5576.“饥荒很严重”表由于属灵事物的匮乏所造成的荒凉。这从“饥荒”的含义清楚可知，“饥荒”是指对良善与真理的认知的缺乏（参看3364，5277，5279，5281，5300节），因而是指荒凉（5360，5376，5415节）。由于荒凉来自属灵事物的短缺，进而匮乏，所以“饥荒”也具有这种含义。在灵界或天堂，饥饿不是因肉体食物而饥饿，因为天使并不吃物质食物，也就是人在世上为肉体所带的食物。确切地说，这是因诸如滋养其心智的那类食物的饥饿。这种食物被称为属灵食物，在于理解何为真理，对何为良善有智慧的洞察。说来奇妙，天使被这种食物滋养。
这一点因以下事实而向我清楚显明：在天堂，死去的小孩子在聪明的真理和智慧的良善上接受教导后，就不再显为小孩子，而是看似成人；这一切取决于他们在良善与真理上的增长。天使以属灵食物为滋养也从这一事实向我清楚显明：天使不断渴望聪明和智慧的事物。到了晚上，也就是当他们经历他们缺乏他们所渴望的东西的状态时，与其它状态相比，这种状态对他们来说就不再是幸福。在这种状态下，他们只渴求和渴望新的曙光降临到他们身上，回到充满具有聪明和智慧的幸福生活中。
理解真理、意愿良善就是属灵的食物；凡反思这个问题的人也能看出这一点。当人在享受滋养肉体的物质食物时，若同时心情愉快，并谈论适宜的话题，那么滋养肉体的物质食物就会变得更有营养。这表明喂养灵魂的属灵食物与喂养肉体的物质食物之间存在一种对应关系。这一点从渴望以构成知识、聪明和智慧的观念来充实自己头脑之人的经历进一步明显看出来。他若被剥夺了这些，便开始感到难过和沮丧，就像遭遇饥荒的人那样渴望返回他的属灵食物，从而滋养他的灵魂。
属灵的食物滋养灵魂，犹如物质食物滋养肉体；如在摩西五经：
人活着不是单靠食物，人活着乃是靠耶和华口里所出的一切话。（申命记8:3；马太福音4:4）
一般来说，“耶和华口里所出的一切话”是指从主发出的神性真理，因而是指一切智慧的真理，尤指圣言；圣言是智慧观念的基础和源头。约翰福音：
不要为那必坏的食物劳力，要为那存到永生的食物劳力，就是人子要赐给你们的。（约翰福音6:27）
显然，这“食物”就是从主发出的智慧之真理。
由此也可知主在同一章所说的这些话是什么意思：
我的肉真是可吃的，我的血真是可喝的。（约翰福音6:55）
也就是说，主的“肉”是指神性良善（3813节），祂的“血”是指神性真理（4735节）。因为当主将祂的整个人身变成神性时，祂的肉无非是神性良善，祂的血无非是神性真理。必须明白，神性里面没有任何物质的东西；因此，在至高意义上，也就是当论及主时，“食物”指的是指向拯救人类的神性之爱的良善。这食物就是主在约翰福音中的话所表示的：
耶稣说对门徒说，我有食物吃，是你们不知道的。我的食物就是遵行差我来者的旨意，做成祂的工。（约翰福音4:32，34）
“遵行差我来者的旨意，做成祂的工”是指拯救人类；成就这一切的神性属性就是神性之爱。由此可见“饥荒”在灵义上表示什么。
Potts(1905-1910) 5576
5576. And the famine became grievous. That this signifies desolation from the want of spiritual things, is evident from the signification of "famine," as being a lack of the knowledges of good and truth (see n. 3364, 5277, 5279, 5281, 5300), and hence desolation (n. 5360, 5376, 5415); and because desolation comes from a scarcity and consequent want of spiritual things, this also is signified by "famine." [2] Hunger in the spiritual world or in heaven is not hunger for food, because the angels do not feed upon material food, which is for the body that man carries about in the world; but it is hunger for such food as nourishes their minds. This food, which is called spiritual food, is to understand truth and be wise in good; and wonderful to say the angels are nourished by this food; which has been made evident to me from the fact that after little children who die have been instructed in heaven in the truths of intelligence and the goods of wisdom, they no longer appear as little children, but as adults, and this according to their increase in good and truth; and also from the fact that the angels continually long for the things of intelligence and wisdom, and that when they are in the evening, that is, in a state in which these things fail, they are so far in what is relatively not happiness, and they then hunger and long for nothing more than that the morning may dawn for them afresh, and that they may return into their life of happiness, which is of intelligence and wisdom. [3] That to understand truth and to will good is spiritual food, may also appear to everyone who reflects that when anyone is enjoying material food for the nourishment of the body, his food is more nourishing if he is at the same time in cheerful spirits and conversing on agreeable topics, which is a sign that there is a correspondence between spiritual food for the soul and material food for the body. And the same is further evident from the fact that when one who longs to imbue his mind with the things of knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom is kept from them, he begins to be saddened and distressed, and like one who is famished longs to return to his spiritual food, and thereby to the nourishment of his soul. [4] That there is spiritual food which nourishes the soul as material food nourishes the body may also be seen from the Word, as in Moses:
Man doth not live by bread only; but by every utterance of the mouth of Jehovah doth man live (Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:4). The "utterance of the mouth of Jehovah" is in general the Divine truth which proceeds from the Lord, thus all truth of wisdom, specifically the Word, in which and from which are the things of wisdom. And in John:
Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you (John 6:27);
that this meat is the truth of wisdom which proceeds from the Lord is evident. [5] From this too it may be known what is meant by these words of the Lord in the same chapter:
My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed (John 6:55);
