3956.“利亚说，神给了我酬报，因为我把使女给了我丈夫”在至高意义上表与真理结婚的神性良善，并与良善结婚的真理；在内在意义上表属天的婚姻之爱；在外在意义上表相爱。这从“酬报”（或译赏赐、价值、报酬、回报、酬谢、报答等）的含义清楚可知。“酬报”在圣言各个地方被提及，但很少有人知道它在那里表示什么。在教会，众所周知，人不能因自己所行的良善而邀功，因为这些良善不是他的，而是主的；寻求功德或赚取功德关注的是人，因而与自我之爱结合，与胜过别人的思想、因而与对他人的蔑视结合。因此，为了酬报或回报所做的行为本身并非良善，因为它们并非来源于纯正的源头；也就是说，并非出于对邻之仁。对邻之仁含有愿邻人和自己一样幸福的渴望在里面；而对天使来说，则含有愿邻人比自己更好的渴望在里面。这就是仁之情感的性质；所以，仁之情感厌恶一切邀功的思想，因而厌恶一切着眼于酬报或回报的善行。对那些拥有仁爱的人来说，酬报或回报就在于他们拥有行善的能力，在于被允许行善，还在于接受者愿意接受它。这就是实实在在的快乐，其实就是那些具有仁之情感的人所享有的幸福本身。由此明显可知圣言中所提及的“酬报”（或译赏赐、价值、报酬、回报、酬谢、报答等）是指什么，即是指属于仁之情感的快乐和幸福；或也可说，是指相爱的快乐和幸福；或也可说，是指相爱的快乐和幸福（3816节）；因为仁之情感和相爱是一回事（参看1110，1111，1774，1835，1877，2027，2273，2340，2373，2400节）。综上所述，明显可知，此处“酬报”在外在意义上表示相爱。
就更高的意义，或内在意义而言，“酬报”表示属天的婚姻之爱，这一点从前面关于天上婚姻的阐述（2618，2739，2741，2803，3024，3132，3952节）可以看出来，也就是说，天上的婚姻是良善与真理的结合；相爱则是该结合或婚姻的后代（2737，2738节）。由此可见“酬报”在内在意义上表示天上的婚姻之爱。
“酬报”在至高意义上表示与真理结婚的神性良善，并与良善结婚的真理，这一点从以下事实明显可知：天上的婚姻即源于此。因为这二者的结合存在于主里面，并从祂发出；当它流入天堂时，便产生良善与真理的婚姻关系，并通过该关系产生相爱。从刚才和前面的阐述明显可知利亚的这些话在内在意义上表示什么：“神给了我酬报，因为我把使女给了我丈夫”；“使女”表示服务于外在人与内在人结合的肯定方法（3913，3917，3931节）。因此，在使女的儿子们所表示的那些事物得到肯定和承认之前，不可能出现良善与真理的任何结合，因而不可能出现任何相爱；这些肯定必须先到来。这就是现在这些话的意思。
Potts(1905-1910) 3956
3956. And Leah said, God hath given me my reward, because I gave my handmaid to my man. That this signifies in the supreme sense the Divine good of truth and truth of good; in the internal sense, celestial conjugial love; and in the external sense, mutual love, may be seen from the signification of "reward." "Reward" is frequently mentioned in the Word, but few know what it there signifies. It is known in the churches that by the goods which man does he can merit nothing, for they are not his, but the Lord's; and that meriting or merit looks to man, and thus conjoins itself with the love of self, and with the thought of pre-eminence over others, and consequently with contempt for others. For this reason works done for the sake of reward are not good in themselves, because they do not spring from the genuine fountain; that is, from charity toward the neighbor. Charity toward the neighbor has within it the desire that it should be as well with him as with ourselves; and with the angels, that it should be better with him than with themselves. Such also is the affection of charity; and therefore it is averse to all self-merit, and consequently to all the doing of good that looks to reward. To those who are in charity, the reward consists in being able to show kindness, and in being allowed to do so, and in the kindness being accepted. This is the delight, nay, bliss itself that is enjoyed by those who are in the affection of charity. From this it is evident what that "reward" is that is mentioned in the Word, namely, the delight and bliss of the affection of charity; or what is the same, the delight and bliss of mutual love (n. 3816); for the affection of charity, and mutual love, are the same thing. (See n. 1110, 1111, 1774, 1835, 1877, 2027, 2273, 2340, 2373, 2400.) From all this it is evident that by "reward" in the external sense is here signified mutual love. [2] That in a sense still higher, or in the internal sense, by "reward" is signified celestial conjugial love, may be seen from the things that have been said above concerning the heavenly marriage (n. 2618, 2739, 2741, 2803, 3024, 3132, 3952), namely, that it is the conjunction of good and truth; and that mutual love is from this conjunction, or from this marriage (n. 2737, 2738). It is evident from this that "reward" in the internal sense is celestial conjugial love. [3] That in the supreme sense "reward" is the Divine good of