264、在圣言中，“怀孕生子”当按纯粹的灵义来理解；也就是说，“怀孕”表示心之思维和想象，“儿子”表示真理。这从何西阿书清楚可知：
至于以法莲，他们的荣耀必如鸟飞去，放弃生产、子宫和成孕。纵然养大儿子，我却必使他们丧子，甚至不留一个。我离开他们时，他们就有祸了。（何西阿书9:11-12）
此处“以法莲”表示那些拥有聪明，也就是理解真理的人；“儿子”表示真理本身。在何西阿书的别处，同样的话论及以法莲，也就是一个聪明，却变得愚拙的人：
生产的疼痛必临到他身上。他是无智慧之子，因为儿子破开子宫时，他未出现。（何西阿书13:13）
以赛亚书：
西顿哪，你当脸红！因为大海说，就是海上的保障说，我没有受过产痛，也没有生产，没有抚养少男，也没有养大少女。这风声一传到埃及，他们就为推罗的风声而阵痛。（以赛亚书23:4-5）
此处“西顿”表示那些拥有信仰的认知或知识，但通过记忆知识摧毁它们，从而变得不生育的人。
同一先知书：
锡安未曾阵痛，就生产，疼痛未曾临到她，她就产下一个男孩。谁曾听见这样的事？谁曾看见这样的事呢？地岂能一日生产？耶和华说，我既使人临产，岂不让她生产呢？你的神说，我既使人生产，岂能使她闭胎呢？（以赛亚书66:7-9）
这论述的是重生，“儿子”同样表示信之真理。良善与真理因是从天上的婚姻孕育并生出的，故在马太福音被主称为“（儿）子”：
那撒好种的，就是人子，田地，就是世界，种子就是天国之子。（马太福音13:37-38）
得救之信的良善与真理被主称为“亚伯拉罕之子”（约翰福音8:39）；因为如前所述（255节），“种”表示信；因此，“种”所出之“子”是信之良善与真理。这也是为何主自己就是“种”，所以祂自称“人子”，也就是教会之信。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]264. Conception and the bearing of children in the Word are taken only in the spiritual sense — conception as the thought and imagination of the heart, and the children born as true ideas. This may be seen in the following words from Hosea:
Ephraim — like a bird will their glory fly away, abandoning birth and the womb and conception. Even if they bring up their children, I will still bereave them, so that not one person is left. Indeed, doom to them, since I will have departed from them. (Hosea 9:11-12)
Here Ephraim symbolizes the intelligent, or an intelligent understanding of truth, and the children symbolize the true ideas themselves. Hosea has more of the same to say about Ephraim, or the intelligent person who has lost all sense:
The pains of a woman in labor came on him. He is an unwise child, because at the time when children break open the womb, he will not present himself. (Hosea 13:13)
In Isaiah:
Blush, Sidon, because the sea, the stronghold of the sea spoke, saying, "I was not in labor, did not give birth, and did not bring up young men or raise young women." As when Egypt receives the news, they will go into labor over the news from Tyre. (Isaiah 23:4-5)
Here Sidon stands for people who had religious knowledge but destroyed it by turning it into mere facts so that it became sterile.
[2] In the same prophet:
"Before she goes into labor she gives birth, and before pain came on her she delivered a male. Who has heard a thing like this? Who has seen things like those? Does the earth labor for one day and I cause it to give birth?" Jehovah has said. "Am I, the bringer of birth, going to close up [the womb]?" your God has said. (Isaiah 66:7-8, 9)
This deals with regeneration, and the children again symbolize the true ideas belonging to faith. Things that are good and true, because they are the things conceived and born of the heavenly marriage, are also called children by the Lord in Matthew:
The one who sows good seed is the Son of Humankind; the field is the world; but the seeds are the children of the kingdom. (Matthew 13:37-38)
In John 8:39 the Lord calls the goodness and truth that belong to a saving faith the "children of Abraham." Seed, after all (as stated in 255), is faith, and therefore children, who come from seed, are the good deeds and true ideas of faith. As a consequence, because the Lord is himself the seed, he called himself the Son of Humankind, meaning the church's faith.
Potts(1905-1910) 264
264. That the "conception and birth of sons" in the Word, are taken in a spiritual sense-"conception" for the thought and device of the heart, and "sons" for truths, is evident from Hosea:
As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb: and from the conception; though they shall have brought up their sons, yet will I bereave them, that they be not man; yea, woe also to them when I depart from them (Hos. 9:11-12), where "Ephraim" signifies the intelligent, or the understanding of truth; and "sons" truths themselves. It is likewise said elsewhere concerning Ephraim, or one who is intelligent, who has become foolish:
The sorrows of one in travail have come upon him, he is an unwise son, for at the time he will not stand in the breach of the womb of sons (Hos. 13:13). And in Isaiah:
Blush, O Zidon, for the sea hath spoken, the fortress of the sea, saying, I have not travailed, nor brought forth, nor have I brought up young men, nor caused girls to grow up; as at the report concerning Egypt, they shall bring forth according to the report of Tyre (Isa. 23:4-5), where "Zidon" means those who have been in the knowledges of faith, but have destroyed them by memory-knowledges [scientifica], and so have become barren. [2] Again in the same prophet, treating of regeneration, and where likewise the truths of faith are signified by "sons": Before she travailed she bringeth forth; and before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child; who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? shall the earth bring forth in one day? and shall I not cause to bring forth? saith Jehovah; shall I cause to bring forth, and close up? saith thy God (Isa. 66:7-9). Goods and truths, being conceived and born of the heavenly marriage, are therefore called "sons" by the Lord in Matthew:
He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man the field is the world and the seed are the sons of the kingdom (Matt. 13:37-38). And the goods and truths of a saving faith He calls "sons of Abraham" (John 8:39); for "seed" (as stated n. 255) denotes faith, wherefore "sons" which are of the "seed" are the goods and truths of faith. Hence also the Lord, as being Himself the "seed" called Himself the "Son of man" that is, the faith of the church.
