586、“终日心之思维的一切想象尽都是恶”表示没有对真理和良善的感知。原因在于，如前面所阐述和说明的（560，570节），他们将信之教义浸没于自己污秽的欲望。一旦这种情况发生，一切感知都会丧失，取而代之的是可怕的说服，即根深蒂固的致命说服，这也导致了他们的灭绝和窒息。此处“终日心之思维的想象”就表示这种致命的说服。但若没有“思维”一词，“心之想象”就表示自我之爱的邪恶，或恶欲，如下面第8章，诺亚献上燔祭后，耶和华说：
我不再因人的缘故咒诅土地，因为人心的想象从小就邪恶。（创世记8:21）
“想象”是指人为自己发明出来并说服自己相信的东西；如哈巴谷书：
雕像有什么益处呢？因为塑像的雕刻了它，就是铸像和教导虚谎之物。塑像的倚靠自己的想象，制造哑巴偶像。（哈巴谷书2:18）
“雕像”表示由自我孕育和孵化的观念所产生的虚假说服；“塑像的”是指一个如此自我说服的人，“想象”就论及他。以赛亚书：
你们的颠倒啊！岂可看窑匠如泥吗？被制造的岂可论制造者说，祂没有制造我？或被想象的论想象它的说，祂不懂我？（以赛亚书29:16）
此处“被想象的”表示源于人之自我的思维和由此产生的虚假说服。一般来说，“被想象或塑造的”是指人从心里或意愿发明的东西，以及从思维或说服发明的东西，如诗篇：
耶和华知道我们的想象，记得我们不过是灰尘。（诗篇103:14）
摩西五经：
在我领他到这陆地以先，他今日所作的想象我都知道了。（申命记31:21）
创世记6:6.于是，耶和华就后悔造人在地上，心中忧伤。
祂“后悔”表示怜悯；祂“心中忧伤”意思一样；“后悔”与智慧有关，“心中忧伤”与爱有关。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]586. a{*1} What the thoughts of their heart fabricated was nothing but evil every day means that there was no perception of goodness or truth, because people immersed the teachings of faith in their filthy cravings, as has been said and shown [560, 570]. When this happened, all perception died out and in its place came monstrous convictions, or the most entrenched and fatal delusions. These were the cause of their extinction through suffocation. Such death-dealing persuasions are symbolized here by what the thoughts of their heart invented.
When what the heart fabricates is mentioned without the thoughts, it symbolizes the evil connected with self-love or with desire. An instance occurs in chapter 8 below, where after Noah had made burnt offerings Jehovah said, "I will never again curse the ground on the human being's account, because what people's hearts fabricate is evil from their youth" (Genesis 8:21). A fabrication is what we make up in our own minds and persuade ourselves is true.
[2] In Habakkuk, for instance:
What use is a sculpture? For its fabricator sculpted it — a cast image and that which teaches a lie. For the fabricator trusts in his fabrication [and] in the making of mute idols. (Habakkuk 2:18)
A sculpture symbolizes false persuasions based on premises we have conceived and hatched from our own minds. Fabricators are those who persuade themselves of the ideas described as fabrications. In Isaiah:
Oh, your upside-downness! Will the potter be considered clay because the product says to its maker, "That one did not make me" and the fabrication said to its fabricator, "That one did not understand me"? (Isaiah 29:16)
A fabrication here stands for self-centered thinking and the resulting conviction that falsity is true. In general a fabrication (or design) is what we make up out of our heart or our will, and also out of our thoughts or persuasions. An example in David:
Jehovah knows our fabrication; he remembers that we are dust. (Psalms 103:14)
In Moses:
I know their designs that they are forming today, before I bring them into the land. (Deuteronomy 31:21)
586. b Genesis 6:6. And Jehovah was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth; and he grieved to himself at heart.
He was sorry symbolizes mercy. He grieved at heart has the same symbolism. Regret has to do with wisdom, grieving at heart with love.
Footnotes:
{*1} (in 586a:1). This paragraph and the next are both numbered 586 in the first Latin edition. Traditionally, this paragraph has been numbered 586, and the next, 586a; the current edition labels them 586a and 586b, respectively. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 586
586. The imagination of the thoughts of the heart was only evil every day, signifies that there was no perception of truth and good, for the reason, as before said and shown, that they immersed the doctrinal things of faith in their filthy cupidities, and when this occurred all perception was lost, and in place thereof a dreadful persuasion succeeded, that is, a most deep-rooted and deadly phantasy, which was the cause of their extinction and suffocation. This deadly persuasion is here signified by "the imagination of the thoughts of the heart;" but by "the imagination of the heart" without the word "thoughts" is signified the evil of the love of self, or of cupidities, as in the following chapter, where Jehovah said, after Noah had offered a burnt offering: "I will not again curse the ground for man's sake, because the imagination of the heart of man is evil from his childhood" (8:21). An "imagination" is that which man invents for himself, and of which he persuades himself; as in Habakkuk:
What profiteth a graven image, that the fashioner thereof hath graven it ? the molten image and teacher of lies, that the fashioner trusteth to his imagination, to make dumb idols (Hab. 2:18) a "graven image" signifies false persuasions originating in principles conceived and hatched out by one's self; the "fashioner" is one who is thus self-persuaded, of whom this "imagination" is predicated. In Isaiah:
Your overturn: shall the potter be reputed as the clay, that the work should say to him that made it, He made me not; and the thing fashioned say to him that fashioned it, He had no understanding? (Isa. 29:16) the "thing fashioned" here signifies thought originating in man's Own, and the persuasion of what is false thence derived. A "thing fashioned" or "imagined" in general, is what a man invents from the heart or will, and also what he invents from the thought or persuasion, as in David:
Jehovah knoweth our fashioning [figmentum], He remembereth that we are dust (Ps. 103:14). In Moses:
I know his imagination that he doeth this day, before I bring him into the land (Deut. 31:21).
