5280.“便不觉得这地先前的丰收了”表对先前存在的真理将在那里存在没有丝毫觉察。这从“觉得”、“丰收”和“地”的含义清楚可知：“觉得”是指觉察；“丰收”是指增多的真理，如前所述（5276，5278节）；“地”，即此处的埃及地是指属世心智，如前所述（5276，5278，5279节）。由此明显可知，“便不觉得这地先前的丰收了”表示对先前存在的真理将在属世层中存在没有丝毫觉察。
本节论述的主题是荒凉的最后状态，这时所经历的是就在重生之前到来的绝望；由于这是本节所论述的主题，故必须说一说它的性质。每个人都必须被改造，新生或重生，以便他能进入天堂，因为“人若不重生，就不能见神的国”（约翰福音3:3，5，6）。人生在罪中，这罪随着它沿着长长的家系从父母、祖父母和列祖那里传下来而增加，并变得具有遗传性，因而被传给后代。凡出生的人都生在众多如所描述的那样逐渐增加的遗传之恶中，以致他无非就是罪；因此，他若不重生，仍全然留在罪中。但为叫人能重生，他必须先被改造，改造通过信之真理实现；因为他必须从圣言和取自圣言的教义学习何为良善。从圣言，或取自圣言的教义所获得的关于良善的知识被称为信之真理，因为一切信之真理皆源于良善，并流向良善，因为它们以良善为关注的目的。
这种状态首先到来，被称为改造的状态。教会里的大多数人都是在幼年到青春期这段时间被引入这个状态，然而却很少有人重生；因为教会里的大多数人学习信之真理，或关于良善的宗教知识，只是为了名声和地位，以及物质利益。当信之真理通过对这些事物的爱而被引入时，人不可能新生或重生，除非这爱被除去。因此，为了能除去这爱，此人被引入试探的状态。试探发生的方式如下：他对名声、地位和物质利益的爱被地狱团伙激活，因为该团伙渴望活在对这些事物的爱中。而与此同时，天使也激活对真理与良善的情感，这些情感自幼年时就在纯真的状态下被植入，后来从内在被储存起来，并为了这个特殊目的而得以保存。结果，恶灵与天使之间便发生冲突；这种冲突在人里面被他感觉为试探；由于此时的冲突涉及真理与良善，所以最初所灌输的真理可以说被恶灵所注入的虚假驱逐，以致它们不再出现或看不见了，如前所述（5268-5270节）。这时，由于此人允许自己重生，于是主便经由一种内在途径将良善所放射的真理之光引入属世层；在这光中，真理以其适当次序在那里得以恢复。
这就是正经历重生之人的情形；不过，如今很少有人被允许进入这种重生状态。只要允许它发生，所有人的确开始通过他们在属灵生命的真理与良善上所接受的教导而被改造；不过，他们一到青春期，就容许世界分散他们的注意力。于是他们就转到地狱灵那一边，而地狱灵则使他们逐渐远离天堂；这些灵人使他们远离得如此彻底，以致他们几乎不再相信天堂的存在。因此，这些人不会被引入任何属灵试探，因为他们若被引入，必要屈服、垮掉；在这种情况下，他们末后的景况比先前更不好了（马太福音12:45）。由此可见，此处内义所包含的东西，即改造的状态和重生的状态是何性质。但本节描述的是试探的最后状态，也就是绝望的状态，如刚才所述（5279节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 5280
5280. And the abundance of produce shall not be known in the land. That this signifies that nothing shall be perceived therein of the truth previously there, is evident from the signification of "being known," as being to be perceived; from the signification of "abundance of produce," as being truth multiplied (of which above, n. 5276, 5278); and from the signification of "land," here the land of Egypt, as being the natural mind (of which also above, n. 5276, 5278, 5279). From this it is plain that by the "abundance of produce not being known in the land" is signified that nothing shall be perceived in the natural concerning the truth previously there. [2] In this verse the subject treated of is the last state of desolation, when there is the despair which next precedes regeneration; and as this is the subject treated of in the present verse, it must be stated how the case is. Every man must be reformed and be born anew or regenerated that he may be able to come into heaven, for "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3, 5, 6). Man is born into sin, which has been increased in a long line from parents, grandparents, and ancestors, and made hereditary, and thus transmitted to the offspring. Every man who is born, is born into all these inherited evils thus increased in succession, and consequently is nothing but sin; and therefore unless he is regenerated he remains wholly in sin. But in order that man may be regenerated he must first be reformed, and this is done by means of the truths of faith; for he has to learn from the Word and from doctrine therefrom what good is. The knowledges of good from the Word, or from doctrine therefrom, are called the truths of faith, because all the truths of faith spring from good, and flow to good, for they look to good as the end. [3] This is the first state, and is called the state of reformation. During their childhood and youth most of those who are in the church, are introduced into this state, and yet few are regenerated; for most in the church learn the truths of faith or the knowledges of good for the sake of reputation and honor, and also for gain; and when the truths of faith have been introduced by means of these loves, the man cannot be born anew or regenerated until these loves have been removed. In order therefore that they may be removed, the man is let into a state of temptation, and this in the following manner. The loves referred to are excited by the infernal crew, for they desire to live in them; but the affections of truth and good that have been instilled from infancy in a state of innocence, and afterward stored up interiorly and preserved for this use, are then excited by angels. The result is a conflict between the evil spirits and the angels which is felt in the man as temptation; and because the conflict is about truths and goods, the truths previously instilled are as it were banished by means of the falsities injected by the evil spirits, so that they no longer appear (of which see above, n. 5268-5270). And then as the man suffers himself to be regenerated, the light of truth from good is instilled by the Lord through an internal way into the natural, into which light the truths are returned in