6724.“抹上柏油和沥青”表混杂了邪恶和虚假的良善。这从“柏油”和“沥青”的含义清楚可知：“柏油”是指混杂了邪恶的良善；“沥青”是指混杂了虚假的良善。“柏油和沥青”之所以具有这些含义，是因为它们都具有易燃性；在圣言中，易燃之物表示良善，在反面意义上表示邪恶。但它们因里面有硫磺，又是黑的，故表示邪恶和虚假；如以赛亚书：
耶和华有报仇之日；她的河流要变为沥青，她的尘埃要变为硫磺，她的地成为燃烧的柏油。（以赛亚书34:8-9）
“沥青”和“硫磺”表示虚假和邪恶。正因如此，“抹上柏油和沥青”表示混杂了邪恶和虚假的良善。
至于此处所讨论的问题本身，即包围神之真理的，有混杂了邪恶和虚假的良善，没有人能够明白，除非他知道人的改造是怎么回事。当人正被改造时，就其内在而言，他被主保守在良善与真理中；但就其外在而言，他却被允许进入其邪恶和虚假，由此在陷入这些邪恶和虚假的地狱灵当中。这些灵人在他周围盘旋，用尽一切方法试图毁灭他。但经由内在流入他的良善与真理却给予他如此的保护，以致地狱灵无法对他对造成一丝伤害；原因在于，在内在层面上起作用之物在力量上远远胜过在外在层面上起作用之物。事实上，内在之物因更纯粹，故作用于外在之物的每一个细节，由此调整外在来回应它的召唤。不过，在这种情况下，外在里面必须有良善和真理，来自内在的流注才能在其中得以牢固建立。以这种方式良善能在邪恶和虚假当中，然而又能保持安全，不受伤害。凡正被改造的人都被带入这种状态，他所陷入的邪恶和虚假便以这种方式被除去，良善和真理则被植入以取代之。
若不知道这个秘密，就不可能知道为何人里面的神性真理周围有抹在放婴儿的小柜子上的沥青和柏油所表示的、混杂了邪恶和虚假的良善。另外，要知道，良善虽能与邪恶和虚假混杂，但它们却不会因此而结合，因为双方彼此回避，通过秩序的法则而与对方分离。良善属于天堂，邪恶和虚假属于地狱；因此，正如天堂与地狱是分离的，来自它们的每一个事物也是分离的。
Potts(1905-1910) 6724
6724. And daubed it with bitumen and with pitch. That this signifies good mixed with evils and falsities, is evident from the signification of "bitumen," as being good mixed with evils; and from the signification of "pitch," as being good mixed with falsities. Bitumen and pitch have these significations from their being of a fiery nature, and in the Word by what is fiery is signified good, and in the opposite sense evil; but as they are sulphurous, and also black, they signify evil and falsity; as in Isaiah:
The day of the vengeance of Jehovah; the torrents thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into sulphur, and the land thereof into burning pitch (Isa. 34:8-9);
"pitch" and "sulphur" denote falsities and evils. Hence then it is that by "she daubed it with bitumen and pitch," is signified good mixed with evils and falsities. [2] As regards the thing itself-that encompassing the truth Divine there was good mixed with evils and falsities, no one can understand this unless he knows how the case is with the reformation of man. When a man is being reformed, he is kept by the Lord as to his internal in good and truth, but as to his external he is let into his evils and falsities, consequently among infernal spirits who are in these evils and falsities. These hover round him, and endeavor by every method to destroy him. But the good and truth which flow in through the internal render him so safe that the infernal spirits cannot do him the least harm; for that which acts inwardly prevails immeasurably over that which acts outwardly; because what is interior, in consequence of being purer, acts upon each and every individual particular of the exterior, and thus disposes the external to its will. But in this case there must be good and truth in the external, wherein the influx from the internal can be fixed; and in this way good can be among evils and falsities, and yet be in safety. Everyone who is being reformed is let into this state, and in this way the evils and falsities in which he is, are removed, and goods and truths are inserted in their place. [3] Unless this secret is known, it cannot possibly be known why around the Divine truth in a man there are goods mixed with evils and falsities, signified by the bitumen and pitch wherewith the little ark was daubed in which the infant was laid. Be it known further that good can be mixed with evils and falsities, but that nevertheless they are not on this account conjoined, for each shuns the other, and by a law of order each separates itself from the other. For good is of heaven, and evil and falsity are of hell; therefore, as heaven and hell are separate, so also each and all things from them separate themselves.
