can isolate worldly influences.
[2] But that youthful state is still holy, because it is innocent. Ignorance is completely incapable of doing away with holiness as long as innocence is present within it, since holiness makes its home in ignorance that is innocent. In any human being but the Lord, holiness can dwell only in ignorance; if it does not dwell in ignorance, it is not holy. Even among the angels themselves, who enjoy the greatest possible light from understanding and wisdom, holiness resides in ignorance. They recognize and admit that they know nothing on their own, that anything they do know comes from the Lord. They also recognize and admit that all their learning, their understanding, and their wisdom is nothing compared to the Lord's infinite knowledge and therefore that theirs is ignorance. If we fail to acknowledge that what we do not know amounts to infinitely more than what we do know, we cannot experience the holy ignorance of the angels.
[3] Holy ignorance does not consist in knowing less than other people but in admitting that we know nothing on our own and that the things we do not know infinitely outnumber the things we do know. It consists especially in acknowledging that facts and intellectual pursuits are far less important than heavenly concerns; in other words, what we understand is far less important than how we live.
As for the Lord, because he was going to unite his human aspects to his divine ones, he advanced according to the ordained plan and now arrived at the type of heavenly state he had experienced in his youth. Worldly concerns are present in this state too. He moved on from there into a more heavenly state and finally into the heavenly state experienced in infancy, in which he fully united his human and divine natures.
Potts(1905-1910) 1557
1557. Between Bethel and Ai. That this signifies the celestial things of knowledges, and worldly things, is evident from the signification of "Bethel," which is the light of wisdom by means of knowledges (see n. 1453); and from the signification of "Ai," which is the light from worldly things (also spoken of in n. 1453). From what is there said, it may be seen what the Lord's state then was, namely, that it was childlike; and the state of a child is such that worldly things are present; for worldly things cannot be dispersed until truth and good are implanted in celestial things by means of knowledges; for a man cannot distinguish between celestial and worldly things until he knows what the celestial is, and what the worldly. Knowledges make a general and obscure idea distinct; and the more distinct the idea is made by means of knowledges, the more can the worldly things be separated. [2] But still that childlike state is holy, because it is innocent. Ignorance by no means precludes holiness, when there is innocence in it; for holiness dwells in ignorance that is innocent. With all men, except with the Lord, holiness can dwell solely in ignorance; and if not in ignorance, they have no holiness. With the angels themselves, who are in the highest light of intelligence and wisdom, holiness also dwells in ignorance; for they know and acknowledge that of themselves they know nothing, but that whatever they know is from the Lord. They also know and acknowledge that all their memory-knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom, is as nothing in comparison with the infinite knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom of the Lord; thus that it is ignorance. He who does not acknowledge that there are infinite things with which he is not acquainted, beyond those with which he is acquainted, cannot be in the holiness of ignorance in which are the angels. [3] The holiness of ignorance does not consist in being more ignorant than others; but in the acknowledgment that of himself a man knows nothing, and that the things he does not know are infinite in comparison with those he does know; and especially does it consist in his regarding the things of the memory and of the understanding as being of but little moment in comparison with celestial things; that is, the things of the understanding in comparison with the things of the life. As regards the Lord, as He was conjoining things human with things Divine, He advanced according to order; and He now for the first time arrived at the celestial state such as He had had when a child; in which state worldly things also were present. By advancing from this into a state still more celestial, He at length came into the celestial state of infancy, and in this He fully conjoined the Human Essence with the Divine Essence.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1557
1557. 'Between Bethel and Ai' means the celestial and the worldly aspects of cognitions. This is clear from the meaning of 'Bethel' as the light of wisdom coming through cognitions, 1453, and from the meaning of 'Ai' as the light coming from worldly things, also dealt with in 1453. From what has been stated there the nature of the Lord's state at this time becomes clear, namely a childhood state- which is such that worldly things are present In fact worldly things cannot be dispelled until truth and good are implanted in celestial things by means of cognitions, for a person cannot possibly tell celestial things from worldly until he comes to know and is aware of what the celestial is, and of what the worldly is. Cognitions turn a general and obscure idea into a clear and distinct one, and the clearer the idea is made by means of cognitions the more can worldly things be separated. That childhood state however is still holy because it is innocent.
