3702.“看哪，耶和华站在梯子以上”表主在最高点。这从以下事实清楚可知：在旧约，主经常被称为“耶和华”（参看1736，3023，3035节）；而在新约，祂没有一处被称为“耶和华”，而是被称为“主”（2921节）。“站在梯子以上”表示在最高点，这是显而易见的，无需解释。这些话的内义所隐藏的奥秘是：一切良善与真理都从主那里降下来，并上升到祂那里；也就是说，祂是首先的，是末后的。因为人类如此被造，以致主的神性事物能经由他降至自然界最低级的事物，再从自然界最低级的事物上升到祂那里。因此，人可以成为联结神性与自然界，以及自然界与神性的媒介；而自然界最低级的事物可以经由作为联结媒介的人类从神性那里接受生命。人若照着神序生活，便是这种情形。
从以下事实明显可知，人就是如此被造的：他的身体就是一个微型世界，因为自然界的一切奥秘都储存在这身体里面。存在于以太及其千变万化中的每个奥秘都储存在眼睛里；空气中的每个奥秘都储存在耳朵里；凡漂浮在空气中不可见的活跃之物都储存在察觉它的嗅觉器官里；凡存在于水，或其它液体中的不可见之物都储存在味觉器官里；状态的实际变化同样发生在全身的触觉里。除此之外还有隐藏更深的事物，如果人的生命符合次序，他就能以其内在器官察觉到这些事物。由此明显可知，只要人类以发自内心的真诚信仰，也就是以爱来承认主是他首先和末后的目的，神性就会经由人类降至自然界最低级的事物，再从自然界最低级的事物上升到神性那里。
上古之人便处于这样一种状态，他们是属天之人。凡以任何感官所洞察到的事物对他们来说都是思想主的事物，因而思想主及其国度的工具。这是他们从世俗和尘世之物所获得的快乐的源头（参看1409，2896，2897，2995节）。此外，每当他们以这种方式深思自然界的低级和最低级的事物时，这类事物在他们眼前看似拥有生命在里面；因为这些事物起源于这生命，并且该生命就存在于这些人的内在视觉和直觉中。他们眼睛所看到的物体可以说是这生命的形像，这些形像虽然没有生命，但由此在他们看来有了生气。这就是属天天使对世上的一切事物所拥有的那种直觉，如我经常蒙允许所发觉的，因此，小孩子也拥有这样的直觉（2297，2298节）。由此可见，那些主的神性事物经由他们降至自然界最低级的事物，再从自然界最低级的事物上升到祂那里，并代表神性联系和随之而来的结合之人是何性质，而“天使在立于地上的梯子上，上去下来，梯子的头顶着天，耶和华站在梯子以上”在至高意义上就表示这种神性联系和随之而来的结合。
Potts(1905-1910) 3702
3702. And behold Jehovah standing upon it. That this signifies the Lord in the highest, is evident from the fact that in the Word of the Old Testament the Lord is so often called "Jehovah" (see n. 1736, 3023, 3035); and that in the Word of the New Testament He is nowhere called "Jehovah," but instead of Jehovah "the Lord" (n. 2921). That "standing upon it," signifies to be in the highest, is evident without explication. The arcanum which lies concealed in the internal sense of these words, is that all goods and truths descend from the Lord, and ascend to Him; that is, that He is the first and the last; for man has been so created that the Divine things of the Lord may descend through him down to the ultimates of nature, and from the ultimates of nature may ascend to Him; so that man might be a medium that unites the Divine with the world of nature, and the world of nature with the Divine; and that thus the very ultimate of nature might live from the Divine through man as the uniting medium; which would be the case if man had lived according to Divine order. [2] That man was so created is evident from the fact that as to his body he is a little world, for all the arcana of the world of nature are stored within him; for every hidden property there is in the ether and its modifications is stored within the eye; and every property in the air is stored within the ear; and whatever invisible thing floats and acts in the air is in the organ of smell where it is perceived; and whatever invisible thing there is in waters and other fluids is in the organ of taste; and the very changes of state are in the sense of touch everywhere in the body; besides that things still more hidden would be perceived in his interior organs if his life were in accordance with order. Hence it is evident that there would be a descent of the Divine through man into the ultimate of nature, and from the ultimate of nature there would be an ascent to the Divine, if with faith of heart, that is, with love, man would only acknowledge the Lord as his first and last end. [3] In such a state were the most ancient people, who were celestial men; for whatever they apprehended by any sense was to them a means for thinking concerning the things of the Lord; thus concerning the Lord and His kingdom; and from this came the delight they derived from things worldly and terrestrial (see n. 1409, 2896, 2897, 2995). Moreover when they thus contemplated the lower and ultimate things of nature, these appeared before their eyes as if they were alive; for the life from which they descended was in their internal sight and perception, and the objects presented to their eyes were as images of this life; which images, although inanimate, to them were thereby animated. Such is the perception the celestial angels have regarding all things in the world; as has frequently been given me to perceive; and hence also little children have such a perception (n. 2297, 2298). From all this we can see what is the quality of those through whom the Divine things of the Lord descend down to the ultimates of nature, and from the ultimates of nature ascend to Him, and represent the Divine communication and the consequent conjunction which in the supreme sense are signified by the "angels ascending and descending on the ladder set on the earth, whose head reached unto heaven, and upon which stood Jehovah."
