8313.“疼痛抓住非利士的居民”表那些坚持与良善分离的信仰之人对扩大他们统治的绝望。这从“疼痛”和“非利士的居民”的含义清楚可知：“疼痛”是指绝望，因为他们无法再扩大他们的统治，如下文所述；“非利士的居民”是指那些支持与仁之良善分离的唯信之人（1197，1198，3412，3413，8093，8096，8099节）。他们因以下事实而与埃及人区分开来：他们将仁之良善排除在外，相信一个人能通过没有这些良善的信仰得救。许多错误就从他们教义上的这个主要信条生出，如：救恩唯独归于怜悯，无论此人过着怎样的生活；一切罪和恶都通过信而被洗净；此人就这样与那已经称义的人一同行走；他的救恩能在一瞬间实现，甚至通过在死亡的最后一刻所获得的信仰和真理实现；因此，并不是属于天堂之爱的情感构成一个人里面的天堂。认同这些错误的人就是“非利士人”，他们因构成其生活的爱自己爱世界的邪恶而被称作“未受割礼的”。
“疼痛”在此之所以表示绝望，是因为所表示的是极端的痛苦，或像产难妇人所受的疼痛。此外，在原文，这个词表示这种绝望。在圣言中，绝望或极端的痛苦也被实际描述为“产难妇人的疼痛”，如在诗篇：
众王一同聚集，他们被战兢疼痛抓住，好像产难的妇人一样。（诗篇48:4，6）
耶利米书：
你这住黎巴嫩在香柏树上搭窝的啊，有痛苦临到你，好像疼痛临到产难妇人的疼痛，那时你会寻得多少恩典！（耶利米书22:23）
又：
巴比伦王听见他们的风声，手就发软，痛苦将他抓住，疼痛仿佛产难的妇人。（耶利米书50:43）
以赛亚书：
为耶和华的日子临近了！好像毁灭从沙代来到，所以，所有的手都必发软，各人的心都必消融。他们必惊惶，疼痛和剧疼必将他们抓住，他们经历阵痛，好像临产的妇人一样。（以赛亚书13:6-8）
耶利米书：
看哪，有一种民从北方之地而来，并有一大民族被激动，从地极来到。他们拿弓和枪，他很残忍，毫无怜悯。他们的声音像海砰訇，他们骑马。锡安女子啊，各人预备作战士，要攻击你。我们听见他们的风声，手就发软，痛苦将我们抓住，疼痛仿佛产难的妇人。（耶利米书6:22-24）
此处论述的是那些陷入邪恶的人所经历的真理的荒废；“从北方之地而来的民”表示那些沉浸于邪恶所生的虚假之人；“从地极来到的一大民族”表示那些沉浸于完全反对良善的邪恶之人；“他们拿弓和枪”表示他们利用虚假的教义争战；“他们的声音像海砰訇”表示基于这些教义的推理；“他们骑马”表示貌似基于理解力的争辩；“预备作战士”表示攻击真理的欲望；“锡安女子”表示良善所在的教会；“痛苦抓住”表示痛苦，因为真理可能会受到侵扰；“仿佛产难妇人的疼痛”表示绝望，因为良善可能会受到伤害。由此明显可知，“疼痛”在此表示由于可能施加于良善的伤害而导致的绝望
“疼痛抓住非利士的居民”之所以表示对扩大他们统治的绝望，或失去希望，是因为非利士人，也就是那些以为救恩因着没有仁之良善的唯信而来的人在来世不断渴望通过与他人争战而进行统治；并且他们不会停止，直到他们在信之认知或事务的记忆知识方面经历荒凉。因为在来世，每个人都保留他在肉身生活期间所持的信条；除了那些在生活中行善的人外，其他人不会把它们变成真理；良善渴慕真理，愿意接受它，因为它具有类似的性质。而那些生活中作恶的人不会改变它们，他们可以说是刚硬的，甚至弃绝真理。此外，他们处在模糊之中，以致他们甚至看不见它们，只看到诸如赞同他们已经持守的观念的那类事物，丝毫看不见反对它们的任何事物。这种人还以为自己最聪明的；然而，他们除了知道如何基于他们已经持守的观念进行推理外，什么也不知道。这就是为何他们是攻击仁爱最为猛烈的人，因而是渴望统治的人。因为那些处于仁爱的人都是谦卑的，渴望服侍所有人，仿佛自己是最卑微的。而那些陷入无仁之信的人则高傲自大，渴望得到所有人的服侍，仿佛自己是至高者。这也是为何他们认为天堂在于拥有统治权的荣耀，因为他们以为自己比所有人都聪明，以为他们将是天使长，因此有许多人会服侍他们，正如但以理书所说的：
智慧人必发光，如同穹苍的光；那使多人归义的，必如星辰，直到永永远远。（但以理书12:3）
但这些人拥有的是黑暗，而不是光明。
Potts(1905-1910) 8313
8313. Pain hath laid hold of the inhabitants of Philistia. That this signifies despair of enlarging their dominion on the part of those who are in faith separate from good, is evident from the signification of "pain," as being despair on account of their being no longer able to enlarge their dominion (of which below); and from the signification of "the inhabitants of Philistia," as being those who are in faith alone separate from the good of charity (n. 1197, 1198, 3412, 3413, 8093, 8096, 8099). They are distinguished from the Egyptians in the fact that they shut out the goods of charity, believing that man is saved through faith without these goods. From this foremost of their doctrine many errors are born; as that salvation is of mercy howsoever the man has lived; that through faith all sins and evils are washed away; and that thus the man marches along justified; also that salvation can be effected in a moment, even in the last hour of death, through the trust of faith; consequently that it is not the affection of celestial love that makes heaven with a man. These are "Philistines," and they were called "the uncircumcised" by reason of the evils of the love of self and of the world, in which is their life. [2] That "pain" here denotes despair, is because utmost pain is meant, such as is that of women in travail. Moreover in the original tongue the word signifies such pain. Despair or utmost pain is also described in the Word by "the pain of a woman in travail," as in these passages:
