1823、“取一头三岁大的小母牛，一只三岁大的母山羊，一只三岁大的公绵羊”表示教会的属天事物的代表，这从用来献祭的这些动物的含义清楚可知。凡理性思考的人都无法相信用来献祭的各种动物仅仅指祭牲；或一只公牛、一只小公牛或一只牛犊和一只绵羊、一只小山羊、一只母山羊具有相同的含义，而这些和一只羔羊又具有相同的含义；一只斑鸠和一只雏鸽具有相同的含义；事实上，每种动物都具有自己的特定含义。这一点从以下事实很清楚地看出来：一种动物决不可以用另一种动物来代替被献上；并且经上清楚说明了哪些动物要用于每日的燔祭和献祭，哪些用于安息日和节期，哪些用于甘心祭、还愿祭、平安祭，哪些用于赎愆祭和赎罪祭，哪些用于洁净。除非每种动物都代表并表示某种特定事物，否则这种情况永远不会出现。
至于每一种具体表示什么，这在此解释起来过于冗长。只要知道动物表示属天事物，鸟表示属灵事物，并且每种动物或鸟都表示某种具体的属天或属灵事物就足够了。犹太教会本身，以及与它有关的一切都是诸如构成主国度的那类事物的代表；主的国度只有属天和属灵之物，也就是只有属于爱和信的事物，这也可从前面所解释的洁净和有用的动物的含义很清楚地看出来（45，46，142，143，246，714，715，776节）。在上古教会，这些动物表示天上的良善，所以在后来的教会，当纯外在的敬拜（尽管这种敬拜也是代表）被高度推崇和赞成时，它们就变成了代表。
由于此处论述的主题是教会的状态，并且教会未来状态的性质也被预言了，所以这一切通过类似的代表被指给亚伯兰看，正如此处所记载的。然而，它在内义上仍表示这些事物，这是谁都能知道并想到的。因为除非每一个事物都具有一个灵义，否则“取一头三岁大的小母牛，一只三岁大的母山羊，一只三岁大的公绵羊，一只斑鸠和一只雏鸽；每样从中间劈成两半，一半对着一半摆列”，有什么必要呢？不过，从下文可以看出这些细节表示什么。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1823. Take a three-year-old heifer, and a three-year-old she-goat, and a three-year-old ram, means items that serve to represent the heavenly aspects of religion. This can be seen from the animals' symbolism in sacrifices.
No sound-thinking person can believe that the different species of animals sacrificed had significance only as sacrifices — that an adult ox and young ox (or calf) symbolized the same thing as a sheep, kid, or she-goat; that these had the same meaning as a lamb; or that a turtledove and pigeon chicks meant the same. The truth is that each animal had its own particular symbolism. As evidence, consider the fact that one kind was never offered in place of another. It was specified which were to be used in burnt offerings, daily sacrifices, and Sabbath and festival sacrifices; in freewill offerings, vows, and thanksgiving; in atonement for guilt and sin; and in purification.{*1} This would never have been done if something particular had not been represented and symbolized by each animal.
[2] It would take too long, though, to detail here what each kind symbolizes. It is enough to know here that heavenly traits are what animals symbolize, spiritual traits are what birds symbolize, and each species symbolizes some specific heavenly or spiritual trait. Religion itself, and everything involved in the Jewish religion, served to represent the kinds of things that exist in the Lord's kingdom, which contains only what is heavenly and spiritual. In other words, it contains only what relates to love and faith. This is also fairly clear from the symbolism of clean, useful animals, which are discussed in 45, 46, 142, 143, 246, 714, 715, 776.{*2} In the earliest churches they symbolized heavenly goodness, so later, when the church came to view and acknowledge worship as nothing more than a superficial act (and a representative one at that), they were turned into representations.{*3} [3] Because the subject of the current verse is the state of religion, including a prediction of its future character, this was presented to Abram's view by use of the same kinds of representations. It took place exactly as described here, and yet it symbolizes these things on an inner level. Anyone can see and consider the truth of this. What use would there be in taking a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a chick, dividing them into two pieces, and positioning them just so, if each and every aspect of it were not significant? What that significance is can be seen in the following sections.
