7456.“他们岂不拿石头打死我们吗”表他们将由此拆毁与敬拜有关的信之真理。这从“拿石头打死”的含义清楚可知。“拿石头打死”是指拆毁并除灭虚假；但在反面意义，当由恶人来行时，是指拆毁并除灭信之真理。如果前面（7454节）所说的地狱的肮脏和污秽真的流入那些处于敬拜的神圣之人中间，敬拜的神圣就遭到毁灭。原因在于，当人处于敬拜的神圣时，他就会退离这类事物，那些处于信仰和生活的良善之人就从这类事物所在的感官层被提升上去。但当这类物体流入时，存在于感官层或感官心智的污秽之物，也就是如刚才所述，人在处于敬拜的神圣时所退离，以及那些处于良善的人从中被提升上去的事物就被激起来，于是，敬拜的神圣被毁灭。经历也明显证明了这一点，因为如果一个人在向神献上敬拜时，某个污秽物体出现，并且没有被移除，那么只要它存在，敬拜就会终止并被毁。这就是说这句话的意思，即：那些沉浸于由邪恶所生的虚假之人若在附近，就会拆毁与敬拜有关的信之真理。
至于“拿石头打死”的含义，要知道，有一个教会的代表建立于其中的以色列人和犹太人有两种死刑：一种是拿石头打死，一种是挂在木头上。如果有人想摧毁所吩咐的敬拜的真理，就会用石头打死他，如果有人想摧毁生活的良善，就会把他挂起来。那些想摧毁敬拜的真理之人之所以用石头打死，是因为“石头”表示真理，在反面意义上表示虚假（643，1298，3720，6426节）。而那些想摧毁生活的良善之人之所以被挂在木头上，是因为“木头”表示良善，在反面意义上表示属恶欲的邪恶（643，2784，2812，3720节）。
如果有人摧毁与敬拜有关的真理，就会用石刑，这一事实从以下经文明显看出来：
最后他们必让一帮人上来攻击你，用石头打死你，用剑将你割碎。（以西结书16:40）
这论及悖逆的耶路撒冷和通过虚假对信之真理的毁灭。这就是为何经上说他们要“用石头打死”，以及“用剑割碎”；因为“剑”表示与虚假进行争战并摧毁它的真理，在反面意义上表示与真理进行争战并摧毁它的虚假（2799，4499，6353，7102节）。
类似的话出现在以西结书的另一段经文中：
我必让一帮人上来攻击她们，这帮人必用石头打死她们，用剑把她们砍碎。（以西结书23:46-47）
这论及耶路撒冷和撒玛利亚，它们表示教会：“耶路撒冷”表示属天-属灵教会，“撒玛利亚”表示属灵教会；本章描述了信之良善与真理如何在他们里面遭到毁灭的。
摩西五经：
牛若抵了男人或是女人，以致死亡，那牛必须用石头打死。（出埃及记21:28）
“抵了男人或是女人”表示与真理和良善进行争战并摧毁它们的虚假，因为“角”表示进行争战的虚假，还表示虚假的能力（2832节）；而“男人”和“女人”在圣言中表示真理和良善。由此明显可知这条诫命的内义是什么，以及牛要用石头打死的原因。
又：
那亵渎耶和华名的，必被治死，全会众要用石头打死他。（利未记24:16）
“亵渎耶和华名”表示通过恶毒的虚假向敬拜的真理和良善施暴。“耶和华的名”表示用来敬拜耶和华、在一个综合体中的一切事物（参看2724，3006节），因而表示信与仁的一切事物（6674节）。这也解释了为何以色列妇人的儿子亵渎了耶和华的名，就被营外，用石头打死（利未记24:11，14，23）。此外，经上还吩咐：那些事奉别神的人 （申命记17:3，5）；以及那些勾引其他人事奉别神的人（申命记13:7-11） 要用石头打死。“事奉别神”表示亵渎敬拜，真理的敬拜通过这种敬拜而被毁。
如果一个少女被娶，却在她身上没有找到贞洁的凭据，她就要用石头打死，因为她在父家行了淫乱，在以色列中做了丑事（申命记22:20，21）。这是因为“淫乱”表示对真理的歪曲，因而表示对它的毁灭（2466，4865节）。若有人在城里与已经许配人的少女、处女同寝，他们就要用石头打死（申命记22:23，24），原因是一样的，即因为淫乱，因为属灵的淫乱就是对真理的歪曲。
路加福音：
他们彼此商议说，我们若说约翰的洗礼是从天上来的，祂必说，你们为什么不信他呢？若说从人间来的，所有的百姓都要用石头打死我们。（路加福音20:5-6）
此处“用石头打死”也论及对真理的反对。犹太人之所以想用石头打死耶稣，因祂说，还没有亚伯拉罕，就有祂（约翰福音8:58，59），是因为祂与祂的父为一（约翰福音10:30-33）；因为他们认为这是亵渎，如这几节经文所说的。由此可见，何为“用石头打死”，为何经上吩咐“用石头打死”，以及石刑自古时就在埃及，因为它源于古教会的代表。
Potts(1905-1910) 7456
7456. And will they not stone us? That this signifies that they would thus extinguish the truths of faith which are of worship, is evident from the signification of "stoning," as being to extinguish and blot out falsities; but in the opposite sense, when done by the evil, as being to extinguish and blot out the truths of faith. If the infernal foulness and filthiness spoken of above (n. 7454) were to flow in with those who are in the holy of worship, the holy of worship would be extinguished; for the reason that when man is in the holy of worship, he is withheld from such things, and they who are in the good of faith and of life are elevated from the sensuous where such things are; but when such objects flow in, there are then excited the filthy things which are in the sensuous mind (and from which, as just said, the man is withheld when he is in the holy of worship, and they who are in good are being elevated), and thereupon the holy of worship is extinguished. This may also be plain from experience, for if when a man is engaged in Divine worship a filthy object appears, and is not removed, so long as it remains, the worship perishes and is extinguished. This is what is meant by the truths of faith which are of worship being extinguished by those who are in falsities from evils if these were in the neighborhood. [2] As regards the signification of "stoning," be it known that there were two death penalties among the Israelites and Jews, with whom the representative of a church had been instituted, of which the one was stoning, and the other was hanging upon wood. Stoning was for anyone who desired to destroy the truths of worship that had been commanded, and hanging was for anyone who desired to destroy the good of life. That those were stoned who desired to destroy the truths of worship, was because a "stone" signified truth, and in the opposite sense falsity (n. 643, 1298, 3720, 6426); and that those were hanged upon wood who desired to destroy the good of life, was because "wood" signified good, and in the opposite sense the evil of cupidities (n. 643, 2784, 2812, 3720). [3] That the penalty of stoning was inflicted if anyone destroyed the truths which are of worship, is plain from the following passages:
