4837# "所以与他兄弟妻子同房的时候，便遗精在地上"象征违背婚姻之爱，这一点从后文可以得到证实。在这个叙述中，各个人物都具有深刻的象征意义。"犹大的长子珥"象征着邪恶的伪谬，这代表了犹太民族最初的属灵状态。"次子俄南"象征着从邪恶之伪谬衍生出的邪恶，这反映了该民族后来的属灵状态。而"第三个儿子示拉"则象征着由此发展出的偶像崇拜，这成为他们长期持续的属灵状态（参4826节）。
俄南的行为——不愿给兄弟留下后裔，反而"遗精在地上"——象征着源于邪恶之伪谬的邪恶。这种行为之所以被视为违背婚姻之爱，是因为从内在意义来看，婚姻象征着教会的本质：良善与真理的结合。源于邪恶之伪谬的邪恶与这种属灵的婚姻完全对立，那些沉浸在这种邪恶中的人，实际上是在抵制良善与真理的神圣结合。
【2】那个民族无论在灵性意义上还是自然意义上都缺乏真正的婚姻之爱，这一点从他们被允许娶多个妻子的事实中可以清楚看出。
在灵性意义上，真正的婚姻之爱与教会的良善与真理密切相关。在有教会的地方，绝不允许一夫多妻的情况发生。因为真正的婚姻之爱只能存在于属于教会或主的国度的人中间，而且必须是两个人之间的结合（参1907，2740，3246节）。
处于真正婚姻之爱中的两个人之间的婚姻对应着天上的婚姻，也就是良善与真理的结合——丈夫对应于良善，妻子对应于那良善的真理。当夫妻处于真正的婚姻之爱中时，他们就体现着这种灵性的结合。
然而，雅各的后裔中间并没有真正的教会，只有教会的代表物，或者说只有教会的外在形式而缺乏其内在实质（参4307，4500节），因此他们被允许实行一夫多妻制。
从灵性的角度来看，一夫多妻的关系在天上会呈现出一个扭曲的形象：一个良善试图与多个彼此不和谐的真理结合。这种状态实际上使得良善无法存在，因为良善的品质来源于真理及真理之间的和谐。当真理之间不和谐时，就无法产生真正的良善。
【3】这种状态还反映出另一个问题：似乎存在着多个教会，而不是一个统一的教会，这些教会按照不同的信仰真理或教义彼此分离。然而，当良善作为本质存在时，教会就是统一的，良善通过各种真理获得其特质并被真理塑造。
教会是天堂的映像，因为它是主在地上的王国。天堂虽然分为多个大小不同的群体，但它们通过良善而成为一体。在天堂中，信仰的真理是与良善和谐共存的，因为这些真理以良善为核心并源于良善。
如果天堂是按照信仰的真理而不是按照良善来区分的，那么天堂就无法存在，因为就不会有统一性。从主而来的生命或灵魂无法在缺乏统一性的状态中运作。这种统一性只能存在于良善中，也就是存在于对主的爱和对邻舍的爱中。
正是爱使一切联合。当对良善与真理的爱存在于每个人心中时，就会形成从主而来的共同纽带，因此主就能将一切联合起来。对良善与真理的爱就是我们所说的对邻舍的爱，因为邻舍就是那些处于良善并因此处于真理中的人，从抽象意义上说就是良善本身及其真理。
这些解释让我们明白了为什么在真正的教会中婚姻必须是一夫一妻制。同时也说明了为什么雅各的后裔被允许娶多个妻子——因为他们中间没有真正的教会，因此教会的代表性无法通过他们的婚姻建立起来，因为他们的行为与真正的婚姻之爱相违背。
4837.“所以与哥哥的妻子同房的时候，便遗种在地上”表婚姻之爱的反面。这从下文清楚可知。“犹大的长子珥”描述了犹太民族起初所陷入的源于邪恶的虚假；次子“俄南”描述了由后来在这个民族当中占主导地位的邪恶之虚假所生的邪恶；三子“示拉”描述了源于此，并且再后来在这个民族当中占主导地位的偶像崇拜（4826节）。邪恶之虚假所生的邪恶由俄南所行的事来描述，即他不愿给他哥哥留种，而是遗种在地。这句话之所以表示婚姻之爱的反面，是因为就内义而言，婚姻关系表示属教会之物，也就是教会的本质要素。教会本质上是良善与真理的婚姻，邪恶之虚假所生的邪恶与该婚姻完全相反，也就是那些陷入这种邪恶的人与该婚姻完全相反。
无论就属灵意义，还是属世意义而言，这个民族没有丝毫婚姻之物。这一点从以下事实很明显地看出来：他们可以娶多个妻子；因为在有属灵意义上的婚姻存在的地方，也就是教会的良善与真理所在的地方，这种行为（即娶多个妻子）是绝不可以的。真正的婚姻绝无可能存在，除非在心有主的教会或国度的人当中，然而在这些人当中也只能存在于两个人之间（1907，2740，3246节）。处于真正婚姻之爱的两个人之间的婚姻，就对应于属天的婚姻，也就是良善与真理的结合；其中：丈夫对应于良善，妻子对应于该良善的真理。此外，他们处于真正的婚姻之爱时，便处于这属天的婚姻。因此，凡教会所在之地，永远不可以娶多个妻子。但是，由于雅各的后代当中没有教会，只有教会的代表，或只有没有内在实质的教会的外壳（4311，4500节），所以他们可以有多个妻子。此外，一个丈夫与多个妻子的婚姻在天堂呈现为这样一个观念或形像，一个良善可以说与多个彼此不一致的真理结合，因而根本就没有良善。事实上，当良善的真理彼此不一致时，该良善就不再是良善，因为良善从真理及其一致性那里获得自己的具体性质。
它还呈现为这样的形象：教会可以说不是一个教会，而是许多个教会；并且这些教会照着信之真理，或教义而彼此分开；而事实上，当良善成为教会的本质要素，并从真理获得自己的具体性质，可以说被这些真理调节时，教会才是一。教会是天堂的一个形象，因为它是主在地上的国。天堂分为许多总体社群，和从属于这些总体社群的小型社群；但它们仍通过良善成为一体。那里的良善使得信之真理彼此一致，因为这些真理关注良善，并以它为基础。如果天堂照着信之真理，而非良善划分，那么天堂就不再是天堂，因为根本不会有任何一致性。事实上，天使不可能从主那里拥有生命的合一或一个灵魂。这种合一只在良善，也就是对主之爱和对邻之爱里面才有可能。因为爱将所有人联结起来；当人人都拥有对良善与真理的爱时，他们就拥有一个共同生命；这生命出自主，因此主就是那将所有人联结起来的。对良善与真理的爱就是所谓的对邻之爱，因为邻舍就是处于良善，并由此处于真理的人，抽象意义上则是良善本身及其真理。从这些事可以看出，为何在教会里面，婚姻必在一夫一妻之间；为何雅各的后代可以娶多个妻子。其原因在于，他们中间没有教会，因此教会的代表无法藉着婚姻建在他们当中，因为婚姻之爱的反面在他们中间占主导地位。
Potts(1905-1910) 4837
4837. And it came to pass, when he came to his brother's wife, and he destroyed it to the earth. That this signifies what is contrary to conjugial love, is evident from what now follows. By Er, Judah's firstborn, is described the falsity of evil in which the Jewish nation was at first; by Onan the second son is described the evil which is from the falsity of evil, in which that nation was afterwards; and by Shelah the third son is described the idolatry thence derived, in which they were thereafter continually (n. 4826). Evil from the falsity of evil is described by what Onan did, that he was not willing to give seed to his brother, but that he destroyed it to the earth. That by this is signified what is contrary to conjugial love, is because in the internal sense by the conjugial is meant what is of the church; for the church is the marriage of good and truth, and to this marriage, evil from the falsity of evil is altogether contrary, that is, those who are in such evil are contrary to this marriage. [2] That this nation had not anything conjugial, whether understood in a spiritual or in a natural sense, is very evident from the fact that they were permitted to have more wives than one; for where there is the conjugial as understood in a spiritual sense, that