1888、圣言的字义是神性奥秘的代表，也是主的属天和属灵事物的器皿，因而是这些事物的宝库，这一点可通过两个例子来说明：一是“大卫”不是指大卫，而是指主；二是名字只表示真实事物；这意味着圣言的其它一切也是如此。以西结书论到大卫说：
我的仆人大卫必作王管理他们，他们众人只有一个牧人。他们必住在那地上，他们和他们的子孙，并子孙的子孙，直住到永远。我的仆人大卫必作他们的首领，直到永远。（以西结书37:24-25）
何西阿书：
以色列人必回转过来，寻求他们的神耶和华和他们的王大卫。（何西阿书3:5）
写下这些应许的先知生活在大卫时代之后，然而他们却明确地说，大卫必作他们的王和首领。由此可见“大卫”在内义上是指主。其它一切经文也一样，甚至包括以名字提到大卫的历史描述。
国名、地名、城名和人名都表示真实事物，这一点清楚可见于先知书。仅从以赛亚书举这个例子：
主万军之耶和华（Lord，JehovihZebaoth）如此说，住锡安我的百姓啊，亚述王虽然用棍击打你，又照埃及的样子举杖攻击你，你却不要怕他。万军之耶和华要兴起鞭来攻击他，好像在俄立磐石那里击杀米甸人一样。耶和华的杖要向海伸出，把杖举起，像在埃及一样。 亚述王来到亚叶，经过米矶仑；指挥军队攻击密抹。他们要经过米巴拉（Mebara）。基比亚将成为我们的居所。拉玛战兢；扫罗的基比亚逃跑。迦琳的女子哪，要大声恸哭！莱煞哪，须听，困苦的亚拿突啊！玛得米要成为流浪者；基柄的居民要聚集。在挪伯不是还有一个立定的日子吗？锡安女子的山，就是耶路撒冷的山冈要抡手。森林的密丛，祂要用铁器砍下，黎巴嫩必因大能者倒下。（以赛亚书10:24，26-34）
这几节经文几乎都是名字，这些名字不会有任何意义，除非每个名字都表示真实事物；如果你的头脑卡在这些名字上，你就永远不会承认这是主的圣言。但谁会相信它们在内义上都包含天堂的奥秘呢？谁又会相信它们描述了那些努力通过基于记忆知识或世俗知识的推理去探寻信之奥秘之人的状态呢？或每个名字都描述了属于这个状态的某个具体方面呢？或意思是说主通过爱的属天事物和信的属灵事物驱散这些推理呢？“亚述”表示此处论述的推理，这一点从前面（119，1186节）关于“亚述”的说明很清楚地看出来；“埃及”表示记忆知识（1164，1165，1462节）。读读这些章节，仔细检查一下，看看这是不是真的。其它所有名字和圣经中的每一句话都是如此。
Potts(1905-1910) 1888
1888. That the sense of the letter of the Word is representative of Divine arcana, and that it is the receptacle and thus the repository of the Lord's celestial and spiritual things, may be illustrated by two examples: first, that by "David" is not meant David, but the Lord; second, that the names signify nothing but actual things, and therefore it must be the same with all the rest of the Word. Concerning David it is said in Ezekiel:
My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall dwell upon the land, they and their sons and their sons' sons, even to eternity; and David my servant shall be their prince to eternity (Ezek. 37:24-25). And in Hosea:
The sons of Israel shall return, and shall seek Jehovah their God, and David their king (Hos. 3:5). These things were written by the prophets after the time of David, and yet it is plainly said that he shall be their king and prince, from which all may see that in the internal sense it is the Lord who is meant by "David." And the case is the same in all other passages, even those which are historical, where David is named. [2] That the names of kingdoms, regions, cities, and men, signify actual things, may be clearly seen in the Prophets. Take merely this example in Isaiah:
Thus said the Lord, Jehovih Zebaoth, O My people, thou inhabitant of Zion, be not afraid of Asshur; he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff upon thee in the way of Egypt. Jehovah of Armies shall stir up a scourge for him according to the plague of Midian at the rock of Horeb; and as His rod was upon the sea, so shall He lift it up in the way of Egypt. He shall come against Aiath, He shall pass over to Migron, at Michmash shall He command His arms; they* shall pass over Mabarah; Geba* is a lodging-place for us; Ramah* shall tremble; Gibeah of Saul shall flee; cry aloud with thy voice, O daughter of Gallim; hearken, O Laish; O thou poor Anathoth; Madmenah shall wander; the inhabitants of Gebim shall gather themselves together; as yet there is a day for a stand at Nob; the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem, shall shake her hand; He shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a magnificent one (Isa. 10:24, 26-34). [3] Here there is almost nothing but names, from which no sense would appear unless all the names signified actual things; and if the mind