1940、“我必使你的种极其繁多”表示当理性人把自己置于与良善联合的直觉真理的掌控权之下时,它的繁殖或结实。这从“种”的含义清楚可知,“种”是指爱和信,如前所述(1025,1447,1610节)。然而,此处“使种繁多”表示当理性人臣服于内层真理或神性真理时,理性里面的爱之属天事物的繁殖或结实。“繁多或增多”论及真理,“繁殖或结实”论及良善,这从前面的阐述和说明可以看出来(43,55,913,983节)。不过,由于此处论述的主题是主,所以“繁多”表示繁殖或结实,因为祂的理性里面的一切真理都会变成良善,并由此变成神性,如此处关于祂所宣称的。人的情况则不然,他的理性是由主从真理或对真理的情感中形成的。这情感就是他的良善,他出于这良善行事。
至于人的理性里面的繁殖和增多,这是无法理解的,除非一个人知道流注是怎么回事。对此,大体上可以这么说:每个人都有一个内在人,一个介于中间的理性人和一个外在人,如前所述(978节)。内在人就是他的至内层和人性的源头,或说他凭这至内层而为人,并有别于动物,动物没有这至内层。内在人可以说是主,也就是属于主的属天和属灵事物进入人的门口或入口。那里所发生的一切不是这个人所能理解的,因为它完全在他进行思考所在的理性层之上。看似属于人自己的理性实际上就从属于这至内层或内在人。从主所获得的爱和信的天上事物通过内在人流入理性,然后通过这理性流入外在人中的记忆知识或事实。但所流入的事物照各人的状态而被接受。
理性若不臣服于主的良善和真理,就要么窒息、要么弃绝、要么败坏所流入的事物;当它们流入记忆的感官知识,或记忆中源于感官经验的事实时,更是如此。这就是落在路旁,或石头地上,或荆棘里的种子的含义,如主所教导的(马太福音13:3-7;马可福音4:3-7;路加福音8:5-7)。但当理性臣服并相信主,也就是祂的圣言时,它就像好土或好地,种子落在里面就结出大量果实。
Potts(1905-1910) 1940
1940. In multiplying I will multiply thy seed. That this signifies the fruitfulness of the rational man when it submits itself to the sovereign control of the interior man when this is adjoined to good, is evident from the signification of "seed," as being love and faith (spoken of before, n. 1025, 1447, 1610), but in the present case by "multiplying seed" is signified the fruitfulness of the celestial things of love in the rational, when the rational has submitted itself to interior or Divine truth. "Multiplication" is predicated of truth, and "fruitfulness" of good, as may be seen from what has already been said and shown (n. 43, 55, 913, 983). But as the Lord is here treated of, "multiplying" signifies becoming fruitful, because all the truth in His rational was made good, and thereby Divine, as is here declared concerning Him. It is otherwise in man, whose rational is formed by the Lord from truth or the affection of truth. This affection is his good, from which he acts. [2] How the case is with man's rational in regard to multiplication and fruitfulness cannot be understood unless we know how the case is with influx, of which it may be said in a general way that in everyone there is an internal man, a rational man which is intermediate, and an external man, as before said. It is the internal man that is his inmost from which he is man, and by which he is distinguished from brute animals, which have not such an inmost; and it is as it were the door or entrance for the Lord, that is, for what is celestial and spiritual from the Lord, into man. What is going on there cannot be comprehended by the man, because it is above all his rational, from which he thinks. That rational which appears as man's own is subject to this inmost, or to this internal man, and into this rational through the internal man there inflow from the Lord the heavenly things of love and of faith, and through this rational they inflow into the memory-knowledges that are in the external man; but the things that inflow are received in accordance with the state of each person.
[3] Now unless the rational submits itself to the Lord's goods and truths, it either suffocates, or rejects, or perverts the things that flow in; and this is still more the case when they flow into the sensuous knowledges of the memory. This is what is meant by seed falling on a highway, or upon a rocky place, or among thorns, as the Lord teaches (Matt. 13:3-7; Mark 4:3-7; Luke 8:5-7). But when the rational submits itself and believes the Lord, that is, His Word, the rational is then like good ground or earth, into which the seed falls and bears much fruit.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1940
1940. That 'I will multiply your seed greatly' means the fruitfulness of the rational man when it submits itself to the controlling power of the interior man allied to good is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as love and faith, dealt with already in 1025, 1447, 1610. Here however 'multiplying seed' means the fruitfulness within the rational of the celestial things of love when the rational has submitted itself to truth that is interior or Divine. 'Being multiplied' has reference to truths but 'being fruitful' to goods, as is clear from what has been stated and shown already in 43, 55, 913, 983. But as the subject is the Lord, 'being multiplied' means being fruitful for the reason that all truth within His Rational became good and so Divine; and this is what is being referred to here. In man's case it is different - his rational is formed by the Lord from truth or the affection for truth. This affection is in him good from which he acts.
