734、前一章（创世记6:13-22）论述了理解力的真理，在被称为挪亚的教会成员重生之前，主就将这真理提供给了他；而本章1-5节论述了意愿的良善，主也将这良善赋予了他。由于论述的是这两者，所以看上去像是重复。但现在6-11节论述的是他的试探，本节特别论述的是试探的最初状态，因而是试探的开始。谁都能看出又出现了重复，因为本节说，当洪水泛滥在地上的时候，“挪亚是六百岁的儿子”，而第11节说，“当挪亚生命的六百岁，二月，就是那月的十七日”。还有，第7节说，挪亚，他的儿子及其妻子都进入方舟，第13节说了同样的话。再者，8-9节说，牲畜到挪亚那里进入方舟，14-16节也说了同样的话。由此明显可知，这一节同样是前面的话的一个重复。那些仅持守字义的人只知道这是一个历史事件的重复。但此处和别处一样，没有一个字是多余的，或毫无意义的，因为这是主的圣言。因此，若非有另外的含义，就不会有任何重复。事实上，此处和前面（641，652-654，670节）一样，意思是说，这是最初的试探，涉及他的理解力的事物；而此后的试探涉及他的意愿的事物。对一个将要重生的人来说，这些试探接踵而来。因为涉及理解力事物的试探完全不同于涉及意愿事物的试探。涉及理解力事物的试探是温和的，而涉及意愿事物的试探是严厉的。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]734. Earlier sections talked about the truth in the intellect with which the Lord supplied members of the Noah church before they could regenerate (Genesis 6:13-22) and about the good in the will that the Lord also gave them (Genesis 7:1-5).{*1} Because the text deals with both, it seems to repeat itself.
The theme here, though, is the trials those people underwent, and at this point it is the first stage and so the onset of trial (verses 6-11). As anyone can see, redundancy enters in once again. The current verse says that Noah was a son of six hundred years when the Flood took place on the earth, while verse 11 says it happened in the six hundredth year of his life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day. Again, verse 7 says that Noah entered the ark with his sons and the wives, while verse 13 below says the same; and verses 8-9 say that the animals entered to Noah in the ark, while verses 14-15, and 16 say the same thing as well. So the present chapter clearly engages in the same kind of repetition of earlier material.
No one who sticks to the literal meaning alone can see any other possibility beyond the fact that some narrative element is being repeated in this way. Here as elsewhere, however, there is not a single syllable that is extraneous or frivolous, because it is the Lord's Word; so repetition never occurs unless it symbolizes something additional. At this point, as before, it means that there is a first testing, which is a testing of our intellectual side, and then a testing of our motives [641, 652-654, 670].
The two kinds of trial follow each other in the person who is regenerating. It is one thing, after all, to face a challenge to our intellect and quite another to face one to our motives. A challenge to the workings of our intellect is slight; a challenge to the workings of our will is serious.
Footnotes:
{*1} For the passages to which Swedenborg refers here on the truth in the intellect, see 640-642, 651-658; for the passages on the good in the will, see 701, 709-710, 713-721, 732. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 734
734. In the preceding chapter (Gen. 6:13-22) the truths of the understanding are treated of, in which the man of the church called "Noah" was instructed by the Lord before he was regenerated; and next in this chapter (verses 1-5), the goods of the will are treated of, with which also he was endowed by the Lord. As both are treated of, it appears like a repetition. But now in verses 6 to 11 his temptation is treated of, and here the first state and thus the beginning of temptation; and, as everyone can see, a repetition occurs again. For it is said in this verse that "Noah was a son of six hundred years" when the flood came upon the earth; and in the eleventh verse that it was "in the six-hundredth year of his life, in the second month, in the seventeenth day of the month." And so in the seventh verse it is said that Noah went into the ark with his sons and their wives, and likewise in the thirteenth verse. Again it is said in the eighth and ninth verses that the beasts went in unto Noah into the ark; and also in verses 14 to 16. From which it is evident that here too there is a repetition of what was said before. Those who abide in the sense of the letter alone cannot know but that it is a matter of history thus repeated. But here as elsewhere there is not the least word that is superfluous and vain; for it is the Word of the Lord. There is therefore no repetition, except with another signification. And here, in fact, as before, the signification is that it is the first temptation, which is temptation as to things of his understanding; but afterwards it is his temptation as to things of the will. These temptations follow one after the other with him who is to be regenerated. For to be tempted as to things of the understanding is quite another thing from being tempted as to what is of the will. Temptation as to things of the understanding is light; but temptation as to things of the will is severe.
