3726.“立作柱子”表神圣的边界。这从“柱子”的含义清楚可知，“柱子”的含义会在下文予以论述。此处的意思从前文可以看出来，也就是说，所论述的主题是主使祂的属世层变成神性所遵循的次序；就代表意义而言，主题则是主如何使人的属世层变成新的或重生。该次序的性质在各处已经阐述并说明，也就是说，人在重生，真理被置于首位期间，次序是颠倒的；而当人完成重生，良善被置于首位，真理被置于末位时，次序就恢复了（参看3325，3330，3332，3336，3539，3548，3556，3563，3570，3576，3603，3688节）。这一切由天使上来下去所乘的梯子来代表，经上在那里先说他们上去，然后说他们下来（3701节）。这上去就是现在所论述的主题，即从次序的最终层级上去，如刚才所述（参看3720，3721节）。本节所指的是作为次序最终层级的真理。这最终层级就被称为边界，由雅各拿来立为柱子的石头来表示。真理就是次序的最终层级，这一点从以下事实可以看出来，即：良善无法终止于良善，只能终止于真理，因为真理是良善的接受者（2261，2434，3049，3068，3180，3318，3387，3470，3570节）。
人里面的良善若没有真理，也就是未与真理结合，就是诸如小孩子里面的那类良善。小孩子还没有任何智慧，因为他们没有任何聪明。但随着小孩子逐渐长大成人，他便接受源于良善的真理。也就是说，他里面的真理越与良善结合，他就越成为真正的人。这表明，良善次序的最初层级，而真理则是最终层级。由此可知，人必须从记忆知识，也就是属世人的真理，然后从教义事物，也就是其属世层里面的属灵人的真理开始被引入通向智慧的聪明，即进入使一个人成为人的属灵生活中（3504节）。例如，为了让人像属灵之人那样爱他的邻舍，他必须先学习何为属灵的爱或仁，谁是他的邻舍。在他知道这些事之前，诚然，他也爱他的邻舍，但不是以一个属灵之人，而是以一个属世之人来爱他；也就是说，他对邻舍的爱是属世良善的产物，而不是属灵良善的产物（3470，3471节）。不过，一旦他知道这些事，来自主的属灵良善就可以被植入在涉及对邻之爱的认知中。这同样适用于其它被称为认知，或教义，或一般真理的一切事物。
此处提到说，来自主的良善可以被植入在认知中，以及真理是良善的接受者。但是，人们因对认知和真理没有任何概念，只是认为它们是纯粹的抽象物（这也是绝大多数人对思维的概念），故绝无法理解良善被植入在认知中，或真理是良善的接受者是什么意思。不过，要知道，认知和真理并不是从属于内层人或人之灵的最纯粹实质中抽象出来的事物，就像视觉不是从它的器官-眼睛抽象出来的，或听觉不是从它的器官-耳朵抽象出来的一样。的确有更纯粹的实质，它们真实存在，并且认知和真理就是通过这些实质才得以实际存在。这些实质所取形式的变化当被来自主的生命流注赋予生命并调节时，就会使这些认知得以理解。正是这些实质和谐一致的关系，无论连续的还是同步的，激发人的情感，构成那被称为优美、愉悦和快乐之物。
灵人本身和世人一样，都是形式；也就是说，他们是由整个形式组合体构成的。不过，这些形式是由肉体视觉，即肉眼看不到的更纯粹的实质构成的。由于这些形式或实质是肉眼看不见的，所以如今人类不可避免地以为认知和思维纯粹是抽象物。这也是我们这个时代疯狂的原因，因为人们不相信他们有一个肉体死后还会活着的灵在里面。然而，这灵是远比构成肉体的物质真实得多的一个实质。事实上，若你肯相信，那么从肉体之物中被释放出来的这个灵就是许多人声称等到最后审判之时就会拥有的纯净身体本身，他们相信到那时自己首先复活。灵人，或也可说灵魂有一个身体，如在大白天一样看到彼此，一起讨论，彼此聆听，实际上所享有的感觉远比他们在肉身或世上时敏锐得多。这一事实可从我所记载的大量经历很清楚地看出来。
Potts(1905-1910) 3726
3726. And set it up for a pillar. That this signifies a holy boundary, is evident from the signification of a "pillar," concerning which in what follows. How the case herein is may be seen from what goes before; namely, that the subject is the order by which the Lord made His natural Divine; and in the representative sense, how the Lord makes new or regenerates the natural of man. The nature of this order has already been frequently stated and shown; namely, that while man is being regenerated, and truth is regarded in the first place, it is inverse; and that it is restored when man has been regenerated, and good is set in the first place, and truth in the last (see n. 3325, 3330, 3332, 3336, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3688). This was represented by the ladder by which the angels ascended and descended, where it is first said that they ascended, and afterwards that they descended (n. 3701). The ascent is now treated of; namely, that it is from the ultimate of order (concerning which see above, n. 3720, 3721); in the present verse that it is truth which is the ultimate of order. It is this ultimate which is called a holy boundary, and is signified by the stone which Jacob took and set for a pillar. That truth is the ultimate of order, may be seen from the fact that good cannot terminate in good, but in truth, for truth is the recipient of good (n. 2261, 2434, 3049, 3068, 3180, 3318, 3387, 3470, 3570). [2] Good in man without truth, that is, without conjunction with truth, is such good as there is in little children, who as yet have nothing of wisdom, because they have