At last they will make the company come up upon thee, and they shall stone thee with stone, and cut thee in sunder with their swords (Ezek. 16:40);
speaking of Jerusalem perverted, and of the destruction of the truth of faith by means of falsities; hence it is said that they shall "stone with stone," and also "cut in sunder with swords;" for a "sword" signifies truth fighting and destroying falsity, and in the opposite sense falsity fighting and destroying truth (n. 2799, 4499, 6353, 7102). [4] So in another passage in the same:
Make the company come up against them, that the companies stone them with stone, and cleave them asunder with their swords (Ezek. 23:46-47);
speaking of Jerusalem and Samaria, by which is signified the church, by "Jerusalem" the celestial spiritual church, by "Samaria" the spiritual church; and in this chapter is described how the goods and truths of faith have been destroyed in them. [5] In Moses:
If when an ox shall gore a man or a woman that they die, stoning, the ox shall be stoned (Exod. 21:28);
"to gore a man or a woman" signifies falsity fighting and destroying truth and good, for a "horn" denotes falsity fighting, and also the power of falsity (n. 2832); by "man" and "woman" are signified in the Word truth and good. From this it is evident what is the internal sense in this command, and what the reason why the ox was to be stoned. [6] In the same:
He that blasphemeth the name of Jehovah slaying shall be slain; all the assembly stoning shall stone him (Lev. 24:15);
"to blaspheme the name of Jehovah" signifies to do violence to the truths and goods of worship by means of malevolent falsities. (That the "name of Jehovah" denotes everything in one complex whereby Jehovah is worshiped, see n. 2724, 3006, thus everything of faith and charity, n. 6674.) For this reason the son of the Israelitish woman who blasphemed the name of Jehovah was brought forth out of the camp and stoned (Lev. 24:11, 14, 23). It was also ordered that those who served other gods should be stoned (Deut. 17:3, 5); and also those who incited others to serve other gods (Deut. 13:7-11). By "serving other gods" is signified profane worship, by which true worship is extinguished. [7] If a damsel were married, and the tokens of virginity were not found in her, she was to be stoned, because she had wrought folly in Israel by playing the harlot in her father's house (Deut. 22:20, 21). This was because by "whoredom" was signified the falsification of truth, thus its destruction (n. 2466, 4865). If a man lay in a city with a damsel, a virgin betrothed to a man, they were both to be stoned (Deut. 22:23, 24), for the same reason, namely, because of whoredom, for spiritual whoredom is the falsification of truth. [8] In Luke:
They concluded among themselves that if they were to say that the baptism of John was from heaven, He would say, Why did ye not believe him? But if they said, From men, all the people would stone them (Luke 20:5-6);
where also "stoning" is predicated of what is contrary to truth. The Jews desired to stone Jesus because He said that before Abraham was, He was (John 8:58, 59); and this was because that nation believed it to be false. It was the same when they desired to stone Jesus because He said that He and His Father are one (John 10:30-33); for this they believed to be blasphemy, as is there said. From all this it is now evident what "stoning" involves, and why it was commanded, and also that the penalty of stoning being in Egypt from ancient times, had been derived from the representatives of the Ancient Church.
