6989.“耳聋”表没有对真理的领悟，因而没有遵从。这从“耳聋”的含义清楚可知，“耳聋”（经上或译为聋子）是指那些不明白何为真理，因而不遵从它的人，因此在抽象意义上表示没有对真理的领悟，因而没有遵从。“耳聋”（经上或译为聋子）之所以具有这种含义，是因为听觉既对应于领悟，也对应于遵从：对应于领悟，是因为人所听见的，他就从内心去领悟；对应于遵从，是因为他出于这种领悟知道当如何去行。这就是“听”和“耳朵”的对应关系（参看3869，4652-4660，5017节）。由此可见“耳聋或聋子”表示什么。在圣言中，“聋子”也表示因没有而不知道信之真理，因此无法照这些真理生活的外邦人；然而，当接受教导时，他们就会接受它们，并照之生活。以赛亚书中所指的，就是这些人：
那时，瞎子的眼必睁开，聋子的耳必开通。（以赛亚书35:5）
又：
你们这耳聋的，听吧！你们这眼瞎的，看吧！（以赛亚书42:18）
又：
到那日，聋子必听见这书上的话；瞎子的眼必从迷蒙黑暗中得以看见。（以赛亚书29:18）
又：
你要将有眼而瞎、有耳而聋的民都带出来。（以赛亚书43:8）
此处“聋子”表示那些通过主的降临而进入接受信之真理，也就是领悟并遵从它们的状态之人。主所治愈的“聋子”（马可福音7:31至末尾；9:25）所表相同。由于“聋子”表示这种人，所以有代表性教会建于其中的人“不可咒骂聋子，也不可将绊脚石放在瞎子面前”（利未记19:14）。
Potts(1905-1910) 6989
6989. Or deaf. That this signifies no perception of truth, and consequently no obedience, is evident from the signification of the "deaf," as being those who do not perceive what truth is, and consequently do not obey; thus abstractedly, no perception of truth, and consequently no obedience. That the "deaf" have this signification is because hearing corresponds both to perception and to obedience - to perception because what is heard is inwardly perceived, and to obedience because it is thence known what ought to be done. (That this is the correspondence of hearing, and also of the ear, see n. 3869, 4652-4660, 5017.) Hence it is evident what is signified by the "deaf." In the Word by the "deaf" are also signified the nations which do not know the truths of faith, because they have not the Word, and therefore they cannot live according to these truths; nevertheless when they have been instructed, they receive them and live according to them. These are meant in Isaiah:
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be opened (Isa. 35:5). Hear ye deaf, and look ye blind, seeing (Isa. 42:18). In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book; and out of thick darkness, and out of darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see (Isa. 29:18). Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears (Isa. 43:8);
by the "deaf" are here meant those who by the coming of the Lord came into a state of receiving the truths of faith, that is, of perceiving them and obeying them. The same are signified by the "deaf" whom the Lord healed (Mark 7:31 seq.; 9:25). Because the "deaf" signified such, it was forbidden those with whom the representative church was instituted "to curse the deaf and to put a stumbling-block before the blind" (Lev. 19:14).
Elliott(1983-1999) 6989
6989. 'Or the deaf' means lack of discernment of truth and consequently lack of obedience. This is clear from the meaning of 'the deaf' as those who do not discern what truth is and consequently do not obey it, thus in an abstract sense a lack of discernment of truth and consequently a lack of obedience. 'The deaf' means these things because the sense of hearing corresponds both to discernment and to obedience - to discernment because what a person hears is discerned by him inwardly, and to obedience because from that discernment he knows how he ought to act. For the fact that this is the correspondence of 'hearing' and also 'the ear', see 3869, 4652-4660, 5017. From this one may see what is meant by those who are 'deaf'. In the Word those who are 'deaf' also mean gentiles who, because they do not have the Word, do not know the truths of faith and therefore cannot lead lives in accordance with them, yet when they have been taught them, accept them and lead lives in accordance with them. These are meant in Isaiah,
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be opened. Isa 35:5.
In the same prophet,
Hear, you deaf, and look and see, you blind. Isa 42:18-20.
In the same prophet,
On that day the deaf will hear the words of a book, and out of thick darkness and out of darkness the eyes of the blind will see. Isa 29:18.
In the same prophet,
Bring forth the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears. Isa 43:8, 9.
Here 'the deaf' is used to mean those who through the Lord's Coming were to come into a state in which they accepted the truths of faith, that is, discerned them and obeyed them. The same people are meant by the deaf whom the Lord healed, spoken of in Mark 7:31-end; 9:25. Because the deaf meant that kind of people those among whom the representative Church had been established were forbidden to curse the deaf or put a stumbling-block before the blind, Lev 19:14.
Latin(1748-1756) 6989
6989. `Aut surdum' significat non perceptionem veri, et inde non oboedientiam; constat ex significatione `surdi' quod sint qui non percipiunt quid verum, et inde non oboediunt, ita abstracte non perceptio veri et inde non oboedientia; quod `surdus' illa significet, est quia `auditus' correspondet et perceptioni et oboedientiae; perceptioni quia illa quae audiuntur intus percipiuntur, et oboedientiae quia inde noscitur quid faciendum; quod illa correspondentia sit `auditus' et quoque `auris,' videatur n. 3869, 4652-4660, 5017; inde patet quid per `surdos' significatur. In Verbo {1}per `surdos' significantur etiam gentes quae non sciunt vera fidei quia non habent Verbum, et ideo non possunt vivere secundum illa; at usque cum instructi sunt, recipiunt illa et vivunt secundum illa; hi intelliguntur apud Esaiam, Tunc aperientur oculi caecorum, et aures surdorum aperientur, xxxv 5:apud eundem, Surdi audite, et caeci spectate videndo, xlii 18-20:
apud eundem, Audient in die illo surdi verba libri, et ex caligine, eque tenebris oculi caecorum videbunt, xxix 18:
apud eundem, Educ populum caecum cui oculi sunt, et surdos quibus aures, xliii 8, 9;
per `surdos' ibi intelliguntur qui per Adventum Domini venirent in statum recipiendi vera fidei, hoc est, percipiendi illa et oboediendi illis. Iidem per surdos quos Dominus sanavit significantur, de quibus Marc. vii 31 ad fin., ix 25. {2} Quia surdi tales significabant, vetitum fuit illis apud quos Ecclesia repraesentativa instituta fuit `maledicere surdo, et coram caeco dare offendiculum,' Lev. xix 14. @1 ubi nominantur, per illos$ @2 i et$