4686.“看哪，我们在田中间捆禾稼”表他们根据教义教导人。这从“捆”、因而“捆禾稼”，以及“田”的含义清楚可知：“捆”是指教义；“捆禾稼”是指根据教义教导人，如下文所述；“田”是指教会（2971，3766，4440，4443节）。“田中间”表示教会的更内在部分，因而表示那些处于某种仁之信的人；因为“中间”在内义上表示更内在之物和核心之物（1074，2940，2973节）。事实上，每个教会都有某些成员在中间，也就是有一些核心成员。核心成员由那些处于仁爱的人组成，在此则由那些处于某种仁爱的信仰之人组成。主与这些人同在，因为主处于仁爱，并通过仁爱处于信仰（4672节）。所表示的是这些人，这一点也可从下文明显看出来，即：约瑟的捆起来，其它捆来围着它。因为“约瑟的捆”表示取自主的神性真理的教义。
“捆”之所以表示教义，是因为正如刚才所说，“田”表示教义，而田里的禾稼或庄稼则表示教会中的真理；因此，一捆禾稼或庄稼表示含有真理的教义。诗篇中的“捆”具有相同的含义：
流泪撒种的，必唱着歌收割！那带撒种的种子哭着出去的，必带禾捆唱着歌回来！（诗篇126:5-6）
这论及那些陷入属灵的掳掠，后来得以释放的人。“带撒种的种子”表示在真理上的教导，“唱着歌回来”表示由对真理的情感所带来的欢喜，“带禾捆”表示属于这真理的教义事物。
Potts(1905-1910) 4686
4686. For behold we were binding sheaves in the midst of the field. That this signifies that they were teaching from doctrine, is evident from the signification of a "sheaf," as being doctrine, and hence of "binding sheaves," as being to teach from doctrine (of which hereafter); and from the signification of a "field," as being the, church (n. 2971, 3766, 4440, 4443). The "midst of the field" is what is interior in the church, thus it is those who are in the faith of some charity; for the "midst" in the internal sense is what is interior and what is inmost (n. 1074, 2940, 2973). For there are some in every church who are in the midst of it, or who are inmost, being those who are in charity, here those who are in the faith of some charity. With these the Lord is present, because the Lord is in charity, and through charity in faith (n. 4672). That these are signified is evident also from what follows-that Joseph's sheaf arose, and the other sheaves came round about it; for by Joseph's sheaf is signified doctrine from the Lord's Divine truth. [2] That a "sheaf" signifies doctrine is because as just said a field is the church, and the standing corn in a field is the truth in the church; therefore a sheaf in which there is corn signifies doctrine in which there is truth. "Sheaves" have a similar signification in David:
Those who sow in tears will reap with singing; he who indeed goes forth weeping, carrying a cast of seed, will indeed come with singing, carrying his sheaves (Ps. 126:5-6);
said of those who have been in spiritual captivity and are liberated. To "bear the cast of seed" denotes instruction in truths, to "come with singing" denotes the gladness of the affection of truth, and to "bear the sheaves," the doctrinal things of this truth.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4686
4686. 'Behold, we were binding sheaves in the middle of the field' means that they were teaching from doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'a sheaf' as doctrine, and consequently of 'binding sheaves' as teaching from doctrine, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'a field' as the Church, dealt with in 2971, 3766, 4440, 4443. 'The middle of the field' means the more internal part of the Church and so those who are governed by faith that is grounded in some charity - 'the middle' meaning in the internal sense that which is more internal and that which is inmost, 1074, 2940, 2973. For every Church has members in the middle, that is, those who are its inmost ones. They consist of those governed by charity, or in this case by faith grounded in some charity. With these the Lord is present because the Lord is present within charity and through charity within faith, 4672. It is also evident that these people are meant from what follows - from the description that Joseph's sheaf arose and the remaining sheaves gathered around it. By 'Joseph's sheaf' is meant doctrine drawn from the Lord's Divine Truth.
[2] The reason 'a sheaf means doctrine is that 'a field' means the Church, as has just been stated, while the grain-crop in the field means truth present in the Church. Thus a sheaf of the crop means doctrine containing truth. 'Sheaves' has a similar meaning in David,
Those who sow in tears will reap with singing; he who indeed goes forth weeping, carrying a cast of seed, will indeed come with singing, carrying his sheaves. Ps 126:5, 6.
This refers to people who have been in spiritual captivity and then have been set free. 'Carrying a cast of seed' stands for instruction in truths, 'coming with singing' for the gladness that results from the affection for truth, 'carrying sheaves' for matters of doctrine belonging to that truth.
Latin(1748-1756) 4686
4686. `Et ecce nos manipulantes manipulos in medio agri': quod significet docentes e doctrina, constat ex significatione `manipuli' quod sit doctrina, et inde `manipulare manipulos {1}' quod sit docere ex illa, de qua sequitur; et ex significatione `agri' quod sit Ecclesia, de qua n. 2971, 3766, 4440, 4443; medium agri' est interius in Ecclesia, ita {2} (o)sunt illi qui in fide alicujus charitatis; medium enim in sensu interno est quod interius et quod intimum est, n. 1074, 2940, 2973; sunt enim in omni Ecclesia qui in medio ejus seu qui intimi sunt, et sunt illi qui in charitate, hic qui in fide alicujus charitatis sunt {3}; apud illos Dominus praesens est quia Dominus in charitate est et per charitatem in fide, n. 4672; quod illi significentur, patet (o)etiam ex sequentibus, ex eo quod `manipulus Josephi surrexerit et circumdederint illum manipuli reliqui'; per `manipulum enim Josephi' significatur doctrina ex Divino Vero Domini. [2] Quod `manipulus' sit doctrina, est inde quia `ager' est Ecclesia, ut mox dictum, et `seges in est verum est doctrina in agro' in Ecclesia;ita `manipulus in quo seges' est doctrina in qua verum; simile significant manipuli apud Davidem, Qui seminant in lacrima, cum cantu metent; eundo ibit et flendo, portans jactum seminis, sed veniendo veniet cum cantu, portans manipulos suos, Ps. cxxvi [5,] 6;
ubi de illis qui in captivitate spirituali fuerunt, et liberati;
`portare jactum seminis' pro instructione in veris, `venire cum cantu' pro affectionis veri laetitia, `portare manipulos' pro veri illius doctrinalibus. @1 illos$ @2 hoc est$ @3 hi sunt in charitate, hic in fide charitatis$