6997.“耶和华的怒气向摩西发作”表宽容。这从“耶和华的怒气”的含义清楚可知，“耶和华的怒气”不是指怒气，而是指怒气的对立面，也就是仁慈，在此是指宽容。耶和华并没有任何怒气，这一点从以下事实明显看出来：祂是爱本身，良善本身和仁慈本身；怒气是对立面，也是一种不适用于神的软弱。因此，在圣言中，当“怒气”论及耶和华或主时，天使并不理解为怒气，而是要么理解为仁慈，要么理解为将恶人从天堂移除，在此则理解为宽容，因为这话是对摩西说的，而摩西代表主在世时神性真理方面的祂。
在圣言中，“怒气”之所以被归于耶和华或主，是因为最一般的真理，即：一切事物皆来自神，无论恶的还是善的。但这个必须教给小孩子、青少年和简单人的最一般真理以后必须予以澄清。也就是说，必须说明：邪恶来自人，尽管它们看似来自神，经上如此说，是为了叫他们学习敬畏神，免得他们因自己所行的恶事而灭亡，然后才可爱祂。敬畏必在爱之前，好叫爱有神圣的敬畏在里面。因为当敬畏被注入爱时，它因爱的神圣而变得神圣。一旦它变得神圣，就不是害怕主会发怒并惩罚他们了，而是害怕他们违背良善本身，因为这样做会折磨他们的良心。
此外，以色列人和犹太人通过惩罚被迫在外在形式上遵守律例和诫命；这使得他们以为耶和华会发怒并惩罚他们；而事实上，是他们自己通过偶像崇拜而给自己招来这些事，并使得自己与天堂隔绝。他们自己的行为给自己招来惩罚；正如以赛亚书所说的：
乃是你们的罪孽使你们与神隔绝。你们的罪恶使祂掩面不顾你们。（以赛亚书59:2）
由于以色列人和犹太人唯独处于没有内在的外在，所以他们持守这样的观点：耶和华发怒并惩罚他们。处于没有内在的外在之人做一切事都是出于惧怕，而不是出于爱。
由此可见在圣言中，“耶和华的怒气和忿怒”表示什么，即表示惩罚；如以赛亚书：
看哪，耶和华的名从远方来，重担沉重；祂的嘴唇满有忿恨；祂的舌头像燃烧的火。（以赛亚书30:27）
“怒气”表示责备和警告，免得邪恶毁灭他们。又：
我的怒气涨溢，顷刻之间向你掩面。（以赛亚书54:8）
“怒气涨溢”表示试探，在试探期间，邪恶会带来痛苦和折磨。耶利米书“
我要在怒气、忿怒和大恼恨中，用伸出来的手，并大能的膀臂，亲自攻击你们；恐怕我的忿怒因你们的恶行发作，如火着起、焚烧，甚至无人能以熄灭。（耶利米书21:5，12）
又：
正是拿死尸充满这房屋，就是我在怒气和忿怒中所杀的人。（耶利米书33:5）
西番雅书：
我要将我的忿恨，我怒气的一切忿怒都倾在他们身上；因为全地都要在我的热火中被吞灭。（西番雅书3:8）
诗篇：
祂打发猛烈的怒气、忿恨、烈怒和苦难，又差派一群降灾的使者临到他们。（诗篇78:49）
除此之外还有许多其它经文，在这些经文如在上述经文一样，“怒气”、“忿怒”、“烈怒”、“火”表示人在陷入邪恶时将自己所投入的惩罚或诅咒。因为按照神性秩序，良善伴随赏赐，因此，邪恶伴随惩罚，因为它们是连在一起的。惩罚和诅咒也由“耶和华发怒的日子”（以赛亚书13:9，13；耶利米哀歌2:1；西番雅书2:3；启示录6:17；11:18），以及“神烈怒的酒”和“神愤怒的杯”（耶利米书25:15，28；启示录14:10；16:19）来表示，同样由“神烈怒的大酒榨”（启示录14:19；19:15）来表示。
“怒气（经上或译愤怒）”表示惩罚和诅咒，这一点也明显可见于这些经文：
毒蛇的孽种啊！谁指示你们逃避将来的愤怒呢？（马太福音3:7）
约翰福音：
不信子的人不得见永生，神的愤怒常在他身上。（约翰福音3:36）
路加福音：
到末了的时候，将有大灾难降在这地，也有愤怒临到这民。（路加福音21:23）
从这些经文明显可知，“耶和华的怒气或愤怒”表示惩罚和诅咒。“怒气或愤怒”之所以表示宽容和仁慈，是因为对邪恶的一切惩罚都起因于主对善人的仁慈，以保护他们不受恶人伤害。然而，主并不惩罚恶人，而是他们惩罚自己。因为在来世，邪恶与惩罚是连在一起的。当主施仁慈与善人时，恶人尤其惩罚自己，因为在这种时候，邪恶和由此而来的惩罚在增加。这解释了为何天使将表示惩罚邪恶的“耶和华的怒气或愤怒”理解为仁慈。
由此可见圣言在字义上是何性质，以及神的真理在其最一般形式上是什么样子，即：它照表象来呈现事物。这是因为人具有这样的性质：他用感官所看见和明白的，他信；但他无法用感官所看见或明白的，他就不信并因此不接受。这就是为何字义上的圣言照表象来呈现事物；然而，圣言拥有隐藏在其更内层的至深处的纯正真理；直接从主发出的神性真理本身，因而神性良善，也就是主自己，就隐藏在它至内在的最深处。
Potts(1905-1910) 6997
6997. And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Moses. That this signifies clemency, is evident from the signification of "the anger of Jehovah," as not being anger, but the opposite of anger, thus mercy, and here clemency. That Jehovah has not any anger is evident from the fact that He is love itself, good itself, and mercy itself; and anger is the opposite, and also is a weakness, which cannot be applicable to God; and therefore when in the Word "anger" is predicated of Jehovah or the Lord, the angels do not perceive anger, but either mercy or the removal of the evil from heaven; here clemency, because it is said to Moses, by whom is represented the Lord as to Divine truth when He was in the world. [2] That in the Word "anger" is attributed to Jehovah or the Lord is because it is a most general truth that all things come from God, thus evil things as well as good. But this most general truth, which must be taught to children, youths, and the simple, should afterward be illustrated, that is, by showing that evils are from man, though they appear as if from God, and that it is so said in order that they may learn to fear God, lest they should perish by the evils which they themselves do; and afterward may love Him; for fear must precede love in order that in love there may be holy fear. For when fear is instilled in love, it becomes holy from the holy of love; and then it is not fear of the Lord's being angry and punishing, but lest they should act against good itself, because this will torment the conscience. [3] Moreover, the Israelites and Jews were driven by punishments to observe the statutes and precepts in outward form; and from this they believed that Jehovah was angry and punished, when yet it was themselves who by idolatries brought such things upon them, and separated themselves from heaven; whence came punishments; as is also said in Isaiah:
