4169.“你的母绵羊、母山羊没有掉过胎”表它在良善上的状态和真理的良善。这从“绵羊”和“母山羊”的含义清楚可知：“绵羊”是指良善，如下文所述；“母山羊”是指真理的良善（参看3995，4006节）。“良善”这个词单独使用时，是指意愿的良善；而“真理的良善”是指理解或认知的良善。意愿的良善是指出于良善而行良善；而理解或认知的良善是指出于真理行良善。对那些出于真理而行良善的人来说，这二者看似为一，是一回事；而事实上，它们彼此截然不同。因为出于良善行良善就是出于对良善的觉察行良善，而对良善的这种觉察只存在于属天之人当中。但出于真理行良善是出于记忆知识，因而出于理解或认知行良善。这等于是在没有对它是良善的任何觉察的情况下行良善，仅仅因为我们就是这样被别人教导的，或凭着我们自己的理性自行认定这就是良善。而这很可能是一个错误的真理，不过，若这真理以良善为目的，那么人出于该真理所行的，就等同于良善。
“绵羊”表示良善。这一点从圣言中的许多经文可以看出来，仅从中引用以下经文，以赛亚书：
祂在受苦的时候却不开口；祂像羊羔被牵到宰杀之地，又像剪毛的人面前的绵羊，祂也是这样不开口。（以赛亚书53:7）
这论及主，在此祂被比作绵羊不是凭真理，而凭良善。马太福音：
耶稣对祂所差出去的十二个人说，外邦人的路，你们不要走；撒马利亚人的城，你们不要进；宁可往以色列家迷失的绵羊那里去。（马太福音10:5-6）
他们不可去的“外邦人”表示那些陷入邪恶的人，外邦人表示邪恶（参看1259，1260，1849节）。“撒马利亚人的城”表示那些陷入虚假的人；“绵羊”表示那些处于良善的人。
约翰福音：
耶稣复活后对彼得说，你喂养我的小羊；耶稣第二次又对他说，你牧养我的绵羊；第三次对他说，你喂养我的绵羊。（约翰福音21:15-17）
“小羊（即羔羊）”在此表示那些内心纯真的人；先提及的“绵羊”表示那些出于良善而实践良善的人；后提及的“绵羊”表示那些二个代表那些出于真理实践良善的人。马太福音:
当人子在祂荣耀里降临的时候，把绵羊安置在右边，山羊在左边；祂要向那右边的说，你们这蒙我父赐福的，可来承受那创世以来为你们所预备的国；因为我饿了，你们给我吃；渴了，你们给我喝；我作客旅，你们留我住；我赤身露体，你们给我穿；我病了，你们看望我；我在监里，你们来探我。这些事你们既做在我这弟兄中一个最小的身上，就是做在我身上了。（马太福音25:31-40）
很明显，“绵羊”在此表示良善，也就是那些处于良善的人。各种仁之良善（关于这些良善，蒙主的神性怜悯，我将在别处予以说明）就包含在内义中。“（公）山羊”尤表那些只有信没有仁的人。
同样在以西结书:
我的羊群哪，论到你们，主耶和华如此说，看哪，我必在羊与羊中间，公绵羊与公山羊中间施行判断。（以西结书34:17）
“公山羊”尤表那些其信未与任何仁联结的人。这一点从“公山羊”的含义明显看出来，“公山羊”在正面意义上是指那些拥有信之真理，并由此拥有某种仁的人；但在反面意义上是指那些其信未与任何仁联结的人，这种人从得救的是信这一起点推理救赎。这一点也可从主在上述马太福音的经文中所说关于山羊的话明显看出来。不过，那些没有任何信之真理，同时又没有任何仁之良善的人则被掳到地狱，不用经历任何审判，也就是说，不用检查就可以证明他们陷入虚假。
Potts(1905-1910) 4169
4169. Thy sheep and thy she-goats have not cast their young. That this signifies its state as to good and the good of truth, is evident from the signification of a "sheep," as being good (concerning which in what follows); and from the signification of a "she-goat," as being the good of truth (see n. 3995, 4006). By "good" simply so called is meant the good of the will; but by the "good of truth" is meant the good of the understanding. The good of the will is to do good from good; but the good of the understanding is to do good from truth. To those who do good from truth these two appear to be one and the same thing; but yet they differ much from each other; for to do good from good is to do it from the perception of good, and the perception of good exists solely with the celestial; whereas to do good from truth is to do it from memory-knowledge and the consequent understanding; but without the perception that it is so; and only because we have been so instructed by others, or by our own intellectual faculty have of ourselves arrived at the conclusion in question. This may indeed be a fallacious truth, but still if it has good as its end, that which the man does from this truth becomes as good. [2] That "sheep" signify goods, may be seen from many passages in the Word, of which the following only shall be adduced. In Isaiah:
He was afflicted, and He opened not His mouth; He is led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers, and He opened not His mouth (Isa. 53:7);
concerning the Lord, where He is compared to a sheep, not from truth, but from good. In Matthew:
Jesus said to the twelve whom He sent out, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matt. 10:5-6);
the "Gentiles to whom they should not go," denote those who are in evils. (That the "Gentiles" denote evils may be seen above, n. 1259, 1260, 1849.) The "cities of the Samaritans" denote those who are in falsities; "sheep," those who are in goods. [3] In John:
Jesus after His resurrection said to Peter, Feed My lambs; the second time He said, Feed My sheep; and the third time, Feed My sheep (John 21:15-17);
"lambs" here denote those who are in innocence; "sheep" as first mentioned, those who are in good from good; and "sheep" as last mentioned, those who are in good from truth. In Matthew:
When the Son of man shall come in His glory, He shall set the sheep on His right hand, and the goats on His left; and He shall say unto them on His right hand, Come ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was a hungered, and ye gave Me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me to drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in; I was naked, and ye clothed Me; I was sick, and ye visited Me; I was in prison, and ye came unto Me. Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye did it unto Me (Matt. 25:31-40);