namely, that the Lord's "flesh" is Divine good (n. 3813), and His "blood" Divine truth (n. 4735); for when the Lord made His whole Human Divine, then His flesh was nothing else than Divine good, and His blood Divine truth. It is evident that in the Divine nothing material is to be understood; and therefore "food" in the supreme sense, that is, when predicated of the Lord, is the good of the Divine love for saving the human race. This food is what is meant by the Lord's words in John:
Jesus said to the disciples, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to perfect His work (John 4:32, 34);
"to do the will of Him that sent Him, and to perfect His work" is to save the human race; the Divine from which this is done is the Divine love. From all this it is now plain what is meant in the spiritual sense by "famine."
Elliott(1983-1999) 5576
5576. 'And the famine grew more serious' means the desolation resulting from the dearth of spiritual things. This is clear from the meaning of 'the famine' as an absence of cognitions of goodness and truth, dealt with in 3364, 5277, 5279, 5181, 5300, and the consequent desolation, 5360, 5376, 5415. And because desolation can arise from a shortage and consequent dearth of spiritual realities, 'the famine' has this meaning too. A famine in the spiritual world or heaven is not a hunger for [bodily] food, for angels do not feed on material food, which is the food for that body which a person carries around in the world. Rather it is a hunger for the kind of food that nourishes their minds, and this, which is called spiritual food, consists in understanding what is true and in having a wise discernment of what is good. And what is amazing, angels are nourished with this food.
[2] This has been made clear to me by the fact that after young children, who have died as young children, have been furnished in heaven with truths that are the constituents of intelligence and with forms of good that are the essence of wisdom, they no longer look like young children but adults, increasingly so as goodness and truth increase with them. The nourishment of angels by spiritual food has also been made clear to me by the fact that they have a constant desire for those things that are the constituents of intelligence and wisdom. At their eveningtime, that is, when they pass through a state in which they lack what they desire, that state compared with other states holds no happiness for them. In that state there is nothing that they hunger and long for more than a new dawning of morning light upon them and their return to the life filled with happiness that comes with intelligence and wisdom.
[3] It may also be seen by anyone who stops to reflect on the matter that understanding what is true and desiring what is good constitute spiritual food. If someone who is enjoying material food that serves to nourish the body is at the same time in a cheerful state of mind and is engaged in conversation about the kinds of things that accord with that state of mind, the material food for the body becomes all the more nourishing. This is an indication of the existence of a correspondence between spiritual food, which feeds the soul, and material food, which feeds the body. The same is clear in addition from the experience of someone who has the desire to furnish his mind with ideas that constitute knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom. If he is denied these he begins to feel sad and distressed, and like somebody in time of famine he has the desire to return to his spiritual food and so to the nourishment of his soul.
[4] It may also be seen from the Word that spiritual food is what nourishes the soul in the way material food nourishes the body, as in Moses,
Man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every utterance of the mouth of Jehovah. Deut 8:3; Matt 4:4.
In general 'utterance of the mouth of Jehovah' is the Divine Truth which goes forth from the Lord, and so is every truth contained in wisdom; specifically it is the Word, the foundation and source of ideas constituting wisdom. And in John,
Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. John 6:17.
This 'food' is clearly the truth that is contained in wisdom and that goes forth from the Lord.
[5] From this one may also recognize what is meant by these words of the Lord recorded in the same chapter,
My flesh is truly food, and My blood truly is drink. John 6:55.
