1834、“有鸷鸟下来落在这些尸体上”表示邪恶和由此衍生的虚假，它们试图毁灭（属天和属灵之物）。这从“鸷鸟”的含义清楚可知，“鸷鸟”是指虚假。在圣言中，鸷鸟（即猛禽或捕食鸟）表示真理（如前所示，776-777，986，988，1826节），在反面意义上也表示虚假；在圣言中，这类事物几乎都有正反两方面的意义。前面说明（778，866，988节），鸷鸟（即猛禽或捕食鸟）也表示虚假。谁都能看出，这个细节表示某个奥秘，否则不值一提。至于这个奥秘是什么，这在前面也已说明，并且从内义上的思路明显可知，即：它涉及教会的状态。
当主兴起一个教会时，它一开始是无可挑剔的。那时，每个人都爱别人如同自己的弟兄姊妹，这从主降临后的初期教会清楚可知。在那些日子，所有教会成员都如弟兄姊妹般生活在一起，也称呼彼此为弟兄姊妹，并彼此相爱。但随着时间推移，仁爱逐渐冷淡并消失，并且随着它消失，邪恶取而代之，虚假连同这些邪恶一起钻进来。分裂和异端便由此产生，如果仁爱继续掌权，并兴盛起来，这种情况永远不会出现，因为那时，他们甚至不会将分裂称为分裂，也不会将异端称为异端，而是称为符合各人信仰的教义。他们会把这种教义留给每个人的良心来决定，只要它不否认基本原则，也就是主，永生和圣言，并且不违背神性秩序，也就是十诫。
当仁爱消失时，在教会取代仁爱的邪恶和由此产生的虚假就是此处被亚伯兰赶走，也就是被亚伯兰在此所代表的主赶跑的“鸷鸟”所表示的。亚伯兰只是赶走了鸷鸟，根本没有赶走任何邪恶和虚假。天堂也不认识亚伯拉罕，而是看他和看其他任何人一样，凭自己都完全无能为力。天堂只承认主，唯独主拥有成就万事的能力，正如以赛亚书所说的：
你是我们的父，因为亚伯拉罕不认识我们，以色列也不承认我们。耶和华啊，你是我们的父，我们的救赎主；你的名从万古而来。（以赛亚书63:16）
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1834. Winged creatures swooped down onto the bodies symbolizes evil and the falsity it spawns, which would try to destroy [what was heavenly and spiritual]. This can be seen from the symbolism of a winged creature as falsity. In the Word, a flying creature symbolizes truth (as shown above [776-777, 986, 988, 1826]), and in a negative sense, falsity. Almost everything of this type in the Word has both kinds of meaning. The fact that a flying creature also symbolizes falsity was demonstrated earlier, in 778, 866, 988.
Anyone can see that this detail has a hidden meaning; otherwise it would not have been worth mentioning. That hidden meaning has been given, and it is also evident from the series of ideas in the inner sense, which has to do with conditions in the church.
[2] When the Lord revives a church, it is innocent at first. Each person loves the next as sister or brother, as we know from the early [Christian] church, the church just after the Lord's Coming.{*1} In those days, all the sons and daughters of the church lived together as siblings, and they also called each other sister and brother and loved each other. As time passed, though, love for their neighbors shrank and disappeared, and when it did, evil took its place. Falsity also inserted itself, along with evil, giving rise to schisms and heresies, which never would have come up if neighborly love had reigned supreme and thrived. They would not even have referred to a schism as a schism, or a heresy as a heresy, but as doctrine tailored to personal belief. They would have left that doctrine up to each person's conscience, as long as it did not deny the fundamentals of the Lord, eternal life, and the Word, or violate divine order, that is, the Ten Commandments.
[3] The evil and resulting falsity that took over in the church once neighborly love had vanished are what are meant here by the winged creatures that Abram drove away, or in other words, that the Lord (represented here by Abram) put to flight. Abram merely drove off birds rather than any amount of evil and falsity. Heaven does not acknowledge Abraham except as a human like any other, entirely powerless on his own. It is the Lord alone that heaven acknowledges, as Isaiah also says:
You are our Father, because Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You are Jehovah, our Father, our Redeemer; your name is age-old. (Isaiah 63:16)
Footnotes:
{*1} Swedenborg is presumably alluding here to the accounts of the early Christian church given in Acts and the Epistles, which abound with indications that early Christians prized mutual affection among members of the church and called one another sister or brother; see, for example, Acts 21:17; Romans 16:1; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Philemon 1:7; James 2:15-16; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:14. [JSR]
Potts(1905-1910) 1834
1834. The fowls came down upon the bodies. That this signifies evils and the falsities thence derived that were desirous to destroy, is evident from the signification of "fowls," as being falsities. "Fowls" in the Word signify truth-as shown above-and also in the opposite sense falsity (for almost all such things in the Word are thus used in both senses); that "fowls" signify falsity also has been shown before (n. 778, 866, 988). Everyone can see that this signifies arcana; otherwise it would not have been worthy of mention. What the arcanum is has also been already stated, and is evident from the series or connection of things in the internal sense, namely, that it is concerning the state of the church. [2] When a church is raised up by the Lord, it is in the beginning blameless, and the one then loves the other as his brother, as is known from the case of the primitive church after the Lord's coming. All the church's children then lived together as brethren, and likewise called one another brethren, and loved one another; but in process of time charity grew cold and vanished away and as it vanished, evils succeeded, and together with these falsities insinuated themselves. Hence came schisms and heresies, which would never be the case if charity were regnant and alive, for then they would not even call schism schism, nor heresy heresy, but a doctrinal matter in accordance with each person's opinion; and this they would leave to each person's conscience, provided such doctrinal matter did not deny first principles, that is, the Lord, eternal life, and the Word; and provided it was not contrary to the Divine order, that is, to the precepts of the Decalogue. [3] The evils and the falsities thence derived which succeed in the church when charity vanishes, are what are here meant by the fowls which Abram drove away, that is, which the Lord, who is here represented by Abram, put to flight. Abram drove away nothing but the fowls, and nothing at all of evil and falsity; nor is Abraham known in heaven except as is any other man, who can do nothing at all of himself; but the Lord alone; as also is said by Isaiah:
Thou art our Father, for Abraham knoweth us not, and Israel doth not acknowledge us; Thou O Jehovah art our Father, our Redeemer; Thy name is from everlasting (Isa. 63:16).
