149、在圣言中，“骨”也表示人的自我，事实上是被主赋予生命的自我，如在以赛亚书：
耶和华必在干旱之地使你的灵魂饱足，骨头自由；你必像浇灌的园子。（以赛亚书58:11）
又：
你们看见，就心中快乐，你们的骨头必如嫩草生长。（以赛亚书66:14）
诗篇：
我的骨头都要说，耶和华啊，谁能像你？（诗篇35:10）
这一点从以西结书看得更清楚，在那里，以西结描述了长出肉并有灵被放入里面的骨头：
耶和华的手将我放在山谷中间，这山谷遍满骸骨；祂对我说，你向这些骸骨发预言，对它们说，枯干的骸骨啊，你们要听耶和华的话。主耶和华对这些骸骨如此说，看哪，我必使灵（或气息）进入你们里面，你们就要活了。我必给你们加上筋，使你们长肉，又将皮遮蔽你们，把灵（或气息）放入你们里面，你们就要活了，你们便知道我是耶和华。（以西结书37:1，4-6）
从天上观之，人的自我看上去就像某种骨状、毫无生命、极其丑陋的东西，因而就像本身死亡之物。不过，一旦从主获得生命，它就看似某种有肉的东西。因为人的自我完全是死的东西，尽管在他看来，这自我是某种东西，甚至是全部。凡在他里面活着的东西，都来自主；如果这种东西真的离开他，他必像石头那样仆倒而死。因为人只是一个生命的器官，器官如何，生命的情感就如何，或说器官的性质决定了生命情感的性质。
唯独主拥有自我；祂凭这自我救赎人，又凭这自我拯救他。主的自我就是生命，人的自我本身是死的，但从主的自我获得生命。主在路加福音中的话也表示主的自我：
灵无肉无骨，你们看，我是有的。（路加福音24:39）
逾越节羔羊的骨头一根也不可折断（出埃及记12:46）同样表示主的自我。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]149. The Word also uses bones as a symbol for a person's sense of self and specifically for a sense of self brought to life by the Lord. In Isaiah:
Jehovah will satisfy your soul in the barrens, and he will make your bones ready; and you will be like a well-watered garden. (Isaiah 58:11)
In the same author:
Then you will see, and your heart will rejoice, and your bones will be like sprouting grass. (Isaiah 66:14)
In David:
All my bones will say, "Jehovah, who is like you?" (Psalms 35:10)
This appears still more clearly in Ezekiel, where it talks about bones that will take on flesh and have breath enter them:
The hand of Jehovah put me in the middle of the valley, and the valley was full of bones. And he said to me, "Prophesy over those bones, and you are to say to them, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of Jehovah. This is what the Lord Jehovih has said to these bones: "See? I am bringing breath into you, and you will live. And I will put tendons on you and bring flesh up over you and draw skin over you and put breath in you, and you will live. And you will know that I am Jehovah."'" (Ezekiel 37:1, 4, 5, 6)
[2] Human selfhood, viewed from heaven, looks completely bony, lifeless, and hideous — inherently dead. But once the Lord gives it life, it appears to have flesh. Human selfhood is in fact nothing more than a dead trifle, even though it seems to its owner to be significant and indeed all-important. Anything living in us comes from the Lord's life. If his life withdrew from us, we would fall dead as a stone. We are merely organs designed to receive life, but the nature of the organ that we are determines how we respond to that life.
Only the Lord has autonomy. By his own power he redeems us and by his own power he saves us. This autonomy or selfhood of his is life, and it causes our selfhood, which is inherently dead, to come alive. The Lord's words in Luke symbolize his selfhood:
A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have. (Luke 24:39-40)
Another sign was the fact that not a bone of the Passover lamb was to be broken (Exodus 12:46).{*1}
Footnotes:
{*1} Passover is a celebration of Israelite deliverance from Egypt as described in Exodus 12. It included the sacrifice of an unblemished lamb. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 149
149. In the Word also, man's Own is signified by "bones" and indeed an Own vivified by the Lord, as in Isaiah:
Jehovah shall satisfy thy soul in droughts, and make thy bones alert, and thou shalt be like a watered garden (Isa. 58:11). Again:
Then shall ye see, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall sprout as the blade (Isa. 66:14). In David:
All my bones shall say, Jehovah, who is like unto Thee? (Ps. 35:10). This is still more evident from Ezekiel, where he speaks of bones receiving flesh, and having spirit put into them:
The hand of Jehovah set me in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones; and He said to me, prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of Jehovah; thus saith the Lord Jehovih to these bones, Behold, I bring breath [spiritus] into you, and ye shall live, and I will lay sinews upon you, and will make flesh come upon you, and cover you with skin, and I will put breath [spiritus] in you, and ye shall live, and ye shall know that I am Jehovah (Ezek. 37:1, 4-6). [2] The Own of man, when viewed from heaven, appears like a something that is wholly bony, inanimate, and very ugly, consequently as being in itself dead, but when vivified by the Lord it looks like flesh. For man's Own is a mere dead thing, although to him it appears as something, indeed as everything. Whatever lives in him is from the Lord's life, and if this were withdrawn he would fall down as dead as a stone; for man is only an organ of life, and such as is the organ, such is the life's affection. The Lord alone has what is His Own; by this Own He redeemed man, and by this Own He saves him. The Lord's Own is Life, and from His Own, man's Own, which in itself is dead, is made alive. The Lord's Own is also signified by the Lord's words in Luke:
A spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have (Luke 24:39). It was also meant by not a bone of the paschal lamb being broken (Exod. 12:46).
