5224.“法老就把他的梦告诉他们”表关于将要到来的事。这从“梦”的含义清楚可知，“梦”是指预见、预言和结果（参看5091，5092，5104节），因而是指将要到来的事。至于这一切在内义上是什么意思，这从整个思路清楚可知。本书论述的主题是属世层的新状态；这时，因真理从它那里被驱逐，所以它处于模糊的状态；在这一特定时刻，它为处理这种混乱而向记忆知识请教将要到来的事。当这种模糊出现的时候，马上想到的是结果会是什么？
由于在人的重生期间，在每一个这样的状态，这都是很常见的，故此处在内义上描述了这种状态。但这类状态如今不为人知，既因很少有人在重生，还因那些正在重生的人没有反思这种事。如今没有人关心自己里面正在发生的事，因为外在事物占据了他的全部注意力；对于完全被外在事物占据的人，也就是把外在事物当成生活的目的之人来说，内在事物根本无足轻重。对于这种模糊，他们会说，这些事和我有什么关系？又不能从中赚到钱或荣耀。我为什么要思想灵魂的状态，或内在人的状态？为什么要问它是处于真理被驱逐之时的模糊状态，还是处于真理在那里得以恢复之时的清晰状态？知道这一切对我有什么好处？我怀疑是否有内在人的存在，是否有脱离肉体状态的灵魂状态的存在。事实上，我甚至怀疑死后活着的灵魂是否存在。有谁死里复生证明给我们看？这些就是如今教会成员自言自语的话，也是当他听见或读到关于内在人状态的事时所持的想法。由此可见为何人里面所生的事被隐藏，完全不为人知。
古人当中从来就没有这种理解上的模糊。他们的智慧就在于培育更内在的事物，因而在于完善心智的两种能力，即理解力和意愿，由此为其灵魂的福祉做准备。像这样的事，古人都会关注，这一事实从他们现存至今的着作，以及所有人都渴望听见所罗门的智慧清楚看出来：
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4:34）
这就是示巴女王来见他的原因；由于从所罗门的智慧所得的福分，她说：
你的人是有福的，你的仆人常侍立在你面前听你的智慧，是有福的。（列王记上10:8）
如今还有谁会因此而自称有福呢？
Potts(1905-1910) 5224
5224. And Pharaoh told them his dream. That this signifies about things to come, is evident from the signification of a "dream," as being foresight, prediction, the event (see n. 5091, 5092, 5104), thus things to come. How this stands in the internal sense is evident from the series of things. The subject treated of in this verse is the new state of the natural, when it is in obscurity because of truths having been banished from it, and that there is then disturbance in it in consulting memory-knowledges about things to come; for when such obscurity happens, the thought at once occurs, What will the event be? [2] As during man's regeneration this is common in every such state, this state is here described in the internal sense; but such states are unknown at this day, both because few are being regenerated, and because those who are being regenerated do not reflect upon such things. At this day man cares not what is taking place within him, because external things possess his whole attention, and internal things have no importance to one who is wholly occupied with external things, that is, in whom they are the ends of life. Regarding this obscurity they would say, What are these matters to me, as there is no money or honor to be gained from them? Why should I think about the state of the soul, or the state of the internal man, whether it is in obscurity when truths have been banished, or in clearness when they have been replaced therein? What would it benefit me to know this? Whether there is any internal man is to me a matter of doubt, and also whether there is any other state of the soul than that which is of the body, nay, whether there is any soul that lives after death. Who has come back from the dead and declared it? So speaks the man of the church with himself at this day, and so he thinks when he hears or reads anything about the state of the internal man. From this it is plain why the things that are going on within man are at this day hidden and wholly unknown. [3] Such an obscurity of the understanding never existed among the ancients. It was their wisdom to cultivate interior things, and thus to perfect the faculties of both understanding and will, and thereby to provide for the welfare of their soul. That the ancients gave their attention to things like these, is clear from their writings which are even now extant, and also from the desire of all to hear Solomon:
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 4:34);
and therefore came the queen of Sheba, who, from the bliss into which she came from hearing the wisdom of Solomon said, Blest are thy men, blest are these thy servants, who stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom (1 Kings 10:8). Who at this day would call himself blest for this reason?
Elliott(1983-1999) 5224
5224. 'And Pharaoh told them the dream' means regarding things to come. This is clear from the meaning of 'the dream' as foresight, foretelling, and outcome, dealt with in 5091, 5092, 5104, and so things to come. What this implies in the internal sense is clear from the whole train of thought. The present verse deals with a new state in the natural when this dwells in obscurity because truths have been banished from it; at this particular point it deals with the turmoil involved in consulting factual knowledge regarding things to come. For when that kind of obscurity exists, thought about what the outcome is to be instantly arises. Because this is what generally happens in every state such as this when a person is being regenerated, that state is therefore described here in the internal sense.
