2553# “因为我说，这地方总没有（对）神的敬畏”象征由此而来的思考，即他们在所处的状态中对属灵真理没有尊重。这可以从“神的敬畏”的意义看出，即对神性或灵性真理的尊重。还可以从“地方”的意义看出，即状态（参1273，1274，1275，1377节）。事情的实际情况是：人无法领会任何纯粹属灵和属天的教义，即神性的教义，因为它们无限地超越了他的理解力，同样也超越了他的信仰。人的思维总是局限于与感官相关的自然事物。任何不基于这些自然事物或不符合这些自然事物的说法都难以被理解，就像在无边无际的海洋或宇宙中失去了视线的焦点。因此，如果用其它方式向人阐述教义，这些教义就不会被接受，也不会受到尊重。
这一点在圣经中得到了充分的体现。正因如此，纯粹的神性事物在圣经中往往以自然的，甚至是感性的方式呈现。例如，圣经中描述耶和华有耳朵、眼睛和面孔，还有类似人类的情感，如愤怒等。
【2】这种情况在主来到世上的时候变得更加明显。那时，人们甚至不知道什么是属天的事物和属灵的事物，甚至不知道什么是内在的事物了。他们只知道尘世和世俗的事物，也就是外在的事物。这些占据了他们心智的全部，就连主的使徒们也不例外。使徒们以为主的国会像世上的国一样，因此他们请求一个坐在主的右边，一个坐在左边。他们长期以来都认为自己会坐在十二个宝座上审判以色来的十二个支派，却不知道在来生中他们甚至无法对一个人最微小的事情做出审判（参2129节末尾）。
主对人类这种状态的洞察，是他最初考虑是否应在信仰教义中咨询理性的原因。这种考虑源于他的爱，他希望为所有人的救赎做好准备，并确保圣经不会失去其意义。
2553、“因为我说，这地方必定没有对神的惧怕”表示源于这种感知的思维，即：他们在当时所处的状态下不会尊重属灵真理。这从“对神的惧怕”和“地方”的含义清楚可知：“对神的惧怕”是指对神性或属灵真理的尊重；“地方”是指状态（参看1273-1275，1377节）。此处的情形是这样：人不能理解纯属灵和属天的任何教义，也就是神性，因为这样一种神性无限超越他的理解，因而超越他的信仰范围。人的一切思维都局限于他的感官所经历的属世事物，或说他的感官所提供的世俗观念。凡不利用并照着这些属世事物所说的话，都不被理解，而是会消亡，就像凝视海洋或宇宙，却不专注于某个对象一样。因此，若不以世俗用语向世人解释教义，世人根本不会接受，因而不会尊重它们。这种情况可从圣言的每个细节很清楚地看出来，因为在圣言中，出于同样的原因，纯神性事物本身是以世俗用语，甚至感官用语来阐述的；例如，经上描述耶和华有耳，有眼，有脸，还有人类的情感，如愤怒等等。
当主降世时，更是如此。那时，人们甚至不知道什么叫属天或属灵事物，更不知道有什么内在事物。纯地上和世俗、因而外在的事物完全占据了他们的心思意念；就连门徒们自己也是这样，他们以为主的国度将和这个世界的国度一样，所以要求一个坐在祂的右手边，一个坐在祂的左手边，并且有很长一段时间，他们以为自己会坐在十二个宝座上审判以色列十二支派（马太福音19:28；路加福音22:30）；殊不知，在来世，他们不能审判一个人的事务的哪怕最小细节（2129e节）。主之所以洞察人类的这种状态，是因为一开始，主思考在信之教义的问题上是否要请教理性。主出于祂的爱而如此思考，这爱在于渴望寻求拯救所有人，并使圣言不致灭亡。
Potts(1905-1910) 2553
2553. Because I said, Surely there is no fear of God in this place. That this signifies the thought thence derived: that they would have no respect for spiritual truth in that state in which they were, is evident from the signification of the expression "fear of God," as being respect for Divine or spiritual truth; and from the signification of "place," as being state (see n. 1273-1275, 1377). The case herein is this: Man cannot apprehend any doctrine that is purely spiritual and celestial, that is, Divine, because it infinitely transcends his apprehension, and thus also his belief. All man's thoughts are terminated in the natural things which are connected with his senses. Whatever is not said from and according to these natural things is not comprehended, but perishes, like sight that has no bound in some ocean or universe; and therefore if doctrinal matters were set forth before a man in any other manner, they would not be at all received, and thus no respect would be entertained for them; as may be sufficiently evident from everything in the Word, where for this very reason purely Divine things themselves are set forth naturally, nay, sensuously; as that Jehovah has ears, eyes, and a face; and that He has feelings like a man, such as anger, and so forth. [2] This need was still greater at the time when the Lord came into the world, for then men did not know even what the celestial and the spiritual was, nor even that there was anything internal. Things merely earthly and worldly, and thus external, had full possession of their minds, as was the case with the apostles themselves, who imagined that the Lord's kingdom would be like a kingdom of this world, and therefore asked that one might sit on His right hand and another on His left, and who long thought that they should sit upon twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel; not as yet being aware that in the other life they would not have ability to judge even the smallest thing of one man (n. 2129, at the end). His looking into this state of the human race was the reason of the Lord's thinking at first whether the rational was to be consulted in the doctrine of faith; and this from His love, which was that the salvation of all might be provided for, and that the Word might not perish.
