3175、“让少女同我们再住”表示被他们阻留。这从“住”的含义清楚可知，“住”在此是指被阻留，如内义上的整个思路所表明的。因为事情的真相是这样：人根本没有生在任何真理中，甚至没有生在任何属世真理中，如“不可偷盗、不可杀人、不可奸淫”等等的诫命。他更没有生在任何属灵真理中，如有一位神，人拥有一个死后会活着的内在。因此，这样一个人凭自己对凡关系到永生的事一无所知。他不得不学习一切诫命和真理；否则，他远比任何野兽坏得多，因为由于其遗传性，他倾向于爱自己胜过所有人，并渴望占有世上的一切。因此，除非社会法律，以及对丧失地位、利益、名声和生命的惧怕约束他，否则他必毫无良心地偷盗、杀人或奸淫。很明显，事实就是这样，因为甚至连一个受过教育的人也会毫无良心地犯下这类罪行。事实上，他会为自己的行为辩护，找出许多论据来支持它们的合法性。那么，他若没有接受过任何教导，又会是什么样呢？这在属灵事物上也一样。在那些出生在教会，拥有圣言并不断接受教导的人当中，仍有许多人将一切都归于自然，很少或根本不归于神。所以他们就是那些从心里不相信任何神的存在，因而不相信他们死后会活着的人。因此，他们就是那些不想知道关乎永生或死后生命的任何事的人。
由此明显可知，人没有生来在任何真理中；相反，他不得不学习一切。他不得不通过一种外在途径，换句话说，通过听觉和视觉来学习。真理不得不通过这种途径被引入并植入他的记忆；但只要真理仅局限于记忆，它就是纯粹的记忆知识。为叫真理可以充满一个人，它必须从记忆中被召唤出来，更多地被带向其心智的内层。毕竟他的人性是更内在的，就在他的理性心智中。除非人是理性的，否则他不是人；因此，一个人所拥有的理性的种类或品质和数量就决定了这个人所拥有的人性的种类或品质和数量。人决不会是理性的，除非他拥有良善。使得人超越动物的良善就是爱神和爱邻，这是一切人类良善的源头。真理必须被引入这良善，并与其结合，而且这一过程是在理性心智中进行的。当人爱神、爱邻时，真理就被引入良善并与其结合；在这种情况下，真理进入良善，因为良善和真理互相承认彼此。事实上，一切真理都来自良善，真理视良善为自己的目的和灵魂，因而为其生命的源头。
但真理很难与属世人分离，并从那里被提升到理性层，因为属世人包含谬误、恶欲和虚假的说服。这些东西在那里，并粘附于真理到几时，属世人就会阻留真理，不让它从自己那里被提升到理性层到几时。这就是这些话在内义上所表示的，即：“让少女同我们再住几天，至少十天，然后你们可以去。”原因在于：属世人怀疑真理，推理它是否真的是真理。然而，一旦恶欲和虚假的说服，以及由它们所产生的谬误被主分离出去，这个人出于良善开始厌恶反对真理的推理，并蔑视或嘲笑对它的怀疑，那么真理就抵达了离开属世人，并被提升进入理性心智，披上良善状态的阶段。因为在这种情况下，真理成为植根于良善的真理，并拥有生命。
为更好地理解这些问题，我们举些例子。这是一个属灵真理：一切良善都来自主，一切邪恶都来自地狱。这个真理在能从属世人中被提升出来进入理性心智之前，必须以多种方式被证实和说明。更重要的是，在一个人爱神之前，它决不能朝那个方向被提升，因为在此之前，该真理不被承认，因而不被相信。其它真理也是这样，如这个真理：圣治存在于一切事物的最小细节中，它若不存在这些最小细节中，就不会存在于整体中。又如这个真理：当人在世上认为构成生命全部的东西消失，他现在所接受的生命与他以前的生命相比，是无法形容和无限制的，并且只要陷入邪恶，人完全意识不到这种生命时，他才第一次开始活着。这些和其它类似真理无法被相信，除非这个人处于良善。理解它们的，是良善，因为主通过良善以智慧流入。
Potts(1905-1910) 3175
3175. Let the damsel remain with us. That this signifies a detention by them, appears from the signification of "remaining," as here being to be detained, as is also evident from the series in the internal sense. For the case is this Man is never born into any truth, not even into any natural truth-as that he should not steal, should not kill, should not commit adultery, and the like; still less is he born into any spiritual truth-as that there is a God, and that he has an internal which will live after death. Thus of himself man knows nothing that relates to eternal life. Man learns both these kinds of truth; otherwise he would be much worse than a brute animal; for from his hereditary nature he loves himself above all and desires to possess all things in the world. Hence unless he were restrained by civil laws and by fears for the loss of honor, of gain, of reputation, and of life, he would steal, kill, and commit adultery, without any perception of conscience. That this is the case is very evident; for a man, even when instructed, commits such crimes without conscience, nay, defends them, and by many considerations confirms himself in the commission of them so far as he is allowed; what then would he not do if he had not been instructed? The case is the same in spiritual things; for of those who are born within the church, who have the Word, and are constantly instructed, there are still very many who ascribe little or nothing to God, but everything to nature; thus who do not at heart believe that there is any God, and therefore do not believe that they shall live after death; and who accordingly have no wish to learn anything relating to eternal life. [2] From all this it is evident that man is born into no truth, but that he has all to learn, and this by an external way, namely, that of hearing and seeing. By this way truth has to be insinuated, and implanted in his memory; but so long as the truth is there only, it is merely memory-knowledge; and in order that truth may pervade the man it must be called forth thence, and be conveyed more toward the interiors; for his human is more internal, being in his rational; for unless man is rational, he is not man; and therefore according to the quality and the measure of a man's rational, such is the quality and the measure of the man. Man cannot possibly be rational unless he possesses good. The good whereby man surpasses the animals, is to love God, and to love the neighbor; all human good is from this. Into this good truth must be initiated and conjoined, and this in the rational. Truth is initiated into good and conjoined with it when man loves God and loves his neighbor, for