4. 圣经是神圣的，即便一点一画都是如此。
有一次，从天上向我发送一小张纸，上面写着希伯来文字，如上古之人的写法，现今写成直线的字符在当时是弯曲的，还向上转个小角。跟我在一起的天使说他从字母本身就知道了全部意义，他还说每个字母都有自己的含义，他能从每个字母的线条曲线中知道这个含义，此外还能从每个字母看出所说的主题。
然后他向我解释了a与h的意义，这些字母单独使用时表示什么，组合在一起时又如何；它们在Jehovah（耶和华）中，以及被添加到Abraham和Sarah的名字中 1，表示事物的无限和永恒。
他还说，圣经在很多地方就是这样书写的；当某个犹太人或基督徒用希伯来文本读圣经时，三层天堂中能知道各字母的意义。因为三层天堂的天使拥有以这些字母书写的圣经，他们逐个字母地阅读。他们说，从逐个字母提取的意义来看，圣经单单论及主。其原因在于，字母中的弯曲转角等变化源于天上的灵流，灵流尤其影响第三层天堂的天使。难怪这些天使本能地熟练于这种书写形式，因为他们顺应天上的秩序，并全然照其生活。
第三层天堂天使们还当面仅从字母或音节的角度向我解读了圣经（诗篇32:2）的意义，他们说这经文的意思总的来说：主是慈悲的，即使对那些作恶者也是如此。他们补充说，元音是为了发音，声音对应于情感。还说他们不能发出元音i和e，以y或eu来发i，以eu来发e；他们用元音a，o和u，因为这些元音发全音，而i和e发窄音。他们进一步说他们不会发任何送气音（ 1类似爆破音等生硬的发音）的辅音，只能以柔和的发音来读出辅音，一些生硬的音节（类似daleth和qoph以及其它的）对他们来说没有意义，除非它们被柔和地发音。这就是为何在书写许多生硬的辅音字母时，在它们当中注个点，用来标记应当柔和地发音。他们说，生硬的辅音发音适用于属灵天堂，因为在那里的天使们关注于真理，并藉着真理而处于聪明的状态，而属天天堂中所有人关注于爱之善，由此处于智慧的状态。真理允许生硬的表达，良善则不许。
由此可见主说“天地都废去了、律法的一点一画也不能废去”（马太福音5:18，路加福音16:17）的用意了。也可理解希伯来文本圣经的所有字母，都要经过玛索拉学者（ 1Masorites）的点算，这是出于主的旨意。
Footnotes:
1. 参看《创世记》17:5,15，从“亚伯兰”和“撒莱”变成“亚伯拉罕”和“撒拉”：从Abram到Abraham，从Sarai到Sarah。
4. The Holiness of the Word in Every Syllable and Tip of a Stroke
I was once sent a little piece of paper from heaven with Hebrew letters on it, but letters written as they were among the most ancients. Today the letters are to some extent formed with straight lines, but among the most ancients they were then rounded and had little hornlike strokes projecting upward. An angel who was with me said he knew whole meanings from the letters alone, and that every letter had its own meaning. He also said that in heaven they knew the meaning from the curves of the lines in each letter, in addition to the idea they had from the individual letter itself He then explained to me the meaning of yodh (), aleph (), and he (), both what these letters signified separately, and what in combination. And he said that he (), which occurs in Yehowah (), and which was added to the names of Abraham and Sarah, 1symbolized infinity and eternity.
He also said that the Word has been so written in many places that when a Jew or Christian reads it in the Hebrew text, it is known in the third heaven what the individual letters in these places signify. For angels of the third heaven have the Word written in letters like this, and they read it according to the letters. (They have said that in the meaning drawn from the letters, the Word has to do with the Lord alone.) The reason is that the curves in the letters take their origin from the flow of heaven, and the angels of the third heaven are in this flow more than the rest. Consequently those angels are skilled in that kind of writing instinctively, because they are in the order of heaven and live entirely according to it.
[2] Angels of the third heaven explained for me, moreover, the meaning of the Word in Psalm 32:2 from just the letters or syllables alone, and they said the gist of their meaning was that the Lord is merciful also to those who do evil. They added that the vowel points there serve to indicate the part of the pronunciation which corresponds to affection, and they said they cannot pronounce the vowels i and e, but instead of i say y or eu, and instead of e say eu. They said they do use the vowels a, o, and u, because these vowels have a full sound, whereas i and e are narrower. They also said they do not pronounce any of the consonants as hard, but softly, and that the hard consonants-such as daleth () and qoph () and the rest do not signify anything with them unless they are pronounced with a soft sound. This, they said, is the reason a number of the hard consonants when written also have a dot placed within them, to indicate [that they are pronounced as hard, but without a dot] 2that they are pronounced with a soft sound. They added that hardness in consonants is employed in the spiritual heaven, because there they are concerned with truths and through truths are in a state of understanding, while in the celestial heaven all are concerned with the goodness of love and from this are in a state of wisdom. Truth allows hardness, whereas good does not.
