4680.“父亲爱约瑟过于爱他的众弟兄”表它（即主的神性属灵层或神性真理）与神性属世层联结，在最近似意义上表与“父亲”所表示的古教会联结。这从前面的解释（4675节）清楚可知，那里有相同的话。之所以就近似意义而言，这表示主的神性属灵层或神性真理与古教会的联结，并且该教会由“父亲”来表示，是因为就近似意义而言，如前所述（4679节），“约瑟的哥哥们”表示雅各的后代，因而表示在他们当中所代表的教会。至于这些事当如何理解，这在前面已经讨论过好几次了；但为了下文的整个思路，在此简要重申几个要点。
大洪水后由主所建立的古教会是一个代表教会，并且具有这样的性质：其敬拜的外在的一切和每一个细节都代表主国度的属天和属灵事物，在至高意义上代表主的神性事物本身。但其敬拜的内在的一切和每一个细节都与仁爱有关。该教会广泛分布于亚洲大部分地区和那里的许多国家。尽管就信之教义而言，它们当中有不同一之处，但教会仍为一，因为无论在哪里，所有人都视仁为教会的本质要素。那时，那些将信从仁分离并视信为教会的本质要素之人被称为“含”。但随着时间推移，该教会转向偶像崇拜，并在埃及、巴比伦和其它地方沦为巫术；因为他们开始敬拜没有任何内在之物的外在之物。他们远离了仁爱，故天堂也离开他们，取而代之的是地狱灵来引领他们。
该教会荒凉后，一个新教会从希伯开始，被称为希伯来教会。这个教会存在于叙利亚和美索不达米亚，还存在于迦南地的一些民族当中。但这个新教会不同于古教会，因为它将外在敬拜的本质置于献祭。诚然，它承认敬拜的内在是仁爱，但不像古教会那么发自内心。这个教会也变成偶像崇拜。
最后，主乐意在亚伯拉罕经由雅各这一支而来的后代当中建立一种新型教会，将古教会敬拜的外在特征引入这个民族当中。但这个民族具有这样的性质，他们无法接受构成教会的任何内在之物，因为他们的内心与仁爱完全对立。因此，在他们当中设立的，仅仅是一个教会的代表。由此清楚可知，雅各的儿子们或约瑟的哥哥们在近似意义上表示这种教会；他们的父亲雅各表示古教会。此外，在圣言的许多其它地方，尤其预言部分，“雅各”用来表示古教会；有时古教会也被称为“父亲和母亲”，论及其良善时被称为“父亲”，论及其真理被称为“母亲”。由此明显可知，“父亲爱约瑟过于爱他的众弟兄”表示主的神性真理与古教会联结。
Potts(1905-1910) 4680
4680. That their father loved him more than all his brethren. That this signifies that it was conjoined with the Divine natural, and in the proximate sense with the Ancient Church, which is the "father," is evident from what was explained above (n. 4675), where similar words occur. That in the proximate sense this signifies that it was conjoined with the Ancient Church, and that this church is what is meant by "father," is because in this sense, as before said (n. 4679), by Joseph's "brethren" are signified the posterity of Jacob, and consequently the church which was represented among them. How these things are to be understood has already been repeatedly stated, but shall be repeated again in a few words for the sake of the series in what follows. [2] The Ancient Church which was set up by the Lord after the flood was a representative church, and was of such a nature that all and each of its externals of worship represented the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom, and in the supreme sense the Divine things themselves of the Lord; but all and each of its internals of worship bore relation to charity. This church was spread over a large part of the Asiatic world, and through many kingdoms there; and although there were differences among them as to doctrinal things of faith, still the church was one, because all in every part of it made charity the essential of the church. Those who at that time separated faith from charity, and made faith the essential of the church were called "Ham." But in course of time this church turned away to idolatry, and in Egypt, Babylon, and other places, to magic; for they began to worship external things without the internal; and as they thus receded from charity, heaven also receded from them, and in its place came spirits from hell who led them. [3] When this church was desolated, a kind of new church began from Heber, which was called the Hebrew Church. This church existed in Syria and Mesopotamia, and also among some nations in the land of Canaan; but this new church differed from the Ancient, in that it made the essential of external worship to consist in sacrifices. It did indeed acknowledge the internal of worship to be charity, but not so much from the heart as did the Ancient Church; but this church also became idolatrous. [4] At last it pleased the Lord to set up among the posterity of Abraham from Jacob a new kind of church, and to introduce among that nation the externals of worship of the Ancient Church. But such was the nature of this nation that they could not receive any internal of the church, because their hearts were altogether opposed to charity; and therefore only a representative of a church was instituted among them. This then is the reason why the sons of Jacob, or Joseph's brethren, signify in the proximate sense such a church, and why Jacob their father signifies the Ancient Church. In many other places in the Word, especially the prophetic, the Ancient Church is meant by "Jacob;" and sometimes also that Ancient Church is called "father and mother", "father" as to its good, and "mother" as to its truth. From this it is now evident that by their father's loving Joseph more than all his brethren is signified that the Divine truth of the Lord was conjoined with the Ancient Church.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4680
4680. 'That their father loved him more than all his brothers' means that [the Lord's Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth] was joined to the Divine Natural - in the proximate sense, to the Ancient Church meant by 'father'. This is clear from the explanations given above in 4675, where similar words occur. The reason why in the proximate sense the meaning is that [the Lord's Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth] was joined to the Ancient Church, and why in that sense 'father' is used to mean that Church, is that in the proximate sense, as stated immediately above in 4679, the descendants of Jacob and therefore the Church that was represented among them are meant by 'Joseph's brothers'. This whole matter has been discussed several times already, but in view of the train of thought that occurs in what follows the main points will be restated briefly here.
