2041、“你们都要对包皮肉行割礼”表示除去对自己和世界的爱。这从“割礼”的代表和含义，以及“肉”的含义清楚可知：“割礼”是指洁除污秽的爱，如前所述（2039节）；“肉”是指人的自我，如前所述（999节）。人的自我无非是对自己和世界的爱，因而是源于这些爱的一切欲望。至于这爱何等污秽，这在第一卷已经说明（141，150，154，210，215，694，731，874-876，987，1047节）。由于所表示的是要除去的这自我，所以它在此被称为“包皮肉”。
有两种所谓的爱及其欲望阻碍来自主的天堂之爱的流注。当这些爱掌控内层人和外在人，并占领那里时，它们要么弃绝、要么窒息天堂之爱的流注，还败坏并玷污它，因为它们与天堂之爱完全相反；蒙主的神性怜悯，以后我将说明这一点（2045节）。然而，这些爱被除去到何等程度，从主流入的天堂之爱就开始显现，事实上，开始在内层人中发光到何等程度；并且他在何等程度上开始发现自己被邪恶和虚假围困，然后发现他实际上被不洁和污秽围困，最后发现这是他的自我。那些正在重生的人就是这些爱正被除去的人。
就连未重生者也能看到这一点，因为有时这些爱的欲望会在他们里面沉寂下来（如他们沉思神圣事物时的情形），或休眠（如他们陷入不幸、病痛和恶疾，尤其处在临死那一刻时的情形）。在这些时候，肉体和世俗事物就会休眠，仿佛死去；他们会意识到天堂之光的某种事物和随之而来的安慰。但对这些人来说，自私的欲望并未除去，只是被催眠了。一回到原先的状态，他们就立刻陷入这些欲望。
对恶人来说，肉体和世俗事物能被催眠；然后，这些人能被提升到一个类似天堂的地方。这种情形有时发生在来世的灵魂，尤其新来的灵魂身上。他们强烈渴望看见主的荣耀，因为他们活在世上时听了太多关于天堂的事了。在这种时候，上述外在事物就在他们里面被催眠，他们以这种方式被带到第一层天堂，在那里满足他们的渴望。但他们不能长时间地留在那里，因为肉体和世俗事物只是沉寂下来，而不像在天使身上那样消失（对此，参看541，542节）。要知道，天堂之爱不断从主流入人，除了这些爱的欲望和源于它们的虚假外，没有什么东西会妨碍或阻止它，或使人不能接受它。
Potts(1905-1910) 2041
2041. Ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin. That this signifies the removal of the love of self and of the world, is evident from the representation and signification of "circumcision," as being purification from filthy loves (explained above, n. 2039); and from the signification of "flesh," as being what is man's own (treated of before, n. 999). That which is man's own is nothing but the love of self and of the world, thus is all the derivative cupidity; and how filthy this is has been shown in Part First (n. 141, 150, 154, 210, 215, 694, 731, 874-876, 987, 1047). As this Own of man which is to be removed is signified, the expression "flesh of the foreskin" is made use of. [2] There are two so-called loves and their cupidities that obstruct the influx of heavenly love from the Lord; for when these loves reign in the interior and in the external man, and take possession thereof, they either reject or suffocate, and also pervert and contaminate, the inflowing heavenly love; for they are utterly contrary to heavenly love, as will of the Lord's Divine mercy be shown hereafter. But insofar as these loves are removed, so far the heavenly love flowing in from the Lord begins to appear, nay, to give light in the interior man; and so far he begins to see that he is in evil and falsity; next that he is actually in uncleanness and filthiness; and finally that this has been his Own. They who are becoming regenerate are those with whom these loves are being removed. [3] Observation of this removal is possible also with the unregenerate, for when the cupidities of these loves are quiescent in them, as sometimes occurs when they are in holy meditation, or when the cupidities are lulled, as happens when they are in misfortunes, in sicknesses, and diseases, and especially at the moment of death, then, because bodily and worldly things are lulled and as it were dead, they observe something of heavenly light and the consequent comfort. But with these persons there is not removal of the cupidities in question, but only a lulling of them, for when they return into their former state, they at once relapse into the same cupidities. [4] With the evil also, bodily and worldly things can be lulled, and they can then be as it were uplifted into a kind of heavenliness, as sometimes takes place with souls in the other life, especially those newly arrived, who intensely desire to see the glory of the Lord, because they had heard so much about heaven while they lived in the world. The external things above referred to are then lulled in them, and in this way they are carried into the first heaven and enjoy their desire. But they cannot remain long, because there is only a quiescence of the bodily and worldly things, and not a removal of them, as with the angels (concerning which, see n. 541, 542). Be it known that heavenly love is continually inflowing into man from the Lord, and that nothing else obstructs and impedes it, and causes its reception by the man impossible, except the cupidities of those loves and the falsities derived from them.
