2039、“你们中所有的男子都要受割礼”表示洁净，这从“割礼”的代表和由此衍生的含义清楚可知。割礼或割包皮在内义上表示移走并逐出那些阻碍并玷污天堂之爱的元素，即恶欲，尤其自我之爱的恶欲和这些欲望所产生的虚假。之所以具有这种含义，是因为两性生殖器官代表天堂之爱。有三种爱构成主国度的天堂事物，即：婚姻之爱，对婴孩的爱和对社群的爱或相爱。婚姻之爱是所有爱中最主要、最高的爱，因为它含有最大功用的目的在里面，即：人类的繁衍和由此而来的主国度的繁衍，它为繁衍提供繁殖的土地。接下来就是对婴孩的爱，它来源于婚姻之爱；然后是对社群的爱或相爱。凡掩盖、阻碍并玷污这些爱的，都由“包皮”来表示；因此，割包皮或割礼成为代表。事实上，恶欲和由此产生的虚假越被移除，一个人就越被洁净，天堂之爱就越能显现。自我之爱何等违背天堂之爱，并且何等污秽，这在前面已经阐述和说明（760，1307，1308，1321，1594，2045，2057节）。由此清楚可知，“割礼”在内义上表示洁净。
割礼仅仅是立约或结合的一个记号，这一点从以下事实清楚看出来：对包皮行割礼若不伴随着对心的割礼，完全等于零，毫无意义；它表示心的割礼，或洁除上述污秽的爱，这一点从以下圣言经文很明显地看出来。摩西五经：
耶和华神必给你的心和你种的心行割礼，好叫你全心全灵魂地爱耶和华你的神，使你可以存活。（申命记30:6）
从这些话清楚可知，“给心行割礼”是指洁除污秽的爱，以便全心全灵魂地爱耶和华神或主。
耶利米书：
要开垦你们的荒地，不要撒种在荆棘中。犹大人和耶路撒冷的居民哪，你们当自行割礼归耶和华，除去你们心上的包皮。（耶利米书4:3-4）
“你们当自行割礼归耶和华，除去你们心上的包皮”是指除去诸如阻碍天堂之爱的那类事物。由此也清楚可知，给心行割礼是指给包皮行割礼所表示的某种内层事物。摩西五经：
你们要给你们心上的包皮行割礼，不可再硬着颈项。耶和华为孤儿寡妇伸冤，又爱寄居者，把食物和衣裳赐给他。（申命记10:16，18）
此处也很明显，“给心上的包皮行割礼”是指洁除污秽之爱的邪恶和源于它们的虚假。爱的天堂事物被描述为这些仁爱行为，即：“为孤儿寡妇伸冤”、“又爱寄居者，把食物和衣裳赐给他”。
耶利米书：
看哪，日子将到，我要察罚每个包皮受过割礼的，就是埃及、犹大、以东、亚扪人、摩押人，和一切住在旷野剃周围头发的，因为这一切民族都没有受割礼，以色列全家心中也没有受割礼。（耶利米书9:25-26）
这也表明割礼是表示洁净或洁除的记号。尽管这些民族被称为“包皮受过割礼的”，但仍被算在没有受割礼的民族之列，甚至包括犹太人；经上说以色列“心中没有受割礼”。在摩西五经也一样：
那时，他们未受割礼的心若谦卑了。（利未记26:41）
此处意思也一样。
“包皮”和“未受割礼的”表示不洁，这一点清楚可见于以赛亚书：
锡安哪，醒来！醒来！披上你的力量；圣城耶路撒冷啊，穿上你华美的衣服，因为未受割礼的和不洁净的，必不再进入你内。（以赛亚书52:1）
“锡安”表示属天教会，“耶路撒冷”表示属灵教会；“未受割礼的”，也就是不洁净的，不会进入这些教会。
割礼是立约的记号，或结合的标志，这一点从以下事实很清楚地看出来：类似的事由树上的果子也要受割礼的要求来代表。对此，摩西五经上说：
你们到了迦南地，栽种各样可作食物的树木，要给它的包皮，就是它的果子行割礼。三年之久，你们要以它们为未受割礼的，是不可吃的。但第四年它所结的一切果子都要成为圣，用以赞美耶和华。（利未记19:23-24）
“果子”和“心”一样，代表并表示仁爱，这从圣言的许多地方可以看出来。因此，它们的“包皮”表示阻碍并玷污仁爱的不洁。
说来奇妙，当天上的天使从污秽的属世事物中思想洁净时，类似割礼的某种东西就极其迅速地在灵人界被代表，因为在灵人界，天使的观念逐渐转变为灵人界的代表。在犹太教会，有些代表性仪式就来源于灵人界，有些则不是。在灵人界，一些灵人看见过割礼的这种迅速代表，他们渴望被允许进入天堂。在他们被允许进入之前，这种代表先出现。这解释了为何当百姓过了约旦河，即将进入迦南地时，约书亚被吩咐给他们行割礼。百姓进入迦南地就代表允许有信的人进入天堂。
这就是为何经上吩咐行第二次割礼，对此，约书亚记描述如下：
耶和华对约书亚说，你制造火石剑，第二次给以色列人行割礼。约书亚就制造了火石剑，在包皮山那里给以色列人行割礼。耶和华对约书亚说，我今日将埃及的羞辱从你们身上滚去了。因此，他给那地方起名叫吉甲（就是滚的意思）。（约书亚记5:2-3，9）
“火石剑”表示他们需要吸收的真理，以便他们能由此管教并驱赶污秽的爱，因为没有真理的知识或认知，洁净是不可能的。“石头”或“火石”表示真理，这在前面已经说明（643，1298节）；“剑”论及管教邪恶的真理，这从圣言明显看出来。
Potts(1905-1910) 2039
2039. That every male be circumcised. That this signifies purity, is evident from the representation and derivative signification in the internal sense of "circumcising." Circumcision, or the cutting off of the foreskin, signified the removal and wiping away of those things that were impeding and defiling celestial love, and which are the evils of cupidities (especially the evils of the cupidities of the love of self) and the derivative falsities. The reason of this signification is that the organs of generation, in both sexes, represent celestial love. There are loves of three kinds that constitute the celestial things of the Lord's kingdom, namely, conjugial love, love for infants, and the love for society, or mutual love. Conjugial love is the principal love of all, because it has within it the end of greatest use, namely, the propagation of the human race, and thereby of the Lord's kingdom, of which it is the seminary. Love toward infants follows next, being derived from conjugial love; and then comes the love for society, or mutual love. Whatever covers up, obstructs, and defiles these loves, is signified by the foreskin; and the cutting off of this, or circumcision, was therefore made representative; for insofar as the evils of cupidities, and the falsities derived from them are removed, insofar the man is purified; and insofar celestial love can appear. How contrary to celestial love, and how filthy, is the love of self, has been stated and shown above (n. 760, 1307, 1308, 1321, 1594, 2045, 2057). From what has now been said, it is clear that in the internal sense "circumcision" signifies purity. [2] That circumcision is only a sign of covenant, or of conjunction, may be plainly seen from considering that the circumcision of the foreskin amounts to nothing at all without the circumcision of the heart; and that it is the circumcision of the heart, or purification from the filthy loves above referred to that is signified by it, as is plainly evident from the following passages in the Word. In Moses:
Jehovah thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love Jehovah thy God in thy whole heart, and in thy whole soul, that thou mayest live (Deut. 30:6);
