3623.“我为什么有生命呢”表因此不会有任何结合。这从“生命”的含义清楚可知，“生命”是指藉着真理与良善的结合。因为当来自共同家族或纯正源头的真理不可能与属世真理联结时，属世层与理性层的真理也不可能任何联合；在这种情况下，在理性层看来，它自己的生命看似不是生命（3493，3620节）。这就为何此处 “我为什么有生命呢”表因此不会有任何结合。在此处和其它地方，“生命”在原文都是复数形式。原因在于，人里面有两种生命官能，一种被称为理解力，是真理的容器；另一种被称为意愿，是良善的容器。当理解力植根于意愿，或也可说，当真理植根于良善时，这两种生命形式或官能就构成一体。这解释了为何在希伯来语，名词“生命”有时用单数，有时用复数。“生命”这个名词用复数形式，这一点从以下创世记经文明显看出来：
耶和华神用土里的尘埃造人，将生命的气息吹在他鼻孔里，人就变成活的灵魂。（创世记2:7）
耶和华神使各样的树从土里长出来，可以悦人的眼目，也好作食物。园子当中又有生命树。（创世记2:9）
看哪，我要使洪水泛滥在地上，毁灭一切有生命之灵的血肉。（创世记6:17）
凡有生命之灵的血肉，都一对一对地到挪亚那里，进入方舟。（创世记7:15，
凡鼻孔有生命之灵气息的，都死了。（创世记7:22）
诗篇：
我相信，在生命之地必得见到耶和华的美善。（诗篇27:13）
又：
谁是那渴望生命，爱慕长寿，好得见美善的人？（诗篇34:12）
又：
在你那里有生命的泉源，在你的光中，我们必得见光。（诗篇36:9）
玛拉基书：
我曾与利未立生命和平安的约。（玛拉基书2:5）
耶利米书：
耶和华如此说，看哪！我将生命的路和死亡的路摆在你们面前。（耶利米书21:8）
摩西五经：
爱耶和华你的神，顺从祂的声音，紧靠他，因为祂是你的生命，是你日子的长久；这样，你就可以在地上居住。（申命记30:20）
又：
这不是与你们无关的空话，乃是你们的生命，你们必因这话延长你们在那地的日子。（申命记32:47）
其它地方也有。“生命”之所以用复数形式，是因为如前所述，它们有两种，然而却构成一体。在希伯来语，“天堂”也是如此，因为天堂有很多，然而却构成一体；“水”同样如此，穹苍之上的水和穹苍之下的水（创世记1:6-7，9）是指属于理性层和属世层的属灵事物，它们也要通过结合成为一体。至于复数形式的“生命”，它们表示意愿的生命和理解力的生命，因而表示良善的生命和真理的生命。因为人的生命无非是含有来自主的生命在里面的良善与真理。人若没有良善与真理，并其中的生命，就不是人，因为人没有这些就不能意愿或思想任何事。人所意愿的一切皆源于良善或非良善，人所思想的一切皆源于真理或非真理。因此，人拥有两种生命，当其思维从其意愿流出时，也就是当属于信的真理从属于爱的良善流出时，它们就构成一体。
Potts(1905-1910) 3623
3623. Wherefore have I lives? That this signifies that thus there would not be conjunction, is evident from the signification of "lives," as being conjunction through truths and goods; for when no truth from a common stock or genuine source could be adjoined to natural truth, then neither would there be the adjunction of the natural to the truth of the rational; thus to the rational its life would appear as no life (n. 3493, 3620); hence by the words, "wherefore have I lives?" is signified that thus there would not be conjunction. The reason why here and in other passages lives are spoken of in the plural, is that there are two faculties of life in man; one of which is called the understanding, and is of truth; and the other of which is called the will, and is of good; these two lives or faculties of life make a one when the understanding is of the will, or what is the same, when truth is of good. This is the reason why in the Hebrew tongue frequent mention is made of "life," and also of "lives." That mention is made of "lives," is evident from the following passages in Genesis:
And Jehovah God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of lives, and man became a living soul (Gen. 2:7). And out of the ground made Jehovah God to grow every tree that is desirable to the sight, and good for food; and the tree of lives in the midst of the garden (Gen. 2:9). Behold I do bring the flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of lives (Gen. 6:17). And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two, two, of all flesh wherein is the breath of lives (Gen. 7:15, n. 780). All in whose nostrils was the breathing of the breath of lives died (Gen. 6:22). And in David:
I believe to see the goodness of Jehovah in the land of lives (Ps. 27:13). Again:
What man is he that desireth lives, and loveth days that he may see good (Ps. 34:12)? Again:
With Thee is the fountain of lives; in Thy light shall we see light (Ps. 36:9). In Malachi:
My covenant was with Levi of lives and peace (Mal. 2:5). In Jeremiah:
Thus saith Jehovah, Behold I set before you the way of lives, and the way of death (Jer. 21:8). In Moses:
To love Jehovah thy God, and to obey His voice, and to cleave unto Him for He Is thy lives, and the length of thy days; that thou mayest dwell in the land (Deut. 30:20). And again:
It is not a vain word from you, because it is your lives, and through this word ye shall prolong your days upon the land (Deut. 32:47);
