4311.就内在历史意义而言，“因为我面对面见了神，我的灵魂仍得保全”表祂通过代表同在。这从“面对面见了神”的含义清楚可知，“面对面见了神”在论及雅各后代所处的状态时，是指主通过代表同在；因为以外在形式用肉眼面对面见神，就不是看见祂同在（4299节）。祂不像与那些重生，并由此处于属灵之爱和信的人那样与当时的这些人同在，这一事实从前面（4281，4288，4290，4293节）关于该民族的说明清楚看出来，即：他们的敬拜是外在，而非同时是内在的；或也可说，他们处于肉体和世俗之爱，却未处于属灵和属天之爱。主若不通过代表，绝无可能与这种人同在。
有必要简要说明一下何为通过代表的同在。凡处于肉体和世俗之爱，同时未处于属灵或属天之爱的人，只会有恶灵与他同在，哪怕他处于神圣外在的时候。善灵绝无可能与这种人同在，因为他们立刻就能发觉人的主导爱是哪一种。从他的内层发出一种气场，灵人能清楚感知到这种气场，就像人用嗅觉感知周围空气中的刺鼻臭味那样。此处所论述的这个民族在良善与真理，或爱与信上就处于这种状态。然而，为让他们能担当教会的代表，主奇迹般地规定，当他们处于神圣的外在，同时被恶灵围绕时，他们所处的神圣仍能被提升至天堂；并且这一切通过不在他们里面，而在他们外面的善灵和天使来实现，因为他们里面除了虚空或不洁外，什么也没有。因此，与任何人本身的联系是不存在的，只有与他们在履行赐予他们的典章和律例时所处的神圣本身的联系，而这些典章和律例全都是主国度的属灵和属天事物的代表。这就是通过代表与这个民族同在所表示的。不过，主与教会中那些处于属灵之爱，并由此处于信的人同在的方式却截然不同。对这些人来说，善灵和天使不仅存在于外在敬拜，同时也存在于内在敬拜；故对他们而言，天堂与他们本身的联系是存在的。事实上，主经由天堂通过他们的内在流入他们的外在。敬拜的神圣对后一种人来说，在来世是有益的，但对前一种人来说是无益的。
传讲神圣事物，然而却生活邪恶，并信仰邪恶的祭司和长老也一样。与这些人同在的是恶灵，而不是善灵，哪怕他们处于外在形式上看似神圣的敬拜之时。因为正是自我之爱和尘世之爱，或对获得显赫地位的爱和对追名逐利的爱使他们燃烧，并让他们表现出对神圣事物的情感。有时，这种野心如此之大，以至于连这些祭司和长老都察觉不到自己里面的任何伪装，同时以为这种伪装甚至不存在。而事实上，他们就在恶灵中间；那时，这些恶灵也处于类似状态，并且主宰他们的呼与吸。恶灵能处于这种状态，在祭司或长老履行外在的敬拜行为并充满自我之爱和尘世之爱时便如此。我通过大量经历得知这一事实，蒙主的神性怜悯，我将在各章末尾描述这些经历。这些祭司和长老本身与天堂没有任何联系，然而那些聆听并领受他们口里所出的话之人若处于虔诚和神圣的内在，却与天堂相联。事实上，这对宣称良善与真理的人来说无关紧要，只要他们的生活表面上不是邪恶的；因为这种生活有损体面。
出身于雅各的这个民族就具有这样的秉性，也就是说，他们被恶灵围绕，然而主通过代表与他们同在；这一点从圣言中的许多经文可以看出来。他们与发自内心敬拜耶和华相距甚远，神迹一停止，他们就立刻转向别神，并变成偶像崇拜者。这明显证明他们发自内心敬拜别神，仅仅口头上承认耶和华，并且这样做只是为了他们能成为最伟大的，比周围所有民族都要优越。这个民族（包括亚伦）发自内心敬拜埃及的偶像，口头上称谢耶和华仅仅因为神迹祂的神迹；这一事实从亚伦为他们所铸的金牛犊很明显地看出来，除了先前在埃及所看到的神迹（出埃及记32章）外，他们在西乃山上又看到如此大的神迹，但一个月后便发生了这种事。亚伦也具有这样的秉性，这一点在该章2至3节，尤其35节说得非常清楚。该民族的这一特性也可从摩西五经、士师记、撒母耳记和列王纪中的其它许多经文明显看出来。
他们的敬拜仅仅是外在的，根本不是内在的；这一点从以下事实明显可知：颁布律法时，他们严禁靠近西乃山，并被告知，凡摸这山的，必要治死他（出埃及记19:11-13；20:16，19）。他们严禁这样做的原因在于，他们的内在是污秽的。这在摩西五经中也有所说明：
耶和华在他们的污秽中间和他们同住。（利未记16:16）
该民族的品性也可从摩西的歌（申命记32:15-43），以及先知书中的许多经文明显看出来。由此可知，这个民族当中没有任何教会，只有一个教会的代表，主只通过代表与他们同在。
也可参看前面关于他们的论述，即：雅各的后代当中只有一个教会的代表，并没有一个教会（4281，4288节）；直到就神圣内在而言，他们完全荒废之后，教会的代表才设立在他们中间；否则，他们就会亵渎神圣事物（3398，4289节）；他们遵守自己的律例时，就能代表，背离它们时则不能（3881e节）；因此，他们严格遵守宗教仪式，并通过外在手段被胁迫这样做（3147，4281节）；他们的敬拜变成缺乏内在的外在敬拜，是为了让他们能担当教会的代表（4281节）；由于这个原因，教会的内层事物也没有透露给他们（301-303，2520，3398，3479，3769节）；他们具有这样的性质：比起其他人，他们能更好地拥有缺乏内在的神圣外在（4293节）；这就是为何他们被保存至今（3479节）；他们的神圣外在对他们的灵魂根本没有任何影响（3479节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 4311
4311. That in the internal historical sense by for I have seen God faces to faces, and my soul is delivered, is signified that He was present representatively, is evident from the signification of "seeing God faces to faces," when these words are predicated of the state in which the posterity of Jacob were, as being that the Lord was present representatively; for to see God faces to faces in the external form and with the bodily sight, is not to see Him present (n. 4299). That He was not present as with those who are regenerate, and thereby are in spiritual love and faith, is manifest from what has been said of that nation (n. 4281, 4288, 4290, 4293) - that they were in external worship, and not at the same time in internal, or what is the same, in bodily and worldly, and not in spiritual and heavenly love. With such the Lord could never be present except representatively. [2] What it is to be present representatively, must be briefly told. A man who is in bodily and worldly love and not at the same time in spiritual and heavenly love, has none but evil spirits with him, even when he is in a holy external; for good spirits cannot possibly be present with such a person, because they at once perceive in what kind of love a man