8928.“摩西就挨近神所在的幽暗之中”表甚至属灵良善的真理与神之真理的结合。这从“摩西”的代表，以及“挨近”和“幽暗”的含义清楚可知：“摩西”是指在天堂之下与天堂里的神性之真理结合的神之真理，因而是指一种中间类型的真理（参看8760，8787，8805节），因此是属灵良善的真理，因为这种真理是在天堂之下的神之真理，以色列人所代表的属灵教会就处于这种真理，而摩西作为该教会的首领则代表这真理（7041节）；“挨近”是指结合，因为挨近神性就是与祂结合；“幽暗”是指存在于那些属于属灵教会的人中间，以及摩西被立为其领袖的那百姓中间的神之真理。神之真理对这教会和百姓来说之所以是幽暗，是因为这二者在神之真理方面都未处于任何光。
首先，那些属于属灵教会的人以为他们处在光中。然而，就神之真理而言，他们其实处在模糊之中，甚至处在幽暗之中，这从以下事实明显看出来：他们没有任何能使他们明白教会所说的是不是真理的内在觉知；他们知道它是真理，仅仅因为教会就是这么说的。凡教会所说的，他们都坚定接受，或自行确认，无论它是假是真。凡对神之真理缺乏任何内在觉知的人都陷入幽暗，或也可说，神性真理在他看来就是幽暗。例如，属灵教会成员不知道，也不想知道圣言内义的存在；即便他们相信它的存在，那也不是出于对事情就是如此的任何内在觉知，而是出于来自某个其它源头的说服。
另举一例。属灵教会成员会说，信是得救的唯一手段，甚至无需仁及其善行。他们之所以相信这一点，是因为教会就是这么说的。他们也没有达到这样一种觉知的亮光，以至于自己能看到信只存在于仁所在之地，或这一个属于那一个，如同婚姻中的配偶互相属于彼此；因此，仁才是教会的本质要素，因为它与良善是一致的。这也表明属灵教会处于何等的模糊或幽暗之中。他们因处于这种幽暗之中，故将教会分为许多不同的教会，和关于信之真理的多种教义一样多；如果他们处在光中，这种情况将永远不会出现。因为处在光中的人从不怀疑，更不会否认对主之爱和对邻之仁是教会的本质要素，圣言的一切真理，因而一切信之真理都建立在它们上面。同样，他也从不怀疑依赖于这条律法，并被称为信之真理的其它一切真理。这些事在前面有更清楚的说明（2708，2715，2831，2849，2935，2937，3241，3246，6289，6427，6865，6945，7233节）。那些属于属灵教会的人连智慧的第一道门槛，或那些属于属天教会之人所在的第一道光线都达不到（参看2718，3833，6500节）。
经上说摩西在挨近神时进入幽暗的另一个原因是，摩西作为一个领袖代表以色列和犹太人民，而他们在内在真理上陷入如此的幽暗，以至于完全不知道它们；因为他们认为敬拜的一切和一切神性事物都在于外在事物。这就是为何对他们来说，神性是幽暗；因为众所周知，神性从不住在黑暗或幽暗中，而是住在光中，因为神性就是光本身。因此，当神性被称为“幽暗”时，它是相对于那些没有住在任何光中的人来说的；事实上，构成天堂之光的神性真理向他们只显为这种黑暗；因为他们不信神性真理，甚至否认它们。神性照着各人生活和信仰的品质而向各人显现；因此，祂向那些住在光中的人显为光，向那些住在幽暗中的人显为幽暗。以色列和犹太人民就具有这种品质（参看3479，3769，4281，4293，4307，4314，4316，4433，4680，4825，4832，4844，4847，4865，4903，6304节）；并且主在西乃山上照着他们的品质而向他们显为烟、密云、幽暗（1861e，6832，8814，8819节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 8928
8928. And Moses came near unto the thick darkness where God was. That this signifies the conjunction still of the truth of spiritual good with truth Divine, is evident from the representation of Moses, as being truth Divine beneath heaven conjoined with truth Divine in heaven, consequently mediating (see n. 8760, 8787, 8805), thus the truth of spiritual good, for this is truth Divine beneath heaven, in which truth is the spiritual church that is represented by the sons of Israel-this truth is represented by Moses as the head of that church (n. 7041); from the signification of "coming near," as being conjunction, for to come near unto the Divine is to be conjoined therewith; and from the signification of "thick darkness," as being truth Divine relatively to those who are of the spiritual church, also relatively to that people which Moses was in charge of as their leader. That truth Divine is thick darkness to that church and that people, is because they are not in any light in respect to truths Divine. [2] In the first place, those who are of the spiritual church believe that they are in light; but that they are in obscurity, nay, in thick darkness, in respect to truth Divine, is evident from the fact that they do not know from any internal perception that what the church says is true, but merely from the fact that the church says so; and this they confirm with themselves whether it be false or true; and he who is not in any internal perception concerning truth Divine is in thick darkness, or what is the same thing, to him Divine truth is thick darkness. For example, they who are of the spiritual church do not know, nor desire to know, that there is any internal sense of the Word; and if perchance they were to believe it, it would not be from any internal perception that it is so, but from persuasion from some other source. [3] To take another example: they who are of the spiritual church say that faith is the only means of salvation, even without charity and its goods. This they believe