1702、“希伯来人亚伯兰”是指内层人，内在人或神性人与这内层人结合，这从“希伯来人亚伯兰”的含义，或在此被称为“希伯来”的亚伯兰的姓氏清楚可知。在上下文中，凡论及亚伯兰的地方，他都没有被称为“希伯来人”，仅在本节被如此称呼；因此，“希伯来人亚伯兰”代表并表示主里面某种独特事物。至于代表并表示什么，这从内义清楚看出来，即：内层人与内在人或神性人结合，这一点也可从内义上的思路清楚看出来。当表示与服务有关的某种事物，无论它是什么，是好的还是坏的时，“希伯来”这个名就出现在圣言中，这从下文（1703节）清楚看出来。内层人是这样，它服务于内在人或神性人；因此，内层人在此被称为“希伯来人亚伯兰”。
几乎没有人知道何为内层人，所以必须简要描述一下。内层人介于内在人与外在人之间，内在人通过内层人与外在人沟通交流。没有它们之间的内层人这个媒介，沟通交流是根本不可能的。天堂的维度与尘世的维度不同且分离，尤其与肉体的维度不同且分离。除非两者之间有一个媒介，通过该媒介建立起联系，否则天堂的维度永远不会作用于尘世的维度，更不会作用于肉体的维度。这内层人被称为理性人；这理性人因介于两者之间，故既与良善本身和真理本身所在的内在人沟通，也与邪恶和虚假所在的外在人沟通。凭借与内在人的这种沟通，人能思想属天和属灵事物，或向上看，这是动物无法做到的；而凭借与外在人的这种沟通，人能思想世俗和肉体事物，或向下看，在这一点上和动物差不多，动物同样拥有世俗事物的观念。简言之，内层人或中间人就是理性人本身；当理性人向上看时，它是属灵或属天的；但当理性人向下看时，它只是动物。
众所周知，一个人能知道：他说的是一套，想的是另一套，做的是一套，意愿的是另一套；有假装和欺骗；也有推理或理性；这是某种内层事物，因为它能提出异议；以及对一个将要重生的人来说，有某种内层事物与外层事物争战。思维和意愿不同于外层事物，并与外层事物争战的这某种内层事物就是内层人。对属灵人来说，这内层人里面有良心；对属天人来说，这内层人里面有感知。对主来说，与神性内在人结合的这内层人就是那在此被称为“希伯来人亚伯兰”的。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1702. The fact that Abram the Hebrew is his intermediate self, linked to his inward or divine self, can be seen from the symbolism of Abram the Hebrew, or in other words, from the epithet of the Hebrew here for Abram. In passages above and below that treat of Abram, he is not called a Hebrew, only here. So "Abram the Hebrew" represents and symbolizes something unique in the Lord. What it represents and symbolizes can be seen from the inner meaning. That is, "Abram the Hebrew" is the Lord's intermediate self linked to his inner, divine self, as can also be seen from the series of ideas in the inner meaning. The Word talks about Hebrews when something subservient (good or bad) is being symbolized. This will become visible from what follows [1703]. The intermediate self is such that it serves the inner, divine self, so it is called Abram the Hebrew here.
[2] Hardly anyone realizes what the intermediate self is, so it needs to be explained briefly. The intermediate self is midway between the inner self and the outer. The inner self communicates with the outer self by means of the intermediate self. Without that link, there could never be any communication. The heavenly dimension is separate from the earthly dimension and still more separate from the bodily dimension.{*1} Unless some intermediate agent existed to communicate through, the heavenly dimension could never act on the earthly, still less on the bodily dimension.
The intermediate self is what is called the rational self. This self, since it is in the middle, communicates with the deeper self (where goodness and truth itself lives) and with the shallower self (where evil and falsity lives). Its communication with the deeper self enables us to think about heavenly and spiritual concerns, or in other words, to look upward, which animals are unable to do. Its communication with the shallower self enables us to think about worldly and bodily concerns, or in other words, to look downward, almost exactly like animals, which have a similar focus on earthly matters. In short, the intermediate self is the rational self, which is spiritual or heavenly when it looks upward but animal-like when it looks downward.
