5223.“就差人召了埃及所有的术士和智慧人来”表在请教内层记忆知识和外层记忆知识上。这从“术士”和“智慧人”的含义清楚可知：“术士”在正面意义上是指记忆知识，如下文所述；“智慧人”是指外在知识或外在事实知识，如下文所述。埃及的术士和智慧人之所以表示记忆知识，是因为埃及是有代表性的古教会存在于其中的国家之一（1238，2385节）。但在埃及，人们主要关注该教会记忆知识，这些知识涉及对应、代表和有意义的符号。因为这种知识可用来解释这个教会的书里所写的那些事，还能解释在他们的神圣敬拜中所行的事（4749，4964，4966节）。这就是“埃及”，以及它的国王“法老”表示总体上的记忆知识（1164，1165，1186，1462节）的由来。在那些精通并教授这些知识的人当中，为首的被称为“术士或博士”和“智慧人”。那些精通神秘的记忆知识之人被称为“术士或博士”，那些精通不神秘的记忆知识之人被称为“智慧人”；所以，那些教导内层记忆知识的人被称为“术士或博士”，那些教导外层记忆知识的人被称为“智慧人”。因此，在圣言中，“术士或博士”和“智慧人”就表示这些知识。不过，他们开始滥用教会的内层记忆知识，并将其变为邪术或巫术后，“埃及”，以及埃及的“术士或博士”和“智慧人”就开始表示导致败坏的记忆知识。
那个时代的术士和博士知道诸如属于灵界的那类事物，是从教会的对应和代表那里学来的；因此，他们当中有许多人也与灵人相通，以这种方式学习幻术；他们利用这些幻术来行涉及邪术或巫术的神迹。但那些被称为“智慧人”的人并不关心这类事物，而是解决难题，指教藏在属世事物背后的原因。那个时代的智慧主要在于诸如此类的事物或技艺，精通它们的技能或说实践它们的能力被称为智慧。这一点从列王纪上有关所罗门的记载清楚看出来：
所罗门的智慧超过一切东方人的智慧和埃及人的一切智慧，他比万人都有智慧，胜过以斯拉人以探并玛曷的儿子希幔、甲各、达大。他说过箴言三千句；他的诗歌有一千零五首。他讲论树木，自黎巴嫩的香柏树直到墙上长的牛膝草；又讲论飞禽走兽、爬行动物和鱼类。地上凡曾听过他智慧的君王，都派人来；万民都有人来听所罗门的智慧。（列王记上4:30）
还有列王纪中有关示巴女王的记载：
她就来要用难题试试他。所罗门王将她所问的都答上了，没有一件太隐秘是王不能给她解说的。（列王记上10:1，3等）
由此明显可知那个时代所谓的“智慧”是什么，以及不仅在埃及，而且在其它地方，如叙利亚或亚兰、阿拉伯和巴比伦，所谓的“智慧人”都是谁。但就内义而言，“埃及的智慧”无非表示关于属世事物的记忆知识，而“术士或博士的智慧”表示关于属灵事物的记忆知识；因此，“智慧人”表示外层记忆知识，“术士或博士”表示内层记忆知识，“埃及”表示总体上的记忆知识（参看1164，1165，1186，1462，4749，4964，4966节）。在以赛亚书，“埃及”和埃及的“智慧人”并非表示别的：
琐安的首领极其愚昧；法老大有智慧的谋士所筹划的成为畜类无知的计谋。你们怎敢对法老说，我是智慧人的儿子，我是古王的子孙呢？你的智慧人在哪里呢？（以赛亚书19:11-12）
那些拥有属灵事物的知识，并由此接受启示的人被称为“术士”或“博士”，这一事实从由东方来到耶路撒冷的博士明显看出来，他们求问生为犹太人之王的在哪里，声称他们在东方见过祂的星，要来拜祂（马太福音2:1，2）。这一点也可从但以理明显看出来，他被称为“术士的领袖”（但以理书4:9）。另一处：
太后对伯沙撒王说，在你国中有一人，他里头有圣神的灵。你父在世的日子，发现这人心中光明，又有聪明智慧，好像神的智慧。你父尼布甲尼撒王就立他为术士、用法术的和迦勒底人并占卜者的领袖。（但以理书5:11）
又：
见少年人中无一人能比但以理、哈拿尼雅、米沙利、亚撒利雅，于是留他们在王面前侍立。王考问他们一切智慧和聪明的事，就见他们比通国的术士和用法术的胜过十倍。（但以理书1:19-20）
众所周知，诸如出埃及记（7:11，22；8:7，18，19；9:11）所提到的那些“术士或博士”在反面意义上表示那些败坏属灵事物，由此行邪术或巫术的人。因为巫术或邪术不过是一种扭曲或败坏，是对构成灵界的真正次序的那类事物的滥用，邪术或巫术就出自这种滥用。不过，如今这种邪术或巫术被称为属世的，因为凡高于或超越自然界的事物都不再被认识。人们拒绝接受任何属灵事物的存在，除非以一种属世之物的内在维度来理解它。
Potts(1905-1910) 5223
5223. And he sent and called all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof. That this signifies in consulting the interior as well as the exterior memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of "magicians," as being in a good sense interior memory-knowledges (of which hereafter); and from the signification of "wise men," as being exterior knowledges (of which also in what follows). The reason why the magicians and wise men of Egypt signified memory- knowledges, is that Egypt was one of the kingdoms in which the representative Ancient Church existed (n. 1238, 2385). But in Egypt attention was paid chiefly to the memory-knowledges of that church, which related to correspondences, representatives, and significatives; and by these knowledges were unfolded the things written in the books of the church, and that had place in their holy worship (n. 4749, 4964, 4966). Hence it came about that by "Egypt" were signified memory-knowledges in general (n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462), and also by "Pharaoh" its king. The chief among those who were skilled in and taught these knowledges were called "magi," or "magicians," and "wise men;" those who were skilled in mystical memory-knowledges were called "magicians," and those skilled in memory-knowledges not mystical were called "wise men;" consequently those who taught interior memory-knowledges were called "magicians," and those who taught exterior memory-knowledges were called "wise men." For this reason it is that these knowledges are signified in the Word by "magicians" and "wise men." But after they began to misuse the interior memory-knowledges of the church, and to turn them into magic, then by "Egypt" began to be signified the memory-knowledge which perverts, and