885、“叶”表示真理，这一点从圣言中的大量经文明显看出来，其中人被比作树，或被称为树，“果”表示仁之良善，“叶”表示由此而来的真理，因为它们的确就像果和叶；如以西结书：
在河旁，在河这边与那边的岸上必生长各类树木，可作食物，树叶不凋零，其果子不断绝；且按月结果，因为这水是从圣所流出来的。树上的果子必作食物，树叶可作药物。（以西结书47:12；启示录22:2）
此处“树”表示拥有主的国度在自己里面的教会成员，“果子”表示爱与仁之良善，“树叶”表示源于那良善的真理，它们有助于教导人类，使其重生；正因真理有此功用，所以经上说叶子“可作药物”。同一先知书：
祂岂不拔出它的根来，芟除它的果子，使它枯萎吗？从它的幼苗上啄下来的所有叶子都必枯萎。（以西结书17:9）
此处论述的主题是葡萄树，也就是处于荒废状态的教会；它的良善，即“果子”，和它的真理，即“从幼苗上啄下来的叶子”就这样枯萎了。
耶利米书：
倚靠耶和华的，那人有福了；他必像树栽于水旁；他的叶子必青翠，在干旱之年毫无挂虑，而且结果不止。（耶利米书17:7-8）
“青翠的叶子”表示信之真理，因而表示源于仁的信本身。这在诗篇（1:3）同样适用。同一先知书：
葡萄树上必没有葡萄，无花果树上必没有无花果，叶子也必凋落。（耶利米书8:13）
“葡萄树上的葡萄”表示属灵良善；“无花果树上的无花果”表示属世良善；“叶子”表示真理，在这种情况下，它因此“凋落”。在以赛亚书（34:4）也一样。耶稣所看到的无花果树表示类似事物，当时祂在上面只找到叶子，所以它枯干了（马太福音21:19，20；马可福音11:13-14，20）。这棵无花果树尤表犹太教会，在犹太教会，连属世良善都不复存在了；保存在它里面的教义或信之真理就是“叶子”。因为一个荒废的教会是这样，它知道真理，却不愿理解它。那些声称自己知道真理或信之事物，却根本没有仁之良善的人就是这样。他们不过是无花果叶，会枯萎。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]885. The symbolism of a leaf as truth is established by numerous passages in the Word comparing us to, or actually calling us, trees. In those places, fruit symbolizes the good espoused by charity and a leaf the truth to which it leads (and charity and truth also function the same way fruit and leaves do). In Ezekiel, for example:
Beside the river, on its bank, on this side and that, grows every food tree, whose leaf does not fall and whose fruit is not used up; month by month it is reborn, because its waters are going out from the sanctuary. And its fruit will serve as food, and its leaf, as medicine. (Ezekiel 47:12; Revelation 22:2)
The tree stands for the people of a church that embodies the Lord's kingdom. The fruit stands for the good that results from love and charity, and the leaf, for the truth that develops out of it. That truth is used for the instruction and regeneration of the human race, which is why the leaf is said to serve as medicine. In the same author:
Will he not tear out its roots and cut down its fruit, and it will wither? All the torn-off [leaves]{*1} of its new growth will wither. (Ezekiel 17:9)
This is about a devastated grapevine (church), of which the fruit (goodness) and what is torn off the new growth (truth) will wither in this way.
[2] In Jeremiah:
Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah. He will be like a tree planted by the water. His leaf will be green; in a year of shortage, he will not worry. And he will not leave off making fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
The green leaf stands for the truth that composes faith and so for the faith itself that springs from charity. David has similar words in Psalms 1:3. In the same prophet:
There are no grapes on the grapevine and no figs on the fig tree, and the leaf has fallen off. (Jeremiah 8:13)
Grapes on the vine stand for spiritual goodness, and figs on the fig tree for earthly goodness. The leaf stands for truth, which falls off in this way. Isaiah 34:4 is parallel. Something similar is meant by the fig tree that Jesus saw and on which he found nothing but leaves, so that it withered (Matthew 21: [19,] 20; Mark 11:13-14). The fig tree in this case specifically refers to the Jewish church, in which there was no longer any earthly goodness. The doctrinal precepts of faith (or truth) preserved among them are the leaves. A church that has been devastated is such that it knows the truth but does not want to understand it. The same applies to people who say they know the truth, or the tenets of religion, yet possess none of charity's goodness. They are only fig leaves, and they wither.
Footnotes:
{*1} This bracketed interpolation is Swedenborg's. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 885
885. That a "leaf" signifies truth, is evident from many passages in the Word where man is compared to a tree, or is called a tree, and where "fruits" signify the good of charity, and a "leaf" the truth therefrom (which indeed they are like); as in Ezekiel:
And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, there cometh up every tree for food, whose leaf doth not fall, neither is the fruit consumed, it is reborn every month, because the waters thereof issue out of the sanctuary; and the fruit thereof shall be for food, and the leaf thereof for medicine (Ezek. 47:12; Rev. 22:2). Here "tree" denotes the man of the church in whom is the kingdom of the Lord; its "fruit" the good of love and of charity; its "leaf" the truths therefrom, which serve for the instruction of the human race and for their regeneration, for which reason the leaf is said to be for "medicine." Again:
Shall He not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof that it wither? it shall wither in all the plucked off [leaves] of its shoot (Ezek. 17:9). This is said of the vine, that is, the church, in a state of vastation, whose good, which is the "fruit" and whose truth, which is the "plucked off [leaf] of the shoot" thus withers. [2] In Jeremiah:
Blessed is the man that trusteth in Jehovah; he shall be like a tree planted by the waters; his leaf shall be green; and he shall not be anxious in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit (Jer. 17:7-8);
where the "green leaf" denotes the truth of faith, thus the very faith which is from charity. So in David (Ps. 1:3); and again in Jeremiah: There shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf is fallen (Jer. 8:13);
"grapes on the vine" denote spiritual good; "figs on the fig-tree" natural good; "leaf" truth, which in this case is "fallen." Likewise in Isaiah (34:4). The same is meant by the fig-tree which Jesus saw and found nothing thereon but leaves, and which therefore withered away (Matt. 21:19, 20; Mark 11:13-14, 20). Specifically, by this fig-tree there was meant the Jewish Church, in which there was no longer anything of natural good; and the religious teaching or truth that was preserved in it, are the "leaves;" for a vastated church is such that it knows truth, but is not willing to understand it. Similar are those who say that they know truth or the things of faith, yet have nothing of the good of charity: they are only fig-leaves, and they wither away.