It is your iniquities that have separated between you and your God; and your sins do hide His faces from you (Isa. 59:2). And as the Israelites and Jews were solely in externals without an internal, they were therefore held in the opinion that Jehovah was angry and punished; for they who are in externals without an internal do all things from fear, and nothing from love. [4] From all this it can now be seen what is meant in the Word by the "anger and wrath of Jehovah," namely, punishments; as in these passages:
Behold the name of Jehovah cometh from far, burning with His anger, and the heaviness of a burden; His lips are full of indignation, and His tongue is as a burning fire (Isa. 30:27);
where "anger" denotes reproof and warning lest they should perish through evils. Again:
In an inundation of anger I hid My faces from thee for a moment (Isa. 54:8);
"an inundation of anger" denotes temptation, in which evils vex and torment. In Jeremiah:
I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand, and with a strong arm, and in anger, and in fury, and in great indignation; lest My fury go forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the wickedness of your works (Jer. 21:5, 12). Again:
To fill with the carcasses of the men whom I have smitten in Mine anger, and in My wrath (Jer. 33:5). Also:
I will pour out upon them Mine indignation, all the wrath of Mine anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My zeal (Zeph. 3:8). He sent on them the wrath of His anger, indignation, and fury, and distress, and a sending of evil angels (Ps. 78:49). [5] Besides many other passages, in which, as in the above, by "anger," "wrath," "fury," "fire," are meant punishments and damnations, into which man casts himself when into evils; for it is of Divine order that goods are attended with rewards; and hence it is that evils are attended with punishments, because they are conjoined together. Punishment and damnation are also meant by "the day of the anger of Jehovah" (Isa. 13:9, 13; Lam. 2:1; Zeph. 2:3; Rev. 6:17; 11:18); also by "the wine of the anger of God," and by "the cup of the anger of God" (Jer. 25:15, 28; Rev. 14:10; 16:19); and likewise by "the winepress of the anger and fury of God" (Rev. 14:19; 19:15). [6] That punishment and damnation are signified by "anger," is also evident in these passages:
Offspring of vipers! Who hath warned you to flee from the anger to come? (Matt. 3:7). He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the anger of God abideth on him (John 3:36). In the last time there shall be great distress upon the land, and anger on this people (Luke 21:23). From these passages it is plain that by the "anger of Jehovah" are signified punishments and damnations. That by "anger" is meant clemency and mercy, is because all the punishments of the evil arise from the mercy of the Lord toward the good, lest these should be harmed by the evil; yet the Lord does not impose the punishments on them, but they do so upon themselves, for in the other life evils and punishments are conjoined together. Especially do the evil impose punishments on themselves when the Lord does mercy to the good, for then evils increase upon them, and consequently punishments. It is from this that instead of the "anger of Jehovah," by which are signified the punishments of the evil, the angels understand mercy. [7] From all this it can be seen what is the nature of the Word in the sense of the letter, and also what Divine truth is in its most general form, namely, that it is according to appearances; and this for the reason that man is such that what he sees and apprehends from his sensuous, he believes; and what he does not see nor apprehend from his sensuous, he does not believe; thus does not receive. Hence it is that the Word in the sense of the letter is according to things that so appear; and yet it has genuine truths stored up in its inward bosom; and in its inmost bosom, the truth Divine itself which proceeds immediately from the Lord; thus also Divine good, that is, the Lord Himself.
