5279.“饥荒必将这地灭尽了”表甚至到了绝望的地步。这从“饥荒”和“这地”的含义清楚可知：“饥荒”是指宗教知识或认知的缺乏，因而是指真理的剥夺，如前所述（5277，5278节）；“这地”即此处的埃及地，是指属世心智，如前所述（5276，5278节）。之所以表示甚至到了绝望的地步，是因为经上说“饥荒必将这地灭尽了”。由于“地”表示属世心智，“饥荒”表示真理的剥夺，故所表示的无非是绝望，因为那时，“灭尽”以一种属灵的方式发生。这段经文描述了由于真理的剥夺所导致的荒凉状态，该状态的最后阶段就是绝望。这种绝望之所以是该状态的最后阶段，是因为通过绝望，爱自己爱自己的快乐被除去，爱良善与真理的快乐则被注入以取代之。那些将要重生的人所经历的绝望就与属灵生命的获得，以及被剥夺真理与良善有关。因为当这些人被剥夺真理与良善时，他们就对属灵生命的获得感到绝望；所以，当从绝望当中走出来时，他们就会感到快乐和幸福。
Potts(1905-1910) 5279
5279. And the famine shall consume the land. That this signifies even to despair, is evident from the signification of "famine," as being a lack of knowledges, and hence a privation of truth (of which above, n. 5277, 5278); and from the signification of the "land," here of Egypt, as being the natural mind (of which also above, n. 5276, 5278). That it signifies even to despair is because it is said that "the famine shall consume the land;" for when by "land" is signified the natural mind, and by "famine" the privation of truth, nothing else than despair is signified: for then consumption takes place in a spiritual manner. In this passage is described a state of desolation caused by the privation of truth, the last stage of which state is despair. That despair is the last stage of this state, is because thereby the delight of the love of self and of the world is removed, and the delight of the love of good and of truth is instilled in its place; for in the case of those to be regenerated, the despair is about spiritual life, consequently is about the privation of truth and good, because when these persons are deprived of truth and good they despair of spiritual life; hence they have delight and bliss when they come out of their despair.
Elliott(1983-1999) 5279
5279. 'And the famine will consume the land' means even to the point of despair. This is clear from the meaning of 'famine' as an absence of religious knowledge or cognitions and a consequent deprivation of truth, dealt with above in 5277, 5278; and from the meaning of 'the land', in this case the land of Egypt, as the natural mind, also dealt with above, in 5276, 5278. The reason even to the point of despair is meant is that the words 'the famine will consume the land' are used. Since 'the land' means the natural mind, and 'famine' the deprivation of truth, nothing else than despair is meant, for at that time, in a spiritual manner, a consuming takes place. The description here is of a state of desolation owing to a deprivation of truth, the final stage of that state being despair. The reason despair is the final stage of that state is that despair is the means by which the delight that belongs to self-love and love of the world is removed, and the delight connected with the love of what is good and true is instilled in place of it. The despair experienced by those who are to be regenerated has to do with the attainment of spiritual life and with being deprived of truth and good. For when such people are deprived of truth and good they are in despair about the attainment of spiritual life; consequently they have feelings of delight and bliss when they come out of their despair.
Latin(1748-1756) 5279
5279. `Et consumet fames terram': quod significet usque ad desperationem, constat ex significatione `famis' quod sit defectus cognitionum, et inde privatio veri, de qua supra n. 5277, 5278; et ex significatione `terrae', hic Aegypti, quod sit mens naturalis, de qua etiam supra n. 5276, 5278; quod usque ad desperationem, est quia dicitur `consumet fames terram'; cum enim per `terram' significatur mens naturalis, et per `famem' privatio veri, {1}non aliud significatur quam desperatio, nam tunc spirituali modo fit consumptio. Describitur hic desolationis status per privationem veri; ultimum illius status est desperatio; quod desperatio sit ultimum illius status, est quia per illam removetur jucundum amoris sui et mundi, et loco ejus insinuatur jucundum amoris boni et veri; desperatio enim apud {2}regenerandos est de vita spirituali, proinde de privatione veri et boni, {3}nam cum ii privantur vero et bono, desperant de vita spirituali; inde eis jucundum et beatum cum ex desperatione emergunt. @1 i per consumtionem inde in sensu interno$ @2 A has singular here and in rest of$ @2 cum enim$