[2] But such states are not known about at the present day, because for one thing few are being regenerated and because for another those who are being regenerated do not stop to reflect on these matters. No one is interested at the present day in what goes on in a person interiorly, because external interests have a complete hold; that is, when external interests are the ends in view in people's lives, internal interests are of no importance at all to them. Regarding the obscurity referred to here they would say, Of what concern is that to me when there is nothing to be gained from it, and no honour in knowing it? Why give any thought to the state of the soul or state of the internal man, and why ask whether this is in obscurity when truths are banished or in clearness when truths are restored there? What advantage is there in knowing this? I doubt whether any internal man exists or whether any state of the soul exists apart from that of the body. Indeed I even doubt the existence of a soul that lives after death. Has anyone ever returned from the dead to show us? These are the kind of things that the member of the Church says to himself at the present day and the kind of thoughts he has when he hears or reads anything about the state of the internal man. From this one may see how it comes about that the things which go on inside a person are in obscurity and wholly unknown about at the present day.
[3] Such obscurity of understanding never existed among the ancients. Their wisdom consisted in fostering more internal things and so in perfecting both powers of the mind, which are the understanding and the will, and so consisted, because they did this, in seeing to the needs of the soul. The fact that these were the kinds of things the ancients were concerned about is plain from their writings which are extant at the present day, and in addition to this from everyone's desire to hear Solomon,
Therefore they came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard about his wisdom. 1 Kings 4:34.
This was the reason why the queen of Sheba came to him; and because of the blessing she received from Solomon's wisdom she said,
Blessed are your men, blessed are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom 1 Kings 10:8.
Would anyone today say that he is blessed on that account?
Latin(1748-1756) 5224
5224. `Et narrabat Pharaoh illis somnium {1}: {2}quod significet de futuris, constat ex significatione `somnii' quod sit praevidentia, praedictio, eventus, de qua n. 5091, 5092, 5104, ita futura; quomodo haec in sensu interno se habent, constat a serie rerum; agitur{3} in hoc versu de novo statu naturalis cum in obscuro est propter vera inde exterminata, et quod tunc ibi turba in consultando scientifica de futuris; cum enim tale obscurum contingit, tunc incidit ilico cogitatio quid eventurum; hoc quia commune est in omni tali statu cum regeneratur homo, ideo hic in sensu interno ille status describitur; sed tales status hodie ignoti sunt, [2]tam quia pauci regenerantur quam quia illi qui regenerantur, non reflectunt super talia; quae interius apud hominem peraguntur, hodie non curat homo quia externa occupant totum, et ei apud quem externa occupant totum, hoc est, ubi externa sunt fines vitae, interna nihili sunt; de obscuro{4} illo' dicerent, Quid mihi illa, cum nihil lucri inde, nec aliquid honoris? quare cogitandum de statu animae, seu de statu interni hominis, num is in obscuro sit cum vera exterminata, vel num in claro cum vera ibi reposita? ad quid conducit id scire? Num internus aliquis homo sit, et num alius status animae sit quam qui corporis, in dubio sum; immo num aliqua anima sit quae vivit post mortem. Quis redierat ex mortuis, et indicaverat?. Ita loquitur hodie secum homo Ecclesiae, et ita cogitat cum audit aut legit aliquid de statu interni hominis; inde patet unde est quod illa quae intus apud hominem peraguntur, [3]hodie in occulto sint et plane nesciantur; {5}tale obscurum intellectus nusquam fuerat apud antiquos, sapientia eorum {6}fuerat excolere interiora et sic utramque facultatem tam intellectualem quam voluntariam perficere, et {7}per id prospicere animae suae; quod antiquis talia curae fuerint, liquet ab eorum scriptis quae etiam hodie exstant, et quoque ex desiderio omnium audiendi Salomonem, nam Ideo venerunt ex omnibus populis ad audiendum sapientiam Salomonis, a cum omnibus regibus terrae qui audiverunt de sapientia ejus, 1 Reg. v 14 (A.V. iv 34);et ideo venit regina Shebae; et ex beatitudine in quam venit ex sapientia Salomonis, dixit Beati viri tui, beati servi tui hi, qui stant coram te jugiter, ac audiunt sapientiam tuam, 1 Reg. x 8;
quis hodie `se beatum' dicturus ex eo? @1 see p. 24, ft 1$ @2 A I o but see 5220$ @3 i enim$ @4 hoc$ @5 aliud quam cogitare, ita nescit (poss. d.)$ @6 fuit$ @7 sic$