4697.“和十一颗星”表对良善与真理的认知。这从“星”的含义清楚可知，“星”是指对良善与真理的认知。在圣言中，“星”之所以具有这种含义，是因为它们是夜间闪烁之光的微小源头；在夜间将微光发散到我们的夜空中，犹如认知或知识传送良善与真理的微光。这类认知或知识就由“星”来表示，这一点从圣言中的许多经文明显看出来，如耶利米书：
那使太阳白日发光，使星月有定例，黑夜发亮，又搅动大海，使海中波浪砰訇的耶和华如此说。（耶利米书31:35）
这论及一个新教会。“使太阳白日发光”表示爱与仁之良善，“使星月有定例，黑夜发亮”表示真理和认知或知识。
在诗篇也一样：
那造成大光、造日头管白昼、造月亮星宿管黑夜的耶和华。（诗篇136:7-9）
人若对圣言的内义一无所知，会以为此处的“日头”是指这个世界的太阳，“月亮星宿”是指这个世界的月亮和星星；但属灵和属天的意义不会出于这种假设。然而，圣言在每一个细节处都是属天的。由此也明显可知，所表示的是爱与仁之良善，以及信之真理，连同对这些的认知。
这与创世记第一章相似，那里描述了属天人的新造：
神说，天上穹苍要有光体，可以分昼夜，作记号，定节令、日子、年岁，它们要在天上穹苍中发光，照耀地上！事就这样成了。于是神造了两个大光体，较大的发光体管昼，较小的发光体管夜，又造众星。神把它们摆列在天上穹苍中，让它们发光普照天地，管理昼夜，分别明暗。(创世记
马太福音：
那些日子的灾难一过去，日头就变黑了，月亮也不放光，众星要从天上坠落，天势都要震动。（马太福音24:29）
此处“日头和月亮”表示爱与仁，或良善与真理；而“众星”表示认知或知识（参看4060节）；由于此处论述的是教会的末日或末后状态，故“日头就变黑了，月亮也不放光”表示表示那时爱与仁之良善将要灭亡；“众星要从天上坠落”表示对良善与真理的认知也要灭亡。
所表示的是这些事，这一点从圣言的预言部分明显看出来，那里有论及教会末后状态的类似描述。如以赛亚书：
看哪！耶和华的日子临到，必有残忍使这地荒凉，祂要从其中除灭罪人。天上的众星群宿都不发光，日头一出，就变黑暗；月亮也不放光。（以赛亚书13:9-10）
约珥书：
耶和华的日子临近。日月昏暗，星辰收回光辉。（约珥书3:14，16）
以西结书：
我将你扑灭的时候，要把天遮蔽，使众星昏暗，以密云遮掩太阳，月亮也不放光。我必使天上所有的光体都在你以上变为昏暗，我必使黑暗笼罩你的地。（以西结书32:7-8）
启示录：
第四位天使吹号，日头的三分之一部分，月亮的三分之一部分，星辰的三分之一部分都被击打，以致日月星的三分之一部分黑暗了，白昼的三分之一部分没有光，黑夜也是这样。（启示录8:12）
此外，“星”是指对良善与真理认知，这一点从以下经文明显看出来，但以理书：
从这公山羊的一角长出一个小角，向南、向东、向荣美之地，渐渐成为强大。它渐渐强大，高及天象，将些天象和星宿抛落在地，，并践踏它们。（但以理书8:9-10）
启示录：
那大龙用他的尾巴拖拉着天上星辰的三分之一部分，把它们摔在地上。（启示录12:4）
显然，此处不是指实际的星辰。在但以理书和启示录，所论述的主题是教会末期的状态。
在诗篇也一样：
耶和华数点星宿的数目；一一给它们起名。（诗篇147:4）
又：
日头、月亮，你们要赞美耶和华！放光的星宿，你们都要赞美祂！（诗篇148:3）
启示录：
天上现出大异象来。有一个妇人，身披日头，脚踏月亮，头戴十二星的冠冕。（启示录12:1）
由于“星”表示对良善与真理的认知，所以它们也表示教会的教义，因为这些教义也是认知或知识。在末期，涉及与仁分离之信的教义在启示录中被描述为一颗星：
第三位天使吹号，就有烧着的大星好像火把从天上落下来，落在江河的三分之一部分和众水的泉源上。这星名叫苦艾；因水变苦，就死了许多人。（启示录8:10-11）
因这星变苦的水是指真理，“江河和众水的泉源”是指这些真理所赋予的聪明和来自圣言的智慧。因为“水”表示真理（参看2702，3058，3424节）；“江河”表示聪明（3051节）；“泉源”表示来自圣言的智慧（2702，3424节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 4697
4697. And eleven stars. That this signifies the knowledges of good and truth, is evident from the signification of "stars," as being the knowledges of good and truth. That "stars" have this signification in the Word is because they are small luminaries which shine at night, when they give forth into our atmosphere gleams of light, just as knowledges give forth gleams of good and truth. That such knowledges are signified by "stars," is evident from many passages in the Word, as in Jeremiah:
Thus said Jehovah who giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who stirreth up the sea that the waves thereof are tumultuous (Jer. 31:35);
where a new church is treated of, and by "giving the sun for a light by day" is signified the good of love and of charity, and by "giving the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night" is signified truth and knowledges. [2] So too in David:
Jehovah who made great luminaries, the sun to rule by day, and the moon and stars to rule by night (Ps. 136:7-9);
one who knows nothing of the internal sense of the Word will believe that by the "sun" here is meant the sun of the world, and by the "moon and stars," the moon and stars of the world; but from this arises no spiritual and heavenly sense, and yet the Word is heavenly in every particular; from which again it is evident that the goods of love and charity, and the truths of faith, together with the knowledges of these, are what is signified. [3] So also in the first chapter of Genesis, where the new creation of the celestial man is described:
God said, Let there be luminaries in the expanse of the heavens to distinguish between the day and the night; and let them be for signs and for stated times, and for days and for years; and let them be for luminaries in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth; and it was so. And God made two great luminaries; the greater luminary to rule by day, and the lesser luminary to rule by night; and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth, and to rule in the day and in the night, and to distinguish between the light and the darkness (Gen. 1:14-18; see n. 30-38). [4] In Matthew:
Immediately after the affliction of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken (Matt. 24:29);
that here by the "sun and moon" are signified love and charity, or good and truth, and by the "stars" knowledges, may be seen above (n. 4060); and because the last day or the last state of the church is here treated of, by "the sun being darkened and the moon not giving her light" is signified that then the good of love and of charity will perish; and by "the stars falling from heaven," that the knowledges of good and of truth will also perish. [5] That these things are signified, is evident from the prophetic parts of the Word, in which similar things are said of the last state of the church, as in Isaiah: Behold the day of Jehovah cometh cruel, to make the earth a waste, and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it For the stars of the heavens and the constellations thereof shall not shine with their light; the sun shall be darkened in his rising, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine (Isa. 13:9-10). In Joel:
The day of Jehovah is near. The sun and the moon have been blackened, and the stars have withdrawn their shining (Joel 3:14, 16). In Ezekiel:
When I shall extinguish thee I will cover the heavens, and I will blacken the stars thereof; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not make her light to shine, all the luminaries of light in heaven will I make black over thee, and will set darkness upon thy land (Ezek. 32:7-8). And in Revelation:
The fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; that the third part of them should be darkened, and the day should not shine for the third part of it, and the night in like manner (Rev. 8:12). [6] Moreover, that "stars" are the knowledges of good and truth is plain from the following passages: in Daniel:
Out of one of the horns of the he-goat came forth a little horn, and it grew exceedingly toward the south, and toward the east, and toward adornment. And it grew even to the army of the heavens; and some of the army and of the stars it cast down to the earth, and trampled upon them (Dan. 8:9-10);
and in Revelation:
The great dragon with his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth (Rev. 12:4). That "stars" are not meant in these passages, is evident. In Daniel and Revelation is described the state of the church in its last times. [7] Likewise in David:
Jehovah counteth the number of the stars; He giveth names to all (Ps. 147:4). Again:
Praise ye Jehovah, sun and moon, praise Him all ye stars of light (Ps. 148:3). And in Revelation:
A great sign was seen in heaven; a woman encompassed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars (Rev. 12:1). [8] As "stars" signify the knowledges of good and truth, they signify also the doctrinals of the church, for these are knowledges. The doctrinal respecting faith separate from charity in the last times, is thus described by a star in Revelation: The third angel sounded, and there fell from heaven a great star burning as a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; and the name of the star is called Wormwood, and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter (Rev. 8:10-11);
the waters made bitter by this star are truths, and the "rivers and fountains of waters" are intelligence thence and wisdom from the Word. (That "waters" are truths may be seen above, n. 2702, 3058, 3424; that "rivers" are intelligence, n. 3051; and that "fountains" are wisdom from the Word, n. 2702, 3424.)
