16、创世记1:1.起初，神创造天地。
上古时代被称为“起初”。先知们经常称它们为“古时的日子”，以及“上古的日子”（daysofeternity）。“起初”还包含人重生的第一个时期，因为这时，他正在重新出生，获得生命。正因如此，重生本身被称为人的一个“新造”（哥林多前书5:17；加拉太书6:15）。在先知书的几乎所有部分， “创造”、“形成”和“作成”（make）都表示重生，只是意义有所不同。如在以赛亚书：
凡称我名下的人，是我为自己的荣耀创造的，是我所形成、所作成的。（以赛亚书43:7）
这就是为何主被称为“救赎者”、从子宫“形成者”、“作成者”，以及“创造者”。如以赛亚书：
我是耶和华你们的圣者，是以色列的创造者，是你们的王。（以赛亚书43:15）
诗篇：
将来受造的民，要赞美耶。（诗篇102:18）
又：
你发出你的灵，它们便受造。你使地面更新。（诗篇104:30）
“天”表示内在人，“地”表示重生之前的外在人，这一点从下文可以看出来。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]16. Genesis 1:1. In the beginning, God created heaven and earth.
The word beginning is being used for the very earliest times. The prophets frequently call them "the days of old."{*1} "The beginning" includes the first period of regeneration too, as that is when people are being born anew and receiving life. Because of this, regeneration itself is called our new creation [2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15]. Almost everywhere in the prophetic books, the words creating, forming, and making stand for regenerating, though with differences.{*2} In Isaiah, for example:
All have been called by my name, and I have created them for my glory; I have formed them; yes, I have made them. (Isaiah 43:7)
This is why the Lord is called Redeemer, One-Who-Forms-from-the-Womb, Maker, and Creator, as in the same prophet:
I am Jehovah,{*3} your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your Monarch. (Isaiah 43:15)
In David:{*4} The people created will praise Jah.{*5} (Psalms 102:18)
In the same author:
You send out your spirit — they will continue to be created — and you renew the face of the ground.{*6} (Psalms 104:30)
Heaven, or the sky, symbolizes the inner self, and the earth, before regeneration occurs, symbolizes the outer self, as may be seen below [17, 24:3, 27].
Footnotes:
{*1} For references to "the days of old," see Deuteronomy 32:7; Psalms 44:1; 77:5; 143:5; Isaiah 23:7; 37:26; 51:9; 63:9, 11; Jeremiah 46:26; Lamentations 1:7; 2:17; 5:21; Amos 9:11; Micah 5:2; 7:14, 20; Malachi 3:4. [LHC]
{*2} The Hebrew original of Genesis uses three distinct words for creation: בָּרָא (bārā), "create;" יָצָר (yāṣār), "form;" and עָשָׂה (‘āśā), "make." [RS]
{*3} Following a Christian practice of his times, Swedenborg used "Jehovah" as a rendering of the tetragrammaton, יהוה, "YHVH" (or "YHWH"), the four-letter name of God in the Hebrew Scriptures. In earliest times, Hebrew was written only with consonants; a system for indicating vowels was not perfected until the eighth century of the Common Era, and even in most modern Hebrew texts, vowels are not marked. The current scholarly reconstruction of the original pronunciation of the name is "Yahweh": see Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, under "YHWH." A strict understanding of the Second Commandment, "You are not to take the name of YHVH your God in vain" (Exodus 20:7), led pious Jews to avoid pronouncing the name aloud; instead the name אֲדֹנָי ('ăḏōnāi, literally meaning "my lord") was read. To indicate this, vowels similar to those in Adonai were added to YHVH, creating the form Jehovah. At occurrences of the combination אֲדֹנָי יהוה ('ăḏōnāi yhvh), "the Lord YHVH," the vowels for אֱלֹהִים ('ĕlōhîm), or "God," are added to the four consonants instead, again in adapted form, to make יֱהוִֹה (yĕhôvih). Swedenborg carefully represents this as "Jehovih." For a traditional Jewish view of this vocalization, see Gikatilla 1994, 148-149. "Yahweh" itself, יַהְוֶה (yahweh), may be grammatically an imperfect causative form of the verb הָיָה (hāyā), "to be," meaning "he causes to be" or "he creates" (Cross 1973, 65). This identification is controversial, however. Swedenborg himself connects the name "Jehovah" with being: see True Christianity 19:1, where he says the name means "I am" (see Exodus 3:14-15; 6:3). Some modern English Bibles use the name "Jehovah," while others render the term as "Lord," so capitalized; "Lord," in capital and lowercase; "Yahweh;" "Adonai;" or even "God." [GFD, RS]
{*4} As was the custom in his day, Swedenborg refers to Psalms as a book of David. [LHC]
