8298.“他们寻求深处，如铅”表邪恶像世上的重物那样把他们拖至低层。这从“深处”的含义清楚可知，“深处”是指低层，以及邪恶方面的地狱（参看8279节），因此，“寻求深处”是指被邪恶拖至这些较低的地方。恶人因自己如同世上重物那样的邪恶而沉下地狱（参看8279节）。经上之所以说“如铅”，是因为“铅”表示邪恶。然而，第5节经文说，“他们好像石头坠到深处”，因为在那里，“石头”表示虚假。虚假和邪恶都是沉重的，所以二者都下沉。尽管如此，制造了灵义上的沉重，从而就像因重物那样下沉的，正是邪恶。虚假本身并不沉重；它如此沉重，仅仅是因为存在于它里面的邪恶。因为虚假本身根本没有重量，而是从邪恶获得重量，从而下沉。
要知道，所有金属皆表示良善或真理，在反面意义上则表示邪恶或虚假。“铅”因不如其它金属贵重，故表示最低层的邪恶，诸如属于外层属世层的邪恶；但在正面意义上表示最低层的良善；如在以下经文：
他们都是悖逆中最悖逆的，是毁谤者，是铜是铁；他们都是破坏者。风箱发热；铅被火烧毁，他炼而又炼，终是徒然；因为恶劣的还未除掉。因为恶者还未除掉。人必称他们为被弃的银子，因为耶和华已经弃掉他们。（耶利米书6:28-30）
以西结书：
人子啊，以色列家在我看为渣滓，他们都是炉中间的铜、锡、铁、铅，都是银渣滓。（以西结书22:18）
Potts(1905-1910) 8298
8298. They sought the deep like lead. That this signifies that evils dragged them down to lower things, like weights in the world, is evident from the signification of "the deep," as being lower things, and the hells in respect to evils (see n. 8279), consequently "to seek the deep" denotes to be dragged down by evils to these lower things. (That the evil sink down by their evils to the hells, like weights in the world, see n. 8279.) It is said "like lead," because by "lead" is signified evil; above, however, it was said "they went down into the depths of the sea like a stone" (verse 5), because by "a stone" is there signified falsity. Both falsity and evil are heavy, consequently both sink down; but still it is evil which makes heaviness in the spiritual sense, and thus sinks down just as from a weight; but not falsity by itself except from the evil which is in it; for from itself falsity has no weight; but from evil it has its tendency to sink. [2] Be it known that all metals signify good or truth, and in the opposite sense, evil or falsity. "Lead," being more ignoble than the rest of the metals, signifies the evil which is lowest, such as is the evil of the exterior natural; but in the good sense it signifies good of the same degree, as in these passages:
They are all stubborn ones of stubborn ones, detractors, brass and iron; they are all destroyers. The bellows grew hot; the lead is consumed by the fire; in vain fusing he hath fused; for the evil have not been pulled away. They shall call them rejected silver, because Jehovah hath rejected them (Jer. 6:28-30). Son of man, the house of Israel is become scoria to Me; all of them are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they have become scoriae of silver (Ezek. 22:18).
Elliott(1983-1999) 8298
8298. 'They sought a deep place like lead' means that evils drew them down to lower levels like heavy objects in the world. This is clear from the meaning of 'a deep place' as lower levels and the hells in respect of evils, dealt with in 8279, so that 'seeking a deep place' is being drawn down by evils to those places. For their own evils cause the evil to fall, like heavy objects in the world, down towards the hells, see 8279. The expression 'like lead' is used because 'lead' means evil. But verse 5 above stated that 'they went down into deep places of the sea like a stone' because 'a stone' at that point means falsity. Both are heavy, both falsity and evil, and therefore they both fall downwards. Nevertheless evil is what creates heaviness in the spiritual sense and so is what falls as if by gravity. In itself falsity is not heavy; it is so only as a result of the evil that is present in it. For falsity by itself has no weight at all, but acquires it from evil, so that it falls downwards.
[2] It should be recognized that all metals mean good or else truth, and in the contrary sense evil or else falsity. Being less noble than all other metals 'lead' means evil at the lowest level, such as evil belonging to the exterior natural, but in the good sense it means good at that same level; as in Jeremiah,
They are all arch-rebels,a disparagers, bronze and iron; they are all corrupters. The bellows have become hot, the lead has been consumed by the fire; he has thoroughly melted it in vain, for the evil have not been purged out.b [People] will call them rejected silver, because Jehovah has rejected them. Jer 6:28-30.
And in Ezekiel,
Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of a furnace. They have become the dross of silver. Ezek 22:18.
Latin(1748-1756) 8298
8298. `Profundum petierunt sicut plumbum': quod significet quod mala detraxerint illos ad inferiora sicut gravia in mundo, constat ex significatione `profundi' quod sint inferiora et inferna quoad mala, de qua n. 8279, inde `profundum petere' est detrahi a malis ad illa; quod mali a suis malis delabantur ad inferna sicut gravia in mundo, videatur {1}n. 8279; `sicut plumbum' dicitur quia per `plumbum' significatur malum; supra autem dictum est `descenderunt in profunditates maris sicut lapis' vers. 5, quia per `lapidem' ibi significatur falsum; utrumque grave est, tam falsum quam malum, et inde utrumque delabitur, sed usque est malum quod facit grave in spirituali sensu, et sic quod velut ex gravi delabitur, {2}non autem falsum per se, sed {3}ex malo quod in illo, nam falsum ex se nihil ponderis 2 habet, sed ex malo habet ut delabatur {4}; sciendum quod omnia metalla significent bonum aut verum, et in opposito sensu malum aut falsum; `plumbum' {5}, quia reliquis metallis est ignobilius, significat malum quod {6}infimum, quale est malum naturalis exterioris; in bono autem sensu significat bonum {7}ejusdem gradus, ut apud Jeremiam, Omnes illi refractarii refractariorum, obtrectatores, aes et ferrum, omnes illi perditores; incaluit follis, ab igne consumptum est plumbum, frustra conflavit conflando, mali namque non avulsi sunt; argentum reprobatum vocabunt (c)illos, quia reprobavit Jehovah eos, vi 28-30:et apud Ezechielem, Fili hominis, facti Mihi sunt domus Israelis in scoriam; omnes illi aes, et stannum, et ferrum, et plumbum in medio fornacis, scoriae argenti facti sunt, xxii 18. @1 etiam in loco nunc citato$ @2 ita non$ @3 falsum a$ @4 i et malum est quod detrahit; quod plumbum attinet$ @5 i vero$ @6 infimum est, in specie$ @7 quod infimum, in specie bonum naturalis seu sensualis$