Elliott(1983-1999) 885
885. That 'a leaf' means truth is clear from various places in the Word, where man is compared to or actually called a tree. 'Fruit' in those contexts means the good that stems from charity, and 'leaf' the truth deriving from this, for these are indeed like fruit and leaves, as in Ezekiel,
Beside the river there is rising up upon its bank, on this side and on that, every tree for food, whose leaf does not fall, nor its fruit fail, but is reborn monthly, for its waters flow out from the Sanctuary, and its fruit will be for food, and its leaf for medicine. Ezek 47:11; Rev 22:1.
Here 'tree' stands for the member of the Church who has the Lord's kingdom within him, 'fruit' stands for the good that stems from love and charity, 'leaf for truths deriving from that good which serve to instruct the human race and to regenerate it. And because truths do this the leaf is said to be 'for medicine'. In the same prophet,
Will He not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit so that it withers? And all the plucked off (leaves) from its off-shoot will wither. Ezek 17:9.
The subject here is the vine, which is the Church, when it has been vastated, whose good, which is 'the fruit', and its truth, which is that 'plucked off from its off-shoot', thus wither away.
[2] In Jeremiah,
Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah. He will be like a tree planted beside the waters. His leaf will be green, and in the year of scarcity he will not be anxious. Nor will he cease to bear fruit. Jer 17:7, 8.
Green leaf' stands for the truth of faith, and so for faith itself which derives from charity. The same applies in David, Ps 1:3. In the same prophet,
There will be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and its leaf has fallen. Jer 8:13.
'Grapes on the vine' stands for spiritual good, 'figs on the fig tree' for natural good, leaf' for truth, which has accordingly fallen. Likewise in Isa 74:4. Similar things were meant by 'the fig tree' that Jesus saw, which was made to wither away when He found nothing but leaves on it, Matt 21:20; Mark 11:13, 14. The Jewish Church in particular was what 'the fig tree' was used to mean on that occasion. With this Church no natural good existed any longer, only that preserved with them which was meant by 'a leaf', namely doctrine, or truth, concerning faith. A Church that has been vastated is one that knows truth but has no wish to understand it. They are like people who say they know the truth, or matters of faith, but who possess no good at all that stems from charity. They are merely 'fig leaves', and they wither away.
Latin(1748-1756) 885
885. Quod" 'folium' significet verum, constat passim a Verbo, ubi homo comparatur arbori, seu appellatur arbor; ibi 'fructus' significant bonum charitatis, et 'folium' verum inde; similiter etiam se habent; ut apud Ezechielem, Juxta fluvium ascendit super ripa ejus hinc et illinc omnis arbor cibi, cujus non decidit folium, nec consumitur fructus, in menses suos renascitur; quia aquae ejus e Sanctuario ipsae exeuntes; et erit fructus ejus in cibum, et folium ejus in medicinam, xlvii 12; Apoc. xxii 2;ibi 'arbor' pro homine Ecclesiae in quo regnum Domini, 'fructus' pro bono amoris et charitatis, 'folium' pro veris inde, quae ad instructionem generis humani et ejus regenerationem inserviunt, quare folium dicitur esse 'in medicinam': apud eundem, Nonne radices ejus evellet et fructum ejus succidet: et exarescet? omnia decerpta (folia) germinis ejus arescet, xvii 9;
ibi de vite, seu de Ecclesia, vastata, cujus bonum quod est 'fructus,, et 'decerptum germinis' quod est verum, ita arescit: apud Jeremiam, Benedictus vir qui confidit in Jehovah;... erit sicut arbor plantata juxta aquas;... erit folium ejus viride, in anno caritatis {1} non erit sollicitus; et non recedet a faciendo fructum, xvii 7, 8;
'folium viride' pro vero fidei, ita pro ipsa fide quae ex charitate; similiter apud Davidem, Ps. i 3: apud eundem prophetam, Non uvae in vite, nec ficus in ficu, et folium decidit, viii 13, 'uvae in vite' pro bono spirituali, 'ficus in ficu' pro bono naturali, 'folium' pro vero, quod ita decidit; pariter Esai. xxxiv 4. Similia intellecta sunt per 'ficum' quam Jesus vidit et ubi nihil invenit praeter 'folia,' quare arefacta, Matth. xxi 20; Mar. xi 13, 14; erat Ecclesia Judaica in specie per 'ficum' hic intellecta, apud quam nihil boni naturalis amplius; sed doctrinale fidei seu verum quod apud eam conservatum, est 'folium'; Ecclesia vastata talis est quod sciat verum sed non vult intelligere; similes sunt qui dicant se scire verum, seu quae fidei sunt, et nihil boni charitatis habent; sunt modo 'folia ficus,' et arescunt. @1 Sch. has siccitatis, which S. copies in A.E. 451; but Heb. [ ] (batsoreth) = restraint, scarcity.$