because the church says so, nor do they come to such a light of perception as to perceive that there is no faith except where there is charity, and that the one belongs to the other as consort to consort; consequently that charity is an essential of the church, because it is of good. From this also it is plain in what obscurity, or in what thick darkness, the spiritual church is. And because they are in this thick darkness they divide the church into as many churches as there are diverse doctrines concerning the truths of faith; which they would not do if they were in light. For he who is in light never doubts, still less denies, that love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor are essentials of the church, and that upon them are based all the truths of the Word, consequently all the truths of faith. The case is similar with all the other truths which hang upon this and are called truths of faith. (But these things have been more plainly shown above, n. 2708, 2715, 2831, 2849, 2935, 2937, 3241, 3246, 6289, 6427, 6865, 6945, 7233. That they who are of the spiritual church do not attain unto the first threshold of the wisdom, or unto the first ray of light, in which they are who are of the celestial church, see n. 2718, 3833, 6500.) [4] Another reason why Moses is said to have entered into thick darkness when he came near unto God, is that Moses as a leader represented the Israelitish and Jewish people, which was in such thick darkness concerning internal truths as to be wholly ignorant of them, for they made everything of worship and everything Divine to consist in external things. This is the reason why to them the Divine was thick darkness; for it is known to everyone that the Divine is never in darkness, but in light, for the Divine is light itself; and therefore when it is called "thick darkness" it is relatively to those who are in no light, for unto such the Divine truths make the light of heaven appear no otherwise; because they are not believed, and are even denied. And the Divine appears unto everyone according to the quality of his life and faith, consequently as light to those who are in light, and as thick darkness to those who are in thick darkness. (That the Israelitish and Jewish people was of such a quality, see n. 3479, 3769, 4281, 4293, 4307, 4314, 4316, 4433, 4680, 4825, 4832, 4844, 4847, 4865, 4903, 6304; also that the Lord appeared unto them upon Mount Sinai in smoke, in a cloud, and in thick darkness, in accordance with their quality, n. 1891, 6832, 8814, 8819.)
Elliott(1983-1999) 8928
8928. 'And Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was' means a joining even of the truth of spiritual good to God's truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Moses' as God's truth below heaven joined to God's truth in heaven, consequently an intermediary kind of truth - dealt with in 8760, 8787, 8805 - thus the truth of spiritual good (for such truth is God's truth below heaven, which exists with the spiritual Church represented by the children of Israel; and Moses as the head of that Church represents this truth, 7014); from the meaning of 'drawing near' as a joining together, for drawing near the Divine is being joined to Him; and from the meaning of 'the thick darkness' as God's truth as it exists with those who belong to the spiritual Church, and also as it existed with that people whom Moses was set over as leader. The reason why God's truth is 'thick darkness' to both these is that neither of them is in any light as regards God's truths.
