4814.“那时”表随后所发生之事的状态。这从“时”的含义清楚可知，“时”是指状态（参看2625，2788，2837，3254，3356，3404，3938节）。“那时”表示随后所发生之事的状态，因为下文讲述了接下来所发生的事。而且，接下来所发生的一系列事都是紧随之前的事而来的。因为前一章的主题是雅各的儿子，以及他们卖约瑟。他们是在犹大的劝说下卖约瑟的；论到犹大，前一章说：
犹大对他的兄弟们说，我们杀我们的兄弟，藏了他的血，有什么益处呢？来，我们把他卖给以实玛利人。（创世记37:26，27）
这段经文的意思是，神性真理被兄弟们疏远了，尤其被犹大疏远了；此处犹大在近似意义上表示犹大支派，在一般意义上表示教会中反对一切良善，无论哪种良善的败坏者（4750，4751节）。对这一点的提及就包含在“那时”这个词里面，因为现在论述的主题犹太，他与迦南女子所生的儿子，以及后来与儿媳所生的儿子；就建立在犹大支派中的教会的事物而言，所有这些事在内义上就描述了犹大支派。
至于“时”表示状态，因而“那时”表示随后所发生之事的状态，这一点必显得非常奇怪；因为没有人能理解时间观念如何转化为状态观念；也就是说，当在圣言中读到“时（间）”时，人如何将其理解为与状态有关的某种事物。不过，要知道，天使的思维丝毫不从时间或空间形成，因为他们在天堂。他们离开这个世界时，将一切时间和空间的观念也都抛弃了，并树立了状态的观念，也就是良善与真理的状态的观念。因此，当人阅读圣言，由此思想时间和属于时间的事物时，与他同在的天使感知不到与时间有关的任何事物，而是感知到属于状态的事物，这些事物也与状态相对应。事实上，读者以其内在思维也感知不到时间，只能以其外在思维来感知时间；这一点从人的外在思维处于休眠状态，也就是他入睡时的状态，以及其它各种经验明显看出来。
但要知道，状态一般分为两种，即良善的状态和真理的状态。良善的状态被称为存在的状态，而真理的状态被称为显现的状态；因为存在是良善的本质特征，由此衍生的显现则是真理的本质特征。空间对应于存在的状态，时间对应于显现的状态。由此可见，当人读到“那时”时，与他同在的天使绝不会像人那样来理解这句话。其它句子也一样，因为凡写在圣言里的，都具有这样的性质：在天使当中，它会转化为一个相对应的意义，这个意义根本不会显现在字义中；事实上，凡属于字义的世俗之物都会转化为属于内义的属灵之物。
Potts(1905-1910) 4814
4814. And it came to pass in this time. That this signifies the state of the things that follow, is evident from the signification of "time," as being state (see n. 2625, 2788, 2837, 3254, 3356, 3404, 3938). That it is the state of the things that follow, is signified by its being said "it came to pass in this time," for what came to pass is related in what follows. Moreover, the things which follow in a series flow from those which precede, for in the preceding chapter it is said of the sons of Jacob that they sold Joseph, and that Judah persuaded them to do it; of whom it is said in that chapter, "And Judah said unto his brethren, What gain is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites" (verses 26, 27), whereby was signified that the Divine truth was alienated by them, especially by Judah, by whom is there signified in the proximate sense the tribe of Judah, and in general the depraved in the church who are against all good whatever (n. 4750, 4751). This is referred to by its being said "in this time," for the subject now treated of is Judah, and his sons by the Canaanite woman, and afterward by Tamar his daughter-in-law; and by these things in the internal sense is described the tribe of Judah in respect to the things of the church instituted with that tribe. [2] That by "time" is signified state, and hence by its "coming to pass in this time," the state of the things that follow, cannot but appear strange; for the reason that it cannot be comprehended how the notion of time can be changed into the notion of state, or that when "time" occurs in the Word, something relating to state is to be understood. But be it known that the thoughts of angels do not derive anything from time or from space, because they are in heaven; for when they left the world, they left also the notion of time and space, and put on notions of state, that is, of the state of good and truth. Wherefore when man reads the Word and then thinks of time and of the things belonging to time, the angels with him do not perceive anything of time, but perceive instead the things that are of state, which also correspond thereto. Neither does man in his interior thought perceive time, but only in his exterior, as may appear from the state of man when his exterior thought is lulled to rest, that is, when he is sleeping; and also from various other experiences. [3] But be it known that there are in general two states, a state of good and a state of truth. The state of good is called a state of being, but the state of truth a state of coming into existence; for being is of good, and the derivative coming into existence is of truth. Space corresponds to the state of being, and time to the state of coming into existence. Hence it may be seen that when man reads "and it came to pass in this time," the angels with him can by no means perceive these words as man does. So likewise in other instances. For whatever is written in the Word is of such a nature that with angels it is turned into a corresponding sense, which does not at all appear in the sense of the letter; because what is worldly of the sense of the letter is turned into what is spiritual of the internal sense.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4814
4814. 'It happened at that time' means the state belonging to the things that follow. This is clear from the meaning of 'time' as state, dealt with in 2625, 2788, 2837, 3254, 3356, 3404, 3938. The state belonging to the things that follow is indeed the meaning of 'it happened at that time', because what happened next is recorded in the descriptions that follow. What is more, these descriptions carry on from the train of thought contained in the descriptions that go immediately before them. For the subject in the previous chapter is the sons of Jacob and their selling of Joseph. They were persuaded to sell him by Judah, of whom the previous chapter speaks as follows,
Judah said to his brothers, What profit' is there in our killing our brother and our concealing his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites. Gen 37:26, 27.
