8696.出埃及记18:17-23.摩西的岳父对他说，这事你作的不好。你和这跟你在一起的百姓，都必疲惫，因为这事对你太重，你独自一人做不了。现在你要听我的声音，我为你出个主意，愿神与你同在。你要为百姓与神同在，将事件带到神那里；又要将律例和律法教导他们，让他们知道当走的路、当作的事；并要从众百姓中物色有才能、敬畏神的人，就是诚实、恨恶得好处的人，派他们作千夫长、百夫长、五十夫长、十夫长。叫他们随时审判百姓，所有大事，叫他们都要呈到你这里，所有小事，叫他们自己审判。把担子从你身上卸下来，让他们与你分担。你若行这事，神也吩咐你，你就能站得住，这众百姓也都平平安安来到自己的地方。
“摩西的岳父对他说”表预见。“这事你作的不好”表一个改变必须发生。“你和这跟你在一起的百姓，都必疲惫”表如果事情还像以前一样继续下去，已被植入的真理就会灭亡。“因为这事对你太重”表这事是不可能的，因为它不符合真正的秩序。“你独自一人做不了”表没有任何来自良善的真理从另一个源头流入。“现在你要听我的声音”表由于合一的一致。“我为你出个主意，愿神与你同在”表它来自神性。“你要为百姓与神同在”表直接从主发出的真理。“将事件带到神那里”表调解和代求。“又要将律例和律法教导他们”表直接来自主的真理是教会的外在和内在良善与真理的源头。“让他们知道当走的路”表聪明之光和由此所过的生活。“当作的事”表付诸行动的信。“并要从众百姓中物色”表选择从属的真理。“有才能、敬畏神的人”表能与来自神的良善联结的。“就是诚实、恨恶得好处的人”表因为真理是纯粹的，没有任何世俗的目的。“派他们作千夫长”表在直接来自神的真理之下、处于第一层级的首要真理。“百夫长”表处于第二层级的首要真理。“五十夫长”表居间的首要真理。“十夫长”表处于第三位的首要真理。“叫他们随时审判百姓”表永远按这个次序排列。“所有大事，叫他们都要呈到你这里”表一切皆从神直接发出的真理而存在。“所有小事，叫他们自己审判”表某些具体和特定事物来自另一个源头的表象。“把担子从你身上卸下来，让他们与你分担”表如此赋予他们职能和职责。“你若行这事，神也吩咐你”表由于它是神如此规定的。“你就能站得住”表因此它在他们那里有一个住处。“这众百姓也都平平安安来到自己的地方”表那些属于属灵教会的人将因此处于良善，并通过良善被引导。
Potts(1905-1910) 8696
8696. Verses 17-23. And Moses' father-in-law said unto him, The word that thou doest is not good. Wearing thou wilt wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee, because the word is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to do it, thou alone. Now hear my voice, I will counsel thee, and God shall be with thee. Be thou for the people with God, and bring thou the words unto God; and do thou teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. And do thou see out of all the people men of strenuousness, fearing God, men of truth, hating gain; and do thou set them for princes of thousands, princes of hundreds, princes fifties, and princes of tens; and let them judge the people in every time; and it shall be, every great word let them bring unto thee, and every small word let them judge; and devolve from upon thee, and let them bear with thee. If thou do this word, and God have commanded thee, then thou shalt be able to stand, and also all this people shall come upon its place in peace. "And Moses' father-in-law said unto him," signifies foresight; "The word that thou doest is not good," signifies that a change must be made; "wearing thou wilt wear way, both thou, and this people that is with thee," signifies that thus the truth which has been implanted would perish; "because the word is too heavy for thee," signifies that it is not possible because not in conformity with order; "thou art not able to do it, thou alone," signifies without the influx of truth from the Divine from some other source; "now hear my voice," signifies agreement from the union; "I will counsel thee, and God shall be with thee," signifies that it is from the Divine; "be thou for the people with God," signifies the truth proceeding immediately from the Lord; "and bring thou the words unto God," signifies mediation and intercession; "and do thou teach them the statutes and the laws," signifies that from truth immediately from the Lord come the external and internal goods and truths of the church; "and make known to them the way wherein they must walk," signifies the light of intelligence and the consequent life; "and the work that they must do," signifies faith in act; "and do thou see out of all the people," signifies the choosing of ministering truths; "men of strenuousness, fearing God," signifies with which good from the Divine could be conjoined; "men of truth, hating gain," signifies with which the truths are pure without a worldly end; "and do thou set them for princes of thousands," signifies primary truths which are in the first degree under the truth immediately from the Divine; "princes of hundreds," signifies primary truths in the second degree; "princes of fifties," signifies intermediate primary truths; "and princes of tens," signifies primary truths in the third place; "and let them judge the people in every time," signifies a disposing In this manner perpetually; "and it shall be, every great word let them bring unto thee," signifies that everything is from the truth that is immediately from the Divine; "and every small word let them judge," signifies the appearance of some singular and particular things as from another source; "and devolve from upon thee, and let them bear with thee," signifies thus functions and offices for them; "if thou do this word, and God have commanded thee," signifies that thus it is from the Divine; "then thou shalt be able to stand," signifies thus an abode with them; "and also all this people shall come upon its place in peace," signifies that they who are of the spiritual church shall thus be in good, and shall be led by means of good.
Elliott(1983-1999) 8696
8696. Verses 17-23 And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, The thing that you do is not good. You will surely wither away, both you and this people who are with you, for the taska is too heavy for you; you are not able to do it yourself alone. Now hear my voice; I will counsel you, and God will be with you. Be for the people with God, and you are to bring matters to God.b And you are to teach them the statutes and the laws, [and] make known to them the way in which they must go, and the work they must do. And you are to seec out of all the people men of vigour fearing God, men of truth hating gain; and you are to appoint them rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. And it shall be, every great matter let them bring to you, and every small matter let them judge themselves; and roll down [the burden] from upon yourself, and let them bear [it] with you. If you do this thing and God has commanded you, you will be able to stand fast; and also all this people will come upon their place in peace.