likewise by the "magicians" of Egypt and her "wise men." [2] The magicians of that time knew such things as belong to the spiritual world, which they learned from the correspondences and representatives of the church; and therefore many of them were in communication with spirits, and in this way learned deceptive arts, by which they performed magic miracles. But those called "wise men" did not care for such things, but solved difficult problems and taught the causes of natural things. In such things as these the wisdom of that time chiefly consisted, and skill in them was called "wisdom," as is evident from what is related of Solomon in the first book of Kings:
Solomon's wisdom was multiplied above the wisdom of all the sons of the East, and above all the wisdom of the Egyptians, insomuch that he was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman and Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. He spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs were a thousand and five. Moreover he spoke of trees, from the cedars that are in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; he spoke also of beast and of fowl, and of creeping thing, and of fishes. Therefore there came of all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon from all kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom (1 Kings 4:30). And what is related of the queen of Sheba in the same Book:
She came to try him with hard questions. And Solomon told her all her words, there was not a word hid from the king that he told her not (1 Kings 10:1, 3). [3] From this it is plain what was called "wisdom" at that time, and who, not only in Egypt, but also elsewhere, as in Syria, Arabia, and Babylon, were called "wise;" but in the internal sense by the "wisdom of Egypt" nothing else is signified than the memory-knowledge of natural things; and by "magic" the memory-knowledge of spiritual things; thus by "wise men" are signified exterior memory-knowledges, by "magicians" interior memory-knowledges, and by "Egypt" memory-knowledge in general (see n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 4749, 4964, 4966). By "Egypt" and her "wise men" nothing else was meant in Isaiah:
The princes of Zoan are foolish, the counsel of the wise counselors of Pharaoh is become brutish; how is it said unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of the kings of antiquity? Where now are thy wise men? (Isa. 19:11-12). [4] That those were called "magicians," or "magi," who were in the knowledge of spiritual things, and also in revelations thence, is plain from the Magi who came from the east to Jerusalem, asking where He was that was born King of the Jews, and saying that they had seen His star in the east, and were come to worship Him (Matt. 2:1, 2). The same is also evident from Daniel, who is called the "prince of the magicians" (Dan. 4:9); and again:
The queen said to king Belshazzar, There is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; therefore the king Nebuchadnezzar, thy father, made him prince of the magicians, diviners, Chaldeans, and soothsayers (Dan. 5:11). Again:
Among them all was none found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; for when they stood before the king, in every word of wisdom of understanding concerning which the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and diviners that were in his realm (Dan. 1:19-20). [5] That in the opposite sense by "magicians," such as those mentioned in Exodus 7:11, 22; 8:7, 18, 19; 9:11, are signified those who have perverted spiritual things and thereby have practiced magical arts, is known. For magic was nothing else than a perversion, and a perverted application, of such things as are of order in the spiritual world; from this came down magic. But such magic is at this day called natural, for the reason that anything above or beyond nature, is no longer recognized; and what is spiritual is denied, unless by it is understood an inner natural.
