7502.“看哪，耶和华的手加在你田间的牲畜上”表使他们从所属的教会那里所获得的信之真理和良善的荒凉。这从“耶和华加在某人身上的手”、“牲畜”和“田”的含义清楚可知。“耶和华加在某人身上的手”是指灾祸或惩罚，因为“手”表示能力（参看4931-4937，6292，6947，7188，7189节），“耶和华的手”表示全能（878，3387节）；由于那些处于教会外在的人被表象引导相信一切灾祸或惩罚皆来自耶和华（因为他们将一切事都归于祂的能力），所故“耶和华加在某人身上的手”表示惩罚，在此表示荒凉或荒废，因为那些进行侵扰之人荒凉的阶段就是惩罚。“牲畜”是指信之真理和良善（6016，6045，6049节）。“田”是指教会（2971，3310节）。“田”之所以指教会，是因为撒在田里的“种子”表示信之真理，还因为“田间产物”，如小麦、大麦、斯卑尔脱小麦等等，表示仁之良善和信之真理，因而表示诸如属于教会的那类事物。至于在来世侵扰正直人的地狱灵在属于教会的信之真理方面所经历的荒凉，要知道：在来世，侵扰正直人的灵人是那些活在世上时属教会的人。不属教会的人无法侵扰属教会的人，因为与教会的信之真理对立的虚假是灵人用来进行侵扰的手段。那些在教会之外的人不可能通过这类虚假侵扰任何人，因为他们不知道它们。在来世，转向虚假并侵扰正直人的，正是那些声称有信，却过着邪恶生活的人（参看7097，7127，7317节）。因此，为了防止他们活在世上时从其教会的教义所获得的信之真理（因为他们将在肉身生活中所知道的一切都带入来世，一无所缺）给他们提供来自天堂的任何光，也为了防止他们利用在天堂之光中所看见的事物来支持属地狱的虚假和邪恶，像这样的一切事物都从他们那里被夺走，最终他们只剩下其生活的邪恶和由此而来的虚假。这种荒凉就是此处所论述的主题。
那些属于教会，却过着邪恶生活的人在被投入地狱之前，之所以以这种方式逐渐荒凉，是因为他们曾知道信之真理，并由此与天堂接触。他们在世时与之接触，并在来世仍与之接触的天堂社群只能逐步与他们分离。因为在天堂，源于主的秩序具有这种性质：任何事都不能以一种暴力的方式来执行。人们所做的一切事都是在自由中如同凭他们自己而行的。因此，那些天堂社群并没有从他们那里被夺走，而是逐渐分离，以至于恶灵似乎是自动离开的。由此可见，那些知道属教会的信之真理，然而却过着邪恶生活之人的荒凉是何情形。
若没有启示，没有人能知道这种荒凉是什么样子，因为没有启示，人们就不知道来世所发生的事。由于人不关心从圣言查究信之真理和良善，事实上，他们没有为了真理的缘故而对真理的情感，更没有为了生活的缘故而对真理的情感，所以这类事没有透露给他们。然而，这些事在圣言中仍辨别得出来。事实上，它们出现的整个顺序和所发生的整个过程都呈现在内义中。因此，由于教会里的人没有对从圣言认识真理的情感，只有为了世俗的原因而对证实其教会教义是真还是假的情感，所以他们对死后状态一无所知，对天堂和地狱也一无所知。他们甚至不知道是什么构成与人同在的天堂或地狱。事实上，他们如此无知，以致他们教导并相信，人人都能获准进入天堂；有的以为一个人能凭着他们为自己所僭取的权柄而获准进入；有的以为人凭着主的怜悯或恩典获准进入，无论他过着怎样的生活。几乎没有人知道天堂是通过人活在世上时的仁与信的生活而被赐给他们，并且这种生活会持续下去。说这些事是为了叫人们知道，唯独宣称信，不关心信之生活的教会成员是什么样；因为他们就是此处和下文中的埃及人所代表的人。
Potts(1905-1910) 7502
7502. Behold the hand of Jehovah shall be on thy cattle which is in the field. That this signifies the vastation of the truth and good of faith which they have from the church wherein they had been, is evident from the signification of "the hand of Jehovah being on anyone," as being a plague or punishment; for by "hand" is signified power (see n. 4931-4937, 6292, 6947, 7188, 7189), and by "the hand of Jehovah," omnipotence (n. 878, 3387); and because by those who are in the externals of the church it is believed from the appearance that every plague or punishment comes from Jehovah (for they attribute all things to His power), therefore by "the hand of Jehovah being on anyone" is signified punishment, here vastation, for the degrees of the vastation of those who infested were punishments: from the signification of "cattle," as being the truths and goods of faith (n. 6016, 6045, 6049); and from the signification of "field" as being the church (n. 2971, 3310). That "field" denotes the church is because the seeds sown in a field signify the truths which are of faith, and also because the produce from the field, such as wheat, barley, spelt, and so forth, denotes the goods which are of charity, and the truths which are of faith, thus such things as belong to the church. [2] As regards the infernal spirits who infest the upright in the other life being vastated as to the truths of faith that belong to the church, be it known that those who infest the upright in the other life are those who when living in the world had belonged to the church; for those who have not belonged to the church, cannot infest others who do belong to it, because falsities contrary to the truths of faith of the church are the means by which they infest. Those who have been outside the church cannot infest anyone by means of such things, because they had not known them. (That they who have made a profession of faith and have lived a life of evil, in the other life turn to falsities and infest the upright, see n. 7097, 7127, 7317.) Lest therefore the truth of faith, which they have had from the doctrine of their church when they lived in the world (for they carry with them into the other life all that they had known in the life of the body, nor is anything wanting) should give them any light from heaven, and lest they should apply the things of light to defend the