truth and truth of good, is evident from the fact that the heavenly marriage is thence derived; for this union is in the Lord, and proceeds from Him; and when it inflows into heaven, it makes the conjugial of good and truth, and thereby mutual love. From what has now been said and from what goes before, it is evident what is signified in the internal sense by these words of Leah: "God hath given me my reward, because I gave my handmaid to my man;" for by the "handmaid" is signified an affirmative means that serves for the conjunction of the external and the internal man (n. 3913, 3917, 3931). Thus before those things which are signified by the sons of the handmaids are affirmed and acknowledged, there cannot come forth any conjunction of good and truth, and thus not any mutual love; for these affirmations necessarily come first. This is what is meant by these words now before us.
Elliott(1983-1999) 3956
3956. 'And Leah said, God has given me my reward, because I gave my servant- girl to my husband' in the highest sense means Divine Good wedded to Truth, and Truth wedded to Good; in the internal sense heavenly conjugial love; and in the external sense mutual love. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'reward'. 'Reward' is mentioned in various places in the Word, but few know what is meant there by 'reward'. It is well known in the Churches that man can merit nothing through the good deeds which he performs, for the good deeds which he performs are not his but the Lord's, and that merit-seeking or the earning of merit has man himself in view and so joins itself to self-love and to thought of superiority over others, consequently to contempt for others. Works therefore which are done for the sake of reward are not good in themselves since they do not spring from a genuine source, that is to say, out of charity towards the neighbour. Charity towards the neighbour holds within itself the desire that the neighbour will fare as well as oneself, and in the case of the angels the desire that he will fare better than themselves. Such is the nature of the affection that goes with charity. Consequently the affection that goes with charity loathes all idea of merit and so every good action done with a view to reward. Reward for people who have charity consists in their having the ability to do good, in being allowed to do it, and in the recipient's willing acceptance of it. This is the actual delight, indeed blessing, that is present with people with whom the affection that goes with charity exists.
[2] This shows what is meant by 'reward' which is mentioned in the Word, namely the delight and blessing belonging to the affection that goes with charity, or what amounts to the same, the delight and blessing belonging to mutual love, 3816, for the affection that goes with charity is one and the same as mutual love; see what has been stated already on these matters in 1110, 1111, 1774, 1835, 1877, 2027, 2273, 2340, 2373, 2400. From these paragraphs it is evident that at this point 'reward' in the external sense means mutual love. In the sense higher than this, which is the internal sense, 'reward' means heavenly conjugial love, as may be seen from what has been stated already about the heavenly marriage in 2618, 2739, 2741, 2803, 3024 (end), 3132, 3952 - that is to say, it is the joining together of good and truth, and mutual love is the offspring of that conjunction or marriage, 2737, 2738. From all this one may see that in the internal sense 'reward' means heavenly conjugial love.