is, where the good and truth of the church are, consequently where the church is, this is by no means permitted, for the genuine conjugial is never possible except among those with whom the church or kingdom of the Lord is, and not with these except between two (n. 1907, 2740, 3246). Marriage between two persons who are in genuine conjugial love corresponds to the heavenly marriage, that is, to the conjunction of good and truth, the husband corresponding to good, and the wife to the truth of this good; moreover, when they are in genuine conjugial love, they are in this heavenly marriage. Therefore wherever the church is, it is never permitted to have more wives than one; but because there was no church among the posterity of Jacob, but only a representative of a church, or the external of a church without its internal (n. 4311, 4500), it was therefore permitted among them. Further, the marriage of one husband with several wives would present in heaven an idea or image as if one good were conjoined with several truths which do not agree together, and thus as if there was no good; for a good from truths which do not agree together becomes none at all, since good has its quality from truths and their agreement. [3] It would also present an image as if the church were not one, but several, and these distinct from one another according to the truths of faith, or according to doctrinals; when yet it is one when good is the essential in it and this is qualified and as it were modified by truths. The church is an image of heaven; for it is the kingdom of the Lord on earth. Heaven is distinguished into many general societies, and into lesser ones subordinate to these; but still they are one through good; for the truths of faith there are in agreement according to good; for they have regard to good, and are from it. If heaven were distinguished according to the truths of faith, and not according to good, there would be no heaven, for there would be no unanimity; for the angels could not have from the Lord a oneness of life, or one soul. This is possible only in good, that is in love to the Lord, and in love toward the neighbor. For love conjoins all; and when everyone has love for good and truth, they have a common life, which is from the Lord, and thus have the Lord, who conjoins all. The love of good and truth is what is called love toward the neighbor; for the neighbor is he who is in good and thence in truth, and in the abstract sense is good itself and its truth. From these things it may be seen why within the church marriage must be between one husband and one wife; and why it was permitted the descendants of Jacob to take a number of wives; and that the reason for this was that there was no church among them, and consequently a representative of a church could not be instituted among them by marriages, because they were in what is contrary to conjugial love.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4837
4837. 'And so it was, when he came [in] to his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground' means the reverse of conjugial love. [This is clear from the following considerations:] 'Er, Judah's firstborn' is used to describe falsity springing from evil which reigned in the Jewish nation at first, and 'Onan the secondborn' to describe evil begotten by falsity springing from evil which reigned in that nation later on. And 'Shelah the third son' is used to describe the idolatry which followed on from this and reigned in that nation at a still later time, 4826. Evil begotten by falsity springing from evil is described by the action Onan took, which was this: Being unwilling to provide seed for his brother, he spilled it on the ground. The reason this means that which is the reverse of conjugial love is that the conjugial relationship is used to mean in the internal sense that which is the essential element of the Church. Essentially the Church is a marriage of goodness and truth; and evil begotten by falsity springing from evil is the complete reverse of that marriage, that is, those with whom that kind of evil exists are the reverse of it.