[2] Let those who belong to the spiritual Church be dealt with first. Those who belong to it believe that they are in the light. Yet they are in obscurity, indeed in thick darkness, so far as God's truth is concerned, as is clear from the consideration that they have no inner perception enabling them to see whether what the Church says is indeed the truth; they know it to be such only because the Church says it. What the Church says they firmly accept, whether it is false or true. And anyone devoid of any inner perception to see God's truth is in thick darkness, or what amounts to the same thing, Divine Truth is for him thick darkness. Members of the spiritual Church do not know for example, and have no wish to know, of the existence of an internal sense in the Word; and if they do perhaps come to believe in its existence there, it will not be because they perceive it for themselves but because of some other influence inducing them to believe it.
[3] Members of the spiritual Church, to take another example, say that faith is the one and only means of salvation, even without charity and the good deeds of charity. They believe this because the Church says it. They do not arrive at that light of perception in which they may see for themselves that faith does not exist except where charity does, or that the one belongs to the other as one person does to another in marriage, and therefore that charity is the essential element of the Church, because of its coherence with good. This also shows what obscurity or thick darkness the spiritual Church is in. And being in such darkness they divide the Church into many different Churches, as many as the variant doctrines presenting the truths of faith, a situation which would never arise if they were in the light. For one who is in the light never doubts, skill less denies that love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour are the essential elements of the Church, or that all the truths which the Word contains, consequently all the truths of faith, are founded on them. He likewise never doubts any of the other truths which hang on this law and are called the truths of faith. But these matters have been shown more plainly in 2708, 2715, 2831, 2849, 2935, 2937, 3241, 3246, 6289, 6427, 6865, 6945, 7233. Those who belong to the spiritual Church do not arrive at even the outermost threshold of the wisdom or of the light in which those are who belong to the celestial Church, 2718, 3833, 6500.
[4] The second reason why it says that Moses entered thick darkness when he drew near God is that as their leader 'Moses' represented the Israelite and Jewish people, who were in darkness regarding internal truths, so thick that they were totally ignorant of them; for they considered all of worship and everything Divine to consist in external things. This is why the Divine was for them thick darkness; for as everyone well knows, the Divine never dwells in thick darkness but in light, since the Divine is light itself. When therefore the Divine is called 'thick darkness', it describes what He is so far as those who do not dwell in any light are concerned; for Divine Truths which compose the light of heaven do not appear to them to be anything else than such darkness, because they do not believe them, indeed they deny them. How the Divine appears to anyone is determined by the essential nature of the person's life and faith. Consequently He appears as light to those who are in the light, and as thick darkness to those who are in thick darkness. The fact that the Israelite and Jewish people were such, see 3479, 3769, 4281, 4293, 4307, 4314, 4316, 4433, 4680, 4825, 4832, 4844, 4847, 4865, 4903, 6304, and that the Lord on Mount Sinai appeared to them in smoke, cloud, and thick darkness, in keeping with the essential nature of that people, 1861 (end), 6832, 8814, 8819.