[3] It is known that people are capable of seeing that they speak one way and think another; that they do one thing and will another; and that pretense and deceit exist. They can also see that reason or rationality exists, and that it lies deeper, since it can disagree [with the outer self]. And they can see that something exists inside a regenerating person that fights what exists on the outside. This inward thing that thinks differently and wills differently and fights is the intermediate self. It contains the conscience of a spiritual person and the perceptions of a heavenly person.
This intermediate self united to the inward, divine self in the Lord is what is being called Abram the Hebrew.
Footnotes:
{*1} For Swedenborg's distinction between the "outer self" (here called "the earthly dimension") and the purely physical body (here called "the bodily dimension"), see 1718. [SS]
Potts(1905-1910) 1702
1702. That "Abram the Hebrew" is the interior man to which the internal or Divine man was adjoined, may be seen from the signification of "Abram the Hebrew," or from the surnaming of Abram, in that he is here called "the Hebrew." In what goes before, and in what follows, where Abram is spoken of, he is not called the Hebrew; he is so called in this passage only; and therefore some distinct thing in the Lord is represented and signified by "Abram the Hebrew." What is represented and signified may be seen from the internal sense, namely, that it is the interior man adjoined to the internal or Divine man, as may likewise be seen from the series of things in the internal sense. The Hebrews are named in the Word when anything of servitude is signified, whatever it may be; as may be seen from what follows. The interior man is such that it serves the internal or Divine man; and for this reason the interior man is here called "Abram the Hebrew." [2] What the interior man is, scarcely anyone knows, and it must therefore be briefly stated. The interior man is intermediate between the internal and the external man. By the interior man the internal man communicates with the external; without this medium, no communication at all is possible. The celestial is distinct from the natural, and still more from the corporeal, and unless there is a medium by which there is communication, the celestial cannot operate at all into the natural, and still less into the corporeal. It is the interior man which is called the rational man; and this man, because it is intermediate, communicates with the internal man, where there is good itself and truth itself; and it also communicates with the exterior man, where there are evil and falsity. By means of the communication with the internal man, a man can think of celestial and spiritual things, or can look upward, which beasts cannot do. By means of the communication with the exterior man, a man can think of worldly and corporeal things, or can look downward; in this differing little from the beasts, which have in like manner an idea of earthly things. In a word, the interior or middle man is the rational man himself, who is spiritual or celestial when he looks upward, but animal when he looks downward. [3] It is well known that a man can know that he speaks in one way while thinking in another, and that he does one thing while willing another; and that there exist simulation and deceit; also that there is reason, or the rational; and that this is something interior, because it can dissent; and also that with one who is to be regenerated there is something interior which combats with that which is exterior. This that is interior, and that thinks and wills differently from the exterior, and that combats, is the interior man. In this interior man there is conscience with the spiritual man, and perception with the celestial. This interior man, conjoined with the Divine internal man that was in the Lord, is what is here called "Abram the Hebrew."
Elliott(1983-1999) 1702
1702. That 'Abram the Hebrew' is the Interior Man to whom the Internal or Divine Man was joined becomes clear from the meaning of Abram the Hebrew, that is, from Abram's descriptive name used here 'the Hebrew'. In what has gone before and in what follows where Abram is referred to he is not called 'the Hebrew'. Only here is he called such, and therefore something distinct with regard to the Lord is represented and meant by 'Abram the Hebrew'. What is represented and meant becomes clear from the internal sense, namely this, that the Interior Man was joined to the Internal or Divine Man, as becomes clear also from the train of thought in the internal sense. The name 'the Hebrews' occurs in the Word when something to do with service is meant, whatever it may be, as becomes clear from what follows. The Interior Man is such that it serves the Internal or Divine Man, and therefore the Interior Man is here called 'Abram the Hebrew'.
