788、“水往上长，浮起方舟，它就从地上漂起来”表示它以这种方式摇摆不定；“水在地上逐渐加强，大大增长，方舟漂浮在水面上”表示它就这样摇摆得愈加频繁和强烈。这一点不会变得清晰，除非事先说明被称为“挪亚”的这个教会的状态是何性质。“挪亚”不是古教会本身，而是如同古教会的父母或种子，如前所述（773节）。挪亚，连同闪、含、雅弗一起构成继上古教会之后的古教会。被称为挪亚的每个教会成员都属于上古教会的后代，故就遗传之恶而言，他的状态和没有幸存下来的其他后代差不多。那些状态差不多的人无法像那些没有通过遗传获得这种性情的人那样重生，并变得属灵。前面（310节）已经说明他们的遗传性情是何性质，但为了让人们更好地了解它，特作如下说明。
属于雅各之种的人，如犹太人，不能像外邦人那样轻易重生。信仰的颠倒在他们里面根深蒂固，这不仅是因为他们从小就吸收，后来又确认的假设，还因为他们的遗传性。这种颠倒因他们的遗传性而在他们里面根深蒂固，这一点从以下考虑在某种程度上变得清晰，即：他们的性情不同于其他人，事实上，他们的习俗和面部特征也不同于其他人，他们由此很容易与其他人区分开来；他们通过遗传获得这些特征。这同样适用于他们的内在特征，因为习俗和面部特征是内层的印记。这也是为何转变的犹太人在真理与虚假之间比其他人更加摇摆不定。被称为挪亚的这个教会的第一批人同样如此，因为他们属于上古之人的血统和种子。此处所描述的，就是这些摇摆；下文进一步描述了它们，即：挪亚作起土地上的人来，栽了一个葡萄园。他喝了酒，喝醉了，就赤身躺在帐棚中间（创世记9:20-21）。这些人很少，这一点从以下事实向我清楚显明：在灵人界，该教会成员表现为又高又瘦的男人，身穿白衣，在一个狭小的房间里。然而，他们却是那些保存并拥有信之教义在当中的人。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]788. The waters grew and lifted the ark and it rose off the earth means that this is how those people wavered. The water strengthened and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark went on the face of the water means that this is how their wavering intensified. The symbolism here will not be apparent until I say what conditions were like in this Noah church.
Noah was not the true ancient church but a kind of progenitor or seed from which that church came, as already pointed out [773]. Noah and Shem, Ham, and Japheth together constituted the ancient church that came right after the earliest church. All those in the church who were referred to as Noah came from the descendants of the earliest church. Consequently their condition in respect to an evil heredity{*1} was almost the same as that of the other descendants, who were destroyed. Because their condition was similar, they could not regenerate and become spiritual in the same way as those who do not inherit such a character. The nature of their heredity was described above, at 310.
[2] Let me explain more clearly how the situation stands. Those — such as Jews — who have descended from Jacob's seed cannot regenerate in the same way as other races. They maintain a creed hostile to genuine faith, acquired not only from principles adopted in childhood and later confirmed but also from heredity. The fact that heredity contributes can be seen from the consideration that their mentality, their mores, and even their faces differ from those of others and these three attributes (by which they can be recognized) are inherited. So also for their deeper qualities, since custom and facial appearance are signs of what lies within. Consequently, converted Jews waver between truth and falsity more than others do.{*2} The same is true of the first adherents of this church, referred to as Noah, because they came from the stock and seed of the earliest people.{*3} Such vacillation is what the present verses depict, as do later verses that say Noah was a man of the ground, planted a vineyard, drank some of the wine, and became so drunk that he lay naked in the middle of his tent (Genesis 9:20-21).
I was able to tell how small their numbers were from seeing the people of that church represented in the world of spirits as a tall, slender man dressed in bright white, standing in a cramped room. Yet these were the people who preserved the doctrinal teachings of faith, which they had among them.
Footnotes:
{*1} On evil heredity, see note 1 in 313. [RS]
{*2} On Swedenborg's attitude toward Jews, see notes 4 in 259:2, 2 in 303:2, and the reader's guide, pages 51-55. [JSR]
{*3} The "earliest people" referred to here are presumably the fallen of the earliest church. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 788
788. The waters increased and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up from off the earth. That this signifies that such was its fluctuation, and that "the waters were strengthened and increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark went upon the face of the waters" signifies that its fluctuations thus increased in frequency and strength, cannot be evident unless there be first explained what was the state of this church which is called "Noah." "Noah" was not the Ancient Church itself, but was as the parent or seed of that church, as before said. "Noah" together with "Shem, Ham, and Japheth" constituted the Ancient Church, which immediately succeeded the Most Ancient. Every man of the church called "Noah" was of the posterity of the Most Ancient Church, and with respect to hereditary evil was therefore in a state nearly like that of the rest of the posterity, which perished; and those who were in such a state could not be regenerated and made spiritual as could those who did not derive such quality by inheritance. What their hereditary quality was, has been stated above (n. 310). [2] For example (that the matter may be more clearly understood); they who, like the Jews, are of the seed of Jacob, cannot so well be regenerated as can the Gentiles, for they have an inherent opposition to faith, not only from principles imbibed from infancy and afterwards confirmed, but from hereditary disposition also. That this inheres also from hereditary disposition, may in some measure be evident from their being of a different genius, of different manners, and also of different features, from other men, whereby they are distinguishable from others; and these characteristics they have from inheritance. And it is the same with the interior qualities, for manners and features are types of the interiors. Therefore converted Jews fluctuate more than others between truth and falsity. It was the same with the first men of the Ancient Church, who were called "Noah" because they were of the race and seed of the most ancient men. These are the fluctuations described here, and also in what follows: that Noah was a husbandman and planted a vineyard; and that he drank of the wine, and was drunken, and lay uncovered within his tent (Gen. 9:20-21). That they were few, was made evident from the fact that the man of that church was represented in the world of spirits as a tall and slender man, clothed in white, in a chamber of small dimensions. And yet it was they who preserved and had among them the doctrinal things of faith.