order. [4] This is the case with the man who is being regenerated; but few at this day are admitted into this state. Insofar as they permit it, all do indeed begin to be reformed by means of instruction in the truths and goods of spiritual life; but as soon as they come to the age of early manhood they suffer themselves to be carried away by the world, and thus go over to the side of infernal spirits, by whom they are gradually so estranged from heaven that they scarcely believe any longer that there is a heaven. Thus they cannot be let into any spiritual temptation, for if they were they would at once yield, and then their last state would be worse than the first (Matt. 12:45). From this it may be seen how the case is with what is here contained in the internal sense, namely, with the state of reformation and that of regeneration; but in this verse is described the last state of temptation which is a state of despair (of which just above, n. 5279).
Elliott(1983-1999) 5280
5280. 'And the abundance of corn in the land will not be known' means that no discernment at all regarding the truth present previously will exist there. This is clear from the meaning of 'being known' as being discerned; from the meaning of 'the abundance of corn' as truth that has been multiplied, dealt with above; in 5276, 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, 5279. From these meanings it is evident that 'the abundance of corn in the land will not be known means that no discernment at all regarding the truth present previously will exist in the natural.
[2] This verse deals with the final state of desolation, when despair, which comes immediately before regeneration, is experienced; and this being the matter dealt with in this verse, something must be said about the nature of it. Everyone has to be reformed, and to be born anew or regenerated, so that he may enter heaven, No one, unless he is born again, can see the kingdom of God. John 3:3, 5, 6.
The human being is born into sin which has increased as it has come down in a long line of descent from ancestors, grandparents, and parents; it has become hereditary and so has been handed down to offspring. At birth a person is born into so many inherited evils which have gradually increased, as described, that he is nothing but sin; therefore unless he undergoes regeneration he remains wholly immersed in sin. But to be regenerated, he must first undergo reformation, which is effected by means of the truths of faith; for he must learn from the Word, and from teaching drawn from it, what good is. Items of knowledge regarding what is good that have been acquired from the Word - that is, from teaching drawn from there - are called the truths of faith; for all truths of faith well up out of good and flow in the direction of good, good being the end they have in view.
[3] This state comes first and is called the state of reformation. Most people within the Church are introduced into it during the period from young childhood through to adolescence, though few are regenerated because most people within the Church learn the truths of faith - or religious knowledge about what is good - for the sake of reputation and position and for the sake of material gain. Since therefore the truths of faith have been introduced through his love of these things, a person cannot be born anew or be regenerated until that love has been removed. To enable such love to be removed that person is launched into a state of temptation, which takes place in the following way: His love of reputation, position, and material gain is activated by the hellish crew, for that crew's desire is to live immersed in the love of those things. But at the same time angels activate affections for what is true and good which were implanted in the state of innocence during early childhood and then stored away interiorly and preserved there for this particular purpose. As a result conflict between evil spirits and angels takes place, and this conflict taking place within a person is experienced by him as temptation. And because the action at this time involves truths and forms of good, the actual truths which were instilled initially are so to speak banished by the falsities infused by the evil spirits - so banished that they are not seen - dealt with above in 5268-5270. And as the person allows himself at this time to be regenerated, the Lord introduces through an internal route the light of truth radiated from good in the natural, in which light the truths are restored there in their proper order.