That is to say, 'the Lord's flesh' is Divine Good, 3813, and 'His blood' Divine Truth, 4735. For now that the Lord has made His Human completely Divine, His 'flesh' is nothing else than Divine Good, and His 'blood' nothing else than Divine Truth. One has to understand that in the Divine there is nothing material; therefore in the highest sense, that is, where it has reference to the Lord, 'food' is the Good of Divine Love directed towards the salvation of the human race. This food is also the kind that is meant by the Lord's words in John,
Jesus said to the disciples, I have food to eat of which you do not know. My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. John 4:31, 34.
'Doing the will of Him who sent Me, and finishing His work' is saving the human race; and the Divine attribute which motivates this is Divine Love.
From all this one may now see what is meant in the spiritual sense by 'the famine'.
Latin(1748-1756) 5576
5576. `Et fames ingravescebat': quod significet desolationem ex indigentia spiritualium, constat ex significatione `famis' quod sit defectus cognitionum boni et veri, de qua n. 3364, 5277, 5279, 5281, 5300, et inde desolatio, n. 5360, 5376, 5415; et quia desolatio existit ex penuria (c)et inde indigentia spiritualium, per `famem' etiam haec significatur. Fames in mundo spirituali seu in caelo, non est fames pro cibo, nam angeli materiali cibo non vescuntur, est hic cibus pro corpore quod circumfert homo in mundo, sed est fames pro tali cibo qui mentes eorum nutrit; is cibus est intelligere verum et sapere bonum, qui cibus vocatur cibus spiritualis; et quod mirum, etiam angeli nutriuntur illo cibo;[2]quod constare mihi potuit ex eo quod infantes, qui infantes mortui sunt, (t)postquam in caelo instructi sunt in veris quae intelligentiae et bonis quae sapientiae, non appareant amplius ut infantes sed ut adulti, et hoc secundum incrementum in bono et vero; tum ex eo quod angeli continuo desiderent illa quae intelligentiae et sapientiae sunt; et quando in vespera sunt, hoc est, in statu cum illa deficiunt, quod tantum sint in non felicitate respective, et quod tunc nihil plus esuriant et appetant quam ut e novo illucescat illis mane, et in vitam felicitatis quae est intelligentiae et sapientiae, redeant;
[3]quod intelligere verum et velle bonum sit cibus spiritualis, constare quoque potest cuivis qui reflectit; qui cibo materiali pro nutritione corporis fruitur, si simul quoque hilari animo est et in sermocinatione de talibus quae favent, tunc cibus materialis qui pro corpore, melius nutrit, indicium quod correspondentia sit inter cibum spiritualem qui animae, et {1} cibum materialem qui corporis; et porro ex eo, qui in desiderio est imbuendi animum talibus quae scientiae, intelligentiae et sapientiae sunt, quando ab illis detinetur, quod tunc incipiat contristari et angi, et sicut is qui in fame, desiderare ut ad spiritualem suum cibum, ita ad nutritionem animae suae redeat.
[4]Quod cibus spiritualis sit qui nutrit animam, sicut cibus materialis corpus, constare quoque potest ex Verbo; ut apud Mosen, Non per panem solum vivit homo, sed per omne enuntiatum oris Jehovae vivit homo, Deut. viii 3, Matth. iv 4;
`enuntiatum oris Jehovae' est in genere Divinum Verum quod procedit a Domino, ita omne verum sapientiae, in specie Verbum, in quo et ex quo illa quae sapientiae: et apud Johannem, Operamini cibum, non qui perit, sed cibum qui manet in vitam aeternam, quem Filius hominis vobis dabit, vi 27;
quod `ille cibus' sit verum sapientiae quod procedit a Domino, constat; [5]inde quoque sciri potest quid intelligitur per haec Domini verba in eodem capite:
Caro Mea est vere cibus, et sanguis Meus vere est potus, ibid. vers. 55;
quod nempe `caro Domini' sit Divinum Bonum, n. 3813, et `sanguis Ipsius' Divinum Verum, n. 4735; cum enim Dominus Humanum Suum totum Divinum fecit, tunc `caro' non aliud est quam Divinum Bonum, et `sanguis' Divinum Verum; quod in Divino non intelligendum materiale, constare potest, quapropter `cibus' in supremo sensu, hoc est, cum praedicatur de Domino, est Bonum Divini Amoris ad salvandum genus humanum; hic cibus quoque est qui intelligitur per Domini verba apud Johannem, Jesus dixit discipulis, Ego cibum habeo quem edam, quem vos nescitis. . . . Cibus Meus est ut faciam voluntatem Ipsius Qui misit Me, et perficiam Ipsius opus, iv 32,34;
`facere voluntatem Ipsius Qui misit, et perficere Ipsius opus' est salvare genus humanum; Divinum ex quo id, est Divinus Amor. Ex his nunc patet quid in sensu spirituali per `famem' intelligitur.
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