from which it is evident that to "circumcise the heart" is to be purified from filthy loves, in order that Jehovah God, or the Lord, may be loved with all the heart and with all the soul. [3] In Jeremiah:
Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns; circumcise yourselves unto Jehovah, and take away the foreskin of your heart, O man of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem (Jer. 4:3-4);
to "circumcise one's self to Jehovah, and remove the foreskin of the heart," is to remove such things as obstruct heavenly love; all which shows that the circumcision of the heart is an interior thing that is signified by the circumcision of the foreskin. In Moses:
Ye shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and shall no longer harden your neck, doing the judgment of the orphan and the widow, and loving the stranger to give him bread and raiment (Deut. 10:16, 18);
where also it is clear that to "circumcise the foreskin of the heart" is to be purified from the evils of filthy loves and from the falsities derived from them. The celestial things of love are described by these works of charity, namely, "doing the judgment of the orphan and the widow," and "loving the stranger to give him bread and raiment." [4] In Jeremiah:
Behold, the days come in which I will visit upon everyone that is circumcised in the foreskin, upon Egypt, and upon Judah, and upon Edom, and upon the sons of Ammon, and upon Moab, and upon all that are cut off at the corner, that dwell in the wilderness; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart (Jer. 9:25-26);
where it is evident that circumcision is significative of purification, for they are called the "circumcised in the foreskin," but still are reckoned among the uncircumcised nations, as are even the Jews; and Israel is said to be "uncircumcised in heart." And it is the same in Moses:
If then their uncircumcised heart be humbled (Lev. 26:41). [5] That by the "foreskin" and by "one that is uncircumcised" is signified uncleanness, is evident in Isaiah:
Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on the garments of thy beauty, O Jerusalem, the city of holiness; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean (Isa. 52:1). By "Zion" is meant the celestial church, and by "Jerusalem" the spiritual church, into which what is "uncircumcised," that is, the "unclean," shall not enter. [6] That circumcision is a sign of a covenant, or a token of conjunction, is clearly evident from the fact that the like was represented by means of the fruits of trees, which also were to be circumcised, concerning which in Moses:
When ye shall have come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees of food, ye shall circumcise the foreskin thereof, its fruit; three years shall they be unto you as uncircumcised, it shall not be eaten; and in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holiness for praises unto Jehovah (Lev. 19:23-24);
"fruits," like the "heart," represent and signify charity, as may be seen from many passages in the Word; and thus their "foreskin" signifies the uncleanness which obstructs and contaminates charity. [7] Wonderful to say, when the angels who are in heaven have the idea of purification from natural defilements, with the utmost rapidity there is represented in the world of spirits something like circumcision; for the angelic ideas pass over into representatives in the world of spirits. In the Jewish Church some of the representative rites originated in this source, and some did not. Those with whom that quick circumcision was represented in the world of spirits, were in the desire to be admitted into heaven; and before they were admitted, there was this representation. This shows why Joshua was commanded to circumcise the people, when, having passed over Jordan, they were entering the land of Canaan; for the entrance of the people into the land of Canaan represented this very admission of the faithful into heaven. [8] For this reason circumcision was commanded a second time, concerning which in Joshua:
Jehovah said unto Joshua, Make thee swords of rocks, and circumcise the sons of Israel the second time; and Joshua made him swords of rocks, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins; and Jehovah said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you; and he called the name of that place Gilgal [Rolling off] (Joshua 5:2-3, 9);
the "swords of rocks" signify the truths with which they were to be imbued, in order that thereby they might castigate and disperse filthy loves; for without the knowledges of truth no purification is possible. (That a "stone" or "rock" signifies truths, has been shown before, n. 643, 1298; and that a "sword" is predicated of the truths by which evils may be castigated, is evident from the Word.)
Elliott(1983-1999) 2039
2039. 'Every male [among you] is to be circumcised' means purity. This is clear from the representation and consequently the meaning of 'circumcising' in the internal sense. Circumcision or cutting off the foreskin meant nothing else than the removal and rejection of those elements which stand in the way of and defile heavenly love, namely evil desires, especially those of self-love, and falsities resulting from those desires. The reason why this is the meaning is that the genital organs of both sexes represent heavenly love. There are three kinds of love which constitute the heavenly things of the Lord's kingdom - conjugial love, the love of infants, and social or mutual love. Conjugial love is the chief love of all because it has within it the end of serving the greatest use, namely the propagating of the human race, and therefore of the Lord's kingdom for which it is the seminary. Next to conjugial love, and deriving from it, comes the love of infants, and after that social or mutual love. Whatever covers over, obstructs, and defiles those loves is meant by the foreskin, the cutting away of which, or circumcision, therefore became representative. Indeed to the extent evil desires and resulting falsities are removed, a person is purified and heavenly love can show itself. How contrary self-love is to heavenly love, and how filthy, has been stated and shown in 760, 1307,1308, 1321, 1594, 2045, 2057. From these considerations it is plain that circumcision in the internal sense means purity.
[2] That circumcision is no more than the sign of a covenant or of conjunction becomes quite clear from the fact that circumcising the foreskin counts for absolutely nothing if unaccompanied by circumcision of the heart; and that purification from those filthy loves is what circumcision of the heart means is quite evident from the following places in the Word: In Moses,
Jehovah God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, so that you will love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Deut 30:6.
From these words it is clear that 'circumcising the heart' means being purified from filthy loves in order that Jehovah God or the Lord may be loved with all the heart and all the soul.
[3] In Jeremiah,
Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, and remove the foreskin of your heart, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Jer 4:3, 4.
'Circumcising oneself to Jehovah and removing the foreskin of the heart' is nothing other than removing such things as stand in the way of heavenly love. From this it is also clear that circumcision of the heart is something more interior that is meant by circumcision of the foreskin. In Moses,
You shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and you shall be stiff-necked no longer. [Jehovah] executes judgement for the orphan and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him bread and clothing. Deut 10:16, 18.
Here also it is plain that 'circumcising the foreskin of the heart' means being purified from the evils that accompany filthy loves and from resulting falsities. The heavenly things of love are described as charitable works, namely 'executing judgement for the orphan and widow', and 'loving the sojourner to give him bread and clothing'.
[4] In Jeremiah,
Behold, the days are coming in which I will visit every one circumcised in the foreskin - Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that have the corners [of their hair] cut and who dwell in the wilderness, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart. Jer 9:25, 26.