Elliott(1983-1999) 4697
4697. 'And the eleven stars' means cognitions of good and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'stars' as cognitions of good and truth. The reason 'stars' in the Word means those cognitions is that they are tiny sources of light shining in the night, which send out flickers of light at that time into our sky, even as cognitions transmit glimmers of goodness and truth. This meaning of 'stars' as those cognitions may be seen from many places in the Word, as in Jeremiah,
[Thus] said Jehovah who gives the sun for light by day and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar. Jer 31:35.
This refers to a new Church. 'Giving the sun for light by day' means good flowing from love and charity, and 'the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for light by night' means truth and cognitions.
[2] Similarly in David,
Jehovah who made the great lights, the sun to have dominion by day, the moon and stars to have dominion by night. Ps 136:7-9.
Anyone unacquainted with the internal sense of the Word will presume that here 'the sun' is used to mean the sun of this world, and 'the moon and stars' to mean the moon and the stars, but no spiritual and heavenly meaning comes out of that presumption. Yet the Word in every individual part is heavenly. From this it is also evident that it is the goods of love and charity, and the truths of faith, together with cognitions of these, that are meant.
[3] This is similar to what occurs in Chapter 1 of Genesis, where the new creation of the heavenly man is the subject,
God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens, to make a distinction between the day and the night; and they will be for signs, and for set times, and for days and for years. And they will be for lights in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth; and it was so. And God made the two great lights, the greater light to have dominion over the day, and the lesser light to have dominion over the night, and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth, and to have dominion over the day and the night, and to make a distinction between the light and the darkness. Gen 1:14-18.
See [in Volume One, paragraphs] 30-38.
[4] In Matthew,
Immediately after the affliction of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Matt 24:29.
Here 'the sun' and 'the moon' mean love and charity, or good and truth, while 'stars' means cognitions - see 4060; and because the last day or last state of the Church is the subject here, 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light' means that at that time the good of love and charity will perish, and 'the stars will fall from heaven' means that the cognitions of good and truth will perish too. That these things are meant is evident from the prophetical parts of the Word where similar descriptions occur regarding the day or state of the Church.
[5] As in Isaiah,
Behold, the day of Jehovah will come, cruel, to make the earth a waste, and He will destroy sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not shine with their light. The sun will be obscured in its rising, and the moon will not give its light. Isa 13:9, 10.
In Joel,
The day of Jehovah is near. The sun and the moon have been darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their shining. Joel 3:14, 15.
In Ezekiel,
When I have blotted you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars, I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the bright lights in heaven I will make dark over you, and I will put darkness over your land. Ezek 32:7, 8.
And in John,
The fourth angel sounded, and a third part of the sun was struck, and a third part of the moon, and a third part of the stars, so that a third part of them was darkened and the day did not shine for a third part of it; and the night likewise. Rev 8:12.
