1843、“你的种必成为外人”表示仁和信将极为罕见，这从“外人”和“种”的含义清楚可知。“外人”或“寄居的”表示不是生在这地的人，因此他没有被视为本地人，而是被视为外来人。但“种”表示仁及其信，如前所示（255，1025节；15:3，1798:1节）。由于这“种”被描述为外来的，而外来的东西都被视为异类，异类是指不在这地，或不属这地的东西，所以可推知，这是极为罕见的东西。由此也可推知，仁和仁之信，也就是“种”将极为罕见。此处论述的主题是完结之前的时期，就是有“大黑暗”，即虚假的时候；这时，“种必成为外人”，也就是说，仁和信将极为罕见。
在末期，信将极为罕见；对此，主在论及时代的完结时（马太福音24:4-51；马可福音13:3-37；路加福音21:7-38），已经预言了。这些经文所说的一切都暗示，那时候，仁和信将极为罕见，直到最终荡然无存。约翰在启示录，以及先知书中的许多经文也预言了类似的事，更不用说圣言的历史部分了。
不过，在末期将要消失的信只是指仁，因为除了仁之信外，其它信是不可能存在的。没有仁的人根本不可能有任何信，因为仁就是信被植入的土壤。仁是信的心脏，是信的存在和生命的源头。因此，古人将爱和仁比作心，将信比作肺，而心肺都在胸腔里。这种对比也是一个十分恰当的比喻，因为想象没有仁的信之生命，就如同想象只靠肺脏，不靠心脏就能存活，这明显是不可能的。所以古人将属于仁的一切称为心脏的事，将属于无仁之信的一切称为嘴上功夫，或肺的产物（肺通过呼吸进入言语）。古代关于良善和真理的习惯说法便由此而来，因为良善和真理必须从心发出。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1843. Your seed will be immigrants means that charity and faith would be rare, as can be seen from the symbolism of immigrants and of seed. Immigrants mean what is not native and so what is not acknowledged as belonging to the local area and therefore what is regarded as foreign. Seed, though, symbolizes charity and the faith that goes with it, as shown before, in 255, 1025, and above at verse 3 [1798:1]. The seed is described as immigrants, which are viewed as foreign, and what is foreign is what does not belong to the area, or come from it, so it follows that it is something rare. It also follows, then, that charity and the faith that comes of charity would be rare, since that is what the seed is. When it says that Abram's seed would be immigrants — that is, that charity and faith would be rare — it is speaking about a time before the end, when the shadows (falsity) would be immense.
[2] In Matthew 24:4-end, Mark 13:3-end, and Luke 21:7-end, which describe the close of the age, the Lord predicts that faith will be rare in the last days. Everything said there carries the idea that charity and faith will be scant in those days, until finally they disappear. John predicts the same thing in the Book of Revelation, as the prophets also do many times, not to mention the narrative parts of the Word.{*1} [3] But by the faith that will perish in the final days nothing is meant but neighborly love. No other faith can possibly exist than the faith that grows out of love for others. People who do not love their neighbor cannot have the least faith. Love for others, or charity, is the actual base on which faith is planted. Charity is its heart, the source of its existence and life. As a result, the ancients compared love and charity to a heart, and faith to lungs, both of which reside in the chest. Charity and faith actually resemble the heart and lungs, too, because to imagine a life of faith without charity is like imagining we can live by our lungs alone, without our hearts. Anyone can see it is impossible. So the ancients called every impulse of charity a gesture of the heart, and every word of faith lacking in charity they called lip service, or a product of the lungs (by way of the breath that flows into speech). That is how they developed the habit of talking about goodness and truth as something that ought to "come from the heart."