The kings gathered themselves together, terror seized them, pain as of a woman in travail (Ps. 48:4, 6). O dweller in Lebanon, having a nest in the cedars, how much of grace shalt thou find when pains come to thee, the pain as of a woman in travail? (Jer. 22:23). The king of Babylon hath heard the fame of them, and his hands became slack, distress took hold of him, pain as of a woman in travail (Jer. 50:43). The day of Jehovah is near, as a devastation from Shaddai, therefore all hands are slackened, and every heart of man melteth, and they are terrified, the gripes and pains take hold of them, they are in travail as a woman bringing forth (Isa. 13:6-8). [3] Behold a people cometh forth from the land of the north, and a great nation shall be stirred up from the sides of the earth, they lay hold on bow and spear, he is cruel and shall not have compassion, their voice resoundeth like the sea, and they ride upon horses; he is prepared as a man for war, against thee O daughter of Zion, we have heard the fame thereof, our hands have slackened, distress hath taken hold of us, pain as of a woman in travail (Jer. 6:22-24);
the vastation of truth with those who are in evil is here treated of; "a people from the land of the north" denotes those who are in falsities from evil; "a great nation from the sides of the earth" denotes those who are in evils utterly opposed to good; "they lay hold on bow and spear" denotes that they fight from false doctrine; "their voice resoundeth like the sea" denotes the derivative reasoning; "they ride upon horses" denotes argumentation as if from what is of the understanding; "he is prepared as a man for war" denotes the cupidity of assaulting truth; "the daughter of Zion" denotes the church where good is; "distress hath taken hold" denotes pain because truths are being infested; "pain as of a woman in travail" denotes despair because good is being injured. From this it is evident that by "pain" is here signified despair on account of the injuring of good. [4] That "pain hath laid hold of the inhabitants of Philistia" denotes despair, or no hope of enlarging their dominion, is because the Philistines, that is, those who establish salvation by faith alone without the goods of charity, in the other life continually aspire to dominion, by fighting against others; and this so long as they are not yet devastated as to the memory-knowledge of the knowledges of faith. For in the other life everyone retains the principles of his faith which he had in the life of the body, and no others change them into truths than those who have been in the good of life; for good longs for truth, and receives it willingly, because it is homogeneous. But they who have been in evil of life do not change them (they are as it were hard), and they even reject truths and are also in obscurity, so that they cannot even see them: they see only such things as confirm their own principles, and not the least of what is opposed to these. Such also believe that they are the most intelligent of all; but they know nothing except how to reason from an assumed principle; and therefore it is these who most assault charity, consequently who desire to have dominion. For they who are in charity are humble, and desire to serve all, as being the lowest; whereas they who are in faith without charity are lofty, and desire to be served by all, as being the highest ones; and therefore they make heaven consist in the glory of having dominion, and because they believe themselves to be more intelligent than all others, they suppose that they will be archangels, and thus that many others will serve them; and also, according to the words in Daniel, that "the intelligent shall shine as the brightness of the expanse, and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and to eternity" (12:3). But instead of brightness these have darkness.