Elliott(1983-1999) 6997
6997. 'And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Moses' means leniency. This is clear from the meaning of 'the anger of Jehovah' as not anger but the opposite of anger, which is mercy or in this instance leniency. The absence of any anger in Jehovah is evident from the consideration that He is love itself, goodness itself, and mercy itself, while anger is the opposite and is also a failing, which is inapplicable to God. For this reason when anger in the Word is attributed to Jehovah or the Lord, the angels do not discern anger but either mercy or the removal of the wicked from heaven. Here they discern leniency because what is said is addressed to Moses, who represents the Lord when He was in the world in respect of Divine Truth.
[2] The Word attributes anger to Jehovah or the Lord because of the very general truth that all things come from God, thus the bad as well as the good. But this very general truth, which young children, older ones, and simple people need to have, must at a later stage be clarified. That is to say, it must be shown that bad things are assignable to man, though they may seem to be assignable to God, and have been declared to be so to the end that people may learn to fear God, so as not to be destroyed by wicked things they themselves do, and may then come to love Him. Fear must come before love in order that love may have holy fear within it; for when fear is instilled into love that fear is made holy by the holiness of love. Once it is made holy it is not a fear that the Lord will be angry and punish them, but a fear that they may act contrary to Goodness itself; for to do that will torment their conscience.
[3] Furthermore it was by means of punishments that the Israelites and the Jews were compelled to fulfill the external and formal requirements of religious laws and commands. This led them to think that Jehovah was angry and punished them, when in fact they themselves through their idolatrous behaviour were the ones who brought such things upon themselves and cut themselves off from heaven. Their own behaviour brought about their punishments, as it also says in Isaiah,
Your iniquities cause division between you and your God; and your sins hide [His] face from you. Isa 59:1.
And since the Israelites and the Jews were confined to the fulfillment of external requirements and knew nothing internal they continued to believe that Jehovah was angry and punished them. For people who concern themselves only with things of an external nature but not with anything internal do everything out of fear and nothing out of love.
[4] From all this one may now see what 'the anger' and 'the wrath' of Jehovah are used to mean in the Word, namely punishments, as in Isaiah,
Behold, the name of Jehovah comes from afar, burning with His anger, and the heaviness of the burden. His lips are full of indignation, and His tongue like a burning fire. Isa 30:27.
'Anger' stands for reproof, and for a warning in order that evils may not destroy them. In the same prophet,
In an overflowing of anger I hid My face from you for a moment. Isa 54:8.
'An overflowing of anger' stands for temptation, during which evils bring pain and torment. In Jeremiah,
I Myself will fight with you with an outstretched hand and a strong arm, and in anger, and in fury, and in great indignation. Lest My fury go forth like fire, and burn so that there is none to quench it because of the wickedness of your works. Jer 21:5, 12.
In the same prophet,
. . . to fill those places with the corpses of people whom I smote in My anger and in My wrath. Jer 33:5.
