4555.“对神的畏惧临到他们四围的城邑，他们就不追赶雅各的众子了”表虚假与邪恶不能靠近。这从“对神的畏惧”、“他们四围的城邑”和“不追赶他们”的含义清楚可知：“对神的畏惧”是指保护，如下文所解释的；“他们四围的城邑”是指虚假与邪恶，“城”在正面意义上表示教义的真理，在反面意义上表示教义的虚假（参看402，2449，2943，3216，4478，4492，4493节）；“城”在此之所以也表示邪恶与虚假，是因为城中居民也必包括在内，他们在正面意义上表示良善，在反面意义上表示邪恶（2268，2451，2712节）；“不追赶他们”是指不能靠近。
“对神的畏惧”表示保护，这一点可通过来世所发生的事来说明。因为在来世，地狱绝无可能靠近天堂，恶灵也绝无可能靠近天上的任何社群，因为他们陷入对神的畏惧。事实上，恶灵在接近天上任何社群的时候，会突然陷入痛苦和折磨；那些经历过数次的人不敢靠近。他们的这种不敢就是“对神的畏惧”在内义上所表示的。不是神或主惊吓他们，乃因他们陷入虚假和邪恶，因而陷入良善和真理的对立面；当他们接近良善和真理时，虚假和邪恶本身就会使他们陷入痛苦和折磨。
Potts(1905-1910) 4555
4555. And a terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. That this signifies that falsities and evils could not come near, is evident from the signification of a "terror of God," as being protection (to be explained in what follows); from the signification of the "cities that were round about them," as being falsities and evils, "cities" in the genuine sense being truths of doctrine, and in the opposite sense, falsities of doctrine (see n. 402, 2449, 2943, 3216, 4478, 4492, 4493); the reason why "cities" here signify evils also, is that the inhabitants likewise are meant, who in the genuine sense are goods, thus in the opposite sense evils (n. 2268, 2451, 2712); and from the signification of "not pursuing after them," as being not to be able to come near. [2] That a "terror of God" is protection may be illustrated by what takes place in the other life; for there the hells cannot possibly come near heaven, nor evil spirits any society of heaven, because they are in terror of God. For when evil spirits approach any heavenly society, they suddenly fall into anxieties and torments; and they who have fallen into these a few times dare not approach. Their not daring is what is meant in the internal sense by a "terror of God." Not that God or the Lord terrifies them, but because they are in falsities and evils, and thus in the opposite to goods and truths; and that the falsities and evils themselves cause them to fall into anguish and torment when they approach goods and truths.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4555
4555. 'And the terror of God was on the cities which were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob' means that falsities and evils were unable to come near. This is clear from the meaning of 'the terror of God' as protection, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'the cities which were round about them' as falsities and evils (for in the genuine sense 'cities' are the truths of doctrine and in the contrary sense the falsities of doctrine, 402, 2449, 2943, 3216, 4478, 4492, 4493; but in the present instance 'the cities' is used to mean evils as well as falsities, because their inhabitants must be included too, meaning goods in the genuine sense, and so evils in the contrary sense, 2268, 2451, 2712); and from the meaning of 'not pursuing after them' as being unable to come near.
[2] The truth that 'the terror of God' means protection may be illustrated by things that happen in the next life. There the hells cannot possibly go near heaven, nor evil spirits go near any heavenly community, because the terror of God enters into them. Indeed when evil spirits approach any heavenly community they are suddenly seized by feelings of distress and torment, and those who have been through this experience a number of times do not dare to make such an approach. This not daring to do so is what 'the terror of God' is used to mean in the internal sense. Not that God or the Lord sets out to terrify them. Rather they are terrified because they are under the influence of falsities and evils, and so of things that are the opposite of goods and truths; and it is those actual falsities and evils, when they approach goods and truths, that cause the evil spirits to feel distressed and tormented.
Latin(1748-1756) 4555
4555. `Et fuit terror Dei super urbes quae circumcirca illos, et non persecuti post filios Jacobi': quod significet quod falsa et in non potuissent accedere, constat ex significatione `terroris Dei' quod sit tutela, de qua sequitur; ex significatione `urbium quae circum illos' quod sint falsa et mala; `urbes' enim in genuino sensu sunt vera doctrinae, et in opposito falsa {1} doctrinae, n. 402, (x)2449, 2943, 3216, 4478, 4492, 4493; quod per `urbes' hic quoque mala significentur est quia etiam habitatores intelliguntur, qui in genuino sensu sunt bona, ita in opposito mala, n. 2268, 2451, 2712; et ex significatione `non persequi post illos' quod sit non posse accedere. [2] Quod `terror Dei, sit tutela, illustrari potest ab illis quae fiunt in altera vita; ibi inferna nusquam possunt accedere ad caelum, nec mali spiritus ad aliquam societatem caelestem, quia in terrore Dei sunt; cum enim mali spiritus approximant ad aliquam societatem caelestem, subito in anxietates et cruciatus cadunt {2}, et qui aliquoties in illos inciderant, illi non audent approximare; quod non ausint, est quod intelligitur per `terrorem Dei' in sensu interno; non quod Deus seu Dominus terreat illos, sed quia in falsis et malis sunt, ita in opposito bonis et veris, et ipsa falsa et mala faciunt cum approximant {3} ad bona et vera, quod angantur et crucientur. @1 i sensu$ @2 incidunt$ @3 appropinquant$