[3] As regards 'reward' meaning in the highest sense Divine Good wedded to Truth, and Truth wedded to Good, this is evident from the fact that from these comes the heavenly marriage. For that union of the two exists within the Lord and proceeds from Him; and when it passes into heaven, the conjugial relationship between good and truth is effected, and through this relationship mutual love exists. From what has been stated here and in what has gone before one may see what is meant in the internal sense by these words spoken by Leah, 'God has given me my reward, because I gave my servant-girl to my husband'; 'a servant-girl' has meant an affirmative means that serves in the joining together of the external man and the internal man, 3913, 3917, 3931. So until those things meant by the sons of the servant-girls have been affirmed and acknowledged no joining together of good and truth, and so no mutual love, is able to come about, for those affirmations must of necessity come first. These are the considerations meant by these words.
Latin(1748-1756) 3956
3956. `Et dixit Leah, Dedit Deus mercedem meam, quod dedi ancillam meam viro meo': quod significet in supremo sensu Divinum Bonum Veri et Verum Boni, in interno amorem conjugialem caelestem, in externo amorem mutuum, constare potest ex significatione `mercedis'; merces in Verbo passim nominatur {1}, sed pauci sciunt quid per mercedem ibi significatur; notum est in Ecclesiis quod per bona quae facit homo, nihil mereri possit, nam bona quae facit, non sunt illius sed Domini, et quod mereri seu meritum spectet hominem, ita quod se {2}conjungat cum amore sui, {3}et cum cogitatione praeeminentiae sui super alios, consequenter cum contemptu aliorum, quapropter {4}opera quae fiunt propter mercedem, non sunt bona in se, non enim scaturiunt a genuino fonte, nempe ex charitate erga proximum; charitas erga proximum in se habet quod velit ei {5}tam bene quam sibi, et apud angelos quod ei velint melius quam sibi;{6}ipsa affectio charitatis talis est; quare etiam affectio charitatis aversatur omne meritum, proinde omne benefactum spectans mercedem; merces illis qui in charitate sunt, est quod possint benefacere, et quod liceat benefacere, et quod benefactum acceptetur; hoc est ipsum jucundum, immo beatum, quod est apud illos qui in affectione charitatis sunt; [2] inde constare potest quid merces quae memoratur in Verbo, quod nempe sit jucundum et beatum affectionis charitatis, seu quod idem, jucundum et beatum amoris mutui, n. 3816, nam affectio charitatis et amor mutuus, idem est; videantur quae de his prius n. 1110, 1111, 1774, 1835, 1877, 2027, 2273, 2340, 2373, 2400 dicta sunt'; ex his patet quod per `mercedem' hic in sensu externo significetur amor mutuus. Quod per mercedem in sensu adhuc superiore, seu in interno, significetur amor conjugialis caelestis, constare potest ex illis quae prius n. 2618, 2739, 2741, 2803, 3024 f., 3132, (x)3952, de conjugio caelesti dicta sunt, quod nempe sit conjunctio boni et veri, et quod amor mutuus sit ex conjunctione illa, seu ex conjugio illo, n. 2737, 2738; inde constare potest quod `merces' in sensu interno sit amor conjugialis caelestis. [3] Quod `merces' in sensu supremo sit Divinum Bonum Veri et Verum Boni, patet ex eo quod inde sit conjugium caeleste; in Domino enim {7}est illa unio, et ab Ipso procedit', quae cum influit in caelum facit conjugiale boni et veri, et per hoc amorem mutuum. Ex his quae dicta sunt, et ex illis quae praecedunt, patet quid 'per' haec verba Leae, `Dedit Deus mercedem meam, quod dedi ancillam meam viro meo' in sensu interno significatur; per `ancillam' enim significatum est medium affirmativum inserviens conjunctioni externi et interni hominis, n. 3913, 3917, 3931; ita antequam affirmata sunt et agnita' quae per `filios ancillarum' significata sunt, non potest aliqua conjunctio boni et veri existere, ita nec amor mutuus;
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