8940.“你若为我筑一座石坛”表总体上由真理所构成的一种代表性敬拜。这从“坛”和“石”的含义清楚可知：“坛”是指总体上的一种代表性的神性敬拜（参看921，2777，2811，4489节）；“石”是指真理（643，1298，3720，3769，3771，3773，3789，3798，6426，8609节）。对主的敬拜既有源于良善的，也有源于真理的。土坛代表源于良善的对主的敬拜，石坛代表源于真理的敬拜（关于这两种敬拜，可参看8935节）。正因“石坛”表示源于真理的敬拜，所以经上吩咐他们一过约旦河，来到迦南地，就要筑这样一座祭坛，并在上面写下包含在律法中的诫命，即从天上来的神之真理。因为十诫表示总体上的一切神之真理。论到这祭坛，经上在摩西五经中如此记着说：
你们过约旦河，要立起几块大石头，墁上石灰；把这律法的一切话写在石头上。在那里要为耶和华你的神筑一座坛，一座石坛，在石头上不可动铁器。要用没有整块石头筑耶和华你神的坛，要把燔祭和感谢祭献在坛上。你要将这律法的话清清楚楚地写在石头上。（申命记27:1-8；约书亚记8:30-32）
律法的话之所以要写在石坛上，是因为“石头”表示真理，“石坛”表示源于真理的敬拜。这也是表示整体上的神性真理的十诫被刻写在石版上的原因。他们之所以一过约旦河就要如此行，是因为约旦河是旷野边上的迦南地的第一个和最外面的边界，表示引入教会或天堂，这种引入通过关于真理和良善的认知或知识，因而通过来自圣言的真理（4255节）实现。因为作为迦南地边界的一切河流都表示主国度的第一和最外面的区域（4116，4240节）。在以赛亚书，“石坛”也表示信之真理：
他叫祭坛上所有的石头都变为粉碎的灰石时，就会除罪。（以赛亚书27:9）
这论及教会的毁灭：“祭坛上的石头变为粉碎的灰石”表示类似的事发生在他们身上之后，激发敬拜的信之真理。至于总体上的祭坛，它们是由土、石、铜、木，以及黄铜金、木和金筑成的，因为这些材料表示良善。关于铜坛，可参看以西结书（9:2）；关于木坛（以西结书41:22）；关于金坛，也就是香坛（列王记上6:22；7:48；启示录8:3）。“铜”表示良善（参看425，1551节）；“木”也表示良善（643，2784，2812，3720，8354节）；“金”同样表示良善（113，1551，1552，5658节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 8940
8940. And if thou make Me an altar of stones. That this signifies a representative of worship in general from truths, is evident from the signification of "an altar," as being a representative of Divine worship in general (see n. 921, 2777, 2811, 4489); and from the signification of "stones," as being truths (n. 643, 1298, 3720, 3769, 3771, 3773, 3789, 3798, 6426, 8609). There is worship of the Lord from good, and there is worship of Him from truth. The worship of the Lord from good was represented by an altar of ground, and the worship from truth by an altar of stone (as to both kinds of worship, see above, n. 8935). As an "altar of stone" signified worship from truth, it was therefore commanded that such an altar should be erected as soon as they passed over the Jordan and came into the land of Canaan, and upon it were to be written the commandments of the law, that is, truths Divine from heaven; for by the "ten commandments" are signified all truths Divine in sum total. Concerning this altar it is thus written in Moses:
When ye shall pass over Jordan, thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaster them with plaster; and then thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law. After, thou shalt build there an altar unto Jehovah thy God, an altar of stones, upon which thou shalt not strike iron. Thou shalt build the altar of Jehovah thy God of whole stones, and thou shalt cause to go up upon it burnt-offerings, and thank-offerings. And thou shalt write upon the stones of the altar the words of the law very plainly (Deut. 27:1-8; Josh. 8:30-32). [2] The reason why the words of the law were to be written upon the stones of the altar, was that by "stones" were signified truths, and by "an altar of stones," worship from truths. This also was the reason why the ten commandments, which signified Divine truths in the complex, were written on tables of stone. That this was to be done as soon as they had passed over the Jordan, was because the Jordan, which was the first and the last boundary of the land of Canaan on the side of the wilderness, signified introduction into the church or heaven, which is effected by means of the knowledges of truth and good, thus by means of truths from the Word (n. 4255); for all the rivers which were boundaries of that land signified the first and the last things of the Lord's kingdom (n. 4116, 4240). By the "stones of the altar" are signified the truths of faith also in Isaiah:
He shall take away sin when He maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are scattered (Isa. 27:9);
speaking of the vastation of the church; "the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are scattered" denotes that so it shall be with the truths of faith which are of worship. As regards altars in general, they were of ground, of stones, of brass, of wood, and also of gold-of brass, wood, and gold, because these signified good. (Concerning an altar of brass, see Ezekiel 9:2; concerning an altar of wood, 41:22; and concerning an altar of gold, which was the altar of incense, see 1 Kings 6:22; 7:48; Rev. 8:3.) (That "brass" signifies good, see n. 425, 1551; that "wood" does so, n. 643, 2784, 2812, 3720, 8354; and likewise "gold," see n. 113, 1551, 1552, 5658.)