Elliott(1983-1999) 149
149. In the Word also 'bones' means the proprium, a proprium indeed given life by the Lord, as in Isaiah, Jehovah will satisfy your soul in arid places, and will render your bones free; and you will be like a watered garden. Isa 58:11.
In the same prophet,
Then you will see, and your heart will be joyful, and your bones will flourish like the grass. Isa 66:14.
In David,
All my bones will say, O Jehovah, who is like You? Ps 35:10.
This is plainer still in Ezekiel where he describes the bones receiving flesh and having spirit put in them, The hand of Jehovah set me down in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones. And He said to me, Prophesy over these bones and say to them, O dry bones, hear the Word of Jehovah: Thus said the Lord Jehovih to these bones, Behold, I am bringing spirita into you and you will live. And I will lay sinews upon you and cause flesh to come over you and cover you with skin, and I will put spirit you, and you will live; and you will know that I am Jehovah. Ezek 37:1, 4-6.
[2] Man's proprium when viewed from heaven looks just like something bony, lifeless, and utterly misshapen, and so in itself something dead. But once it has received life from the Lord it appears as something having flesh. For man's proprium is something altogether dead, though it has the appearance to him of being something; indeed it appears to be everything. Whatever is living within him comes from the Lord's life; and if this were to leave him, he would fall down dead as a stone. For he is purely an organ of life, though the nature of the organ determines that of the life-affection. The Lord alone possesses Proprium. By His Proprium He has redeemed man and by His Proprium saves him. The Lord's Proprium is Life, and from His Proprium man's proprium, which in itself is dead, is given life. The Lord's Proprium was also meant by His words in Luke,
A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see Me have. Luke 24:39, 40.It was also meant by the requirement that no bone of the Paschal lamb be broken, Exod 12:46.
Latin(1748-1756) 149
149. In Verbo etiam proprium per 'ossa' significatur; et quidem proprium vivificatum a Domino apud Esaiam, Jehovah...saturabit in ariditatibus animam tuam, ac ossa tua expedita reddet, et eris sicut hortus irriguus, lviii II:apud eundem, Tum videbitis, et gaudebit cor vestrum, et ossa vestra, sicut herba, germinabunt, lxvi 14:
apud Davidem, Omnia ossa mea dicent, Jehovah, quis sicut Tu? Ps. xxxv 10: apud Ezechielem adhuc evidentius ubi de ossibus, quod carnem acciperent et spiritus eis induceretur, Manus Jehovae...posuit me in medio vallis, et ea plena ossibus,...et dixit ad me, Propheta super ossibus istis; et dicas ad ea, O ossa arida, audite Verbum Jehovae; sic dixit Dominus Jehovih ossibus his, Ecce Ego adducens in vos spiritum, et vivetis; et dabo super vos nervos, et ascendere faciam super vos carnem, et obducam super vos cutem, et dabo in vobis spiritum, et vivetis, et scietis, quod Ego Jehovah, xxxvii I, 4-6. Proprium hominis cum inspicitur e caelo apparet prorsus ut osseum inanimatum et deformissimum quid, ita mortuum in se; sed vivificatum a Domino, ut carneum; nam proprium hominis nihil nisi quam mortuum quid est, tametsi ei apparet sicut aliquid, immo sicut omne; quicquid vivit apud eum, est ex vita Domini, quae si recederet, caderet mortuus sicut lapis; nam est solum organum vitae, sed quale organum talis affectio vitae. Solus Dominus habet Proprium, ex Proprio redemit hominem, et ex Proprio salvat hominem; Proprium Domini est Vita, ex Cujus Proprio vivificatur proprium hominis, quod in se mortuum est. Proprium Domini significatum quoque est per Domini verba apud Lucam, Spiritus carnem et ossa non habet, sicut videtis Me habere, xxiv 39, 40;
significatum etiam est per id, quod Os pecudis paschalis non frangeretur, Exod. xii 46.