In Zephaniah,
I will pour out onto them My indignation, all My fierce anger,a for in the fire of My zeal the whole earth will be devoured. Zeph 3:8.
In David,
He let loose on them His fierce anger,b indignation, fury, distress, and a mission of evil angels. Ps 78:49.
[5] In addition to these there are many other places in which, as in these, 'anger , 'wrath', 'fury', and 'fire' are used to mean states of punishment or damnation into which a person casts himself when he enters into evil ways. For it is in keeping with Divine order that rewards should go with ways that are good, and therefore that punishments should go with those that are evil, so much so that they are bound up in one another. Punishment and damnation are also meant by the day of Jehovah's anger in Isa 13:9,17; Lam 2:1; Zeph 2:3; Rev 6:17; 11:18; also by the wine of God's anger and the cup of God's anger in Jer 25:15, 28; Rev 14:10; 16:19; as well as by the winepress of God's anger and fury in Rev 14:19; 19:15.
[6] The fact that punishment and damnation are meant by 'anger' is also evident in Matthew,
Brood of vipers, who has shown you to flee from the anger to come? Matt 3:7.
In John,
He who does not believe in the Son will not see life, but the anger of God rests upon him. John 3:36.
In Luke,
In the final period there will be great distress over the earth, and anger on that people. Luke 21:23.
From these places it is evident that 'the anger of Jehovah' means forms of punishment and damnation. The reason why 'anger' is used to mean leniency and mercy is that all forms of punishment that the evil suffer arise because of the Lord's mercy shown towards the good to protect them from harm done by the evil. Yet the Lord does not inflict punishments on the evil; rather, it is they who inflict them on themselves since evils and forms of punishment in the next life are bound up with one another. The evil especially inflict punishments on themselves when the Lord acts mercifully towards the good, for at such times the evils and the resulting punishments are on the increase in them. This explains why instead of 'the anger of Jehovah', which means forms of punishment suffered by the evil, angels understand mercy.
[7] From all this one may recognize what the Word in the sense of the letter is like and also what God's truth in its most general form is like - that it presents matters in ways that accord with outward appearances. The reason for this is that man is by nature such that he believes what he can see and apprehend with his senses, but does not believe and for that reason does not accept what he cannot see or apprehend with his senses. This is why the Word in the sense of the letter presents matters in accordance with outward appearances; nevertheless it has genuine truths concealed in its more internal recesses, while in its inmost recesses it conceals God's truth itself going forth directly from the Lord, and so Divine Good, which is the Lord Himself.
Latin(1748-1756) 6997
6997. `Et accensa ira Jehovae in Moschen': quod significet clementiam, constat ex significatione `irae Jehovae' quod non sit ira sed irae oppositum, ita misericordia, hic clementia; quod Jehovae non sit aliqua ira, patet ex eo quod sit ipse amor, ipsum bonum, et ipsa misericordia, et ira est oppositum, et quoque est infirmum quod non cadere potest in Deum; quapropter cum ira in Verbo praedicatur de Jehovah seu Domino, angeli non percipiunt iram sed vel misericordiam, vel remotionem malorum e caelo; hic clementiam quia dicitur ad Moschen, per quem repraesentatur Dominus cum in mundo fuit, quoad Divinum Verum. 2 Quod tribuatur Jehovae seu Domino ira in Verbo, est quia communissimum verum est quod omnia a Deo veniant, ita tam mala quam bona, {1} at communissimum hoc verum quod erit infantibus, pueris, simplicibus, postmodum illustrabitur, nempe quod mala sint ab homine sed quod appareant sicut a Deo, et quod ita dictum sit ob causam ut discant timere Deum ne a malis quae ipsi faciunt pereant, et postmodum possint amare Ipsum, nam timor praecedet amorem ut in amore sit sanctus timor; cum enim timor insinuatur amori, fit ille sanctus a sancto amoris, et tunc non est timor pro Domino quod irascetur et puniet, sed ne contra Ipsum Bonum faciant, quia hoc cruciabit conscientiam. 