2089、“他必生十二个首领”表示从仁而生的信的主要诫命。这从“十二”和“首领”的含义清楚可知：“十二”是指属于信的一切事物；“首领”是指主要特征。圣言的各个地方都提到了“君王”和“首领”；但他们在内义上从来就不是指君王和首领，而是指当下讨论的主题的主要特征。“君王”表示作为一个整体的真理，这在前面早已说明（2015节）；“首领”表示主要真理，或真理的主要方面，也就是诫命（1482节）。这就是为何天使，甚至属灵天使，被称为“君主”（principalities），因为他们拥有真理。“首领”论及伴随仁爱的真理，因为如前所述（2088节），属灵人通过真理，或至少在他们看来是真理的真理从主获得仁爱，并通过这仁爱获得良心。
世人至今不知道“十二”表示信的一切事物。然而，每当数字“十二”出现在圣言中，无论历史部分还是预言部分时，它都没有其它含义。雅各的“十二个儿子”，因而以他们命名的“十二支派”也没有其它含义。这同样适用于主的十二门徒。雅各的每个儿子和十二门徒中的每一个都代表信的某个本质和主要方面。至于雅各的每个儿子，因而以色列的每个支派分别代表什么，蒙主的神性怜悯，等到论述雅各的儿子们时（创世记29-30章）再予以论述。
Potts(1905-1910) 2089
2089. Twelve princes shall he beget. That this signifies the primary precepts which are of charity, is evident from the signification of "twelve," as being all things of faith; and from the signification of "princes," as being primary things. "King" and "princes" are mentioned in various parts of the Word; but in the internal sense they never signify king or princes, but the primary things of the matter in connection with which they are mentioned. (That "kings" signify truths in one complex has been already shown, n. 2015; also that "princes" are the primaries of truth, which are precepts, n. 1482.) Hence the angels-in fact the spiritual angels-are called "principalities," because they are in truths. The term "princes" is predicated from the truths which are of charity; for, as before said (n. 1832), the spiritual, by means of the truths that appear to them as truths, receive charity from the Lord, and through this, conscience. [2] That "twelve" signifies all the things of faith, has been hitherto unknown to the world; and yet whenever the number "twelve" occurs in the Word, whether in the historic or the prophetic part, it signifies nothing else. By the "twelve sons" of Jacob, and derivatively by the "twelve tribes" named from them, the same is signified; and also by the "twelve disciples" of the Lord. Each son of Jacob, and each of the twelve disciples, represented an essential and primary of faith. (What was represented by each son of Jacob, and so by each tribe, will of the Lord's Divine mercy be told in what follows, where the sons of Jacob are treated of, Gen. 29 and 30.)
Elliott(1983-1999) 2089
2089. 'Twelve princes will he beget' means the first and foremost commandments [of faith] inhering in charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'twelve' as all things belonging to faith, and from the meaning of 'princes' as first and foremost features. King and princes are mentioned in various places in the Word, but in the internal sense they nowhere mean king or princes but the first and foremost features of the subject under discussion. That 'kings' means truths taken as a whole has been shown already in 2015, and that 'princes' means the first and foremost aspects of truth, which are commandments, in 1482. For this reason angels, especially spiritual angels, are called principalities, because they are governed by truths. Princes have reference to truths which go with charity because, as stated above in 2088, spiritual people receive charity from the Lord through truths which to them look like truths, and through charity they receive conscience.
[2] Up to now the world has not known that 'twelve' means all things of faith. Yet every time the number twelve occurs in the Word, in historical or in prophetical sections, it has no other meaning. The twelve sons of Jacob, and therefore the twelve tribes named after them, have no other meaning. And the same applies to the Lord's twelve disciples. Each one of Jacob's sons and each of the disciples represented some essential and primary aspect of faith. What each son of Jacob represented, and therefore what each tribe of Israel represented, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on at Gen. 29 and 30, where the sons of Jacob are the subject.
Latin(1748-1756) 2089
2089. `Duodecim principes gignet': quod significet primaria praecepta quae (o)sunt charitatis, constat a significatione `duodecim' quod sint omnia fidei; et a significatione `principum' quod sint primaria: rex et principes passim nominantur in Verbo, sed in sensu interno nusquam significant regem aut principes sed illa quae sunt primaria rei, de qua dicuntur; quod `reges' significent in uno complexu vera, prius n. 2015 ostensum est; quod `principes' primaria veri quae sunt praecepta, n. 1482; inde angeli dicuntur principatus, quia in veris, et quidem angeli spirituales; principes praedicantur ex veris quae sunt charitatis, nam, ut supra n. 2088 {1} dictum, spirituales, per vera apparentia iis ut vera, charitatem et per hanc, conscientiam accipiunt a Domino. [2] Quod `duodecim' significent omnia fidei, hactenus orbi ignotum fuit, et usque quoties numerus duodecim in Verbo tam historico quam prophetico occurrit, nihil aliud significat; per duodecim filios Jacobi, et inde per duodecim tribus secundum illos nominatas, non aliud significatur: similiter per duodecim discipulos Domini; quilibet illorum et horum essentiale {2} et primarium fidei repraesentabat: quid quilibet filius Jacobi, et inde quid quaelibet tribus Israelis, repraesentaverit {3}, ex Divina Domini Misericordia,in sequentibus, ubi de filiis Jacobi, cap. xxix et xxx, Gen. dicetur. @1 A has 2888, I 1482, T 1832, but 2088 seems to be the number intended.$ @2 i aliquid.$ @3 tum quid quilibet apostolus significaverit.$