Down" is used many different ways, and its spiritual meaning in the Bible is highly dependent on context. Phrases like "bowing down," "lying down" and "falling down" are defined primarily by "bowing," "lying" and "falling"; there is also a great difference between a person descending, the Lord sending fire from heaven and someone handling an object, to offer a few examples. In a very general sense, though, "down" indicates a lowering from more internal spiritual states to more external ones. That's why the journey is described as going "down" to Egypt from Canaan, and people from all quarters go "up" to Jerusalem. It's also why the Lord comes "down" to us, which generally indicates a state of judgment.

318. 就屬靈之義而言, "不可偷盜"表示剝奪他人由其信仰獲得的真理; 這是因偽謬和異端信條造成的影響。作為祭司, 如果履行牧職只是為了求利或求榮, 以及教導聖言中他們看見(或者至少能看見)的並不真實的事情, 他們就是盜賊。他們拿走了人們獲得拯救的工具——信仰之真理。

此類的祭司們被稱為"賊", 參看以下經文:不從門進去, 倒從別處爬進去, 那人就是賊, 就是強盜。盜賊來, 無非要偷竊, 殺害, 毀壞(約翰福音10:1, 10)。不要積攢財寶在地上, 要積攢在天上, 沒有賊進來偷(馬太福音6:19-20)。盜賊夜間而來——你何竟被剪除——豈不偷竊直到夠了呢(俄巴底亞書1:5)？它們蹦上城, 躥上牆, 爬上房屋, 進入窗戶如同盜賊(約珥書2:9)。他們行事虛謊, 內有賊人入室偷竊, 外有強盜成群騷擾(何西阿書7:1)。