[2] Nothing of true marriage meant both in a spiritual sense and in a natural one existed with that nation. This is quite evident from the fact that men were permitted to marry more than one wife; for where a marriage meant in a spiritual sense exists - that is, where the good and truth of the Church exist, consequently where the Church exists - that practice is not at all permitted. Genuine marriage cannot possibly exist except among those with whom the Lord's Church or kingdom exists, yet not with these except between pairs, 1907, 2740, 3246. The marriage of a pair in whom genuine conjugial love is present corresponds to the heavenly marriage, that is, to good and truth joined together. That is to say, the husband corresponds to good and the wife to the truth of that good. Also, when genuine conjugial love is present in them, that heavenly marriage is present too. Therefore where the Church exists men are never permitted to marry more than one wife. But because no Church existed among those descended from Jacob, only that which was a representative of the Church - that is, the external shell of the Church without its internal substance, 4307, 4500 - they were therefore permitted to have more than one. Furthermore the marriage of one husband to a number of wives would present in heaven an idea or image in which so to speak one good was joined to a number of truths which do not agree with one another, and so an image in which there was no good at all. For when its truths do not agree with one another good ceases to be good, since good receives its particular nature from truths and their agreement with one another.
[3] It would also present an image in which so to speak the Church was not one Church but many, set apart from one another along the lines of the truths of faith, that is, along doctrinal lines, when in fact the Church is one if good is the essential element there and this receives its particular nature from truths and is so to speak moderated by these. The Church is an image of heaven, because it is the Lord's kingdom on earth. Heaven consists of many distinct and separate general communities, and of smaller ones subordinate to these general ones; nevertheless good makes them a united whole. Good there enables the truths of faith to stand in agreement with one another; for these look to good and are grounded in it. If the truths of faith and not good were the lines along which parts of heaven were separated from one another, heaven would cease to be heaven, because there would not be any unanimity at all. For their oneness of life or unity in soul could not come to them from the Lord and exist among them. That oneness dwells solely within good, that is, within love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour. Love binds everyone together, and when the love of what is good and true is present in each individual, everyone shares that which comes from the Lord, so that the Lord is the One who binds everyone together. The love of what is good and true is called love towards the neighbour, for the neighbour is one with whom good and accompanying truth are present, and in the abstract sense good itself and its truth. From these considerations one may see why within the Church marriage must be a relationship involving one husband and one wife, and why the descendants of Jacob were permitted to marry more than one wife. They were permitted to do so for the reason that no Church existed among them, and therefore a representative of the Church could not be established among them by means of marriages, because the reverse of conjugial love reigned among them.