were to abide in the names, this would never be acknowledged to be the Word of the Lord. But who will believe that in the internal sense they all contain arcana of heaven? and that by them is described the state of those who are endeavoring to enter into the mysteries of faith by reasonings from memory-knowledges? Some special thing belonging to that state are described by each name; and that the meaning is that these reasonings are dispersed by the Lord by means of the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith. That the reasoning here treated of is signified by "Asshur," may be clearly seen from what has been already shown concerning Asshur (n. 119, 1186); also that memory-knowledges are signified by "Egypt" (n. 1164, 1165, 1462); which see and examine. The case is the same with all other names, and also with all the several words. * The Latin had transibit, Gibea, Chormah: but in the Doctrine of the Holy Scripture, n. 15, we find transibunt, Geba, and Ramah, like the Hebrew. [Rotch. ed.]
Elliott(1983-1999) 1888
1888. To illustrate that the sense of the letter of the Word is representative of Divine arcana and is the receptacle of, and thus the storehouse containing, celestial and spiritual things which are the Lord's, let two examples be taken, which will consequently reveal the position with all else The first example shows that David is not used to mean David but the Lord, the second that names mean nothing other than real things. Of David the following is said in Ezekiel,
My servant David will be King over them, and they will all have one Shepherd. They will dwell in the land, they, and their sons, and their sons' sons even for ever And David my servant will be their Prince for ever. Ezek 37:24, 25.
And in Hosea,
The children of Israel will return and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king. Hosea 3:5.
These promises were written by prophets who lived later than David, yet it is explicitly stated by them that he 'will be' their king and prince. From this it may become clear to anyone that in the internal sense David means the Lord. The same applies in all other places, including the historical descriptions, where David is referred to by name.
[2] As regards the names of kingdoms, regions, cities, and men meaning real things, this becomes quite clear in the Prophets. Take this single example in Isaiah,
Thus said the Lord, Jehovih Zebaoth, Do not be afraid - O My people, inhabitant of Zion - of Asshur; he will smite you with a rod, and he will lift up the staff over you in the way of Egypt. Jehovah Zebaoth will lift up the scourge over him, as when Midian was smitten in the rock of Horeb, and his rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up in the way of Egypt. He will come against Aiath; he will pass over into Migron; he will command his arms towards Michmash. They will cross the Mabarah. Geba will be a lodging-place for us. Hormaha will tremble. Gibeah of Saul will flee. Make a noise with your voice, O daughter of Gallim. Hearken, O Laish. Wail, O Anathoth. Madmenah will wander about. The inhabitants of Gebim will gather themselves together. This very day he is in Nob to stay. The mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem, will shake her fist. He will cut down the entangled boughs of the wood with an axe, and Lebanon will fall by a majestic one. Isa 10:24, 26-34.
