7297.“他们也是埃及的术士，也用邪术照样行了”表他们通过败坏秩序所关注的目的而做了表面相似的事。这从“他们也行了”和“邪术”的含义清楚可知；“他们也行了”当论及埃及的术士时，是指展现出表面相似的某种事物，因为从秩序流出的效果不会因滥用而改变，但只是外在形式上相似，内在形式上并不相似，因为它们违背秩序所关注的目的；“邪术”是指用来败坏秩序的实际诡计。“邪术”和“魔咒”当在圣言中被提及时，表示将虚假表现得像真理，将真理表现得像虚假，尤其通过幻觉来实现的技巧。
这就是以下经文中“邪术”和“魔咒”的含义：
哪知丧子、寡居这两件事，在一日转眼之间必临到你。正在你多行邪术，大施魔咒的时候，这两件事必全然临到你身上。你尽管坚定站在你从幼年劳碌施行的魔咒和你许多的邪术中吧。（以赛亚书47:9，12）
这集论及巴别和迦勒底人。同一先知书：
你们这些巫婆的儿子，奸夫和妓女的种子，都近前到这里来吧！（以赛亚书57:3）
那鸿书：
祸哉！这流人血的城，都因那美貌的妓女多有淫行，惯行邪术，借淫行卖列族，用邪术卖各家。（那鸿书3:1，4）
“这流人血的城”表示对真理的歪曲；“淫行”表示被歪曲的真理之良善；“邪术”表示用来将虚假表现得像真理，真理表现得像虚假的诡计。
玛拉基书：
我必临近你们，施行审判。我必速速作见证，警戒行邪术的、犯奸淫的、起假誓的。（玛拉基书3:5）
启示录：
各族也被你的邪术迷惑了。（启示录18:23）
这论及巴比伦。弥迦书：
我必从你中间剪除马匹，毁坏车辆，也必从你地中除灭城邑，拆毁一切的保障，又必除掉你手中的邪术。（弥迦书5:10-12）
从这些经文明显可知，“邪术”表示将真理表现得像虚假，将虚假表现得像真理的诡计；因为“要被剪除的马匹”表示理解力的事物（参看2761，2762，3217，5321，6125，6534节）；“要被毁坏的车辆”表示真理的教义事物（2760，5321节）；“也必被除灭的地中城邑”表示教会的真理，“城”是指真理（参看2268，2451，2712，2943，4492，4493节），“地”是指教会（662，1067，1262，1733，1850，2117，2118，3355，4447，4535，5577节）；“保障”表示真理，因为它们保护良善。由此可知“从手中被除掉的邪术”表示什么，即表示将真理表现得像虚假，将虚假表现得像真理的诡计；这些诡计也对应于恶人在来世所用的幻觉，他们利用这些幻觉在眼前将美丽的事物表现为丑陋的事物，将丑陋的事物青现为美丽的事物。这些幻觉也是一种邪术，因为它们也是对神性秩序的滥用和颠倒。
Potts(1905-1910) 7297
7297. And they also, the magicians of Egypt, did so with their enchantments. That this signifies the same in appearance by perverting the ends of order, is evident from the signification of "they also did," when said of the magicians of Egypt, as being to present the like in appearance, for things that flow from order are not altered by abuse, but appear the same as to the external form, yet not as to the internal form, for they are contrary to the ends of order; and from the signification of "enchantments," as being the very arts of perverting order. By "sorcerers," and "enchantments," when mentioned in the Word, is signified the art of presenting falsities so that they appear as truths, and of presenting truths so that they appear as falsities, which is especially done by means of fallacies. [2] Such is the signification of "sorceries," and "enchantments," in the following passages:
Yet these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood; in their completeness shall they come upon thee, by reason of the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the exceeding greatness of thine enchantments. Stand firm in thine enchantments, and in the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast labored from thy youth (Isa. 47:9, 12);
speaking of Babel and the Chaldeans. Draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of an adulterer and a harlot (Isa. 57:3). Woe to the city of bloods, for the multitude of the whoredoms of the well-favored* harlot, the mistress of sorceries, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her sorceries (Nah. 3:1, 4). "the city of bloods" denotes the falsification of truth; "whoredoms," the falsified good of truth; "sorceries," the arts of presenting falsities as truths, and truths as falsities. [3] In Malachi:
I will come near to you to judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers (Mal. 3:5). With thine enchantment were all the nations seduced (Rev. 18:23). speaking of Babylon. In Micah:
