3424、“以撒的仆人在山谷中挖井，在那里找到了一口活水井”表示含有内义在里面的字义上的圣言或圣言的字义。这从“在山谷中挖井”和“活水井”的含义清楚可知：“在山谷中挖井”表示往下调查或搜寻，以找出真理所在之处，因为“挖”是指调查或搜寻，“山谷”是指下面的东西或一个更低的层级（1723， 3417节）；“活水井”是指含有神性真理的圣言，因而是指含有内义在里面的字义上的圣言或圣言的字义。众所周知，圣言被称为“源泉”，尤其被称为“活水的源泉”。圣言之所以也被称为“井”，是因为相对于圣言的其它意义，字义就像一口井；还因为对属灵人来说，圣言是“井”，而不是“泉”（2702， 3096节）。由于“山谷”表示下面的东西，或也可说，更外在的东西，而泉是在山谷里找到的，字义则是圣言的更低或更外在的意义，所以它表示圣言的字义。但由于字义包含内义，也就是天上和神性的意义，所以它的水被称为“活的”；在以西结书，从新房（即新殿）门槛下流出的水也是如此：
这河所到之处，凡爬行的活物都必存活，并且必有极多的鱼，因为这些水流到那里，必得医治，凡这河所到之处，一切都必存活。（以西结书47:9）
此处“河”是指圣言，“使一切存活的水”是指包含在它里面的神性真理，“鱼”是指记忆知识或事实（40， 991节）。
主的圣言具有这种性质，它将生命赋予口渴的人，也就是渴望生命的人，它就是活水的源泉，如主在约翰福音所教导的：
耶稣对雅各井旁的撒玛利亚的妇人说，你若知道神的恩赐和对你说请给我喝的是谁，你必早求祂，祂也必早给了你活水。人若喝我所赐他的水，就永远不渴。我所赐他的水，要在他里头成为水泉，直涌到永生。（约翰福音4:10， 14）
圣言之所以是活的，因此能赋予生命，是因为它在至高意义上论述的主题是主，在至内在意义上论述的主题是祂的国度，主在该国度中就是全部。既然如此，那么圣言所包含，并流入那些虔诚阅读圣言的人之心智的，正是生命本身。这就是为何主指着来自祂自己的圣言宣称，祂自己就是“直涌到永生的水泉”（也可参看2702节）。
主的圣言除了被称为“泉”外，还被称为“井”，这一点清楚可见于摩西五经：
以色列人唱了这首歌：井啊，涌上来吧！回答它！这井是首领所挖的，是民中的尊贵人按立法者的吩咐用杖所挖的。（民数记21:17-18）
这些话是在“比珥地”，也就是“井之地”说的。“井”在此表示古教会的圣言，这一点从前面（2897节）关于圣言所说的话明显看出来。“首领”表示作为源头的首要真理，或说构成它的主要真理；“首领”表示首要真理或主要真理（参看1482， 2089节）；“民中的尊贵人”是指更低级的真理，就是诸如包含在字义中的那类真理（1259， 1260， 2928， 3295节）；“立法者”显然是指主，“杖”是指这些真理所拥有的能力。
Potts(1905-1910) 3424
3424. And the servants of Isaac digged in the valley, and found there a well of living waters. That this signifies the Word as to the literal sense in which is the internal sense, is evident from the signification of "digging in the valley," as being to make search lower down in respect to where truths are; for to "dig" is to search, and a "valley" denotes what is below (n. 1723, 3417); and from the signification of a "well of living waters," as being the Word in which are truths Divine, thus the Word as to the literal sense in which is the internal sense. That the Word is called a "fountain," and indeed a "fountain of living waters," is well known; but the reason why the Word is also called a "well," is that the sense of the letter is relatively such; and also because relatively to those who are spiritual the Word is not a "fountain," but a "well" (n. 2702, 3096). As a "valley" denotes that which is below, or what is the same, that which is exterior, and the fountain was found in a valley, and the literal sense is the lower or exterior sense of the Word, therefore it is the literal sense which is meant; but because the internal sense, that is, the heavenly and Divine sense, is within this, therefore the waters thereof are called "living;" as were also the waters that went forth under the threshold of the new house, in Ezekiel:
And it shall come to pass that every living creature that creepeth, to which the river there comes, shall live; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters are come thither and are healed, and everything liveth whithersoever the river cometh (Ezek. 47:9);
where the "river" is the Word; the "waters which cause everything to live" are the Divine truths contained in it; the "fish" are memory-knowledges (n. 40, 991). [2] That the Word of the Lord is such that it gives life to him that thirsteth, that is, to him that desireth life, and that it is a "fountain whose waters are living," the Lord also teaches in John when speaking to the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well:
If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water. Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water springing up unto eternal life (John 4:10, 14). That the Word is living and therefore gives life, is because in its supreme sense the Lord is treated of, and in the inmost sense His kingdom, in which the Lord is all; and this being the case, there is in the Word life itself, which flows into the minds of those who read the Word with reverence; hence it is that in respect to the Word that is from Himself the Lord declares Himself to be a "fountain of water springing up unto eternal life" (see also n. 2702). [3] That just as the Lord's Word is called a "fountain," so is it also called a "well," is evident in Moses:
Israel sang this song: Spring up, O well, answer ye unto it: the princes digged the well; the chiefs of the people digged it for the lawgiver with their staves (Num. 21:17-18). These words were spoken at the "place Beer," that is, at the "place of the well." That by "well" here is signified the Word of the Ancient Church, spoken of above (n. 2897), is evident from what is there said; "princes" are primary truths that are the source; (that "princes" signify primary truths may be seen above, n. 1482, 2089); the "chiefs of the people" are lower truths, such as are those contained in the literal sense (n. 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295); that the "lawgiver" is the Lord, is evident; "staves" denote the powers which they possessed.
Elliott(1983-1999) 3424
3424. 'Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of living water' means the Word as regards the literal sense, which holds the internal sense within it. This is clear from the meaning of 'digging in the valley' as investigating lower down to discover where truths are, for 'digging' is investigating, and 'a valley' is that which is lower down, 1723, 3417; and from the meaning of 'a well of living water' as the Word in which Divine truths are present, thus the Word as regards the literal sense which holds the internal sense within it. It is well known that the Word is called 'a spring', in particular 'a spring of living waters'. The reason why the Word is also called 'a well' is that in relation to its other senses the sense of the letter is like a well, and that where spiritual people are concerned the Word is not a spring but a well, see 2702, 3096. Since a valley is that which is lower down, or what amounts to the same, that which is more external, and it was in the valley that the spring was found; and since the literal sense is the lower or more external sense of the Word, it is the literal sense that is therefore meant. But because that sense holds the internal sense, that is, the heavenly and Divine sense, its waters are for that reason called 'living', as also were the waters which went out under the threshold of the new house in Ezekiel,
And it will happen, that every wild creature that creeps, wherever the river comes to, is living; and there will be very many fish, for those waters go there, and become fresh; and everything is living where the river goes. Ezek 47:8, 9.
Here 'the river' is the Word, 'the waters which cause everything to live' are the Divine Truths within it, 'fish' are facts, 40, 991.
[2] The Lord teaches that the Word of the Lord is such that it gives life to him who is thirsty, that is, to one who desires life, and that it is a spring whose waters are living, in John,
Jesus said to the woman from Samaria at Jacob's well, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, Give Me a drink, you would ask from Him, and He would give you living water. He who drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst, but the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up into eternal life. John 4:10, 14.
The reason why the Word is living and therefore confers life is that in its highest sense the subject is the Lord, while in the inmost sense it is His kingdom in which the Lord is everything. And this being so it is life itself which the Word contains and which flows into the minds of those who read the Word devoutly. This is why the Lord, in regard to the Word which comes from Himself, calls Himself 'a spring of water welling up into eternal life'; see also 2702.
[3] The fact that the Word of the Lord is called 'a well' in addition to 'a spring' is clear in Moses,
Israel sang the song: Spring up, O well! Answer to it! The well which the princes dug, which the chiefs of the people dug out, as directed by the Lawgiver,a with their staves. Num 21:17, 18.