then truth enters into good, inasmuch as good and truth mutually acknowledge each other, all truth being from good, and having respect to good as its end and as its soul, and thus as the source of its life. [3] But truth cannot without difficulty be separated from the natural man, and be thence elevated into the rational; for in the natural man there are fallacies, and cupidities of evil, and also persuasions of falsity; and so long as these are there and adjoin themselves to the truth, so long the natural man detains truth with himself, and does not suffer it to be elevated from itself into the rational; and this is what is signified in the internal sense by the words, "Let the damsel remain with us days, at least ten, afterwards thou shalt go." The reason is that the natural man puts truth in doubt, and reasons about it as to whether it is so; but as soon as the cupidities of evil and persuasions of falsity, and the derivative fallacies, are separated by the Lord, and the man begins from good to be averse to reasonings against truth, and to be superior to doubts, then truth is in a state to depart from the natural and to be elevated into the rational, and to put on a state of good; for then truth becomes of good and has life. [4] For the better comprehension of this, let us take examples. It is a spiritual truth that all good is from the Lord, and all evil from hell: this truth must in many ways be confirmed and illustrated before it can be elevated out of the natural man into the rational, nor can it ever be elevated until the man is in the love of God; for before this it is not acknowledged, consequently is not believed. The case is similar in regard to other truths, as in regard to the truth that the Divine Providence is in the veriest singulars; and that unless it is in these, it is not in what is universal. Again: in regard to the truth that man first begins to live when that perishes which in the world he believes to be the all of life; and that the life which he then receives is relatively ineffable and unlimited; and that he is altogether ignorant of this so long as he is in evil-these and similar truths can never be believed, unless the man is in good; for it is good which comprehends, because the Lord through good flows in with wisdom.
Elliott(1983-1999) 3175
3175. 'Let the girl stay with us' means being kept back by them. This is clear from the meaning of 'staying' as being kept back, as is also evident from the train of thought in the internal sense. For the fact of the matter is that nobody is ever born into any truth at all, not even into any natural truth, such as the commandments not to steal, nor to kill, nor to commit adultery, and so on. Still less is he born into any spiritual truth, such as the truth that there is a God, that he has an inner being which will live after death; and so of himself such a person does not know anything whatever of that which has to do with eternal life. Every commandment and truth has to be learned by him, and if he did not learn them he would be far worse than any animal; for because of his heredity he is inclined to love himself above everybody else and to crave possession of everything that exists in the world. Consequently unless the laws of society, and the fear of losing position, gain, reputation, and life restrained him he would without any sense of conscience steal, kill, or commit adultery. The truth of this is absolutely plain, for even a person who has been taught nevertheless acts in such ways without conscience. Indeed he defends his actions and finds many arguments to support the lawfulness of them. What would he be like if he were not given any teaching at all? It is similar in spiritual things, in that among those who have been born within the Church, who possess the Word, and who are constantly receiving teaching, there are nevertheless very many who ascribe little, or scarcely anything, to God but every single thing to natural causes. They are accordingly people who in their hearts do not believe in the existence of any God, nor thus that they will live after death. Consequently they are people who do not wish to know anything at all about things to do with eternal life.
