10240.由于“洗”也表示重生，所以对此有必要进一步说一说。人若不知道，无论在先知书还是在福音书中，主都通过对应说话，因此圣言拥有一种内义，就不可能知道主在约翰福音中所说的这些话是什么意思：
我实实在在地告诉你，人若不是从水和灵生的，就不能进神的国。从肉身生的，就是肉身；从圣灵生的，就是灵。圣灵（同词：风）随着意思吹，你听见它的响声，却不晓得它从哪里来，往哪里去；凡从圣灵生的，也是如此。（约翰福音3:5，6，8）
如果这些话通过对应来解释，那么它们的含义是显而易见的，因为它们包含天堂的奥秘。由于对应关系，“水”表示信之真理，这真理在属世人里面是可以清晰感知的；“圣灵”表示从主经由人的内在人流入他的外在人或属世人的神性真理，正在重生的这个人所拥有的信之生命就源于这神性真理；“肉身”是指人自己的东西，或人的自我，人的自我无非是邪恶；“圣灵（同词：风）随着意思吹”表示主因其怜悯而通过神性真理赋予新生命；“你听见它的响声”表示这生活在外在人或属世人中是可感知的，“响声”表示圣言所宣告的东西；“不晓得它从哪里来，往哪里去”表示人不知道他的重生是如何实现的，因为主以不计其数、无法形容的隐秘方式实现他的重生。
由于对应，“水”表示信之真理（参看28，739，2702，3058，3424，4976，5668，8568，9323，10238节）；“圣灵”表示神性真理，信之生命源于这真理（9229，9818节）；“肉身”表示人自己的东西，或人的自我，这自我无非是邪恶（8409节）；“吹”表示信之生命的状态（参看9281节）；“响声”表示圣言所宣告的东西，因而表示源于圣言的真理（9926节）；“听”表示觉察（9311，9926节）；“来和去”，或进来和出去表示事情从开始到结束的状态（9927节）；重生的隐秘方式是不计其数，无法形容的（3179，3573，5398，9334e，9336节）；当人在世上时，内在人中所发生的事是觉察不到的，只有外在人或属世人中所发生的事是可以觉察到的（10236节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 10240
10240. As by "washing" is also signified regeneration, something further shall be said about this. He who does not know that the Lord, both in the Prophets and in the Evangelists, spoke by correspondences, consequently that in the Word there is an internal sense, cannot possibly know what is meant by the Lord's words in John:
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; but that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. The Spirit bloweth where it willeth, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh and whither it goeth; so is everyone that is born of the Spirit (John 3:5, 6, 8). [2] If these words are unfolded by means of correspondences, it is plain what their meaning is, for they are arcana of heaven. By correspondence "water" is the truth of faith which comes to clear perception in the natural man; "the Spirit" is the Divine truth which flows in from the Lord through the internal of man into his external or natural, whereby the man who is being regenerated has the life of faith; "the flesh" is what is man's own, which is nothing but evil; by "the Spirit blowing where it willeth" is signified that the Lord in mercy gives new life by means of the Divine truth; by "hearing the voice thereof" is signified that these things come to perception in the external or natural man; "the voice" denotes what is announced from the Word; by "not knowing whence it cometh and whither it goeth" is signified that man does not know how regeneration is effected, for it is effected by the Lord by means of countless and unutterable secret things. [3] That by correspondence "waters" are truths of faith, see n. 28, 739, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, 8568, 9323, 10238; also that "the Spirit" is Divine truth, from which is the life of faith (n. 9229, 9818); that "flesh" is what is man's own, which is nothing but evil (n. 8409); that "breathing" is the state of the life of faith (see n. 9281); that the "voice" is what is announced from the Word, thus truth therefrom (n. 9926); that "hearing" is perception (n. 9311, 9926); that "to come and to go," or to enter in and go out, is the state of the thing from beginning to end (n. 9927); that the secret things of regeneration are countless and unutterable (n. 3179, 3573, 5398, 9334, 9336); and that what goes on in the internal man is not perceived while the man is in the world, but only what is in the external or natural man (n. 10236).
Elliott(1983-1999) 10240
10240. Since 'washing' also means regeneration something more must be said about it. Anyone who does not know that both in the Prophets and in the Gospels the Lord used correspondences when He spoke, and that consequently the Word has an inner meaning, cannot possibly know what the Lord's words in John serve to mean,
Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a person has been born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, but that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. The Spirit breathes where it wishes, and you hear its voice; but you do not know where it comes from and where it goes away to. So is everyone who is born from the Spirit. John 3:5,6,8.
