8098.“所以神领百姓绕道而行，走旷野的路”表在神性指引之下，他们通过试探被引导确认或坚定接受信之真理和良善。这从“神领”和“旷野的路”的含义清楚可知：“神领”是指天命（参看8093节），或也可说，神性指引；“旷野的路”是指经历试探，因而确认或坚定接受信之真理和良善，因为它们通过试探被确认或坚定接受。“旷野”表示一个无人居住、没有耕种的地方（参看2708节），在灵义上是指没有良善和真理的一种情况，以及真理尚未与良善结合的一种情况。因此，“旷野”表示这二者将要实现结合之人的状态；由于结合若不通过试探，就无法实现，故也表示这些试探。当加上“四十”这个数字，无论“四十年”，还是“四十个月”、“四十天”时，所表示的是试探。因为“四十”表示试探及其持续的时间，无论这段时间有多长（730，862，2272，2273节）。以色列人在旷野漂流了四十年就表示这些事；此外还描述了他们所经历的试探。他们被领进旷野，是为了叫他们能经历这些试探，由此可以代表它们，这一点从摩西五经中的这些话明显看出来：
你也要记念耶和华你的神在旷野引导你这四十年，是要苦炼你、试验你，要知道你心内如何。又在旷野将你列祖所不认识的吗哪赐给你吃，是要苦炼你、试验你，在未来的时间里善待你。（申命记8:2，16）
由于“四十”表示试探及其持续时间，“旷野”表示那些经历试探之人的状态，所以当主受试探时，祂也出去进入旷野，在那里四十天（马太福音4:1，2等；路加福音4:1，2等；马可福音1:12，13）。
Potts(1905-1910) 8098
8098. And God led the people about, by the way of the wilderness. That this signifies that under the Divine auspices they were brought to confirm the truths and goods of faith through temptations, is evident from the signification of "God led," as being Providence (see n. 8093), or what is the same, the Divine auspices, and from the signification of "the way of the wilderness," as being to undergo temptations, thus to confirm the truths and goods of faith, for they are confirmed by temptations. By "wilderness" is signified where there is what is uninhabited and uncultivated (see n. 2708), in the spiritual sense, where are no good and truth, and also where truth is not yet conjoined with good. Thus by "wilderness" is signified the state of those with whom conjunction will be effected; and as conjunction is not effected except through temptations, these also are signified, but only when the number "forty" is added, whether "forty years," or "forty months," or "forty days;" for "forty" signifies temptations and their duration, whatever this may be (n. 730, 862, 2272, 2273). These things are signified by the sojournings of the sons of Israel in the wilderness forty years; moreover the temptations which they underwent are described. That they were led into the wilderness in order that they might undergo these temptations and might thus represent them, is clear from these words in Moses:
Thou shalt remember all the way in which Jehovah thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to afflict thee, to tempt thee, to know what was in thy heart. He fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, to afflict thee, and to tempt thee, to do thee good in thy future time (Deut. 8:2, 6). As by "forty" were signified temptations and their duration, and by the "wilderness" the state of those who undergo them, therefore when the Lord was tempted, He also went out into the wilderness, and was there forty days (Matt. 4:1, 2, seq.; Luke 4:1, 2, seq.; Mark 1:12, 13).
Elliott(1983-1999) 8098
8098. 'And God led the people around by the way of the wilderness' means that under Divine guidance they were led by means of temptations to a firm acceptance of the truths and forms of the good of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'God led' as providence, as above in 8093, or what amounts to the same thing, as Divine guidance; and from the meaning of 'by the way of the wilderness' as a way that leads people to undergo temptations and so to reach a firm acceptance of the truths and forms of the good of faith since temptations are the means by which they become firmly accepted. 'The wilderness' means a place which is uninhabited and uncultivated, dealt with in 2708, in the spiritual sense a situation in which there is no good or truth, and also a situation in which truth has not yet been bonded to good. That being so, 'the wilderness' means the state of those with whom the two are to be bonded together; but since the bonding is not accomplished except by means of temptations, these also are meant. Temptations are meant when the number forty is included, which can be forty years, forty months, or forty days. For 'forty' means temptations and their duration, however long that may be, 730, 862, 2272, 2273. These things are meant by the travels of the children of Israel in the wilderness for forty years; the temptations they underwent are also described. The fact that they were led into the wilderness to undergo temptations and in so doing to represent them is evident from the following words in Moses,
You shall remember all the way in which Jehovah your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order that He might afflict you, in order that He might tempt you, in order that He might know what is in your heart. He fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, in order that He might afflict you, in order that He might tempt you, to do good to you in your descendants. Deut 8:2,16.
Because 'forty' meant temptations and their durations, and 'the wilderness' meant the states of people undergoing them, the Lord too, when He was tempted, went out into the wilderness and was there for forty days, Matt 4:1,2, and following verses; Luke 4:1,2, and following verses; Mark 1:12,13.
Latin(1748-1756) 8098
8098. `Et circumduxit Deus populum via deserti': quod significet quod ex auspicio Divino perducti ad confirmanda vera et bona fidei per tentationes, constat ex significatione `duxit Deus' quod sit providentia, ut supra n. (x)8093, seu, quod idem, auspicium Divinum; et ex significatione `{1}viae deserti' quod sit ad subeundas tentationes, ita ad confirmanda vera et bona fidei, nam per tentationes confirmantur; per `desertum' significatur ubi inhabitatum et inexcultum, de qua n. 2708, in spirituali sensu ubi non bonum et verum, tum ubi verum nondum conjunctum {2} bono; ita per `desertum' significatur status illorum apud quos conjunctio fiet, et quia conjunctio non fit nisi per tentationes, etiam hae significantur; sed quando numerus quadraginta adjicitur, sive sint quadraginta anni, sive quadraginta menses, sive quadraginta dies; `quadraginta' enim significant tentationes, ac durationem illarum quamcumque, n. 730, 862, 2272, 2273; haec significantur per filiorum Israelis peregrinationes in deserto quadraginta annis; tentationes etiam quas subiverunt descriptae sunt; quod ut illas subirent, et sic repraesentarent, in desertum ducti sint, patet ab his apud Moschen, Recordaberis omnis viae qua duxit te Jehovah Deus tuus his quadraginta annis in deserto, ut affligeret te, ut tentaret te, ut cognosceret quod in corde tuo. Cibavit te manna in deserto, quam non noverunt patres tui, ut affligeret te, ut tentaret te, ad benefaciendum tibi in posteritate tua, Deut. viii 2, 16. Quia per `quadraginta' significabantur tentationes et illarum durationes, ac per `desertum' status illorum qui subeunt illas, idcirco etiam Dominus, cum tentaretur, exivit in desertum, et ibi erat quadraginta diebus, Matth. iv 1, 2 seq.; Luc. iv 1, 2 seq.; Marc. i 12, 13. @1 d viae i via$ @2 i est suo$