[2] A state of ignorance or lack of knowledge in no way rules out holiness when-there is innocence in it, for holiness dwells in ignorance that is innocent. With everybody apart from the Lord, holiness is unable to dwell anywhere else than in ignorance. If it does not dwell in this it is not holiness. Among the angels themselves, who possess a supreme light of intelligence and wisdom, holiness still dwells within ignorance, for they know and acknowledge that of themselves they know nothing and that whatever they do know comes from the Lord. They also know and acknowledge that all their knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom are as nothing in comparison with the Lord's infinite knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom, thus that all of theirs is lack of knowledge. Anyone who does not acknowledge that there is an infinite number of things he does not know compared with what he does know cannot possess the holiness present with angels that goes with ignorance or lack of knowledge. This holiness that goes with ignorance does not consist in knowing less than others but in the acknowledgement that from oneself one does not know anything at all, and that the things one does not know are infinite in comparison with the things one does know. But above all it entails regarding factual knowledge and intellectual concepts as being of small importance compared with celestial things, that is, things constituting the understanding as being of small importance compared with those constituting life. In the Lord's case, because He was to join human things to Divine things He advanced according to order and now reached first of all that celestial state such as had been His when a boy, in which state worldly things also were present. By passing on from this into a state even more celestial, He at length came into the celestial state of infancy, in which state He fully joined the Human Essence to the Divine Essence.
Latin(1748-1756) 1557
1557. 'Inter Bethel et inter Ai': quod significet caelestia cognitionum et mundana, constat a significatione 'Bethelis' quod sit lux sapientiae per cognitiones, n. 1453, et ex significatione 'Ai' quod sit lux ex mundanis, de qua quoque n. 1453: ex illis quae ibi dicta sunt, constare potest qualis tunc Domini status fuit, nempe quod puerilis, qui talis est ut mundana adsint; mundana enim non discuti queunt priusquam verum et bonum implantatur caelestibus per cognitiones, nam homo nusquam potest distinguere inter caelestia et mundana priusquam scit et novit quid caeleste et quid mundanum; cognitiones ideam communem et obscuram faciunt distinctam, et quo distinctior idea fit per cognitiones, eo magis separari possunt mundana; sed status ille puerilis est usque sanctus quia innocens; [2] ignorantia nusquam demit sanctitatem cum in illa est innocentia, nam sanctitas habitat in ignorantia quae innocens; apud omnes homines praeter apud Dominum, sanctitas non habitare potest nisi in ignorantia; nisi in ignorantia non est sanctitas; apud ipsos angelos qui in summa luce intelligentiae et sapientiae sunt, etiam sanctitas habitat in ignorantia, norunt enim et agnoscunt quod nihil norint ex se, sed quicquid norunt quod sit a Domino; norunt etiam et agnoscunt quod omnis illorum scientia, intelligentia et sapientia sit sicut nihil respective ad infinitam Domini, ita quod sit ignorantia; qui non agnoscit quod infinita sint quae non novit, prae illis quae novit, is non potest esse in sanctitate ignorantiae in qua sunt angeli: sanctitas ignorantiae non est quod in ignorantia sit prae aliis, sed quod in agnitione quod nihil ex se sciat, et quae non scit respective ad illa quae scit, quod infinita sint; imprimis quod parvi faciat scientifica et intellectualia respective ad caelestia, seu illa quae sunt intellectus respective ad illa quae sunt vitae. Quod Dominum attinet, Ipse quia conjungeret humana Divinis, progressus est secundum ordinem, et nunc primum pervenit ad illum statum caelestem qualem habuit cum puer, in quo statu etiam mundana adsunt, inde pergendo in statum magis caelestem, tandem in statum caelestem infantiae in quo Humanam Essentiam plene conjunxit Divinae.