876、“就回到方舟挪亚那里”表示对他来说，良善和真理似乎是信之良善和真理。这从前面的阐述（874节）和下文清楚可知。就内义而言，“回到方舟”并非表示释放。“放出鸽子，鸽子就再没有回到他那里”才表示释放，这从下文明显看出来，其中在12节，经上说“他放出鸽子，鸽子就再没有回到他那里”；在15-16节，挪亚被吩咐出方舟；在18节，他出来了。“方舟”表示该教会成员重生之前的状态；他在方舟里，就是被囚禁或坐监，被邪恶和虚假，也就是“洪水的水”四面围困。所以，鸽子“回到方舟挪亚那里”表示鸽子所表示的良善和真理又回到他那里。凡人以为他从自己所行的良善都会回到他那里，因为这良善关注他自己。他行善要么是为了让世人看见，要么是为了让天使看见，要么为了配上天堂，或在天堂里成为最大的。这些考虑占据他的自我和每一个观念，尽管它们在外在形式上看似信之良善和真理。信之良善和真理从至内在之物而成为内在的良善和真理，也就是说，一切信之良善和真理都是从主那里通过人的至内在之物流入的。但当它们从自我或功德流出时，内层就是污秽的，而外层看似洁净。它们就像一个长着漂亮脸蛋的肮脏或病态妓女，又像一个黑人或埃塞俄比亚人，确切地说，像裹着白衣的埃及木乃伊。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]876. The symbolism of it returned to him, to the ark, as goodness and truth that seemed to be religious can be seen from statements above [874] and just below.
Liberation is symbolized on an inner level not by the dove's return to the ark but by its being sent from the ark and not returning, as indicated by what follows. Verse 12., for instance, says that Noah sent the dove out and it never returned to him again. Verses 15-16. say that he himself was ordered to leave the ark, and verse 18, that he did.
The ark symbolizes the circumstances of these people before rebirth. Under such circumstances they were captives or prisoners, beset on all sides by evil and falsity, or by the flood waters. So returning to Noah, to the ark, signals the relapse of goodness and truth (as meant by the dove) into that condition.
Anything good we intend to do when motivated by self-interest comes back to us, because it focuses on us; we want the world or the angels to see what we are doing, or we desire to earn a place in heaven, or we hope to be the greatest in heaven. Those are the urges inherent in self-interest and in every idea connected with it, however convincing the outer appearance of religious goodness and truth. The goodness and truth that faith embraces is good and true inside, from the very core; that is, the goodness and truth of faith comes entirely from the Lord by way of our deepest levels. When it comes instead from ourselves, or depends on our merits, it is dirty on the inside although apparently clean on the outside, just like a foul-smelling prostitute with a beautiful-looking face or like an Ethiopian person, or rather an Egyptian mummy, dressed in white clothing.{*1}
Footnotes:
{*1} The contrast Swedenborg is apparently trying to make here is one of darker and lighter color as corresponding to moral evil and goodness. Swedenborg first selects an Ethiopian person as an image of blackness to be contrasted with white clothing; he then switches to what he apparently considered an even blacker image: an Egyptian mummy, which would add the further factors of grotesqueness and death. For other passages in which Swedenborg mentions the blackness of Ethiopians, see Secrets of Heaven 3540:1; Revelation Explained [Swedenborg 1994-1997] 780:5; for passages where he mentions the blackness of mummies, see Secrets of Heaven 817; Revelation Unveiled 153:12; True Christianity 595:1. This is not to say that Swedenborg had a low opinion of black Africans, however; he elsewhere accords them higher praise than the other races of the earth including his own; see Marriage Love 114 in the context of 103-114. He praises their rationality, intelligence, and receptivity to spiritual goodness and truth; see Heaven and Hell 326, 514; Last Judgment 51; True Christianity 837-839. [JSR]
Potts(1905-1910) 876
876. And she returned unto him to the ark. That this signifies good and truth appearing as though they were of faith, is evident from what has been said, and also from what follows. In the internal sense, to "return to the ark" does not signify liberation, for this is signified by being sent forth from the ark and not returning, as is evident from what follows, in the twelfth verse, that he sent forth the dove and she returned not again to him anymore; and further from the fifteenth and sixteenth verses, that Noah was commanded to go forth from the ark; and from the eighteenth, that he went forth. The "ark" signifies the state of the man of this church before regeneration, in which he was in captivity, or in prison, beset on all sides by evils and falsities, or by the waters of the flood. And so the dove's returning unto Noah to the ark, signifies that the good and truth meant by the dove returned again to the man. For whatever good a man supposes that he does from himself, returns to him, since it regards himself; as he does it either that it may appear before the world, or before the angels, or that he may merit heaven, or that he may be greatest in heaven. Such things are in man's Own and in everyone of its ideas, though in outward form there is an appearance as of the good and truth of faith. The good and truth of faith is inwardly good and true from the very inmosts; that is, all the good and truth of faith flows in from the Lord through man's inmosts. But when what a man does is from his Own, or from merit, then the interiors are filthy and the exteriors appear clean; just as with a filthy harlot who appears fair in the face; or like an Ethiopian, or rather an Egyptian mummy, wrapped in a white garment.