that "sheep" here denote goods (that is, those who are in good) is very evident. All kinds of the goods of charity are here contained in the internal sense, as of the Lord's Divine mercy will be shown elsewhere. By "he-goats" are specifically signified those who are in faith and in no charity. [4] In like manner in Ezekiel:
As for you, O My flock, saith the Lord Jehovih, behold I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams of the sheep, and the he-goats (Ezek. 34:17);
that the "he-goats" are specifically those who are in the faith of no charity, may be seen from the signification of "he-goats," as being in a good sense those who are in the truth of faith, and thence in some charity; but in the opposite sense, those who are in the faith of no charity, and who reason concerning salvation from the starting point that faith saves. The same appears also from what the Lord says concerning the goats in Matthew, as cited above. But they who are in no truth of faith, and at the same time in no good of charity, are carried away into hell without such a judgment, that is, without any conviction that they are in falsity.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4169
4169. 'Your sheep and your she-goats have not miscarried' means its state as regards good and the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'sheep' as good, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'she-goat' as the good of truth, dealt with in 3995, 4006. The word good when used by itself means the good of the will, whereas the expression the good of truth means the good of the understanding. The good of the will consists in doing good from good, whereas the good of the understanding consists in doing it from truth. To people who do good from truth those two activities seem to be one and the same, when in fact they are considerably different from each other. For doing good from good consists in doing it from the perception of good, and that perception does not exist with any except those who are celestial. But doing good from truth is doing it from knowledge and consequently from the understanding. It amounts to doing it without any perception that it is good, and so solely as something that a person has been taught to do by others, or else by the exercise of his own intellect has decided that it is good. Such truth may well be faulty, but if it has good as its end in view, then a person's action arising out of that truth becomes tantamount to good.
[2] 'Sheep' means goods. This may be seen from many places in the Word, from which places let merely the following be quoted: In Isaiah,
He was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. He is led like a lamba to the slaughter, and like a sheep before its shearers, he did not open his mouth. Isa 53:7.
This refers to the Lord, where He is compared to 'a sheep' not by virtue of truth but of good. In Matthew,
Jesus said to the twelve whom He sent out, Do not go into the way of the gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Matt 10:5, 6.
'The gentiles' to whom they were forbidden to go stands for those among whom evils exist - 'gentiles' meaning evils, see 1259,1260,1849; 'the cities of the Samaritans' stands for those among whom falsities are present; and 'sheep' stands for those among whom forms of good may be found.
[3] In John,
Jesus after the Resurrection said to Peter, Feed My lambs. A second time He said, Feed My sheep; the third time He said, Feed My sheep. John 21:15-17.
'Lambs' stands for those who have innocence within them. The first reference to 'sheep' stands for people whose practice of good stems from good, the second for those whose practice of it stems from truth. In Matthew,
When the Son of Man comes in His glory He will place the sheep at His right hand but the goats at His left. And He will say to those at His right hand, Come, O blessed of My Father, possess as an inheritance the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me. Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Matt 25:31-40.
Here it is quite plain that 'sheep' stands for goods, that is, for those in whom good is present. Every kind of good flowing from charity, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described elsewhere, is included here in the internal sense. 'Goats' means in particular those who have faith but no charity.
[4] Similarly in Ezekiel,
As for you, O My flock, said the Lord Jehovih, Behold, I am judging between one member of the flock and another, between rams of the sheep, and he-goats. Ezek 34:17.