These words were sung at the place Beer, that is, the place of the well. In this case 'a well' means the Word which existed with the Ancient Church, as is evident from what has been said previously about the Word in 2897. 'The princes' means the first and foremost truths of which [the Word] consists - 'princes' being first and foremost truths, see 1482, 2089 - 'nobles of the people' lower truths such as those present in the literal sense, 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295. 'The Lawgiver' is clearly the Lord, 'staves' the powers which those truths possessed.
Latin(1748-1756) 3424
3424. `Foderunt servi Jishaki in valle, et invenerunt ibi puteum aquarum vivarum': quod significet Verbum quoad sensum litteralem in quo internus, constat ex significatione `fodere in valle' quod sit inquirere inferius secundum vera ubinam sunt; `fodere' enim est inquirere, et `vallis' est inferius, n. 1723, 3417; et ex significatione `putei aquarum vivarum' quod sit Verbum in quo Vera Divina, ita Verbum quoad sensum litteralem in quo internus; quod Verbum dicatur `fons,' et quidem `fons aquarum vivarum,' notum est; quod etiam Verbum dicatur `puteus,' inde est quia sensus litterae respective talis est, et quia Verbum respective ad spirituales non est fons sed puteus, videatur n. 2702, 3096; quoniam vallis est quod inferius, seu quod idem, exterius, et in valle inventus est fons, ac sensus litteralis est sensus Verbi inferior seu exterior, ideo est sensus litteralis qui intelligitur; sed quia in illo sensus internus est, hoc est, caelestis ac Divinus, ideo dicuntur aquae ejus `vivae'; ut quoque {1}aquae quae exibant sub limine novae domus, apud Ezechielem, Et fiet, omnis anima fera quae reptat, ad quamcumque venit ibi fluvius, {2}vivit; et erit piscis multus valde, quia veniunt illuc aquae illae, et sanantur, et vivit omne quo venit fluvius, xlvii 8, 9;ubi `fluvius' est Verbum, `aquae quae faciunt omne vivere' sunt Divina Vera quae in illo, `piscis' sunt scientifica, n. 40, 991. [2] Quod Verbum Domini tale sit ut sitienti, hoc est, desideranti vitam, det vitam, et quod sit fons cujus aquae sunt vivae, etiam Dominus docet apud Johannem, Jesus dixit ad mulierem e Samaria ad puteum Jacobi; Si scires donum Dei, et quis sit qui dicit tibi, Da Mihi bibere, tu peteres ab Eo, et daret tibi aquam viventem:...qui biberit ex aqua quam Ego dabo ei, non sitiet in aeternum, sed aqua quam dabo ei, fiet in eo fons aquae salientis in vitam aeternam, iv 10, 14;
quod Verbum sit vivum, ac ita det vitam, inde est quia in supremo sensu ibi agitur de Domino, ac in intimo de regno Ipsius, in quo Dominus est omne; et cum ita, est ipsa vita quae est in Verbo, et quae influit in mentes illorum qui in sancto (t)legunt Verbum; inde est quod Dominus {3}dicat Se quoad Verbum quod ab Ipso, esse `fontem aquae salientis in vitam aeternam,' videatur etiam n. 2702. [3] Quod Verbum Domini, sicut fons, etiam puteus dicatur, constat apud Mosen, Cecinit Israel canticum; Ascende putee, respondete ei;
puteus, foderunt principes, effoderunt primores populi {4}in Legislatorem baculis suis, Num. xxi 17, 18;
haec ad locum Beer, hoc est, ad locum putei; quod ibi per `puteum' significetur Verbum Antiquae Ecclesiae, de quo n. 2897, ab antecedentibus ibi patet; `principes' sunt primaria vera ex quibus; quod `principes' sint primaria vera, videatur n. 1482, 2089; `primores populi' sunt vera inferiora, qualia sunt illa quae {5}in sensu litterali: n. 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295; quod `Legislator' sit Dominus, constat; `baculi' sunt potentiae quae illis. @1 ubi de aquis$ @2 vivet$ @3 dixerit$ @4 Sch per$ @5 sunt sensus literalis$