Elliott(1983-1999) 1834
1834. That 'birds of prey came down on the carcasses' means evils and derivative falsities that wished to destroy is clear from the meaning of 'bird of prey' as falsity. In the Word a bird of prey means truth, as shown above, and also in the contrary sense falsity - that is, both meanings occur there, just as almost every other such expression in the Word has two meanings. That a bird of prey may also mean falsity has been shown already in 778, 866, 988. Anyone may see that certain arcana are meant by this reference to birds of prey coming down, otherwise this detail would not have been worthy of mention. Which particular arcanum is meant has also been stated already and is evident from the train of thought in the internal sense, namely that it is something regarding the state of the Church.
[2] When a Church is raised up by the Lord it is faultless to begin with. At that time one person loves another as his brother, as is well known from the Primitive Church after the Lord's Coming. In those days all members of the Church lived with one another as brothers; they also called one another brothers, and loved one another mutually. In the course of time however charity faded and passed away, and as it passed away evils took its place, and along with the evils falsities too wormed their way in. From this schisms and heresies resulted, which would never have existed if charity had continued to reign and live. In those days they would not even call schism schism, or heresy heresy, but a matter of doctrine adhered to in accordance with the particular belief of that schism or heresy. That matter of doctrine they would leave to each individual's conscience, provided it did not deny anything fundamental, that is, the Lord, eternal life, or the Word, and provided it was not contrary to Divine order, that is, to the Ten Commandments.
[3] The evils and derivative falsities which in the Church take the place of charity as it passes away are what is here meant by the birds of prey that Abram drove away, that is, that the Lord, whom Abram represents here, put to flight. Abram drove away nothing else than birds of prey, and nothing whatever of evil and falsity. Nor in heaven do they know of Abraham except as any other human being who of himself has no power to accomplish anything - for the Lord alone has such power, as is also stated in Isaiah,
You are our Father, for Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Jehovah, are our Father, our Redeemer; from of old is Your name. Isa 63:16.
Latin(1748-1756) 1834
1834. 'Descendit volatile super corpora': quod significet mala et inde falsa quae destruere vellent, constat a significatione 'volatilis' quod sit falsum; volatile in Verbo significat verum, ut ostensum supra, tum in opposito sensu falsum, ut solent fere omnes significationes talium in Verbo, quod nempe in utroque sensu; quod quoque falsum, ostensum est prius n. 778, 866, 988. Quisque videre potest quod hoc arcana significet, alioquin non memoratu dignum fuisset; quodnam arcanum significat, etiam dictum, et patet a serie rerum in sensu interno, quod nempe sit de statu Ecclesiae; [2] Ecclesia cum exsuscitatur a Domino, principio insons est, et tunc unus amat alterum ut fratrem, sicut notum est ab Ecclesia Primitiva post Adventum Domini; omnes tunc filii Ecclesiae vixerunt inter se ut fratres, et quoque vocabant se fratres, seque mutuo amabant; sed post tractum temporis charitas diminuta est, et evanuit; qua evanescente successerunt mala, et cum malis se quoque insinuarunt falsa, inde schismata et haereses, quae nusquam forent si charitas regnaret et viveret; tunc ne quidem schisma appellarent schisma, nec haeresin haeresin, sed doctrinale secundum ejus opinionem, quod relinquerent cujusque conscientiae, modo non negaret principia, hoc est, Dominum, vitam aeternam, Verbum; et modo non esset contra ordinem Divinum, hoc est, contra praecepta decalogi. [3] Mala et inde falsa quae succedunt in Ecclesia, evanescente charitate, sunt quae hic intelliguntur per 'volatile quod Abram abegit,' hoc est, quod Dominus, qui hic per Abram repraesentatur, profugavit; Abram nihil nisi quam volatile abegit, et nihil usquam mali et falsi; nec cognoscitur Abraham in caelo quam ut alius homo, qui nihil prorsus ex se potest, sed solus Dominus; ut quoque per Esaiam dicitur, Tu Pater noster, quia Abraham non cognoscit nos, et Israel non agnoscit nos; Tu Jehovah Pater noster, Redemptor noster, a saeculo nomen Tuum, lxiii 16.