and in other places. "Lives" are spoken of in the plural because they are two, as was said, and yet a one; as also in the Hebrew tongue are "heavens," which are many, and yet a one; in like manner "waters," those above and those beneath (Gen. 1:6-7, 9), which are spiritual things pertaining to the rational and the natural, and which also are to be a one through conjunction. In respect to "lives," they signify in the plural both what is of the will and what is of the understanding, consequently what is of good and what is of truth; for the life of man is nothing else than good and truth wherein is life from the Lord, inasmuch as man, without good and truth, and life therein, is no man; for man without these would not be able to will anything or think anything, all his faculty of willing being from what is good or what is not good, and his faculty of thinking from what is true or what is not true; hence man has lives, which are one life when his thinking is from his willing, that is, when the truth which is of faith is from the good which is of love.
Elliott(1983-1999) 3623
3623. 'What would life hold for me?' means, and so there would not be any conjunction. This is clear from the meaning of 'life' as conjunction by means of truths and goods. For when it was not possible for any truth from a common stem or genuine source to be joined to natural truth, there could not be any alliance of the natural to the truth of the rational, in which case it seemed to the rational as though its own life were no life, 3493, 3620. This is why here 'what would life hold for me?' means, and so there would not be any conjunction. Here and in other places the word 'life' in the original language is plural, and the reason for this is that in man there are two powers of life. The first is called the understanding and is the receptacle of truth, the second is called the will and is the receptacle of good. These two forms or powers of life make one when the understanding is rooted in the will, or what amounts to the same, when truth is grounded in good. This explains why in Hebrew the noun 'life' is sometimes singular, sometimes plural. The plural form of that noun is used in all the following places, Jehovah God formed the man, dust from the ground; and He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Gen 2:7. Jehovah God caused to spring up out of the ground every tree desirable to the sight and good for food, and the tree of life in the middle of the garden. Gen 2:9. Behold, I am bringing a flood of waters over the earth, to destroy all flesh in which there is the spirit of life. Gen 6:17.
They went in to Noah into the ark, two by two from all flesh in which there is the spirit of life. Gen 7:15 (in 780). Everything which had the breath of the spirit of life in its nostrils breathed its last. Gen 7:12.
In David,
I believe [I am going] to see the goodness of Jehovah in the land of the living. Ps 27:13.
In the same author,
Who is the man who desires life, who loves [many] days, that he may see good? Ps 34:12
In the same author,
With You, O Jehovah, is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light. Ps 36:9.
In Malachi,
My covenant with Levi was [a covenant] of life and peace. Mal 2:5.
In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. Jer 21:8.
In Moses,
To love Jehovah your God, to obey His voice, and to cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days, so that you may dwell in the land. Deut 30:20.
In the same author,
It is not an empty word from you; for it is your life, and through this word you will prolong your days in the land. Deut 32:47.
