7711.“埃及地必有幽暗”表真理和良善的完全剥夺。这从“幽暗”的含义清楚可知，“幽暗”是指真理和良善的完全剥夺。在圣言中，各个地方都提到“黑暗”，还同时提到“幽暗”；在这些地方，“黑暗”论及虚假，“幽暗”论及与虚假在一起的邪恶。不过，在本节，用来表达“幽暗”的词表示乌黑的黑暗，这在内义上表示从邪恶涌出的那类虚假。这类虚假就在那些属于教会，过着一种违背他们所知道的信仰诫命的邪恶生活的人中间产生。这些虚假所源于的邪恶反对教会，反对天堂，反对主，因而与良善和真理截然对立。现在“幽暗”就描述了这种状态。
在圣言中，经上会同时提到“黑暗”和“幽暗”，“黑暗”表示真理的剥夺，而“幽暗（经上有时译为幽冥）”表示真理和良善的剥夺，这一点可从以下经文看出来。以赛亚书：
公平离我们远，公义追不上我们。我们等候光，看哪，却只有黑暗；等候光明，却行在幽暗中。我们摸索墙壁，好像瞎子；我们摸索，如同无目之人。我们晌午绊跌，如在黄昏一样；我们在活人中间，像死人一般。（以赛亚书59:9-10）
“公平离我们远，公义追不上我们”表示既没有真理，也没有良善的事实；“公平”论及真理，“公义”论及良善（参看2235，3997节）；“等候光”表示等候真理；“等候光明”表示等候真理之良善，因为光明源于良善。“黑暗”在此是指“光”和“公平”的对立面，因而是真理的对立面；“幽暗”是“光明”和“公义”的对立面，因而是良善的对立面；因此，“黑暗”表示真理的剥夺，“幽暗”表示真理和良善的剥夺。阿摩司书：
耶和华的日子，不是黑暗没有光明吗？不是幽暗毫无光辉吗？（阿摩司书5:20）
此处意思也一样。约珥书：
耶和华的日子将到，是一个黑暗、幽冥的日子，一个密云、乌黑的日子。（约珥书2:1-2）
西番雅书：
耶和华的日子是急难困苦的日子，是黑暗、幽冥的日子。（西番雅书1:15）
“黑暗”表示真理的剥夺；“幽冥”表示真理和良善的剥夺；如果“幽暗或幽冥”与“黑暗”的意思一样，那将是一个毫无意义的重复，这样的重复绝不是圣言的特征。在圣言中经常会发现两种表达方式用来描述一件事，一种表达方式涉及真理或虚假；另一种表达方式涉及良善或邪恶。在以赛亚书也一样：
祂俯视大地，看哪，尽是艰难、黑暗；他必因困苦和碰撞的幽暗而昏昧。（以赛亚书8:22）
“黑暗”也表示诸如存在于外邦人当中的那种对真理的无知；“幽暗”表示对良善的无知。以赛亚书：
到那日，聋子必听见这书上的话；瞎子的眼必从幽冥黑暗中得以看见。（以赛亚书29:18）
又：
你若使困苦的灵魂得满足，你的光就必在黑暗中升起来，你的幽暗必变如午日。（以赛亚书58:10）
“黑暗”是指虚假（参看7688节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 7711
7711. And there shall be thick darkness over the land of Egypt. That this signifies a complete privation of truth and good, is evident from the signification of "thick darkness," as being a complete privation of truth and good. In various places in the Word mention is made of "darkness" and also at the same time of "thick darkness," and then "darkness" is predicated of falsity, and "thick darkness" of evil together with it. But the word by which "thick darkness" is expressed in this verse means the densest darkness, by which in the internal sense are signified such falsities as spring from evil. Such falsities arise with those who have been of the church, and have lived a life of evil contrary to the precepts of faith which they have known. The evil from which these falsities spring, is against the church, against heaven, and against the Lord, thus is diametrically against good and truth. This state is now described by "thick darkness." [2] That in the Word both "darkness" and "thick darkness" are mentioned together, and that "darkness" then denotes the privation of truth, and thick darkness the privation of both truth and good, can he seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:
Judgment is far from us, and righteousness overtaketh us not; we await the light, but behold darkness; and brightnesses, but we walk in thick darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, yea, we grope as they that have no eyes; we stumble at noonday as in the twilight; among the living we are as the dead (Isa. 59:9-10);
"judgment is far from us," and "righteousness overtaketh us not," denotes that there is neither truth nor good; (that "judgment" is predicated of truth, and "righteousness" of good, see n. 2235, 3997); "to await the light" denotes to await truth; and "to await brightnesses" denotes to await the good of truth, for the brightness of light is from good. That "darkness" is here opposed to "light" and "judgment," thus to truth; and that "thick darkness" is opposed to "brightness" and "righteousness," thus to good, is evident; and therefore "darkness" denotes the privation of truth, and "thick darkness," the privation of both truth and good. In Amos:
Is not the day of Jehovah darkness, and not light? and thick darkness and no brightness in it? (Amos 5:20);
where the meaning is similar. The day of Jehovah cometh, a day of darkness and thick darkness, a day of cloud and obscurity (Joel 2:1-2). The day of Jehovah is a day of wasting and devastation, a day of darkness and of thick darkness (Zeph. 1:15);
where "darkness" denotes the privation of truth; and "thick darkness," the privation of truth and good; if "thick darkness" signified nothing more than "darkness," it would be an empty repetition, which would be far from the Holy Word. [3] It is common in the Word to find two expressions of one thing, one of which relates to truth, or to falsity; and the other to good, or to evil. So in Isaiah:
He shall look unto the earth, and behold distress and darkness, dimmed with distress, and driven in thick darkness (Isa. 8:22). [4] "Darkness" also signifies ignorance of truth, such as there is with the Gentiles; and "thick darkness," ignorance of good; in Isaiah:
In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of thick darkness and out of darkness (Isa. 29:18). If thou satisfy the afflicted soul, thy light shall rise up in the darkness, and thy thick darkness shall be as the noon day (Isa. 58:10);
(that "darkness" denotes falsities, see n. 7688).
Elliott(1983-1999) 7711
7711. 'And there will be thick darkness over the land of Egypt' means total deprivation of truth and good. This is clear from the meaning of 'thick darkness' as total deprivation of truth and good. Various places in the Word mention 'darkness' (tenebrae) and also at the same time 'thick darkness' (caligo), and in those places 'darkness' has reference to falsity and 'thick darkness' to evil together with it. But the word that is used in this verse to express thick darkness denotes pitch-black darkness (tenebrae densissimae), which in the internal sense means the kinds of falsities that well up from evil. Such falsities arise with those who have belonged to the Church and led an evil life contrary to the commandments of religious belief which they knew. The evil from which those falsities well up is the opposite of the Church, the opposite of heaven, the opposite of the Lord, and so the direct opposite of goodness and truth. This state is now described by 'thick darkness'.
[2] The fact that 'darkness' and 'thick darkness' are mentioned together in the Word, and that 'darkness' means the deprivation of truth, while 'thick darkness' means the deprivation of both truth and good, may be recognized in the following places: In Isaiah,
Judgement is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us. We wait for light, but, behold, darkness; and for brightness, but we walk in thick darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and as if without eyes we grope; we stumble at midday as if it were twilight; among the living we are like the dead. Isa 59:9, 10.
'Judgement is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us' stands for the fact that there is no truth, and no good either, 'judgement' being used to refer to truth and 'righteousness' to refer to good, see 2235, 3997. 'Waiting for light' stands for awaiting truth, and 'waiting for brightness' stands for awaiting the good of truth since the brightness of light is derived from good. The fact that the expression 'darkness' is used in those verses as the opposite of 'light' and 'judgement', and so of truth, and 'thick darkness' as the opposite of 'brightness' and 'righteousness', and so of good, is self- evident. So it is that 'darkness' is the deprivation of truth, and 'thick darkness' the deprivation of both truth and good. In Amos,
Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light, and thick darkness, [and] no brightness in it? Amos 5:20.
Here the meaning is similar. In Joel,
The day of Jehovah is coming, a day of darkness and thick darkness, a day of cloud and gloom. Joel 2:2.
[3] In Zephaniah,
The day of Jehovah a day of vastation and devastation, a day of darkness and thick darkness. Zeph 1:15.
'Darkness' stands for the deprivation of truth, and 'thick darkness' for the deprivation of both truth and good. If 'thick darkness' were no different in meaning from 'darkness' it would be a pointless repetition, which is far from being a feature of the holy Word. In the Word it is common for a pair of expressions to describe one particular thing, the first having reference to truth or falsity, the second to good or evil. A like example occurs in Isaiah,
He will look to the earth, and behold, anguish and darkness; [he will be one] benighted by anguish, and by a thick darkness of colliding.a Isa 8:11.