This too shows that circumcision was a sign meaning purification. Although they are called 'circumcised in the foreskin', these nations - the Jews included along with the rest - are considered to be 'uncircumcised nations', and Israel to be 'uncircumcised in heart'. In Moses,
If at that time their uncircumcised heart is humbled. Lev 26:41.
Here the meaning is similar.
[5] That the foreskin and being uncircumcised means that which is unclean is clear in Isaiah,
Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion, put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city, for there will no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. Isa 52:1.
'Zion' is used to mean the celestial Church and 'Jerusalem' the spiritual Church into which the uncircumcised, which means the unclean, will not enter.
[6] That circumcision is 'a sign of the covenant' or token of conjunction is quite clear from the fact that the same was represented by the requirement to circumcise the fruits of trees also, spoken of in Moses as follows,
When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food you shall circumcise its foreskin, its fruit For three years it shall be to you uncircumcised; it shall not be eaten. And in the fourth all its fruit shall be holy. to the praises of Jehovah. Lev 19:23, 24.
'Fruit' similarly represents and means charity, as becomes clear from many places in the Word. Their 'foreskin' accordingly means the uncleanness that obstructs and pollutes charity.
[7] Here is a marvel: When angels in heaven conceive the idea of purification from natural things that are filthy, something akin to circumcision is represented very speedily in the world of spirits, for in the world of spirits angelic ideas come over as representatives. In the Jewish Church there were some representative religious ceremonies which had those same origins and there were others which did not. The spirits with whom that swift circumcision was represented in the world of spirits were people who wished to be allowed into heaven, but before they were allowed in this representation took place. This explains why Joshua was commanded to circumcise the people after they had crossed the Jordan and were about to enter the land of Canaan. The people's entry into the land of Canaan represented nothing else than the admission into heaven of those who have had faith.
[8] This is why circumcision was commanded a second time, described in Joshua as follows,
Jehovah said to Joshua, Make swords of flint for yourself; circumcise the children of Israel a second time. And Joshua made swords of flint for himself, and circumcised the children of Israel on the hill of foreskins. And Jehovah said to Joshua, This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you. And he called the name of that place Gilgal (rolling away). Josh 5:2, 3, 9.
'Swords of flint' means the truths which they were to be provided with to enable them to correct and cut back filthy loves, for without cognitions of truth no purification is possible. That 'stone' or 'flirt' means truths has been shown already, in 643, 1298, and that 'a sword' has reference to truths by which evils may be corrected is clear from the Word.
Latin(1748-1756) 2039
2039. `Circumcidi omnem masculum': quod significet puritatem, constat a repraesentatione et inde significatione `circumcidere' in sensu interno; circumcisio seu excisio praeputii non aliud significabat quam remotionem et abstersionem eorum quae impediebant et inquinabant amorem caelestem, quae sunt mala cupiditatum, imprimis cupiditatum amoris sui, et falsa inde; causa hujus significationis est quia genitalia utriusque sexus amorem caelestem repraesentant; sunt tria genera amorum {1} quae constituunt caelestia regni Domini, nempe amor conjugialis, amor erga infantes, et amor societatis seu mutuus; amor conjugialis est principalis omnium, nam in eo finis maximi usus, nempe propagatio generis humani, et inde regni Domini cujus est seminarium; amor erga infantes proxime succedit qui inde; et dein amor societatis seu mutuus; quicquid obtegit, impedit, et conspurcat hos amores, significatur per `praeputium,' cujus excisio seu circumcisio ideo repraesentativa facta (o)est; quantum enim mala cupiditatum et falsa inde removentur, tantum purificatur homo, et tantum apparere potest amor caelestis: amor sui quam contrarius sit amori caelesti et quam spurcus, dictum et ostensum est n. 760, 1307, 1308, 1321, 1594, (o)2045, 2057; ex his liquet quod circumcisio in sensu interno significet puritatem. [2] Quod circumcisio sit modo signum foederis seu conjunctionis, constare potest manifeste