3660.“给他祝福”表这良善因此被联结(于理性层)。这从“祝福”的含义清楚可知 ,“祝福”是指被联结或结合(参看3504,3514,3530,3565,3584节)。父亲以撒之所以(第二次)给儿子雅各祝福,尽管他带着诡计来夺走了以扫的祝福,并且以撒因这种行为而大大战兢(创世记27:33,35),是因为以撒现在发觉要得着迦南地的,是雅各的后代,而不是以扫的后代;于是以撒便再次肯定了这个祝福。不过,以撒为之战兢的诡计表示并预言了雅各的后代在代表上所给予的假象。也就是说,他们根本没有出于一丝真诚,或发自内心去代表主国度的神性或属天之物,因而完全不同于古教会,而是只对脱离内在事物的外在事物感兴趣,甚至他们的兴趣仅限于此,因为他们经常堕落,以至于沦为纯粹的偶像崇拜。
前面已经说明,“祝福”在内义上表示被联结或结合所描述的事,即:属世层的良善与真理要与理性层联结,或也可说,外在人要与内在人联结。主为了使祂的属世层变成神性,不得不在其中植入诸如能与神圣理性层的良善与真理相对应的那类良善与真理。没有相对应的良善与真理,结合是不可能的。属世层的良善与真理,也就是适合属世人的良善与真理不计其数,并且如此数不胜数,以致人几乎不知道它们最一般的种类,尽管当提及属世良善与真理时,它在人看来似乎只是一个简单的整体;因为整个属世层以及其中的一切无非是这种良善与真理。由此可见,属世层中既有能容纳理性层的良善与真理的良善与真理,也有不能容纳的良善与真理;因此,能藉着对应与理性层的良善与真理联结的属世层的良善与真理是存在的。本章和接下来的几节论述的就是这类良善与真理。只要人不出于内在之物,即天堂之光所提供的启示进行思考,那么他几乎没有能力去认识这些良善与真理,并将它们彼此区分开,也没有能力认清它们的性质,因而不知道它们为何适宜结合。因为在这种情况下,这类事物对他来说似乎既模糊又毫无乐趣。不过,它们适合天使来领悟和理解,甚至适合灵人来领悟;因为他们的思维没有因关注世俗、肉体和地上事物而分散,不像他们以前在世为人时那样。也就是说,当天使和灵人通过圣言的内义而拥有聪明和智慧时,他们就会接受聪明的快乐和智慧的幸福。事实上,这时神性照耀着他们,因为就至高意义而言,所论述的主题是主,就代表意义而言,所论述的主题是教会和重生。他们由此而处于主及其目的和功用的神性气场。
Potts(1905-1910) 3660
3660. And blessed him. That this signifies that thus conjunction would be effected, is evident from the signification of being "blessed," as being to be conjoined (see n. 3504, 3514, 3530, 3565, 3584). The reason why Isaac the father now blesses Jacob the son, although he had come with guile and taken the blessing from Esau, and Isaac had shuddered at that deed (as appears from the preceding chapter, verses 33 and 35), is that Isaac now perceived that it was the posterity of Jacob, and not that of Esau, that was to possess the land of Canaan; and therefore the blessing was confirmed by Isaac. But the guile at which Isaac shuddered signified and foretold what was deceptive in the posterity of Jacob in regard to the representatives; that is to say, that they were very far from sincerely or at heart representing the Divine or celestial things of the Lord's kingdom, and were thus utterly unlike the Ancient Church, being merely in externals separate from what is internal, and not even in these, inasmuch as they so often fell away into open idolatries. [2] What is meant by being conjoined, or by conjunction, here signified in the internal sense by being "blessed," was shown above, namely, that the natural as to good and as to truth should be adjoined to the rational, or what is the same thing, the external man to the internal; for in order that the Lord might make His natural Divine, He had to implant therein such good and truth as would correspond with the good and truth of the Divine rational. Without corresponding goods and truths no conjunction is possible. There are innumerable goods and truths of the natural, or such as are proper to the natural man; so innumerable that man can scarcely know their most general kinds, in spite of the fact that when mention is made of natural good and truth it appears to man as one simple thing; for the whole natural and all that is in it is nothing else than this good and truth. And this being the case, it is evident that there are goods and truths of the natural in which the goods and truths of the rational can be, and that there are goods and truths of the natural in which the goods and truths of the rational cannot be; consequently, that there are goods and truths of the natural which can be adjoined to the goods and truths of the rational by correspondence. Such goods and truths are treated of in this and the following chapters. [3] To know these goods and truths, and to distinguish them from one another, and also to view their qualities, and thus how they are adapted for conjunction, does not so well appear to man so long as he does not think from what is interior, or from enlightenment by the light of heaven; for in this case such things appear to him to be both obscure and undelightful. But nevertheless they are suited to the apprehension and understanding of angels, and even to the apprehension of spirits; for the thoughts of angels and spirits are not distracted by cares for worldly, corporeal, and earthly things, as they had formerly been when they lived as men in the world. Angels and spirits are in the pleasantness of intelligence and the bliss of wisdom when such things are present with them from the internal sense of the Word; for then what is Divine shines upon them, because in the supreme sense the Lord is treated of, and in the representative sense the church and regeneration; and thereby they are in the Lord's Divine sphere, and in that of His ends and uses.