falsities and evils which are of hell, every such thing is taken away from them, and they are finally left to the evils of their life and the falsities thence derived. It is this vastation that is here treated of. [3] The reason why those who have been of the church and have lived a life of evil are thus gradually vastated before they are cast into hell, is that they had known the truths of faith, and thereby had had communication with heaven. The heavenly societies with which they have had communication, and also still have it in the other life, cannot be separated from them except by degrees. For such is the order in heaven from the Lord that nothing is done violently, but all things in freedom as from themselves; therefore those heavenly societies are not wrested from them, but are gradually separated, so that the evil spirits seem to depart of their own accord. From all this it is now evident how the case is with the vastation of those who have known the truths of faith that belong to the church, and yet have led a life of evil. [4] That such is the case no one can know except from revelation, for man has no knowledge of the things that exist in the other life except from revelation; and as man is but little solicitous to explore the truths and goods which are of faith from the Word (for he is in no affection of truth for its own sake, still less for the sake of life), therefore such things are not revealed to him; nevertheless they stand forth in the Word (and this in respect to every series and process) in its internal sense. As therefore the man of the church is in no affection of knowing truth from the Word, but only in the affection of confirming the doctrinal things of his own church whether true or false, for worldly reasons, therefore he knows nothing whatever about the state after death, nothing about heaven, and nothing about hell; he does not even know what makes heaven and what makes hell with man. Nay, so ignorant are men that they teach and believe that everyone can be admitted into heaven; some by a power which they have arrogated to themselves; some by the mercy of the Lord, no matter how they had lived; and scarcely any know that heaven is given to man by means of a life of charity and faith during his life in the world, and that this life remains. These things have been said in order that the quality may be known of that man of the church who professes faith alone and cares not about the life of faith; for these are they who are represented by the Egyptians here and in what follows.
Elliott(1983-1999) 7502
7502. 'behold, the hand of Jehovah will be on your livestock that are in the field' means the laying waste of the truth and good of faith which they had acquired from the Church to which they had belonged. This is clear from the meaning of 'the hand of Jehovah being on someone' as a plague or punishment, for 'hand' means power, 4931-4937, 6292, 6947, 7188, 7189, and 'the hand of Jehovah' almighty power, 878, 3387, and since those who are confined to the superficial things of the Church are led by appearances to believe that every plague or punishment comes from Jehovah (for they attribute all things to His power), 'the hand of Jehovah being on someone' means punishment, in this instance laying waste or vastation (for the stages In the vastation of those who molested were punishments); from the meaning of 'livestock' as forms of the truth and good of faith, dealt with in 6016, 6045, 6049; and from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church, dealt with in 2971, 3310. 'The field' is the Church because 'seed' which is cast onto the field means the truths of faith, and also because 'the products of the field', such as wheat, barley, spelt, and forms of the good of charity, and truths of faith, thus the kinds of things that belong to the Church.
