7343.“埃及人都在河周围挖地，要得水喝”表遍寻他们能应用于虚假的真理。这从“挖”、“河周围的水”和“喝”的含义清楚可知。“挖”是指遍寻，如下文所述。“河周围的水”是指真理；“河周围的水”之所以是指真理，是因为它们在河之外，没有变作血；“水”表示真理（参看739，790，2702，3058，3424，4976，5668节）；“喝”是指应用于虚假。“喝”是指应用（参看5709节）；因为凡喝某种东西的人就是在将它应用到自己身上。不过，要知道，应用是照着应用到自己身上之人的品质和状态发生的。对真理拥有情感的人会照其情感的状态和品质而将真理应用到自己身上；对虚假拥有情感的人在将真理应用到自己身上时，就会败坏并歪曲它们，这一点可从以下事实看出来：神性真理流入每个人，然而却照着各人生命的状态和品质因人而异。因此，地狱里的人把它变成虚假，就像他们把神性良善变成邪恶，把天堂之爱变成魔鬼之爱，把怜悯变成仇恨，把婚姻之爱变成奸淫一样。他们就这样把事物变成它们的对立面；他们这样做是因为他们生命的品质和状态是相反的。这解释了为何“埃及人都在河周围挖地”表示遍寻他们能应用于虚假的真理。
在那些沉浸于虚假和邪恶的人当中，真理被变成虚假，良善被变成邪恶，反之亦然；这一点从一句谚语明显看出来，即：“对纯洁的人来说，一切都是纯洁的；对不纯洁的人来说，一切都是不纯洁的”。这一点也可通过自然现象来说明，如阳光，这光是白的，但它所流入的物体却将它转变为各种色彩。它因美丽的物体而美丽，因丑陋的物体而丑陋。这句谚语也可通过嫁接到树上的枝条来说明。嫁接到树干上的枝条会结出自己的果实，因此树液一输送到嫁接的枝条上，就会发生改变，变成这根枝条的树液，以适合长出它的叶子和果实。流入人里面的事物也是这种情况。
“挖”之所以表示遍寻，是因为所挖的“水”、“泉源”和“井”表示真理，它们不是被挖出来的，而是被找到的。这就是为何在原文，这个词在用于真理时，也表示找寻。然而，在先知书，经上要么提到“水”，要么提到“泉源”，以代替真理，提到“挖”来代替找寻，因为这是先知语言的性质；这一点明显可见于摩西五经，那里提到“比珥井”；关于这井，以色列唱了这首歌：
井啊，涌上来吧！你们要回答这井；这井是首领们所挖的，是民中的领袖按立法者的指示用杖所挖所掘的。（民数记21:17-18）
此处“井”表示神之真理的教义，“挖”表示找寻它。
Potts(1905-1910) 7343
7343. And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for waters to drink. That this signifies a thorough search for truth which they might apply to falsities, is evident from the signification of "digging," as being thorough search (of which in what follows); and from the signification of "waters about the river," as being truths; that "waters about the river" denote truths is because they were outside the river, and were not made blood (that "waters" denote truths, see n. 739, 790, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668); and from the signification of "drinking," as being to apply to falsities. That "to drink" is to apply, see n. 5709; for he who drinks applies to himself; but be it known that the application is made according to the quality and state of him who applies to himself. He who is in the affection of truth applies truths to himself according to the state and quality of his affection; he who is in the affection of falsity, when he applies truths to himself, perverts and falsifies them, as can be seen from the fact that Divine truth flows in with all, but is varied with everyone according to the state and quality of his life; and hence that the infernals turn it into falsities, just as they turn Divine good into evil, heavenly loves into diabolical loves, mercy into hatred and cruelty, conjugial love into adulteries; thus into the contraries, because the quality and state of their life are contrary. Hence it is that by "all the Egyptians dug round about the river" is signified a thorough search for truth which they might apply to falsities. [2] That with those who are in falsities and evils truth is turned into falsity, and good into evil, and also the converse, is evident from the common maxim that "to the pure all things are pure, and to the impure all things are impure." This can also be illustrated by things in nature; as by the light which is from the sun, which light is white, but still is varied according to the forms into which it flows, whence are colors, being beautiful in beautiful forms, and unbeautiful in unbeautiful ones. It can also be illustrated by the grafting of young shoots in trees, when the shoot engrafted on the common stock bears its own fruit, whereby the juice of the tree is altered as soon as it flows into the ingrafted shoot, and becomes the juice of the shoot fit to produce its leaves and fruits. So it is with the things that flow in with man. [3] That "digging" denotes to search thoroughly is because by water, a fountain, and a well, which are digged, are signified truths, which are not digged, but are searched for; and therefore by the same word in the original tongue, when it is applied to truth, is signified to investigate. But in the prophetical books, instead of truth, either "water," or a "fountain," is mentioned; and instead of investigating, "digging," for such is the nature of prophetic speech, as is evident in Moses, where the "well Beer" is spoken of, concerning which Israel sang this song:
Rise up, O spring, answer ye upon it; the spring which the princes digged, the chiefs of the people digged it through the lawgiver, with their staves (Num. 21:17-18);
here by a "spring" is signified the doctrine of truth Divine, and by "digging," the investigation of it.
