4588.“收生婆对她说，不要怕”表示从属世层所得的觉知。这从“说”和“收生婆”的含义清楚可知：“说”在圣言的历史中是指觉知（参看1791，1815，1819，1822，1898，1919，2080，2619，2862，3395，3509节）；“收生婆”是指属世层。“收生婆”在此之所以表示属世层，是因为当有人经历内层试探，也就是内层人经历试探时，属世层就像收生婆。因为除非属世层提供帮助，否则，内层真理的出生是不可能的；事实上，当内层真理出生时，正是属世层把它们接入怀中，因为属世层能给它们提供走出来的机会。属灵生产的情形也一样，因为接受必须完全在属世层里面发生。这就是为何当一个人正在重生时，属世层首先预备好去接受的原因；它能接受的程度，就是内层真理与良善能显现并繁殖增多的程度。这也是为何若在肉身生活期间，属世人没有预备好接受信之真理与良善，此人就无法在来世接受它们，因而无法得救的原因。这就是“树倒必躺”这句俗语所表示的，意思是说，人死的时候什么样，将来还是什么样。因为在来世，人拥有其全部的属世记忆，也就是属于其外在人的记忆，尽管不可以使用它（2469-2494节）。因此，在来世，这记忆就充当内层真理与良善止于其上的一个基础层面；但是，如果这个基础层面不能支撑从内流入它的良善与真理，换句话说，不是它们的一个容器，那么这些内层真理与良善要么被窒息，要么被败坏，要么被抛弃。由此可见，属世层就像收生婆。
属世层就像收生婆，因为当内层人分娩时，它就是一个接受者。这一点也可从违反法老命令，使得希伯来妇女所生的男孩存活的收生婆所记载细节的内义清楚看出来。对此，我们在摩西五经中读到：
埃及王向希伯来妇人的两个收生婆说话，他说，你们给希伯来妇人接生的时候，要看着她们临盆；若是男孩，你们要杀死他；若是女孩，她就可以活着。但是收生婆敬畏神，不照埃及王的吩咐行，竟让男孩活着。埃及王召了收生婆来，对她们说，你们为什么作这事，让男孩活着呢？收生婆对法老说，因为希伯来妇人与埃及妇人不同，她们很有活力，接生妇还没有来到，她们已经生产了。神厚待收生婆，那民多起来，极其强盛。收生婆因为敬畏神，神就为她们建立家室。（出埃及记1:15-21）
希伯来妇人所生的女孩和男孩代表一个新教会的良善与真理；收生婆代表属世层，因为这属世层是良善与真理的接受者；埃及王代表一般的记忆知识或事实知识（参看1164，1165，1186节），这种知识除灭真理，如当记忆知识或事实知识进入以颠倒的方式或经由错误的路径进入信仰事物时所发生的情形；这时，除了感官和记忆知识或事实知识所决定的事物外，人什么也不信。在这段经文中，“收生婆”是指对属世层里面的真理的接受，蒙主的神性怜悯，这一点等到解释出埃及时就会得以证实。
Potts(1905-1910) 4588
4588. That the midwife said unto her, Fear not. That this signifies perception from the natural, is evident from the signification of "saying" in the historicals of the Word as being perception (see n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509); and from the signification of a "midwife," as being the natural. The reason why "midwife" here denotes the natural is that when interior temptations are being undergone, that is, when the interior man is undergoing temptations, the natural is then like a midwife; for unless the natural affords aid, it is impossible for any birth of interior truth to take place; for when interior truths are born, it is the natural which receives them into its bosom, because it affords the opportunity for them to work their way out. It is always the case with the things of spiritual birth, that their reception must be wholly in the natural; and this is the reason why when a man is being regenerated, the natural is first prepared to receive; and insofar as this is made receptive, so far interior truths and goods can be brought forth and multiplied. This is also the reason why if during the bodily life the natural man has not been prepared to receive the truths and goods of faith, he cannot receive them in the other life, consequently cannot be saved. This is what is meant by the common saying that as the tree falls, so it lies; or as man dies, such he will be. For man has with him in the other life all his natural memory, or that of his external man (although not there permitted to use it, n. 2469-2494), so that it is there as a foundation plane, into which interior truths and goods fall; and if this plane is not a receptacle of the goods and truths which flow in from within, these interior goods and truths are either extinguished, or perverted, or rejected. From all this it is evident that the natural is like a midwife. [2] That insofar as the natural is a recipient when the interior man brings forth, it is like a midwife, may be seen also from the internal sense of the things related of the midwives who contrary to the command of Pharaoh saved alive the sons of the Hebrew women, of which we read in Moses:
The king of Egypt said to the midwives of the Hebrew women, and he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools, if it be a son, then ye shall kill him, but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt spoke to them, but saved the male children alive. And the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this word, and have saved the male children alive? And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women, for they are lively, and have brought forth ere the midwife come unto them. And God did well to the midwives, and the people were multiplied, and became very numerous. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that He made them houses (Exod. 1:15-21);
by the daughters and sons the Hebrew women brought forth, are represented the goods and truths of a new church; by the midwives, the natural insofar as it is a recipient of goods and truths; by the king of Egypt, memory-knowledge in general (see n. 1164, 1165, 1186), which extinguishes truths when it enters into the things of faith by an inverted way, believing nothing except what the senses and memory-knowledge dictate. That the "midwives" here are receptions of truth in the natural, will of the Lord's Divine mercy be confirmed when the contents of that chapter come to be unfolded.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4588
4588. 'That the midwife said to her, Do not be afraid' means perception received from the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, dealt with in 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509, and from the meaning of 'the midwife' as the natural. The reason 'the midwife' here means the natural is that when anyone undergoes interior temptations, that is, when the interior man undergoes temptations, the natural is like a midwife. For unless the natural assists no birth of interior truth is possible, since it is the natural that receives interior truths into its bosom once these are born; indeed it is the natural that enables them to push their way out. The same applies to instances of spiritual birth, in that reception must take place wholly within the natural. This is the reason why, when a person is being regenerated, the natural is first of all made ready to receive, and to the extent it is then able to receive, interior truths and goods are able to emerge and multiply. This also explains why, if the natural man has not been made ready during the life of the body to receive the truths and goods of faith, that person cannot receive them in the next life and so cannot be saved. This is the implication of the common saying 'As the tree falls, so it must lie', meaning, What a person is when he dies, so he comes to be. For a person has with him in the next life his whole natural memory, that is, the memory belonging to his external man, though he is not allowed to use it in that life, 2469-2494. In the next life therefore that memory serves as the groundwork on which interior truths and goods rest; but if that groundwork is not able to support the goods and truths which flow into it from within, interior goods and truths are either annihilated, or perverted, or cast aside. From all this it may be seen that the natural is like a midwife.