[2] As regards multiplication and fruitfulness within man's rational, this cannot be understood unless one knows about influx, regarding which the following may be said of it in general: Within everybody, as stated already, there is the internal man, the rational man, which is in the middle, and the external man. The internal man is the inmost part of him by virtue of which he is a human being and which makes him distinct and separate from animals, which do not possess that inmost part. The internal man is so to speak the door or entrance for the Lord, that is, for celestial and spiritual things that are the Lord's, to come into a person. What goes on there the individual cannot comprehend since it is entirely above his rational from which he thinks. To this inmost or internal man the rational which appears as the person's own is subordinate. Into this rational by way of that internal man flow heavenly things of love and faith from the Lord; and by way of this rational they flow on into the facts that belong to the external man. But how these things flowing in are received depends on the individual person's state.
[3] Unless the rational is submissive to goods and truths that are the Lord's this rational either stifles, or rejects, or perverts the things that flow in, the more so when they flow into facts in the memory that are derived from sensory evidence. These things when so received are meant by the seed that falls either on the pathway, or over stony ground, or among thorns, as the Lord teaches in Matt 13:3-7; Mark 4:3-7; Luke 8:5-7. But when the rational is submissive and believes the Lord, that is, His Word, the rational is like the ground or good soil into which the seed falls and bears much fruit.
Latin(1748-1756) 1940
1940. `Multiplicando multiplicabo semen tuum': quod significet fructificationem rationalis hominis cum se sub potestate interioris hominis adjuncti bono submittit, constat ex significatione `seminis' quod sit amor et fides, de qua prius n. 1025, 1447, 1610; hic autem significatur per `multiplicare semen' fructificatio caelestium amoris in rationali quando rationale se submiserit Vero Interiori seu Divino: `multiplicatio' praedicatur de veris, at `fructificatio' de bonis, ut constat ab illis quae dicta et ostensa sunt prius n. 43, 55, 913, 983; sed quia agitur de Domino, per `multiplicationem' significatur fructificatio, quia omne verum in Rationali Ipsius factum bonum, ita Divinum, quod hic praedicatur: aliter in homine cujus rationale ex vero aut affectione veri a Domino formatur, illa affectio est ejus bonum ex quo agit. [2] Ut sciatur quomodo se habet multiplicatio et fructificatio apud hominem in ejus rationali, non intelligi potest nisi sciatur quomodo se habet cum influxu, de quo haec in genere: apud unumquemvis hominem est internus homo, est rationalis qui medius, et externus, ut prius dictum; internus homo est qui intimum ejus est ex quo est homo et per quem distinguitur a brutis animalibus quae tale intimum non habent, estque ille quasi porta aut introitus Domini, hoc est, caelestium et spiritualium Domini, in hominem; quid ibi peragitur, non capi potest ab homine quia est supra omne ejus rationale ex quo cogitat; huic intimo seu interno homini subjectum est rationale, quod apparet ut hominis proprium; in hoc influunt per internum illum hominem caelestia amoris et fidei a Domino; et per rationale hoc in scientifica quae sunt externi hominis; sed quae influunt, recipiuntur secundum statum cujusvis; [3] nisi rationale se submittat bonis et veris Domini, tunc quae influunt, rationale hoc vel suffocat, vel rejicit, vel pervertit, et adhuc magis cum influunt in scientifica sensualia memoriae; haec sunt, quod `semen vel cadat in viam, vel super petrosum, vel inter spinas,' sicut Dominus docet Matth. xiii 3-7; Marc. iv 3-7; Luc. viii 5-7; at cum rationale se submittit, et credit Domino, hoc est, Verbo Ipsius, tunc est rationale sicut `humus seu terra bona, in quam cadit semen, et multum fructum fert.'