585、“人的恶在地上增多”表示对良善的意愿开始消失。这从前面关于意愿不复存在，只有恶欲的阐述，以及“人在地上”的含义清楚可知。就字义而言，“地”是指人类所在的地方。就内义而言，“地”是指爱所在的地方。由于爱要么在于意愿，要么在于恶欲，所以“地”表示人的意愿本身。事实上，人之为人正是由于意愿而非知道和理解，因为知道和理解是从他的意愿流出的。凡不是从他的意愿流出的，他既不想知道，也不想理解。甚至当他在说或做他所不愿的某事时，仍有某种意愿之物存在，只是它与主导他的言语或行为相距甚远罢了。迦南陆地，或圣地表示爱，因而表示属天人的意愿，这一点可从圣言中的许多经文得以证实；同样，不同民族所居的陆地表示他们的爱，这些爱总的来说就是对自己的爱和对世界的爱。但由于这个主题经常出现，所以此处不再赘述。由此清楚可知，“人在地上的恶”表示人的属世邪恶，这邪恶存在于意愿之中，经上说它“增多”，因为人的属世邪恶还没有变得那么坏（尽管他们的意图都是自私的），以致他们不希望别人好。然而，“终日心之思维的一切想象尽都是恶”则表示彻底变坏。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]585. The evil of the people in the land multiplied means that the will for good began to disappear, as can be seen from what was said above [568] — that true will no longer existed but only desire. The same meaning can also be seen from the symbolism of the people in the land. At the literal level, the land is where the people are. On an inner plane, it is where love is, and since love is a matter of will or else of desire, the land is taken to mean human will itself. It is willing that makes a person human, and not so much knowing and understanding, since knowing and understanding derive from willing. Anything that fails to flow out of our will is something we do not want to know or understand. In fact when we speak and act at variance with our will, it is still a form of will — one far removed from our words and deeds — that controls us.
The land of Canaan (the Holy Land) is taken to stand for love and so for the will of a heavenly type of person, as many passages from the Word can prove. The same is true for the fact that the lands of various nations stand for the love in the hearts of those peoples — generally love for oneself and for worldly gain. But the term occurs so many times that there is not room to spend time on it here.{*1} All of this leads to the conclusion that the evil of the people in the land symbolizes evil on the earthly level, present in the will. It is said to have multiplied because it was not completely sinister in everyone; there were some who still wished good to others, although for selfish reasons. Its thorough corruption is what the thoughts of their heart fabricated.
Footnotes:
{*1} In a great many passages elsewhere, Swedenborg explores the inner meaning, or rather meanings, of the land of Canaan. For one example, see Secrets of Heaven 5757, which gives a range of meanings with references. See also Swedenborg's 1758 work New Jerusalem 5. [SS]
Potts(1905-1910) 585
585. That by the evil of man being multiplied in the earth is signified that there began to be no will of good, is evident from what was said above, namely, that there was no longer any will, but only cupidity; and from the signification of "man in the earth." In the literal sense the "earth" is where man is. In the internal sense it is where the love is, and as love is of the will, or of the cupidity, the earth is taken to mean the will itself of man. For man is man from willing, and not so much from knowing and understanding, because these flow out from his will; whatever does not flow out from his will he is willing neither to know nor understand; nay, even when he is speaking or doing something that he does not will, still there is something of the will remote from the speech or action that governs him. That the "land of Canaan" or the "holy land" denotes love, and consequently the will of the celestial man, might be confirmed by many passages from the Word; in like manner, that the lands of various nations denote their loves, which in general are the love of self and the love of the world; but as this subject so often recurs, it need not be dwelt upon here. Hence it appears that by "the evil of man on the earth" is signified his natural evil, which is of the will, and which is said to be "multiplied" because it was not so depraved in all but that they wished good for others, yet for the sake of themselves; but that the perversion became complete, is signified by the "imagination of the thoughts of the heart."
Elliott(1983-1999) 585
585. That 'the evil of man had been increased on the earth' means that the will for good started to go out of existence is clear from what has been stated before about no will existing any longer, but only evil desire, and also from the meaning of 'man on the earth'. In the literal sense 'the earth' is where mankind is, in the internal sense, where love is. And because love consists either in the will or else in evil desire, 'the earth' stands for man's will itself. In fact it is from willing rather than from knowing and understanding that a person is human, for knowing and understanding flow from his willing. Anything that does not flow from his willing, he does not wish to know or to understand. Indeed when he says or does something other than what the wills there is still something of the will, remote from speech and action, which governs him. That the land of Canaan, or the Holy Land, stands for love and so for the will of the celestial man may be confirmed from many places in the Word; and in like manner that the lands of various nations stand for their loves, which taken in general are self-love and love of the world. But as this point occurs so frequently there is no need to delay over it here. From these considerations it is clear that 'the evil of man on the earth' means his natural evil, which resides in the will, and which is said to have 'increased', because that natural evil had not become so bad with every one - though their intentions were selfish - that they did not wish good to others. 'The imagination of the thoughts of his heart' however means that such perversity became complete.
Latin(1748-1756) 585
585. Quod per 'multiplicatum malum hominis in terra' significetur quod voluntas boni inceperit nulla esse, constat a praecedentibus, quod amplius nulla voluntas sed solum cupiditas; tum ex significatione 'hominis in terra'; 'terra' in litterali sensu est ubi homo; in interno ubi amor, qui quia est voluntatis aut cupiditatis, 'terra' pro ipsa voluntate hominis sumitur; homo enim a velle est homo, non ita a scire et intelligere, quia scire et intelligere fluit ex ejus velle; quicquid non fluit ex velle ejus, non scire vult nec intelligere; immo cum aliud loquitur et agit quam vult, usque est voluntatis quoddam a loquela et actione remotius quod eum regit. Quod 'terra Canaan' seu 'Terra Sancta' pro amore et sic pro voluntate caelestis hominis accipiatur, multis ex Verbo confirmari potest: pariter quod 'terrae gentium diversarum' pro amoribus illorum, qui in genere sunt amor sui et mundi; sed quia toties recurrit, non hic loci immorandum; inde constat quod per 'malum hominis in terra,' significetur malum ejus naturale, quod est voluntatis, quod 'multiplicatum' dicitur quia non ita depravatum apud omnes quin bonum aliis vellent, sed sui causa: at quod prorsus perversum factum, est figmentum cogitationum cordis.