[6] This meaning of 'stars' as cognitions of good and truth is in addition evident from the following places: In Daniel,
Out of one horn of the he-goat of the she-goats there grew one small-sized horn and it grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land]; and it grew even towards the hosts of heaven, and it cast down to the earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them. Dan 8:9,10.
And in John,
The great dragon drew with his tail a third part of the stars of heaven and cast them down to the earth. Rev 12:4.
Clearly the actual stars are not meant here, the subject in Daniel and John being the state of the Church in the last times.
[7] Similarly in David,
Jehovah counts the number of stars; He gives names to them all. Ps 147:4.
In the same author,
Praise Jehovah, sun and moon; praise Him, all stars of light. Ps 148:3.
In John,
A great sign was seen in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Rev 12:1.
[8] Since cognitions of good and truth are meant by 'stars', the teachings of the Church are meant too, since these are cognitions. Teaching to do with faith separated from charity in the last times is described as 'a star' in the following verses in John,
The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and It fell onto a third part of the rivers, and onto the fountains of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third part of the waters became wormwood, and many people died in the waters, because they were made bitter. Rev 8:10, 11.
'The waters' which were made bitter by that star are truths, and 'the rivers' and 'the fountains of waters' are intelligence imparted by those truths, and wisdom from the Word. For 'waters' meaning truths, see 2702, 3058, 3424; for 'rivers' intelligence, 3051; and for 'fountains' wisdom from the Word, 2702, 3424.
Latin(1748-1756) 4697
4697. `Et undecim stellae': quod significet cognitiones boni et veri, constat a significatione `stellarum' quod sint cognitiones boni et veri; quod `stellae' in Verbo illas significent, est quia sunt parva luminaria quae lucent noctu, et a se in nostram atmosphaeram tunc emittunt scintillas lucis, similiter ac cognitiones illa quae sunt boni et veri: quod per `stellas' cognitiones illae {1} significentur, constare potest a pluribus locis in Verbo {2}, ut apud Jeremiam, Dixit Jehovah, dans solem in lucem dici, statuta lunae et stellarum in lucem noctis, commovens mare, ut tumultuentur fluctus ejus, xxxi 35;ubi de nova Ecclesia; {3} per `dare solem in lucem diei' significatur bonum amoris et charitatis, et per `statuta lunae et stellarum in lucem noctis', verum et cognitiones: [2] similiter apud Davidem, Jehovah Qui fecit luminaria magna,... solem in dominium in die,... lucam et stellas in dominium in nocte, Ps. cxxxvi 7-9;
qui non sensum internum Verbi novit, credet quod per `solem' hic sol mundi et per `lunam et stellas' luna et stellae intelligantur {4}, at inde nullus sensus spiritualis et caelestis exsurgit, cum tamen Verbum in singulis est caeleste; inde quoque patet quod sint bona amoris et charitatis et vera fidei, cum cognitionibus eorum, quae significantur: [3] similiter quae in capite primo Geneseos, ubi de nova creatione hominis caelestis agitur, Dixit Deus, Sit luminaria in expanso caelorum, ad distinguendum inter diem et inter noctem, et erunt in signa et in stata tempora, et in dies et (o)in annos; et erunt in luminaria in expanso caelorum, ad lucem dandum super terra, et factum ita: et fecit Deus duo luminaria magna, luminare magnum ad dominandum die, et luminare minus ad dominandum nocte, et stellas; et posuit illa Deus in expanso caelorum ad lucem dandum super terra, et ad dominandum in die et in nocte, et ad distinguendum inter lucem et inter tenebras, vers. (x)14-