[4] 'Darkness' also means ignorance of the truth, such as exists among gentiles, and 'thick darkness' ignorance about what is good, in Isaiah,
On that day the deaf will hear the words of a book, and out of thick darkness and out of darkness the eyes of the blind will see. Isa 29:18.
In the same prophet,
If you satisfy the afflicted soul, your light will rise in the darkness, and your thick darkness will be as midday. Isa 58:10.
'Darkness' is falsities, see 7688.
Latin(1748-1756) 7711
7711. `Et erit caligo super terra Aegypti': quod significet omnimodam privationem veri et boni, constat ex significatione `caliginis' quod sit omnimoda privatio veri et boni. In Verbo passim nominantur `tenebrae,' et quoque simul `caligo,' ac ibi `tenebrae' praedicantur de falso, (c)ac `caligo' de malo simul; sed vox per quam in hoc {1}versu exprimitur caligo significat tenebras {2}densissimas, per quas in sensu interno {3}significantur talia falsa quae ex malo scaturiunt; talia falsa existunt apud illos qui ab Ecclesia fuerunt, ac vitam mali contra praecepta fidei, quae sciverunt, {4}vixerunt; malum ex quo falsa illa scaturiunt est contra Ecclesiam, contra caelum, et contra Dominum, ita e diametro contra bonum et verum; hic status nunc per `caliginem' describitur. 2 Quod in Verbo et `tenebrae' et `caligo' simul nominentur, et quod `tenebrae' ibi sint privatio veri et `caligo' privatio tam veri quam boni, constare potest ab his locis: apud Esaiam, Procul est judicium a nobis, et non assequitur nos justitia; exspectamus lucem, sed ecce tenebrae, et splendores, sed in caliginibus ambulamus; palpamus sicut caeci parietem, et sicut non oculi palpitamus, offendimus in meridie, sicut crepusculo, inter vivos sicut mortui, lix 9, 10;`procul est judicium a nobis, et non assequitur nos justitia' pro quod non sit verum nec bonum; quod `judicium' praedicetur de vero et `justitia' de bono, videatur n. 2235, 3997; `exspectare lucem' pro verum, et `exspectare splendores' pro bonum veri, nam splendor (x)lucis est a bono; {5} quod `tenebrae' ibi opponantur `luci' ac `judicio,' ita vero, et `caligo' `splendori' et `justitiae,' ita bono, patet; {6}quare `tenebrae' sunt privatio veri, et `caligo' privatio tam {7}veri quam boni: {8} apud Amos, Nonne tenebrae dies Jehovae, et non lux, et caligo, non splendor illi? v 20;
similiter: apud Joelem, Venit dies Jehovae, dies tenebrarum et caliginis, dies nubis et obscuritatis, ii 2:
3 apud Zephaniam, Dies Jehovae, dies vastitatis et devastationis, dies tenebrarum et caliginis, i 15;
`tenebrae' pro privatione veri, et `caligo' pro privatione et veri et boni; si caligo non aliud significaret quam tenebrae, foret repetitio inanis, {9}quod procul abest a Verbo sancto; commune est quod binae expressiones unius rei sint in Verbo, quarum una se refert ad verum seu falsum, altera ad bonum seu malum: pariter apud Esaiam, Ad terram spectabit, et ecce angustia et tenebrae, obscuratus angustia, et caligine impulsus, viii 22:
`tenebrae' quoque {10}significant ignorantiam' veri, qualis est apud gentes, et `caligo' {10}ignorantiam boni, apud Esaiam, Audient in die illo surdi verba libri, et e caligine et e tenebris oculi caecorum videbunt, xxix 18:
apud eundem, Si animam afflictam saturaveris, exorietur in tenebris lux tua, et caligo tua sicut meridies, lviii 10;
quod `tenebrae' sint falsa, videatur {11} n. 7688. @1 loco$ @2 caliginosas$ @3 intelliguntur densissima$ @4 vixerant but S first wrote and d vixerunt before contra and again after sciverunt$ @5 i inde patet$ @6 ita$ @7 boni quam veri$ @8 Alongside this is a list of quotations from the Word which each contain caligo, seven of the quotations being used in this . The others are Esai. lx 2; Jer. ii 31; Ps. xci 5, 6. After the quotation from Amos is written tenebrae respondent luci, caligo splendor, splendor lucis est a bono. After the quotation from Esai. lx 2 is written caligo araphal. At the foot of the list is aphal, ab occidit sol, arab., which refers to the quotation from Ps. xci.$ @9 sed in Verbo$ @10 pro ignorantia$ @11 i supra$