1296、“来吧，我们做砖”表示他们为自己制造的虚假，这从“砖”的含义清楚可知。在圣言中，“石头”表示真理，因此，“砖”因是人造的，故表示虚假，因为砖是人造的石头。“砖”具有这种含义，这一点可从以下经文进一步看出来。以赛亚书：
我整天向那悖逆的百姓伸手，他们随自己的意念行不善之道，在园中献祭，在砖上烧香。（以赛亚书65:2-3）
“在砖上烧香”表示基于捏造和虚假的敬拜；这就是为何经上说这些人“随自己的意念行”。同一先知书：
以法莲和撒玛利亚的居民凭骄傲自大的心说，砖块掉落了，我们却要凿石头建筑。（以赛亚书9:9-10）
“以法莲”表示一个陷入错误，称虚假或“砖头”为真理，或使虚假成为真理的聪明人；“凿石”表示捏造的东西。那鸿书：
你要打水以备围困，要坚固你的堡垒，踹土和泥，修补砖窑。在那里火必烧灭你，剑必剪灭你。（那鸿书3:14-15）
此处“踹土”表示虚假；“修补砖窑”表示基于它们的敬拜；“火”是指恶欲的惩罚；“剑”是指虚假的惩罚。以西结书：
你要拿一块砖，摆在你面前，将一座耶路撒冷城刻在其上。（以西结书4:1）
他还被吩咐围攻它，其中所预言的事就暗示敬拜被歪曲了。“砖”表示虚假，这一点可从“石头”的含义进一步看出来；稍后将说明，“石头”是指真理。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1296. The symbolism of come, let us make bricks, as the falsities that they would invent for themselves can be seen from the symbolism of brick. In the Word, stone symbolizes truth. So brick, as a human product, symbolizes falsity, since it is artificial, manufactured stone. This symbolism of brick can also be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:
I have spread my hands out all day to a defiant people walking on a path that is not good, in pursuit of their own thoughts, sacrificing in gardens and offering incense on bricks. (Isaiah 65:2-3)
To offer incense on bricks is to base one's worship on fictions and falsity, which is why the people are said to be pursuing their own thoughts. In the same author:
... on account of haughtiness and pride of heart in Ephraim and in the resident of Samaria, who say, "Bricks have fallen, and we will build with carved stone." (Isaiah 9:9-10)
Ephraim stands for a discerning person who has sunk into corrupt ways, who calls truth falsity or turns truth into falsity, falsity being the bricks. Carved stone stands for a fabrication. In Nahum:
Draw water for the siege for yourselves; shore up your strongholds; go into the clay and tread mortar; repair the brick kiln. There fire will consume you and the sword will cut you off. (Nahum 3:14-15)
The treading of mortar stands for falsity; repairing the brick kiln, for worship based on falsity. Fire is the penalty exacted by corrupt desire; a sword, the penalty incurred by false thinking. In Ezekiel:
Take yourself a brick and put it in front of you, and carve the city of Jerusalem on it. (Ezekiel 4:1)
Then comes a command to lay siege to it. This prophetic act involves the idea that worship has been falsified.
The symbolism of brick as falsity stands out even more clearly from the symbolism of stone as truth, to be dealt with just below.
