1783、如前所述，此处包含的事件都是真实的历史；也就是说，耶和华的确与亚伯兰这样说话，并把迦南地作为产业应许给他。耶和华的确吩咐亚伯兰去安排小母牛、母山羊、公绵羊、斑鸠和雏鸽，如经上所描述的那样。鸷鸟的确下来落在这些尸体上。亚伯兰的确沉睡了，并在睡着的时候有可怕的黑暗；日落的时候，他的确看见冒烟的火炉和烧着的火把从那些肉块间经过；除此之外还有经上所提到的其它一切细节。这些事件都是真实的历史，但每一个事件，甚至所发生的最小事件都具有代表性；描述这些事件的词语，直到一点一划，都有一个灵义或象征；也就是说，每一个细节都有内义在里面。因为圣言中的每一个细节都是被启发的，因是被启发的，故只会来自一个天堂的源头；也就是说，它必隐藏着属天和属灵事物在里面；否则，它永远不可能是主的圣言。
这些就是内义所包含的东西。当内义敞开时，字义就会消失不见，仿佛不存在；而另一方面，当注意力只投向历史意义或字义时，内义就会消失不见，仿佛不存在。这两层意义的关系就像天堂之光和世界之光的关系，反过来则像世界之光和天堂之光的关系。当天堂之光出现时，世界之光就如同幽暗，这是我从经历中所得知的。但当有人处于世界之光时，天堂之光即便出现，也如同幽暗。人类心智也一样：凡将一切都置于人类智慧，或说完全依赖人类智慧，换句话说，依赖记忆知识或世俗知识，即书本学问的人，都视天堂智慧为黑洞；而凡享有天堂智慧的人都发现人类智慧简单而模糊，它若没有天堂的光线在里面，就如同幽暗。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1783. Inner Meaning
THE contents here, as I have said before, are true history.{*1} Jehovah did talk this way with Abram, and promised him he would inherit the land of Canaan. Jehovah did command Abram to arrange the heifer, she-goat, ram, turtledove, and chick as he did. The winged creatures did swoop down onto the bodies. Slumber did fall on Abram, and in his sleep, terror of shadows. When the sun had set, he did see a furnace of smoke along with a torch of flame between the parts. And so on. These details are historically true, and yet each and every one of them down to the smallest action represents something, while the words of the story themselves down to the smallest jot have a symbolism.{*2} In other words, every last feature has an inner meaning. Everything in the Word is inspired, and since it is inspired, it cannot come from any source but a heavenly one. It cannot hide any message but a heavenly and spiritual one in its inner recesses. Otherwise it would never be the Lord's Word.
[2] This is the message contained in the inner sense. When the inner sense lies open, the literal sense is obliterated, as if it did not exist. Conversely when attention is paid only to the historical or literal meaning, the inner meaning is obliterated, as if it did not exist.
The relationship is like that of heavenly light to the world's light, and that in turn of the world's light to heavenly light. When heavenly light appears, the world's light seems dark, as I have learned from experience. On the other hand, when anyone sees by the world's light, heavenly light would seem dark if it appeared at all. It is the same with the human mind. Anyone who relies exclusively on human wisdom, or in other words, on book learning, sees heavenly wisdom as a dark hole. Anyone who enjoys heavenly wisdom, though, finds human wisdom simplistic and vague — a form of darkness, if it is unlit by heavenly rays.
