794、“水在地上大大加强”表示虚假的说服以这种方式增长。这从刚才关于水的阐述和说明清楚可知，即：“洪水的水”或泛滥表示虚假。此处由于虚假，或虚假的说服增加得更多了，所以经上说“水大大加强”，在原文，这是最高程度的。虚假是指虚假的假设和虚假的说服，它们在大洪水之前的人们当中大大增加，这一点从前面关于他们的阐述（560，562，581，660-661，705:3，736节）明显看出来。当人们将真理浸没于恶欲，或说将真理与恶欲混在一起，也就是使这些真理来支持对自己和世界的爱时，说服就会大大增加。事实上，在这种情况下，他们败坏这些真理，以上千种方式迫使它们同意。因为凡为自己吸收或构筑虚假的假设之人，谁不是通过他所获知的大量事实，甚至从圣言来证实它？有哪个异端不是以同样的方式紧紧抓住确认它的观念？又有哪个异端不强迫不一致的事物，以种种不同方式解释并扭曲它们，好叫它们不再反对？
例如，有人接受这样的假设：唯信使人得救，无需仁之良善。他能不从圣言罗织出一套完整的教义体系，却丝毫不关心，或不注意，甚至看不见主所说的这些话：凭果子就可以认出树来，凡不结好果子的树，就砍下来丢在火里（马太福音7:16-20，12:33）？还有什么比顺从肉体生活，同时仅凭知道真理，不必行出任何善事就能得救更吸引人的呢？人所培育的一切恶欲都构成其意愿的生命，一切虚假的假设或虚假的说服都构成其理解力的生命。当真理或信之教义被浸没于恶欲时，其意愿的生命和理解力的生命就构成一体。可以说，每个人都以这种方式为自己形成一个灵魂；并且死后，他的生命就具有这种性质。因此，对一个人来说，没有什么比知道何为真理更重要的了。当他知道何为真理，并知道得如此清楚，以致它无法被败坏时，真理就不会被如此浸没于恶欲，造成致命后果了。一个人最应该放在心里的，不是他的永生吗？他若活在肉身时摧毁了自己的灵魂，岂不是永远毁灭了它？
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]794. And the water strengthened greatly, greatly on the earth means that persuasive lies piled up in this way, as is established by statements made and evidence offered just above concerning water. They showed that flood waters symbolize falsities. Because the falsity (or the false persuasions) intensified, the current verse says that the water strengthened greatly, greatly, this being a superlative in the original language.
By falsities I mean false premises and false persuasions. These increased tremendously among the pre-Flood people, as remarks above [560, 562, 581, 660-661, 705:3, 736] concerning them make clear.
Self-delusion grows tremendously when it taints truth with perverted desires, that is, when it uses truth to justify self-love and materialism. In doing so, it corrupts truth and forces it to cooperate in a thousand different ways. What person is there who has either absorbed or manufactured false principles, without using a plethora of facts at his or her disposal — even from the Word — to confirm them? Is there a heresy in existence that does not seize on this kind of support? And if heresy comes across arguments that do not harmonize, it compels them to yield anyway, explaining and distorting them in a variety of ways until they no longer disagree.
[2] Take those who embrace the premise that faith alone, without the good deeds of charity, brings salvation. Are they not capable of weaving together a whole system of theology out of the Word? And yet they do not care about, they do not pay attention to, they do not even see the Lord's words that a tree is recognized by its fruit and that a tree not bearing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire (Matthew 7:16-17, 18, 19, 20; 12:33). What could be more pleasing than to live by the desires of our flesh and still be saved? To merely know what is true without doing a single scrap of good?
Every perverse yearning that we cultivate goes into making up the life of our will, and every falsity that we adopt as a premise or as a conviction goes into making up the life of our intellect. These two kinds of life combine into one when we merge the doctrinal teachings of faith with our cravings. By this means we each form a kind of personal soul, and the quality of its life remains unchanged after death. As a result, nothing is more important for us than to know what is true. When we know what is true — and know it in such a way that it cannot be perverted — it cannot be infused with corrupt desires and do deadly harm. What should we take more to heart than our eternal life? If we destroy our soul during bodily life, do we not destroy it forever?{*1}
Footnotes:
{*1} Possibly an echo of Matthew 10:28 ("Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead fear one who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.") or Mark 8:36 ("What good does it do a person to gain the whole world and lose his or her soul?"). [RS, LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 794
794. And the waters were strengthened very exceedingly upon the earth. That this signifies that persuasions of falsity thus increased, is evident from what has been said and shown just above about "waters" namely, that the waters of a flood, or inundations, signify falsities. Here, because falsities or persuasions of what was false were still more increased, it is said that the "waters were strengthened very exceedingly" which in the original language is the superlative. Falsities are principles and persuasions of what is false, and that these had increased immensely among the antediluvians, is evident from all that has been said before concerning them. Persuasions immensely increase when men mingle truths with cupidities, or make them favor the loves of self and of the world; for then in a thousand ways they pervert them and force them into agreement. For who that has imbibed or framed for himself a false principle does not confirm it by much that he has learned; and even from the Word? Is there any heresy that does not thus lay hold of things to confirm it? and even force, and in diverse ways explain and distort, things that are not in agreement, so that they may not disagree? [2] For example, he who adopts the principle that faith alone is saving, without the goods of charity; can he not weave a whole system of doctrine out of the Word? and this without in the least caring for, or considering, or even seeing, what the Lord says, that "the tree is known by its fruit" and that "every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire"? (Matt. 3:10, 7:16-20, 12:33). What is more pleasing than to live after the flesh, and yet be saved if only one knows what is true, though he does nothing of good? Every cupidity that a man favors forms the life of his will, and every principle or persuasion of falsity forms the life of his understanding. These lives make one when the truths or doctrinals of faith are immersed in cupidities. Every man thus forms for himself as it were a soul, and such after death does his life become. Nothing therefore is of more importance to a man than to know what is true. When he knows what is true, and knows it so well that it cannot be perverted, then it cannot be so much immersed in cupidities and have such deadly effect. What should a man have more at heart than his life to eternity? If in the life of the body he destroys his soul, does he not destroy it to eternity?
