1860、“幽暗出现的时候”表示当仇恨取代仁爱时，这从“幽暗”的含义清楚可知。在圣言中，“黑暗”（darkness）表示虚假，而“幽暗”（thickdarkness，或译为幽冥）表示邪恶，如接下来所解释的。当虚假取代真理时，就会有“黑暗”；当邪恶取代良善，或准确地说，仇恨取代仁爱时，就会有“幽暗”。当仇恨取代仁爱时，这幽暗如此之大，以至于这人甚至完全没有意识到它是邪恶，更不知道它是如此大的一个邪恶，足以在来世把他推下地狱。事实上，那些沉浸于仇恨的人在仇恨中感觉到某种快乐，可以说从中找到生命。这种快乐和生命本身具有这种效果：他几乎不知道别的，只知道仇恨是良善。凡迎合一个人的感官享受和欲望的东西，因仰合他的爱，所以他都感觉为良善，甚至到了这种程度：若有人告诉他，它是属地狱的，他几乎难以相信；若告诉他，这种快乐和生命在来世会转化为粪便和尸体的恶臭，他更难以相信。他尤其不相信他正在变成地狱的一个魔鬼和一个可怕形像，因为地狱只有仇恨和这类魔鬼般的形式。
然而，凡有点思考能力的人都可以知道这一点，因为他若要描述或表现仇恨，或能以某种方式把它画出来，只会利用魔鬼般的形式，就是那些活在仇恨中的人死后也会变成的那种形式而如此行。令人不可思议的是，这种人仍能声称，在来世，他们会进入天堂，有些情况下仅仅靠着说他们有信，就能进入；而事实上，天堂只有仁爱的形式，仁爱的性质可从经历看出来（553节）。让这些人认真想一想，这两种形式，即仇恨的形式和仁爱的形式，如何能在同一个地方和谐共处呢？
“黑暗”表示虚假，“幽暗或幽冥”表示邪恶，这一点可从以下圣言经文清楚看出来；以赛亚书：
看哪！黑暗遮盖大地，幽暗遮盖万民。（以赛亚书60:2）
约珥书：
这地所有的居民都要战栗，因为耶和华的日子将到，一个黑暗、幽冥的日子。（约珥书2:1-2）
西番雅书：
那日是震怒的日子，是荒废和凄凉的日子，是黑暗和幽冥的日子。（西番雅书1:15）
阿摩司书：
耶和华的日子，不是黑暗没有光明吗？不是幽暗毫无光辉在里头吗？（阿摩司书5:20）
在这些经文中，“耶和华的日子”表示教会的末期，也就是此处论述的主题；“黑暗”表示虚假，“幽暗或幽冥”表示邪恶；所以经上提到了这两者；否则，这只是重复同一件事，或毫无意义地堆砌词语。然而，在原文，用来表达本节中的幽暗的那个词语包含了这两者在里面，即虚假和邪恶，也就是产生邪恶的浓密虚假和产生虚假的浓密邪恶。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1860. And darkness occurred means when hatred displaces charity, as can be seen from the meaning of darkness. In the Word, shadow symbolizes falsity, but darkness symbolizes evil, as discussed just below.{*1} Shadow occurs when falsity displaces truth, and darkness occurs when evil displaces goodness or (what is exactly the same) when hatred displaces charity. When hatred displaces charity, the darkness is so deep that we lose any awareness at all of the presence of evil. Still less do we see that the evil is bad enough to send us to hell in the next life. When people hate, they sense a certain pleasure and a certain energy in their hatred, and the pleasure and energy themselves make it nearly impossible for those people to see hatred as anything but good. Whatever caters to their sensual desire or cravings seems good to them, because it caters to what they love. In fact if anyone tells them it is hellish, they can hardly believe it. They find it even harder to believe if told that in the other world this pleasure and energy turn into the stench of excrement or of a dead body. Still less can they believe that they themselves will become devils in the appalling image of hell. Hell consists of nothing but hatred and devilish figures like this.
[2] The ones who retain any ability to think are capable of seeing this. If they themselves were to describe hatred, or represent it, or draw some kind of picture of it (if they have the talent), they would invariably use devilish figures of the kind that they themselves turn into after death. Amazing to say, these people can still claim they will go to heaven in the next life — some relying simply on the fact that they say they believe — when in reality heaven contains nothing but models of charity. (See a description from experience of those models of charity in 553.) They need to contemplate, then, how those two figures of hate and love could live together in harmony in the same space.