Elliott(1983-1999) 6724
6724. 'And coated it with bitumen and pitch' means good mingled with evils and falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'bitumen' as good mingled with evils; and from the meaning of 'pitch' as good mingled with falsities. 'Bitumen and 'pitch' have these meanings because they are inflammable, and in the Word that which is inflammable means good, or in the contrary sense evil. But because they have brimstone or sulphur in them and are also black they mean evil and falsity, as in Isaiah,
The day of Jehovah's vengeance - her streams will be turned into pitch, and her dust into brimstone, and her land will become burning pitch. Isa 34:8, 9.
'Pitch' and 'brimstone' stand for falsities and evils. This then is why 'she coated it with bitumen and pitch' means good mingled with evils and falsities.
[2] As regards the actual matter under consideration here, which is that encircling God's truth there was good mingled with evils and falsities, no one can have any understanding unless he knows what goes on during the reformation of a person. While he is being reformed he is, so far as his internal is concerned, preserved by the Lord in a state of goodness and truth; but so far as his external is concerned he is let into his evils and falsities. He is as a consequence among spirits from hell who are governed by such evils and falsities. These spirits flit around him, trying in every way to destroy him. But the goodness and truth that flow into him through his internal give him such protection that the spirits from hell cannot harm him in the slightest, the reason for this being that what acts at a more internal level is immensely superior in strength to that which acts at a more external level. For being purer what is more internal acts on every individual detail of what is more external, and in so doing it adjusts the external to answer its beck and call. But there must in that case be goodness and truth in the external in which influx from the internal can be firmly established. Good can then be among evils and falsities and yet remain safe from harm. Everyone who is being reformed is brought into this state, so that the evil desires and false ideas that govern him are removed and good desires and true ideas are implanted instead.
[3] Without knowledge of this arcanum no one can begin to know why Divine Truth residing with a person has around it forms of good mingled with evils and falsities, meant by the bitumen and pitch with which the little ark in which the infant had been put was coated. It should in addition be recognized that good can be mingled with evils and falsities, but they are not on that account joined together, since one shies away from the other and in keeping with a law of order they separate themselves from one another. For good belongs to heaven and evil and falsity to hell, and therefore just as heaven and hell have been separated, so also does every single thing from them separate itself.
Latin(1748-1756) 6724
6724. `Et bituminavit illam bitumine et pice': quod significet bonum mixtum malis et falsis, constat ex significatione `bituminis' quod sit bonum mixtum malis; et ex significatione `picis' quod sit bonum mixtum falsis; quod `bitumen' et `pix' illa significent, inde est quia in se ignea sunt, et per `igneum' in Verbo significatur bonum, et in opposito sensu malum; sed quia sulfurea sunt et quoque nigra, significant malum et falsum, ut apud Esaiam, Dies ultionis Jehovae, convertentur torrentes ejus in picem, et pulvis ejus in sulfur, et erit terra ejus in picem ardentem, xxxiv 8, 9;`pix' et `sulfur' pro falsis et malis: inde nunc est quod per `bituminavit illam bitumine et pice' significetur bonum mixtum malis et falsis. 2 Quod ipsam rem attinet, quod nempe circum verum Divinum esset bonum mixtum malis et falsis, nemo potest intelligere nisi sciat quomodo se habet cum reformatione hominis; is cum reformatur, quoad internum suum tenetur a Domino in bono et vero, at quoad externum immittitur in sua mala et falsa, consequenter inter spiritus infernales qui in illis malis et falsis sunt, hi circum volitant, et {1}intentant omni modo perdere illum; sed bonum et verum quae per internum influunt illum ita tutum reddunt ut spiritus infernales ne hilum damni queant inferre; quod enim interius agit, hoc immensum praevalet super id quod exterius agit, nam interius quia purius agit in singula ipsaque individua exterioris, et sic externum ad sui nutum disponit; {2}sed tunc erit bonum et verum in externo, in quo influxus ab interno figi potest, ita potest bonum esse inter mala et falsa, et tamen in tuto esse'; in hunc statum mittitur omnis qui reformatur, ita {3} mala et falsa, in quibus est, removentur, ac bona et vera loco illorum {4}inseruntur. 3 Hoc arcanum nisi sciatur, nequaquam sciri potest cur circum Divinum Verum apud hominem sint bona mixta malis et falsis, quae {5}significantur per {6}bitumen et picem, quibus arcula in qua positus fuit infans bituminata fuit. Sciendum porro quod bonum misceri possit cum malis et {7} falsis, sed usque ideo non conjunguntur, unum enim fugit alterum, et ex lege ordinis se a se mutuo {8}separant; bonum enim est caeli, (c)ac malum et falsum est inferni, ideo sicut caelum et infernum (m)separata sunt, ita quoque omnia et singula quae inde se separant.(n) @1 after modo$ @2 non autem agit exterius in interius, n. 6322$ @3 i enim$ @4 implantantur$ @5 significatur$ @6 picem et bitumen$ @7 i cum$ @8 continue removent$