[4] This is what happens to a person who is being regenerated, but few at the present day are permitted to enter that regenerative state. So far as they allow it to happen, all people, it is true, start to be reformed through the instruction they receive in the truths and forms of good that belong to spiritual life; but as soon as they reach adolescent years they allow the world to distract them. So they turn away into those parts where hellish spirits are, who gradually alienate these people from heaven; the spirits alienate them so completely that they scarcely believe any longer in the existence of heaven. Consequently those people cannot be launched into any spiritual temptation; for if they were they would go under instantly, in which case their latter state would be worse than their former one, Matt 12:45. From all this one may see the nature of what the internal sense contains here, namely the state of reformation and the state of regeneration. This particular verse however describes the final state in temptation, which is a state of despair - this state being dealt with immediately above in 5279.
Latin(1748-1756) 5280
5280. `Et non cognoscetur abundantia annonae in terra': quod significet quod nihil de vero quod prius, appercipietur ibi, constat ex significatione `cognosci' quod sit appercipi; ex significatione `abundantiae annonae' quod sit verum multiplicatum, de qua supra n. 5276, 5278; et ex significatione `terrae' hic terrae Aegypti, quod sit mens naturalis, de qua etiam supra n. 5276, 5278, 5279; inde patet quod per `non cognoscetur abundantia annonae in terra' significetur quod nihil de vero quod prius, appercipietur in naturali. [2] In hoc versu agitur de statu desolationis ultimo cum desperatio quae proxime praecedit ante regenerationem, et quia de hac re in hoc versu agitur, dicendum quomodo se habet: omnis homo reformari debet, ac e novo nasci seu regenerari, ut possit venire in caelum, Nemo enim nisi generetur denuo, potest videre regnum Dei, Joh. iii 3, 5, 6; homo natus est in peccatum, quod auctum est longa serie a parentibus, avis et atavis, et hereditarium factum, et sic translatum in proles; {1}homo qui nascitur, in tot mala hereditaria quae successive ita succreverunt, nascitur, {2}inde est quod non sit nisi peccatum; quapropter nisi regeneretur, in peccato totus quantus manet; ut autem regeneretur, primo debet reformari et hoc per vera fidei; addiscet enim ex Verbo et ex doctrina inde, quid bonum; cognitiones boni ex Verbo seu doctrina inde vocantur vera fidei, nam omnia vera fidei scaturiunt ex bono et fluunt ad bonum, spectant enim bonum ut finem; [3] hic status est primus, et vocatur status reformationis; in hunc statum introducuntur plerique qui in Ecclesia ab infantia usque ad adolescentiam, at usque pauci regenerantur, vera enim fidei seu cognitiones boni discunt plerique in Ecclesia ob finem famae et honoris et ob finem lucri; cum itaque vera fidei per illos amores introducta sunt, non potest homo e novo nasci seu regenerari priusquam illi amores remoti fuerint; ut itaque removeantur, mittitur homo in statum tentationis, quod fit hoc modo: excitantur amores illi a turba infernali, nam haec turba in illis vivere vult, at tunc ab angelis excitantur affectiones veri et boni quae ab infantia in statu innocentiae insinuatae sunt, et dein interius reconditae et ad hunc usum conservatae; inde pugna inter spiritus malos et {3}angelos, quae pugna apud hominem sentitur ut tentatio; et quia tunc agitur de veris et bonis, ipsa vera quae prius insinuata sunt, per falsa a malis spiritibus injecta quasi exterminantur ita ut non appareant, de qua re supra n. 5268-5270; et sicut tunc homo patitur se regenerari, insinuatur a Domino per viam internam lux veri a bono in naturale, in quam lucem remittuntur ordine vera. [4] Ita se habet cum homine qui regeneratur, sed pauci hodie in illum statum admittuntur, omnes quidem quantum sinunt, incipiunt reformari per instructionem in veris et bonis vitae spiritualis, sed ut primum ad aetatem adolescentiae veniunt, auferri se a mundo patiuntur, ac ita ad partes spirituum infernalium abeunt per quos abalienantur a caelo per gradus ita ut vix credant amplius quod caelum sit, inde nec in aliquam tentationem spiritualem mitti possunt, nam si mitterentur, ilico succumberent, et tunc status eorum posterior fieret pejor statu priore, Matth. xii 45. Ex his constare potest quomodo se habet cum his quae hic in sensu interno continentur, nempe cum statu reformationis et cum statu regenerationis; in hoc autem versu describitur status tentationis ultimus, qui est status desperationis; de quo mox supra n. 5279. @1 i inde$ @2 ut$ @3 i inter$