2661、“因他儿子的缘故”表示因为祂喜爱这理性，也就是说，喜爱最初理性。这从“儿子”的含义清楚可知，也就是说，婢女的儿子是指纯人类理性或最初理性，如前所述（1893，2652-2653，2657-2658节）。诚然，此处并未提到悲伤的原因，但下文说得很清楚。显然，原因就是爱，或说这悲伤由爱而生，因为经上说：“因他儿子的缘故；”下面21:13-21论述了这个儿子。但为让人们知道这种悲伤为何存在，也就是为何经上说：“因他儿子的缘故，这话在亚伯拉罕眼里极恶”，下面用几句话来说明。
主降世不是为了拯救属天人，而是为了拯救属灵人。被称为“人”的上古教会是属天的；如果这个教会完整保留，没有败坏，主就无需生而为人。可一旦该教会开始衰落，主就预见属天教会将从这个世界上完全消失；因此，经上立刻作出主降世的预言（创世记3:15）。上古教会的时代过后，属天教会就不复存在了，取而代之的是属灵教会。第一卷多次提到的大洪水之后的古教会是一个属灵教会。主若不降世，古教会，也就是那些属于属灵教会的人就不能得救。这就是主在马太福音所说这些话的意思：
健康的人不需要医生，有病的人才需要。我来本不是召义人，乃是召罪人悔改。（马太福音9:12-13）
也是约翰福音中这些话的意思：
我另外有羊，不是这圈里的；我必须领它们来，它们也要听我的声音，这样，将只有一个羊群，一个牧人。（约翰福音10:16）
这同样是一百只羊的比喻（马太福音18:11-13）的意思。
“以撒”因代表主的神性理性，故也表示那些被称为“继承者或承受者”的属天人；而“以实玛利”因代表主的纯人类理性，故也表示那些被称为“儿子”的属灵人，这从前面的阐述明显看出来（2658节）；这就是为何主由于其神性之爱而感到悲伤。这也是下面21:13-21的意思，在那里，夏甲的儿子和这儿子的母亲代表属灵教会；那里论述的主题是该教会的状态，也就是那些属于该教会之人的状态（2612节）。这些奥秘无法进一步阐明；只能在此简单说明：这个教会的所有状态都以在世时的主来代表，以及那些属于该教会的人将以哪种方式通过祂得救。因此，这些名字同样表示教会的这些状态。
Potts(1905-1910) 2661
2661. On account of his son. That this signifies on this account, that He loved it, namely, the first rational, is evident from the signification of the "son," namely, that of the handmaid, as being the merely human or first rational, described before. Although the cause of this grief is not told, it is evident from what follows. That the cause is the love is plain enough, for it is said "on account of his son;" and the same son is treated of in what follows, from verse 13 to verse 21. Nevertheless in order that it may be known why there was this grief, or on what account it is said that the word was very evil in Abraham's eyes on account of his son; take these few things by way of illustration. [2] The Lord did not come into the world to save the celestial, but the spiritual. The Most Ancient Church, called "Man," was celestial; and if this church had remained in its integrity, the Lord would have had no need to be born a man. But as soon as this church began to decline, the Lord foresaw that the celestial church would wholly perish from the world; and on that account the prediction was then made concerning the Lord's coming into the world (Gen. 3:15). After the time of that church there was no longer a celestial church, but a spiritual church; for the Ancient Church which was after the flood (spoken of many times in volume 1) was a spiritual church; and this church, that is, those who were of the spiritual church, could not have been saved unless the Lord had come into the world. This is meant by the Lord's words in Matthew:
They that are well have no need of a physician, but they that are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Matt. 9:12-13). Also by these words in John:
And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd (John 10:16). Also by the parable of the hundred sheep, in Matt. 18:11-13. [3] Now as by Isaac is represented the Lord's Divine rational, and as by him are also signified the celestial who are called "heirs;" and as by Ishmael is represented the Lord's merely human rational, and as by him are also signified the spiritual who are called "sons" (as is manifest from what was said above, n. 2658), this was the reason why the Lord felt grief from Divine love, as shown in the words of this verse; and also in those which follow from verse 13 to verse 21, where by Hagar's son and the mother of that son is represented the spiritual church; and the state of this church, that is, the state of those who were of this church, is treated of (n. 2612). These arcana cannot as yet be set forth more fully; it may simply be said that with the Lord when in the world all the states of the church were represented, and also in what manner those who belonged to the church were to be saved by Him; and for this reason the same states of the church are likewise signified by these same names.
Elliott(1983-1999) 2661
2661. 'Because of his son' means for the reason that He delighted in it, that is, in the first rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'son', that is to say, the son of the servant-girl, as the merely human or first rational, dealt with already. The reason for the grief is not actually mentioned here but it is nevertheless evident from what follows. Love is plainly the reason for that grief, for it is said [that Abraham was distressed] 'because of his son', and this son is the subject in verses 13-21 which follow. But so that it may be known why this grief existed, that is, why it is said that 'the matter was deeply distressing to Abraham because of his son', let the following few comments serve by way of illustration.