Elliott(1983-1999) 7343
7343. 'And all the Egyptians dug round about the river for water to drink' means searching out truth which they could apply to falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'digging' as searching out, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'water round about the river' as truths (the reason why 'water round about the river' is truths is that this water was outside the river and had not become blood; for the meaning of 'water' as truths, see 739, 790, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668); and from the meaning of 'drinking' as applying to falsities. For the meaning of 'drinking' as applying, see 5709; for anyone who drinks something applies it to himself. But it should be recognized that the nature of the application when it takes place is determined by the character and state of the one who applies that thing to himself. A person with an affection for truth applies truths to himself in accordance with the state and character of this affection; but a person with an affection for falsity perverts and falsifies truths when he applies them to himself. This may be seen from the consideration that Divine Truth flows into everyone, yet is varied with each individual according to the state and character of his life. Those in hell therefore turn it into falsities, just as they turn Divine Good into evil, heavenly forms of love into devilish ones, mercy into hatred and cruelty, conjugial love into adultery. Thus they turn things into their opposites, which they do because of the opposite character and state of their life. This now explains why 'all the Egyptians dug round about the river for water [to drink]' means searching out truths which they could apply to falsities.
[2] The fact that among those steeped in falsities and evils truth is turned into falsity and good into evil, and also vice versa, is evident from the proverbial saying that to the pure all things are pure, and to the impure all things are impure. This may also be illustrated by natural phenomena, for instance by the light coming from the sun. The light is white, but the objects it flows into convert it into colours. It is made beautiful by objects that are beautiful, and ugly by those that are ugly. The same proverb may also be illustrated by the grafting of branches into trees. A branch grafted into the trunk bears its own fruit, and therefore the sap of the tree, as soon as it passes into the engrafted branch, Is varied. It now becomes the branch's sap, suited to the production of its leaves and fruit. The situation is similar with the things that enter a human being.
[3] The reason why 'digging' means searching out is that 'water', 'spring', and 'well' which are dug out mean truths, which are not dug out but searched out. This is why in the original language this same word, when it is used in connection with truths, also means to search for. In prophetical statements however either 'water' or 'spring' is used instead of truth, and 'digging' instead of searching for; for this is what prophetic language is like, as is evident in Moses, where the spring at Beer is referred to, about which Israel sang this song,
Rise up, O spring! Answer over it! The wella which the princes dug, which the chiefs of the people dug out, as directed by the lawgiver, with their staves. Num 21:16-18.
Here 'spring' means teachings presenting God's truth, 'digging' means searching for it.
Latin(1748-1756) 7343
7343. `Et foderunt omnes Aegyptii circum fluvium aquas ad bibendum': quod significet pervestigationem veri quod applicarent falsis, constat (c)a significatione `fodere' quod sit pervestigatio, (d)de qua sequitur; {1} ex significatione `aquarum circum fluvium' quod sint vera; quod `aquae circum fluvium' sint vera, est quia illae erant extra fluvium, et {2} non factae sanguis {3}; quod `aquae' sint vera, videatur n. 739, 790, (x)2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668; et ex significatione `bibere' quod sit applicare falsis; quod `bibere' sit {4}applicare, videatur n. 5709, qui enim bibit sibi applicat; sed sciendum quod applicatio fiat secundum quale et' statum ejus qui sibi applicat; qui in affectione veri est, is sibi applicat vera secundum statum et quale affectionis {5}; qui in affectione falsi est, is cum applicat sibi vera, pervertit et falsificat illa; quod ex eo constare potest quod Divinum Verum influat apud {6}omnes, sed quod varietur apud unumquemvis secundum statum et quale vitae ejus; et inde quod infernales vertant illud in falsa, {7}similiter Divinum Bonum vertunt in malum, amores caelestes in amores diabolicos, misericordiam in odium et in crudelitatem, amorem conjugialem in adulteria, ita in contraria; ex causa quia quale et status vitae {8}eorum sunt contraria; inde est quod per `foderunt omnes Aegyptii circum fluvium' significetur pervestigatio veri quod applicarent falsis. 2 (s)Quod verum vertatur in falsum, et bonum in malum, apud illos qui in falsis et malis sunt, {9} et quoque vicissim, patet a regula communi, quod puris sint omnia pura, et impuris omnia impura; hoc quoque ab illis quae in natura illustrari {10}potest: ut a luce quae a sole, lux illa candida est, at usque variatur secundum formas in quas influit, inde colores, et fit pulchra in pulchris formis, et impulchra in impulchris; illustrari etiam hoc potest ab insitione frondium in arboribus: frons insita communi stirpi fert suum fructum, {11}quare sucus arboris, ut primum in frondem insitam influit, variatur, et fit sucus frondis {12} aptus producendi {13}ejus folia et fructus; similiter se habet cum illis quae influunt apud hominem. 3 Quod `fodere' sit pervestigare, est quia per `aquam, fontem, puteum,' quae effodiuntur, significantur vera, quae non effodiuntur sed pervestigantur; quare etiam in lingua originali per eandem vocem cum illa applicatur veris, significatur investigare; in propheticis autem loco veri dicitur vel `aqua' vel `fons,' et loco investigare dicitur `fodere'; talis enim est sermo propheticus, ut patet apud Moschen ubi agitur de `fonte Beer,' de quo Israel cecinit canticum hoc, Ascende fons, respondete super eo, fons quem foderunt principes, effoderunt primores populi, per legislatorem, baculis suis, Num. xxi 16-18;ibi per `fontem' significatur doctrina veri Divini, per `fodere' investigatio ejus.(s) @1 i vox quae exprimitur fodere in lingua originali etiam significat pervestigare;$ @2 i quae$ @3 i, ita nondum falsificata$ @4 applicatio$ @5 i veri$ @6 unumquemvis$ @7 tum quod$ @8 illorum est contrarii$ @9 i tum bonum in malum,$ @10 possunt$ @11 et$ @12 i insitae$ @13 , nam non fert folia et fructus arboris stirpis communis sed suos$