339、前三章足以说明，“那人和他妻子”表示上古教会，在这个问题上毫无怀疑的余地。由于“那人和他妻子”表示上古教会，所以显而易见，该教会“怀孕”和“生产”的一切，在种类上没什么不同。在上古之人当中，起名，并以名字表示事物，从而建立一个家谱是很惯常的做法。事实上，教会的事物就是以这种方式彼此关联的。一个事物从另一个事物孕育并生出，类似于人的出生。这就是为何在圣言中，教会的事物通常被称作“怀孕”、“生产”、“后裔”、“婴孩”、“小孩子”、“儿子”、“女儿”、“少年人”等等。圣言的预言部分充满这类词语。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]339. In the three previous chapters I have offered proof enough that the human and his wife symbolize the earliest church, so that there can be no doubt of it [252-253, 277, 288-289]. Since the human and his wife are the earliest church, it makes sense that what was conceived and given birth to by them could not be anything else [than what was conceived and born in the church].
The earliest people were very familiar with assigning names that had symbolic meaning and in this way creating a genealogy. After all, the church's attributes bear the same relationship to each other: one thing is conceived and born from another and relates to it like a new generation. Consequently it is common for the Word to refer to the church's attributes as times of conception and birth, as offspring, babies, children, daughters, sons, youths, and so on. The prophetic parts are full of such references.{*1}
Footnotes:
{*1} As Swedenborg indicates, the prophetic parts of the Bible are full of references to these terms. Some passages he may have in mind include Isaiah 7:14; 39:7; Jeremiah 29:6; Ezekiel 14:16, 18; Hosea 9:11; Malachi 3:3. [RS]
Potts(1905-1910) 339
339. In the three foregoing chapters it has been sufficiently shown that by the "man and his wife" is signified the Most Ancient Church, so that it cannot be doubted, and this being admitted, it is evident that the conception and the birth effected by that church were of the nature we have indicated. It was customary with the most ancient people to give names, and by names to signify things, and thus frame a genealogy. For the things of the church are related to each other in this way, one being conceived and born of another, as in generation. Hence it is common in the Word to call things of the church "conceptions" "births" "offspring" "infants" "little ones" "sons" "daughters" "young men" and so on. The prophetical parts of the Word abound in such expressions.
Elliott(1983-1999) 339
339. In the three previous chapters it has been shown so adequately that 'the man and his wife' meant the Most Ancient Church as to leave no room for any doubt in the matter. And seeing that 'the man and his wife' means the Most Ancient Church, it is therefore clear that what it conceived and gave birth to was no different in type. Among the most ancient people it was customary to give proper names, and by such names to mean real things, and so establish a genealogy. Indeed this is how things of the Church are interrelated. One thing that is conceived and born from another resembles a human birth. This is why in the Word things of the Church are commonly referred to as conception, birth, offspring, infants, small children, sons, daughters, young men, and so on. The prophetical sections are full of such references.
Latin(1748-1756) 339
339. In praecedentibus tribus capitibus satis ostensum est quod per 'hominem et ejus uxorem' significata sit Ecclesia Antiquissima, sic ut non possit dubitari; et quia 'homo et uxor ejus' est Antiquissima Ecclesia, constat inde quod conceptus et partus ejus non fuerit alius. Antiquissimis familiare fuit nomina indere, et per nomina significare res, et sic instituere genealogiam; quae enim sunt Ecclesiae, similiter quoque se habent; unum concipitur et nascitur ab altero, et habet se ut generatio; quare commune est in Verbo talia quae Ecclesiae sunt, vocare conceptus, partus, prolem, infantes, parvulos, filios, filias, juvenes, et sic porro: prophetica iis sunt plena.