Elliott(1983-1999) 734
734. In what has gone before, verses 13-end of the previous chapter dealt with truths of the understanding which the member of the Church called Noah was supplied with by the Lord prior to his being regenerated, while verses 1-5 of this chapter deal after that with goods of the will, which were also conferred on him by the Lord. And because both are dealt with it looks like a repetition. Now however verses 6-11 deal with the temptation of that man, the present verse in particular dealing with the first state and so with the onset of temptation. And anyone is able to see that further repetition occurs, for in this verse it is said that 'Noah was a son of six hundred years when the flood came to be over the earth' but in verse 11 that it occurred 'in the six hundredth year of his life, in the second month, and on the seventeenth day'. So too with verse 7 in which it is said that 'Noah entered into the ark with his sons and their wives' and the similar statement in verse 13 later on. Also verses 8, 9, in which it is said that the beasts entered into the ark to Noah' and the similar statements in verses 14-16 From these considerations it is clear that this verse is in like manner a repetition of matters that have appeared already. What more can anyone see who keeps to the sense of the letter alone except the repetition of some historical event? But here as in other places not one tiny word is in any way superfluous or meaningless, for it is the Lord's Word. There is not any repetition therefore unless it is used to mean something different from before. In fact here, as previously, it is initial temptation, which involves things of his understanding, that is meant, and after that temptation of him as regards things of his will. With anyone who is to be regenerated these temptations are consecutive, for being tempted as regards things of the understanding is altogether different from being tempted as regards those of the will. Temptation as regards things of the understanding is mild, whereas temptation as regards those of the will is severe.
Latin(1748-1756) 734
734. In praecedentibus actum est de intellectualibus veris quibus homo Ecclesiae Noahus dictae a Domino instructus fuit antequam regeneraretur, cap. praec. vers. 13 ad f.; et dein de voluntariis bonis quibus etiam a Domino donatus, in hoc cap. a vers. 1 ad 5; ubi quia de utrisque agitur, apparet sicut repetitio. Nunc autem agitur de tentatione ejus, et quidem hic de primo statu et sic de incohamento tentationis, a vers. 6 ad 11; et quod quisque videre potest, iterum occurrit repetitio; nam in hoc versu dicitur quod 'Noah fuit filius sexcentorum annorum, cum factum diluvium super terra', sed in vers. 11, quod 'in anno sexcentesimo vitae ejus, mense secundo, et decimo septimo die': pariter vers. seq. 7, quod 'intraverit Noahus in arcana cum filiis et uxoribus,' similiter vers. seq. 13; tum quod 'bestiae intrarunt in arcam ad Noahum,' vers. 8, 9, similiter etiam vers. 14-16; ex quibus constat quod hic similiter sit repetitio priorum: qui in solo sensu litterae manet, non potest aliter scire quam quod sit quoddam historicum ita repetitum; sed hic sicut alibi nusquam aliqua vocula est quae superflua et inanis, quia est Verbum Domini; proinde non aliqua significet alia; et quidem hic, sicut prius, quod sit tentatio prima, quae est quoad ejus intellectualia, et dein ejus tentatio quoad voluntaria: quae tentationes apud regenerandum succedunt; nam aliud prorsus est tentari quoad intellectualia, et aliud tentari quoad voluntaria; tentatio quoad intellectualia levis est, at tentatio quoad voluntaria est gravis.