Elliott(1983-1999) 788
788. 'The waters increased and raised the ark and lifted it above the earth' means that in such manner it wavered; and 'the waters grew stronger and increased greatly over the earth, and the ark went over the facea of the waters' means that in such manner its waverings grew stronger. This does not become clear unless the nature of the state of this Church called Noah is stated beforehand. 'Noah' was not the Ancient Church itself but, as already stated, was like the parent or seed of that Church. But Noah together with Shem, Ham, and Japheth constituted the Ancient Church that followed immediately after the Most Ancient Church. Every member of the Church called Noah belonged to the descendants of the Most Ancient Church, and therefore as far as hereditary evil was concerned his state was little different from that of other descendants who did not survive. Those whose state was little different were unable to be regenerated and become spiritual as those could whose hereditary disposition was not like theirs. The nature of their hereditary disposition has been stated already in 310, but to enable people to have a better knowledge of it let the following be said.
[2] People who belong to the seed of Jacob, such as the Jews, cannot be regenerated so easily as gentiles. The reverse of faith is ingrained within them not only on account of the assumptions they have adopted since early childhood and subsequently confirmed, but also on account of their heredity. That it is also ingrained within them on account of their heredity becomes clear to some extent from the consideration that they are by disposition different from others, indeed have different customs and also different facial features from others, by which they can be singled out, such characteristics being theirs by heredity. And the same applies to their interior peculiarities, for customs and facial features are the imprints of the things within. This also is why converted Jews, more than anybody else, waver between truth and falsity. It was similar with the first people of this Church who were called Noah, for they belonged to the stock and seed of the most ancient people. These waverings are what are being described here, and in what follows further on where it is said that Noah was a man of the ground and that he planted a vineyard, and drank some of the wine, and became drunk, so that he lay naked in the middle of his tent, Gen 9:20, 21. That those people were few has been made clear to me from the consideration that the member (homo) of that Church is represented in the world of spirits as a tall slim man (vir) clothed in white, in a narrow room. Even so these were the people who preserved and possessed among themselves doctrinal matters concerning faith.
Latin(1748-1756) 788
788. Quod 'creverunt aquae, et sustulerunt arcam, et elevata est {1} desuper terra' significent quod ita ejus fluctuatio (x)fuerit; et quod 'corroboratae aquae, et auctae valde super terra, et ivit arca super faciebus aquarum' significent quod fluctuationes ejus ita increbruerint, non constare potest nisi prius dicatur qualis fuit status hujus Ecclesiae quae Noahus vocatur: 'Noahus' non fuit ipsa Antiqua Ecclesia, sed sicut parens aut semen istius Ecclesiae, ut prius dictum; sed 'Noahus cum Shemo, Hamo et Japheto' constituebant Ecclesiam Antiquam, quae immediate successit Ecclesiae Antiquissimae; omnis homo' Ecclesiae Noahus dictus fuit ex posteris Ecclesiae Antiquissimae proinde in simili fere statu quoad malum hereditarium sicut cetera posteritas quae periit; et qui in simili statu, non potuerunt regenerari et fieri spirituales, sicut ii qui non ex hereditario tale trahunt; quale hereditarium habuerunt, dictum prius est n. 310; ut hoc clarius sciatur quomodo se habet; [2] qui ex semine Jacobi sunt, ut Judaei, non ita regenerari possunt ac gentes; inhaeret non solum contrarium fidei ex principiis captis ab infantia et dein confirmatis, sed etiam ex hereditario quod inhaereat etiam ex hereditario, aliquantum constare potest ex eo quod diverso genio sint, immo diversis moribus, ut et diversa facie reliquis, a quibus dignosci possunt, quae sunt ex hereditario; ita quoque quoad interiora, nam mores et facies sunt interiorum typi quare etiam Judaei conversi, prae aliis fluctuant inter verum et falsum similiter primi homines hujus Ecclesiae qui Noahus vocantur, qui ex prosapia et semine antiquissimorum fuerunt: hae fluctuationes sunt quae hic describuntur; et dein in sequentibus, Quod Noahus fuerit vir humi, et quod plantaverit vineam, et biberit ex vino, et inebriatus sit, ita ut nudatus jaceret in medio tentorii, ix 20, 21. Quod pauci fuerint, constare mihi potuit ex eo quod homo Ecclesia istius in mundo spirituum repraesentetur sicut vir longus et gracilis, indutus candido, in arto conclavi: sed usque hi fuerunt qui doctrinalia fidei conservarunt et apud se habuerunt. @1 sit I.$