586a. Verse 6. And it repented Jehovah that He made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. That He "repented" signifies mercy; that He "grieved at the heart" has a like signification; to "repent" has reference to wisdom; to "grieve at the heart" to love.
Elliott(1983-1999) 586
586. 'The imagination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the day long' means that there was no perception of good and truth, the reason being, as has been stated and shown, that they immersed doctrinal matters concerning faith in their filthy desires. Once this had happened all perception perished, its place being taken by dreadful persuasion, that is, firmly fixed and lethal delusions, which also brought about their extinction and suffocation. Such deadly persuasion is here meant by 'the imagination of the thoughts of his heart'. But when 'the imagination of the heart' stands alone without the expression 'of the thoughts' the evil which belongs to self-love or to evil desires is meant, as in Chapter 8 below where, after Noah had offered burnt offerings, Jehovah said,
I will curse the ground no more on account of man, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his childhood. Gen 8:21.
[2] 'Imagination' is that which a person fashions for himself and of which he persuades himself, as in Habakkuk,
What profit is a graven image since its image-worker has graven it, a metal image and a teacher of lies, since the image-worker trusts in his own imagination to make dumb idols? Hab 2:18.
'A graven image' means false persuasions resulting from ideas conceived and hatched by self. 'An image-worker' is someone who persuades himself, to whom 'imagination' has reference. In Isaiah,
O your perversity! Surely the potter will not be regarded as the clay, that the thing made will say to its maker, He did not make me? Or that the work of his imagination will say to its image-worker, He had no understanding? Isa 29:16.
'Imagination' here stands for thought originating in the proprium and for resulting false persuasion. In general 'imagination' is that which a conceives from the heart or will, and also from his thinking or persuasion, as in David,
Jehovah knows our imagination, and remembers that we are dust. Ps 103:14.
In Moses,
I know his imagination which he is performing this day, before I bring him into the land. Deut 31:21.
586[a] Verse 6 And Jehovah repenteda that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
'He repented' means mercy; 'He was grieved in heart' has a similar meaning. 'Repenting' has regard to wisdom, 'grieving in heart' to love.
Latin(1748-1756) 586
586. 'Figmentum cogitationum cordis solummodo malum omni die' significat quod nulla perceptio boni et veri, ex causa, ut dictum et ostensum, quod doctrinalia fidei immerserint foedis suis cupiditatibus; quod cum factum, periit omnis perceptio, et loco perceptionis successit dira persuasio seu obfirmatissima et morticina phantasia, quae quoque fuit causa exstinctionis et suffocationis eorum; persuasio illa lethalis significatur hic per 'figmentum cogitationum cordis,' at per 'figmentum cordis' absque voce 'cogitationum' significatur malum amoris sui seu cupiditatum, ut in sequente Capite viii ubi dixit Jehovah postquam Noah obtulerit holocausta, Non addam maledicere amplius humo propter hominem, eo quod figmentum cordis hominis malum a pueritia ejus, [vers.] 21. 'Figmentum' est quod homo sibi met fingit, et de quo sibi persuadet; [2] ut apud Habakkuk, Quid prodest sculptile, quia sculpsit illud fictor ejus, fusile et docens mendacium, quia confidit fictor figmento suo super eo ad faciendum idola muta? ii 18;'sculptile' significat persuasiones falsas ex conceptis et exclusis a semet principiis; 'fictor' est is qui persuadet sibi, de quo praedicatur 'figmentum:' apud Esaiam, Subversio vestra, num sicut lutum figulus reputabitur, quod dicet opus factori suo, non fecit me, et figmentum dixerit fictori suo, non intellexit? xxix 16;
'figmentum' hic pro cogitatione ex proprio et inde persuasione falsi. 'Figmentum' in genere est quod homo fingit ex corde seu voluntate, ut et quod ex cogitatione seu persuasione; ut apud Davidem, Jehovah novit figmentum nostrum, memor quod pulvis nos, Ps. ciii 14:
apud Mosen, Novi figmentum ejus, quod ille faciens hodie, antequam introducam eum in tertam, Deut. xxxi 21.
586[a]. {1} Vers. 6. Et paenituit Jehovam, quod fecerit hominem in terra; et doluit Ipsi ad cor Ipsius. 'Quod paenituerit' significat misericordiam: 'quod doluerit ad cor' similiter: 'paenitere' spectat sapientiam; 'dolere ad cor' amorem. @ 1 This no. occurs twice in I.$