4704.创世记37:12-17.约瑟的哥哥们往示剑去，放他们父亲的羊。以色列对约瑟说，你哥哥们不是在示剑放羊吗？你来，我要打发你往他们那里去。约瑟对他说，看哪，我在这里。以色列对他说，你去看看你哥哥们平安不平安，群羊平安不平安，就带回话来给我。于是打发他出希伯仑谷，他就往示剑去了。有人遇见他，看哪，他在田野游荡，那人就问他说，你找什么？他说，我找我的哥哥们，求你告诉我他们在何处放羊。那人说，他们已经离开这里，我听见他们说，我们往多坍去。约瑟就去追赶他哥哥们，在多坍找到了他们。
“约瑟的哥哥们放羊”表那些出于信教导的人。“他们父亲的”表古教会的和初代（基督）教会的。“往示剑去”表大致轮廓或雏形。“以色列对约瑟说”表出于神性属灵层的觉知。“你哥哥们不是在示剑放羊吗”他们在教导人。“你来，我要打发你往他们那里去”表它要教导神性属灵良善。“约瑟对他说，看哪，我在这里”表同意或肯定。“以色列对他说，你去看看你哥哥们平安不平安”表主的每一次降临，以及对那些教导之人是何情形的觉知。“群羊平安不平安”表那些正在学习的人或教会是何情形。“就带回话来给我”表获知。“于是打发他出希伯仑谷”表从神性属世和感官层发出。“他就往示剑去了”表教义的总体知识。“有人遇见他，看哪，他在田野游荡”表他们已经偏离了教会所知的普遍真理。“那人就问他说，你找什么”表预见。“他说，我找我的哥哥们，求你告诉我他们在何处放羊”表获知情形如何，他们的状态如何。“那人说，他们已经离开这里，我听见他们说，我们往多坍去”表他们从教义的总体转向教义的具体细节。“约瑟就去追赶他哥哥们，在多坍找到了他们”表他们沉浸在属于虚假原则的具体细节中。
Potts(1905-1910) 4704
4704. Verses 12-17. And his brethren went to feed the flock of their father in Shechem. And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Behold me! And he said to him, Go I pray see the peace of thy brethren, and the peace of the flock, and bring me word again. And he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. And a man found him, and behold he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? And he said, I seek my brethren, tell me I pray where they are feeding the flock. And the man said, They are departed hence, for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. "And his brethren went to feed the flock," signifies those who teach from faith; "of their father," signifies of the Ancient and of the Primitive Church; "in Shechem," signifies the first rudiments; "and Israel said unto Joseph," signifies perception from the Divine spiritual; "Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem?" signifies that they are teaching; "come, and I will send thee unto them" signifies that it should teach Divine spiritual goods; "and he said to him, Behold me," signifies affirmation; "and he said to him, Go I pray see the peace of thy brethren," signifies every coming of the Lord, and perception how it was with those who taught; "and the peace of the flock," signifies how it was with those who were learning, or the church; "and bring me word again," signifies knowledge; "and he sent him out of the valley of Hebron," signifies from the natural and sensuous Divine; "and he came to Shechem," signifies the knowledge of general doctrinals; "and a man found him, and behold he was wandering in the field," signifies that they were fallen away from the general truth of the church; "and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?" signifies foresight; "and he said, I seek my brethren, tell me I pray where they are feeding the flock," signifies the knowledge of how the case was, and in what state they were; "and the man said, They are departed hence, for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan," signifies that they betook themselves from generals to special things of doctrine; "and Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan," signifies that they were in the special things of false principles.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4704
4704. Verses 12-17 And his brothers went to pasture the flock of their father, in Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, Are not your brothers pasturing [the flock] in Shechem? Go, and I will send you to them. And he said to him, Behold, here I am. And he said to him, Go now, see the peace of your brothers and the peace of the flock,a and bring back word to me. And he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron and he came to Shechem. And a man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, saying, What are you looking for? And he said, I am looking for my brothers; tell me now, where they are pasturing [the flock]. And the man said, They have travelled on from here, for I heard them saying, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.
