688.“现在你给他们血喝。这是他们所该受的”表按照主的圣治，那些在教义和生活上确认唯信的人已被允许歪曲圣言的真理，从被歪曲的真理中吸收生命。“喝血”表示不仅歪曲圣言的真理，还从被歪曲的真理中吸收生命；因为凡喝的人都归为己有，并吸收了。经上之所以说“这是他们所该受的”，是因为那些接受唯信，并照之生活的人在生活上陷入邪恶，邪恶在他们里面运作这一切；论到那些陷入邪恶的人，此处经上说“这是他们所该受的”，如同世人说恶有恶报。至于与这个主题有关的圣治，可参看前文（686节）。
688. "And You have given them blood to drink. For they are deserving." This symbolically means that of the Lord's Divine providence, those who have confirmed themselves in faith alone in doctrine and life have been permitted to falsify the Word's truths and to infuse their life with those falsified truths.
To drink blood symbolically means not only to falsify the Word's truths, but also to infuse one's life with those falsified truths; for someone who drinks, assimilates into himself what he drinks and infuses himself with it.
The text says, "For they are deserving." And the reason is that people who accept faith alone and live in accordance with it are caught up in evils in the way they live, and it is evil that brings this about in them. It is of people caught up in evils, then, that the text says here that they are deserving, as we say of people in the world who are punished for their evil deeds that they deserve the punishment.
Regarding the Divine providence in this circumstance, see nos. 686-687 above.
688. 'And Thou hast given them blood to drink, for they deserve it' signifies that those who have confirmed themselves in faith alone in both doctrine and life, had of the Lord's Divine Providence been permitted to falsify the truths of the Word, and to absorb life (imbuere vitam) out of the falsified [truths]. By 'to drink blood' is signified not only to falsify the truths of the Word, but also to absorb life out of the falsified [truths], for he who drinks is appropriating to himself and absorbing. It is said 'for they deserve it' (quia digni sunt), because those who receive faith alone and live in accordance therewith are in evils as to life, and evil operates this with them. Also it is said here of those who are in evils that they deserve it, just as in the world it is said of those who are punished on account of evil-doing. About Divine Providence concerning this, 686-687 above may be seen.
688. And thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy, signifies that they who have confirmed themselves in faith alone both in doctrine and in life, have been permitted from the Divine Providence of the Lord to falsify the truths of the Word, and to imbue their lives with such falsifications. By "drinking blood" is signified not only to falsify the truths of the Word, but also to imbue their life with such falsifications; for he who drinks appropriates to himself and imbues. It is said, "because they are worthy," by reason that they who receive faith alone, and live according to it, are in evils as to life, and evil operates that in them; and of those who are in evils, it is here said, that "they are worthy," as it is said in the world of those who are punished for evil doing. Concerning the Divine Providence in relation to this subject, see above, (686).
688. "Et Sanguinem eis dedisti bibere, quia digni sunt?" significat quod ex Divina Providentia Domini permissum fuerit illis, qui in sola Fide et doctrina et vita se confirmaverunt, falsificare vera Verbi, et imbuere vitam ex falsificatis. - Per "bibere sanguinem" significatur non modo falsificare vera Verbi, sed etiam imbuere vitam ex falsificatis; nam qui bibit, appropriat sibi et imbuit. Dicitur "quia digni sunt," ex causa quia illi qui recipiunt solam Fidem, et vivunt secundum illam, in malis sunt quoad vitam, et malum id apud eos operatur; et de illis qui in malis sunt, dicitur hic "quod digni sint," sicut in mundo, qui propter malefacta puniuntur. De Divina Providentia circa id, videatur supra (686).