2078# “但愿以实玛利活在你面前”象征那些出于真理而理性的人不至于灭亡，这可以从“以实玛利”的象征理性这一含义看出，这在前一章中关于以实玛利的讨论中已经提到。在教会内部有两类人，即属灵的人和属天的人；前者，即属灵的人，通过真理变得理性；后者，即属天的人，通过良善变得理性。关于属灵和属天的区别，见上文第2069节，以及在第一卷中多处内容提到。
那些通过真理变得理性的人，在此由“以实玛利”来象征；因为“以实玛利”在其真正的意义上象征理性的真理，如前文所示（第1893，1950，1951节）。当这种理性真理被良善，正如此处由“亚伯拉罕”所象征的主，所采纳和渴望时，以实玛利就代表属灵，即属灵的人，或同样的，属灵的教会。主出于神性之爱渴望属灵的人得救（见上文第2077节）。这通过“但愿以实玛利活在你面前”这些话表达出来。
2078、“惟愿以实玛利能在你面前活着”表示理性建立在真理基础上的其他人不会灭亡。这从“以实玛利”的代表和由此而来的含义清楚可知，“以实玛利”是指理性，如前一章论述以实玛利的地方所解释的（1893，1949-1951节）。教会里有两种人，即：属灵人和属天人。属灵人从真理获得理性，而属天人从良善获得理性。至于两者之间有何区别，可参看前文（2069节）和第一卷的许多地方。“以实玛利”在此表示通过真理变得理性的属灵人，因为“以实玛利”的真正意义是指理性真理，如前所示（1893，1950，1951节）。当良善渴望并选择这理性真理时，如此处亚伯拉罕所表示的主所做的那样，它表示属灵之物，因而表示属灵人，或也可说，表示属灵教会，主出于神性之爱渴望拯救属灵人（参看刚才2077节）。这种渴望以“惟愿以实玛利能在你面前活着”这句话来表达。
Potts(1905-1910) 2078
2078. Would that Ishmael might live before Thee! That this signifies that others who are rational from truth should not perish, is evident from the representation and consequent signification of "Ishmael," as being the rational (explained in the foregoing chapter, where Ishmael is treated of). There are two kinds of men within the church; the spiritual, and the celestial. The spiritual become rational from truth, but the celestial from good. What the distinction between them is may be seen above (n. 2069), and in many places in Part First. The spiritual, who become rational by means of truth, are here meant by "Ishmael;" for "Ishmael" denotes rational truth in its genuine sense, as before shown (n. 1893, 1950, 1951). When this rational truth is being adopted and desired by good, as here by the Lord who is meant by "Abraham," it signifies what is spiritual, thus the spiritual man, or what is the same, the spiritual church, the salvation of which was desired by the Lord from Divine love (see just above, n. 2077). This is expressed by the words, "would that Ishmael might live before Thee."
Elliott(1983-1999) 2078
2078. 'O that Ishmael might live before You!' means that others who are rational from truth should not perish. This is clear from the representation and consequent meaning of 'Ishmael' as the rational, dealt with in the previous chapter, where Ishmael was the subject. Inside the Church there are two types of people, namely spiritual and celestial. The former- the spiritual- become rational from truth, but the latter - the celestial - do so from good. For what distinguishes spiritual people from celestial, see 2069 above, and in many places in Volume One. The former, namely spiritual people who become rational through truth, are here meant by 'Ishmael', for the name 'Ishmael' in its genuine sense means rational truth, as shown already in 1839,1949 1951. When this rational truth is adopted and desired by good, as it is here by the Lord (meant by Abraham), it means that which is spiritual, and so the spiritual man. Or what amounts to the same, it means the spiritual Church, the salvation of which the Lord, out of the Divine love referred to immediately above in 2077, earnestly desired. That desire is expressed by the words, O that Ishmael might live before You!
Latin(1748-1756) 2078
2078. `Utinam Jishmael vivat coram Te': quod significet alios qui ex vero rationales sunt ut non pereant, constat ex repraesentatione et inde significatione `Jishmaelis' quod sit rationale, de qua in capite praecedente, ubi de Ismaele actum. Sunt duo genera hominum intra Ecclesiam, nempe spirituales et caelestes, illi, nempe {1} spirituales, rationales (t)fiunt ex vero', hi autem, seu caelestes, ex bono; quae distinctio sit inter spirituales et caelestes videatur supra n. 2069, et pluries in Parte Prima: illi, nempe spirituales qui per verum rationales fiunt, per `Ismaelem' hic intelliguntur; rationale enim verum est `Ismael' in genuino suo sensu, ut prius n. 1893, 1949-1951 ostensum est; hoc rationale veram cum adoptatur et desideratur a bono, ut hic a Domino per Abrahamum intellecto, significat spirituale, ita spiritualem hominem, seu quod idem, spiritualem Ecclesiam; cujus salvationem Dominus ex amore Divino, de quo mox supra n. 2077, desideravit; quod exprimitur per haec verba `utinam Jishmael vivat coram Te.' @1 seu.$