913、“叫它们遍及大地”表示内在人对外在人的运作,“繁殖”表示良善的增长,“增多”表示真理的增长,“在地上”表示在外在人里面。这从整个思路,以及前面(43,55节)关于“繁殖”含义的阐述和说明清楚可知:在圣言中,“繁殖”论及良善,“增多”论及真理。“地”表示外在人,这在前面(16,82节)同样说明了,故无需停下来证实。此处论述的主题是人重生之后,内在人对外在人的运作。也就是说,当外在人变得对应或顺从时,良善就开始“繁殖”,真理开始“增多”。在此之前,这是不可能的,因为肉体欲望反对良善,感官幻觉反对真理;前者消灭对良善的爱,后者消灭对真理的爱。良善的繁殖和真理的增多在外在人中进行:良善的繁殖在其情感中进行,真理的增多在其记忆中进行。外在人在此被称为“地”,良善和真理遍及这“地”,并在上面繁殖、增多。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]913. And let them swarm throughout the earth symbolizes the way the inner self acts on the outer, let them reproduce symbolizes increases in goodness, let them multiply symbolizes increases in truth, and on the earth means in the outer self. All this can be seen from the general line of reasoning. It can also be seen from earlier remarks and illustrations [43, 55] concerning the symbolism of reproducing and multiplying, showing that the Word uses the former in connection with good and the latter in connection with truth. The symbolism of the earth as the outer self was likewise demonstrated earlier [16, 82]. Consequently there is no need to spend time proving these things.
The present verse speaks of the way the inner self acts on the outer after we have regenerated, revealing that good first reproduces itself and truth first multiplies when the outer self is reduced into correspondence or obedience. It can never happen before that, because bodily desires rebel against goodness, and sense impressions rebel against truth. The former snuff out love for goodness, and the latter extinguish love for truth.
Good reproduces and truth multiplies in the outer self — good reproducing itself in our feelings, and truth multiplying in our memory. The outer self throughout which good and truth swarm and on which they reproduce and multiply is here called the earth.
Potts(1905-1910) 913
913. That they may spread themselves over the earth. That this signifies the operation of the internal man on the external, and that "being fruitful" signifies increasings of good, "multiplying" increasings of truth, and "upon the earth" in the external man, is evident from the connection of the things, and also from what has been before said and shown about the signification of "being fruitful" which in the Word is predicated of goods, and about that of "multiplying" which is predicated of truths. That "earth" signifies the external man has likewise been shown before; so that we need not dwell longer on these significations in order to confirm them. Here the subject is the operation of the internal man on the external after the man has been regenerated, showing that good is for the first time made fruitful, and truth multiplied, when the external man has been reduced to correspondence or obedience. This can never be so before, because what is corporeal opposes what is good, and what is sensuous opposes what is true, the one extinguishing the love of good, and the other extinguishing the love of truth. The fructification of good and the multiplication of truth take place in the external man; the fructification of good in his affections, and the multiplication of truth in his memory. The external man is here called "the earth" over which they spread themselves, and upon which they become fruitful and multiply.
Elliott(1983-1999) 913
913. 'Let them spread out into the earth' means the action of the internal man into the external, while 'be fruitful' means increases in good, 'and multiply' increases in truth, and 'over the earth' means with the external man. This is clear from the train of thought and also from what has been stated and shown already about the meaning in the Word of 'being fruitful' as having reference to goods, and of 'multiplying' to truths. That 'the earth' means the external man has in like manner been shown already, so there is no need to pause and confirm these points. Here the subject is the action of the internal man into the external after a person has been regenerated. That is to say, when good starts 'to be fruitful' and truth 'to multiply', the external man is rendered correspondent or obedient. Until then this is not possible because the desires of the body are incompatible with goods, and the illusions of the senses with truths. The former annihilate the love of good, the latter the love of truth. The fruitfulness of good and the multiplication of truth take place in the external man - the fruitfulness of good in his affections, the multiplication of truth in his memory. The external man is here called 'the earth' into which mankind spreads out and over which they are fruitful and multiply.
Latin(1748-1756) 913
913. Quod 'diffundant se in terra, significent operationem interni hominis in externum, et quod 'fructificent' significent incrementa boni, et 'multiplicentur' incrementa veri, et quod 'super terra' significet apud externum hominem, constat a serie rerum, tum ab ii quae prius dicta et ostensa sunt de significatione 'fructificare' quod in Verbo praedicetur de bonis, et de significatione 'multiplicari' quod praedicetur de veris: quod 'terra' significet externum hominem similiter prius ostensum est; quare non illis confirmandis immorandum. Hic agitur de interni hominis operatione in externum postquam homo regeneratus est, quod nempe tunc primum 'fructificetur' bonum et 'multiplicetur' verum cum externus homo redactus est in correspondentiam aut oboedientiam; prius nusquam potest, quia repugnant bonis corporea et veris sensualia; illa amorem boni, haec amorem veri exstinguunt: fructificatio boni, et multiplicatio veri fit in externo homine; fructificatio boni in ejus affectionibus, multiplicatio veri in ejus memoria. Externus homo hic vocatur 'terra,' in quam {1} se diffundunt, et super qua se fructificant et multiplicant.