3428、“他们又挖了一口井，又为这井争竞”表示圣言是否有内义。这从“又一口井”和“争竞”（参看3419， 3422， 3424， 3425节）的含义，因而从整个思路清楚可知。对那些否认某个事物存在的人，如那些否认圣言内义存在的人来说，再次的争竞或争论必然涉及该事物是否存在的问题。众所周知，当今绝大多数争论到此为止。但只要人依旧争论一个事物是否存在，是这样还是那样，他们就决不能向智慧迈进。因为他们所争论的事物本身包含无数事物或方面，只要不承认该事物的存在，他们就决不能看到这些事物或方面，因为在这种情况下，他们一直不知道属于它的一切，或说它的每一个方面。
现代的学问几乎没有超越这些问题的界限，即争论一个事物是否存在，是这样还是那样；结果，这就阻碍了人们对真理的明智理解，或说等到理解真理时，现代学者就站在锁着的门外。例如，凡只争论圣言的内义是否存在的人，都决不能看到内义所包含的数不胜数，甚至无限的细节。又或者，凡争论仁爱在教会是否重要，或构成仁爱的一切事物是否都是信的一切事物的人，都不能知道存在于仁爱里面的数不胜数，甚至无限的事物。事实上，这种人依旧全然不知仁爱是什么。
这同样适用于死后的生活、死人复活、最后的审判、天堂和地狱：那些只争论这些事是否存在的人，依旧站在智慧的大门之外，就像那些只敲智慧宏伟的宫殿，甚至不能往里窥看的人。说来奇怪，那些如此行事的人却以为自己比谁都更有智慧，以为他们越能争论一个事物是否存在，尤其证明它不是这样那样，就越有智慧。然而，处于良善并被他们鄙视的简单人却能在一瞬间感知到一个事物的存在和它的性质，无需任何争论，更不需要学术辩论。这些简单人拥有对真理的一种常识性感知，而前者却熄灭了这种常识性感知，因为他们想先讨论一个事物是否存在。当主说，这些事向智慧和聪明人就藏起来，向婴孩就显出来（马太福音11:25；路加福音10:21）时，祂就是指着前者和后者这两组人说的。
Potts(1905-1910) 3428
3428. And they digged another well, and they strove over that also. That this signifies the internal sense of the Word as to whether there is such a thing, is evident from the signification of "another well," and of "striving" (concerning which see above), thus from the series; for when those who deny anything, as for instance those who deny the internal sense of the Word, again strive or contend, it must needs be as to whether it has any existence. It is known that most disputes at this day go no further; but so long as men remain in debate as to whether a thing is, and whether it is so, they can never advance into anything of wisdom; for in the thing itself concerning which they debate there are innumerable things which they can never see so long as they do not acknowledge that thing, because in this case they are all the time ignorant of everything that belongs to it. [2] The learning of the present day scarcely passes the point of debating whether a thing has any existence, and whether it is thus, or thus; the result of which is that men are shut out from the understanding of truth. For example: he who merely disputes whether there is an internal sense of the Word can never see the innumerable, nay, illimitable things which are in the internal sense; and again, he who disputes whether charity is anything in the church, and whether all things of this are not of faith, cannot possibly know the innumerable, nay, illimitable things which are in charity, but remains in complete ignorance of what charity is. [3] The like is the case with the life after death, with the resurrection of the dead, with the last judgment, with heaven and with hell-they who merely debate whether these things exist, stand meanwhile outside the doors of wisdom, and are like persons who merely knock, and cannot even look into wisdom's magnificent palaces. And yet strange to say such men believe themselves to be wise in comparison with others, and that they are wise in proportion to their ability to debate whether a thing be so, and especially to prove that it is not so; when yet the simple who are in good, and whom they despise, can perceive in a moment, without any dispute, much more without learned controversy, that the thing is, and what is its quality. These have a common sense of the perception of truth, whereas the former have extinguished this sense by such methods, in desiring first of all to discuss whether the thing has any existence. The Lord speaks both of the former and of the latter when He says that things are hidden from the wise and intelligent, and revealed unto babes (Matt. 11:25; Luke 10:21).