3 Praeterea Israelitae et Judaei adigebantur ad observanda statuta et praecepta in externa forma per punitiones, et inde credebant quod Jehovah irasceretur et puniret, cum tamen essent ipsi qui per idololatrias sibi talia inducebant, {2} et [se] separabant a caelo, unde punitiones, ut quoque dicitur apud Esaiam, Iniquitates vestrae sunt dividentes inter vos et Deum vestrum; et peccata vestra abscondunt facies a vobis, lix 2:et quia Israelitae et Judaei modo in externis erant absque interno, ideo tenebantur in opinione quod Jehovah {3}irasceretur et puniret; (d)nam qui in externis sunt absque interno, ex timore omnia {4}faciunt, et ex amore nihil. 4 Ex his nunc constare potest quid per `iram' et `excandescentiam Jehovae' in Verbo intelligitur, quod nempe punitiones, ut apud Esaiam, Ecce nomen Jehovae venit e longinquo, ardens ira Ipsius, et gravitas oneris; labia Ipsius plena sunt indignatione, et lingua Ipsius sicut ignis ardens, xxx 27;
`ira' pro redargutione, et admonitione ne {5}per mala pereant: apud eundem, In inundatione irae abscondi facies Meas momento a te, liv 8;
`inundatio irae' pro tentatione, in qua mala angunt et cruciant: apud Jeremiam, Pugnabo Ego Ipse (x)vobiscum, per manum extensam, et per brachium forte, et in ira, et in furore, et in indignatione magna: ne exeat sicut ignis furor Meus, ardeatque ut non exstinguens, propter malitiam operum vestrorum, xxi 5, 12;
apud eundem, Ad implendum eas cadaveribus hominum quos percussi in ira Mea et in excandescentia Mea xxxiii 5:
apud Zephaniam, Effundam super eos indignationem Meam, omnem excandescentiam irae Meae, (x)quia in igne zeli Mei comedetur tota terra, iii 8:
apud Davidem, Misit in illos excandescentiam irae Suae, indignationem, et furorem, et angustiam, et immissionem angelorum malorum, Ps. lxxviii 49;
5 praeter multis aliis in locis, in quibus, ut in his, per `iram,' `excandescentiam,' `furorem,' `ignem,' intelliguntur punitiones et damnationes, in quas (t)se homo {6}conjicit cum in mala, nam ex ordine Divino bona secum habent remunerationes, inde est quod mala secum habeant punitiones, adeo ut sint conjuncta; punitio et damnatio etiam {7}intelliguntur per diem irae Jehovae, Esai. xiii 9, 13; Threni ii 1; Zeph. ii 3; Apoc. vi 17, xi 18; tum per vinum irae Dei, perque calicem irae Dei, Jer. xxv 15, 28; Apoc. xiv 10, xvi 19; {8}ut et per torcular irae et furoris Dei, Apoc. xiv 19, xix 15. 6 Quod punitio et damnatio per iram {9}significentur, patet quoque apud Matthaeum, Progenies viperarum, quis demonstravit vobis fugituros a futura ira? iii 7:
{10} apud Johannem, Qui non credit Filio non videbit vitam, sed ira Dei manet super illo, iii 36:
{10} apud Lucam, In ultimo tempore erit angustia magna super terra, et ira in populo hoc, xxi 23;
(s)ex his locis patet quod per `iram Jehovae' significentur punitiones et damnationes; quod per `iram' intelligatur clementia et misericordia, est inde quia omnes punitiones malorum existunt ex misericordia Domini erga bonos, ne hi a malis laedantur; sed Dominus non irrogat illis punitiones, sed illi sibi ipsis, nam mala ac poenae in altera vita conjuncta sunt; mali imprimis sibi irrogant punitiones cum Dominus misericordiam facit bonis, nam tunc illis mala accrescunt, et inde poenae; inde est quod pro `ira Jehovae,' per quam significantur punitiones malorum, ab angelis intelligatur misericordia.(s) 7 Ex his constare potest quale est Verbum in sensu litterae, tum quale est verum Divinum in suo communissimo, quod nempe sit secundum apparentias; ex causa quia homo talis est ut quod videt, et ex sensuali suo capit, credat, et quod non videt, nec ex sensuali suo capit, non credat, ita non recipiat; inde est quod Verbum in sensu litterae sit secundum illa quae apparent, sed usque in interiore suo sinu recondita habeat genuina vera, et in intimo sinu Ipsum verum Divinum quod procedit immediate a Domino, ita quoque Divinum Bonum, hoc est, Ipsum Dominum. @1 i et si quis mala facit, quod irascatur, et si bona quod gaudeat$ @2 i associabant enim se per illas infernis,$ @3 puniret et irasceretur$ @4 facient$ @5 propter$ @6 injicit$ @7 intelligitur$ @8 tum$ @9 significetur$ @10 i et$