Footnotes:
{*1} For a sampling of Scripture passages addressing the loss of charity and faith in the "last days," see Swedenborg's True Christianity 179, 635, 755, 761, 764. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 1843
1843. Thy seed shall be a stranger. That this signifies that charity and faith shall be rare, is evident from the signification of "a stranger," and of "seed." A "stranger" or "sojourner" signifies one that is not born in the land, so that he is not acknowledged as a native, and thus is looked upon as an alien. But "seed" signifies charity and its faith (as before shown, n. 255, 1025; and just above at verse 3). Because that is called "strange" which is looked upon as alien, and alien is that which is not in the land or of the land, it follows that it is that which is rare; and consequently it here means that charity and the faith of charity, which are the "seed," will be rare. It is the time before the consummation that is here treated of, when there shall be "great darkness," that is, falsities; the seed shall then be a stranger, that is, charity and faith will then be rare. [2] That faith would be rare in the last times was foretold by the Lord when He spoke of the consummation of the age (Matt. 24:4-51; Mark 13:3-37; Luke 21:7-38), where everything that is said implies that charity and faith will be rare at those times, and that at last there will be none. The like is said by John in Revelation, and also in many passages of the Prophets, besides what is said in the historical parts of the Word. [3] But by the faith that will perish in the last times there is meant nothing but charity, for there cannot possibly be any faith but the faith of charity. He who has not charity cannot have any faith at all, for charity is the very soil in which faith is implanted; it is its heart, from which it exists and lives. The ancients therefore compared love and charity to the heart, and faith to the lungs, both of which are in the breast. This comparison involves a real likeness, seeing that if a man should pretend to a life of faith without charity, it would be like having life from the lungs alone without the heart, which is manifestly impossible; and therefore the ancients called all things that pertain to charity things of the heart, and all things that pertain to faith without charity they said were of the mouth only, or of the lungs by the influx of the breathing into the speech. Thence came the ancient forms of speech concerning good and truth; that they must go forth from the heart.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1843
1843. That 'your seed will be strangers' means that charity and faith will be scarce is clear from the meaning of 'strange' and from the meaning of 'seed'. 'Strange' means not born in the land, thus not recognized as a native of it, and therefore looked upon as foreign. But 'seed' means charity and its attendant faith, as shown already in 255, 1025, and above at verse 3. Since that which is looked upon as foreign is called 'strange' and foreign describes what is not within the land or of the land, that which is scarce is consequently meant. The meaning here therefore is that charity and its attendant faith, meant by 'seed', will be scarce. It is the time just before the close - when there is 'great darkness', or falsities - that is the subject; at this time the seed will be 'strangers', that is, charity and faith, will be scarce.
[2] The fact that faith would be scarce in the last times was foretold by the Lord when He described the close of the age, in Matt 24:4-end; Mark 13:3-end; Luke 21:7-end. Everything that is stated in these places implies that in those times charity and faith will be scarce, and that at length there will not be any at all. Something similar was foretold through John in the Book of Revelation, and also occurs many times in the Prophets, besides what appears in the historical sections of the Word.
[3] But by the faith that is going to perish in the last times nothing other than charity is meant. No other faith can possibly exist, except faith that is grounded in charity. The person who has no charity is incapable of possessing any faith at all, charity being the soil in which faith is implanted, its heart from which it derives its being and life. The ancients for this reason compared love and charity to the heart, and faith to the lungs, both of which lie inside the breast. That comparison is also a perfect simile; for to imagine a life of faith without charity is like imagining life from the lungs alone without the heart, which is an impossibility, as may become clear to anyone. The ancients therefore used to call all things that belonged to charity those of the heart, and all that belonged to faith devoid of charity those of the lips alone, that is, of the lungs passing by means of breath into speech. From this came the sayings of old about the need for goods and truths to go forth from the heart.
Latin(1748-1756) 1843
1843. Quod 'peregrinum erit semen tuum' significet quod rara charitas et fides, constat a significatione 'peregrini' et a significatione 'seminis'; 'peregrinum' significat quod non natum in terra ita quod non agnoscitur pro indigena, proinde quod spectatur sic alienum; 'semen' autem significat charitatem et ejus fidem, ut ostensum prius n. 255, 1025, et supra ad vers. 3. Quia 'peregrinum' dicitur quod spectatur ut alienum, et alienum est quod non in terra seu ex terra, sequitur quod sit id quod rarum, proinde quod charitas et fides charitatis erit rara, quae est 'semen'; agitur de tempore ante consummationem quando 'tenebrae magnae,' hoc est, falsitates, quod tunc 'semen peregrinum,' seu charitas et fides rara: [2] quod fides rara ultimis temporibus a Domino praedictum, ubi de consummatione saeculi, apud Matth. xxiv 4 ad fin.; Marc. xiii 3 ad fin.; Luc. xxi ad fin.; ubi quicquid dicitur, involvit quod illis temporibus rara charitas et fides, et quod tandem nulla; per Johannem in Apocalypsi similiter; tum quoque apud Prophetas multoties; praeter illa quae in historicis Verbi; [3] sed per fidem quae ultimis temporibus peritura, nihil aliud intelligitur quam charitas; nusquam alia fides datur quam fides charitatis; qui non charitatem habet, ne hilum fidei habere potest est charitas ipse fundus cui implantatur; est cor ejus ex quo est et vivit; ideo antiqui amorem et charitatem compararunt 'cordi,' et fidem 'pulmoni,' quorum utramque in pectore; simile etiam est, nam vitam fidei absque charitate sibi fingere, est sicut vitam ex solo pulmone absque corde, quae quod non dabilis sit, unicuivis constare potest; ideo cordis vocabant omnia quae charitatis; et solius oris seu pulmonis per respirationis influxum in loquelam, omnia quae fidei absque charitate; formulae inde antiquae de bonis et veris quod ex corde exire debeant.