'And the father-in-law of Moses said to him' means foresight. 'The thing that you do is not good' means that a change must take place. 'You will surely wither away, both you and this people who are with you' means that if it carries on as before the truth which has been implanted is going to perish. 'For the task is too heavy for you' means that it is not possible because it does not arise from true order. 'You are not able to do it yourself alone' means without any truth from good flowing in from another source. 'Now hear my voice' means agreement as a result of union. 'I will counsel you, and God will be with you' means that it comes from the Divine. 'Be for the people with God' means truth coming forth directly from the Lord. 'And you are to bring matters to God' means mediation and intercession. 'And you are to teach them the statutes and the laws' means that truth coming directly from the Lord is the source of external and internal aspects of goodness and truth in the Church. 'And make known to them the way in which they must go' means the light of intelligence and the life led as a result of it. 'And the work they must do' means faith put into action. 'And you are to see out of all the people' means the choice of subservient truths. 'Men of vigour fearing God' means to which the good from God can be joined. 'Men of truth hating gain' means becaused the truths are pure, devoid of any worldly end in view. 'And you are to appoint from them rulers of thousands' means first and foremost truths in the first degree below truth coming directly from God. 'Rulers of hundreds' means first and foremost truths in the second degree. 'Rulers of fifties' means first and foremost truths that are intermediary. 'And rulers of tens' means first and foremost truths in third place. 'And let them judge the people at all times' means arrangement in this order perpetually. 'And it shall be, every great matter let them bring to you' means that everything exists from the truth going forth directly from God. 'And every small matter let them judge themselves' means the appearance that some particular and specific things derive from another source. 'And roll down [the burden] from upon yourself, and let them bear [it] with you' means thus assigning them functions and duties. 'If you do this thing and God has commanded you' means since it is so ordained by God ... 'You will be able to stand fast' means, it accordingly has a dwelling place with them. 'And also all this people will come upon their place in peace' means that those belonging to the spiritual Church will thus be governed by good and led by good.
Latin(1748-1756) 8696
8696. Vers. 17-23. Et dixit socer Moschis ad illum, Non bonum verbum quod tu facis. Marcescendo marcesces etiam tu etiam populus hic qui tecum, quia grave prae te verbum; non potes facere illud solus tu. Nunc audi vocem meam, consulam tibi, et erit Deus tecum; esto tu populo apud Deum, et adducas tu verba ad Deum. Et doceas illos statuta et leges, [et] notam facias illis viam ibunt in qua, et opus quod facient. Et tu videas ex omni populo viros strenuitatis timentes Deum, viros veritatis odientes lucrum; et ponas {1}illos principes millenorum, principes centenorum, principes quinquagenorum, et principes decadum. Et judicent populum in omni tempore, et erit, omne verbum magnum adducant ad te, et omne verbum parvum judicent illi; et devolve desuper te, et portent tecum. Si verbum hoc facias, et praeceperit tibi Deus, et potes consistere; et etiam omnis populus hic super locum suum veniet in pace. `Et dixit socer Moschis ad illum' significat praevidentiam: `Non bonum verbum quod tu facis' significat quod mutatio fiet: `marcescendo marcesces etiam tu etiam populus hic qui tecum' significat quod sic periturum verum quod inseminatum est: `quia grave prae te verbum' significat quod non possibile, quia non ex ordine: `non potes facere illud solus tu' significat quod absque influxu veri {2}ex bono aliunde: `nunc audi vocem meam' significat ex unione consensum: `consulam tibi, et erit Deus tecum' significat quod ex Divino: `esto tu populo apud Deum' significat verum immediate a Domino procedens: `et adducas tu verba ad Deum' significat mediationem et intercessionem: `et doceas illos statuta et leges' (x)significat quod a vero immediato a Domino bona et vera externa et interna Ecclesiae: `et notam facias illis viam ibunt in qua' significat intelligentiae lucem et inde vitam: `et opus quod facient' significat fidem actu: `et tu videas ex omni populo' significat electionem verorum inservientium: `viros strenuitatis timentes Deum' significat quibus bonum a Divino conjungi {3}potest: `viros veritatis odientes lucrum' significat {4}quibus vera sunt pura absque (x)fine mundano: `et ponas {5}illos principes millenorum' significat primaria quae in primo gradu sub vero immediato a Divino: `principes centenorum significat primaria in secundo gradu: `principes quinquagenorum' significat primaria intermedia: `et principes decadum' significat primaria in tertio loco: `et judicent populum in omni tempore' (x)significat dispositionem sic in perpetuum: `et erit, omne verbum magnum adducant ad te' significat quod omne a vero immediate a Divino: `et omne verbum parvum judicent illi' significat apparentiam (x)quorundum singularium et particularium aliunde: `et devolve desuper te, et portent tecum' significat sic functiones et officia pro illis: `si verbum hoc facias, et praeceperit tibi Deus' significat cum sic ex Divino: potes consistere' significat sic mansionem apud illos: `et etiam omnis populus hic super locum suum veniet in pace' significat quod illi qui ab Ecclesia spirituali sic in bono erunt, et ex bono ducentur. @1 See p. 120, note 2, which reads: Heb (`alehem) = super illos which A had but altered to ex illis cp n. 8696, 8712$ @2 a Divino IT$ @3 d possit i potest cp n. 8710$ @4 quia altered to quibus cp n. 8711$ @5 See p. 120, note 2, which reads: Heb (`alehem) = super illos which A had but altered to ex illis cp n. 8696, 8712$