ex eo quod circumcisio praeputii nihil prorsus sit absque circumcisione cordis; et quod circumcisio cordis quae est purificatio a spurcis illis amoribus, sit quae significatur; ut manifeste ab his in Verbo locis patet; apud Mosen, Circumcidet Jehovah Deus cor tuum, et cor seminis tui, ad amandum Jehovam Deum tuum in toto corde tuo, et in tota anima tua, propterea ut vivas, Deut. xxx 6;ex quibus constat quod `circumcidere cor' sit purificari a spurcis amoribus, ut amari possit {2} Jehovah Deus seu Dominus, ex toto corde et ex tota anima: [3] apud Jeremiam, Novate vobis novale, et ne seratis inter spinas, circumcidite vos Jehovae, et removete praeputia cordis vestri, vir Jehudae et habitatores Hierosolymae, iv 3, 4;
`circumcidere se Jehovae, et removere praeputia cordis' nec aliud est quam removere talia quae impediunt amorem caelestem; inde etiam constat quod circumcisio cordis sit interius quod significatur per circumcisionem praeputii: apud Mosen, Circumcidetis praeputium cordis vestri, et cervicem vestram ne induretis amplius,... faciens judicium orphani et viduae, et amans peregrinum ad dandum (c)illi panem et vestem, Deut. x 16, 18;
ubi etiam quod `circumcidere praeputium cordis' sit purificari a malis amorum spurcorum et a falsis inde, liquet; caelestia amoris describuntur per opera charitatis, nempe per `facere judicium orphani et viduae' et per `amare peregrinum ad dandum (c)illi panem et vestem': [4] apud Jeremiam, Ecce dies venientes, quibus visitabo super omnem circumcisum in praeputio, super Aegyptum, et super Jehudam, et super Edomum, et super filios Ammonis, et super Moabum, et super omnes abscissos anguli, habitantes in deserto, quia omnes gentes praeputiatae, et omnis domus Israelis praeputiati corde, ix 24, 25;
quod circumcisio significativum purificationis sit, inde quoque patet; vocantur `circumcisi praeputio,' sed usque `gentes praeputiatae,' inter ceteras etiam Jehudas; et Israel praeputiati corde: apud Mosen, Vel tunc humiliabitur cor eorum praeputiatum, Lev. xxvi 41;
similiter. [5] Quod per praeputium et praeputiatum significetur immundum, constat apud Esaiam, Excitare, excitare, indue robur tuum Zion, indue vestes decoris tui Hierosolyma, civitas sanctitas, quia non addet, veniet in te amplius praeputiatus et immundus, (x)lii 1;
per `Zionem' intelligitur Ecclesia caelestis, per `Hierosolymam' Ecclesia spiritualis, in quam praeputiatum quod est immundum, non intrabit. [6] Quod circumcisio sit `signum foederis' seu indicium conjunctionis, manifeste constat ex eo quod simile repraesentatum per arborum fructus qui etiam circumciderentur, de quibus ita apud Mosen, Quando veneritis in terram, et plantaveritis quamcumque arborem cibi, praeputiabitis praeputium ejus, fructum ejus; tribus annis erit vobis praeputiati, non comedetur, et in anno quarto erit omnis fructus ejus sanctitas laudum Jehovae, Lev. xix 23, 24;
`fructus' similiter repraesentant et significant charitatem, ut a multis locis in Verbo constare potest, ita `praeputium' eorum significat {3} immundum quod charitatem impedit et contaminat. [7] Quod mirabile, cum angeli qui in caelo, ideam purificationis a spurcis naturalibus habent {4}, tunc in mundo spirituum repraesentatur velocissime quoddam simile circumcisionis, nam ideae angelicae in repraesentativa in mundo spirituum evadunt. Fuerunt ritus repraesentativi in Ecclesia Judaica qui inde originem duxerunt, et fuerunt quoque qui non inde: illi apud quos in mundo spirituum repraesentabatur velox illa circumcisio, volebant admitti in caelum, et antequam admissi, hoc {5} repraesentatum erat; ex quo constare potest cur mandatum Joshuae quod circumcideret populum cum Jordanem transgressi intrarent in terram Canaanem; introitus populi in {6} terram Canaanem non aliud repraesentabat quam intromissionem fidelium in caelum, [8] ideo circumcisio secundo mandata erat, de qua ita apud Joshuam, Jehovah dixit ad Joshuam, Fac tibi gladios petrarum, circumcide filios Israelis secundo; et fecit sibi Joshua gladios petrarum, et circumcidit filios Israelis ad collem praeputiorum:... et dixit Jehovah ad Joshuam, Hodie devolvi opprobrium Aegypti desuper vobis, et vocavit nomen loci illius Gilgal (devolutio), v 2, 3, 9;
`gladii petrarum' significant vera quibus imbuerentur, ut sic spurcos amores castigare et discutere possent, nam absque cognitionibus veri nusquam aliqua purificatio; quod `lapis seu petra' significet vera, prius n. 643, 1298, ostensum est, et quod `gladius' praedicetur de veris quibus castigentur mala, ex Verbo constat. @1 amoris.$ @2 queat.$ @3 denotat.$ @4 habent before purificationis.$ @5 id.$ @6 i Israelitici.$