Elliott(1983-1999) 8313
8313. 'Distress took hold of the inhabitants of Philistia' means despair of enlarging their dominion, on the part of those upholding faith separated from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'distress' as despair, because they could not any longer enlarge their dominion, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the inhabitants of Philistia' as those who uphold faith alone separated from the good of charity, dealt with in 1197, 1198, 3412, 3413, 8093, 8096, 8099. They are distinguished from the Egyptians by the fact that they rule out the good deeds of charity, in the belief that a person is saved without them by faith. This main tenet in their doctrine gives birth to a large number of errors, such as these: Salvation is attributable to mercy, irrespective of the life the person has been leading; all his sins and evils are washed away through faith, enabling him to walk as someone who has been made righteous; his salvation can be accomplished in an instant, even through faith and truth attained at the final hour of his death; consequently it is not the affection belonging to heavenly love that makes heaven in a person. People subscribing to these errors are Philistines; and they are called 'uncircumcised' because of the evils of self-love and love of the world in which their life consists.
[2] The reason why 'distress' here means despair is that extreme distress should be understood, or pain like that suffered by women in labour. The word in the original language also means that kind of pain. Despair or the extremes of distress are actually described in the Word as 'the pain of a woman in labour', for example in David,
The kings assembled themselves. Terror seized them, pain as of a woman in labour. Ps 48:4, 6.
In Jeremiah,
O dweller in Lebanon, having a nest in the cedars, how much grace will you find when distresses come to you, pain as of a woman in labour? Jer 22:23.
In the same prophet,
The king of Babel has heard the report about them, consequently his hands have become feeble; anguish has taken hold of him, pain as of a woman in labour. Jer 50:43.
In Isaiah,
The day of Jehovah is near, like devastation from Shaddai. Therefore all hands are feeble, and every human heart melts, and they are terrified; pangs and distresses take hold of them, they are in labour, like a woman giving birth. Isa 13:6-8.
[3] In Jeremiah,
behold, a people coming from the land of the north, and a mighty nation will be stirred up from the furthest parts of the earth. They lay hold on bow and spear; it is cruel and they do not have any pity. Their voice resounds like the sea, and they ride on horses, [every one] prepared as a man for battle against you, O daughter of Zion. We have heard the report about it, our hands have grown feeble. Anguish has laid hold on us, pain as of a woman in labour. Jer 6:22-24.