The meaning there is that Divine Truth was alienated by the brothers, especially by Judah, who at that point means in the proximate sense the tribe of Judah, and in general the corrupt within the Church who are opposed to all good whatever, see 4750, 4751. A reference back to this is contained in the words 'at that time' For now the subject is Judah, his sons by the Canaanite woman, and after these his sons by Tamar his daughter-in-law, all of which in the internal sense describes the tribe of Judah so far as things of the Church established among that tribe were concerned.
[2] As for 'time' meaning state, and 'it happened at that time' consequently meaning the state belonging to the things that follow, this is bound to appear quite strange, for the reason that no one can comprehend how the idea of a time can be turned into that of a state; that is, how when reading 'time' in the Word one has to understand something to do with some state. But it should be realized that angels' thoughts are not formed from anything having a temporal or a spatial origin, because they are in heaven. When they left the world they also left behind all idea of time and space and adopted ideas of state, that is, of the state in which good and truth exist. Therefore when a person reads the Word and from this thinks of a certain time and of the things taking place at that time, the angels present with him do not perceive anything to do with a certain time but instead the aspects of a state, to which those things also correspond. Nor indeed with his interior thought does the reader conceive of a time, only with his exterior thought, as may be recognized from the state when a person's exterior thought lies dormant, that is, while he is asleep, as well as from many other kinds of experience.
[3] But it should be realized that in general there are two kinds of state - a state involving good and one involving truth. The former is called a state of being (esse), but the latter a state of manifestation (existere), for being is the essential characteristic of good, and the manifestation of this the essential characteristic of truth. Space corresponds to a state of being, time to a state of manifestation. From this it may be seen that when a person reads this statement 'and it happened at that time', the angels present with him cannot perceive these words at all in the way that the reader does. Similarly with every other statement, for whatever has been written in the Word is such that among angels it is converted into a corresponding meaning which cannot at all be seen in the sense of the letter; for that which is worldly belonging to the sense of the letter is converted into that which is spiritual belonging to the internal sense.
Latin(1748-1756) 4814
4814. `Et factum in tempore hoc': quod significet statum sequentium, constat ex significatione `temporis' quod sit status, de qua n. 2625, 2788, 2837, 3254, 3356, 3404, 3938; quod sit status sequentium, significatur per quod dicatur `factum in tempore hoc memoratur enim quid factum in sequentibus; sequentia etiam in serie fluunt ab illis quae antecedunt; actum enim in capite praecedent est de filiis Jacobi, quod vendiderint Josephum et quod Jehudah ad id suaserit, de quo in capite praecedente ita, `Dixit Jehudah a fratres suos, Quid lucri quod occidamus fratrem nostrum, et obtegamus sanguinem ejus? ite et vendamus eum Jishmaelitis', vers. 26, 27, per quae significatum quod abalienaverint Divinum Verum, imprimis Jehudah, per quem ibi in sensu proximo significatur tribus Jehudae, et in genere pravi in Ecclesia qui contra bonum quodcumque, videatur n. 4750, 4751; hoc spectatur per quod dicitur `in tempore hoc'; nunc enim de Jehudah agitur, et de ejus filiis ex muliere Canaanitide, et dein ex Tamare nuru sua; et per illa in sensu interno describitur {1} tribus Jehudae respective ad illa quae sunt Ecclesiae apud illam institutae. [2] Quod per `tempus' significetur status, ac inde per `factum in tempore hoc' status sequentium, non potest non apparere sicut alienum; causa est quia non comprehendi potest quomodo notio temporis mutari potest in notionem status, seu cum tempus legitur in Verbo, quod intelligendum (o)sit tale quod est status; sed sciendum quod cogitationes angelorum non ducant aliquid a tempore nec a spatio, quia in caelo sunt; cum enim {2} reliquerunt mundum, etiam reliquerunt notionem temporis et spatii, ac induerunt notiones status, nempe status boni et veri; quapropter cum homo legit Verbum, et inde cogitat de tempore et de illis quae temporis sunt, angeli apud eum non percipiunt aliquid temporis, sed loco ejus illa quae sunt status; correspondent etiam; immo nec homo in interiore cogitatione percipit tempus, sed in exteriore, ut constare potest a statu hominis cum ejus exterior cogitatio sopita est, hoc est, cum dormit; et quoque a plure alia experientia. Sed sciendum quod in genere bini status sint, nempe status boni et {3} veri; ille status vocatur status esse, hic autem status existere; esse enim est boni, et inde existere est veri; statui esse correspondet spatium, et statui existere tempus; inde constare potest quod cum homo legit hoc `et factum in tempore hoc', angeli apud eum nequaquam percipere `possint illa verba' sicut homo {4}; similiter in reliquis; quicquid enim in Verbo scriptum est, hoc tale est ut in correspondentem sensum vertatur apud angelos, qui sensus prorsus non apparet in sensu litterae, mundanum (o)enim quod est sensus litterae, vertitur in spirituale quod est sensus interni. @1 i qualis$ @2 cumque$ @3 i status$ @4 i sed quod loco eorum percipiant statum sequentium$