213# 由此可推知，圣言若无其字义，便如宫殿无根基，亦即如宫殿悬于空中而不立于地上，只不过是其影像，终必消散。又，圣言若无其字义，便如一座圣殿，其中有诸多圣物，其中间有至圣所，却无屋顶与墙壁以为包容；若这些不存在，或被撤去，则其中圣物必为盗贼所劫掠，并为地上走兽与天上飞鸟所亵渎，终至溃散。同样，它也如以色列子孙在旷野中的会幕——其至内处有约柜，其中间有金灯台、金坛，其上焚香，又有桌子，其上陈设饼——却无其终极部分，即帷幔、幔子与柱子。甚至，圣言若无其字义，便如人体无其覆盖物，即所谓皮肤，亦无其支撑物，即所谓骨骼；若无此二者，其一切内在之物皆将流散。又如胸腔中的心与肺，无其覆盖物，即所谓胸膜，亦无其支撑物，即所谓肋骨。或如大脑，无其包裹物，即所谓硬脑膜与软脑膜，亦无其共同的覆护、包容与支撑，即所谓颅骨。圣言若无其字义，情形亦复如此；故以赛亚书中说，耶和华必在一切荣耀之上创造遮覆（赛4:5）。
213# 由此可推知，没有字义的圣言就像没有根基的宫殿，因而像在空中而不是在地上的宫殿，只是会消失的宫殿的影子。再者，没有字义的圣言就像一座圣殿，里面有许多圣物，它的中心是圣所，却没有保护的屋顶或墙壁，即它的容器。如果这些缺乏或被拿走，它的圣物就会被小偷偷走，被地上的野兽和空中的飞鸟侵犯，从而丢失或被摧毁。它还像以色列人在旷野的会幕，约柜在它的至内在部分，金灯台、金香坛和陈设饼的桌子在中间，却没有它的最外层，或外在的遮盖，即帷幔、幔子和柱子。事实上，圣言没有字义就像人体没有被称为皮肤的覆盖物，也没有被称为骨头的支撑物；而没有这两者，身体的一切内在部分都会分崩离析。圣言没有字义也像胸腔里的心和肺没有被称为胸膜的覆盖物，也没有被称为肋骨的支撑物；或者像大脑没有被称为硬脑膜和软脑膜的覆盖物，也没有被称为头骨的容器和支撑。圣言没有字义也是如此；因此，在以赛亚书，经上说：
耶和华在一切荣耀之上创造遮盖。（以赛亚书4:5）
213. From the points just made it follows that without its literal meaning the Word would be like a palace without a foundation. It would be like a palace in the air, not on the ground, which would be only a shadow of a palace, and shadows disappear.
Without its literal meaning the Word would be like a church building that housed many sacred objects and had a sanctuary in the middle but lacked a roof or walls to contain them. If the roof and walls were lacking or taken away, the sacred objects would be stolen by thieves or violated by animals from the land and birds from the sky, causing the sacred objects to be lost.
It would be like the tabernacle of the children of Israel in the desert having the ark of the covenant in its innermost area, and the golden lampstand, the golden incense altar, and the table of showbread in its middle area, but lacking its outermost features - its curtains, veils, and pillars.
In fact, without its literal meaning the Word would be like a human body without the coverings called the skin and membranes or the structural supports called the bones. Without these all the inner organs would fall apart.
It would be like the heart and the lungs in the thorax without the covering called the pleura and the structural supports called the ribs. It would be like the brain without the coverings called the dura and the pia mater and without the general covering, container, and structural support called the skull. This is how the Word would be without its literal meaning. Therefore it says in Isaiah, "Over all glory Jehovah creates a covering" (Isaiah 4:5).
213. It follows from this that the Word without its literal sense would be like a palace without any foundations, a palace built not on land but in the air, which would be the mere evanescent shadow of a palace. The Word without its literal sense would be like a church containing a number of sacred objects and in its centre a sanctuary, but devoid of the roof and walls which hold it together. If they were missing or removed, the sacred objects would be stolen by thieves and ruined by land animals or the birds of the air, and thus scattered. It would also be like the Tabernacle of the Children of Israel in the desert (in the inmost part of which was the Ark of the Covenant, and in its midst a golden lampstand, a golden altar bearing incense and a table for the bread of the Presence), if this were stripped of its outer covering, that is, curtains, veils and posts. Rather, the Word without its literal sense would resemble the human body without its outer covering called skin, or its framework called bones. If deprived of these two, all the contents of the body would fall apart. Again it would be like the heart and lungs in the chest deprived of their covering called the pleura, and its supports called ribs. Or like the brain without its coverings called the dura and pia mater and without its general covering, container and support called the skull. That is what the Word would be like without the literal sense, and this is why it is said in Isaiah that Jehovah creates a covering over all glory (Isaiah 4:5).
