51、至于“形像”，它不是“样式”，而是遵照样式；这解释了这句话：“我们要照着我们的形像，按着我们的样式造人。”属灵人是一个“形像”，属天人是一个“样式”。本章论述的是属灵人，下一章论述的是属天人。属灵人，也就是一个“形像”，被主称为“光明之子”，如约翰福音：
那在黑暗里行走的，不知道往何处去。你们应当趁着有光，信从这光，使你们成为光明之子。（约翰福音12:35-36）
祂还将这种人称为“朋友”：
你们若遵行我所吩咐你们的，就是我的朋友了。（约翰福音15:14-15）
但属天人，也就是一个“样式”，被称为“神的儿女”，约翰福音：
凡接待祂的，就是信祂名的人，祂就赐他们权柄，作神的儿女。这等人不是从血生的，不是从肉欲生的，也不是从人意生的，乃是从神生的。（约翰福音1:12-13）
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]51. As far as an image is concerned, it is not the likeness of another thing but is after a likeness of it, which explains the wording "Let us make a human in our image, after our likeness." A person with a spiritual character is an image, but a person with a heavenly character is a likeness or exact copy.{*1} Genesis 1 deals with the spiritual person, Genesis 2 with the heavenly person.
The Lord calls the person of spiritual character (or an "image") a child of light, as he does in John:
Those who walk in the dark do not know where they are heading. As long as you have the light, believe in the light, in order to be children of light. (John 12:35-36)
He also calls such a person a friend:
You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. (John 15:14-15)
But the pe/rson of heavenly character (or a "likeness") he calls God's child in John:
As many as did accept him, to them he gave the power to be God's children, to those believing in his name, who had their birth not from blood{*2} or from the flesh's will or from a man's will but from God. (John 1:12-13)
Footnotes:
{*1} Other scholars see the actual meaning of the Hebrew words for "image" and "likeness" as differing slightly from Swedenborg's interpretation here. צֶלֶם (ṣelem, "image") "means predominantly an actual plastic work, a duplicate, sometimes an idol (1 Samuel 6:5; Numbers 33:52; 2 Kings 11:18); a painting (Ezekiel 23:14)... . [However,] דְּמוּת (dǝmûṯ, ‘likeness') is a verbal abstraction and means predominantly something abstract: ‘appearance,' ‘similarity,' ‘analogy' (Ezekiel 1:5, 10, 26, 28), but also ‘the copy' (2 Kings 16:10)" (von Rad 1972, 57-58). [RS]
{*2} The noun in the phrase here translated "from blood" is actually plural in the Latin, which is ex sanguinibus — literally, "from bloods;" these words are in turn a literal translation of the Greek, which is also plural: ἐξ αἱμάτων (ex haimáton). It should be noted that Swedenborg assigns significance to the plural form of the word in 374, where he deals with Genesis 4:10, in which Jehovah tells Cain, "The voice of your brother's blood is crying out." The word for blood there is plural in the original Hebrew (דָּמִים [dāmîm]). Swedenborg describes blood in general as meaning hatred and the plural form in Genesis 4:10 as symbolizing violence; and indeed Brown, Driver, and Briggs 1996, under דָּם, say that the Hebrew plural is sometimes associated with "rude violence." Swedenborg goes on to imply that the reason the plural means violence is that "everything wicked and abhorrent wells up out of hatred, just as everything good and holy wells up out of love." Furthermore, Swedenborg saw human blood as a compound of three "bloods" (see note 2 in 842), so even aside from the symbolic value of the plural, it would have been natural for him to use this plural in his rendering of this biblical passage. [LHC, RS, SS]
Potts(1905-1910) 51
51. As regards the "image" an image is not a likeness, but is according to the likeness; it is therefore said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." The spiritual man is an "image" and the celestial man a "likeness" or similitude. In this chapter the spiritual man is treated of; in the following, the celestial. The spiritual man, who is an "image" is called by the Lord a "son of light" as in John:
He that walketh in the darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be sons of light (John 12:35-36). He is called also a "friend:" Ye are My friends if ye do whatsoever I command you (John 15:14-15). But the celestial man, who is a "likeness" is called a "son of God" in John:
As many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on His name; who were born not of bloods, {1} nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13). -1 The Greek is [???] See below, at n. 374.3. [Reviser.]-
Elliott(1983-1999) 51
51. As regards what the image is, an image is not a likeness but is 'according to a likeness'. Therefore it is said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness'. A spiritual man is an image, whereas a celestial man is a likeness or exact replica. The spiritual man is the subject in this present chapter, the celestial man in the next. The spiritual man, who is an image, is called by the Lord 'a son of light', as in John,
He who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be sons of light. John 12:35, 36.
He is also called 'a friend',
You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. John 15:14,15 -The celestial man however, who is a likeness, is called 'a son of God', in John,
As many as received Him, to them He gave power to be sons of God, to those believing in His Name, who were born, not of blood,a nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12, 13.
Latin(1748-1756) 51
51. Quod imaginem attinet, imago non est similitudo sed es secundum similitudinem, quare dicitur 'faciamus hominem in imaginem nostra, secundum similitudinem nostra.' Spiritualis homo est imago, caelestis autem homo est similitudo seu effigies; in hoc capite agitur de spirituali homine, in sequente de caelesti. Spiritualis homo qui imago, vocatur a Domino 'filius lucis,' ut apud Johannem, Qui ambulat in tenebris, non scit, quorsum abit; quousque lucem habetis, credite in lucem, ut filii lucis satis, xii 35, 36. Vocatur etiam amicus, Vos amici Mei estis, si feceritis, quaecumque Ego mando vobis, Joh. xv 14, 15. Sed homo caelestis, qui similitudo, vocatur 'filius Dei,' apud Johannem, Quotquot receperunt, dedit illis potestatem, ut filii Dei essent, credentibus in nomen Ipsius, qui non ex sanguinibus, neque ex voluntate carnis, neque ex voluntate viri, sed ex Deo nati sunt, i 12, 13.