5973. “以色列说” 表现在的属灵良善。这从 “以色列” 的代表清楚可知, “以色列” 是指属灵良善 (参看5801, 5803, 5807, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5832, 5833节)。至于何谓 “以色列” 所代表的属灵良善, 何谓 “雅各” 所代表的属世良善, 可参看前文 (5965节)。不熟悉圣言内义的人绝无可能知道为何雅各有时叫 “雅各”, 有时叫 “以色列”; 因为在同一章, 甚至同一节中, 经上有时用这个名字, 有时用那个名字。这很清楚地表明, 圣言含有内义, 如此处经上说 “他们父亲雅各的灵就苏醒了, 以色列说”。另处也有同样的例子, 如以下经文:

约瑟的兄弟便雅悯, 雅各没有打发他和哥哥们同去; 在前来的人当中, 以色列的儿子们也来。(创世记 42:4, 5).

以色列起程; 神在夜间的异象中对以色列说, 雅各！雅各！雅各说, 我在这里。(创世记 46:1, 2)

雅各就从别是巴起身; 以色列的儿子们接上他们的父亲雅各。(创世记 46:5)

雅各家来到埃及的共有七十人; 约瑟套上他的马车, 上去迎接以色列; . 以色列对约瑟说。(创世记 46:27, 29, 30)

以色列人住在埃及地, 歌珊地; 雅各住在埃及地十七年; 以色列死的日期临近了。(创世记 47:27-29)

有人告诉雅各说, 看哪, 你儿子约瑟到你这里来了。以色列就勉强在床上坐起来; 雅各对约瑟说。(创世记 48:2, 3)

雅各叫了他的儿子们来说, 雅各的儿子们, 你们要聚集而听, 要听从你们的父亲以色列。(创世记 49:1, 2)

他们的怒气可咒, 因为非常暴烈, 他们的忿恨可诅, 因为很严厉！我要使他们分散在雅各中, 使他们散居在以色列。(创世记 49:7)

他的手臂健壮敏捷, 这是因雅各之大能者的手; 以色列的牧者, 以色列的磐石是从那里而出的。(创世记 49:24)

这两个名字的用法也经常出现在先知书中。

1258. That 'from these the nations on the earth were spread abroad' means that in these all the forms of that Church's worship took rise, all forms that entailed goods and those that entailed evils, and that these goods or evils are meant by 'the nations', is clear from the meaning of 'nations'. As stated already, nation is used to mean a number of families grouped together, for a number of families that recognized the same father made up one nation in the Most Ancient and Ancient Churches. But with regard to 'nations' in the internal sense meaning forms of the Church's worship, and in particular as to the goods or the evils entering into that worship, the situation is that when angels contemplate families and nations they never envisage a nation, but only the worship existing with it. For they contemplate all from the point of view of essential character, that is, what kind of people they are. The essential character or quality of a person from which heaven contemplates him is charity and faith. This any person may easily grasp if he considers that when he contemplates any individual, or any family, or any nation, he is thinking mainly of their character, each person doing so from that which rules in him at the time. A mental image of their character instantly comes to mind, and it is from this image that he considers them. This applies even more to the Lord, and from Him to the angels, who are incapable of contemplating a person, family, or nation except from the point of view of their character as regards charity and faith. This is why in the internal sense 'nations' means nothing other than the Church's worship, and indeed as regards the essential character of that worship, which is good stemming from charity and the truth of faith from this. When the expression 'nations' occurs in the Word, angels never dwell on the idea of a nation in accordance with the historical sense of the letter, but on the idea of the good and truth present with the nation that is mentioned.