Elliott(1983-1999) 3660
3660. 'And blessed him' means that this good was accordingly joined [to the rational]. This is clear from the meaning of 'being blessed' as being joined to, dealt with in 3504, 3514, 3530, 3565, 3584. The reason why Isaac the father now blessed Jacob his son [a second time] - even though the latter had come to him deceitfully and had taken the blessing that was Esau's, an action that had made Isaac tremble, as is evident from verses 33, 35 of the previous chapter - is that he now perceived it was to be Jacob's descendants, not Esau's, who were to have possession of the land of Canaan. It was on account of this perception that the blessing was re-affirmed by Isaac. The deceit which had made Isaac tremble however meant and foretold the false impression which that nation would give in regard to representatives. That is to say, there was nothing in the least genuine or from the heart in its representation of the Divine or the heavenly things of the Lord's kingdom. Thus that nation was not at all like the Ancient Church but was interested only in things that were external separated from anything internal. Nor indeed did their interest end there, for they fell away so many times into plain idolatry.
[2] But what the expression being joined to, or conjunction, describes, meant in the internal sense by 'being blessed', has been stated already, namely this: Both the good and the truth of the natural were to be linked to the rational, or what amounts to the same, the external man to the internal. For to make His Natural Divine, the Lord imparted such good and truth to it as could correspond to the good and truth of the Divine Rational. Unless goods and truths in the one correspond to those in the other no conjunction is possible. The goods and truths of the natural, that is, those proper to the natural man, are countless, so countless that a person can hardly know the most general kinds of them, though when natural good and truth are referred to these are seen by him as a simple whole; for the entire natural, and everything there, is nothing else. This being so one may see that goods and truths of the natural exist which are able to accommodate the goods and truths of the rational, and goods and truths of the natural exist which are not able to do so; consequently that goods and truths of the natural exist which, by means of correspondence, are able to be linked to the goods and truths of the rational. It is the latter that are referred to in this chapter and those that follow.
[3] The ability to know those goods and truths and to distinguish one from another, and also to see the nature of them and so to see how suited they are for conjunction, can hardly exist in anyone as long as he does not think from what is interior, that is, from the enlightenment provided by the light of heaven. For at this time such things seem to him to be both obscure and joyless. But such things are nevertheless suited to the mental grasp and understanding of angels, and also to the mental grasp of spirits; for their thoughts are not interspersed with concerns about worldly, bodily, and earthly things, as they had been previously when they lived as men in the world. They - that is to say, angels and spirits - receive the delight of intelligence and the blessedness of wisdom when they have such things from the internal sense of the Word. Indeed the Divine is in that case shining on them, for in the highest sense the Lord is the subject, and in the representative sense the Church and regeneration. They come consequently within the Divine sphere of the Lord and of His ends and purposes.
Latin(1748-1756) 3660
3660. `Et benedixit illi': quod significet quod ita conjungeretur, constat a significatione `benedici' quod sit conjungi, de qua n. 3504, 3514, 3530, 3565, 3584. (m)Quod Jischak pater nunc benedicat Jacobo filio, tametsi is cum fraude venerit, et abstulerit benedictionem Esavo, et ad illud factum Jischak horruerit, ut patet a capite praecedente xxvii vers. 33, 35, est quia nunc percepit quod Jacobi posteritas esset quae terram Canaanem possideret, non Esavi, inde confirmata est benedictio ab Jischako; sed fraus ad quam horruit Jischak, significabat et praedicebat fraudulentum in illa gente quoad repraesentativa, quod nempe nihil minus quam sincere aut corde repraesentaret Divina {1}aut caelestia regni Domini, ita {2}prorsus non sicut Antiqua Ecclesia, sed modo in externis separatis ab interno, (n)et ne quidem hoc, quia toties desciverunt in apertas idololatrias. [2] {3}Quid autem per conjungi seu conjunctionem, quae per benedici in sensu interno significatur, intelligitur, prius dictum est, quod nempe naturale quoad bonum et quoad verum adjungeretur rationali, seu quod idem, externus homo interno; ut enim Dominus Naturale Suum Divinum faceret, bonum et verum tale ei inderet quae corresponderent cum bono et vero Divini Rationalis; absque bonis et veris correspondentibus non datur conjunctio: dantur bona et vera naturalis, seu propria naturalis hominis, innumerabilia, et tam innumerabilia ut ab homine vix queant sciri eorum genera communissima, utcumque cum nominatur bonum et verum naturale, appareat homini sicut unum simplex; totum enim naturale et omne quod ibi, non est aliud; et quia ita, constare potest quod bona et vera naturalis sint in quibus inesse possunt bona et vera rationalis, et quod bona et vera naturalis sint in quibus non inesse possunt bona et vera rationalis; consequenter quod bona et vera naturalis sint quae adjungi possint bonis et veris rationalis per correspondentiam; de his in hoc capite et in sequentibus agitur. [3] Scire illa bona et vera, et distinguere illa inter se, tum intueri qualia sunt, et sic quomodo apta {4}sunt ut conjungantur, non ita apparet homini, quamdiu is non ex interiore seu ex illuminatione a luce caeli cogitat, ei enim talia tunc et obscura et injucunda apparent; sed usque sunt talia captui et intellectui angelorum adaequata, etiam captui spirituum; nam non cogitationes eorum interpolant curae rerum mundanarum, corporearum et terrestrium, ut prius cum vixerunt homines in mundo; hi, nempe angeli et spiritus, in intelligentiae amoenitate et sapientiae beatitudine sunt, cum talia illis ex sensu interno Verbi sunt; Divinum enim tunc affulget, quia in sensu supremo agitur de Domino, et in sensu repraesentativo de Ecclesia et regeneratione; inde in sphaera Divina Domini, et Ipsius finium et usuum sunt. @1 et$ @2 nihil minus quam$ @3 Sed quid per conjungi seu conjunctionem in sensu interno intelligatur$ @4 sint$