Footnotes:
{*1} The sacrificial laws to which Swedenborg here refers appear throughout Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The animals to be sacrificed are precisely detailed in each case, as he observes, and substitutions are apparently made only within the specified groups. [LHC, RS]
{*2} "Clean" here means ritually clean. Clean animals are discussed in 719 and 922:1 in addition to the passages cited here. [LHC]
{*3} For more on this subject, see Swedenborg's discussion in 1361 concerning the shift from symbolism to representation. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 1823
1823. Take a heifer of three years, and a she-goat of three years, and a ram of three years. That this signifies the representatives of the celestial things of the church, is evident from the signification of the same animals in the sacrifices. No one who thinks sanely can believe that the various animals which were sacrificed signified nothing but sacrifices; or that an ox and a bullock or a calf signified the same as a sheep, a kid, and a she-goat, and these the same as a lamb; and that a turtledove signified the same as young pigeons; the fact being that every animal had its own special signification. This may be sufficiently evident from the fact that in no case was one offered instead of another; and that those are expressly named which were to be used in the daily burnt-offerings and sacrifices, those on the Sabbaths and festivals, those used in free-will offerings, vows, and peace-offerings, those in expiation of guilt and sin, and those in purifications; which would never have been so unless something special had been represented and signified by each animal. [2] But what was signified by each particular kind would be too tedious to explain here; it is sufficient to know now that celestial things were signified by the animals, and spiritual things by the birds; and by each kind, some special celestial or spiritual thing. The Jewish Church itself, and all things relating to it, were representative of such things as are of the Lord's kingdom, where there is nothing but what is celestial and spiritual, that is, nothing but what is of love and of faith; as may also be sufficiently evident from the signification of the clean and useful beasts, explained above (n. 45, 46, 142, 143, 246, 714, 715, 776). As in the Most Ancient Churches these were significative of heavenly goods, they afterwards became representative in the church, when worship merely external, which was also representative, was valued and acknowledged. [3] As the state of the church is here treated of, and it is foretold what that state is to be, this was shown to Abram by similar representatives, exactly as is here related; but still such things are signified in the internal sense, as indeed everyone may know and think; for what would be the need of taking a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon, of dividing them into two parts, and placing them so, unless everything had been significative? But what these things signified may be seen from what follows.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1823
1823. 'Take a three year old heifer, and a three year old she-goat, and a three year old ram' means things that are the representatives of the celestial things of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of these same animals in sacrifices. Nobody in his right mind can believe that the various animals that used to be sacrificed meant nothing but sacrifices, or that an ox and a young bull or a calf had the same meaning as a sheep, kid, and she-goat, and these the same as a lamb, and that a turtle dove and fledgling pigeons had similar meanings; for in fact each creature had its own specific meaning. This becomes quite clear from the fact that under no circumstances was one kind of animal offered instead of another, and from the fact that it was explicitly stated which creatures were to be used in the daily burnt- offerings and sacrifices, and which on the sabbath and at festivals; which creatures were to be used in free-will, votive, and communion offerings; which ones were to be used in expiations of guilt and sin; and which in purifications. This would never have been the case if some specific thing had not been represented and meant by each animal.
[2] But as to the specific meaning of each kind, this would take too long to explain here. Here it is enough if one knows that celestial things are meant by the animals and spiritual things by the birds, and that some specific celestial or spiritual thing is meant by each kind of animal or bird. The Church itself, and everything to do with the Jewish Church, was representative of such things as constitute the Lord's kingdom, where nothing but that which is celestial or spiritual exists, that is, nothing but that which belongs to love and faith, as also becomes quite clear from the meaning of clean and useful beasts, dealt with in 45, 46, 142, 143, 246, 714, 715, 776. And because in the Most Ancient Churches beasts meant celestial goods, in the Church existing at a later time when purely external, though representative, worship was highly esteemed and approved of, those beasts became representatives.
[3] Because the state of the Church is the subject here and because the nature of its state in the future is foretold, Abram was shown the same visually by means of similar representatives, exactly as recorded here. Yet quite apart from this, such things are nevertheless meant in the internal sense, as anyone may know and contemplate. For what would have been the need to take a three year old heifer, a three year old she-goat, a three year old ram, a turtle dove and a fledgling, and to divide them in two parts and to lay them out so, unless each single thing had carried a spiritual meaning? But what these details mean becomes clear from what follows below.
Latin(1748-1756) 1823
1823. 'Accipe vitulam triennem, et capram triennem, et arietem triennem': quod significet illa quae repraesentativa sunt caelestium Ecclesiae, constat ex significatione eorundem in sacrificiis: nemo qui sane cogitat, potest credere quod diversa animalia quae sacrificabantur, nihil aliud significarent quam sacrificia, aut quod bos et juvencus aut vitulus, simile ac ovis, haedus, capra, et haec idem ac agnus, et quod simile turtur et pulli columbarum, cum tamen unumquodvis animal suam specialem significationem habuit; quod constare satis potest ex eo quod nusquam unum oblatum sit pro altero, et quod expresse nominata sint quae in holocaustis et sacrificiis quotidianis, sabbatorum et festorum, quae in voluntariis, votivis e eucharisticis, quae in expiatoriis reatus et peccati, quae in purificatoriis, essent; quod nusquam fuisset nisi speciale quid per unumquodvis animal repraesentatum et significatum fuisset; [2] quid autem significet unumquodvis in specie, nimis prolixum foret hic exponere; satis est scire hic quod caelestia sint quae per 'animalia' significantur, et quod spiritualia per 'aves,' et quod per unumquodvis aliquid speciale caeleste et spirituale; ipsa Ecclesia et omnia Ecclesiae Judaicae fuerunt repraesentativa talium quae sunt regni Domini, ubi nihil nisi caeleste et spirituale est, hoc est, nihil nisi quam quod amoris et fidei, ut satis quoque constare potest a significatione bestiarum mundarum et utilium, de quibus n. 45, 46, 142, 143, 246, 714, 715, 776, quae quia in Antiquissimis Ecclesiis caelestia bona significabant, postea in Ecclesia cum cultus modo externus et is repraesentativus aestimabatur et agnoscebatur, repraesentativa facta sunt. [3] Quia hic de statu Ecclesiae agitur, et praedicitur qualis futurus, ostensum est per similia repraesentativa coram Abramo, prorsus ut hic memoratur, sed usque in sensu interno significantur talia; quod quisque potest scire et cogitare; quid enim opus foret vitulam triennem, capram triennem, arietem triennem, turturem et pullum sumere, in binas partes illa dividere, et ita ponere, nisi omnia et singula significativa fuissent? quid autem significant, constare potest a sequentibus.