3368、“不要下埃及去；要住在我告诉你的地”表示不要求助于记忆知识或事实，而是求助于理性概念或事物，当神性光照它们时，它们就是真理的表象。这从“埃及”和“地”的含义清楚可知：“埃及”是指记忆知识或事实（1164-1165， 1186， 1462节）；“地”在此是指当被神性光照时，系真理表象的理性概念或事物。事实上，“地”在此是指“基拉耳”，就是非利士人的王亚比米勒所在之地，而“基拉耳”表示信；“亚比米勒”表示关注理性概念或事物的信之教义；“非利士人的王”表示教义事物（3363， 3365节）；因此，“地”，即亚比米勒所在的基拉耳在内义上没有其它含义。
“地”（landorearth）具有各种含义（620， 636， 1066节），其含义取决于它所论及的民族的品质（1262节）。严格来说，“地”表示教会（3355节）；并且它因表示教会，故也表示属于教会的事物，或构成人里面的教会的事物，因而表示仁与信的教义事物，从而也表示当被神性光照时，系真理表象的理性概念或事物；因为这些表象是教会的真理，因而是教会的教义事物（参看3364， 3365节）。无论你说被神性光照的理性概念或事物，还是说真理的表象，抑或说诸如存在于主在天上的国度，或天堂中，和诸如存在于主在地上的国度，或教会中的那类属天和属灵真理，都是一样的。这些观念也被称为教义事物，但这是由于它们所包含的真理。天使和人类的理性因被神性光照的真理表象而拥有其存在，并被称为理性。没有这些表象，就没有理性；因此，理性概念或事物就是真理的这些表象。
此处之所以说“不要下埃及去”，也就是不要求助于记忆知识或事实，是因为记忆知识或事实早就论述过了，因为亚伯拉罕在埃及寄居就代表童年时期，主在记忆知识或事实上所接受的教导（参看1502节）。至于祂不要下埃及去，而是要寄居在基拉耳地，也就是说，不要关注记忆知识或事实，而是要关注理性概念或事物这个命令背后的奥秘，情况是这样：含有神性在里面的真理的一切表象都属于理性，以至于理性真理和真理的表象是一样的；而记忆知识或事实属于属世层，以至于属世真理和记忆真理或事实真理是一样的。理性真理或真理的表象，只能从神性进入理性，并通过理性概念或事物进入属于属世层的记忆知识或事实的流注存在和显现。那时，在理性层产生的活动就出现在属世层，就像许多事物的一个形像同时出现在一面镜子中。这就是它们如何呈现在世人，以及天使面前；然而，理性概念或事物在属世层中的呈现对天使，不像对灵人界中的人和属灵-属世领域中的人那样明显；因此，后两组人拥有真理的代表。
世人都是这样，因为如前所述（参看644， 684， 911， 978， 1733， 1900， 1928， 2634， 2997节），凡处于良善的人都是微型天堂，或也可说，都是作为一个整体的大天堂的形像。由于神性真理无法直接流入存在于属世人中的记忆知识或事实，只能经由理性概念或事物流入，如前所述，所以此处说以撒不要下埃及去，而是要住在基拉耳地。但对于这些事，我们无法获得一个清晰的概念，除非我们知道流注的性质，以及观念的性质；所以蒙主的神性怜悯，我将在几章的末尾，就是讲述我的一些经历的地方（6053-6058， 6189-6215， 6307-6327， 6466-6496， 6598-6626节），论述这两个主题。
Potts(1905-1910) 3368
3368. Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land of which I tell thee. That this signifies that He should not go down to memory-knowledges, but to rational things which being enlightened by the Divine are appearances of truth, is evident from the signification of "Egypt," as being memory-knowledge (n. 1164-1165, 1186, 1462); and from the signification of "land," as being here rational things which when enlightened by the Divine are appearances of truth; for the land which is here meant is Gerar, where Abimelech king of the Philistines was, and by "Gerar" is signified faith; by "Abimelech," the doctrine of faith that looks to rational things; and by the "king of the Philistines," doctrinal things (n. 3363, 3365); so that the "land," namely, Gerar where Abimelech was, has the above signification in the internal sense. [2] For the signification of "land" is various (n. 620, 636, 1066), denoting the quality of the nation of which it is predicated (n. 1262). But in the proper sense "land" signifies the church (n. 3355); and because it signifies the church, it signifies also those things which are of the church, consequently the doctrinal things of charity and faith; thus also rational things which being enlightened by the Divine are appearances of truth; for that these appearances are the truths of the church, thus its doctrinal things, may be seen above (n. 3364, 3365). Whether you say rational things enlightened by the Divine, or appearances of truth, or celestial and spiritual truths such as are in the Lord's kingdom in the heavens, or in heaven, and such as are in His kingdom on the earths, or in the church, comes to the same thing; and the same are also called doctrinal things, but this from the truths that are in them. The angelic and human rational is and is called rational from appearances of truth that are enlightened by the Divine, and without these it is not rational; thus rational things are these appearances of truth. [3] The reason why it is here said that He should not go down into Egypt, that is, not to memory-knowledges, is that memory-knowledges have already been treated of; for Abraham's sojourning in Egypt represented the Lord's instruction in His childhood in memory-knowledges (n. 1502). As regards the arcanum that He should not go down into Egypt, but should sojourn in the land of Gerar, that is, that He should not look to memory-knowledges, but to rational things, the case is this: All appearances of truth that have what is Divine in them belong to the rational, insomuch that rational truths and appearances of truth are the same; whereas memory-knowledges belong to the natural, insomuch that natural truths and memory-truths are the same. Rational truths, or appearances of truth, cannot possibly be and come forth except from the influx of the Divine into the rational, and through rational things into the memory-knowledges which are of the natural. The things which then take place in the rational appear in the natural; just as an image of many things appears all together