nothing of intelligence; but insofar as a child in his advancement to adult age receives truth from good, or insofar as truth in him is conjoined with good, so far he becomes a man. This shows that good is the first of order, and truth the last; and thus it follows that man ought to begin from memory-knowledges, which are the truths of the natural man, and afterwards from doctrinal things, which are the truths of the spiritual man in his natural, in order to be initiated into the intelligence of wisdom; that is, to enter into spiritual life, whereby man becomes man (n. 3504). For example, in order that man as a spiritual man may love his neighbor, he must first learn what spiritual love or charity is, and who is his neighbor. Before he knows this he may indeed love his neighbor, but as a natural, not as a spiritual man, that is, from natural good, not from spiritual good (n. 3470, 3471); whereas after he has attained this knowledge, then spiritual good from the Lord may be implanted therein; and this is the case with all the rest of what are called knowledges, or doctrinal things, or in general, truths. [3] It is said that good from the Lord may be implanted in knowledges, also that truth is the recipient of good. They who have no other idea of knowledges, and also of truths, than that they are abstract things (such an idea as most people have also concerning thoughts), can in no wise apprehend what is meant by good being implanted in knowledges, and by truth being the recipient of good. But be it known that knowledges and truths are things no more abstracted from the purest substances of the interior man, that is, of the spirit, than sight is abstracted from its organ the eye, or than hearing is abstracted from its organ the ear. There are purer substances, and those real, from which knowledges and thoughts come forth into manifest being; and whose variations of form when animated and modified by the influx of life from the Lord, present them to view; while their agreements and harmonies, in succession or simultaneously, affect the mind, and constitute what is called beautiful, pleasant, and delightful. [4] Spirits themselves equally with men are forms, that is, consist of continuous forms, but of a purer nature, and not visible to the bodily sight. And because these forms or substances are not visible to the bodily eye, man at this day apprehends no otherwise than that knowledges and thoughts are abstract things; hence also comes the insanity of our age-that men do not believe that they have a spirit within them which is to live after the death of the body, when yet this spirit is a substance much more real than the material substance of its body; nay, if you will believe it, the spirit, after being freed from bodily things, is that very purified body which many say they are to have at the time of the Last Judgment, when they believe that they shall first rise again. That spirits, or what is the same, souls, have a body, see each other as in clear day, discourse together, hear each other, and enjoy much more exquisite sense than while they were in the body or in the world, may be seen very clearly from what has been so abundantly related above from experience.