Elliott(1983-1999) 7456
7456. 'Will they not stone us?' means that they would thereby demolish the truths of faith that related to worship. This is clear from the meaning of 'stoning' as demolishing and wiping out falsities, but in the contrary sense, when done by the evil, as demolishing and wiping out the truths of faith. If the vile, foul, and hellish things referred to above in 7454 were to enter in among people whose worship is holy its holiness would be destroyed. The reason for this is that when a person's worship is holy he is withheld from such things, and people who are governed by good in faith and life are raised above the level of the senses on which such things reside. But when such objects do enter in the foul things present on the sensory level are stirred up - that is, the things which a person is withheld from when his worship is holy, as has been stated, and which people governed by good are raised above - and the holiness of the worship is destroyed. Experience too demonstrates this plainly, for if, when a person offers worship to God, some foul object appears and is not removed, worship ceases and is destroyed. This is what is meant when it is said that if those steeped in falsities arising from evils were nearby they would demolish the truths of faith that relate to worship.
[2] As for the meaning of 'stoning', it should be recognized that the Jews and Israelites, among whom a representative of the Church had been established, had two kinds of capital punishment, one being stoning, the other hanging on wood. Stoning was used if anyone sought to destroy the truths relating to worship which were commanded, while hanging was used if anyone sought to destroy goodness of life. The reason why those who sought to destroy truths relating to worship were stoned was that a stone was a sign of truth and in the contrary sense of falsity, 643, 1298, 3720, 6426. And the reason why those who sought to destroy goodness of life were hanged on wood was that wood was a sign of good and in the contrary sense of the evil belonging to evil desires, 643, 2784, 2812, 3720.
[3] The fact that punishment by stoning would be used if anyone should destroy truths relating to worship is evident from the following places: In Ezekiel,
Finally they will cause an assembly to come up upon you, and they will stone you with stones and cut you up with their swords. Ezek 16:40.
This refers to the perverse Jerusalem and the destruction of the truth of faith by means of falsities. This is why it says that 'they will stone with stones' and also 'cut up with swords', for 'a sword' means truth engaged in conflict with falsity and destroying it, and in the contrary sense falsity engaged in conflict with truth and destroying it, 2799, 4499, 6353, 7102.
[4] A similar statement occurs elsewhere in the same prophet,
Cause an assembly to come up against them, in order that the assembly may stone them with stones and tear them apart with their swords Ezek 23:46, 47.
This refers to Jerusalem and Samaria, by which the Church is meant. Jerusalem means the celestial-spiritual Church, Samaria the spiritual Church, and this chapter describes how forms of the good and truth of faith were destroyed in them.
[5] In Moses,
If an ox strikes a man or woman with its horn so that the person dies, the ox shall surely be stoned. Exod 21:28.
'Striking a man or woman with the horn' means falsity engaged in conflict with truth and goodness and destroying them. For 'the horn' is falsity engaged in conflict, and also the power of falsity, 2832, while 'man and woman' in the Word means truth and goodness; and this makes plain what the internal sense of that command is and why it was that the ox had to be stoned.