[2] The Lord did not come into the world to save those who are celestial, but to save those who are spiritual. The Most Ancient Church, which was called Man, was celestial, and if this Church had remained uncorrupted there would have been no need for the Lord to be born a human being. But as soon as it began to decline the Lord foresaw that the celestial Church would cease to exist altogether in the world, and therefore a prophecy was given there and then about the Lord's Coming into the world, Gen 3: 15. After the era of that Church there was no longer a celestial Church but a spiritual Church. The Ancient Church, which came after the Flood, was this spiritual Church, referred to many times in Volume One. This Church, or the people who belonged to the spiritual Church, could not have been saved unless the Lord had come into the world. This is what the Lord's words in Matthew are used to mean,
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Matt 9: 12, 13.
And the following in John are used with the same meaning,
And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd. John 10:-16.
And the same is also meant in the parable about the hundred sheep, in Matt 18: 11-13.
[3] Now seeing that 'Isaac', representing the Lord's Divine Rational, also means those that are celestial, who are called 'heirs', while 'Ishmael', representing the Lord's merely human rational, also means those that are spiritual, who are referred to as 'sons' - as may also be evident from what has been stated above in 2658 - the words used in the present verse therefore mean that because of His Divine Love the Lord suffered grief. This is also the meaning of what follows in verses 13-21, where Hagar's son and she his mother represent the spiritual Church, and where the subject is the state of that Church, that is, of those who are members of that Church, 2612. Any further declaration regarding these arcana is not as yet possible. All that can be stated here is that with the Lord when in the world all states of the Church were represented, and also the way in which those who belonged to it were to be saved through Him. Consequently the same states of the Church are also meant by those same names.
Latin(1748-1756) 2661
2661. `Ob causas filii sui': quod significet propter id quod dilexit illud, nempe rationale primum, constat ex significatione `filii,' nempe ancillae, quod sit rationale mere humanum, seu primum, de qua prius. Causa doloris `hic quidem non memoratur, sed usque patet ab illis quae sequuntur; quod sit ex amore, liquet, nam dicitur `filii sui,' et agitur de illo in sequentibus a vers. 13-21; ut (o)tamen sciatur cur hic dolor, seu quare dicitur quod `malum fuit verbum valde in oculis Abrahami ob causas filii sui,' pauca haec sint alicui illustrationi; [2] Dominus in mundum non venit ut salvaret caelestes, sed ut spirituales; Antiquissima Ecclesia, quae `homo' dicta, fuit caelestis; haec si permansisset in integritate sua, non opus habuisset Dominus ut nasceretur homo, quare, ut primum haec deficere incepit, praevidit Dominus quod caelestis Ecclesia prorsus ab orbe periret, ideo statim tunc praedictio facta est de Adventu Domini in mundum, Gen. iii 15. Post illius Ecclesiae tempus non amplius fuit `Ecclesia caelestis sed Ecclesia spiritualis; Antiqua Ecclesia, quae fuit post diluvium, Ecclesia spiritualis fuit, de qua pluries in Parte Prima; haec Ecclesia, seu illi qui ab Ecclesia spirituali, non salvari potuerunt nisi Dominus venisset in mundum; haec sunt intellecta per Domini verba apud Matthaeum, Non opus habent validi medico, sed male habentes; non veni vocare justos, sed peccatores ad paenitentiam, ix 11, 13:etiam per haec, apud Johannem, Et alias oves habeo, quae non sunt ex ovili hoc; etiam illas oportet Me adducere, vocemque Meam audient, et fiet unus grex, et unus pastor, x 16;
tum quoque per parabolam de centum ovibus, apud Matth. xviii 11-13; [3] nunc quia per `Isacum' sicut repraesentatur Divinum Rationale Domini, etiam significantur caelestes, qui `heredes' vocantur; et per `Ismaelem' sicut repraesentatur rationale mere humanum Dominum, etiam significantur spirituales, qui `filii' dicuntur, ut ex illis quae supra n. 2658 dicta sunt, quoque patet, inde ex amore Divino dolor Ipsi, seu `verba quae in hoc versu; inde quoque illa quae sequuntur a vers. 13-21, ubi per `filium Hagaris et matrem' repraesentatur Ecclesia spiritualis, ac agitur de ejus, seu illorum qui ab Ecclesia illa, statu, n. 2612. Arcana haec non pluribus adhuc edici possunt; solum quo apud Dominum, cum fuit in mundo, repraesentati sint omnes status Ecclesiae, et quomodo per Ipsum salvarentur; quare etiam iidem status Ecclesiae per eadem nomina quoque significantur. @1 hic after non.$ @2 i aliqua.$ @3 i haec (perhaps deleted).$