It can be seen from this what is meant by the Lord's saying that not a yodh (jot) or tip of a stroke or hornlike projection (tittle) will pass from the Law (Matthew 5:18, Luke 16:17). And it is apparent as well from this that it came about by the Lord's Divine providence that all the letters of the Word in the Hebrew text were counted by the Masoretes.
Footnotes:
1. See 5620. Otherwise this statement seems to be in error, a statement nevertheless repeated in The Sacred Scripture, n. 90, and in True Christian Religion, n. 278.
4. IV. The Word is holy, even in its characters and points.
I once had a paper sent me from heaven written in the Hebrew alphabet, but as in the most ancient texts, where the letters, which today are to some extent composed of straight lines, were then curved with serifs pointing upwards. An angel who was with me said that he knew whole meanings simply from the letters, and each letter has its own particular meaning. They knew this from the curves of the lines in each letter, in addition to the subject which they knew separately from the letter as a whole. He then explained to me the meaning of yod (י), aleph (א) and he (ה), the two letters separately and when put together. He said that he, which is in [YHWH], and which was added to the names of Abraham and Sarah [Genesis 17:5, 15] meant what is infinite and eternal. He said that in many places the Word is so written; and when it is read in the Hebrew text by a Jew or a Christian, the meaning of the individual letters is known in the third heaven. For the angels of the third heaven have the Word written in such letters, and they read it letter by letter. They said that in the sense to be drawn from the letters the Word deals only with the Lord. The reason is that the curves in the letters derive from the flow of heaven, which influences especially the angels of the third heaven. Those angels therefore have an innate knowledge of this script, because they are subject to the order of heaven and live altogether in accordance with it. 1
[2] They explained to me also the meaning of Psalm 32:2 in the Word from the letters or syllables alone, and said that their meaning might be summarised as 'the Lord is merciful even to those who do evil'. They went on to say that the vowels there are to denote the sound corresponding to the affection. They could not pronounce the vowels i and e, but for i they pronounce y 2or eu, for e they say eu. They use the vowels a, o and u, because these vowels give a full sound, but i and e a close sound. Also they do not pronounce some consonants with a hard, but a soft sound, and hard letters such (daleth) and (qoph), 3etc. have no meaning for them unless pronounced softly. This too is the reason why many hard letters are also used with points inside them, meaning that [they are pronounced with a hard sound, but without a point] they are pronounced with a soft sound. 4They added that hardness in letters is in use in the spiritual heaven, because those there are in possession of truths, and have understanding by their means. But in the celestial heaven all are in possession of the good of love and consequently of wisdom, and truth allows hardness, but good does not. These facts may establish what is the meaning of the Lord's saying that not a jot or a tittle or a serif will pass away from the Law (Matthew 5:18; Luke 16:17); and it is also clear from these facts that the Lord's Divine Providence ensured that all the letters in the Hebrew text of the Word were counted by the Massoretes.
Footnotes:
1. On the heavenly scripts see further, in nos. 14[4] and 26[3] in this version of this translation. In the printed version see nos. 33, 62. [NCBS Editor's note: This online version of Dr. Chadwick's translation was renumbered to match others on the site, with fewer main sections, and more subsections nested in them.]
The Author uses language appropriate to the alphabetical scripts he knew, but it is clear that he is really describing ideographic scripts similar to Chinese, where each character has a meaning rather than primarily a sound. -Translator
2. As in French u or German. -Translator
3. Probably an error for kaph. -Translator
4. The letters b, g, d, k, p, t seem to be meant, since in Hebrew these are pronounced as spirants except when they have a dot in the middle. The correction is due to B. Rogers. -Translator