is. There is a sphere which is exhaled from his interiors, which spirits perceive as manifestly as a man perceives by his sense of smell offensive and foul vapors floating around him in the air. That nation which is here treated of, was in such a state as to good and truth, or as to love and faith. In order, however, that they might serve as the representative of a church, it was miraculously provided by the Lord that when they were in a holy external, and were at the same time surrounded by evil spirits, the holy in which they were might yet be uplifted into heaven; and this by good spirits and angels not within but without them, for within them there was nothing but emptiness or uncleanness. Communication was therefore given not with the man himself, but with the holy itself in which they were when they fulfilled the statutes and precepts given them, which were all representative of spiritual and heavenly things of the Lord's kingdom. This is signified by the Lord's being present with that nation representatively. But the Lord is present in a very different way with those within the church who are in spiritual love and thence in faith. With these there are good spirits and angels not only in their external worship, but also at the same time in their internal; and therefore with them there exists a communication of heaven with themselves; for the Lord flows into them through heaven through their internals into their externals. To these the holy of worship is profitable in the other life, but not to the former. [3] It is similar with priests and elders who preach holy things, and yet are in evil life and evil belief. With these there are not good, but evil spirits, even when they are in worship that appears holy in the external form. For it is the love of self and of the world, or a love for securing honors and acquiring gain and thereby fame, that fires them and presents an appearance of affection for what is holy, sometimes to such a degree that no simulation is perceived, nor is at the time believed by them to exist; when yet they are in the midst of evil spirits, who are then in a similar state, and who breathe upon them and into them. That evil spirits can be in such a state, and are so when they are in their externals, and are inflated with the love of self and of the world, has been given me to know by manifold experience, which of the Lord's Divine mercy will be described hereafter at the end of the chapters. Such preachers have no communication with heaven in themselves; and yet those have who hear and receive the words from their mouth, if they are in a pious and holy internal; for it matters not from whom the voice of good and truth flows forth, provided their life is not manifestly wicked; for this life causes a scandal. [4] That the nation descended from Jacob was of such a character (namely, that they were surrounded with evil spirits, and yet the Lord was present with them representatively), may be seen from many passages in the Word; for they were very far from worshiping Jehovah with the heart, and as soon as miracles were lacking, they immediately turned to other gods and became idolaters. This was a manifest proof that at heart they worshiped other gods and confessed Jehovah with the mouth only, and this merely for the reason that they might be the greatest and have preeminence over all the nations round about. That this people at heart worshiped an Egyptian idol, and only confessed Jehovah