1866、“从埃及河直到大河，幼发拉底河”表示属灵和属天事物的延伸，“埃及河”是指属灵事物的延伸，“幼发拉底河”是指属天事物的延伸，这从“埃及河”和“大河”或“幼发拉底河”的含义清楚可知。这些河表示属灵和属天事物的延伸，这一点从迦南地的含义可以看出来：迦南地是指主在天上和地上的国度，其中只有信的属灵事物和相爱的属天事物。因此，迦南地的边界只表示这些事物的延伸。因为天堂居民根本不知道何为迦南地，何为埃及河，何为大河，幼发拉底河，事实上不知道任何地界是什么；但他们却清楚知道属灵和属天事物的延伸是什么，也知道这些事物的状态的范围和极限。当世人阅读字面上的这些事物时，这些就是他们所想的事物；因此，作为天堂观念基础的文字及其历史意义就消失不见了。
“埃及河”之所以表示属灵事物的延伸，是因为“埃及”表示记忆知识或事实知识，这些知识，连同一个人所拥有的理性概念和深度理解的概念一起构成属灵事物，如前所述（1443节等）。至于“埃及”在内义上表示记忆知识或事实知识，可参看前文（1164，1165，1186，1462节）。“幼发拉底河”表示属天事物的延伸，这一点可从以这条河为边界与迦南地划分开的地清楚看出来；在许多经文中，这些地同样表示属天事物的知识和认知。然而，它因在此被称为“河”、“大河”，故只表示属天事物和关于它们的知识或认知，因为“大河”和“大”论及属天事物。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1866. From the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Phrath, symbolizes the extent of spiritual and heavenly qualities; to the river of Egypt is the extent of spiritual qualities; to the river Phrath is the extent of heavenly qualities. This can be seen from the symbolism of the river of Egypt and that of the great river, or the river Euphrates.
The symbolism of these rivers as the extent of spiritual and heavenly qualities can be seen from the symbolism of the land of Canaan as the Lord's kingdom in the heavens and on earth. That kingdom contains nothing but the spiritual qualities of faith and the heavenly qualities of mutual love. As a consequence, the boundaries of Canaan can only mean the extent of these qualities. The inhabitants of heaven have no notion at all of what the land of Canaan is, what the river of Egypt is, what the great river Euphrates is, or in fact what the boundaries of any land are. They do know how far spiritual and heavenly qualities reach, and they know in what direction spiritual and heavenly states lie and where they end. These are the subjects they have their minds on when people on earth read about such things. In this way the letter of the Word and its narrative content vanish, once they have served as a focal point for the heavenly thoughts of heaven's inhabitants.
[2] The reason the river of Egypt symbolizes the extent of spiritual qualities is that Egypt symbolizes facts. Facts, together with people's rational processes and moments of deep understanding, are spiritual entities, as noted before in 1443 and many other places. The symbolism of Egypt on an inner level as facts is mentioned in 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462.
The symbolism of the river Euphrates as the extent of heavenly qualities can be seen from the lands which that river borders and which it separates from Canaan. These lands too symbolize facts and the knowledge of heavenly matters, in various passages.{*1} Here, though, since it is being called a river, and a great river at that, it symbolizes only heavenly matters and the knowledge of them, because a great river and size in general have to do with heavenly things.