[2] To understand why it is that hellish spirits who molest the upright in the next life undergo vastation in respect of the truths of faith taught by the Church, it should be recognized that those who molest the upright belonged to the Church. Those who have not belonged to the Church cannot molest others who do belong to it. They cannot do so because falsities, which are opposed to the truths of faith taught by the Church, are what spirits use when they molest, and those who have been outside the Church cannot molest anyone by means of such falsities because they have never come to know them. It is those who have claimed to be believers but have lead an evil life that turn to falsities in the next life and molest the upright with them, see 7097, 7127, 7317. Therefore to prevent the truth of faith which they had acquired from the teachings of their Church while they were living in the world from affording them any light at all from heaven (for they take with them into the next life everything they have come to know in the life of the body; nothing whatever is missing), and to prevent them from using things seen in the light of heaven to lend support to the falsities and evils belonging to hell, everything like that is taken away from them, and they are left finally with the evils forming their life and with the resulting falsities. This vastation is the subject at present.
[3] The reason why those who have belonged to the Church but led an evil life are devastated in stages in this way before they are cast into hell is that they had come to know the truths of faith, which put them in contact with heaven. The heavenly communities with whom they were in contact in the world, and with whom they are still in contact in the next life, cannot be separated from them except in stages. For in heaven such is the nature of order originating in the Lord that nothing is carried out in a violent manner. Everything people do they do in freedom, of their own many other crops, are accord so to speak. Therefore those communities are not wrenched away from them, but separated gradually, so that those people may seem to depart of their own free will and accord. From this one may now see what vastation is like for those who have known the truths of faith taught by the Church and yet have led an evil life.
[4] Without revelation no one can be aware of what such vastation is like; for without revelation people have no knowledge of things that take place in the next life. And since people show little concern to find out from the Word about the truths and forms of the good of faith, because they have no affection for truth for its own sake, let alone for life's sake, neither are such things revealed to them. Yet these things are discernible in the Word; indeed the whole sequence in which they occur and the course they take is presented in its internal sense. Since therefore people in the Church have no affection for knowing truth from the Word, only an affection - for worldly reasons - for substantiating the teachings of their Church, whether true or false, they know nothing whatever about the state after death, nothing about heaven, and nothing about hell. They do not even know what makes heaven or what makes hell with a person. In fact their ignorance is such that they teach and believe that anyone can be admitted into heaven, some believing that a person can be admitted by the power which they have arrogated to themselves, others by the Lord's mercy, irrespective of the life the person has been leading. Scarcely any know that heaven is given to people while they live in the world, through a life of charity and faith, and that this life is enduring. These matters have been stated in order that people may know what members of the Church are like who advocate faith alone but are unconcerned about the life of faith; for these are the ones who are represented by the Egyptians here and in what follows below.