Potts(1905-1910) 1296
1296. Come, let us make bricks. That this signifies falsities which they fashioned for themselves, is evident from the signification of "brick." In the Word, "stone" signifies truth, and therefore "brick," because it is made by man, signifies falsity; for brick is stone artificially made. That "brick" has this signification may be further seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:
I have spread out My hands all the day unto a refractory people, that walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts, sacrificing in gardens, and burning incense upon bricks (Isa. 65:2-3). "Burning incense upon bricks" denotes worship from things fabricated and false; and therefore they are said to walk after their own thoughts. Again:
For the elation and pride of heart of Ephraim and of the inhabitant of Samaria, that say, The bricks have fallen down, but we will build with hewn stone (Isa. 9:9-10). "Ephraim" denotes an intelligent person who falls into perversities, and calls or makes to be true things that are false, or "bricks;" "hewn stone" denotes what is fabricated. In Nahum:
Draw thee water for the siege, strengthen thy fortresses, go into the mud and tread the clay, repair the brick kiln. There shall the fire devour thee, and the sword shall cut thee off (Nahum 3:14-15). Here "to tread the clay" denotes falsities; "to repair the brick kiln denotes the derivative worship; "the fire" is the punishment of cupidities; "the sword" is the punishment of falsities. In Ezekiel:
Take thee a brick, and set it before thee, and grave upon it a city, even Jerusalem (Ezek. 4:1);
and he was commanded to besiege it, in which prophetic matter there is involved that the worship was falsified. That "brick" signifies falsity, may be still further seen from the signification of "stone," which is truth, concerning which presently.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1296
1296. That 'come, let us make bricks' means the falsities which they fashioned for themselves is clear from the meaning of 'brick'. 'Stone' in the Word means truth, and therefore 'brick', being man-made, means falsity, for brick is artificial stone. That 'brick' has this meaning becomes clear also from the following places: In Isaiah,
I have spread out My hands all the day to a rebellious people. walking in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts, sacrificing in gardens and burning incense upon bricks. Isa 65:2, 3.
'Burning incense upon bricks' stands for worship based on fabrications and falsities; and this is why these people are referred to as 'walking after their own thoughts'. In the same prophet,
On account of the pace and arrogance of heart of Ephraim, and of the inhabitants of Samaria, saying, The bricks have fallen but we will build from hewn stone. Isa 9:9, 10.
'Ephraim' stands for one who, having become intelligent, has then lapsed into wrong, who calls or makes falsities, or 'bricks', his truths. 'Hewn stone' stands for what is a fabrication. In Nahum,
Draw yourself water for the siege, strengthen your fortifications; go into the mud and tread the clay; renew the brick-kiln. There the fire will devour you. and the sword cut you off. Nahum 3:14, 15.
Here 'treading the clay' stands for falsities, 'renewing the brick-kiln' for worship based on them. 'Fire' is the punishment of evil desires, 'sword' the punishment of falsities. In Ezekiel,
Take a brick and lay it before you, and on it carve the city of Jerusalem. Ezek 4:1.
This text contains the command to besiege it, a prophecy implying that worship was falsified. The fact that 'brick' means falsity becomes clearer still from the meaning of 'stone' as truth, to be dealt with in what follows shortly.
Latin(1748-1756) 1296
1296. 'Age laterificemus lateres': quod significet falsa quae sibi fingerent, constat ex significatione 'lateris'; 'lapis' in Verbo significat verum, inde 'later' quia factus ab homine, significat falsum, est enim later artificialiter factus lapis; quod 'later' id significet constare potest etiam ex his locis; apud Esaiam, Expandi manus Meas toto die ad populum refractarium: ambulantes via non bona post cogitationes suas,... sacrificantes in hortis, et suffientes super lateribus, lxv 2, 3;'suffire super lateribus' pro colere ex fictis et falsis, quare dicuntur 'ambulantes post cogitationes suas': apud eundem, Propter elationem et superbiam cordis Ephraimi, et habitatoris Samariae, dicendo, Lateres ceciderunt, et lapide caeso aedificabimus, ix 9, 10;
'Ephraim' pro intelligente qui in perversa lapsus, qui vera vocat aut facit falsa seu 'lateres'; 'lapis caesus' pro ficto: apud Nahum, Aquas obsidii hauri tibi, confirma munimenta tua, intra in caenum, et calca lutum, repara fornacem lateritiam; ibi comedet te ignis, et exscindet te gladius, iii 14, 15;
ibi 'calcare lutum' pro falsis, 'reparare fornacem lateritiam' pro cultu inde; 'ignis' est poena cupiditatum, 'gladius' est poena falsitatum: apud Ezechielem, Sume tibi laterem, et pone eum ante te, et sculpe super eum urbem Hierosolymam, iv 1;
ibi mandatum ut eam obsideret, in quo prophetico involvitur quo cultus falsificatus. Quod 'later' significet falsum, adhuc constare potest a significatione 'lapidis' quod sit verum, de quo in mox sequentibus.