Elliott(1983-1999) 3726
3726. 'And placed it as a pillar' means a holy boundary. This is clear from the meaning of 'a pillar', dealt with in the next paragraph. The meaning here becomes clear from what has gone before, that is to say, the subject is the order by which the Lord made Divine His Natural, and in the representative sense how the Lord makes new or regenerates man's natural. The nature of that order has been stated and shown above in various places, that is to say, order is inverted while a person is being regenerated, and truth is placed first; but proper order is restored once that person has been regenerated, and good is in first place and truth in the last; see 3325, 3330, 3332, 3336, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3688. This was represented by the stairway by which angels were going up and coming down, where first it is said that they were going up, and then that they were coming down, 3701. This going up is the subject at present, that is to say, a going up from the ultimate degree of order, which is referred to just above in 3720, 3721. Here therefore truth as it exists in the ultimate degree of order is meant. This ultimate degree is called a holy boundary, and is meant by the stone which Jacob took and placed as a pillar. The existence of truth as the ultimate degree of order becomes clear from the consideration that good cannot be encompassed by good, only by truth, for truth is the recipient of good, 2261, 2434, 3049, 3068, 3180, 3318, 3387, 3470, 3570.
[2] Good with a person which is devoid of truth, that is, which is not joined to any truth, is like the good which exists with young children, with whom as yet no wisdom at all is present because no intelligence at all is there. But as a young child grows older so he receives truth stemming from good, that is, as in his case truth is joined to good, so he becomes more truly human. From this it is evident that good is the primary degree of order and truth the ultimate. Consequently from facts which are the truths of the natural man, and then from matters of doctrine which are the truths of the spiritual man within its natural, a person must start to be introduced into the intelligence that leads to wisdom, that is, he must start to enter into spiritual life which makes a person human, 3504. For example, to be able to love the neighbour as a spiritual man does, a person must first learn what spiritual love or charity is, and who the neighbour is. Until he knows these things, he is indeed able to love the neighbour, but only as a natural man, not as a spiritual man does; that is, his love towards the neighbour is a product of natural good, not of spiritual good, see 3470, 3471. But once he does know those things spiritual good from the Lord may be implanted within cognitions concerning love towards the neighbour. The same applies to all other things that are called cognitions, matters of doctrine, or truths in general.
[3] Reference is being made here to good from the Lord that may be implanted within cognitions, and also to truth that is the recipient of good. But people who have no other conception of cognitions, and also of truths, than that these exist as mere abstractions - which is most people's conception too of thoughts - cannot possibly grasp what is meant by good implanted within cognitions or by truth that is the recipient of good. But it should be recognized that cognitions and truths no more exist in isolation from the purest substances belonging to the interior man or man's spirit than sight exists in isolation from its own organ, which is the eye, or hearing from its own organ, which is the ear. There are purer substances, which have real existence, and it is from these that cognitions and truths are brought into actual being. The variations in form taken by those substances are such that they give life to and modify those cognitions through the influx of life from the Lord and enable them to be apprehended. And it is the agreements and harmonious relationships of those substances, whether these exist consecutively or simultaneously, that stir people's affections and constitute that which is called beautiful, pleasant, and delightful.
[4] Spirits themselves are forms, that is, they consist, as much as men do, of a whole combination of forms. But those forms consist of purer substances not visible to the sight of the body, that is, of the eye. Now because those forms or substances are not visible to the eye of the body mankind today inevitably conceives of cognitions and thoughts as mere abstractions. This is also the reason for the insanity of our times, in that people do not believe that they have a spirit within them which will live after the body has died - yet the spirit is a substance far more real than the material substance constituting the body. Indeed, if you can believe it, following its release from bodily things the spirit is the purified body itself, which many say they will possess at the time of the last judgement when, they believe, they will first be resurrected. The fact that spirits, or what amounts to the same, souls, are endowed with a body, see one another in broad daylight, talk to one another, hear one another, and actually have far keener senses than when they were in the body or the world, becomes quite clear from what I have told so abundantly from experience.