[2] The meaning of these words is revealed if correspondences are used to explain them; for they contain the arcana of heaven. By virtue of its correspondence 'water' means the truth of faith, which is clearly perceptible within the natural. 'The Spirit' means Divine Truth which flows in from the Lord by way of a person's internal into his external or natural, and from that Truth springs the life of faith which the person who is being regenerated possesses. 'Flesh' is the person's proprium or selfhood, which is nothing but evil. 'The Spirit breathes where it wishes' means that in His mercy the Lord imparts new life by means of Divine Truth. 'You hear its voice' means that this life is perceptible in the external or natural man, 'voice' meaning what is declared by the Word. 'You do not know where it comes from or where it goes away to' means that a person does not know how his regeneration is accomplished, for the Lord accomplishes it in hidden ways that are countless and beyond description.
[3] By virtue of its correspondence 'water' means the truths of faith, see 28, 739, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, 8568, 9323, 10238. 'The Spirit' means Divine Truth, from which the life of faith springs, 9229, 9818. 'Flesh' means a person's proprium, which is nothing but evil, 8409. 'Breathing' means the state of the life of faith, 9281. 'Voice' means what is declared by the Word, consequently truth derived from it, 9926. 'Hearing' means perception, 9311, 9926. 'Coming' and 'going away' or entering and departing mean the state of affairs from start to finish, 9927. The hidden ways of regeneration are countless and beyond description, 3179, 3573, 5398, 9334(end), 9336. What goes on in the internal man is not perceived while the person is in the world, only what goes on in the external or natural, above in 10236.
Latin(1748-1756) 10240
10240. (s) Quoniam per `lavationem' etiam significatur regeneratio, dicetur adhuc aliquid de illa: qui non scit quod Dominus tam apud Prophetas quam apud Evangelistas per correspondentias locutus sit, proinde quod in Verbo sensus internus sit, nequaquam scire potest quid intelligitur per Domini verba apud Johannem, Amen, amen, dico tibi, Nisi quis generatus fuerit ex aqua et spiritu, non potest ingredi in regnum Dei. Quod natum est e carne, caro est, sed quod generatum est e Spiritu, spiritus est. Spiritus ubi vult spirat, et vocem ejus audis, atqui non scis unde venit et quo abit; sic est omnis qui generatus est a Spiritu, iii 5, 6, 8. Si evolvantur haec per correspondentias, patet quis sensus horum verborum est, sunt enim arcana caeli; ex correspondentia est `aqua' verum fidei, quod in naturali homine ad manifestam perceptionem venit; `Spiritus' est Divinum Verum quod a Domino influit per internum [2] hominis in externum ejus seu {1}naturale, unde homini qui regeneratur, {2} vita fidei; `caro' est proprium hominis, quod non est nisi quam malum; quod `Spiritus spiret ubi vult' significat quod Dominus per Divinum Verum ex Misericordia det vitam novam; quod `vocem ejus audias' significat quod illa ad perceptionem {3}veniat in externo seu naturali homine; `vox' est annuntiatum ex Verbo; quod `non scias unde venit et quo abit' significat quod homo non sciat quomodo regeneratio fit, fit enim per arcana innumerabilia et ineffabilia a Domino. [3] Quod ex correspondentia `aquae' sint vera fidei, videatur n. 28, 739, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, 8568, 9323, 10,238, quod `Spiritus' sit Divinum Verum, ex quo vita fidei, n. (x)9229, 9818, quod `caro' sit proprium hominis, quod non est nisi quam malum, n. 8409, quod `spirare' sit status vitae fidei, n. 9281, quod `vox' sit annuntiatum ex Verbo, ita verum inde, n. 9926, quod `audire' sit perceptio, n. 9311, 9926, quod `venire' et `abire' seu intrare et exire, sit status rei a principio ad finem, n. 9927, quod arcana regenerationis sint innumerabilia et ineffabilia, n. (x)3179, 3573, 5398, 9334 fin., 9336, et quod non percipiatur quid in interno homine peragitur cum homo in mundo est, sed quid in externo seu naturali, supra n. 10,236.(s) @1 naturalem$ @2 i datur$ @3 veniant IT$