4. IV. THE WORD IS HOLY, EVEN AS TO SYLLABLES AND POINTS.
Once there was sent me from heaven a little paper written over with Hebrew letters, but written as with the most ancient people, with whom the letters which at this day are in some part rectilinear, were at that time curved, with little horns turning upwards. The angel who was with me said that he knew whole meanings from the letters themselves; that every letter had its own meaning, and that they knew that meaning from the curves of the lines in each letter, besides they knew the subject from each letter by itself. He then explained to me what [A] signified, and what _ [H]; what those letters meant separately, and what when combined; that _, which is in ____ [Jehovah], and which was added to the names of Abraham and Sarai, signified what is infinite and eternal. And thus the Word is so written in many places, whereby when it is read by a Jew or a Christian in the Hebrew text, it may be known in the third heaven what the very letters signify. For the angels of the third heaven have the Word written in such letters, and they read it according to the letters. They said that in the sense extracted from the letters, the Word treats of the Lord alone. The reason for this is that the curvatures in the letters derive their origin from the flow of heaven, in which the angels of the third heaven are, above all others. Wherefore these angels are skilled in that writing from what is implanted in them, because they are in the order of heaven, and live altogether according to it. They also explained in my presence the sense of the Word (Ps. 32:2), from the letters or syllables alone, saying that their meaning was, in a summary, that the Lord is merciful, even to those who do evil. They added that the vowels there are for the sake of the sound, which corresponds to the affection, and that they cannot utter the vowels i and e, but for i they pronounce y or eu, and for e pronounce eu, and that the vowels a, o and u are in use with them, because these vowels give a full sound, while i and e have a close sound. 1
They said further that they do not pronounce any consonants with aspiration, but with a smooth sound, and that the aspirated letters, as _ [dh] and _ [qh] and others, do not mean anything to them, except when uttered with a smooth sound, and that for this reason most aspirated letters have also a point within, which signifies that they are to be uttered with a smooth sound. They added that roughness, or aspiration, in the letters is in use in the spiritual heaven, because there they are in truths, and by means of truths in understanding; but in the celestial heaven all are in the good of love and thence in wisdom, and truth admits of roughness, but not good. From these things it may be evident what is signified by the Lord's saying, that not a jot, tittle, or little curve shall pass from the Law (Matt. 5:18; Luke 16:17); and it is also plain that it was of the Divine providence of the Lord that all the letters of the Word in the Hebrew text were counted by the Masorites.
Footnotes:
1. We are to understand by all these vowels their Continental, not their English sounds.
4. De Verbo, quod sanctum quoad syllabas et apices
[1] Quondam ad me e coelo missa est chartula exarata literis Hebraicis, sed scriptis sicut apud antiquissimos, apud quos literae, quae hodie quoad aliquam partem lineares sunt, fuerunt tunc inflexae cum corniculis sursum vergentibus, et dicebat angelus, qui apud me erat, quod sciret integros sensus ex ipsis literis, et quod quaelibet litera suum sensum haberet; et quod illum scirent ex inflexibus linearum in unaquavis litera, praeter rem ex ipsa litera seorsim; et explicabat mihi tunc, quid significabat y, quid a et quid h, et quid illae literae separatim, et quid conjunctim; et quod h, quod in hwhy, et quod adjectum est nomini Abrahami et Sarae, significaret infinitum et aeternum: et quod sic scriptum sit Verbum in pluribus locis, ex quibus, dum legitur a Judaeo aut a Christiano in textu Hebraeo, in tertio coelo sciatur, quid ipsae literae significant: angeli enim tertii coeli Verbum talibus literis conscriptum habent, et legunt illud secundum literas: dixerunt quod in sensu ex literis extracto, Verbum agat de solo Domino. Causa [est] quod inflexiones in literis trahant originem ex fluxu coeli, in quo, prae reliquis, sunt angeli tertii coeli, quare illam scripturam callent illi angeli ex insito, quia in ordine coeli sunt, et vivunt prorsus.
[2]secundum illum. Explicabant etiam coram me sensum Verbi Ps. 32:2, ex solis literis seu syllabis, et dixerunt quod sensus illarum in summa esset, quod Dominus etiam misericors sit illis qui malefaciunt: addebant quod vocales ibi sint pro sono, qui correspondet affectioni, et quod non possint enuntiare vocales i et e, sed pro i enuntiant y vel eu, et pro e enuntiant eu, et quod vocales a, o et u illis in usu sint, quia illae vocales dant sonum plenum, sed i et e sonum strictum: tum quod non exprimant aliquas literas consonantes aspere, sed molliter, et quod literae asperae ut d et q cum reliquis non aliquid apud illos significent, nisi dum enuntiantur sono molli, et quod illa causa sit, quod pleraeque literae asperae etiam intus punctatae sint, quod significat [quod aspere enuntientur, sed absque puncto] ut molli sono exprimantur. Addiderunt quod asperitas in literis sit in usu in spirituali coelo, ex causa quia ibi in veris sunt, et per vera in intellectu, at in coelesti coelo sunt omnes in bono amoris et inde in sapientia, ac verum admittit asperum, non autem bonum. Ex his constare potest, quid significat quod Dominus dicit, quod non jotha, apex et corniculum praeteribit de lege, Matthaeum 5:18, Lucam 16:17; et ex his quoque patet, quod ex Divina Domini Providentia factum sit, quod omnes literae Verbi in textu Hebraico a Masorethis numeratae sint.