'His brothers went to pasture the flock' means those teaching from faith. 'Of their father' means of the Ancient Church and of the Primitive [Christian] Church. 'In Shechem' means the broad outlines. 'And Israel said to Joseph' means perception from the Divine Spiritual. 'Are not your brothers pasturing [the flock] in Shechem?' means that they are teaching. 'Go, and I will send you to them' means that it would teach Divine spiritual forms of good. 'And he said, Behold, here I am' means assent. 'And he said to him, Go now, see the peace of your brothers' means every coming of the Lord, and a perception of what the situation was with those who taught. 'And the peace of the flock' means what the situation was with those who learned, that is, with the Church. 'And bring back word to me' means knowledge 'And he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron' means going forth from the Divine Natural and Sensory degrees. 'And he came to Shechem' means knowledge of the general aspects of doctrine. 'And a man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field' means that they had fallen away from general truth known to the Church. 'And the man asked him, saying, What are you looking for?' means foresight. 'And he said, I am looking for my brothers; tell me now, where they are pasturing [the flock]' means knowledge of what the situation was and what their state was. 'And the man said, They have travelled on from here, for I heard them saying, Let us go to Dothan' means that they moved on from the general aspects to the specific details of doctrine. 'And Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan' means that they were steeped in the specific details belonging to false assumptions.
Latin(1748-1756) 4704
4704. Vers. 12-17. Et iverunt fratres ejus ad pascendum gregem patris illorum in Shechem. Et dixit Israel ad Josephum, Nonne fratres tui pascentes in Shechem? vade et mittam te ad illos; et dixit ei, Ecce me. Et dixit ei, Vade quaeso, vide pacem fratrum tuorum, et pacem gregis, et reduc mihi verbum; et misit eum e valle Hebronis, et venit Shechemum. Et invenit eum vir, et ecce errans in agro, et interrogavit eum vir, dicendo, Quid quaeris? Et dixit, Fratres meos ego quaerens, indica quaeso in ubi illi pascentes. Et dixit vir, Profecti abhinc, quia audivi dicentes, Eamus Dothanem;et ivit Joseph post fratres suos, et invenit illos in Dothan. `Iverunt fratres ad pascendum gregem' significat docentes ex fide:
`patris illorum' significat Antiquae et Primitivae Ecclesiae: `in Shechem' significat prima rudimenta: `et dixit Israel ad Josephum' significat perceptionem ex Divino Spirituali: `Nonne fratres tui pascentes in Shechem?' significat quod doceant: `vade et mittam te ad illos' significat quod doceret Divina bona spiritualia: `et dixit, Ecce me' significat affirmationem: `et dixit ei, Vade quaeso, vide pacem fratrum tuorum' significat adventum Domini omnem, et perceptionem quomodo cum docentibus se haberet: `et pacem gregis' significat quomodo cum discentibus seu Ecclesia: `et reduc mihi verbum' significat cognitionem: `et misit eum e valle Hebronis' significat quod ex naturali et sensuali Divino: `et venit Shechemum significat cognitionem communium doctrinalium: `et invenit eum vir, et ecce errans in agro' significat quod a vero communi Ecclesiae lapsi: `et interrogavit eum vir, dicendo, Quid quaeris ?' significat praevidentiam: `et dixit, Fratres meos ego quaerens, indica quaeso mihi, ubi illi pascentes' significat cognitionem quomodo se haberet, et in quo statu essent: `et dixit vir, Profecti abhinc, quia audivi dicentes, Eamus Dothanem' significat quod a communibus contulerint se ad specialia doctrinae:
`et ivit Joseph post fratres suos, et invenit illos in Dothan' significat quod essent in specialibus falsorum principiorum. @1 ejus AI, but cf. 4678$ @2 i contra aliquem$ @3 etiam$