986、“惊恐你们、惧怕你们”表示内在人的掌控，“惊恐”与邪恶有关，“惧怕”与虚假有关，这从重生之人的状态清楚可知。人在重生之前的状态是这样：属于外在人的恶欲和虚假一直掌权，由此产生争战。不过，一旦他重生了，内在人就会掌控外在人，也就是掌控他的欲望和虚假。当内在人掌权时，这个人就会对邪恶感到惊恐，对虚假感到惧怕，因为邪恶和虚假违背良心，而违背良心行事是他所憎恶的。
然而，惊恐邪恶、惧怕虚假的，不是内在人，而是外在人；所以此处说：“使地上一切的走兽和空中一切的飞鸟都惊恐你们、惧怕你们”，也就是此处“走兽”所表示的一切恶欲和“空中的飞鸟”所表示的一切虚假在惊恐和惧怕。这种惊恐和这种惧怕似乎是这个人自己的，但真相是这样：如前所述（697节），每个人都至少有两位天使和两个恶灵与其同在，他通过天使与天堂相联，通过恶灵与地狱相联。当天使掌权时，如重生之人的情形，在场的恶灵不敢做违背良善和真理的事，因为这时他们受到束缚。当他们试图做任何恶事或说假话，也就是激活它时，某种地狱般的惊恐和惧怕就立刻临到他们。这种惊恐和惧怕就是人内心对违背良心之事的感觉。这也是为何一旦做了或说了违背良心的任何事，他就会陷入试探和良心的折磨，也就是陷入一种地狱般的折磨。
至于“惊恐”与邪恶有关，“惧怕”与虚假有关，情况是这样：与人同在的灵人与其说害怕做恶事，倒不如说害怕说假话，因为人通过信之真理重生并获得良心，因此灵人不允许激活虚假。事实上，这些灵人当中的每一个都是纯粹的邪恶，所以他们活在邪恶中；他们的整个本性和由此而来的整个努力都是邪恶；由于他们活在邪恶中，他们自己的生命就在于邪恶，所以当他们发挥某种功用时，他们所行的邪恶就被忽略了。但他们不允许说任何假话，这是为了让他们学习真理，由此尽可能得到纠正，以便他们能发挥某种低级的功用，或说提供某种低劣的服务。关于这些问题，蒙主的神性怜悯，详情容后再述（5846-5865，5976-5993节）。重生之人的情形也一样，因为他的良心是由信之真理形成的。因此，他的良心关注的是正确性。对他来说，人所犯的邪恶实际上是虚假，或说生活的邪恶在于虚假，因为虚假违反了信之真理，或说是信之真理的反面。但上古教会成员不是这种情况，因为他拥有感知。他感觉生活的邪恶就是邪恶，信仰的虚假就是虚假。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]986. The symbolism of fear of you and terror of you as mastery exerted by the inner self — fear having to do with evil and terror with falsity — can be seen from the circumstances of a regenerate person. Before we have regenerated, our circumstances are ones in which the cravings and falsities of the outer self remain in perpetual control, and this causes a struggle. When we have regenerated, the inner self takes control over the outer, or in other words, over its cravings and falsities. When the inner self is in charge, we respond to evil with fear and to falsity with terror, because both violate conscience, and acting against conscience horrifies us.
[2] The inner self, though, is not afraid of evil or frightened of falsity; only the outer self is. So the present verse says that "fear of you and terror of you" will be on "every beast of the earth and every bird of the sky," that is, on all the cravings symbolized by a beast and on the falsities symbolized by a bird of the sky.
The fear and the terror seem to be ours, but here is the actual situation: As mentioned before, we each have with us at least two angels connecting us to heaven and two evil spirits connecting us to hell [697]. When the angels are in charge, as they are in a person reborn, the evil spirits that are present do not dare to make the slightest assault on goodness or truth, because they are then in chains. When they do try to do anything bad or say anything false — or rather try to goad us into doing so — a hellish fear and terror immediately fall on them. Their fear and terror is what we feel when we face anything that violates conscience. In consequence, as soon as we do or say anything that offends conscience, we undergo inner struggle and suffer pangs of conscience, or in other words, experience a kind of torment that feels like hell.
[3] The reason fear is used for evil and terror for falsity is that the spirits we have with us are not as fearful of doing wrong as they are of telling lies. It is through the true concepts of faith that people find rebirth and gain conscience, so spirits are not allowed to stir up falsities.