in a mirror; and thereby they are presented before the man, and also before an angel; before an angel however they are not presented so evidently in the natural as they are with those who are in the world of spirits and are in the spiritual natural, and hence these have representatives of truth. [4] The case is similar with every man, for as before said the man who is in good is a little heaven, or what is the same is an image of the Grand Heaven; and because Divine truth cannot inflow immediately into memory-knowledges, which are of the natural man, but only through rational things, as before said, therefore it is here said that Isaac should not go down into Egypt, but should reside in the land of Gerar. But a clear idea cannot be had concerning these things unless the nature of influx is known, and also the nature of ideas; and therefore of the Lord's Divine mercy these things will be treated of at the close of the chapters, where experiences are related.
Elliott(1983-1999) 3368
3368. 'Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I tell you' means not resorting to facts but to rational concepts which, when enlightened from the Divine, are appearances of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'Egypt' as facts, dealt with in 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, and from the meaning of 'the land' here as rational concepts which, when enlightened from the Divine, are appearances of truth. 'The land' meant here is in fact Gerar, where Abimelech the king of the Philistines was, and 'Gerar' means faith, 'Abimelech' the doctrine of faith that has regard to rational concepts, and 'the king of the Philistines' matters of doctrine, see 3364, 3365. 'The land' therefore, that is to say, Gerar where Abimelech was, has no other meaning in the internal sense. For 'the land' or 'the earth' varies in meaning, see 620, 636, 1066, since it means the character of the nation whose land it is said to be, 1262, though in the proper sense it means the Church, 3355; and as it means the Church it also means the things that belong to the Church, that is, the things which with anyone constitute the Church. Consequently it means the matters of doctrine concerning charity and faith, and so also the rational concepts which, when enlightened from the Divine, are appearances of truth; for these appearances are the truths of the Church, and so its matters of doctrine, see above in 3364, 3365.
[2] Whether you speak of rational concepts enlightened from the Divine, or of appearances of truth, or of celestial and spiritual truths as these exist in the Lord's kingdom in the heavens, or in heaven, and as they exist in the Lord's kingdom on earth, or in the Church, it amounts to the same. The same are also called matters of doctrine, but this is so because of the truths they hold within them. The rational, both in angels and in men, has its being and is called rational from appearances of truth that have been enlightened from the Divine. Devoid of those appearances the rational has no existence, so that rational concepts are appearances. The reason it is said here that he was not to go down to Egypt, that is, not to resort to facts, is that facts have been dealt with already, in that Abraham's sojourning in Egypt represented the Lord's instruction in facts during childhood; see 1502.
[3] The implications of the arcanum that he was not to go down into Egypt but was to sojourn in the land of Gerar, that is, He was not to have regard to facts but to rational concepts, are that all appearances of truth that hold the Divine within them belong to the rational, so much so that rational truths and appearances of truth are one and the same, whereas facts belong to the natural, so much so that natural truths and factual truths are one and the same. Rational truths, or appearances of the truth, cannot possibly exist or manifest themselves except from an influx of the Divine into the rational, and by way of rational concepts into the facts that belong to the natural. That which is produced at that time in the rational is seen in the natural as an image produced by many objects reflected simultaneously in a mirror. This is how they present themselves to men and to angels also, though with angels the presentation of rational concepts in the natural is not very manifest, as it is with those in the world of spirits and the spiritual-natural realm, who therefore have representatives of truth.