Latin(1748-1756) 4837
4837. `Et fuit, cum venit ad uxorem fratris sui, et perdidit ad terram': quod significet contrarium amori conjugiali [, constat ex sequentibus]; describitur per `Erum primogenitum Jehudae' falsum mali, in quo primum fuit gens Judaica; et per `Onan secundo genitum' describitur malum quod ex falso mali, in quo postea fuit illa gens; et per `Shelah filium tertium' describitur idololatricum quod inde, in quo dein continue fuerat, (o)n. 4826: malum ex falso mali describitur per id quod fecerat Onan, quod nempe semen non dare vellet fratri, sed quod `perderet ad terram'; quod per id significetur contrarium amori conjugiali, est quia per conjugiale (o)in sensu interno intelligitur id quod est Ecclesiae; est enim Ecclesia conjugium boni et veri; huic conjugio prorsus contrarium est malum ex falso mali, hoc est, contrarii conjugio isti sunt qui in tali malo. [2] Quod non fuerit genti illi aliquod conjugiale tam in sensu spirituali quam in naturali intellectum, patet manifeste ex eo quod ei permissum fuerit plures uxores ducere; ubi enim est conjugiale in sensu spirituali intellectum, hoc est, ubi bonum et verum Ecclesiae, consequenter ubi {1} Ecclesia, ibi nequaquam hoc permittitur; nam genuinum conjugiale nusquam dabile est quam apud illos apud quos Ecclesia seu regnum Domini est, et apud hos non nisi quam inter binos, n. 1907, 2740, 3246; conjugium inter binos qui in genuino amore conjugiali sunt, correspondet conjugio caelesti, hoc est, conjunctioni boni et veri {2}, mari nempe bono et uxor vero illius boni; etiam cum in genuino amore conjugiali sunt, in illo conjugio sunt; quapropter ubi Ecclesia, nusquam permissum est plures uxores ducere; at quia non fuit Ecclesia apud posteritatem ex Jacobo, sed modo repraesentativum Ecclesia seu externum Ecclesiae absque interno ejus, (o)n. 4307, 4500, ideo apud illam permissum est; et praeterea conjugium unius mariti cum pluribus uxoribus sisteret in caelo (o)ideam seu imaginem sicut unum bonum conjungeretur pluribus veris quae inter se non concordant, et sic quod bonum nullum esset; nam bonum ex non concordantibus veris nullum fit, bonum enim a veris et eorum inter se concordantia suum quale habet; [3] sisteret etiam imaginem sicut Ecclesia non una foret, sed plures, et hae distinctae inter se secundum vera fidei seu secundum doctrinalia, cum tamen una est cum bonum ibi est essentiale, et id qualificatur et quasi modificatur per vera; Ecclesia est imago caeli, nam est regnum {3} Domini in terris; caelum distinguitur in plures societates communes, ei his subordinatas minores, sed usque unum sunt per bonum; vera fidei se habent ibi secundum bonum congrue, illa enim bonum {4} spectant et ex eo sunt; si distinctum foret caelum secundum vera fidei et non secundum bonum, caelum nullum foret, nam nihil unanimitatis esset, unum enim vitae seu una anima non potuisset illis esse a Domino;hoc solum datur in bono, hoc est, in amore in Dominum et in amore erga proximum; (m)amor enim conjungit omnes, et cum amor boni et veri est singulis, tunc est commune quod a Domino, ita Dominus Qui conjungit omnes; amor boni et vi est qui amor erga proximum vocatur, nam proximus est qui in bono et inde vero, ac in sensu abstracto {5} ipsum bonum et ejus verum.(n) Ex his constare potest cur conjugium intra Ecclesiam erit inter unum maritum et unam uxorem; et cur permissum posteris Jacobi plures uxores ducere, et quod hoc ob causam quia non ibi Ecclesia fuit, et proinde {6} ibi repraesentativum Ecclesiae (o)non institui potuit per conjugia, quia in contrario fuerunt amori conjugiali. @1 i est$ @2 i ibi$ @3 caelum$ @4 id enim$ @5 i est$ @6 nec$