Latin(1748-1756) 3726
3726. `Et posuit illum statuam': quod significet sanctum terminum, constat a significatione `statuae,' de qua sequitur. Quomodo haec se habent, constare potest ab illis quae praecedunt, quod nempe de ordine agatur quo Dominus Naturale Suum Divinum fecit, ac in sensu repraesentativo quomodo Dominus naturale hominis novum facit seu regenerat; qualis ille ordo sit, supra passim dictum et ostensum est, quod nempe inversus sit cum regeneratur homo, et primo loco ponatur verum, et quod restitutus cum homo regeneratus est, et bonum primo loco {1}tunc sit, et verum ultimo, de qua re videatur n. 3325, 3330, 3332, 3336, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3688: hoc repraesentatum fuit per `scalam per quam angeli ascendebant et descendebant,' ubi primum dicitur quod ascenderent, et dein quod descenderent, n. 3701; de ascensu nunc agitur, quod nempe ab ultimo ordinis, de quo mox supra n. 3720, 3721; hic nunc quod sit verum quod ultimum ordinis est; hoc ultimum est quod vocatur sanctus terminus, et significatur per `lapidem quem sumpsit Jacob et posuit in statuam.' Quod verum sit ultimum ordinis, inde constare potest quod bonum non possit in bonum terminari sed in verum, nam verum est recipiens boni, n. 2261, 2434, 3049, 3068, 3180, 3318, 3387, 3470, 3570; [2] bonum apud hominem absque vero, seu absque conjunctione cum vero, est bonum quale apud infantes, quibus nihil adhuc sapientiae est quia nihil intelligentiae; at quantum infans procedente aetate recipit verum ex bono, seu quantum apud illum conjungitur verum bono, tantum fit homo; inde patet quod bonum sit primum ordinis, et verum sit ultimum: inde est quod homo ex scientificis quae sunt vera naturalis hominis, et dein ex doctrinalibus quae sunt vera spiritualis hominis in naturali ejus, incohare debeat ut initietur in intelligentiam sapientiae, hoc est, ut intret in vitam spiritualem, ex qua homo fit homo, n. 3504; ut pro exemplo, ut homo possit sicut spiritualis homo amare proximum, primum discere debet quid spiritualis amor seu charitas, et quis proximus; antequam haec novit, quidem amare potest proximum, sed ut naturalis homo, non ut spiritualis, hoc est, ex bono naturali, non ex bono spirituali, videatur n. 3470, 3471; at postquam illa novit, tunc cognitionibus illius rei implantari potest spirituale bonum a Domino; ita se habet cum omnibus reliquis quae cognitiones, vel doctrinalia, vel in genere vera, dicuntur. [3] Dicitur quod cognitionibus implantari queat bonum a Domino, tum quod verum sit recipiens boni; qui non aliam ideam de cognitionibus ut et de veris habent quam quod sint res abstractae, qualem ideam quoque de cogitationibus plerique habent, illi nequaquam capere possunt quid {2}sit quod cognitionibus implantetur bonum, et quod verum sit recipiens boni;sed sciendum quod cognitiones {3}et vera non magis res abstractae sint a purissimis substantiis quae sunt interioris hominis seu ejus spiritus, quam visus est abstractus ab organo suo seu oculo, aut auditus a suo organo seu aure; sunt puriores substantiae quae reales, ex quibus existunt, quarum variationes formae animatae et modificatae per influxum vitae a Domino illa sistunt, et (c)illarum convenientiae et harmoniae successive aut simul, sunt quae afficiunt, ac faciunt id quod vocatur pulchrum, amoenum, et jucundum; [4] ipsi spiritus sunt formae, hoc est, ex continuis formis consistunt aeque ac homines, sed ex purioribus, et ad visum corporeum seu oculi non conspicuis; sed quia formae illae seu substantiae non conspicuae sunt corporeo oculo, homo hodie non aliter capit quam quod cognitiones {4}et cogitationes sint res abstractae, inde quoque insania nostri saeculi, quod non credant in se spiritum habere victurum post mortem corporis{5}, cum tamen ille est substantia magis multo realis quam substantia materialis ejus corporis: immo, si credere velis, est spiritus post solutionem a corporeis ipsum illud corpus purificatum, quod plures dicunt se habituros tempore ultimi judicii, cum primum se resurrecturos credunt; quod spiritus, seu quod idem, animae, corpore praediti sint, se mutuo ut in clara die videant, inter se loquantur, se mutuo audiant, et multo exquisitiore sensu polleant quam cum fuerunt in corpore seu in mundo, ab illis quae ab experientia tam copiose relata sunt, manifeste constare potest. @1 est$ @2 i hoc$ @3 seu$ @4 sicut$ @5 i ejus$