And in other places too the plural form of the noun 'life' is used in the original language because, as has been stated, there are two kinds of life which yet make one. It is similar with the word 'heavens' in the Hebrew language, in that the heavens are many and yet make one, or like the expression 'waters' above and below, in Gen 1:7-9 , by which spiritual things in the rational and in the natural are meant which ought to be one through being joined together. As for the plural form of 'life', when this is used both the life of the will and that of the understanding are meant, and therefore both the life of good and that of truth are meant. For man's life consists in nothing else than good and truth which hold life from the Lord within them. Devoid of good and truth, and of the life which these hold within them, no one is human. For devoid of these no one would ever have been able to will or to think anything. Everything that a person wills originates in good or in that which is not good, and everything he thinks originates in truth or in that which is not truth. Consequently man possesses two kinds of life and these make one when his thinking flows from his willing, that is, when truth which is the truth of faith flows from good which is the good of love.
Latin(1748-1756) 3623
3623. `Quare mihi vitae?': quod significet quod sic non conjunctio constat a significatione `vitarum' quod sit conjunctio per vera et bona; (m)cum enim vero naturali non aliquod verum ex communi stirpe seu genuino fonte adjungi posset, tunc nec adjunctio foret naturalis {1}ad verum rationalis, ita appareret rationali vita sua sicut nulla, n. 3493, 3620; inde hic, per `quare mihi vitae' significatur quod sic non conjunctio.(n) Quod hic et alibi vitae in plurali dicantur, est quia binae vitae facultates in homine sunt, una quae vocatur intellectus et est veri, altera quae voluntas et est boni; hae binae vitae seu vitae facultates unam faciunt, quando intellectus est voluntatis, seu quod idem, verum est boni: inde est quod in lingua Hebraea passim dicatur vita, et passim vitae; quod vitae, patet ab his locis, Formavit Jehovah Deus hominem, pulverem ex humo, et inspiravit in nares ejus spiraculum vitarum, et factus homo in animam viventem, Gen. ii 7;Progerminare fecit Jehovah Deus ex humo omnem arborem desiderabilem aspectu, et bonam ad cibum, et arborem vitarum in medio horti, Gen. ii 9;
Ecce {2}Ego adducens diluvium aquarum super terram, ad perdendum omnem carnem, in qua spiritus vitarum, Gen. vi 17;
Intrarunt ad Noahum in arcam bina bina de omni carne in qua spiritus vitarum, Gen. vii 15; n. 780;
Exspiravit omne, cui flatus, spiritus vitarum in naribus ejus,' Gen. vii 22:
apud Davidem, Credo videre bonum Jehovae in terra vitarum, Ps. xxvii 13:
apud eundem, Quis vir desiderans vitas, amans dies ad vivendum bonum?' Ps. xxxiv 13:
(m)apud eundem, Cum Te, Jehovah, fons vitarum, in luce Tua videmus lucem, Ps. xxxvi 10:
apud Malachiam, Foedus Meum fuit cum Levi vitarum et pacis, ii 5:
apud Jeremiam, Ita dixit Jehovah, Ecce Ego do coram vobis viam vitarum, et viam mortis, xxi 8:(n) apud Mosen, Ad amandum Jehovam Deum tuum, ad oboediendum voci Ipsius, et ad adhaerendum Ipsi, quia Ipse vitae tuae, et longitudo dierum tuorum, ad habitandum super terra, Deut. xxx 20:
apud eundem, Non Verbum inane a vobis, quia illud vitae vestrae;. et per verbum hoc prolongabitis dies super terra, Deut. xxxii (x)47;
et alibi; (m)vitae in plurali dicuntur quia binae sunt, ut dictum, et tamen una; sicut etiam `caeli' in lingua {3}Hebraea, qui plures sunt et tamen unum; pariter aquae quae superiores et inferiores, Gen. i 7-9, quae sunt spiritualia quae rationali et naturali, quae quoque {4}unum erunt per conjunctionem.(n) {5}Quod vitas attinet, illae in plurali significant tam quod voluntatis quam quod intellectus est, proinde quod boni et quod veri; vita enim hominis non est nisi bonum et verum in quibus vita a Domino; homo enim absque bono et vero, ac vita in illis, est nullus homo; nam homo absque illis nihil potuisset velle, nec cogitare; omne ejus velle est ex bono vel non bono, et ejus cogitare {6}ex vero vel non vero; inde sunt homini vitae, quae una vita sunt cum cogitare est ex velle, hoc est, cum verum quod est fidei ex bono quod est amoris. @1 cum vero$ @2 Me$ @3 illa$ @4 conjuncta sicut in unum erunt$ @5 vitae ibi$ @6 i est$