3698.“他作了一个梦”表预见。这从“梦”的含义清楚可知，“梦”在内义上是指预见未来之事，因为预言的梦是神性，预知将要到来的事，这从圣言所记载的梦明显看出来（参看1975，1976节）。由于“梦”和“作梦”在内义上表示将要到来的事，故就论述主的至高意义而言，它们表示预见，因为主的神性预见是预知将要到来之事的源头。预知不同寻常，因而无法预料之事没有其它源头，这一事实从圣言可以看出来，如摩西五经中的这些话：
先知奉耶和华的名说话，但这话不成就，那话也不应验，这就是耶和华所未曾吩咐的，是那先知擅自说的。（申命记18:22）
甚至恶人和拜别神的人也能预知将要发生的事，这一点从以下经文清楚看出来：
你们中间若有先知或是做梦的起来，给你们一个神迹或奇事，那神迹或奇事应验了；他就对你讲到这事说，我们去随从你素来所不认识的别神，事奉他们吧；你也不可听那先知或是那做梦之人的话；因为这是耶和华你们的神试验你们。（申命记13:1-3）
从这些话明显可知，真正的预言源于神性，但煽动人拜别神则源于那先知的自我，他被允许这样做是为了试验他们，如经上所说的。也正是由于这个原因，以及其它原因，在过去，拜巴力和别神的人也经常作出预言，看到异象，作梦，而且他们所说的话真就发生了，以致他们经常误导别人。这些人在耶利米书（23章）有所提及。此外，还有被称为“占卜者”、“预言者”、“巫师”、“卜算者”的人，他们就在那些研究属世巫术的人之列，但由此根本不可能预言任何神性之事，只能预言违背神性的事，也就是违背主、违背对主之爱的良善和对主之信的真理之事。这就是巫术，无论它外在形式上看似具有何种性质。
Potts(1905-1910) 3698
3698. And he dreamed. That this signifies foresight, is evident from the signification of "dreaming," as being in the internal sense to foretell future things; for prophetic dreams, which were Divine, were predictions of things to come, as is evident from those related in the Word (see n. 1975, 1976). Such being, in the internal sense, the signification of "dreams" and of "to dream," therefore in the supreme sense, in which the Lord is treated of, they signify foresight; for predictions are from the Lord's Divine foresight. That this is the only source of predictions concerning events which do not flow according to the common order of nature, and cannot thence be foreseen, may be seen from the Word, as from these words in Moses:
When a prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, but the word doth not come to pass, and that word doth not happen, Jehovah hath not spoken; the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously (Deut. 18:22);
and this although predictions of things which come to pass might be from the wicked and worshipers of another god, as is evident from this passage:
If there arise in the midst of thee a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that dreamer of dreams; for Jehovah your God trieth you (Deut. 13:1-3);
from which it is evident that the prediction itself was from the Divine, but the persuasion to worship other gods was from what belonged to the prophet, to whom this was permitted for the sake of trying them, as is said. From this also it is, and from other causes, that very often in olden time they who worshiped the Baals and other gods also prophesied, saw visions, and dreamed dreams, and likewise that the things which were spoken by them came to pass, whereby many were seduced; concerning whom we read in Jeremiah 23; besides others who were called "diviners," "soothsayers," "jugglers," and "pythons," who were among those who studied natural magic, whereby nothing of what was Divine could be foretold, but only what was contrary to the Divine, that is, contrary to the Lord, and contrary to the good of love and the truth of faith in Him. This is magic, of whatsoever quality it may appear in external form.
Elliott(1983-1999) 3698
3698. 'He dreamed' means foresight. This is clear from the meaning of 'dreaming' in the internal sense as foretelling things to come, for prophetical dreams, which were Divine, were foretellings of things to come, as becomes clear from the dreams described in the Word, 1975, 1976. Because 'dreams' and 'dreaming' in the internal sense mean things to come, foresight is meant in the highest sense in which the subject is the Lord, for the Lord's Divine foresight is the source of foretellings of things to come. The fact that the foretellings of events which are out of the ordinary and cannot therefore be foreseen have no other origin becomes clear from the Word, as from the following words in Moses,
When a prophet has spoken in the name of Jehovah but that event has not happened or taken place it was not Jehovah who spoke. The prophet spoke it presumptuously. Deut 18:22.