Elliott(1983-1999) 5223
5223. 'And he sent and called all the magi of Egypt, and its wise men means in consulting factual knowledge, interior as well as exterior. This is clear from the meaning of 'the magi' in the good sense as interior factual knowledge, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'wise men' as exterior factual knowledge, also dealt with below. The reason 'the magi and wise men of Egypt' means factual knowledge is that Egypt had been one of the kingdoms where the representative Ancient Church existed, 1278, 2385. But in Egypt the facts known to that Church were the particular objects of care and attention, being knowledge about correspondences, representatives, and meaningful signs. For that knowledge was used to explain what had been written in the books of the Church, and to explain the things that were done in their sacred worship, 4749, 4964, 4966. This was how it came about that 'Egypt' meant factual knowledge in general, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, as did 'Pharaoh' its king too. The leading people among them who were well-versed in and imparted that knowledge were called magi and wise men. The magi were those well-versed in mystical knowledge, the wise men those well-versed in non-mystical, so that the facts known to the magi were interior ones, while those known to the wise men were exterior. This explains why such factual knowledge is meant in the Word by those two kinds of men. But after they began to misuse the Church's interior factual knowledge and to turn it into magic, Egypt', and likewise 'the magi of Egypt and its wise men', began to mean factual knowledge that led to perversions.
[2] The magi in those times had a knowledge of the kinds of things that belong to the spiritual world, and in their teaching about these they employed the correspondences and the representatives known to the Church. For this reason many of those magi also communicated with spirits and learned the arts of illusion which they used to perform miracles that involved magic. But those who were called the wise men had no interest in anything like this. Instead they provided the answers to hard questions and taught about the causes lying behind natural things. It was primarily in arts such as these that the wisdom of those times consisted, and the ability to practise them was called wisdom. This becomes clear from what is recorded about Solomon in the first Book of Kings,
Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east, and all the wisdom of the Egyptians, so much so that he was wiser than all people - than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. In addition he spoke about trees, from the cedars which are in Lebanon even to the hyssop which comes out of the wall. He also spoke about beasts, and about birds, and about creeping things, and about fish. Therefore they came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth who had heard about his wisdom. 1 Kings 4:30-34.
Also there is what is recorded about the queen of Sheba in the same book,
She came to test him with hard questions; and Solomon gave her an explanation for every matter she mentioned.a There was not a matterb hidden from the king for which he could not give her an explanation. 1 Kings 10:1 and following verses.