[6] In the same author,
Anyone blaspheming the name of Jehovah shall surely be killed; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. Lev 24:16.
'Blaspheming the name of Jehovah' means using malevolent falsities to do violence to truths and forms of good that relate to worship. 'The name of Jehovah' means everything in one embrace that is used to worship Jehovah, see 2724, 3006, thus every aspect of faith and charity, 6674. This also explains why the Israelite woman s son who blasphemed the name of Jehovah was led outside the camp and stoned, Lev 24:11, 14, 23. Furthermore it had been commanded that those who served other gods should be stoned, Deut 17:3,5, and also those who enticed anyone to serve other gods, Deut 13:6-10 'Serving other gods' means profane worship by means of which true worship is destroyed.
[7] If no evidence of virginity were found with a young woman when she married she was to be stoned because she had played the fool in Israel by committing whoredom in her father's house, Deut 22:20, 21. The reason for this was that 'whoredom' meant the falsification of truth, thus the destruction of it, 2466, 4865. If a man lay in the city with a young woman, a virgin, who was betrothed to a man, both were to be stoned, Deut 22:23, 24, and for the same reason, namely whoredom; for spiritual whoredom is the falsification of truth. In Luke 20:5,6, [one reads about the chief priests, scribes, and elders] coming to the conclusion among themselves that if they said John's baptism was from heaven [the Lord] would say, 'Why did you not believe him?' But if they said 'From men', all the people would stone them. Here also 'stoning' is spoken of because of opposition to the truth.
The reason why the Jews sought to stone Jesus because He said, Before Abraham was, I am, John 8:58, 59, was that that nation believed this to be false. In a similar way they sough to stone Jesus because He said He and His Father were one, John 10:30-33; for they thought, as these verses also state, that this was blasphemy.
From all this one may now see what stoning was and why it was commanded, and also that punishment by stoning, administered since ancient times as its use in Egypt proves, was derived from the representatives of the Ancient Church.
Latin(1748-1756) 7456
7456. `Nonne lapidabunt nos?': quod significet quod sic vera fidei, quae cultus, exstinguerent, constat ex significatione `lapidare' quod sit exstinguere et delere falsa, at in opposito sensu quando a malis, quod sit exstinguere et delere vera quae fidei; (m)si {1} taetra et spurca infernalia, de quibus supra n. 7454, influerent apud illos qui in sancto cultus sunt, quod sanctum cultus exstingueretur; {2}causa est quia homo cum in sancto cultus est, detinetur a talibus, et qui in bono fidei et vitae sunt elevantur a sensuali ubi talia; at cum objecta talia influunt, tunc excitantur spurca quae in sensuali, a quibus homo, cum in sancto cultus est, ut dictum, detinetur, et qui in bono sunt elevantur, inde exstinguitur sanctum cultus; hoc etiam patere potest ab experientia, cum enim objectum spurcum apparet et non removetur, cum homo est in cultu Divino, perit et exstinguitur tam diu cultus; haec sunt quae intelliguntur per quod illi qui in falsis ex malis, si in propinquitate essent, vera fidei quae cultus exstinguerent.(n) 2 {3}Quod significationem lapidare attinet, sciendum quod fuerint binae poenae mortis apud Israelitas et Judaeos, apud quos Ecclesiae repraesentativum institutum fuerat, una poena mortis erat lapidatio, altera erat suspensio super ligno; lapidatio erat si quis destruere vellet vera cultus quae mandata fuerunt {4}, et suspensio {5} si quis destruere vellet bonum {6} vitae; quod illi lapidarentur qui destruere vellent vera quae cultus, erat quia lapis significabat verum, et in opposito sensu falsum, n. 643, 1298, 3720, 6426; et quod illi suspenderentur super ligno qui destruere vellent bonum quod vitae, erat quia lignum significabat bonum, (c)et in opposito sensu malum cupiditatum, n. 643, 2784, 2812, 3720. 