1172. “底但” 表对存在于仪式中的低级属天事物的认知. 这从以下圣言经文明显可知, 以西结书:

底但人与你交易, 许多海岛作你手下的商人; 以象牙角和乌木作送给你的贡物. (以西结书 27:15)

“象牙角和乌木” 表构成敬拜形式或仪式的外在良善. 同一先知书:

底但人用马车的斗篷与你交易. 亚拉伯人和基达的一切首领都作你的客商. (以西结书 27:20, 21)

此处 “马车的斗篷” 同样表外在良善, 或仪式的良善. 耶利米书:

他们的智慧变得腐朽不堪. 底但的居民哪, 要转身逃跑, 住在深密处. (耶利米书 49:7, 8)

此处, “底但” 的准确意义表没有发自内心对主的内在敬拜或爱慕的仪式, 论到这仪式, 经上说他们 “要转身逃跑, 住在深密处”. 从上述经文明显可知: “古实的儿子” 表对属灵事物的认知; “拉玛的儿子” 表对属天事物的认知.

8897. 'Honour your father and your mother' means love for goodness and truth, in the highest sense for the Lord and His kingdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'honouring' as loving, for in the spiritual sense 'honour' is love, because in heaven one loves another, and in loving him also honours him since love is present within honour (honour without love there is rejected, indeed spurned, because it is devoid of life from good); from the meaning of 'father' as goodness, dealt with in 3703, 5581, 5902, 6050, 7833, 7834, and in the highest sense as the Lord in respect of Divine Goodness, 15, 1729, 2005, 2803, 3704, 7499, 8328 (the reason why 'Father' in the highest sense is the Lord is that He imparts new life to the person, so that this life may make that person a son and heir of His kingdom); and from the meaning of 'mother' as truth, dealt with in 3703, 5581, and in the highest sense the Lord in respect of Divine Truth, thus His kingdom since Divine Truth which emanates from the Lord makes heaven. The reason why the Lord's Divine Truth makes heaven is that in the next life the Lord in respect of Divine Good is the Sun, and in respect of Divine Truth is the Light. This Divine Light radiating from the Lord as the Sun is what enlightens angelic minds and fills them with intelligence and wisdom, causing them to be angels of light. Divine Good is present within Divine Truth, even as heat from the sun is present within the light in springtime and summer in the world.