[3] These verses include little more than mere names, which would not make any sense at all if, without exception, those names did not mean real things; and if the mind remained fixed on those names, no acknowledgement that it was the Word of the Lord would ever be made. But who is going to believe that all those names in the internal sense contain arcana of heaven? Or that through them the state of people is described who endeavour by means of reasonings based on facts to penetrate the mysteries of faith? Or that by means of each name some particular aspect of that state is described? Or that those reasonings are dispersed by the Lord by means of the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith? That 'Asshur' means reasoning, which is the subject in these verses from Isaiah, becomes quite clear from what has been shown regarding 'Asshur' in 119, 1186; and that 'Egypt' means factual knowledge, from what has been shown in 1164, 1165, 1462. See these paragraphs and consider whether or not this is true. It is the same with all other names, and with individual expressions.
Latin(1748-1756) 1888
1888. Quod sensus litterae Verbi sit repraesentativus arcanorum Divinorum et quod sit receptaculum et sic reconditorium {1} caelestium et spiritualium Domini, illustrare licet binis exemplis; uno quod per Davidem non intelligatur David, sed Dominus; altero quod nomina nihil aliud significent quam res; consequenter reliqua. De Davide ita dicitur apud Ezechielem, Servus meus David Rex super eos, et Pastor unus erit omnibus illis:... habitabunt super terra... illi, et filii illorum, et filii filiorum illorum usque in aeternum; et David servus meus Princeps illis in aeternum, xxxvii 24, 25:et apud Hosheam, Revertentur filii Israelis, et quaerent Jehovam Deum suum, et Davidem regem suum, iii 5. Haec a prophetis illis scripta sunt post Davidis tempus, et tamen aperte dicitur quod is erit rex et princeps illorum, ex quibus unicuique constare potest quod per Davidem in sensu interno intelligatur Dominus; ita in ceteris locis, etiam in historicis, ubi David nominatur. [2] Quod nomina regnorum, regionum, urbium, virorum, (x)significent res, constare potest evidenter apud Prophetas; pro exemplo sit solum hoc apud Esaiam, Sic dixit Dominus, Jehovih Zebaoth, Ne timeas popule Mi, habitator Zionis, ab Asshure; virga percutiet te, et baculum tollet super te in via Aegypti Excitabit super eum Jehovah Zebaoth flagellum, juxta plagam Midianis, in petra Horeb, et baculum tollet super mari, et tollet eum in via Aegypti:... veniet contra Ajath; transibit in Migronem; ad Michmash mandabit armis suis; transibunt Mabaram {2}; Gibea diversorium nobis; trepidabit Hormah {3}; Gibeah Shaulis fugiet; intona voce tua filia Gallim; ausculta Laish; misera Anathoth; vagabitur Madmenah habitatores Gebim congregabunt se; adhuc dies est in Nob ad consistendum; agitabit manum suam mons filiae Zionis, collis Hierosolymae,... succidet implexa silvae ferro, et Libanus per magnificum cadet, x 24, (x)26-34. [3] Hic sunt paene mera nomina, ex quibus non aliquis sensus prodiret nisi nomina singula significarent res; sique nominibus istis inhaereret mens, nusquam agnosceretur quod Verbum Domini foret. Sed quis credet quod omnia illa in sensu interno contineant arcana caeli? et quod per illa describatur status eorum qui per ratiocinia ex scientificis intrare conantur in mysteria fidei? et quod per unumquodvis nomen aliquid speciale illius status describatur; (m)tum quod ratiocinia illa discutiantur per caelestia amoris et spiritualia fidei a Domino(n)? Quod per `Asshurem' significetur ratiocinatio, de qua hic agitur, constare manifeste potest ab illis quae de Asshure ostensa sunt, n. 119, 1186; et quod per `Aegyptum' scientifica, ab illis quae n. 1164, 1165, 1462, quae videantur et examinentur annon ita se habeat; similiter se habet cum ceteris nominibus, et similiter cum singulis vocibus. @1 i rerum.$ @2 So Sch. but Hebrew [ ] (ma`barah)=`passage' or `ford'. A.V. has passage. R.V. pass.$ @3 This seems to be an error in Sch. which S. has copied Hebrew is Haramah. A.V. has S. in S.S. 15.$