[3] The fact that shadow symbolizes falsity, and darkness, evil, can be seen from these passages in the Word. In Isaiah:
Look — shadows cover the earth, and darkness, the peoples. (Isaiah 60:2)
In Joel:
Let all the inhabitants of the earth shudder, because the day of Jehovah has come: a day of shadow and darkness. (Joel 2:1-2)
In Zephaniah:
A day of wrath is that day, a day of devastation and ruin, a day of shadow and darkness. (Zephaniah 1:15)
In Amos:
Is the day of Jehovah not shadow and lack of light? And is there not darkness and lack of radiance on it? (Amos 5:20)
The day of Jehovah stands for the final days of the church, which is the topic of the present verse. The shadow stands for falsity, the darkness for evil, which is why both are mentioned. Otherwise the text would be repeating itself, or piling up words for no purpose. On the other hand, the word for darkness in the present verse as it appears in the original language involves both falsity and evil, or dense falsity that gives rise to evil, and also dense evil that gives rise to falsity.
Footnotes:
{*1} Swedenborg here appears to imply that he is distinguishing between just two words in the original Hebrew of the Scriptures, "shadow" (tenebrae, in the Latin) and "darkness" (caligo), but the reality is that he is using the latter to represent several different Hebrew words in the quotations that appear below and in 1839, 1861. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 1860
1860. And there was thick darkness. That this signifies when hatred was in the place of charity, is evident from the signification of "thick darkness." In the Word "darkness" signifies falsities, and "thick darkness" evils (as shown just below). There is "darkness" when falsity is in the place of truth; and there is "thick darkness" when evil is in the place of good, or what is precisely the same, when hatred is in the place of charity. When hatred is in the place of charity, the thick darkness is so great that the man is quite unaware that it is evil, still less that it is so great an evil as in the other life to thrust him down to hell, for they who are in hatred perceive a kind of delight and as it were a kind of life in it, and this delight and life themselves cause him scarcely to know but that it is good, for whatever favors a man's pleasure and cupidity, because it favors his love, he feels as good, and this to such a degree that when he is told that it is infernal he can scarcely believe it, still less when he is told that such delight and life are in the other life turned the stench of excrement and cadavers. And still less does he believe that he is becoming a devil and a horrible image of hell; for hell consists of nothing but hatreds and such diabolical forms. [2] Yet anyone might know this who possesses any faculty for thinking, for if he should describe or represent, or if he could in any manner picture, hatred, he would do it no otherwise than by diabolical forms, such as those who are in hatred also become after death, and, wonderful to say, such men are capable of declaring that in the other life they shall come into heaven; some merely for saying that they have faith, when yet there are in heaven none but forms of charity, and what these are may be seen from experience (n. 553). Let all such therefore consider how these two forms, of hatred and of charity, can agree together in one place. [3] That "darkness" signifies falsity, and "thick darkness" evil, may be seen from the following passages in the Word. In Isaiah:
Behold, darkness covereth the earth, and thick darkness the peoples (Isa. 60:2). In Joel:
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of Jehovah cometh, a day of darkness and thick darkness (Joel 2:1-2). In Zephaniah:
That day is a day of wrath, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and thick darkness (Zeph. 1:15). In Amos:
Shall not the day of Jehovah be darkness and not light, and thick darkness and no brightness in it? (Amos 5:20). In these passages "the day of Jehovah" denotes the last time of the church, which is here treated of; "darkness" denotes falsities, "thick darkness" evils; both therefore are mentioned; otherwise it would be a repetition of the same thing, or an unmeaning amplification. But the word in the original language that in this verse is rendered "thick darkness" involves falsity as well as evil, that is, dense falsity from which is evil, and also dense evil from which is falsity.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1860
1860. That 'there was thick darkness' means when hatred existed in place of charity is clear from the meaning of 'thick darkness'. In the Word 'darkness' means falsities, while 'thick darkness' means evils, as explained immediately below. 'Darkness' is when falsity exists in place of truth, and 'thick darkness' when evil exists in place of good, or what amounts entirely to the same, when hatred exists in place of charity. When hatred exists in place of charity the darkness is so thick that the person is not even aware of its being an evil, let alone of its being so great an evil as -to thrust him down in the next life into hell; indeed people who are steeped in hatred find a certain delight and so to speak life in it. This very delight and life have the effect that he hardly knows other than that hatred is good. Whatever favors a person's pleasure and desire, because it favors his love, he feels as good - so much so that when he is told it is of hell he can hardly believe it. Even less can he believe it when he is told that such delight and life is converted in the next life into an utterly foul and corpse-like stench. Even less still can he believe that he is becoming a devil and a dreadful replica of hell; for hell consists of nothing else than varieties of hatred and other such forms.
