8916.“和冒着烟的山”表真理之良善本身，这良善若不以外在形式，是感知不到的。这从“山”和“冒烟”的含义清楚可知：“山”，此处即西乃山，是指与天上的神性真理合一的神性良善（参看8805节）；“冒烟”是指处于外在形式。“冒烟”之所以表示处于外在形式，是因为神性真理，或内在形式上的圣言就像光和火焰，而外在形式上的圣言则像云和烟。这是因为神之真理，或内在形式上的圣言就是它在天上的样子，因而是它在天堂之光里的样子；而外在形式上的圣言则是它在世上的样子，因而是在世界之光里的样子；相对于天堂之光，世界之光就像云，或相对于火焰的烟。神之真理，或内在形式上的圣言是圣言的内在意义，外在形式上的圣言则是圣言的外在意义或字义。这字义被称为“云”（参看创世记18章序言，以及4060，4391，5922，6343，6752，8106，8781节）；它之所以被称为“烟”，是因为“烟”表示真理的模糊（8819节）。这山在以色列眼前冒烟，不是因为神性在那里具有这种性质，而是因为神性照着看见它的各人的品性而显现给各人；而看见祂的那些人的品性是这样：他们认为敬拜完全在于外在事物，根本不在于内在事物；结果，他们只照字义来理解圣言。因此，就正在宣布的真理而言，神性只能向他们显为烟，也就是显为模糊。这也解释了为何经上说他们“远远地站着”，以此表示他们远离内在事物。下文有关于这些问题的详情。
Potts(1905-1910) 8916
8916. And the mountain smoking. That this signifies the good itself of truth not perceptible except in the external form, is evident from the signification of a "mountain," here Mount Sinai, as being the Divine good united to the Divine truth in heaven (see n. 8805); and from the signification of "smoking," as being in the external form. That this is meant by "smoking," is because Divine truth, or the Word in the internal form, is like light and like flame, but in the external form it is like a cloud and like smoke. The reason is that truth Divine, or the Word in the internal form, is such as it is in heaven, thus such as it is in the light there; but in the external form it is such as it is in the world, thus such as it is in the light there; and relatively to the light of heaven, the light of the world is like a cloud, or like smoke relatively to flame. Truth Divine, or the Word in the internal form, is the internal sense of the Word, and in the external form it is its external or literal sense; that this literal sense is called a "cloud," see the preface to Genesis 18, and elsewhere (n. 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343, 6752, 8106, 8781); and that it is called "smoke" is because by "smoke" is signified what is obscure of truth (n. 8819). That the mountain appeared smoking before the sons of Israel, was not because the Divine there was of such a quality, but because the Divine appears to everyone according to the quality of him who sees it; and the quality of those who then saw was that they made everything of worship to consist in externals, and nothing in internals; and that consequently they understood the Word only according to the sense of the letter. Therefore in respect to the truth which was being promulgated, the Divine must needs appear to them as smoke, that is, as obscure; whence it is also said that they "stood afar off," by which is signified that they were remote from internal things. But on this more below.
Elliott(1983-1999) 8916
8916. 'And the mountain smoking' means the good itself of truth, which cannot be perceived except in an outward form. This is clear from the meaning of 'the mountain', in this instance Mount Sinai, as Divine Good united to Divine Truth in heaven, dealt with in 8805; and from the meaning of 'smoking' as in an outward form. The reason why 'smoking' means this is that Divine Truth or the Word in its inward form is like the light and like a flame, whereas in its outward form it is like a cloud and like smoke. This is so because God's truth or the Word in its inward form is the nature of it as it exists in heaven, thus as it exists in the superior light of heaven, whereas the Word in its outward form is as it exists in the world, thus as it exists in the inferior light of the world; and the inferior light of the world compared with the superior light of heaven is like a cloud, or compared with its flame is like smoke. God's truth or the Word in its inward form is its internal sense, and in its outward form is its external or literal sense. The fact that the latter sense - the literal - is called 'the cloud', see Preface to Genesis 18, and 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343, 6752, 8106, 8781; and the reason why it is called 'smoke' is that 'smoke' means obscurity of truth, 8819. The mountain was seen to be smoking before the eyes of the children of Israel not because the Divine was such there, but - since the way in which the Divine appears to anyone who beholds Him depends on the character of the individual - because the character of those who were beholding Him was such that they considered worship to consist wholly in outward things and not at all in inward realities, as a consequence of which they understood the Word solely according to its literal sense. Therefore the Divine, in respect of the truth which was being declared, could not appear to them other than as smoke, that is, as obscurity. This also explains why it says that they stood afar off, by which the fact that they were remote from internal things is meant. But more of these matters below.
Latin(1748-1756) 8916
8916. `Et montem fumantem': quod significet ipsum bonum veri non perceptibile nisi in externa forma, constat ex significatione `montis,' hic montis Sinai, quod sit Divinum Bonum unitum Divino Vero in caelo, de qua n. 8805, et ex significatione `fumantis' quod sit in externa forma; `quod id sit fumans, est quia' Divinum Verum seu Verbum in interna forma est instar lucis ac instar flammae, at in externa forma est instar nubis et instar fumi; (o)causa est quia verum Divinum seu Verbum in interna forma est quale est in caelo, ita quale est in luce ibi, at {2} in externa forma est quale est in mundo, ita quale est in lumine ibi, (d)et lumen mundi respective ad lucem caeli est instar nubis, seu respective ad flammam instar fumi {3}; verum Divinum seu Verbum in interna forma est sensus ejus internus, et {4} in externa {5} est sensus ejus externus seu litteralis; quod hic sensus seu litteralis dicatur `nubes,' videatur Praefatio ad Gen. xviii, et n. 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343, 6752, 8106, 8781, et quod fumus, est quia per `fumum' significatur obscurum veri, n. 8819. Quod mons apparuerit fumans coram filiis Israelis, non erat quia Divinum ibi tale fuit, sed quia Divinum apparet unicuique secundum quale ejus qui illud videt; et quale illorum qui videbant {6}, erat ut in externis ponerent omne cultus {7}, et nihil in internis, et (o)quod inde intelligerent Verbum solum secundum sensum litterae; idcirco Divinum quoad verum quod promulgabatur non aliter potuit illis apparere quam sicut fumus, hoc est, sicut obscurum; unde etiam dicitur quod steterint e longinquo, per quod significatur quod remoti fuerint ab internis; sed de his infra plura. @1 nam$ @2 i Verbum$ @3 respective ad lucem, seu instar fumi respective ad flammam$ @4 at$ @5 i forma$ @6 illius populi qui illo videbat$ @7 omnem cultura$