[4] It is similar with men, with every one, for as stated already anyone who is governed by good is a miniature heaven, or what amounts to the same, an image of heaven as a whole. And because Divine Truth is unable to flow directly into the facts that are present in the natural man, but only - as has been stated - by way of rational concepts it is therefore said here, Do not go down to Egypt, but dwell in the land of Gerar. But as no clear idea of these matters is possible unless one knows the nature of influx, and also the nature of ideas, therefore they are in the Lord's Divine mercy to be dealt with at the ends of chapters, where experiences to do with influx will be described.
Latin(1748-1756) 3368
3368. `Ne descendas Aegyptum, reside in terra quam dico ad te': quod significet quod non ad scientifica, sed ad rationalia, quae a Divino illustrata sunt apparentiae veri, constat a significatione `Aegypti' quod sint scientifica, de qua n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462; et a significatione `terrae' quod hic sint rationalia quae a Divino illustrata sunt apparentiae veri, terra enim quae hic intelligitur, est Gerar ubi Abimelech rex Philistaeorum, et per `Gerarem' significatur fides, perque `Abimelechum' doctrina fidei spectans rationalia, et per `regem Philistaeorum' doctrinalia, videatur n. 3364, 3365; ideo per `terram,' nempe Gerarem ubi Abimelechus, non aliud in sensu interno significatur; significatio enim terrae est varia, videatur n. 620, 636, (x)1066, et significat quale gentis de qua praedicatur n. 1262; in proprio autem sensu significat Ecclesiam, n. 3355, et quia Ecclesiam, etiam significat illa quae sunt Ecclesiae, hoc est, illa quae apud hominem faciunt Ecclesiam, proinde doctrinalia charitatis et fidei, ita quoque rationalia quae a Divino illustrata sunt apparentiae veri; hae enim quod sint Ecclesiae vera, ita ejus doctrinalia, videatur supra n. 3364, 3365; [2] sive dicas rationalia a Divino illustrata, sive apparentias veri, sive vera caelestia et spiritualia, qualia in regno Domini in Caelis seu in caelo, et qualia in regno Domini in terris seu in Ecclesia, idem est; eadem quoque dicuntur doctrinalia, sed hoc a veris quae in illis; rationale angelicum et humanum est et vocatur rationale ex apparentiis veri illustratis a Divino; absque illis non est rationale; ita rationalia sunt illae. Quod hic dicatur quod `ad Aegyptum non descenderet,' hoc est, quod non ad scientifica, est quia de scientificis prius actum est, peregrinatio enim Abrahami in Aegypto, repraesentabat instructionem Domini in scientificis in pueritia, videatur n. 1502: cum arcano quod `non descenderet in Aegyptum, sed peregrinaretur in terra Geraris,' hoc est, quod non spectaret ad scientifica sed ad rationalia, ita se habet: [3] omnes apparentiae veri in quibus Divinum, sunt rationalis, usque adeo ut vera rationalia et apparentiae veri sint idem, scientifica autem sunt naturalis, usque adeo ut naturalia et vera scientifica {1}sint idem; vera rationalia, seu apparentiae veri, nusquam possunt esse et existere nisi ex influxu Divini in rationale, et per {2}rationalia in scientifica quae naturalis sunt; quae tunc fiunt in rationali apparent in naturali sicut multorum imago simul in speculo; ac ita sistuntur {3}coram homine, etiam coram angelo; sed coram angelo non ita evidenter in naturali, sed {4}apud illos qui in mundo spirituum, {5}et in spirituali naturali sunt, inde his repraesentativa veri; [4] similiter se habet apud unumquemvis hominem, nam, ut prius dictum, qui in bono est, exiguum caelum est, seu quod idem, imago caeli maximi, et quia Divinum Verum non immediate influere potest in scientifica quae sunt naturalis ejus hominis, sed per rationalia, ut dictum, ideo hic dicitur quod `non descenderet Aegyptum, sed resideret in terra Geraris': sed de his non potest clara idea haberi nisi sciatur {6}qualis influxus est, ut et quales ideae, quapropter de illis, ex Divina Domini Misericordia, ad finem capitum, ubi experientiae, agendum. @1 i quoque$ @2 rationale$ @3 i vera$ @4 i in commune$ @5 qui$ @6 i prius$