Elliott(1983-1999) 8940
8940. 'And if you make for Me an altar of stones' means a representative kind of worship in general that is composed of truths This is clear from the meaning of 'an altar' as a representative of Divine worship in general, dealt with in 921, 2777, 2811, 4489; and from the meaning of 'stones' as truths, dealt with in 643, 1298, 3720, 3769, 3771, 3773, 3789, 3798, 6426, 8609. There is worship of the Lord that springs from good, and there is worship of Him that springs from truth. Worship of the Lord springing from good was represented by an altar of soil, and worship springing from truth by an altar of stone. Regarding the first and the second kinds of worship, see above in 8935. It was because an altar of stone was a sign of worship springing from truth that they were commanded to set up such an altar as soon as they crossed the Jordan and came into the land of Canaan, and to write on it the Commandments contained in the Law, that is, God's truths from heaven. For by the Ten Commandments are meant all God's truths in summary form. That altar is spoken of in Moses as follows,
When you cross the Jordan you shall set up for yourself large stones, and coat them with lime. Then you shall write on them all the words of the Law. Afterwards, you shall build there an altar to Jehovah your God, an altar of stones, which you shall not hew with any iron tool.a With whole stones you shall build the altar of Jehovah your God, and presentb on it burnt offerings and eucharistic offerings. And you shall write on the stones of the altar the words of the Law, expressing them very plainly. Deut 27:1-8; Josh 8:30-32.
[2] The reason why they were to write the words of the Law on stones of the altar was that truths were meant by 'stones', and worship that springs from truths by 'an altar of stones'. This was also the reason why the Ten Commandments, which were a sign of Divine Truths in their entirety, were inscribed on tablets of stone. The reason why it had to be done as soon as they crossed the Jordan was that the Jordan, which was the first and outermost boundary of the land of Canaan on the side where the wilderness lay, meant introduction into the Church or heaven, which is accomplished through cognitions or knowledge of truth and good, thus through truths from the Word, 4255. For all the rivers serving as boundaries of that land meant the first and outermost reaches of the Lord's kingdom, 4116, 4240 By 'the stones of the altar' the truths of faith are also meant in Isaiah,
He will remove sin when He makes all the stones of the altar like chalk-stones scattered about. Isa 27:9
This refers to the ruination of the Church. 'The stones of the altar like chalk-stones scattered about' stands for the truths of faith that inspire worship after something similar has happened to them. As regards altars in general, they were made out of soil, stones, bronze, wood, and also gold - out of bronze, wood, and gold because these materials served to mean good. For an altar of bronze, see Ezek 9:2; for an altar of wood, Ezek 41:22; and for an altar of gold, which was the altar of incense, 1 Kings 6:22; 7:48; Rev. 8:3. That 'bronze' means good, see 425, 1551; that 'wood' does so, 643, 2784, 2812, 3720, 8354; and that 'gold' does so as well, 113, 1551, 1552, 5658.
Latin(1748-1756) 8940
8940. `Et si altare lapidum facias Mihi': quod significet repraesentativum cultus in genere ex veris, constat ex significatione `altaris' quod sit repraesentativum cultus Divini in genere, de qua n. 921, 2777, 2811, 4489, et ex significatione `lapidum' quod sint vera, de qua n. 643, 1298, 3720, 3769, 3771, 3773, 3789, 3798, 6426, 8609. Est cultus Domini ex bono, et est ex vero; cultus Domini ex bono repraesentabatur per `altare ex humo,' et cultus ex vero per altare ex lapide'; de uno et altero cultu videatur supra n. 8935. Quia `altare ex lapide' significabat cultum ex vero, idcirco mandatum erat ut tale altare erigeretur cum primum transirent Jordanem et venirent in terram Canaanem, et super illo scriberentur praecepta legis, hoc est, vera Divina e caelo, (m)nam per decem praecepta (x)significantur omnia vera Divina in summa;(n) de altari illo {1} ita apud Moschen, Cum transiveris Jordanem, eriges tibi lapides magnos, et incrustabis eos calce; deinde scribes super illos omnia verba Legis: post aedificabis ibi altare Jehovae Deo tuo, altare lapidum, super quos non impelles ferrum; ex lapidibus integris aedificabis altare Jehovae Dei tui, et facies ascendere super eo holocausta et eucharistica; et scribes super lapides altaris verba Legis probe exprimendo, Deut. xxvii 1-8; Jos. viii 30-32;[2] quod scriberentur verba Legis super lapidibus (o)altaris, erat causa quia per `lapides' significabantur vera, et per `altare lapidum' cultus ex veris; (m)illa etiam causa fuit quod decem praecepta, (x)quae significabant Divina Vera in complexu, inscripta fuerint tabulis lapideis;(n) quod id {2} fieret ut primum transiverunt Jordanem, erat causa quia Jordanes, (x)qui a parte deserti erat terminus terrae Canaanis primus et ultimus, significabat {3} introductionem in Ecclesiam seu caelum, quae fit per cognitiones veri et boni, ita per vera ex Verbo, n. (x)4255; omnes enim fluvii qui erant termini illius terrae significabant prima et ultima regni Domini, n. 4116, 4240. Per `lapides altaris' etiam significatur vera fidei apud Esaiam, Removebit peccatum cum posuerit omnes lapides altaris sicut lapides calcis dispersos, xxvii 9;
ibi de vastatione Ecclesiae; `lapides altaris sicut lapides calcis dispersi' pro quod ita vera fidei quae cultus. Quod altaria in genere attinet, erant illa ex humo, ex lapidibus, ex aere, ex ligno, et quoque ex auro; ex aere, ligno, et auro, quia haec significabant bonum; de altari ex aere, videatur Ezech. ix 2; de altari ex ligno, Ezech. xli 22; et de altari ex auro, quod erat altare suffitus, 1 Reg. vi 22, vii 48; Apoc. viii 3; quod [aes] significet bonum, videatur n. 425, 1551, quod lignum, n. 643, 2784, (x)2812, 3720, 8354, tum quod aurum, n. 113, 1551, 1552, 5658. @1 quo altari$ @2 hoc$ @3 etiam$