{*5} "Jah" is a shortening of the name Jehovah. Jewish esoteric thought ascribed the different names of God to different aspects of the divine. "Jah" or "Yah" (Hebrew יָהּ [yāh]) was associated with divine wisdom and mercy (Gikatilla 1994, 4-5, 325). [RS, LHC]
{*6} The Latin word here translated "they will continue to be created" is creabuntur, a simple future form. Its subject is the world of living things, which are dependent on God for their existence. The original Hebrew has an imperfect verb form here, indicating an action that is continuous or not yet completed. Many English versions of the Bible render this word "they are created." [RS]
Potts(1905-1910) 16
16. Verse 1. In the beginning God created the heavens [coelum] and the earth. The most ancient time is called "the beginning." By the prophets it is in various places called the "days of old" [antiquitatis] and also the "days of eternity." The "beginning" also involves the first period when man is being regenerated, for he is then born anew, and receives life. Regeneration itself is therefore called a "new creation" of man. The expressions to "create" to "form" to "make" in almost all parts of the prophetic writings signify to regenerate, yet with a difference in the signification. As in Isaiah:
Everyone that is called by My name, I have created him for My glory, I have formed him, yea, I have made him (Isa. 43:7). And therefore the Lord is called the "Redeemer" the "Former from the womb" the "Maker" and also the "Creator;" as in the same Prophet:
I am Jehovah your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King (Isa. 43:15). In David:
The people that is created shall praise Jah (Ps. 102:18). Again:
Thou sendest forth Thy spirit, they are created, and Thou renewest the faces of the ground (Ps. 104:30). That "heaven" signifies the internal man; and "earth" the external man before regeneration, may be seen from what follows.
Elliott(1983-1999) 16
16. Verse 1 In the beginning God created heaven and earth. The most ancient times of all are called 'the beginning', and are throughout the Prophets referred to as 'days of antiquity' and also 'days of eternity'. 'The beginning' also embodies within it that first Period when a person is being regenerated, for at that time he is being born anew and receiving life. Regeneration itself is therefore called a new creation of man. Almost everywhere in the prophetical sections 'to create', 'to form', and 'to make' mean to regenerate, though each of these verbs has a different shade of meaning, as in Isaiah,
Every one who is called by My name - I have created him for My glory, I have formed him, I have also made him. Isa 43:7
This is why the Lord is called Redeemer, One who forms from the womb, Maker, and also Creator, as in the same prophet,
I am Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. Isa 43:15.
In David, A people to be created will praise Jah. Ps 102:18.
In the same author,
You send forth Your Spirit; they are created; and You renewest the facea of the ground. Ps 104:30.'Heaven' means the internal man, and 'earth' the external man prior to regeneration. This will be seen further on.
Latin(1748-1756) 16
16. Vers. I. In principio creavit Deus caelum et terram: 'Principium' vocatur antiquissimum tempus; per prophetas passim 'dies antiquitatis,' ut et 'dies aeternitatis.' Principium etiam involvit tempus primum cum regeneratur homo, nam tunc e novo nascitur et vitam accipit; ipsa regeneratio vocatur inde nova hominis creatio. 'Creare, formare et facere' ubivis fere in propheticis significant regenerare, cum differentia; ut apud Esaiam, Omnem vocatum nomine Meo, et ad gloriam Meam creavi illum, formavi etiam feci illum, xiii 7. Quare Dominus vocatur Redemptor, Formator ab utero, Factor, ut et Creator, ut apud eundem prophetam, Ego Jehovah, Sanctus vester, Creator Israelis, Rex vester, xliii 15:apud Davidem, Populus creatus laudabit Jah, Ps. cii 19 [A.V. 18];
apud eundem, Emittis spiritum Tuum, creabuntur, et renovas facies humi, Ps. civ 30. Quod 'caelum' significat internum hominem, et 'terra,' ante regenerationem, externum, ex sequentibus videatur.