Footnotes:
{*1} For earlier statements about the historicity of the narrative portions of the Word from the mention of Eber in Genesis 11 onward, see, for instance, 1403, 1408:1. [LHC]
{*2} On the representative function of historical facts and the symbolism of the words used to report them, see note 5 in 1401 and the passages cited there. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 1783
1783. THE INTERNAL SENSE The things which are here contained, are as before said true historicals, namely, that Jehovah spoke thus with Abram, and that the land of Canaan was promised him as an inheritance; that he was commanded so to place the heifer, the she-goat, ram, turtledove, and young pigeon; that the fowls came down upon the bodies; that a deep sleep fell upon him, and in the sleep a terror of darkness; and that when the sun had set, there was seen by him as it were a furnace of smoke with a torch of fire between the parts; besides the other historicals. These are true historicals, but still each and all of them, even to the least of what was done, are representative; and the words themselves by which they are described, are, as to the smallest iota, significative. That is to say, in each and all of these things there is an internal sense; for each and all of the things contained in the Word are inspired, and being inspired they cannot but be from a heavenly origin; that is, they must necessarily store up within them celestial and spiritual things, for otherwise it could not possibly be the Word of the Lord. [2] These are the things contained in the internal sense; and when this sense lies open, the sense of the letter is obliterated, as if there were none; and on the other hand, when attention is given solely to the historical sense or that of the letter, the internal sense is obliterated, as if there were none. These two are related as is heavenly light to the light of the world; and, conversely, as is the light of the world to heavenly light. When heavenly light appears, then the light of the world is as thick darkness; as has been made known to me by experience; but when anyone is in the light of the world, then heavenly light, if it appeared, would be as thick darkness; the same as with human minds: to him who places everything in human wisdom, or in memory-knowledges, heavenly wisdom appears as an obscure nothing; but to him who is in heavenly wisdom, human wisdom is as a kind of obscure general affair, which, if there were not heavenly rays in it, would be as thick darkness.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1783
1783. THE INTERNAL SENSE
As stated already, the narratives contained here draw on true history; that is to say, Jehovah did in fact speak to Abram as described; the land of Canaan was promised to him as an inheritance; he was in fact commanded as described to arrange a heifer, she-goat, ram, turtle dove and fledgling; birds of prey came down on the carcasses; a deep sleep came over him, and in that sleep a horror of darkness; and when the sun had set he did in fact see what looked like a smoking furnace with a flaming torch passing between the parts; besides all the other details mentioned. These events are historically true, but even so every single one, down to the smallest event that took place, is representative; and the actual words used to describe those events, down to the smallest part of a letter, carry a spiritual meaning, that is, every single detail has an internal sense within it. For every single detail in the Word is inspired, and being inspired cannot derive from other than a heavenly origin; that is, celestial and spiritual things lie concealed in its inner recesses. If this were not so it could not possibly be the Word of the Lord.
[2] These are the things which the internal sense contains. When this sense lies open to view the sense of the letter passes out of sight, as though it did not exist, as also conversely when attention is paid solely to the historical sense, or sense of the letter, the internal sense passes out of sight, as though it did not exist. The relationship of the two senses is like that of heavenly light to the light of the world, and conversely like that of the light of the world to heavenly light. When heavenly light is seen, the light of the world is like thick darkness, as I have been made to know from experience. But when anyone is in the light of the world, heavenly light, if it is seen, would be like thick darkness. It is similar with human minds: to the person who limits everything to human wisdom, or worldly knowledge, heavenly wisdom is seen as something obscure and blank; but to one who possesses heavenly wisdom, human wisdom is like something totally obscure which, unless it had heavenly rays of light within it, would be as thick darkness.
Latin(1748-1756) 1783
1783. SENSUS INTERNUSQUAE hic continentur, sunt, ut prius dictum, historica vera, nempe quod a Jehovah ita locutum cum Abramo, et quod ei in hereditatem promissa terra Canaan; quod ei mandatum ut sic poneret vitulam, capram, arietem, turturem et pullum; quod volatile descenderit super corpora; quod ceciderit super eum sopor, et in sopore terror tenebrarum; et cum sol occidisset, quod visum ei sicut furnus fumi cum face ignis inter partes, praeter cetera; haec sunt historica vera, sed usque omnia et singula, quoad minimum facti, repraesentativa, et ipsa verba quibus describuntur, quoad minimum iotam significativa, hoc est, in omnibus et singulis est sensus internus; sunt enim omnia et singula quae in Verbo, inspirata, et quia inspirata, non possunt aliter quam esse ab origine caelesti, hoc est, caelestia et spiritualia in sinu suo recondere, aliter nusquam foret Verbum Domini; [2] haec sunt quae continentur in sensu interno; qui sensus cum patet, obliteratur sensus litterae sicut nullus foret, ut et vicissim, cum ad solum sensum historicum seu litterae attenditur, obliteratur sensus internus sicut nullus foret: haec se habent sicut lux caelestis ad lucem mundi, et vicissim sicut lux mundi est sicut caligo tunc lux mundi est sicut caligo, quod per experientiam mihi notum factum est; at cum quis in luce mundi est, tunc lux caelestis, si apparet, foret sicut caligo; similiter ac in mentibus humanis, qui in sapientia humana seu in scientiis ponit omne, ei sapientia caelestis apparet sicut obscurum nullum; at qui in sapientia caelesti est, ei sapientia humana est sicut commune quoddam obscurum in quo nisi caelestes radii insunt, foret sicut caligo.