Elliott(1983-1999) 3702
3702. 'And behold, Jehovah was standing above it' means the Lord at the highest point. This becomes clear from the fact that the Lord is called Jehovah so many times in the Old Testament Word, see 1736, 3023, 3035, and that in the New Testament Word He is not referred to anywhere as Jehovah but as the Lord instead, 2921. As regards the meaning of 'standing above it' as being at the highest point, this is clear without explanation. The arcanum concealed in the internal sense of these words is that every good and truth come down from the Lord and go up to Him, that is, He is the First and the Last. For the human being has been so created that Divine things that are the Lord's may come down through him even to the lowest things of the natural order, and from the lowest things of the natural order may go up to Him. Thus the human being was created to be the means through which the Divine was linked to the natural world, and the natural world was linked to the Divine, and in this way through the human being as the means linking the two together, the lowest degree of the natural order might receive life from the Divine - which would be a reality if mankind had lived in accordance with Divine order.
[2] The creation of the human being in this particular form is evident from the fact that his body is a world in miniature, because every arcanum that is part of the natural world is also stowed in the body. Each arcanum present in the ever-changing sky is also stowed in the eye; and each one in the air is also stowed in the ear. Anything floating unseen and active in the air is stowed - where it is detected - in the organ of smell, anything unseen that is present in water or any other fluid is stowed in the organ of taste. And actual changes of state likewise occur in the sense of touch throughout the body. Besides these even further arcana are stored away in the body which could be detected by a person within his interior organs if his life accorded with order. From this it is evident that a descent of the Divine through the human being into the lowest degree of the natural order would take place, and from the lowest degree of the natural order an ascent to the Divine, if only the human being with heartfelt faith, that is, with love, acknowledged the Lord as his Final and Primary end.
[3] A state such as this existed with the most ancient people, who were celestial, for whatever they discerned with any of their senses was to them a means to thought about things which are the Lord's, and so about the Lord and His kingdom. This was the source of the delight they gained from worldly and earthly things, see 1409, 2896, 2897, 2995. Furthermore whenever these people contemplated in this fashion the lower and the lowest things of the natural order, such things appeared to them to have life in them; for the life from which these came down existed in those people's internal sight and perception. The objects which they saw with their eyes were so to speak images of that life, and although those images were inanimate they were nevertheless animate to those people. This is the kind of perception that celestial angels have of every thing in the world, as I have often been allowed to perceive, and it is also the source of the kind of perception which young children have, see 2297, 2298. This shows what those people are like through whom Divine things that are the Lord's come right down to the lowest things of the natural order, and from the lowest things of the natural order rise up to Him - people that represent Divine communication and the consequent joining together, meant in the highest sense by 'the angels going up and coming down the stairway set up on the earth, and its top reaching to heaven, with Jehovah standing above it'.