[3] From this one may see what was described in those times as wisdom and who exactly those people were who were called wise men, not only in Egypt but also elsewhere - in Syria, Arabia, and Babel. But in the internal sense 'the wisdom of Egypt' means nothing else than knowledge about natural things, while 'that of the magi' means knowledge about spiritual realities, so that exterior factual knowledge is meant by 'the wise men', and interior factual knowledge by 'the magi', 'Egypt' meaning knowledge in general, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 4749, 4964, 4966.
Egypt and its wise men had no other meaning in Isaiah,
The princes of Zoan are foolish, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh has become brutish. How does one say to Pharaoh, I am a son of the wise, a son of the kings of old? Where are your wise men now? Isa. 19:11, 12.
[4] The fact that the term 'magi' was applied to those who had a knowledge of spiritual realities, and who also for that reason received revelations, is clear from the magi who came from the east to Jerusalem, asking where the King of the Jews was to be born and saying that they had seen His star in the east and had come to worship Him, Matt. 2:1, 2. The same is also clear from Daniel, who is called the chief of the magi in Dan 4:9. And in another place,
The queen said to King Belshazzar, There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. And in the days of your father, light and intelligence and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found m him. Therefore King Nebuchadnezzar your father set him up as chief of the magi, diviners, Chaldeans, and determiners. Dan. 5:11.
And in yet another place,
Among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; for when they were to stand before the king, every matter of wisdom [and] understanding which the king asked of them exceeded ten times [that of] all the magi, the diviners who were in his kingdom. Dan. 1:19, 20.
[5] It is well known that in the contrary sense 'magi'c is used to mean those who pervert spiritual realities and thereby practise magic, like those mentioned in Exod. 7:9-12; 8:7, 19; 9:11. For magic is nothing else than a perversion, being the perverted use of those kinds of things that constitute true order in the spiritual world, a perverted use that gives rise to magic. But at the present day such magic is called natural, for the reason that no recognition exists any longer of anything above or beyond the natural order. People refuse to accept the existence of anything spiritual unless one means by this an interior dimension of what is natural.
Latin(1748-1756) 5223
5223. `Et misit et vocavit omnes magos Aegypti et {1}omnes sapientes illius': quod significet in consultando scientifica interiora tum exteriora, constat ex significatione `magorum' quod in (t)bono sensu sint scientifica interiora, de qua sequitur; et a significatione `sapientum' quod sint scientifica exteriora, de qua etiam sequitur. Quod per `magos et sapientes Aegypti' significentur scientifica, est quia Aegyptus fuerat inter illa regna ubi Ecclesia Antiqua repraesentativa fuit, n. 1238, 2385; sed in Aegypto scientifica (t)illius Ecclesiae imprimis excolebantur, quae fuerunt de correspondentiis, repraesentativis et significativis, per quae scientifica explicabantur illa quae in libris {2}Ecclesiae scripta {3}erant, et quae in cultu eorum sancto fiebant, n. 4749, 4964, 4966; inde obtinuit quod per `Aegyptum' significata sint in genere scientifica, n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, et quoque per `Pharaonem' regem ejus; primarii apud illos qui scientifica illa callebant et docebant, vocabantur `magi et sapientes', qui scientifica mystica `magi', qui scientifica non mystica `sapientes', consequenter qui scientifica interiora `magi', et qui scientifica exteriora `sapientes'; inde est quod (t)per illos talia in Verbo significentur; at postquam scientificis