Footnotes:
{*1} The lands on the far side of the Euphrates from Canaan could be variously listed, but Assyria would figure prominently in any account. Its positive meaning is the rational mind or reasoning from facts. Passages in which Swedenborg demonstrates this meaning by reference to particular Bible passages are too numerous to list; as examples, see 119, 1186. Aram, or Syria, is described as being on the far side of the Euphrates in 4112. This region is in many passages said to symbolize the knowledge of truth and goodness; for such a statement with biblical references, see 1232. Babylonia and Chaldea, though they were east of the Euphrates, seem not to be included among the lands Swedenborg intends here. A positive meaning is obviously required, and in Swedenborg's exegesis Babylonia and Chaldea overwhelmingly symbolize various negative forces; for example, false worship or profanation (1368) and self-love and love of worldly advantages (1691:4). For a passage similar to this, see 9340:2. [SS]
Potts(1905-1910) 1866
1866. From the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates. That this signifies the extension of spiritual and celestial things-to "the river of Egypt" being the extension of spiritual things, and "to the river Euphrates" being the extension of celestial things-is evident from the signification of "the river of Egypt," and from the signification of "the great river," or "the Euphrates." That these "rivers" signify the extension of spiritual and celestial things, may be seen from the signification of the land of Canaan, as being the Lord's kingdom in the heavens and on the earth, in which there is nothing but the spiritual things which are of faith and the celestial things which are of mutual love; and therefore nothing but the extension of these can be meant by the boundaries of the land of Canaan. For what the land of Canaan is, what the river of Egypt is, and what the great river Euphrates is, and indeed what the boundaries of any land are, they who are in the heavens do not know at all; but they well know what the extension of spiritual and celestial things is, and also the determinations and the limitations of the states of these things. These things they have in mind while the others are being read by man; and so the letter vanishes and together with it that historical sense which has served as an objective form for the heavenly ideas. [2] That "the river of Egypt" signifies the extension of spiritual things, is because "Egypt" signifies memory-knowledges [scientifica], which, together with a man's rational and intellectual things, constitute spiritual things (as before said, n. 1443 and in other places; and that "Egypt" in the internal sense signifies memory-knowledges may be seen n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462). That "the river Euphrates" signifies the extension of celestial things, may be seen from a consideration of the lands which that river bounds and separates from the land of Canaan, and by which likewise in many passages are signified the knowledges [scientifica et cognitiones] of celestial things but here, because it is called "the river" and "the great river," celestial things and the knowledges [cognitiones] of them are what alone are signified; for a "great river" and "greatness" are predicated of these.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1866
1866. 'From the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Phrath' means the extension of spiritual and celestial things, 'to the river of Egypt' being the extension of spiritual things, 'to the river Phrath' the extension of celestial things. This is clear from the meaning of 'the river of Egypt' and from the meaning of 'the great river' or the Euphrates. That these rivers mean the extension of spiritual and celestial things becomes clear from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, in which kingdom there is nothing else than the spiritual things of faith and the celestial things of mutual love. Consequently nothing else can be meant by the borders of the land of Canaan than the extension of those things. For what the land of Canaan is, what the river of Egypt is, and what the great river, the Euphrates, is, the inhabitants of heaven do not know at all. Indeed they do not know what the borders of any land are; but they do know what the extension of spiritual and celestial things is, and the range and limits of the states belonging to them. These are the things which those in heaven have in mind when such things in the letter are read by man, so that the letter and its historical sense which has served as a basis for heavenly ideas disappears.
[2] The reason why 'the river of Egypt' means the extension of spiritual things is that 'Egypt' means factual knowledge which, together with the rational concepts and the intellectual concepts which a person has, constitute spiritual things, as stated already in 1443 and elsewhere in this volume. And as to why in the internal sense 'Egypt' means factual knowledge, see 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462. That 'the river Euphrates' means the extension of celestial things becomes clear from the lands which that river bounded and marked off from the land of Canaan, and by which in many other places facts and the cognitions of celestial things are meant. Here however because it is called 'the river', and 'the great river', they are nothing other than celestial things and the cognitions of them, for 'the great river' and greatness are used in reference to these.
Latin(1748-1756) 1866
1866. 'A fluvio Aegypti ad fluvium magnum, fluvium Phrath quod significet extensionem spiritualium et caelestium, 'ad fluvium Aegypti' quod sit extensio spiritualium, 'ad fluvium Phrath' quod sit extensio caelestium, constat a significatione 'fluvii Aegypti' et significatione 'fluvii magni seu Euphratis': quod hi fluvii significent extensionem spiritualium et caelestium, constare potest a significatione 'terrae Canaanis' quod sit regnum Domini in caelis et in terris, quo non nisi quam spiritualia quae fidei, et caelestia quae amoris mutui, sunt; quare non aliud quam horum extensio per termini terrae Canaanis intelligi potest; nam quid terra Canaan, quid fluvius Aegypti, et quid fluvius magnus Euphrates, sint, prorsus nesciunt qui in caelis, immo quid termini alicujus terrae; sed quid extensio spiritualium et caelestium, et statuum illorum determinationes et terminationes, norunt; in his mentem habent, cum illa ab homine leguntur, evanescente sic littera, et ejus sensu historico, qui inserviit pro objecto ideis caelestibus. Quod 'fluvius Aegypti' significet extensionem spiritualium, inde est quia 'Aegyptus' significat scientifica quae una cum rationalibus et intellectualibus hominis sunt spiritualia ut dictum prius n. 1443 et passim alibi; et quod 'Aegyptus' in sensu interno significet scientifica, n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462: quod 'fluvius Euphrates' significet extensionem caelestium, constare potest a terris quas fluvius iste terminat et disterminat a terra Canaane, per quas passim quoque scientifica et cognitiones caelestium significantur, hic vero quia appellatur fluvius, et fluvius magnus, non alia sunt quam caelestia et eorum cognitiones, nam 'magnus fluvius' 'magnitudo' de illis praedicatur.