Each of these spirits is mere evil, so that they live in evil; their whole nature and consequently their every effort is evil. And since they live in evil, and the vital energy that is their very own consists in evil, the wrong they do is overlooked if they are being useful in some way. Spreading falsity, however, is not permitted. The reason for this prohibition is to enable them to learn what is true and so improve as much as they can, in order to serve some menial use. I will have more to say on this later, though, the Lord's divine mercy permitting [5846-5865, 5976-5993].
The situation is similar in regenerate people, because their conscience is formed out of the truth taught by faith. As a result, their conscience focuses on correctness, and to them the evil that one commits is actually falsity, because it violates religious truth. (It was different for the people of the earliest church, who had perception. They perceived the evil that one commits as evil, and the falsity that one believes in as falsity.)
Potts(1905-1910) 986
986. The fear of you and the terror of you. That this signifies the dominion of the internal man, "fear" having reference to evils, and "terror" to falsities, is evident from the state of the regenerate man. The state of man before regeneration is such that cupidities and falsities, which are of the external man, continually predominate, and hence arises a combat; but after regeneration the internal man has dominion over the external, that is, over its cupidities and falsities, and then the man is in fear of evils and in terror of falsities, both of which are contrary to conscience, and to act in opposition to this affects him with horror. Howbeit, it is not the internal but the external man that fears evils and dreads falsities, wherefore it is here said "let the fear of you and the terror of you be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heaven" that is, upon all cupidities, here signified by "beasts" and upon all falsities, here meant by the "bird of heaven." This "fear" and this "terror" appear as if they were the man's own, but they arise from the following cause. As has been previously stated, there are with every man at least two angels, through whom he has communication with heaven, and two evil spirits, through whom he has communication with hell. When the angels rule-as is the case with the regenerate man-then the attendant evil spirits dare not attempt to do anything contrary to what is good and true, because they are in bonds; for, on their attempting to do anything evil, or to speak what is false-that is, to excite it-they are instantly seized with a kind of infernal fear and terror. This fear and terror are what are perceived in the man as a fear and terror for what is contrary to conscience; and therefore as soon as he does or speaks anything contrary to conscience, he comes into temptation, and into the pangs of conscience, that is, into a kind of infernal torment. As to "fear" being predicated of evils, and "terror" of falsities, the case is this: the spirits with a man do not so much fear to do evils as they do to speak falsities, because man is born again and receives conscience through the truths of faith, and therefore the spirits are not allowed to excite false things. With everyone of them there is nothing but evil, so that they are in evil; their very nature, and all their effort therefrom is evil; and since they are in evil, and their proper life consists in evil, they are pardoned for doing evil when they are serving any use. But it is not permitted them to speak anything false, and this in order that they may learn what is true, and thus so far as possible be amended, so that they may serve some low use; but concerning this subject, of the Lord's Divine mercy, more hereafter. Similar is the case with the regenerate man, for his conscience is formed of the truths of faith, and therefore his conscience is a conscience of what is right, what is false being to him the very evil of life, because it is contrary to the truth of faith. It was otherwise with the man of the Most Ancient Church, who had perception. He perceived evil of life as evil, and falsity of faith as falsity.
Elliott(1983-1999) 986
986. That 'the fear of you and the dread of you' means the lordship of the internal man - 'fear' having regard to evils and 'dread' to falsities - becomes clear from the state of a regenerate person. A person's state prior to regeneration is one in which the evil desires and the falsities that belong to the external man predominate all the time, which gives rise to conflict. But once he has been regenerated the internal man rules over the external, that is, over his desires and falsities. When it is the internal man that rules, the person has a fear of evils and a dread of falsities, for both evils and falsities are contrary to conscience, and to act contrary to conscience is abhorrent to him.
[2] It is not however the internal man that fears evils and dreads falsities, but the external; hence the statements at this point about the fear of you and the dread of you being upon every beast of the earth and every bird of the aira, that is, over all evil desires meant by 'beast' and over falsities meant by 'bird of the air'.a This fear and this dread are seemingly the person's own, but the reality is this: As stated already everybody has at least two angels with him through whom he has communication with heaven, and two evil spirits through whom he has communication with hell. When the angels rule, as is so with a regenerate person, the evil spirits who are present dare not do anything contrary to what is good and true, for they are at that time held in bonds. And when they do try to do anything evil or to utter what is false - that is, to activate it - some hellish kind of fear and dread instantly overtakes them. This fear and this dread are what a person feels within himself for things that are contrary to conscience. This also is why, as soon as he does or utters anything contrary to conscience, he runs into temptation and the gnawings of conscience, that is, into a kind of hellish torment.