with the mouth on account of His miracles (with Aaron himself among them), is plainly evident from the golden calf which Aaron made for them, and this but a month after they had seen such great miracles on Mount Sinai, besides those which they had seen in Egypt (see Exod. 32). That Aaron also was of the same character is plainly stated at verses 2 to 5, and especially in verse 35. The same appears also from many other passages in Moses, in the book of the Judges, in the books of Samuel, and in the books of the Kings. [5] That they were only in external worship and not in any internal worship, is evident also from the fact that they were forbidden to come near to Mount Sinai when the Law was promulgated, and were told that if they touched the mountain, they should surely die (Exod. 19:11-13; 20:16, 19). The reason was that their internal was unclean. It is also said in Moses:
That Jehovah dwelt with them in the midst of their uncleannesses (Lev. 16:16). The quality of that nation is evident also from the song of Moses (Deut. 32:15-43), and from many passages in the Prophets. From all this it may be known that with that nation there was not any church, but only a representative of a church, and that the Lord was present with them only representatively. [6] Compare also what has previously been stated in regard to them:
That with the posterity of Jacob there was a representative of a church, but not a church (n. 4281, 4288);
That the representative of a church was not instituted with them until after they had been altogether vastated as to a holy internal, and that they would otherwise have profaned holy things (n. 3398, 4289);
That when they remained in their statutes they could represent, but not when they turned aside from them (n. 3881e);
That on this account they were kept strictly in rituals, and that they were driven thereto by external means (n. 3147, 4281);
That their worship was made external without internal in order that they might serve as a representative of a church (n. 4281);
That for this reason also the interior things of the church were not disclosed to them (n. 301-303, 2520, 3398, 3479, 3769);
That they were of such a nature that they could more than others be in a holy external without an internal (n. 4293);
That for this reason they have been preserved to this day (n. 3479);
And that their holy external does not affect them at all as to their souls (n. 3479).
Elliott(1983-1999) 4311
4311. In the internal historical sense 'for I have seen God face to face, and my soul is delivered' means His presence through representations. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing God face to face' when used in reference to the state which Jacob's descendants were passing through, as the Lord's presence through representations, for if anyone 'sees God face to face' in an external form, and with his physical sight, it is not God Himself that he sees present then, 4299. The fact that He was not present with those people then, as He is with those who are regenerate and who for that reason are governed by spiritual love and by faith, is evident from what has been stated about that nation in 4281, 4288, 4290, 4293, namely about their worship being external and not at the same time internal; or what amounts to the same, about their being governed by bodily and worldly love and not by spiritual and celestial. With such people the Lord cannot possibly be present except through representations.