Latin(1748-1756) 7502
7502. `Ecce manus Jehovae erit in pecus tuum quod in agro': quod significet vastationem veri et boni fidei quae illis ab Ecclesia {1}in qua {2}fuerant, constat ex significatione `esse manus Jehovae in aliquem' quod sit plaga seu punitio, per `manum' enim significatur potentia, n. 4931-4937, 6292, 6947, 7188, 7189, et per `manum Jehovae' omnipotentia, n. 878, 3387; et quia ab illis qui in externis Ecclesiae sunt ex apparentia creditur quod omnis plaga seu punitio {3}veniat a Jehovah, tribuunt enim Ipsius potentiae omnia, idcirco per `esse manum Jehovae in aliquem' {4}significatur punitio, hic vastatio, nam gradus vastationis illorum qui infestabant erant punitiones; ex significatione `pecoris' quod sint vera et bona fidei, de qua n. 6016, 6045, 6049; et ex significatione `agri' quod sit Ecclesia, de qua n. 2971, 3310 {5}; quod `ager' sit Ecclesia, est quia `semina' quae mittuntur in agrum significant vera quae fidei, et quoque quia `proventus qui ex agro,' sicut triticum, hordeum, zea, et plura, sunt bona quae charitatis et vera quae fidei, ita talia quae sunt Ecclesiae. 2 Quomodo {6}se habet cum eo quod infernales spiritus qui infestant probos in altera vita vastentur quoad vera fidei quae Ecclesiae, sciendum quod illi qui infestant probos in altera vita sint qui cum in mundo vixerunt, ab Ecclesia fuerunt; nam qui non ab Ecclesia fuerunt non infestare possunt alios qui ab Ecclesia, sunt enim falsa, quae contra vera fidei Ecclesiae, per quae infestant; per talia non possunt illi qui extra Ecclesiam {7}fuerunt aliquos infestare quia non noverant illa; quod qui fidem professi et vixerunt vitam mali in altera vita vertant se ad falsa et infestent probos, videatur n. 7097, 7127, 7317; ne itaque verum fidei, quod habuerunt ex doctrina Ecclesiae suae, cum vixerunt in mundo (secum enim ferunt omnia quae noverant in vita corporis, in alteram vitam, nec quicquam deest,) det illis aliquid lucis e caelo, et ne applicent illa quae lucis caeli sunt ad patrocinandum falsis et malis quae sunt inferni,' idcirco illis omne tale adimitur et relinquuntur tandem malis vitae suae et inde falsis; de hac vastatione nunc agitur. 3 Quod illi qui ab Ecclesia fuerunt, et vixerant vitam mali, ita per gradus devastentur antequam dejiciuntur in infernum, est quia vera fidei noverant et per illa communicationem habuerunt cum caelo; societates caelestes cum quibus communicationem habuerunt, et quoque in altera vita habent, ab illis separari non possunt nisi per gradus; talis enim {8}ordo est in caelo a Domino ut nihil fiat violenter, {9}sed omnia in libero sicut ex se, ideo societates illae caelestes ab illis non dirimuntur; sed successive separantur, sic ut videantur sua sponte discedere; ex his nunc patet quomodo se habet cum vastatione apud illos qui noverunt vera fidei quae Ecclesiae et {10}tamen vitam mali egerunt. 4 Quod ita se res habeat, nemo scire potest nisi ex revelatione; nam cognitionem rerum quae existunt in altera vita homo nullam habet nisi ex revelatione; et quia homo parum sollicitus est explorare vera et bona quae fidei ex Verbo, in nulla enim affectione veri {11}est propter verum, minus propter vitam, idcirco talia nec illi revelantur; exstant tamen in Verbo, et (x)quoad omnem seriem et processum in sensu ejus interno; {12}quia itaque homo Ecclesiae in nulla affectione sciendi verum ex Verbo est, sed solum in affectione confirmandi doctrinalia Ecclesiae suae, sive vera sint sive falsa, {13} ob causas in mundo, idcirco nihil quicquam scit de {14}statu post mortem, nihil de caelo, et nihil de inferno; ne quidem scit quid facit caelum, et quid facit infernum, apud hominem; immo in tali inscitia sunt ut doceant et credant unumquemque admitti posse in caelum, quidam ex potestate quam sibi arrogarunt, quidam (d)quod ex misericordia Domini utcumque vixerat; et vix aliqui sciunt quod homini detur caelum cum vivit in mundo, per vitam charitatis et fidei, et quod illa vita permaneat. Haec dicta sunt ut sciatur qualis homo Ecclesiae est qui solam fidem profitetur et vitam fidei non curat; nam hi sunt qui per `Aegyptios' hic et in sequentibus repraesentantur. @1 e altered to in cp n. 7496$ @2 fuerunt I$ @3 veniret$ @4 est I$ @5 i, 3766$ @6 cum hoc se habet$ @7 sunt$ @8 est ordo a Domino in coelo$ @9 ita quod non dirimantur societates illae, sed successive discedant, ut videantur ex se et in libero$ @10 vixerunt vitam malam$ @11 After vitam$ @12 et quia$ @13 i ex sensu literae Verbi,$ @14 inferno, nec quicquam de coelo; ne quidem quod facit infernum et quod facit coelum apud hominem$