[2] From these considerations it is evident that no one is born into any truth but that everything has to be learned - learned by an external way, namely that of hearing and sight. By this way truth has to be introduced into and implanted in a person's memory; but so long as truth is confined to the memory it is merely knowledge. So that truth may suffuse a person it has to be summoned from the memory and taken more towards the interior parts of his mind; for he is a human being by virtue of what is interiorly in him, which is the rational part of his mind. For without the faculty of reason no one is a human being. The character of a person's rationality, and the amount he has, therefore determine what kind of a human being and how much of a human being he is. No one can possibly be rational unless good exists in him. The good which sets the human being above other living beings consists in loving God and loving the neighbour. All human good comes from that source, to which good truth has to be introduced and joined, within the rational. Truth is introduced and joined to good when a person loves God and loves the neighbour, for in that case truth enters into good, since good and truth mutually acknowledge each other. Indeed good is the source of all truth, and truth regards good as its own end in view and as its own soul - thus the source of its life.
[3] But it is not easy for truth to be separated from the natural man and to be raised up from there into the rational, for present in the natural man there are delusions, there are evil desires, and there are false persuasions. During the time these are present there and are linking themselves to truth the natural man holds on to such truth and does not allow it to be raised up into the rational. This is what is meant in the internal sense by these words, 'Let the girl stay with us for a week or ten days; after that you will go'. The reason for this is that it doubts the truth and it reasons whether it really is the truth. But as soon as the evil desires and false persuasions, with their resulting delusions, are separated by the Lord, and that person - from good - begins to reject his reasonings against truth, and to treat his doubts with disdain, truth is in a condition to depart from the natural, to be raised up into the rational and to assume a state of good. For in this case truth comes to be truth rooted in good, and possesses life.
[4] To make these matters more intelligible let some examples be taken: It is a spiritual truth that all good comes from the Lord and all evil from hell. This truth has to be firmly established and elucidated in many ways before it can be raised up from the natural man into the rational. Nor can it possibly be raised up in that direction until the love of God abides in a person. For previously that truth is not acknowledged and so not believed. It is similar with other truths, such as with the truth that Divine providence exists in the most individual aspects of everything, and if it did not exist in these it would not exist in the whole. Or with the truth that a person first starts to live when that which in the world he believes to constitute the whole of life perishes and that the life which he now receives is in comparison with the life he had previously beyond words and boundless, and that no one has any knowledge at all of this life as long as he is under the influence of evil. These truths and others like them cannot be believed unless the person is governed by good. Good is what comprehends them, for the Lord flows in with wisdom by way of good.