[2] But of this anyone may know who has any power of thought; for if he were to describe hatred, or to represent it, or to portray it if he were able to in any way, he would not do so except by the use of devil-like forms such as these persons steeped in evil also assume after death. And what is extraordinary, such people can still declare that in the next life they will go to heaven, in some cases for merely saying that they have faith - though in fact the only forms occurring in heaven are those of charity, the nature of which may be seen in what has been told from experience in 553. Let those people now consider how these two forms - of hatred and of charity - can be in agreement in the same place.
[3] That 'darkness' means falsity and 'thick darkness' evil becomes clear from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,
Behold, darkness is covering the earth, and thick darkness the peoples. Isa 60:2.
In Joel,
Let all the inhabitants of the earth tremble, for the day of Jehovah is coming, a day of darkness and thick darkness. Joel 2:1, 2.
In Zephaniah,
A day of wrath is that day, a day of vastation and desolation, a day of darkness and thick darkness. Zeph 1:15.
In Amos,
Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light, and thick darkness, and no brightness in it? Amos 5:20.
In these places 'the day of Jehovah' stands for the final period of the Church, which is also the subject here. 'Darkness' stands for falsities, 'thick darkness' for evils; hence both are mentioned. Otherwise there would be a repetition of the same thing, or a pointless excess of words. The term used in the original language however to express thick darkness in this verse embodies both within itself - falsity as well as evil, or gross falsity that produces evil, as well as gross evil that produces falsity.
Latin(1748-1756) 1860
1860. 'Et caligo facta': quod significet cum odium loco charitatis, constat a significatione 'caliginis'; in Verbo 'tenebrae' significant falsa, sed 'caligo' mala, de quibus mox infra; 'tenebrae' sunt cum falsum loco veri, et 'caligo' cum malum loco boni, seu quod prorsus idem est cum odium loco charitatis; cum odium loco charitatis, tanta caligo est ut homo prorsus nesciat quod malum sit, minus quod tantum malum ut illum in altera vita ad infernum detrudat; qui enim in odio sunt, appercipiunt quoddam jucundum et quasi quoddam vitale in eo; ipsum jucundum hoc et vitale facit ut vix sciat aliter quam quo bonum sit; quicquid favet hominis voluptati et cupiditati, quia amori hoc sentit sicut bonum, usque adeo ut cum ei dicitur quod infernale sit, vix possit credere; minus cum ei dicitur quod tale jucundum et vitale vertatur in altera vita in fetidum excrementitium et cadaverosum; minus adhuc credit quod ipse fiat diabolus et horrenda inferni imago; infernum enim non nisi quam ab odiis et talibus diabolicis formis consistit; [2] hoc usque scire potest qui aliqua facultate cogitandi pollet, nam si ipse describeret aut repraesentaret aut, si posset, aliquo modo depingeret odium, non aliter faceret ac per diabolicas formas, quales etiam post mortem fiunt; et quod mirum, tales usque dicere possunt quod in altera vita in caelum venturi, quidam per solum id quod dicant se fidem habere, cum tamen in caelo non sunt nisi formae charitatis, quae quales sunt, videatur ab experientia n. 553; cogitent, nunc, quomodo binae illae formae, odii et charitatis, simul in uno loco concordare possint. Quod 'tenebrae' significent falsum et 'caligo' malum, constare potest ab his in Verbo locis; apud Esaiam, Ecce tenebrae obtegunt terram, et caligo populos, lx 2:apud Joelem, Cohorrescant omnes habitatores terrae, quia venit dies Jehovae... dies tenebrarum et caliginis, ii 1, 2 apud Zephaniam, Dies excandescentiae dies ille,... dies vastitatis et desolationis, dies tenebrarum et caliginis, i 15:
apud Amos, Nonne tenebrae dies Jehovae, et non lux? et caligo, et non splendor illi? v 20;
ubi 'dies Jehovae' pro ultimo tempore Ecclesiae, de quo hic; 'tenebrae' pro falsis, 'caligo' pro malis, ideo utrumque dicitur, alioquin foret unius rei repetitio, seu exaggeratio inanis; vox autem in lingua originali qua exprimitur caligo in hoc versu, involvit utrumque, tam falsum quam malum, seu densum falsum ex quo malum, tum densum malum ex quo falsum.