[2] What the interior man is scarcely anyone knows, and therefore let this be described briefly. The interior man is situated between the internal man and the external man, it being by means of the interior man that the internal man communicates with the external. Without the interior man between them no communication from one to the other is ever possible. The celestial is distinct and separate from the natural, and still more from the bodily; and unless there is something in between through which communication is established the celestial cannot possibly operate into the natural, still less into the bodily. The interior man is called the rational man, and because that man is situated between the two, it communicates in one direction with the internal man where there is good itself and truth itself, and in the other with the external man where there is evil and falsity. By means of this communication with the internal man a person is able to think about celestial and spiritual things, or look upwards, which animals cannot do; and by means of his communication with the external man a person is able to think about worldly and bodily things, or look downwards almost in the way animals do which likewise possess ideas of earthly things. In short, the interior man, or the man between internal man and external, is the rational man itself, which is spiritual or celestial when looking upwards but merely animal when looking downwards.
[3] It is well known that a person can be aware of the fact that he is speaking in one way while thinking in another, and doing one thing while willing another, and that presence and deception are present; also that reason or rationality exists, and that this is something interior since it is able to dissent; also that with one who is to be regenerated something interior exists which battles with that which is exterior. This interior something which thinks differently and wills differently from that which is exterior, and which battles with it, is the interior man. Within this interior man conscience resides in the case of the spiritual man and perception in the case of the celestial man. This Interior Man, which was joined in the Lord's case to the Divine Internal Man, is that which is here called 'Abram the Hebrew'.
Latin(1748-1756) 1702
1702. Quod 'Abram Hebraeus' sit Interior Homo cui adjunctus Internus seu Divinus, constare potest a significatione 'Abrami Hebraei,' seu a cognominatione Abrami quod hic dicatur 'Hebraeus'; in praecedentibus et in sequentibus ubi de Abramo, non appellatur Hebraeus, hic solum, quare distinctum quid apud Dominum repraesentatur et significatur per Abramum Hebraeum; quid repraesentatur et significatur, constare potest a sensu interno, nempe quod sit Interior Homo adjunctus Interno seu Divino, ut quoque constare potest a serie rerum in sensu interno; 'Hebraei' in Verbo nominantur cum significatur aliquid servitii qualecumque sit, ut a sequentibus constare potest; Interior Homo talis est quod inserviat Interno seu Divino, quare hic Interior Homo appellatur 'Abram Hebraeus.' [2] Quid interior homo, vix aliquis novit, quare paucis dicendum; interior homo est medius inter internum et externum; per interiorem hominem communicat internus cum externo; absque illo medio, nusquam dari potest aliqua communicatio; caeleste est distinctum a naturali, et adhuc magis a corporeo; nisi sit medium per quod communicatio, nusquam caeleste potest operari in naturale, minus in corporeum; interior homo est qui dicitur rationalis homo, qui homo quia est medius, communicat cum interno ubi est ipsum bonum et verum, et quoque communicat cum exteriore ubi est malum et falsum; per communicationem cum interno potest homo cogitare de caelestibus et spiritualibus seu spectare sursum, quod bestiae nequeunt; per communicationem cum exteriore potest homo cogitare de mundanis et corporeis seu spectare deorsum, vix aliter ac bestiae quae similiter ideam terrestrium habent; verbo, interior seu medius homo est ipse rationalis homo, qui spiritualis aut caelestis est cum spectat sursum, at animalis cum spectat deorsum: notum est quod homo scire possit quod aliter loquatur quam cogitat, 3 et aliter faciat quam vult, et quod simulatio ac dolus detur, tum quod ratio seu rationale sit, quodque hoc interius quia dissentire possit; ut et quod apud regenerandum aliquid interius sit quod pugnat cum exteriore; hoc interius quod aliter cogitat et aliter vult et quod pugnat, est interior homo; in interiore hoc homine est conscientia apud spiritualem hominem, et est perceptio apud caelestem: Interior hic Homo conjunctus Interno Divino apud Dominum, est qui hic appellatur 'Abram Hebraeus.'