I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and will destroy thy chariots; and I will cut off the cities of thy land, and will destroy all thy strongholds; and I will cut off sorceries out of thy hand (Micah 5:10-12). From all these passages it is evident that by "sorceries" are signified the arts of presenting truths as falsities, and falsities as truths; for by "the horses that were to be cut off" are signified intellectual things (see n. 2761, 2762, 3217, 5321, 6125, 6534); by "the chariots that were to be destroyed" are signified doctrinal things of truth (n. 2760, 5321); by "the cities of the land that were also to be cut off" are signified the truths of the church (that "cities" are truths, see n. 2268, 2451, 2712, 2943, 4492, 4493; and that "land" is the church, n. 662, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577); by "strongholds" are signified truths insofar as they defend goods. From all this then it can be known what is signified by the "sorceries that were to be cut off from the hand," namely, the arts of presenting truths as falsities, and falsities as truths; these arts also correspond to the phantasies whereby the evil in the other life present before the eyes beautiful things as ugly, and ugly things as beautiful; which phantasies are also a species of sorceries, for they also are abuses and perversions of Divine order. * The Latin here is boni causa, "for the sake of good," and the same reading is found in Arcana Coelestia n. 9188:5. But in n. 6978, Swedenborg writes boni grotia, which would make the phrase read in English "the harlot good in favor," or "the well-favored harlot," as in the English Bible.
Elliott(1983-1999) 7297
7297. 'And they also, the magicians of Egypt, did so with their enchantments' means that thus to outward appearances they did something similar, by perverting the ends that order has in view. This is clear from the meaning of 'they also did', when said in reference to the magicians of Egypt, as presenting something that to outward appearances is similar, for the effects that flow from order are not altered by its misuse but are similar in outward form though they are not similar in inward form since they are contrary to the ends that order has in view; and from the meaning of 'enchantments' as the actual tricks that are used to pervert order. Sorceries and enchantments where they are mentioned in the Word mean the art of presenting falsities to look like truths and of presenting truths to look like falsities, which is done especially by means of illusions.
[2] These things are meant by 'sorceries' and 'enchantments' in the following places: In Isaiah,
But these two things will come to you in a moment in one day - loss of children and widowhood. They will come upon you in their fullness on account of the multitude of your sorceries, because of the very great abundance of your enchantments. Persist in your enchantments, and in the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have laboured from your youth. Isa 47:9, 12.
This refers to Babel and the Chaldeans. In the same prophet,
Draw nearer, sons of the sorceress, seed of the adulterer, and [of her who] committed whoredom. Isa 57:3.
In Nahum,
Woe to the city of blood,a because of the multitude of the acts of whoredom of a harlot of goodly grace,b the mistress of sorceries, the seller of nations through her acts of whoredom, and of families through her sorceries. Nahum 3:1, 4.
'The city of blood' stands for the falsification of truth, 'the acts of whoredom' for falsified good of truth, and 'sorceries' for tricks used to present falsities as truths and truths as falsities.
[3] In Malachi,
I will draw near to you to judgement, and 1 will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against adulterers, and against those who swear falsely. Mal 3:5.
In John,
By your enchantment all nations were led astray. Rev 18:13.
This refers to Babylon. In Micah,
I will cut off your horses from your midst and destroy your chariots, and I will cut off the cities of your land and pull down all your fortifications, and I will cut off sorceries from your hand. Micah 5:12.