213. From this it follows that the Word without the sense of its letter would be like a palace without a foundation, and thus like a palace in the air instead of on the earth, which would be only the shadow of a palace that would vanish away; or again, that the Word without the sense of its letter would be like a temple containing many holy things, with a shrine in the center of it, but without roof or wall, which are its containants; and if these were lacking or were taken away, its holy things would be seized upon by thieves, would be desecrated by the beasts of the earth and the birds of heaven, and would thus be dispersed. It would also be like the tabernacle of the sons of Israel in the wilderness (in the inmost part of which was the ark of the covenant, and in the middle the golden candlestick, the golden altar upon which was the incense, and the table with the bread of faces upon it) without its outmosts, which were curtains, veils, and pillars. In fact, the Word without the sense of its letter would be like the human body without its coverings which are called skins, and without its supports which are called bones. With both of these absent all its inner parts would fall asunder. Or again, it would be like the heart and lungs in the thorax without their covering which is called the pleura, and their supports which are called ribs. Or it would be like the brain without its coverings which are called the dura mater and pia mater, and without their common covering, containant, and support, which is called the cranium. So would it be with the Word without the sense of its letter; therefore it is said in Isaiah:
That Jehovah creates over all the glory a covering (Isaiah 4:5).
213. From this is follows that the Word without the sense of its Letter would be like a palace without a foundation, a palace in the air instead of on the ground, a mere shadow which would vanish away. Again, it would be like a temple, containing many sacred things, whose central shrine had no protecting roof or dividing wall, which are its containants. If these were wanting, or were taken away, its holy things would be carried off by robbers, and violated by the beasts of the earth and the birds of the air, and thus destroyed. It would be like the tabernacle of the Children of Israel in the wilderness, in the inmost of which was the Ark of the Covenant, and in the centre the golden lampstand, the golden altar upon which was the incense, and the table upon which was the shewbread, without its ultimates, which were the curtains, veils and pillars. Indeed the Word without the sense of its Letter would be like the human body without its coverings, called skins, and without the support of its bones; without these all the inward parts would fall asunder. It would also be like the heart and lungs in the thorax, without their covering, called the pleura, and their supports, called the ribs; and like the brain without its coverings, the dura and the pia mater, and without their common covering, containant and support, called the skull. Thus would it be with the Word without the sense of its Letter; therefore it is said in Isaiah:
Jehovah will create upon all the glory a covering Isaiah 4:5.
213. Ex his sequitur, quod Verbum absque Sensu literae ejus, foret sicut Palatium absque fundamento, ita sicut Palatium in aere, et non super Terra, quod modo foret umbra ejus, quae evanesceret. Tum quod Verbum absque Sensu literae ejus, foret sicut Templum, in quo plura Sancta sunt, et in medio ejus Adytum, absque tecto et pariete, quae sunt Continentia ejus; quae si abessent, vel si auferrentur, Sancta ejus a furibus diriperentur, et a bestiis terrae, et a volucribus Coeli violarentur, et sic dissiparentur. Similiter foret sicut Tabernaculum filiorum Israelis in deserto, in cujus intimo fuit Arca foederis, ac in medio ejus Candelabrum aureum, Altare aureum super quo suffimenta, tum Mensa super qua panes facierum, absque ultimis suis, quae erant aulaea, vela et columnae. Imo foret Verbum absque Sensu literae ejus, sicut Corpus humanum, absque integumentis ejus, quae vocantur Cutes, et absque sustentaculis, quae vocantur Ossa; absque his et illis diffluerent omnia interiora ejus. Ac foret sicut Cor et Pulmo in Thorace, absque integumento suo quod vocatur Pleura, et sustentaculis suis, quae vocantur Costae. Aut sicut Cerebrum, absque integumentis suis, quae vocantur dura et pia Mater, et absque communi Tegumento, Continente et Firmamento suo, quod vocatur Cranium. Simile foret cum Verbo absque Sensu literae ejus; quare dicitur apud Esajam, Quod Jehovah creet super omni gloria obtegumentum, Cap. 4:5.