Elliott(1983-1999) 794
794. 'And the waters grew stronger and stronger over the earth' means that persuasions of falsity increased in this way. This is clear from what has been stated and shown just above about waters, namely that 'the waters of the flood' or inundations means falsities. Here since falsities, or persuasions of falsity, increased still more it is said that 'the waters grew stronger and stronger', which in the original language is the superlative degree. Falsities are false assumptions and persuasions of falsity, which increased enormously among the people before the Flood, as is clear from what has been stated concerning them already. Persuasions increase enormously when people immerse truths in evil desires, that is, make those truths support self-love and love of the world. Indeed in those circumstances they pervert those truths, and in a thousand ways force them to agree. For what person is there who, having adopted a false assumption, or made one for himself, does not confirm it from the many facts he knows, even indeed from the Word? Is there any heresy which does not in like manner take hold of confirmatory ideas, and which does not force things that do not agree, and in different ways explain and distort them so that they disagree no longer?
[2] Take for example someone who adopts the assumption that faith alone saves without the good works of charity. Can he not weave an entire system of doctrine from the Word and yet not care in the slightest, not even pay attention to, or indeed notice what the Lord has said about a tree being known by its fruit, and about the tree that does not bear good fruit being cut down and thrown into the fire, Matt 7:16-20; 12:33? What could be more appealing than living after the flesh and at the same time being saved by merely knowing what is true and not having to perform any good action at all? Every evil desire which a person fosters constitutes the life of his will, and every false assumption or persuasion constitutes the life of his understanding. The life of his will and that of his understanding make one when truths, or doctrinal matters concerning faith, are immersed in evil desires. Everybody in this way forms a soul for himself so to speak, and of such a nature does his life become after death. Consequently nothing is of greater importance to man than knowing what the truth is. When he knows what the truth is, and knows it so well that it cannot be perverted, it cannot then be steeped in evil desires and have deadly effect. What more ought anyone to have at heart than his life which lasts for ever? If he destroys his soul during his lifetime, does he not destroy it for ever?
Latin(1748-1756) 794
794. 'Et aquae corroboratae valde valde super terra': quod significent persuasiones falsi quod ita accreverint, constat ex illis quae mox prius de aquis dicta et ostensa sunt, quod nempe 'aquae diluvii seu inundantes' significent falsa; hic quia adhuc magis falsa seu persuasiones falsi, dicitur quod 'corroboratae sint aquae valde valde,' quod est superlativum linguae originalis. Falsa sunt principia falsi et persuasiones falsi, quae quod apud antediluvianos accreverint immensum, ab illis quae prius dicta sunt de iis, constat. Persuasiones immensum crescunt, cum vera infundunt cupiditatibus, seu faciunt ut amoribus sui et mundi faveant, tunc enim pervertunt illa, et cogunt mille modis in consensum: quis enim est qui principium falsi hausit, aut sibi finxit, qui non confirmat id ex multo scientifico apud eum, immo etiam ex Verbo? an ulla haeresis est quae non confirmantia sic capit, et quae non consentiunt, usque cogit, ac diversimode explicat et detorquet ut non dissentiant? [2] Sicut qui capit principium, quod sola fides salvet absque bonis charitatis, annon integrum' systema doctrinae ex Verbo contexere queat? et tamen ne hilum curat, ne quidem attendit, immo nec videt, quod Dominus dixit, Quod arbor cognoscatur ex fructu,... et quae arbor non bonum fructum fert, exscindetur et projicietur in ignem, Matth. vii 16-20; xii 33. Quid magis placet quam vivere secundum carnem, et usque salvari, modo sciat quid verum, tametsi ne hilum boni agat? Omnis cupiditas, cui homo favet, vitam ejus voluntatis facit; et omne principium, seu omnis persuasio falsi, vitam ejus intellectus facit; hae vitae unam faciunt, cum vera seu doctrinalia fidei immergunt cupiditatibus; quisque homo ita quasi animam sibi format, cujus vita fit talis post mortem; quare nihil plus interest homini quam scire quid verum; cum scit quid verum, et quidem ita ut non perverti possit, tunc non ita infundi potest cupiditatibus et mortiferum facere. Quid plus homini cordi esse debet quam vita ejus in aeternum? Si animam suam in vita corporis destruit, anne eam in aeternum?