Elliott(1983-1999) 264
264. In the Word references to the conception and bearing of sons are taken in purely a spiritual sense; that is to say, conception stands for the thought and imagination of the heart, and 'sons' for truths. This becomes clear from the following in Hosea,
As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird, away from birth, and from the womb, and from conception. Even if they bring up their sons I will bereave them so that no human being is left. But woe to them when I shall have departed from them! Hosea 9:11, 12.
Here 'Ephraim' means those who have intelligence, that is, understanding of truth, while 'sons' means truths themselves. A similar reference is made elsewhere in Hosea to Ephraim, that is, a person who has intelligence but has become unwise,
The pains of childbirth have come upon him, he is an unwise son, for now he will not present himself at the mouth of the womb of sons. Hosea 13:13.
And in Isaiah,
Blush, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying, I have not gone into labour, I have not given birth, nor have I reared young men nor brought up young women. As when the report comes to Egypt, they will go into labour over the report of Tyre. Isa 27:4, 5.Here 'Sidon' stands for people who have possessed cognitions of faith but have destroyed them by means of facts and have consequently become sterile.
[2] And in the same prophet,
Before she went into labour she gave birth, and before pain came to her she brought forth a male child. Who has heard of such a thing as this? Who has seen such? Does a land give birth in one day? And shall I [bring to the point of birth and not] cause to give birth? said Jehovah. Shall I who cause to give birth shut up [the womb]? said your God. Isa 66:7-9.
This refers to regeneration, 'sons' in a similar way meaning the truths of faith. Because goods and truths are the conceptions and births of the heavenly marriage, the Lord too calls them 'sons' in Matthew,
He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, but the seed are the sons of the kingdom. Matt 13:37, 38.
And the goods and truths of a saving faith are called 'the sons of Abraham' in John 8:39, for as stated in 255, 'seed' means faith. Consequently 'sons', who are the embodiment of the seed, are the goods and truths of faith. This also is why the Lord, being Himself the Seed, called Himself the Son of Man, that is, the Church's Faith.
Latin(1748-1756) 264
264. Quod 'conceptus et partus filiorum' in Verbo nec aliter accipiantur quam in sensu spirituali, nempe 'conceptus' pro cogitatione et figmento cordis, et 'filii' pro veris, constare potest ex his quae apud Hosheam, Ephraim, sicut avis avolabit gloria eorum, a partu, et ab utero, et a conceptione; etiamsi educaverint filios suos, et orbabo eos, ut non sint homo, quin etiam vae iis, quod recessero ab iis, ix 11, 12;ubi 'Ephraim' significat intelligentes, seu intelligentiam veri, et 'filii' ipsa vera. Similiter alibi de Ephraimo seu intelligente, qui factus insipiens, Dolores parturientis venerunt ei, is filius non sapiens, quia tempore non stabit in fractura matricis filiorum, xiii 13:
et apud Esaiam, Erubesce Zidon, quia dixit mare, munimentum maris dicendo, Non parturivi, non peperi, nec educavi juvenes, et adolescere feci puellas; sicut cum fama Aegypto, parturient secundum famam Tyri, xxiii 4, 5; ubi 'Zidon' pro iis qui in cognitionibus fidei fuerunt, et ea per scientifica perdiderunt, ac inde steriles facti: et apud eundem prophetam, [2] Antequam parturit, parit, et antequam venit dolor ei, enixa est masculum; quis audivit sicut hoc? quis vidit sicut illa? nam parturit terra die uno,... et num [ego frangam, et non] parere faciam? dixit Jehovah; an Ego parere faciens, et occludam? dixit Deus tuus, lxvi 7-9; ubi de regeneratione agitur, et per 'filios' similiter vera fidei significantur. Bona et vera fidei sunt conceptus et partus conjugii caelestis, vocantur 'filii' etiam a Domino apud Matthaeum, Qui seminat bonum semen, est Filius Hominis, ager est mundus, semen vero sunt filii regni, xiii 37, 38; ac bona et vera fidei salvificae, 'filii Abraham,' Joh. viii 39; nam 'semen,' ut dictum n. 255, est fides; quare 'filii,' qui sunt seminis, sunt bona et vera fidei: inde etiam Dominus, quia Ipse semen, vocavit Se Filium Hominis, hoc est Fidem Ecclesiae.