[2] What presence through representations is must be discussed briefly. Anyone who is governed by bodily and worldly love, and not at the same time by spiritual or by celestial love, does not have any but evil spirits with him, even when external holiness exists with him. Good spirits cannot in any way be present with such a person, for they perceive in an instant the kind of love which governs a person. There is a sphere emanating from the interior parts of him which the spirits perceive as plainly as man by his sense of smell perceives offensive and foul odours floating around him in the air. This is what the state of good and truth, or love and faith, was like with that nation dealt with here. But in order that they might nevertheless play the part of a representative of the Church, the Lord made provision in a miraculous way so that when an external holiness existed with them, and at the same time they were surrounded by evil spirits, that holiness existing with them might nevertheless be raised up to heaven. But this was effected through good spirits and angels who were not within them but outside them, for within them there was nothing but an empty void or else uncleanness. For this reason there was no communication with any person himself, only with the holiness which existed with them when they observed ordinances and commandments, all of which were representative of the spiritual and celestial things of the Lord's kingdom. This is what is meant by the Lord's presence with that nation through representations. But He is present in a different way with those within the Church in whom spiritual love and therefore faith are present. With these people good spirits and angels are present not only within external worship but also at the same time within internal, and therefore in their case the communication of heaven is with those persons themselves. Indeed the Lord is flowing in by way of heaven through their internals into their externals. For these latter people the holiness of worship is of value to them in the next life, but of no value to the former.
[3] It is similar with priests and ministers who preach about holy things and yet live wickedly and believe in what is wicked. With them no good spirits are present, only evil ones, even when they officiate at external acts of worship in a manner which is outwardly holy. For it is self-love and love of the world - that is, love directed towards the attainment of prominent positions and love directed towards the acquisition of gain and so of reputation - which fires them and is the reason for their display of holiness. Sometimes such ambitions are so great that those priests and ministers do not see any false presence in themselves, nor at the same time do they believe that such presence can even exist. Yet in fact they are in the midst of evil spirits whose state is at that time the same as theirs and who serve as their aspiration and inspiration. The presence of evil spirits in that kind of state - when priests or ministers officiate at external acts of worship and when a brake is put on their self-love and love of the world - I have been allowed to know from a considerable amount of experience, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described further on at the ends of chapters. Those priests and ministers do not themselves have any communication with heaven, but those who hear and receive the words coming from their lips do so if internal reverence and holiness exists with them. For it does not matter at all who declares what is good and true, provided their lives are not openly wicked, because that would give offence.
[4] This was the situation with the nation descended from Jacob; that is to say, they were surrounded by evil spirits and yet the Lord was present with them through representations, as becomes clear from many places in the Word. In their hearts they did anything but worship Jehovah, for as soon as miracles ceased they instantly turned to other gods and became idolaters, which was a sure sign that in their hearts they worshipped other gods and made mere lip confession to Jehovah; and they made this to Him solely for the reason that they might be the greatest and be pre-eminent over all the nations round about them. The fact that this nation - Aaron included - in their hearts worshipped an Egyptian idol and made mere lip confession to Jehovah because of His miracles, is plainly evident from the golden calf which Aaron made for them, one month after they had seen such great miracles on Mount Sinai, in addition to those they had seen previously in Egypt - see Exod. 32. That Aaron too was like this is explicitly stated in verses 2-5 of that same chapter, and especially in verse 35. The same traits in that nation are in addition evident from marry other places in Moses, in the Book of Judges, in the Books of Samuel, and in the Books of the Kings.
[5] It is also evident that their worship was solely external and not at all internal from the fact that they were forbidden to go near Mount Sinai when the Law was being proclaimed, and that if they touched the mountain they would certainly die, Exod 19:11-13; 20:19. The reason they were forbidden to do so was that internally they were unclean. It is also stated in Moses that Jehovah dwelt with them in the midst of their uncleannesses, Lev 16:16. What that nation was like is also clear from the Song of Moses, Deut 32:15-43, and from many places in the Prophets. From this it can be recognized that no Church resided with that nation but merely a representative of the Church, and that the Lord was present with it merely through representations.
[6] See also what has been presented already regarding these people,
With the descendants of Jacob a representative of the Church existed but not a Church, 4281, 4288.