Elliott(1983-1999) 3428
3428. 'And they dug another well and disputed over that also' means whether the internal sense of the Word even exists. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'another well' and of 'disputing', dealt with above, and so from the train of thought. For with people who deny the existence of something, such as those who deny the existence of the internal sense of the Word, any subsequent dispute or contention can only be about whether that thing exists. It is well known that most disagreements today never get beyond this point. But as long as men are locked in controversy about whether a thing even exists and whether it is so, they cannot possibly make any headway into wisdom at all. The thing itself about which they may be arguing includes countless facets which they cannot possibly see as long as they do not acknowledge the existence of that thing. For in that case every single aspect of it is unknown to them.
[2] Learning at the present day does not go much beyond these limits, that is to say, beyond discussion of whether a thing exists and is so, and this as a consequence precludes people from an intelligent understanding of truth. For example, anyone who does no more than contend whether the internal sense of the Word exists cannot possibly see the countless, indeed unlimited, details which the internal sense contains. Or, anyone who argues whether charity is anything in the Church, and whether all things that constitute it are matters of faith, cannot know the countless, indeed unlimited, things which exist within charity. Indeed he remains totally ignorant of what charity is.
[3] It is similar with life after death, the resurrection of the dead, the last judgement, and heaven and hell. Those who do no more than argue whether these exist remain outside the portals to wisdom. It is as though they merely knock but are not even able to see into the splendid palaces of wisdom. And what is remarkable, those who act in this way believe that they are wiser than all others, and that the wiser they are the better they are able to discern whether a thing is so, and more so to confirm that it is not. Yet simple persons in whom good is present, and whom the former despise, are able to discern in an instant that a thing exists, and the nature of it, without any disagreement, let alone learned argument. Such simple people have a common-sense discernment of truth, but the former annihilate such common-sense discernment by their wish to discuss first whether such things even exist. The Lord refers to these two groups when He says that things have been hidden from the wise and intelligent and have been revealed to infants, Matt 11:25; Luke 10:21.
Latin(1748-1756) 3428
3428. `Et foderunt puteum alium, et rixati etiam super illo': quod significet sensum internum Verbi num sit, constare potest ex significatione `putei alius' et `rixari,' de qua supra, ita ex serie; qui enim {1}negant aliquid, ut qui sensum internum Verbi, cum iterum rixantur seu contendunt, non potest esse de alia re quam num sit. Notum {2}est quod pleraeque lites hodie non ulterius vadant; {3}sed quamdiu haerent in controversia num sit et num ita sit, nusquam in aliquid sapientiae progressum facere possunt; in ipsa enim re, de qua controvertunt, sunt innumerabilia quae nusquam videre possunt quamdiu non illam agnoscunt, nam omnia et singula ejus tunc simul ignorant; [2] eruditio hodierna vix ultra hos limites, nempe num sit {4}et num ita sit, vadit, ideo quoque exclusi ab intelligentia veri stant; sicut qui modo contendit num sensus internus Verbi sit, is nusquam videre potest innumerabilia, immo indefinita, quae in sensu interno sunt; {5}et sicut qui litigat num charitas sit aliquid in Ecclesia, et annon omnia ejus sint fidei, is innumerabilia, immo indefinita, quae in charitate sunt, non scire potest, immo prorsus in ignorantia manet quid charitas; ]3\ similiter se habet cum vita post mortem, cum resurrectione mortuorum, cum ultimo judicio, cum caelo et cum inferno; qui modo disputant num sint, illi tamdiu extra fores sapientiae sunt, et sunt veluti qui modo pulsant, et {7}in palatia magnifica sapientiae ne quidem introspicere possunt; et quod {8}mirandum, tales qui ita faciunt, se prae aliis sapientes esse credunt, et eo sapientiores quo melius disserere possunt num ita sit, et magis confirmare quod non ita, cum tamen simplices qui in bono sunt, quos contemnunt, absque aliqua lite, minus controversia docta, appercipere possunt momento quod sit et quale sit; hi sensum apperceptionis veri communem habent, illi autem sensum illum per talia quae prius discutere volunt an sit, exstinxerunt; de his et de illis Dominus loquitur, cum dicit, Quod abscondita sint sapientibus et intelligentibus, et revelata infantibus, Matth. xi 25; Luc. x 21. @1 i prorsus$ @2 i enim$ @3 et$ @4 vel$ @5 vel quoque, qui litigat, num charitas sit essentiale Ecclesiae, vel num fides$ @6 i imo$ @7 ne quidem in palatia magnificentissima$ @8 mirum$