[2] And even the foretellings of events which did take place may have been made by evil people and worshippers of another god, as stated in the same book,
If a prophet or the dreamer of a dream arises in the midst of you, and gives you a sign or else a wonder, and the sign or wonder he has told you comes to pass, and he says, Let us go after other gods which you have not known, and let us serve them; you shall not obey the words of that prophet or the dreamer of that dream; for Jehovah your God is testing you. Deut 13: 1-3.
From these words it is evident that the actual foretelling originated in the Divine but the incitement to worship other gods in the proprium of the prophet, who was allowed to make such a suggestion to people so that they could be tested, as is stated. This among other reasons is also why on many occasions in former times people who worshipped the baals and other gods even prophesied, saw visions, and dreamed dreams, and also why what they uttered actually happened, so that they frequently led others astray. These people are referred to in Jeremiah 23. And besides these there were others called diviners, soothsayers, sorcerers, familiar spirits, among those who applied themselves to natural magic, from which nothing at all Divine could be foretold, only what was contrary to the Divine, that is, to the Lord, and contrary to the good of love and to the truth of faith in Him. This is magic, no matter what it looks like in outward appearance.
Latin(1748-1756) 3698
3698. `Somniavit': quod significet praevidentiam, constat a significatione `somniare' quod in sensu interno sit futura praedicere somnia enim prophetica quae Divina, {1}futurorum praedictiones fuerunt, ut constare potest ab illis de quibus in Verbo, n. 1975, 1976; quia illa per `somnia' et `somniare' in sensu interno significantur, in sensu supremo in quo agitur de Domino, significatur praevidentia; ex praevidentia enim Divina Domini praedictiones sunt; quod non aliunde praedictiones de rebus quae non secundum communem naturae ordinem fluunt ac inde praevideri possunt, constare potest ex Verbo, etiam ab his apud Mosen, Quando propheta locutus fuerit in nomine Jehovae, sed non factum fuit verbum, et non evenit istud verbum, quod non locutus est Jehovah, in arrogantia locutus est istud propheta Deut. xviii 22. [2] Et tametsi praedictiones rerum quae evenerunt, fuerint a malis et cultoribus alius dei, apud eundem, Si surgit in medio tui propheta vel somnians somnium, et dat tibi signum, et vel prodigium, et fit signum et prodigium quod locutus ad te, dicendo, Eamus post deos alios non novisti et serviamus illis, non oboedies verbis prophetae istius, aut somnianti somnium istud, quia tentat Jehovah Deus vos, Deut xiii 2-4;a quibus patet quod ipsa praedictio sit a Divino, sed suasio ad colendum alios deos a proprio prophetae, cui {2}id permissum, tentandi causa sicut dicitur; inde quoque est, et ex aliis causis, quod {3}pluries olim qui baales et alios deos coluerunt, etiam prophetaverint, visione viderint, et somnia somniaverint, et quoque quod evenerint quae locuti, et {4}perpluries seduxerint, de quibus apud Jeremiam xxiii; praeter alios qui dicti divinatores, auguratores, praestigiatores, pythones, qui inter illos fuerunt, qui magiae naturali studuerunt, ex qua nihil Divini potuit praedici, sed solum quod contra Divinum {5}esset, hoc est, contra Dominum, et contra bonum amoris et verum fidei in Ipsum; hoc magicum {6}qualecumque in externa forma apparet. @1 i non aliud quam$ @2 i ita$ @3 plures$ @4 perplures$ @5 i et quicquid praedicitur contra Divinum$ @6 i est$