[2] The Ancient Church established by the Lord after the Flood was a representative Church. It was the kind of Church in which the external features of its worship, every single one, represented the celestial and spiritual things belonging to the Lord's kingdom, and in the highest sense represented those Divine things which are the Lord's own. Every single internal aspect of its worship however had to do with charity. This Church was widespread in much of the Asiatic world and in many kingdoms there. And although differences existed among them so far as teachings about matters of faith were concerned, there was nevertheless one Church because all people everywhere made charity the essential element of the Church. People at that time who separated faith from charity and made faith the essential element of the Church were called Ham. But in process of time this Church turned aside to idolatrous practices, and in Egypt, Babylon, and other places to magical ones; for they began to worship external things devoid of anything internal. So because they departed from charity, heaven departed from them, and in its place spirits from hell came and led them.
[3] Once this Church had been laid in ruins a new Church originating in Eber came into being, which was called the Hebrew Church. This existed in Syria and Mesopotamia, and also among other nations in the land of Canaan. But it differed from the Ancient Church in that it made sacrifices the essential requirement of external worship. It did, it is true, acknowledge charity as the inner substance of worship, but not so much with the heart as the Ancient Church had done. This Church too became idolatrous.
[4] At length the Lord was pleased to establish a new type of Church among Abraham's descendants through Jacob and to introduce among that nation the external features of the worship of the Ancient Church. But that nation was the kind that could not accept anything internal constituting the Church because their hearts were utterly opposed to charity. For this reason no more than what was representative of the Church was set up among that nation. From this it is now clear that 'Jacob's sons' or 'Joseph's brothers' in the proximate sense means that kind of Church, and that 'Jacob their father' means the Ancient Church. Furthermore, in many other places in the Word, especially the prophetical part, 'Jacob' is used to mean the Ancient Church, in addition to which this Church - the Ancient - is frequently called 'father' or 'mother', 'father' to refer to its good and 'mother' to its truth. From this it is now evident that 'their father loved Joseph more than all his brothers' means that the Lord's Divine Truth was joined to the Ancient Church.
Latin(1748-1756) 4680
4680. `Quod eum amavit pater illorum prae omnibus fratribus ejus': quod significet quod conjunctus cum Divino Naturali, in sensu proximo, cum Antiqua Ecclesia quae est `pater', constat ex illis quae supra n. 4675 explicata sunt, ubi similia. Quod, in sensu proximo; sit quod conjunctus cum Antiqua Ecclesia, et quod illa sit quae in eo sensu intelligitur per `patrem', inde est quia in proximo sensu, ut mox supra n. 4679 dictum, per `fratres Josephi' significantur posteri Jacobi, proinde Ecclesia quae apud illos repraesentabatur; quomodo haec se habent, aliquoties prius {1} dictum est, sed propter seriem sequentium hic paucis recapitulandum; [2] Antiqua Ecclesia quae post diluvium a Domino instaurata fuit, erat Ecclesia repraesentativa, quae talis erat ut omnia et singula ejus externa cultus repraesentarent caelestia et spiritualia quae sunt regni Domini, et in supremo sensu ipsa Divina Domini; ejus interna autem cultus omnia et singula se referebant ad charitatem; erat Ecclesia illa sparsa per multum orbis Asiatici, et per plura regna ibi; et tametsi discrepabant quoad doctrinalia fidei, usque una Ecclesia erat, quia omnes ubivis charitatem fecerunt essentiale Ecclesiae; qui tunc temporis separabant fidem a charitate, et fidem essentiale Ecclesiae fecerunt, dicebantur Ham; sed haec Ecclesia temporis successu deflexit ad idololatrica, ac in Aegypto, Babele et {2} alibi in magica; coeperunt enim colere externa absque internis, et sic quia recesserunt a charitate, etiam recessit caelum ab illis, et loco ejus venerunt ab inferno spiritus qui ducebant illos. [3] Cum haec Ecclesia desolata fuit, nova quaedam incepta fuit ab Ebero, quae Ecclesia Hebraea vocata est;haec fuit in Syria et Mesopotamia et quoque inter aliquas gentes in terra Canaane; sed differebat haec ab Antiqua quod poneret essentiale cultus externi in sacrificiis; internum cultus quidem agnovit quod esset charitas, sed non ita corde prout Ecclesia Antiqua; verum haec quoque idololatrica facta est. [4] Tandem beneplacuit Domino novum Ecclesiae instaurare apud posteros Abrahami ex Jacobo, et introducere apud illam (o)gentem externa cultus Antiquae Ecclesiae; sed gens illa talis fuit ut non posset recipere aliquod internum Ecclesiae quia corda eorum erant prorsus contra charitatem; quapropter apud illam {3} modo institutum fuit repraesentativum Ecclesiae; inde nunc est quod `filii Jacobi' seu `fratres Josephi' in sensu proximo significent Ecclesiam talem, et quod `Jacob pater eorum' Ecclesiam Antiquam; etiam pluries alibi in Verbo, imprimis prophetico, per `Jacobum' intelligitur Ecclesia Antiqua, et quoque aliquoties illa Ecclesia, nempe Antiqua, vocatur pater et mater, `pater' quoad bonum ejus et `mater' quoad verum;
(m)inde nunc patet quod per `amavit Josephum pater illorum prae omnibus fratribus ejus' significetur quod Divinum Verum Domini conjunctum fuerit {4} cum Antiqua Ecclesia.(n) @1 supra$ @2 et Babele, ut et$ @3 i gentem$ @4 sit$