From this quotation it is evident that 'sorceries' means tricks used to present truths as falsities and falsities as truths. For by 'the horses' which are to be cut off are meant things of the understanding, 2761, 2762, 7217, 5321, 6125, 6534; by 'the chariots' which are to be destroyed are meant matters of doctrine concerning truth, 2760, 5321; by 'the cities of the land' which are also going to be cut off are meant the Church's truths - 'cities' being truths, 2268, 2451, 2712, 2943, 4492, 4493, and 'the land' the Church, 662, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577; and by 'fortifications' are meant truths insofar as they protect forms of good. From all this one may now know what is meant by the 'sorceries which are to be cut off from their hand, namely tricks used to present truths as falsities and falsities as truths. These tricks also correspond to the delusions which the evil in the next life employ to make a visual presentation of beautiful things as loathsome ones and loathsome things as beautiful ones. These delusions as well are a type of sorceries, since they too are misuses and inversions of Divine order.
Latin(1748-1756) 7297
7297. `Et fecerunt etiam illi, magi Aegypti, incantationibus suis': quod significet ita ad apparentiam simile pervertendo fines ordinis, constat ex significatione `fecerunt etiam illi,' cum dicitur de magis Aegypti, quod sit sistere simile ad apparentiam, nam {1}quae fluunt ex ordine, per abusum non variantur sed apparent similia quoad formam externam, non autem quoad formam internam, nam {2}sunt contra fines ordinis; et ex significatione `incantationum' quod sint ipsae {3}artes pervertendi ordinem; per praestigias et incantationes in Verbo, ubi memorantur, significatur ars sistendi falsa ut appareant sicut vera, ac sistendi vera ut appareant sicut falsa, 2 quod imprimis fit per fallacias; illa significantur per `praestigias' et {4} `incantationes' in sequentibus his locis: apud Esaiam, Atqui venient tibi duo illa momento in die uno, orbitas et viduitas, in perfectione sua venient super te, propter multitudinem praestigiarum tuarum, ob magnitudinem incantationum tuarum plurimam: persta in incantationibus tuis, et in multitudine praestigiarum tuarum, in quibus laborasti a juventute tua, xlvii 9, 12;ibi de Babele et Chaldaeis: apud eundem, Accedite huc, filii praestigiatricis, semen adulteri, et scortata est, lvii 3:
apud Nahum, Vae urbi sanguinum! prae multitudine scortationum scorti, boni causa, magistrae praestigiarum, vendentes gentes per scortationes suas, et familias per praestigias suas, iii [1,] 4;
`urbs sanguinum' pro veri falsificatione, `scortationes' pro falsificato bono veri, `praestigiae' pro artibus sistendi falsa ut vera et vera ut falsa: 3 apud Malachiam, Accedam ad vos in judicium, et ero testis festinans contra praestigiatores, et contra adulteros, et contra jurantes falso, iii 5:
apud Johannem, Incantatione tua seductae sunt omnes gentes, Apoc. xviii 23;
ibi de Babylone: apud Micham, Exscindam equos tuos e medio tui, et perdam currus tuos, et exscindam urbes terrae tuae, et destruam omnia munimenta tua, et exscindam praestigias e manu tua, v 9-11 [A.V. 10-12];
ex his patet quod per `praestigias' significentur artes sistendi vera ut falsa et falsa ut vera, nam per `equos' qui exscindendi significantur intellectualia, n. 2761, 2762, 3217, 5321, 6125, 6534; per `currus' qui perdendi significantur doctrinalia veri, n. 2760, 5321; per `urbes terrae' quae etiam exscindendae significantur vera Ecclesiae; quod urbes sint vera, n. 2268, (x)2451, 2712, 2943, 4492, 4493, et quod terra sit Ecclesia, n. 662, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577; per `munimenta' significantur vera quatenus defendunt bona; inde nunc sciri potest quid per `praestigias' quae e manu exscindendae sunt significatur, quod nempe artes sistendi vera ut falsa et falsa ut vera; {5}hae artes etiam correspondent phantasiis per quas mali in altera vita sistunt coram oculis pulchra sicut foeda et foeda sicut pulchra, quae phantasiae etiam species praestigiarum sunt, nam sunt quoque abusus et inversiones ordinis Divini. @1 ordo per abusum quoad formam externam apparet sibi similis$ @2 est$ @3 inversiones ordinis actu$ @4 i per$ @5 fiunt etiam tales artes per abusus et inversiones ordinis Divini, quae quod sint incantationes et praestigiae supra dictum est; nam leges ordinis sunt Divina vera$