3971.“拉结生约瑟之后”表对约瑟所代表的属灵层的承认。这从“生”
的含义，以及“拉结”和“约瑟”的代表清楚可知：“生”是指承认（参看3905，3911，3915，3919节）；“拉结”是指对内在真理的情感（3758，3782，3793，3819节）；“约瑟”是指属灵国，因而是指属灵人（3969节），故是指属灵层；因为源于主的属灵层来就是那构成属灵人，以及属灵国的。此前的章节已通过雅各与使女并利亚所生的儿子论述了对一般真理的接受和承认，最后论述了这些真理与内层人的结合，进而论述了人的重生，直到他变得属灵。“约瑟”就是这属灵人。紧接着的这一节论述了真理与良善的繁殖增多，由雅各通过拉班的羊群为自己所获得的“羊群”来表示。
事实上，内层人与外在人，就是属灵人与属世人的结合产生之后，良善的繁殖和真理的增多就开始发生；因为这二者的结合就是人里面的天上婚姻，这种繁殖和增多（fruitfulness and multiplication）就源于该婚姻。这也是为何“约瑟”在外在意义上表示繁殖和增多（3965，3969节）。“繁殖”论及良善，“增多”论及真理（43，55，913，983，2846，2847节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 3971
3971. And it came to pass when Rachel had borne Joseph. That this signifies the acknowledgment of the spiritual represented by Joseph, is evident from the signification of "bearing," as being to acknowledge (see n. 3905, 3911, 3915, 3919); from the representation of Rachel, as being the affection of interior truth (n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819); and from the representation of Joseph, as being the spiritual kingdom, thus the spiritual man (n. 3969), and consequently the Spiritual; for the Spiritual, being from the Lord, is that which makes the spiritual man, and also the spiritual kingdom. In what is related of Jacob's sons by the handmaids and Leah, the reception and acknowledgment of general truths has been treated of, and at last their conjunction with the interior man, and thus man's regeneration even till he is made spiritual; "Joseph" being this spiritual man. In what now immediately follows, the fructification and multiplication of truth and good are treated of, which are signified by the "flock" that Jacob procured for himself by means of the flock of Laban; for after there has been effected the conjunction of the interior man with the external, or of the spiritual man with the natural, there takes place a fructification of good and a multiplication of truth; for this conjunction is the heavenly marriage in man, and these are born from it. From this also it is that fructification and multiplication are signified by "Joseph" in the external sense (n. 3965, 3969). ("Fructification" is said of good; and "multiplication" of truth, n. 43, 55, 913, 983, 2846, 2847.)
Elliott(1983-1999) 3971
3971. 'It happened, when Rachel had borne Joseph' means acknowledgement of the spiritual represented by Joseph. This is clear from the meaning of 'bearing' as acknowledging, dealt with in 3905, 3911, 3915, 3919; from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with in 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the spiritual kingdom and so the spiritual man, dealt with in 3969, and therefore as the spiritual; for having its origin in the Lord, the spiritual is that which makes the spiritual man and also the spiritual kingdom what they are. By means of Jacob's sons by the servant-girls and by Leah, the sections prior to this have dealt with the reception and acknowledgement of general truths, and eventually with the joining of those truths to the interior man, and so have dealt with man's regeneration up to and including his becoming spiritual. 'Joseph' is that spiritual man. The present sections coming directly after them deal with the fruitfulness and the multiplication of truth and good, which are meant by the flock which Jacob obtained for himself by means of Laban's flock.
[2] Indeed after the joining of the interior man to the external man has taken place, that is, of the spiritual and the natural, fruitfulness of good and multiplication of truth take place, for that joining together of the two is the heavenly marriage with man. It is from this marriage that such fruitfulness and multiplication spring. This also is why 'Joseph' in the external sense means fruitfulness and multiplication, 3965, 3969, the expressions 'fruitfulness' being used in reference to good, and 'multiplication' to truth, 43, 55, 913, 983, 2846, 2847.
Latin(1748-1756) 3971
3971. `Factum cum peperisset Rachel Josephum': quod significet agnitionem spiritualis per `Josephum' repraesentati, constat a significatione `parere' quod sit agnoscere, de qua n. 3905, 3911, 3915, 3919; ex repraesentatione `Rachelis' quod sit affectio veri interioris, de qua n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3829; et ex repraesentatione `Josephi' quod sit regnum spirituale, ita homo spiritualis, de qua n. 3969, proinde spirituale; nam spirituale {1}quia a Domino, est quod facit hominem spiritualem, tum regnum spirituale. In illis quae praecedunt, per filios Jacobi ex ancillis et {2}Leah, actum est de receptione et agnitione verorum communium, et denique de conjunctione illorum cum interiore homine, ita de regeneratione hominis usque dum fit spiritualis; `Josephus' est spiritualis ille homo; in his quae nunc immediate sequuntur, agitur de fructificatione et multiplicatione veri et boni, quae significantur per `gregem' quem sibi Jacob per gregem Labanis comparavit; [2] postquam enim conjunctio facta interioris hominis cum externo, seu spiritualis cum naturali, fit fructificatio boni et multiplicatio veri, est enim conjunctio illa conjugium caeleste apud hominem; ab hoc conjugio {3}illa nascuntur; inde quoque est quod per `Josephum' in sensu externo significetur fructificatio et multiplicatio, n. 3965, 3969: fructificatio dicitur de bono, et multiplicatio de vero, n. 43, 55, 913, 983, 2846, 2847. @1 quod$ @2 i ex$ @3 fructificatio boni et multiplicatio veri existit$