This refers to truth being laid waste as experienced by those ruled by evil. 'A people from the land of the north' stands for those steeped in falsities arising from evil. 'A mighty nation from the uttermost parts of the earth' stands for those steeped in evils which are altogether opposed to good. 'They lay hold on bow and spear' stands for the fact that they draw on false teachings when they engage in conflict. 'Their voice resounds like the sea' stands for reasoning based on those teachings. 'They ride on horses' stands for arguments seemingly based on understanding. 'Prepared as a man for battle' stands for the desire to attack truth. 'Daughter of Zion' stands for the Church where good exists. 'Anguish has laid hold' stands for distress, because truths might undergo molestation. 'Pain as of a woman in labour' stands for despair, because good might suffer harm. From all this it is evident that 'pain' in this instance means despair on account of harm that might be done to good.
[4] The reason why 'distress took hold of the inhabitants of Philistia' means despair or lack of hope of enlarging their dominion is that the Philistines, that is, those who suppose that salvation comes as a result of faith alone without the good deeds of charity, in the next life strive unceasingly after dominion, fighting against others. They do not stop until they undergo vastation of their knowledge of cognitions or matters of faith. Every person in the next life retains the tenets of the faith he possessed during his lifetime; and no other people exchange them for truths except those who have done what is good in life, since good desires truth and welcomes it freely because it is of a similar nature. But those who have done what is bad in life do not exchange them. Those people are so to speak hard, and also they reject truths. Furthermore they live in obscurity, so that they cannot even see them. They see only whatever endorses the ideas they have adopted and nothing whatever that goes against them. Such people also imagine that they have more intelligence than everyone else; yet they know nothing except to use reasonings based on the ideas they have adopted. This is why they are people who attack charity very strongly, consequently are people who wish to dominate. For those who are governed by charity are humble, and wish - as though lowest in rank - to serve all. But those who are ruled by faith without charity are haughty, and wish - as though highest in rank - to be served by all. This also is why they consider heaven to consist in the glory of dominion, imagining - because they suppose that they have more intelligence than all others - that they will be archangels and that very many others will for that reason serve them, a supposition also in keeping with the words in Daniel,
Those who have intelligence will shine like the brightness of the expanse, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars for ever and ever.a Dan 12:3.
But instead of brightness theirs is darkness.
Latin(1748-1756) 8313
8313. `Dolor apprehendit habitatores Philisthaeae': quod significet desperationem amplificandi dominium apud illos qui in fide separata a bono, constat a significatione `doloris' quod sit desperatio, {1} propter id quod dominium amplificare amplius non possent, de qua sequitur; et ex significatione `habitatorum Philisthaeae' quod sint qui in sola fide separata a bono charitatis, de qua n. 1197, 1198, 3412, 3413, 8093, 8096, 8099; distinguuntur ab Aegyptiis in eo quod excludant bona charitatis, {2}credendo quod homo absque illis salvetur per fidem; ex hoc principali doctrinae illorum nascuntur plures errores, sicut quod salvatio sit misericordiae utcumque homo {3}vixerat: quod per fidem omnia peccata et mala {4} abluantur, et quod sic {5}incedat homo justificatus: tum quod salvatio fieri possit momento, etiam per fiduciam fidei in ultima mortis hora, consequenter quod non affectio amoris caelestis faciat caelum apud hominem; hi sunt Philisthaei, et vocati sunt `praeputiati' ex malis {6}amoris sui et mundi in quibus vita illorum. 2 Quod dolor hic sit desperatio, est quia intelligitur summus dolor, qualis est parturientium; vox illa in lingua originali {7}etiam significat dolorem talem; {8}desperatio seu summum doloris in Verbo etiam describitur per dolorem parturientis, ut apud Davidem, Reges se congregarunt, terror arripuit illos, dolor sicut parturientis, Ps. xlviii 5, 7 [A.V. 4, 6]:apud Jeremiam, Habitans in Libano, nidum habens in (x)cedris, quantum gratiae invenies, cum venerint tibi dolores, dolor sicut parturientis, xxii 23:
apud eundem, Audivit rex Babelis famam illorum, inde remissae factae sunt manus ejus; angustia apprehendit illum, dolor sicut parturientis, l 43:
apud Esaiam, Propinquus dies Jehovae, sicut devastatio a Schaddai, propterea omnes manus remittuntur, et omne cor hominis liquescit, et perterriti sunt, tormina et dolores apprehendunt, sicut pariens parturiunt, xiii 6-8:
apud Jeremiam, 3 Ecce populus veniens e terra septentrionis, et gens magna excitabitur e lateribus terrae; arcum et hastam prehendunt, crudelis ille nec miserantur; vox eorum sicut mare resonat, et super equis equitant, paratus ut vir ad bellum contra te, filia Zionis; audivimus famam ejus, remissae sunt manus nostrae, angustia prehendit nos, dolor sicut parturientis, (x)vi 22-24;
agitur hic de vastatione veri apud illos qui in malo; `populus e terra septentrionis' pro illis qui in falsis a malo; `gens magna e lateribus terrae' pro illis qui in malis prorsus oppositis bono; `arcum et hastam prehendunt' pro {9}quod pugnent ex doctrinali falso; `vox ejus sicut mare resonat' pro ratiocinatione inde; `super equis equitant' pro argumentatione sicut ex intellectuali; `paratus vir ad bellum' pro cupiditate impugnandi verum; `filia Zionis' pro Ecclesia ubi bonum; angustia prehendit' pro dolore quod vera infestarentur; `dolor sicut parturientis' pro desperatione quod bonum laederetur; inde patet quod per `dolorem' hic significetur desperatio propter laesionem boni. 4 Quod `dolor apprehendit habitatores Philisthaeae' sit desperatio seu nulla spes amplificandi dominium, est quia Philisthaei, hoc est, illi qui salvationem ex sola fide absque bonis charitatis statuunt, in altera vita jugiter affectant dominium, pugnando {10}contra alios, et hoc quamdiu nondum devastati quoad scientiam cognitionum fidei sunt; unusquisque enim in altera vita retinet principia suae fidei quae habuerat in vita corporis, nec alii {11} mutant illa in vera quam qui in bono vitae fuerunt, nam bonum desiderat verum et recipit illud libenter, quia homogeneum est; sed qui in malo vitae fuerunt non mutant; sunt quasi duri, et quoque rejiciunt vera, et quoque sunt in obscuro ut ne quidem {12}possint videre illa; vident solum confirmativa principiorum suorum et ne hilum quae contra illa sunt; tales usque credunt se intelligentissimos omnium esse, sed nihil sciunt nisi quam ratiocinari ex principio capto; quare sunt illi (x)qui maxime impugnant charitatem, consequenter qui dominari volunt; nam qui in charitate sunt humiles sunt, et sicut infimi volunt omnibus servire; at qui in fide absque charitate, sunt elati {13}, et volunt ut {14}sicut supremi ab omnibus serviantur; quare etiam caelum ponunt in gloria dominationis, {15}et putant, quia intelligentiores se credunt omnibus aliis, quod futuri archangeli, et sic quod plures alii illis servituri; et quoque secundum verba apud Danielem, Quod intelligentes splendebunt sicut splendor expansi, et justificantes multos sicut stellae in saeculum et aeternitatem, xii 3;
sed pro splendore illis sunt tenebrae. @1 i hic$ @2 et salvant (?credunt intended) hominem absque illis salvari per fidem, unde ad confirmandum hoc suum doctrinale, in errores abducuntur, in hoc nempe$ @3 vixerit$ @4 i quasi$ @5 incedant justificati$ @6 amorum$ @7 After illa$ @8 in Verbo desperatio$ @9 pugnam$ @10 cum aliis$ @11 i sunt qui$ @12 possunt$ @13 i animo$ @14 Before volunt$ @15 ut nempe serviantur ab angelis, atque illi qui in scientia cognitionum fidei fuerunt, futuri archangeli, et$