Elliott(1983-1999) 2041
2041. 'You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin' means the removal of self-love and love of the world. This is clear from the representation and the meaning of 'circumcision' as purification from filthy loves, dealt with just above in 2039, and also from the meaning of 'flesh' as man's proprium, dealt with already in 999. Man's proprium consists of nothing but self-love and love of the world, and so of every desire that stems from those loves. Just how filthy it is has been shown in Volume One, in 141, 150, 154, 210, 215, 694, 731, 874-876, 987, 1047.
Because this proprium that is to be removed is meant it is here called 'the flesh of the foreskin'.
[2] There are two loves so-called, and their desires, which obstruct the influx of heavenly love from the Lord. For when these reign in the interior man and in the external man and take possession there they either reject or they stifle, and also degrade and defile, heavenly love flowing in, for they are absolutely contrary to heavenly love. The fact that they are absolutely contrary will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown later on. To the extent they are removed however, heavenly love flowing in from the Lord starts to make its appearance, and in fact starts to dawn in his interior man; and to that extent he starts to notice first that he is under the influence of evil and falsity, then that he is under the influence of what is impure and filthy, and lastly that this has been his proprium.
[3] It is with those who are being regenerated that those loves are removed. That removal may also be recognized from what goes on in those who are not regenerate when the desires belonging to those loves become quiescent, as happens sometimes when they are engaging in meditation on holy things or when they are languishing - as is the case with them in times of misfortune, sickness, and disease, and above all when they are about to die. At these times, since bodily and worldly interests have grown languid and are so to speak dead, such persons become aware of something of heavenly light and of the comfort brought by this. But with these it is not a removal of those desires, only a languishing, for the moment that these people return to their previous state they sink back into those desires.
[4] With the evil as well, bodily and worldly interests can be made to languish, in which case they are able to be raised up into, as it seems, something heavenly, as is sometimes done to souls, especially those newly arrived in the next life, who have an intense desire to see the glory of the Lord because during their lifetime in the world they have heard so much about heaven. At such times their external interests languish and in this condition they are conveyed into the first heaven and enjoy what they have desired. But they are not able to remain there for long because their bodily and worldly interests are merely quiescent and have not been removed, as they have been with angels, regarding which see 541, 542. It should be realized that with man heavenly love from the Lord is flowing in constantly, and that nothing else stands in the way, obstructs, or prevents the reception of it than the desires belonging to those loves, and the falsities resulting from them.
Latin(1748-1756) 2041
2041. `Circumcidetis carnem praeputii vestri': quod significet remotionem amoris sui et mundi, constat ex repraesentatione et significatione `circumcisionis' quod sit purificatio a spurcis amoribus, de qua mox supra n. 2039; tum a significatione `carnis' quod sit proprium hominis, de qua prius n. 999; proprium hominis non est nisi amor sui et mundi, ita omnis cupiditas quae inde, quod quam spurcum sit, ostensum (o)est in Parte Prima n. 141, 150, 154, 210, 215, 694, 731, 874-876, 987, 1047; quia hoc proprium significatur quod removendum, hic dicitur `caro praeputii.' [2] Sunt bini {1} amores ita dicti, et eorum cupiditates, quae impediunt influxum amoris caelestis a Domino; illi enim cum regnant in interiore et externo homine, et eum occupant, tunc influentem amorem caelestem vel rejiciunt vel suffocant, ut et pervertunt et contaminant, nam prorsus contrarii sunt amori caelesti; quod prorsus contrarii sint, ex Divina Domini Misericordia, in sequentibus demonstrabitur; at quantum removentur, tantum amor caelestis influens a Domino incipit apparere, immo illucescere in interiore ejus homine, et tantum incipit videre quod in malo et falso sit, (o)immo dein in immundo et spurco, denique quod hoc fuerit ipsius proprium; [3] sunt ii qui regenerantur apud quos illi removentur; hoc quoque a non regeneratis potest appercipi, apud quos dum amorum istorum cupiditates quiescunt, ut fit quandoque dum in meditatione sancta sunt vel dum sopiuntur, quod fit dum in infortuniis sunt, in aegritudinibus et morbis et maxime in momentis mortis, tunc quia corporea et mundana sopita sunt et quasi mortua, appercipiunt aliquid luminis caelestis, et solatii inde; sed apud hos non est remotio illarum cupiditatum, sed modo sopitio, nam ilico dum in statum pristinum redeunt, in cupiditates illas relabuntur: [4] apud malos etiam sopiri possunt corporea et mundana, et tunc elevari quasi in quoddam caeleste, ut quandoque fit cum animabus, imprimis recentibus in altera vita, qui intense cupiunt videre gloriam Domini quia tantum de caelo audiverunt in mundo cum vixerunt; illis tunc sopiuntur externa illa, et sic evehuntur in primum caelum, et fruuntur desiderio suo; sed non diu subsistere possunt, quia est modo quiescentia {2} corporeorum et mundanorum, non autem remotio ut apud {3} angelos, de quibus videatur n. 541, 542. Sciendum est quod amor caelestis a Domino continue influat apud hominem, et quod nihil aliud sit quod obstat, impedit, et facit quod {4} illum recipere nequeat, quam cupiditates amorum illorum et falsitates inde. @1 i hi$ @2 sopitio.$ @3 `i regeneratos et.$ @4 ut.$