AC.581, 창6:4, '당시에 땅에는 네피림이 있었고' (AC.580-583)

4절, 당시에 땅에는 네피림이 있었고 그 후에도 하나님의 아들들이 사람의 딸들에게로 들어와 자식을 낳았으니 그들은 용사라 고대에 명성이 있는 사람들이었더라 There were Nephilim in the earth in those days; and most especially after the sons of God went in unto the daughters of man, and they bare to them; the same became mighty men, who were of old, men of renown.

 

581

That by the “Nephilim” are signified those who through a persuasion of their own loftiness and preeminence made light of all things holy and true, appears from what precedes and what follows, namely, that they immersed the doctrinals of faith in their yearnings, signified by the “sons of God going in unto the daughters of man, and their bearing unto them.” Persuasion concerning self and its fantasies increases also according to the multitude of things that enter into it, till at length it becomes indelible; and when the doctrinals of faith are added thereto, then from principles of the strongest persuasion they make light of all things holy and true, and become “Nephilim.” That race, which lived before the flood, is such that they so kill and suffocate all spirits by their most direful fantasies (which are poured forth by them as a poisonous and suffocating sphere) that the spirits are entirely deprived of the power of thinking, and feel half dead; and unless the Lord by his coming into the world had freed the world of spirits from that poisonous race, no one could have existed there, and consequently the human race, who are ruled by the Lord through spirits, would have perished. They are therefore now kept in a hell under as it were a misty and dense rock, under the heel of the left foot, nor do they make the slightest attempt to rise out of it. Thus is the world of spirits free from this most dangerous crew, concerning which and its most poisonous sphere of persuasions, of the Lord’s Divine mercy hereafter. These are they who are called “Nephilim,” and who make light of all things holy and true. Further mention is made of them in the Word, but their descendants were called “Anakim” and “Rephaim.” That they were called “Anakim” is evident from Moses:

 

거기서 네피림 후손인 아낙 자손의 거인들을 보았나니 우리는 스스로 보기에도 메뚜기 같으니 그들이 보기에도 그와 같았을 것이니라 (민13:33) There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, of the Nephilim, and we were in our own eyes as grasshoppers, and so we were in their eyes. (Num. 13:33)

 

That they were called “Rephaim” appears also from Moses:

 

10이전에는 에밈 사람이 거기 거주하였는데 아낙 족속 같이 강하고 많고 키가 크므로 11그들을 아낙 족속과 같이 르바임이라 불렀으나 모압 사람은 그들을 에밈이라 불렀으며 (신2:10-11) The Emim dwelt before in the land of Moab, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim, who also were accounted Rephaim, as the Anakim, and the Moabites call them Emim. (Deut. 2:10–11)

 

The Nephilim are not mentioned any more, but the Rephaim are, who are described by the prophets to be such as are above stated; as in Isaiah:

 

아래의 스올이 너로 말미암아 소동하여 네가 오는 것을 영접하되 그것이 세상의 모든 영웅을 너로 말미암아 움직이게 하며 열방의 모든 왕을 그들의 왕좌에서 일어서게 하므로 (사14:9) Hell low down has been in commotion for thee, to meet thee in coming, it hath stirred up the Rephaim for thee, (Isa. 14:9)

 

speaking of the hell which is the abode of such spirits. In the same:

 

그들은 죽었은즉 다시 살지 못하겠고 사망하였은즉 일어나지 못할 것이니 이는 주께서 벌하여 그들을 멸하사 그들의 모든 기억을 없이하셨음이니이다 (사26:14) Thy dead shall not live, the Rephaim shall not arise, because thou hast visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish, (Isa. 26:14)

 

where also their hell is referred to, from which they shall no more rise again. In the same:

 

주의 죽은 자들은 살아나고 그들의 시체들은 일어나리이다 티끌에 누운 자들아 너희는 깨어 노래하라 주의 이슬은 빛난 이슬이니 땅이 죽은 자들을 내놓으리로다 (사26:19) Thy dead shall live, my corpse, they shall rise again; awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust, for the dew of herbs is thy dew; but thou shalt cast out the land of the Rephaim; (Isa. 26:19)

 

“the land of the Rephaim” is the hell above spoken of. In David:

 

주께서 죽은 자에게 기이한 일을 보이시겠나이까 유령들이 일어나 주를 찬송하리이까 (시88:10) Wilt thou show a wonder to the dead? Shall the Rephaim arise, shall they confess to thee? (Ps. 88:10)

 

speaking in like manner concerning the hell of the Rephaim, and that they cannot rise up and infest the sphere of the world of spirits with the very direful poison of their persuasions. But it has been provided by the Lord that mankind should no longer become imbued with such dreadful fantasies and persuasions. Those who lived before the flood were of such a nature and genius that they could be imbued, for a reason as yet unknown, concerning which, of the Lord’s Divine mercy hereafter.