3179、“他们说，我们把少女叫来问问她的口”表示只从对真理的情感那里所寻求的同意。这从“少女”和“问问她的口”的含义清楚可知：“少女”是指拥有纯真在里面的一种情感（参看3067， 3110节），在此是指对真理的情感，因为她是利百加，在同意之前被称为“少女”，而一旦她同意了（如接下来所示），就被称为“利百加”，“利百加”是指对真理的情感（参看3077节）；“问问她的口”是指感知它是否同意。因此，此处所表示的，是只从对真理的情感那里所寻求的同意。
事情的真相是这样：要被引入良善的真理本身承认自己的良善，因为良善承认自己的真理；由此产生同意，但这个同意是由良善在真理里面启发的（参看3161节）。对人来说，当真理正在被引入良善，并与其结合时，也就是当人正在重生时，表面上决看不出真理这一方的任何同意；在良善这一方也看不出它认识自己的真理，并将这真理引入它自己，使它与自己结合。然而，这些事却正是以这种方式发生的；因为人完全没有意识到在他重生期间所发生的事。他若仅仅知道其中的万分之一，就会目瞪口呆。那时，主引领人所用的秘密方式不计其数，甚至是无限的；只有其中一些方式从圣言的内义中闪耀出来。
古教会利用婚姻为自己形成关于这些事的观念。它利用了处女或少女订婚前后的状态，以及她即将结婚时，然后结婚时，最后给丈夫生育子女时的状态。他们将真理从良善所产的果实，或信从仁所产的果实称为孩子，等等。这就是古教会的智慧。他们的书也是以这种风格来写的，并且这种写作方式从他们传到了外邦人那里。因为他们想利用存在于世上的事物或现象来表达存在于天上的事物或现象；事实上，他们想在属世事物中看到属灵事物。但如今这种智慧完全丧失了。
Potts(1905-1910) 3179
3179. And they said, Let us call the damsel and inquire at her mouth. That this signifies the consent solely of the affection of truth, appears from the signification of a "damsel," as being an affection wherein is innocence (see n. 3067, 3110); here the affection of truth, because she is Rebekah, who, before she consents, is called "damsel," but when she consents, as presently follows, is called "Rebekah" (that "Rebekah" is the affection of truth, may be seen above, n. 3077); and from the signification of "inquiring at her mouth," as being to perceive whether this consents; thus it is the consent solely of the affection of truth that is here signified. [2] The case is this: Truth itself, which is to be initiated into good, acknowledges its own good; because good acknowledges its own truth; hence comes consent, but that it is a consent inspired into truth from good may be seen above (n. 3161). With man it never appears that there is any consent on the part of truth when it is being initiated and conjoined with good (that is, when man is being regenerated), nor on the part of good as knowing its own truth, and initiating and conjoining such truth with itself; and yet these things are effected precisely in this way; for the things that take place during man's regeneration are altogether unknown to him; and if he were to know only one out of ten thousand of them he would be astounded. There are innumerable, nay, illimitable secret things by which man is at that time led of the Lord, some only of which shine forth from the internal sense of the Word. [3] The Ancient Church formed for itself an idea of these things from marriages; namely, from the state of a virgin before betrothal, from her state after betrothal, from her state when she was to be wedded, afterwards when she was married, and lastly when she bore offspring to her husband; the fruits of truth from good, or of faith from charity, they called children, and so on. Such was the wisdom of the Ancient Church; their books were also written in this way; and this manner of writing was transmitted from them to the Gentiles; for it was their desire by things which are in the world to express those which are in heaven, and indeed from natural things to see spiritual ones; but at the present day this wisdom is altogether lost.
Elliott(1983-1999) 3179
3179. 'And they said, Let us call the girl and ask her personally' means consent solely of the affection for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the girl' as an affection that has innocence within it, dealt with in 3067, 3110, in this case the affection for truth because Rebekah is meant, who is 'the girl' before she gives her consent, but 'Rebekah' once she has given it, as in what follows immediately after ('Rebekah' being the affection for truth, see 3077); and from the meaning of 'asking her personally' as perceiving whether it does consent. Thus it is consent solely of the affection for truth that is meant here. For the situation is this: Truth itself which is to be introduced into good acknowledges its own good because good acknowledges its own truth - and from this comes consent. It is however a consent inspired into truth by good, see above in 3161. With man it is in no way apparent that truth for its part consents when introduced and joined to good, that is, when a person is being regenerated, or that good for its part knows its own truth, and introduces and joins it to itself. Yet this is exactly what happens; for a person is totally unaware of the things that take place while he is being regenerated. If he were to know merely one of the thousands of things that occur he would be dumbfounded. There are countless, indeed an endless number of hidden ways by which a person is at that time being led by the Lord, only some of which shine from the internal sense of the Word.
[2] The Ancient Church formed for itself an idea of these things from marriages. That is to say, they formed that idea from a virgin's state before betrothal; from her state after she had been betrothed; from her state when she was to be given away in marriage, and after that when she had been given away, and finally when she bore children to her husband.a The fruits of truth produced from good, or of faith from charity, they called children; and so on. Such was the wisdom of the Ancient Church. Their books were written in this style too, and the custom of writing in this fashion spread from them to the gentiles themselves. For by means of those things that exist in the world they wished to give expression to things in heaven; indeed from natural things they wished to see spiritual. But today that wisdom is entirely lost.
Latin(1748-1756) 3179
3179. `Et dixerunt, Vocemus puellam, et interrogemus os illius': quod significet consensum solum affectionis veri, constat (c)ex significatione `puellae' quod sit affectio in qua innocentia, de qua n. 3067, 3110, hic affectio veri quia est Rebecca quae antequam consentit, dicitur `puella'; at cum consentit, ut mox sequitur, vocatur `Rebecca;' {1}quod Rebecca sit affectio veri, videatur n. 3077; et es significatione `interrogare os illius' quod sit percipere num consentiat ita est consensus solus affectionis veri qui hic significatur. Res {2}ita se habet: quod ipsum verum quod initiandum bono, agnoscat suum bonum quia bonum agnoscit suum verum, inde consensus, sed quod {3}sit consensus inspiratus vero a bono, videatur supra n. 3161: apud hominem nusquam apparet quod aliquis consensus sit a parte veri, cum hoc initiatur et conjungitur bono, hoc est, cum homo regeneratur, nec a parte boni quod cognoscat suum verum, et hoc initiet (c)et sibi conjungat, cum tamen haec fiunt prorsus ita; quae enim existunt cum regeneratur homo, ei prorsus ignota sunt; si modo sciret unum ex myriade, obstupesceret; innumerabilia, immo indefinita arcana sunt, per quae ducitur tunc homo a Domino, aliqua solum eorum elucent ex sensu interno Verbi: [2] Antiqua Ecclesia formavit sibi ideam illorum ex conjugiis, nempe ex virginis stata ante desponsationem, ex ejus statu postquam desponsata, ex statu cum nuptui danda, ac dein cum nuptui; denique cum marito pareret; (m)fructus veri ex bono, seu fidei ex charitate, vocabant `liberos,' et sic porro(n): talis fuit Antiquae Ecclesiae sapientia; libri eorum ita quoque scripti sunt; etiam mos ita scribendi inde ad ipsos gentiles emanavit; voluerunt enim per illa quae in mundo exprimere (c)ea quae in caelo, immo ex naturalibus videre spiritualia; sed sapientia illa hodie prorsus (t)deperdita est. @1 A had quod Rebecca induit hic repraesentationem affectionis veri, videatur n. 3077, but the whole sentence is deleted.$ @2 enim se ita$ @3 after inspiratus$