10256. “香菖蒲” 表对内层真理的感知和情感. 这从 “香菖蒲” 的含义清楚可知, “香菖蒲” 是指对内层真理的感知和情感, 因为 “菖蒲” 表示这真理, 而 “香 (味)” 表示对真理的感知和情感. “菖蒲” 表示真理, 这一点可见于下文; “香 (味)” 表示对它的一种感知和情感 (参看10254节).

此处的内层真理是指存在于内在人中的真理, 这真理在那里是外层. 这与前面所说的 (10254节) 是一致的, 即: 外在人里面有一个内层和一个外层, 内在人里面同样有一个内层和一个外层. 正因如此, 制备膏油要用到四种芳香物质或香料, 就是品质最高的没药, 香肉桂, 香菖蒲和桂皮. “品质最高的没药” 表示对外在人里面的外层真理, 就是感官真理的感知; “香肉桂” 表示那里的内层真理, 就是属世真理; “香菖蒲” 表示内在人里面的外层真理; “桂皮” 表示那里的内层真理. “橄榄油” 表示构成对这些真理的情感和感知的良善本身.

“菖蒲” 表示内层真理, 这一点从圣言中提到它的地方清楚看出来. 然而, 在这些地方, 它不是被称为 “香菖蒲”, 只是被称为 “菖蒲” 或 “上好的菖蒲”, 如在下列经文中, 以赛亚书:

雅各啊, 你并没有呼求我; 以色列啊, 你倒厌烦我. 你没有用银子为我买菖蒲, 也没有用祭物的脂油使我饱足. (以赛亚书 43:22, 24)

以西结书:

但人和雅完人拿纺成的线, 亮铁, 桂皮, 菖蒲兑换你的货物. (以西结书 27:19)

耶利米书:

从示巴出的乳香, 从远地出的上好菖蒲奉来给我有何益呢? (耶利米书 6:20)

在这些经文中, 显然, “菖蒲” 表示教会的某种属性, 以及那里的敬拜; 否则, 经上说他们用银子为耶和华买菖蒲, 或从远地来的上好菖蒲要奉给祂, 还能有其它什么原因吗? 由于所表示的是教会的某种属性, 以及它的敬拜, 故可推知, 所表示的是真理或良善, 因为教会及其敬拜的一切都与它们有关. 但至于所表示的是哪种真理或良善, 是属天的还是属灵的, 是外在人的还是内在人的, 这从当按内义考虑所提到的事物顺序时的内义清楚看出来. 显然, “菖蒲” 表示内层真理.

2519. 'Abimelech had not come near her' means that where the doctrine of faith was concerned rational truth was not consulted in any way. This is clear from the meaning of 'Abimelech' as the doctrine of faith, dealt with in 2504, 2509, 2510, and from the meaning of 'coming near her', that is to say, near Sarah as a sister, as reaching out to or in any way consulting rational truth, meant by 'a sister', 1495, 2508. The reason why the rational was not consulted in any way is that stated already, that matters of doctrine concerning faith - every one of them - are derived from the Divine, which is infinitely above the human rational. It is from the Divine that the rational receives its good and its truth. The Divine is able to enter into the rational, but not vice versa, even as the soul can enter into the body and give it form, but not the body into the soul, or as light can enter into shade and transform it variously into colours, but not shade into light. But because at first glance it appears as though the rational ought to be present since the rational is the very thing which receives doctrine, the present chapter shows that the first thought that came to mind was whether it too should not at the same time be consulted. But the Lord revealed it to Himself and replied to Himself that doctrine would in that case be made valueless. Consequently it was not consulted, and this is the meaning of the statement here that 'Abimelech had not come near her'.