[3] On the point that fear has reference to evils and dread to falsities, the situation Is this: The spirits that reside with a person are less afraid of practising evil deeds than of uttering falsities, the reason being that a person is born again and receives a conscience by means of truths of faith, and consequently spirits are not allowed to activate falsities. Indeed nothing but evil is present with every one of them, so that they are immersed in evil; their whole nature, and consequently everything they attempt is evil; and since they are immersed in evil and their own life within them consists in evil, their performance of evil is ignored when they are serving some use. But they are not permitted to utter anything false, for the reason that they may learn what is true, and in so doing may be corrected, so far as possible, to perform some inferior kind of service. But more concerning these matters will in the Lord's Divine mercy be mentioned later on. It is similar with a regenerate person, for his conscience is formed from truths of faith. Consequently his conscience is a conscience for what is right. For him the very evil of life lies in falsity because falsity is the reverse of the truth of faith. But with the member of the Most Ancient Church who had perception it was different. He perceived evil of life as evil, and falsity of faith as falsity.
Latin(1748-1756) 986
986. Quod 'timor vestri et terror vestri' significet dominium interni hominis, et quod 'timor' spectet mala et 'terror' facta, constare potest a statu hominis regenerati; status hominis antequam regeneratus, est quod cupiditates et falsitates quae sunt externi hominis, continue{1} praedominentur, inde pugna; et cum regeneratus est, tunc internus homo dominatur super externum, hoc est, super ejus cupiditates et falsitates; cum dominatur internus homo, tunc est homini timor pro malis et terror pro falsis; nam tam mala quam falsa sunt contra conscientiam, et agere contra conscientiam ei est horror. [2] Sed internus homo non timet mala nec{2} terretur pro falsis, sed externus; quare hic dicitur quod 'timor vestri et terror vestri super omnem bestiam terrae et omnem avem caeli,' hoc est, super omnes cupiditates, quae per 'bestiam' significantur, et super falsitates, quae per 'avem caeli': hic timor et hic terror apparet sicut hominis, sed ita se res habet; sunt apud unumquemvis hominem, ut prius dictum, ad minimum duo angeli per quos ei datur communicatio cum caelo; et duo spiritus mali per quos ei est communicatio cum inferno; cum angeli dominantur, ut fit apud hominem regeneratum, tunc spiritus mali qui adsunt, nihil quicquam hiscunt{3} agere contra bonum et verum quia tunc in vinculis sunt; cumque aliquid mali tentant agere aut falsum loqui, hoc est, excitare, tunc ilico in quodam timore et terrore infernali sunt; hic timor et hic terror est qui percipitur apud hominem pro iis quae sunt contra conscientiam; quare etiam, ut primum aliquid contra conscientiam agit et loquitur, in tentationem et in morsum conscientiae venit, hoc est, in cruciatum quendam quasi infernalem. [3] Quod timor praedicetur de malis et terror de falsis, ita se habet; spiritus apud hominem non ita timent mala agere ac timent falsa loqui; homo enim per vera fidei renascitur et conscientiam accipit, quare non spiritibus licet falsa excitare: apud unumquemvis enim eorum non est nisi malum, ita, ut in malo sint, ipsa natura eorum, et inde omnis conatus eorum, est malum; et quia in malo sunt et eorum vita propria consistit in malo ignoscitur iis cum malum faciunt quando in aliquo usu sunt; sed falsum loqui non permittitur, causa est ut discant quid verum, et sic quantum possint, emendentur ut inserviant alicui vili usui; sed de his, ex Divina Domini Misericordia, plura in sequentibus. Apud hominem regeneratum similiter; nam formatur ejus conscientia ex veris fidei; inde conscientia ejus est conscientia recti; ipsum malum vitae ei est falsum quia contra verum fidei: aliter apud hominem Antiquissimae Ecclesiae qui perceptionem habuit; is malum vitae percepit ut malum, et falsum fidei ut falsum. @1 continuo I.$ @2 et I.$ @3 In S's usage it seems that hiscere = anhelere, i.e., 'to pant, to be eager.' Cf. HH. 48, SD. 4471.$