'He-goats' means in particular those whose faith is not linked to any charity. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'he-goats' in the good sense as those who possess the truth of faith and from this some charity, but in the contrary sense those whose faith is not linked to any charity. Such people reason about salvation from basic assumptions that faith is what saves. The same point is apparent from what the Lord says about the goats in the passage in Matthew quoted above. But people who do not possess any truth of faith, or at the same time any good of charity, are carried away into hell without undergoing any such judgement, that is to say, without any examination to prove that they are governed by falsity.
Latin(1748-1756) 4169
4169. `Oves tuae et caprae tuae non abortiverunt': quod significet statum ejus quoad bonum et bonum veri, constat a significatione `ovis' quod sit bonum, de qua sequitur; et a significatione `caprae' quod sit bonum veri, de qua n. 3995, 4006;per bonum simpliciter dictum, intelligitur bonum voluntatis, per bonum veri autem bonum intellectus; bonum voluntatis est ex bono facere bonum, bonum autem intellectus est ex vero facere bonum;
haec apparent illis qui bonum faciunt ex vero, quod unum sint, sed usque inter se multum differunt; bonum enim facere ex bono, est ex perceptione boni; perceptio boni {1} non datur apud alios quam apud caelestes; at bonum facere ex vero, est ex scientia et inde intellectu, sed absque perceptione quod ita sit, solum quod sic instructus sit ab aliis, aut a se per facultatem suam intellectualem concluserit quod ita sit; hoc potest fallax verum esse, sed usque si finem boni habet, tunc quod ex vero illo facit, ut bonum fit. [2] Quod `oves' significent bona, constare potest a pluribus locis in Verbo, quorum haec solum licet afferre; apud Esaiam, Afflictus est, et non aperuit os suum, sicut pecus ad mactationem ducitur, et sicut ovis coram tonsoribus,... et non aperuit os suum, liii 7;
de Domino, ubi comparatur `ovi' non ex vero sed ex bono: apud Matthaeum, Jesus (o)dixit ad duodecim quos emisit, In viam gentium non abitote, et in urbem Samaritanorum ne ingredimini, abite potius ad oves perditas domus Israelis, x 5, 6;
`gentes' ad quas non abirent, pro illis qui in malis; quod `gentes' sint mala, videatur n. 1259, 1260, 1849; `urbes Samaritanorum' pro illis qui in falsis; `oves' pro illis qui in bonis: [3] apud Johannem, Jesus post resurrectionem dixit ad Petrum, Pasce agnos Meos; secundum {2} dixit,... Pasce oves Meas; tertio dixit,... Pasce oves Meas, xxi 15-17;
{3} `agni' pro illis qui in innocentia; `oves' primo loco pro illis qui in bono ex bono; `oves' tertio loco pro illis qui in bono ex vero: apud Matthaeum, Cum veniet Filius hominis in gloria Sua,... statuet oves a dextris, hircos [vero] a sinistris; et (x)dicet... illis qui a dextris, Venite benedicti Patris Mei, ut hereditatem possidete paratum vobis regnum a fundatione mundi; nam esurivi, et dedistis Mihi quod ederem; sitivi et potastis Me; peregrinus fui et collegistis Me; nudus fui et induistis Me; aegrotus fui et visitastis Me; in custodia fui et venistis ad Me:... in quantum fecistis uni ex his fratribus Meis minimis, Mihi fecistis, xxv 31-40;
ibi quod `oves {1}' pro bonis, hoc est, pro illis qui in bono sunt, manifeste patet; omnia genera bonorum charitatis ibi continentur in sensu interno, de quibus ex Divina Domini Misericordia, alibi; per `hircos' significantur in specie illi qui in fide et in nulla charitate (o)sunt;
[4] similiter apud Ezechielem, Vos, mi grex, dixit Dominus Jehovih, ecce Ego judicans inter pecudem et pecudem, inter arietes ovium, et inter hircos xxxiv 17;
quod `hirci' sint in specie illi qui in fide nullius charitatis (o)sunt, constare potest ex significatione `hircorum' quod sint in bono sensi illi qui in vero fidei, et inde in aliqua charitate, sed in opposito illi qui in fide nullius charitatis; ratiocinantur de salute ex principii quod fides salvet; quod etiam apparet ex illis quae Dominus de hirci dicit apud Matthaeum in loco citato; qui autem in nullo vero fide: et simul in nullo bono charitatis sunt, illi absque tali judicio, `nempe absque convictione quod in falso sint, feruntur in infernum. @1 i, seu quod ita sit,$ @2 secundo$ @3 i ubi$ @4 ovis I$ @5 hoc est$