18;
videatur n. 30-38: [4] apud Matthaeum, Statim post afflictionem dierum istorum, sol obscurabitur, et luna non dabit lumen suum, et stellae cadent de caelo, et potentiae caelorum commovebuntur, xxiv 29;
quod per `solem et lunam' ibi significetur amor et charitas, seu bonum et verum, et per `stellas' cognitiones, videatur n. (x)4060;
et quia ibi de ultimo die seu ultimo statu Ecclesiae agitur, per quod `sol obscurabitur et luna non dabit lumen suum' significatur quod tunc peribit bonum amoris et charitatis, et per quod `stellae cadent de caelo', quod etiam cognitiones boni et veri; [5] quod illa significentur, patet a propheticis Verbi ubi {5} similia dicuntur de ultimo Ecclesiae; ut apud Esaiam, Ecce dies Jehovae veniet crudelis,... ad ponendum terram in vastitatem, et peccatores perdet ex illa, nam stellae caelorum et sidera eorum non lucebunt luce sua, obscurabitur sol in ortu suo, et luna non splendere faciet lucem suam, xiii 9, 10:
apud Joelem, Propinquus est dies Jehovae,... sol et luna atrati sunt, et stellae contraxerunt splendorem suum, iv 14, 15:
apud Ezechielem, Obtegam cum exstinxero te caelos, et atrabo stellas eorum, solem nube obtegam, et luna non lucere faciet lumen suum, omnia luminaria lucis in caelo {6} atrabo super te, et dabo tenebras super terra tua, xxxii 7, 8:
(m)et apud Johannem, Quartus angelus clanxit, et percussa est tertia pars solis, et tertia pars lunae, et tertia pars stellarum, ut obtenebraretur tertia pars eorum, et dies non luceret tertia sui parte, noxque similiter, Apoc. viii 12.(n) [6] Praeterea quod `stellae' sint cognitiones {7} boni et veri, patet ab his locis: apud Danielem, Ex uno cornu hirci caprarum crevit cornu unum de exiguo, et crevit valde versus meridiem, et versus ortum, et versus decus, et crevit usque ad exercitus caelorum, et dejecit in terram de exercitu, et de stellis, et conculcavit ea, viii 9, 10:
et apud Johannem, Draco magnus cauda sua traxit tertiam partem stellarum caeli: et projecit eas in terram, Apoc. xii 4;
quod non stellae hic intelligantur {8}, patet; agitur {9} apud Danielem et apud Johannem de Ecclesiae statu ultimis temporibus:
[7] similiter apud Davidem, Jehovah numerat numerum stellarum, omnibus nomina vocat, Ps. cxlvii 4:
apud eundem, Laudate Jehovam sol et luna, laudate Ipsum omnes stellae lucis, Ps. cxlviii (x)3:
apud Johannem, Signum magnum visum est in caelo, mulier circumdata solem, et luna sub pedibus ejus, et super capite ejus corona (t)duodecim {10} stellarum, Apoc. xii 1. [8] Quia per `stellas' significantur cognitiones boni et veri, per illas significantur doctrinalia Ecclesiae, nam haec sunt cognitione doctrinale de fide separata a charitate ultimis temporibus per `stellam' ita describitur apud Johannem, {11} Tertius angelus clanxit, et cecidit e caelo stella magna ardens sicut lampas, et cecidit super tertiam partem fluviorum, et super fontes aquarum: nomen stellae dicitur absinthium, [unde fit tertia pars aquarum absinthium,'] et multi homines mortui sunt in aquis, quia amarae factae sunt, Apoc. viii 10, 11; aquae quae ex stella illa factae sunt amarae' sunt vera, et `fluvii ac fontes aquarum' sunt inde intelligentia et sapientia ex Verbo;
quod `aquae' sint vera, videatur n. 2702, 3058, 3424; quod `fluvii' sint intelligentia, n. 3051; quodque `fontes' sapientia ex Verbo, n. 2702, 3424.
@1 boni et veri$ @2 After stellas$ @3 i et$ @4 significentur$ @5 i paene$ @6 caelis$ @7 cogitationes I$ @8 significentur$ @9 i enim et$ @10 undecim I, a mistake arising possibly from the eleven stars with which this [ ] deals.$ @11 i Post$