7604.“因为大麦是一个成熟的穗子，麻是一根茎”表这良善和真理突出来并向下看。这从“大麦”和“麻”，以及“一个成熟的穗子”和“一根茎”的含义清楚可知：“大麦”和“麻”是指外层属世层的良善和真理，如前所述（7601，7602节）；“一个成熟的穗子”和“一根茎”是指它们突出来，因为经上论到小麦和小麦和斯卑尔脱小麦说，它们是“藏着的”，也就是说，它们没有突出来。因为前者是成熟的，农作物在穗子和茎上突出来，以致它们下垂；就灵义而言，这论述了信与仁之良善，即它们向下看。至于此中情形如何，这从前面所述（7601节）明显看出来。对恶人来说，外层属世层中的良善和真理之所以向下看，是因为它们在那里与邪恶和虚假共存，并依附于它们。一切邪恶和虚假皆向下看，也就是向外看大地和世界；因此，依附于它们的良善和真理也如此行；因为邪恶和虚假通过错误运用良善和真理而把它们拖过来。正是这些良善和真理在恶人中间遭受荒凉；因为如果它们不荒凉，被主储存内层属世层中并妥善保管的良善和真理就会流入，并与外层属世层中的良善和真理结合，由此与它们合而为一。这时，它们也会下垂，从而灭亡。人与动物的区别在于，他能向上看，也就是仰望神性；没有这种能力，人与野兽无异，因为野兽只能向下看。由此可见为何与恶人同在的良善和真理要从他们身上被夺走，又为何当它们被夺走时，与内层的交流就关闭，而良善和真理被主储存在内层，并妥善保管以备将来使用。
Potts(1905-1910) 7604
7604. For the barley was a ripening ear, and the flax was a stalk. That this signifies that this good and truth stood forth, and looked downward, is evident from the signification of "the barley" and "the flax," as being the good and truth of the exterior natural (of which above, n. 7601, 7602); and from the signification of "a ripening ear," and also of "a stalk," as being that they stood forth, for it is said of the wheat and spelt that they "were hidden," that is, that they did not stand forth; for the grains that are ripe stand forth on their ear and stalk, so that they bend down; and in the spiritual sense, which treats of the good of faith and charity, this signifies that they looked downward. How the case herein is, is plain from what was said above (n. 7601). That with the evil the goods and truths in the exterior natural look downward, is because they are there together with evils and falsities, and are adjoined to them. All evils and falsities look downward, that is, outward to the earth and to the world; whence the goods and truths adjoined to them also do the same, for the evils and falsities draw the goods and truths with them, which is done by wrong applications. It is these goods and truths which are vastated with the evil; for if they were not vastated, the goods and truths would flow in which are stored up and reserved by the Lord in the interior natural, and would conjoin themselves with those which are in the exterior natural, and would thus act as one with them, whence also they would be bent downward, and thus would perish. Man is distinguished from brute animals by the fact that he can look upward, that is, to the Divine; without this faculty man would be like a beast, for a beast looks only downward. From this then it is evident why the goods and truths with the evil which look downward are taken away from them, and why when these have been taken away, the communication is closed with the interiors, where goods and truths from the Lord have been stored up and reserved for use.
Elliott(1983-1999) 7604
7604. 'For the barley was a ripening ear, and the flax a stem' means that that good and truth were conspicuous and looked downwards. This is clear from the meaning of 'the barley' and 'the flax' as the good and truth of the exterior natural, dealt with just above in 7601, 7602; and from the meaning of 'a ripening ear' and also 'a stem' as the fact that they were conspicuous, for the next verse says of 'the wheat and the spelt' that 'they were hidden', that is, were not conspicuous. The former are mature; the crop now stands out in the ear and on the stem, so that it is ready to fall. This means in the spiritual sense, which has to do with the good of faith and charity, that they looked downwards. The nature of all this is evident from what has been stated above in 7601. The reason why with those who are evil the forms of good and the truths in the exterior natural are looking downwards is that they exist together there with falsities and evils, and have become attached to them. All evils and falsities look downwards, that is, outwards towards the earth and the world, and therefore the forms of good and the truths attached to them do so too; for the evils and falsities drag them along by misapplying them. These forms of good and truths are ones that are laid waste with the evil. For if they were not laid waste the forms of good and the truths which have been stored away and placed in safe keeping by the Lord in the interior natural would come in, join themselves to those in the exterior natural, and so make one with them. Then they too would be bent downwards and so perish. Man is distinguished from animals by his being able to look upwards, that is, towards what is Divine. Without that ability man would be the same as a beast; for a beast can look only downwards. From this one may see why the forms of good and the truths which with those who are evil look downwards are taken away from them, and why, when they have been taken away, there is an end of communication with the interiors where forms of good and truths have been stored away and placed in safe keeping by the Lord for [future] use.
Latin(1748-1756) 7604
7604. `Quia hordeum spica maturescens, et linum culmus': quod significet quod bonum et verum illud exstarent et spectarent deorsum, constat ex significatione `hordei et lini' quod sint bonum et verum naturalis exterioris, de qua mox supra n. 7601, 7602; et ex significatione `spicae maturescentis' tum quoque `culmi' quod sit quod exstarent, nam de `tritico et zea' dicitur quod abdita sint, vers. seq., hoc est, quod non exstarent; {1}quae enim {2} matura sunt, in spica sua et {3}culmo exstant, ut decidant; hoc in spirituali sensu, in quo agitur de bono fidei et charitatis, {4}significat quod spectarent deorsum. Quomodo cum hoc se habet, patet ex illis quae supra n. 7601 dicta sunt. Quod bona et vera in exteriore naturali apud malos spectent deorsum, est quia ibi sunt una cum malis et falsis, et illis {5}adjuncta; omnia mala et falsa spectant deorsum, hoc est, extrorsum ad terram et ad mundum, inde quoque bona et vera illis adjuncta, nam mala et falsa trahunt illa secum, {6}quod fit per sinistras applicationes; haec bona et vera sunt quae apud malos {7} vastantur; si enim illa non vastarentur, influerent bona et vera quae {8}recondita et reservata sunt a Domino in interiore naturali, ac {9}se conjungerent illis quae in exteriore, ac sic unum agerent, inde quoque illa flecterentur deorsum, et sic perirent; homo distinguitur a brutis animalibus per id quod spectare possit sursum, hoc est, ad Divinum; absque illa facultate foret homo sicut bestia, nam bestia non spectat nisi deorsum. Inde nunc patet cur bona et vera apud malos quae spectant deorsum eis auferuntur, et cur illis {10}sublatis clauditur communicatio cum interioribus, ubi {11}bona et vera a Domino recondita sunt et ad usum reservata. @1 d quae i illa$ @2 i cum$ @3 in culmo suo$ @4 S first wrote quod significent then d quod$ @5 se adjungunt$ @6 adjuncta enim sunt per$ @7 i in altera vita$ @8 reconduntur et reservantur$ @9 conjungerent se illis, et sic unum facerent, ita illa quoque spectarent, deorsum seu extrorsum, ac inde perirent etiam illa$ @10 ablatis$ @11 vera et bona$