1242# “希伯的两个儿子”象征两种不同的崇拜，分别是内在的和外在的。他的两个儿子分别被命名为法勒和约坍，其中“法勒”象征这个教会的内在崇拜，而“约坍”象征教会的外在崇拜。这一解释主要是因为在内义上，“希伯”和希伯这个民族象征另一个古教会。每个教会都具有内在和外在两个层面，没有内在层面的教会不是真正的教会，而是偶像崇拜。因此，由于与教会相关的事物被称为“儿子们”，很明显其中一个儿子代表教会的内在层面，另一个代表外在层面。这一点在圣经的其他部分中也有类似的象征，被称为“拉麦的两个妻”的“亚大和洗拉”（参409节），还有“利亚和拉结”，“雅各和以色列”等。这一章讨论的是约坍的后代，而下一章则会讨论法勒的后代。
1242、希伯的“两个儿子”表示该教会的两种敬拜，即内在敬拜和外在敬拜；这两个儿子名叫“法勒”和“约坍”，其中“法勒”表示该教会的内在敬拜，“约坍”表示该教会的外在敬拜。这主要从以下事实清楚看出来：“希伯和希伯来民族”在内义上表示这第二个古教会，还因为每个教会都有一个内在和一个外在；事实上，没有内在，它不会、也不可能被称为一个教会，而是偶像崇拜。因此，既然“儿子”在此论及教会，那么显而易见，一个儿子表示教会的内在，另一个儿子表示外在。这种情况出现在圣言的各个地方，如：拉麦的妻子亚大和洗拉（参看409节），后面的利亚和拉结，雅各和以色列等等。本章论述的是约坍的后代，下一章论述的是法勒的后代。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1242. Eber's two sons symbolize two kinds of worship, inward and outward, and the two sons were called Peleg and Joktan. Peleg symbolizes the inward devotions of that church, while Joktan symbolizes its outward devotions. The main evidence for this is as follows. In an inner sense Eber and the nation he founded symbolize this second ancient church. Every church has an inner and an outer dimension, since a church lacking an inner plane is not a church and cannot be called a church but a form of idolatry. It is evident, then, since different aspects of the church are what the sons portray, that one of them symbolizes the church's inner dimension and the other the outer. The same thing happens in many other places throughout the Word. Adah and Zillah, Lamech's wives (see 409), provide one earlier example. Leah and Rachel provide another, and Jacob and Israel (who will be discussed later), another.{*1} There are yet others too.
The present chapter deals with Joktan's descendants; the next, with Peleg's.{*2}
Footnotes:
{*1} Section 409 also mentions Leah's and Rachel's roles in representing the outer and inner churches. Section 422 does too, and adds Jacob and Israel. As indicated in note 2 in 422, the meaning of Leah and Rachel is explored further in 3817-3821 and many of the surrounding passages, and the meaning of Jacob and Israel is addressed in 4292. [LHC]
{*2} A list of Peleg's descendants, extending to Abraham, begins at Genesis 11:18. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 1242
1242. That by the two sons of Eber, who were named Peleg and Joktan, the two kinds of worship of that church, internal and external, are signified-by Peleg the internal worship and by Joktan the external worship-is evident especially from this, that in the internal sense this second Ancient Church is signified by Eber and the Hebrew nation, and that in every church there is an internal and an external. For without the internal it is not and cannot be called a church, but an idolatry. Therefore, "sons" being here predicated of the church, it is evident that by one son the internal of the church is signified, and by the other the external; as in various other places in the Word; and as is signified by Adah and Zillah, the two wives of Lamech (see n. 409); by Leah and Rachel; by Jacob and Israel, of whom hereafter; and by others. The posterity of Joktan is treated of in this chapter; that of Peleg in the following chapter.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1242
1242. 'Eber's two sons' means the two aspects of worship - internal and external - and these two sons were called Peleg and Joktan, 'Peleg' meaning the internal worship of that Church, and 'Joktan' the external worship of that Church. This is clear chiefly from the fact that 'Eber and the Hebrew nation' means in the internal sense this second Ancient Church, and also because every Church has an internal and an external, for without the internal it neither is nor can be called a Church, but idolatry. Since 'sons' has reference to aspects of the Church it is clear that one son means the internal aspect of the Church, the other the external. A similar duality frequently occurs elsewhere in the Word, for example, that meant previously by Lamech's wives, Adah and Zillah, 409, and that meant later on by Leah and Rachel, and by Jacob and Israel, and others like these. The descendants of Joktan are dealt with in this chapter, those of Peleg in the next.
Latin(1748-1756) 1242
1242. Quod per 'binos filios Eberi' significentur bini cultus, nempe internus et externus, qui bini filii dicti fuerunt Peleg et Joktan, et quod per 'Peleg' significetur istius Ecclesiae cultus internus et per 'Joktan' istius Ecclesiae cultus externus, constat imprimis ex eo quod per 'Eberum et gentem Eberi' significetur in sensu interno Ecclesia haec altera Antiqua, et quia in unaquavis Ecclesia est internum et externum, nam absque interno non est nec dici potest Ecclesia, sed idololatria; ideo quia sunt illa quae sunt Ecclesiae, de quibus praedicantur 'filii,' constat quod per unum filiorum significetur internum Ecclesiae et per alterum externum, sicut passim in Verbo alibi, ut prius per Adam et Zillam, uxores Lamechi, n. 409, per Leam et Rachelem, per Jacobum et Israelem, de quibus in sequentibus; similiter per alios. De Joktanis posteritate agitur in hoc capite, de Pelegi in sequente.