Elliott(1983-1999) 876
876. 'It returned to him to the ark' means good and truth appearing to be the good and truth of faith [with him]. This is clear from what has been stated already and also from what follows. 'Returning to the ark' does not in the internal sense mean being set free. 'Being sent out of the ark and not returning' is what has that meaning, as is clear from what follows, where it is said that he sent out the dove and it came back to him no more, verse 12; that he was commanded to leave the ark, verses 15, 16; and that he went out, verse 18. While he was inside the ark, which means his state prior to regeneration, he was in captivity or prison, hemmed in on every side by evils and falsities, which are 'the flood-waters'. Consequently 'it returned to him to the ark' means that good and truth meant by the dove came back to him again. Any good at all which a person supposes that he does from himself comes back to him, for it has self in view. He does it either to be seen by the eyes of the world, or by those of the angels, or he does it to merit heaven, or to be the greatest in heaven. Such considerations occupy his proprium and every one of his ideas, though to outward appearance they look like the good and truth of faith. The good and truth of faith are inwardly good and true from what is inmost, that is, all good and truth of faith flow in from the Lord by way of what is inmost in man. But when they flow from the proprium or from merit-seeking the interiors are filthy while the exteriors appear clean. They are like a diseased prostitute with a beautiful face; or like a black-skinned person, or more appropriately an Egyptian mummy, dressed in white.
Latin(1748-1756) 876
876. Quod 'reversa ad illum ad arcam' significet bonum et verum apparens quasi fidei, ex illis quae dicta sunt, constat, tum ex quae sequuntur: 'reverti ad arcam' in sensu interno non significat liberationem, sed 'emitti ab arca et non redire,' ut constat ab illis quae sequuntur, ut vers. 12, quod 'emiserit columbam, et non addiderit redire ad illum amplius'; tum a vers. 15 et 16, quod 'jussus exire ab arca,' et a vers. 18, quod 'exiverit.' 'Arca' significat statum ejus ante regenerationem, in qua cum fuit, in captivitate aut in carcere fuit, obsessus undique a malis et falsis, seu ab 'aquis diluvii'; quare 'quod reversa ad illum ad arcam' significat quod bonum et verum per 'columbam' intellectum rursus ad illum rediret; quicquid boni homo ex semet facere putat, hoc ad illum redit, nam spectat ipsum; vel facit illud ut coram mundo appareat, vel ut coram angelis, vel ut mereatur caelum, vel ut maximus sit in caelo; talia proprio et unicuivis ejus ideae insunt, tametsi appareat in externa forma sicut bonum et verum fidei; bonum et verum fidei est intus bonum et verum ab intimis, hoc est, per intima hominis a Domino influit omne bonum et verum fidei; at cum a proprio seu ex merito, tunc interiora sunt spurca, et exteriora apparent munda prorsus sicut putida meretrix quae facie apparet venusta; aut sicut Aethiops vel potius Aegyptiorum mumia candida veste circum induta.