A representative of the Church was not established among them until they had been vastated altogether as regards internal holiness, otherwise they would have profaned holy things, 3398, 4289.
When they adhered to ordinances they were able to play a representative role, but not when they deviated from them, 3881 (end).
Therefore they were kept strictly to religious observances and were coerced by external means, 3147, 4281.
So that they could play the part of a representative of the Church their worship became external worship devoid of internal 4281.
Therefore also interior things of the Church; were not disclosed to them, 301- 303, 2520, 3398, 3479, 3769.
They were of such a nature that they were better able than others to have external holiness devoid of internal, 4293.
This is why they have been preserved even to the present day. 3479. Their external holiness made no difference to their souls, 3479.
Latin(1748-1756) 4311
4311. Quod in sensu interno historico per `quia vidi Deum facies ad facies et liberata anima mea' significetur quod repraesentative praesens, constat ex significatione `videre Deum facies ad facies', cum illa praedicantur de statu in quo fuerunt posteri Jacobi, quod sit quod Dominus esset repraesentative praesens, nam `videre Deum facies ad facies' in externa forma (o)et corporeo visu, non est videre Ipsum praesentem, (o)n. 4299; quod non praesens fuerit, sicut apud illos qui regenerati sunt, et inde in amore spirituali et fide, patet ab illis quae de {1} gente illa, n. 4281, 4288, 4290, 4293 dicta sunt quod nempe in cultu externo fuerint, et non simul in interno, seu quod idem, quod in amore corporeo et mundano, et non in spirituali et {2} caelesti; apud tales Dominus nusquam aliter praesens potuit esse quam repraesentative; [2] quid sit repraesentative praesens esse, paucis dicendum: homo qui in amore corporeo et mundano est et non simul in amore spirituali aut {3} caelesti, apud se non alios spiritus habet quam malos, etiam cum in sancto externo est; boni enim spiritus apud talem nequaquam adesse possunt, nam percipiunt ilico in quali amore homo est; est sphaera quae exhalatur ab interioribus ejus {4}, quam percipiunt spiritus tam manifeste sicut homo odoratu tetra et foeda quae circum eum in aere volitant; gens illa de qua hic agitur, in tali statu quoad bonum et verum, seu quoad amorem et fidem fuit; ut tamen usque repraesentativum Ecclesiae agerent, miraculose a Domino providebatur ut eum in sancto externo essent, et quoque tunc circumfusi malis spiritibus, sanctum tamen usque in quo erant, elevaretur in caelum, at hoc per spiritus bonos et angelos non intra illos sed extra illos, nam intra illos non nisi quam vacuum aut spurcum fuit {5}; quapropter non dabatur communicatio cum ipso homine sed cum ipso sancto in quo erant cum {6} statuta et praecepta, quae omnia repraesentativa spiritualium et caelestium regni Domini erant, agerent {7}; hoc significatur per quod Dominus apud illam gentem repraesentative praesens esset: aliter vero est Dominus praesens apud illos intra Ecclesiam qui in amore spirituali et inde in fide sunt, apud hos sunt spiritus boni et angeli non modo in externo cultu sed etiam simul in interno, quare apud hos datur communicatio caeli cum ipsis, influit enim Dominus per caelum per interna eorum in externa; his prodest in altera vita sanctum cultus, non autem illis. [3] Similiter se habet cum sacerdotibus et presbyteris qui sancta praedicant et tamen male vivant et male credunt; apud eos nec sunt boni spiritus sed mali, etiam cum in cultu (o)in externa forma sancto apparente sunt, est enim amor sui et mundi seu amor ad aucupandos honores, adque {8} captandum lucrum, et propter illa famam, quae accendunt illos et sistunt affectationem {9} sancti, quandoque usque adeo ut nihil simulatum appercipiatur {10}, et tunc nec credatur ab ipsis; cum tamen in medio malorum spirituum sunt, qui in simili tunc statu sunt, ac aspirant et inspirant; quod mali spiritus in tali statu possint esse, et quod sint cum in externis sunt, et sufflaminantur ab amore sui et mundi, ex multiplici experientia mihi scire datum, de qua, ex Divina Domini Misericordia, in illis quae ad finem capitum sequuntur; illi nec communicationem habent tum caelo apud se, sed qui audiunt et capiunt verba ab ore illorum, si in pio et sancto interno sunt, habent; nam nihil refert a quo vox boni et veri effluit, modo non vita illis manifeste scelerata sit, nam haec scandalizat. [4] Quod gens ex Jacobo talis fuerit, nempe quod circumfusa malis spiritibus, et tamen Dominus apud illos {11} repraesentative praesens fuerit {12}, constare potest a pluribus locis in Verbo, nihil enim minus quam Jehovam corde {13} coluerunt, nam ut primum {14} miracula deerant, ilico ad alios deos se verterunt et idololatrae facti sunt, quod manifestum indicium fuit quod alios deos corde coluerint, et Jehovam modo ore confessi sint, et quidem solum ob causam ut maximi essent (c)et supereminerent omnibus gentibus circumcirca; quod populus ille corde coluerit idolum Aegyptiacum, et modo ore confessi Jehovam ob miracula, et inter eos ipse Aharon, patet luculenter a vitulo aureo quem Aharon illis fecit, et hoc post mensem dierum postquam tanta miracula viderunt in monte Sinai, praeter quae viderunt {15} in Aegypto, de quibus Exod. xix; quod Aharon etiam talis fuerit, dicitur manifeste in eodem capite, vers. 2-5, et imprimis vers. 35; praeter a multis aliis locis de quibus apud Mosen, in Libro Judicum, in Libris Samuelis, et in Libris Regum. [5] Quod (t)solum in externo cultu, non autem in aliquo interno fuerint, patet etiam inde quod prohiberetur {16} illis ne accederent ad montem Sinai cum Lex promulgabatur {17}, et si tangerent montem, quod moriendo morituri essent, Exod. xix 11-13; xx 16 [A. V. 19]; causa erat quia internum eorum erat immundum: etiam apud eundem, Quod Jehovah habitaret cum illis in medio immunditiarum eorum, Lev. xvi 16:qualis fuit gens illa, etiam constat ex cantico Mosis, Deut. xxxii 15-43; et a pluribus locis apud Prophetas: inde sciri potest quod apud illam gentem non fuerit aliqua Ecclesia, sed modo repraesentativum Ecclesiae; et quod Dominus apud illam modo repraesentative praesens fuisset; [6] videantur etiam quae prius de illis {18} allata sunt, nempe quod apud posteros Jacobi repraesentativum Ecclesiae fuerit, non autem Ecclesia, n. 4281, 4288: quod repraesentativum Ecclesiae apud illos non prius institutum fuerit quam postquam prorsus quoad sanctum internum vastati essent, et quod alioquin profanavissent sancta, n. (o)3398, 4289: quod cum in statutis permanserunt, repraesentare possent, non autem cum ab illis deflexerunt, n. 3881 f.: quod ideo stricte tenerentur in ritualibus, et quod ad illa adigerentur per media externa, n. 3147, 4289: ut repraesentativum Ecclesiae agerent, quod cultus eorum factus sit externus absque interno, n. 4281: quod (o)etiam ideo interiora Ecclesiae illis non detecta fuerint, n. 301-303, 2520, 3398, 3479, 3769: quod tales fuerint ut prae aliis in sancto externo potuerint esse, absque interno, n. 4293 et quod ideo ad hunc diem conservati sint, n. 3479 quod sanctum externum eos quoad animas nihil afficiat n. 3479. @1 i prius and places de gente illa after 4293$ @2 aut$ @3 et$ @4 illo$ @5 nihil boni fuit, sed vel spurcum vel vacuum$ @6 i secundum$ @7 A had viverent and altered to agerent$ @8 atque I$ @9 affectionem I$ @10 percipiatur$ @11 illam$ @12 fuisset$ @13 i ex$ @14 plurimum I$ @15 prius$ @16 prohibitum$ @17 promulgaretur$ @18 his$