Latin(1748-1756) 3702
3702. `Et ecce Jehovah stans super illa': quod significet Dominum in supremo, constare potest ex eo quod Jehovah toties in Verbo Veteris Testamenti nominatus sit Dominus, videatur n. 1736, 3023, 3035; et quod in Verbo Novi Testamenti nullibi dicatur Jehovah, sed pro Jehovah Dominus, n. 2921; quod `stare super illa' sit esse in supremo, constat absque explicatione. Arcanum quod in sensu interno horum verborum latet, est quod omnia bona et vera a Domino descendant, et ad Ipsum ascendant, hoc est, quod sit Primus et Ultimus; nam ita creatus est homo ut Divina Domini per illum descendant usque ad ultima naturae, et ab ultimis naturae ad Ipsum ascendant, sic ut homo esset medium uniens Divini cum naturae mundo, et uniens mundi naturae cum Divino, et sic per hominem, ut per medium uniens, {1}ipsum ultimum naturae ex Divino viveret, quod foret, si homo secundum ordinem Divinum {2}vixisset; [2] quod ita creatus sit homo, patet ex eo quod ille quoad corpus suum sit parvulus mundus, omnia enim naturae mundi arcana in illo reposita sunt, quicquid enim arcani est in aethere et ejus modificationibus, hoc repositum est in oculo; et quicquid in aere, hoc in aure; {3}et quicquid invisibile fluitat et agit in aere, hoc in organo odoratus ubi percipitur, et quicquid invisibile in aquis et reliquis fluidis, in organo gustus, etiam ipsae mutationes status in sensu tactus ubivis; praeter quod quae adhuc magis recondita sunt, perciperentur {4}in organis ejus interioribus, si vita ejus foret secundum ordinem; inde patet quod descensus Divini foret per hominem in ultimum naturae, et ab ultimo naturae ascensus ad Divinum, si modo Dominum ut suum finem Ultimum et Primum agnosceret fide cordis, hoc est, amore. [3] In tali statu fuerunt antiquissimi qui caelestes homines fuerunt, nam quicquid illi aliquo sensu capiebant, hoc fuit illis medium cogitandi de illis quae sunt Domini, ita de Domino et de Ipsius regno; jucundum quod ex mundanis et terrestribus capiebant, fuit inde, videatur n. 1409, 2896, 2897, 2995; {5}immo etiam cum ita naturae inferiora et ultima contemplarentur, apparebant illa coram oculis (c)eorum sicut viverent, nam vita, ex qua descendebant, erat in eorum visu interno et perceptione, et quae oculis eorum {6}sistebantur, erant sicut imagines illius vitae, quae tametsi inanimatae, usque illis animabantur ita; talem perceptionem habent caelestes angeli de omnibus illis quae in mundo sunt, quod saepius percipere datum;etiam inde talem perceptionem habent infantes, videatur n. 2297, 2298; {7}exinde patet quales sunt per quos Divina Domini descendunt usque ad ultima naturae, et ab ultimis naturae ad Ipsum {8}ascendunt, et {9}repraesentant Divinam communicationem et inde conjunctionem, quae in sensu supremo significatur per `angelos ascendentes et descendentes in scala statuta terrae, cujus caput pertigit caelum, super qua Jehovah stabat.' @1 viveret ex Divino ipsum ultimum naturae$ @2 viverit$ @3 et quicquid invisibile fluitat in aere hoc percipitur in organo odoratus, et quicquid invisibile in aquis in organo gustus$ @4 ab$ @5 From immo to 2298 is in margin of A and follows Jehovah stabat at end of [].$ @6 videbantur for sistebantur$ @7 illi fuerunt tales, ut Divina Domini per illos descenderent usque$ @8 ascenderent$ @9 repraesentabant$