Latin(1748-1756) 3175
3175. `Maneat puella cum nobis': quod significet detentionem ab illis, constat a significatione {1}manere' quod hic sit detineri, ut quoque a serie in sensu interno patet: res enim ita se habet: homo nusquam in aliquod verum nascitur, ne quidem in aliquod verum naturale, ut quod non furandum, non occidendum, non adulterandum, et similia; minus in aliquod verum spirituale, ut quod aliquis Deus sit, {2}quod ei internum quod victurum post mortem, ita nec quicquam novit ex se quod est vitae aeternae; illa et haec addiscit; si non addisceret, multo pejor foret bruto animali; nam ex hereditario suo habet quod se supra omnes amet, quodque omnia quae in mundo {3}possidere cupiat; inde est quod nisi leges civiles, et timores pro jactura honoris, lucri, famae, ac vitae, detinerent, absque ulla conscientiae perceptione furaretur, occideret, adulteraretur; quod ita sit, patet manifeste, homo enim, etiam qui instructus, usque illud absque conscientia facit, immo defendit, et multis confirma quod ita faciendum quantum licet; quid non si non fuisset instructus? In spiritualibus similiter, ex ipsis enim qui intra Ecclesiam nati sunt, Verbum habent, et constanter instruuntur, usque sunt perplures qui pauca et vix quicquam adscribunt Deo, sed omnia et singula naturae, ita qui corde non credunt aliquem Deum esse, {4}sic nec victuros post mortem, proinde qui nihil scire volunt de illis quae sunt vitae aeternae; [2] ex his patet quod homo in nullum verum nascatur, sed quod omne addiscet, {5}et hoc per viam externam, nempe auditionis et visus, per hanc viam insinuari debet verum, et implantari ejus memoriae; sed verum quamdiu ibi solum est, modo est scientia; ut autem veram imbuat hominem, inde evocabitur, et versus interiora magis (x)auferetur, nam humanum ejus est interius, nempe in ejus rationali, nisi enim homo sit rationalis, non est homo; quale itaque rationale alicui et quantum ei, talis est homo et tantus: homo nusquam potest esse rationalis nisi ei sit bonum; bonum quod homini prae animalibus, est amare Deum et amare proximum; omne bonum humanum est inde; huic bono est verum initiandum et conjungendum, et hoc in rationali; verum {6}bono initiatur et conjungitur, cum homo amat Deum et amat proximum, tunc enim verum intrat ad bonum, nam bonam et verum se mutuo agnoscunt, est enim ex bono omne verum, et verum spectat bonum ut suum finem utque suam animam, ita ex quo vitam habeat. [3] {7}Sed verum aegre potest e naturali homine separari, et inde elevari in rationale, sunt enim in naturali homine fallaciae, sunt cupiditates mali, sunt quoque persuasiones falsi; quamdiu haec ibi sunt, ac se adjungunt vero, tamdiu naturalis homo detinet verum apud se, nec {8}sinit ut inde elevetur in rationale; hoc est quod significatur in sensu interno per haec, `Maneat puella cum nobis dies aut decem, post ibis'; causa est quia in dubio ponit verum, et ratiocinatur de illo num ita sit; ut primum autem cupiditates mali et persuasiones falsi ac inde fallaciae, a Domino separantur, ac homo incipit ex bono aversari ratiocinia contra verum atque ridere dubia, tunc verum in statu est discedere (c)e naturali ac elevari in rationale ac induere statum boni, fit enim verum tunc boni, (c)et vita ei. [4] Ut haec melius capiantur, sint exempla: verum spirituale est quod omne bonum a Domino, et omne malum ab inferno; hoc verum multis confirmandum et illustrandum est, antequam e naturali homine elevari possit in rationale, nec usquam potest illuc elevari, priusquam homo in amore Dei est, non enim prius agnoscitur, ita non creditur: similiter se habet cum aliis veris, ut cum hoc quod providentia Divina sit in omnium singularissimis, et nisi sit in singularissimis, quod nulla sit in universali: ut et cum hoc vero quod tunc primum vivere incipiat homo cum perit id quod in mundo credit omne vitae esse, et quod vita quae tunc excipit, sit ineffabilis et indefinita respective, et quod hanc prorsus ignoret homo quamdiu est in malo: haec et similia nusquam credi possunt nisi homo sit in bono; bonum est quod capit, nam Dominus per bonum cum sapientia influit. @1 manere hic, quod sit$ @2 minus quod ei internum quoddam, quod victurum post mortem, ita nec quicquam de illis quae sunt vitae post mortem; illa et haec omnia addiscet homo, si homo illa et haec non addiscet, multo pejor$ @3 i solus$ @4 ita$ @5 consequenter quod per viam externam, nempe auditionis et visus, implantandum hoc ejus memoriae; ibi nunc est verum, sed quamdiu ibi est, modo est scientia; ut autem verum imbuat hominem ac ipsum faciat hominem, inde evocabitur, et versus interiora magis auferetur, nam humanum ejus est interius, nempe in ejus rationali;nisi enim homo sit rationalis, non est homo, rationale facit hominem,$ @6 i tunc$ @7 sed verum hoc, quod nempe in memoria est, et apparet ut scientificum in memoria naturali, aegre inde separari potest, ac elevari in rationale,$ @8 patitur$