Elliott(1983-1999) 2553
2553. 'Because I said, Surely there is no fear of God in this place' means the thought derived from this that men would have no respect for spiritual truth in that state in which they were then. This is clear from the meaning of 'the fear of God' as respect for Divine, or spiritual, truth, and from the meaning of 'a place' as a state, dealt with in 1273-1275, 1377. Involved here is the fact that man is unable to grasp any doctrine which is purely spiritual and celestial, that which is Divine, because it goes infinitely above and beyond his grasp of things, and so also above the range of his belief. All thoughts which man has are confined within natural things experienced by his senses, and anything that is said which does not draw on and does not fit in with those natural things is not comprehended but perishes, like sight gazing into some ocean or universe without any object there on which it may focus. Consequently if matters of doctrine were presented to man in any other manner, they would not be received at all, and so he would have no respect for them. This may become quite clear from each detail in the Word. There purely Divine things are for the same reason presented as natural, indeed sensory ones, such as that Jehovah has ears, eyes, and a face, has affections as man does, anger, and many more things.
[2] This was still more the case with men when the Lord came into the world. At that time they did not even have any knowledge of what the celestial or the spiritual was, nor even of anything internal. Wholly earthly and worldly, and thus external things possessed every thought in their minds, even the minds of the apostles themselves who supposed that the Lord's kingdom would be like a worldly kingdom. For that reason these asked to sit one on His right hand and the other on the left and for a long while imagined they were going to sit on twelve thrones and to judge the twelve tribes of Israel, still unaware of the fact that in the next life they would not have the power to judge even the least detail of any one individual's affairs, 2129 (end). His looking into this state of the human race was the reason why the Lord at first thought about whether the rational ought to be consulted in the doctrine of faith. In this He was moved by a love which was that the salvation of all might be taken care of and that the Word should not perish.
Latin(1748-1756) 2553
2553. `Quia dixi, Verum tamen nullus timor Dei in loco hoc': quod significet cogitationem inde quod nullum respectum haberent veri spiritualis in eo statu in quo sunt, constat ex significatione `timoris Dei' quod sit respectus veri Divini (o)seu spiritualis; et a significatione `loci' quod sit status, de qua n. 1273, 1274, 1275, 1377. Ipsa res ita se habet: homo non capere potest aliquod doctrinale pure spirituale et caeleste, hoc est, Divinum, quia transcendit infinite captum ejus, ita quoque fidem; omnes cogitationes hominis terminantur in naturalibus quae sunt ejus sensualium; quicquid non ex his et secundum haec dicitur, hoc non comprehenditur, sed perit, sicut visus interminatus in quodam oceano aut universo; quare si doctrinalia coram homine exponerentur aliter, prorsus non reciperentur, ita nullus respectus pro (c)illis haberetur; quod satis constare potest ex singulis in Verbo; ibi ipsa pure Divina ob eandem causam naturaliter, immo sensualiter, exponuntur, ut quod Jehovae sint aures, sint oculi, sint facies, sint affectiones sicut homini, sit ira, et plura: [2] (s)hoc adhuc magis eo tempore cum Dominus venit in mundum; tunc ne quidem sciebant quid caeleste et spirituale, ne quidem quod internum; solum terrestria et mundana, et sic externa: mentis eorum omnia tenebant, sicut ipsorum apostolorum, qui regnum Domini sicut regnum mundi fore autumabant, et ideo petierunt ut unus a dextris, alter a sinistris, sederet, et diu putarunt quod super duodecim thronis sederent judicaturi duodecim tribus Israelis, non adhuc scientes quod in altera vita (o)illi ne quidem minimum unius hominis possent judicare, n. 2129 ad fin.: intuitio in hunc statum (t)generis humani fuit causa quod a Domino primum cogitatum sit num rationale esset consulendum in doctrina fidei, et hoc ex amore qui fuit ut consuleretur omnium saluti et quod Verbum non periret.'