Latin(1748-1756) 8928
8928. `Et Moscheh accessit in {1} caliginem ubi Deus': quod significet conjunctionem usque veri boni spiritualis cum vero Divino, constat ex (x)repraesentatione `Moschis' quod sit verum Divinum infra caelum conjunctum vero Divino in caelo, proinde medians, de qua n. 8760, 8787, 8805, ita verum boni spiritualis, nam hoc est verum Divinum infra caelum in quo est Ecclesia spiritualis, quae repraesentatur per `filios Israelis'; hoc verum repraesentat Moscheh ut illius Ecclesiae caput, n. 7014 {2}; ex significatione `accedere' quod sit conjunctio, nam accedere ad Divinum est Ipsi conjungi; et ex significatione `caliginis' quod sit verum Divinum respective ad illos qui ab Ecclesia spirituali, tum respective ad populum illum cui Moscheh ut dux praeerat; quod verum Divinum his et illis sit `caligo,' est causa quia non in aliqua luce sunt quoad vera Divina. [2] Quod primum concernit illos qui ab Ecclesia spirituali, credunt, qui ab {3} illa sunt, quod in luce sint; sed quod in obscuro, immo in caligine sint quoad verum Divinum, constat ex eo quod non ex aliqua perceptione interna sciant {4} quod Ecclesia dicit esse verum, sed solum ex eo quia Ecclesia ita dicit; hoc confirmant apud se sive falsum sive verum sit, et qui non in perceptione interna est de vero Divino, is in caligine est, seu quod idem, ei Divinum Verum caligo est; sit pro exemplo: qui ab Ecclesia spirituali sunt non sciunt nec scire volunt quod aliquis sensus internus Verbi sit; et si forte credituri sint, hoc non erit ex aliqua perceptione interna quod ita sit sed ex persuasione aliunde; [3] sit quoque pro exemplo: illi qui ab Ecclesia spirituali sunt dicunt fidem esse unicum salvationis medium, etiam absque charitate et ejus bonis; hoc credunt quia Ecclesia ita dicit, nec ad illam perceptionis lucem veniunt quod fides non sit nisi ubi charitas, et quod una sit alterius sicut conjux conjugis, proinde quod charitas sit essentiale Ecclesiae, quia est boni; inde quoque patet in quo obscuro seu in qua caligine est Ecclesia spiritualis; et quia in tali sunt, ideo Ecclesiam in tot Ecclesias dividunt quot sunt diversae doctrinae de veris quae fidei, quod non fieret si in luce forent; qui enim in luce est nusquam dubitat, minus negat, quod amor in Dominum et charitas erga proximum sint essentialia Ecclesiae, et quod super illis fundentur omnia vera quae sunt Verbi, proinde quae sunt fidei; similiter se habet cum reliquis quae ab hoc {5} pendent, et vocantur vera fidei; sed haec evidentius ostensa sunt n. 2708, 2715, 2831, 2849, 2935, 2937, 3241, 3246, 6289, 6427, 6865, 6945, 7233; quod qui ab Ecclesia spirituali non perveniant ad primum limen sapientiae, seu ad primum lucis in quo sunt qui ab Ecclesia caelesti, n. 2718, 3833, 6500. [4] Quod Moscheh dicatur `intravisse in {6} caliginem' cum accessit ad Deum, altera causa est quia Moscheh ut dux repraesentabat populum Israeliticum et Judaicum, qui in tali caligine de veris internis fuit ut prorsus ea nesciverit {7}, in externis enim omne cultus et omne Divinum posuit; inde est quod illis Divinum fuerit {8} caligo; nam cuivis notum est quod Divinum nusquam sit in caligine sed in luce, Divinum enim est ipsa lux; quapropter quod dicatur `caligo,' est respective ad illos qui in nulla luce sunt, nam illis Divina Vera quae faciunt lucem caeli, non apparent aliter, non enim creduntur, immo negantur; et Divinum apparet unicuique secundum quale vitae et fidei ejus; proinde ut lux illis qui in luce sunt et ut caligo illis qui in caligine; quod populus Israeliticus et Judaicus talis fuerit, videatur n. 3479, 3769, 4281, 4293, 4307, 4314, 4316, 4433, 4680, 4825, 4832, 4844, 4847, 4865, 4903, 6304, et quod Dominus super monte Sinai ei apparuerit in fumo, nube, et caligine, secundum quale ejus, n. (x)1861 fin., 6832, 8814, 8819. @1 ad T$ @2 7041 T$ @3 in$ @4 i num verum sit$ @5 illis$ @6 ad T$ @7 nesciverint$ @8 fuit$