3 Quod lapidationis poena fuerit si quis {7}destrueret vera quae cultus, patet ex his locis: apud Ezechielem, Tandem ascendere facient super te coetum, et lapidabunt te lapide, et dissecabunt te gladiis suis, xvi 40;ibi de Hierosolyma perversa, et de destructione veri fidei per falsa; inde dicitur quod `lapidabunt lapide,' et quoque quod `dissecabunt gladiis,' `gladius' enim significat verum pugnans et destruens falsum, et in opposito sensu falsum pugnans (c)ac destruens {8}verum, n. 2799, 4 4499, 6353, 7102 similiter alibi apud eundem, Ascendere fac contra illas coetum, ut lapident illas lapide coetus, et discindant illas gladiis suis, xxiii [46,] 47;
ibi de Hierosolyma et Samaria, per quas significatur Ecclesia, per Hierosolymam Ecclesia caelestis spiritualis, per Samariam Ecclesia spiritualis, et in capite illo describitur quomodo in illis destructa 5 {9}sunt bona et vera fidei: apud Moschen, Si quando cornu ferierit bos virum aut mulierem, ut moriatur, lapidando lapidabitur bos, Exod. xxi 28;
`ferire cornu virum aut mulierem' significat falsum pugnans et destruens verum et bonum, `cornu' enim est falsum pugnans et quoque potentia falsi, n. 2832; per `virum et feminam' significatur in Verbo verum et bonum; inde patet quis sensus internus illius 6 mandati est, et quae causa quod `bos lapidaretur': apud eundem, Blasphemans nomen Jehovae occidendo occidetur, lapidando lapidabunt illum omnis contio, Lev. xxiv 16;
`blasphemare nomen Jehovae' significat per falsa malevola violentiam inferre veris et bonis quae cultus; quod `nomen Jehovae' (x)sit omne in uno complexu per quod Jehovah colitur, videatur n. 2724, 3006, ita quod sit omne fidei et charitatis, n. 6674; inde quoque filius mulieris Israelitidis, qui {10}blasphemabat nomen Jehovae, educebatur extra castra et lapidabatur, Lev. xxiv 11, 14, 23. Etiam jussum fuit ut qui servirent aliis diis lapidarentur, Deut. (x)xvii 3, 5: tum qui incitarent ad serviendum aliis diis, Deut. xiii 7-11; per `servire aliis diis' significatur cultus {11} profanus per quem {12}verus cultus exstinguitur. 7 Quod puella maritata, si non inventae virginitates apud illam, lapidaretur, quia stultitiam fecit in Israele, scortando in domo patris sui, Deut. xxii 20, 21, erat quia per `scortationem' significabatur falsificatio veri, ita destructio ejus, n. 2466, 4865. Quod si cubuerit vir in urbe cum puella virgine desponsata viro, ambo lapidarentur, Deut. xxii 23, 24, erat ob eandem causam, nempe ob scortationem, nam scortatio spiritualis est falsificatio veri: apud Lucam, Concludebant apud seipsos, Si dicerent quod baptisma Johannis e caelo esset, diceret, Quare non credidistis illi? Si vero dicerent, Ex hominibus, omnis populus lapidaret illos, xx 5, 6;
hic quoque `lapidatio' dicitur quia contra verum. Quod Judaei vellent lapidare Jesum quia dixit quod priusquam Abraham fuit, Ipse esset, Joh. viii 58, 59, erat quia gens illa credebat id falsum esse. Similiter quod lapidare vellent Jesum, quia dixit quod Ipse et Pater Ipsius unum essent, Joh. x 30-33; hoc enim credebant esse blasphemiam, ut quoque ibi dicitur. Ex his nunc patet quid lapidatio et cur mandata, et quoque (m)quod poena lapidationis ab antiquis temporibus, {13}quia in Aegypto, fuerit derivata a repraesentativis Ecclesiae Antiquae.(n) @1 i enim$ @2 exularent enim illa sensuali, a quo sic elevari (sentence apparently unfinished)$ @3 Fuerunt$ @4 i per Moschen$ @5 i erat$ @6 i quod$ @7 destruxerit$ @8 vera$ @9 fidei vera et bona$ @10 blasphemavit$ @11 i falsus et$ @12 vera cultus exstinguuntur, per Deos enim in Verbo significantur vera, et in opposito sensu falsa, n. 4295, 4402, 4402 f., 4544, 7010, 7268$ @13 in Ecclesia repraesentativa fuerit recepta, et quod fuerit pro illis qui vera cultus violabant, inde est quod in Aegypto fuit etiam pro illis qui alium deum colebant, et quidem cultum quem aversarentur, et hic sacrificia, quae abominati sunt$