Ecclesiae interioribus coeperunt abuti ac illa in magica vertere, tunc per `Aegyptum' quoque coeptum significari scientificum quod pervertit, et pariter per `magos Aegypti, et sapientes illius'. [2] Magi illius temporis noverunt talia quae spiritualis mundi sunt, didicerunt illa ex correspondentiis et repraesentativis Ecclesiae, quapropter etiam multi eorum communicabant cum spiritibus et inde didicerunt artes illusorias per quas miracula magica fecerunt; sed qui `sapientes' dicebantur, non talia curabant, verum aenigmatica solvebant et causas rerum naturalium docebant; in talibus imprimis constabat illius temporis sapientia, et talia posse vocabatur sapientia; ut constare potest ex illis quae de Salomone memorantur in Libro Primo Regum, Multiplicata est sapientia Salomonis prae sapientia omnium filiorum orientis, et prae omni sapientia Aegyptiorum, adeo ut sapiens fuerit prae omnibus hominibus, prae Ethane Ezrahita, et Hemane, et Kalkole, et Dardao, filiis Maholis, locutus est tria millia proverbiorum, et fuit canticum ejus quinque et millia. Insuper locutus est de lignis, a cedris quae in Libano usque ad hyssopum quae exiens e pariete; locutus etiam est de bestia, et de ave, et de reptili, et de piscibus. Ideo venerunt ex omnibus populis ad audiendum sapientiam Salomonis, a cum omnibus regibus terrae qui audiverunt de sapientia ejus, v 10-14 [A.V. iv 30-34]:et quae de regina Shebae memorantur in eodem Libro, Quod venerit ad tentandum eum aenigmatibus, . . . et indicavit ei Salomo omnia verba ejus, non fuit verbum occultum a rege quod non indicaret illi, x 1 seq.:
[3] inde patet quid illo tempore dicebatur sapientia, et quinam non solum in Aegypto sed etiam alibi, ut in Syria, Arabia, Babele vocabantur sapientes; sed in sensu interno per `sapientiam Aegyptiacam' non aliud significatur quam scientia rerum naturalium, et per `magiam' scientia rerum spiritualium, ita per `sapientes' scientifica exteriora, et per `magos' scientifica interiora, et per `Aegyptum' in genere scientia, n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 4749, 4964, 4966; (m)per Aegyptum et ejus sapientes non aliud intellectum fuit apud Esaiam, Stulti sunt principes Zoanis, sapientum consiliariorum Pharaonis consilium obbrutuit, quomodo dicitur ad Pharaonem, Filius sapientum ego, filius regum antiquitatis? ubi nunc sapientes tui? xix 11, 12.(n) [4] Quod `magi' dicerentur, qui in scientia spiritualium essent, et quoque {4}inde in revelationibus, constat a Magis qui ab orientalibus venerunt Hierosolymam, quaerentes ubi esset natus Rex Judaeorum, dicentesque quod viderint Ipsius stellam in oriente, et venerint ad adorandum Ipsum, Matth. ii 1, 2: et quoque constat a Daniele, qui {5}vocatur princeps magorum, Dan. iv 6 (A.V. 9): et alibi Regina dixit ad regem Belshazzar, Est vir in regno tuo in quo spiritus deorum sanctorum; et in diebus patris tui lux et intelligentia et sapientia, sicut sapientia deorum, inventa est in eo; ideo rex Nebuchadnezzar pater tuus, principem magorum divinatorum, Chaldaeorum, decisorum constituit eum, Dan. v 11:
et {6}adhuc, Non inventus est de omnibus sicut Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, et Azariah; cum namque starent coram rege, omne verbum sapientiae intelligentiae quod quaesivit ex iis rex, deprehendit eos decem vicibus supra omnes magos, divinatores qui in regno illius, Dan. i 19, 20. [5]Quod per `magos' in opposito sensu intelligantur qui perverterunt spiritualia et inde magica exercuerunt, notum est, sicut qui memorantur Exod. vii 9-12, viii 3, (x)15 (A.V. 7, 19), ix 11; magia enim non aliud erat quam perversio, et perversa applicatio talium quae sunt ordinis in mundo spirituali, inde magia descendit; sed magia illa hodie naturalis vocatur, ex causa quia non aliquid supra aut ultra naturam amplius agnoscitur; {7}spirituale, nisi per id intelligatur interius naturale, negatur. @1 A I o$ @2 i eorum$ @3 sunt$ @4 i qui$ @5 vocatus est$ @6 alibi$ @7 spirituali$