[2] The likeness of the natural to a midwife, inasmuch as it is a recipient when the interior man gives birth, becomes clear also from the internal sense of what is recorded concerning the midwives who, contrary to Pharaoh's orders, allowed the sons of the Hebrew women to live. This is described in Moses as follows,
The king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrew women, and he said, When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women and see them on the stools, if it is a son you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter she shall be allowed to live. And the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt told them, but allowed the sons to live. And the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them Why have you done this thing and allowed the sons to live? And the midwives said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are lively; before the midwife reaches them they have given birth. And God did well to the midwives; and the people multiplied and became extremely numerous. And it happened because the midwives feared God, that He made them houses. Exod 1:15-21.
'The daughters and sons' to whom the Hebrew women gave birth represent the goods and truths of a new Church; 'the midwives' represent the natural, inasmuch as this is the recipient of goods and truths; 'the king of Egypt' represents factual knowledge in general, 1164, 1165, 1186, that wipes out truths, as happens when factual knowledge enters into matters of faith by a wrong path, which it does when nothing except that dictated by sensory experience and factual knowledge is believed. The fact that 'the midwives' in that passage means receptions of truth, within the natural, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be corroborated when the contents of that chapter in Exodus come up for explanation.
Latin(1748-1756) 4588
4588. `Et dixit illi obstetrix, Ne timeas': quod significet perceptionem e naturali, constat ex significatione `dicere' in historicis Verbi quod sit perceptio, de qua n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509; et a significatione `obstetricis' quod sit naturale; quod obstetrix hic sit naturale, est quia cum tentationes interiores subeuntur, hoc est, cum interior homo tentationes subit, tunc naturale est instar obstetricis, nam nisi naturale adjuvet, nusquam aliquis partus interioris {1} veri existit, naturale enim est quod vera interiora cum nata, in sinum recipit, dat enim copiam ut eniti possint; se habet ita cum illis quae sunt partus spiritualis, quod receptio omnino erit in naturali; quae causa est quod cum regeneratur homo, primum praeparetur naturale ad recipiendum, et quantum hoc receptibile factum est, tantum interiora vera et bona excludi et multiplicari possunt; haec etiam causa est quod si non naturalis homo praeparatus sit ad recipienda vera et bona fidei in vita corporis, non possit in altera vita illa recipere, ita non salvari;hoc est quod intelligitur per commune hoc apud vulgus, quod `sicut arbor cadit, ita maneat,' vel sicut homo moritur, ita fiat; homo enim naturalem seu externi hominis memoriam secum omnem altera vita habet, sed ibi illa uti non licet, n. 2469-2494, quapropter illa ibi est sicut planum fundamentale, in quod interiora vera et bona cadunt {2}; id planum si non receptibile est bonorum et verorum quae ab interiore influunt, `interiora' bona et vera vel exstinguuntur, vel pervertuntur, vel rejiciuntur: ex his constare potest quod naturale sit obstetricis instar. [2] Quod naturale quatenus recipiens cum parit interior homo, instar obstetricis sit, constare quoque potest a sensu interno rerum quae memorantur de obstetricibus quae vivificarunt filios mulierum Hebraearum contra mandatum Pharaonis {3}, de quibus ita apud Mosen, Dixit rex Aegypti obstetricibus Hebraearum,... et dixit, In obstetricando Hebraeis, et videtis super sellis, si filius ille, occidetis illum, et si filia illa, vivificetur: et timuerunt obstetrices Deum, et non fecerunt quemadmodum locutus ad (x)illas rex Aegypti, vivificarunt natos: et vocavit rex Aegypti obstetrices, et dixit illis Quamobrem fecistis verbum hoc, et vivificastis natos? Et dixerunt obstetrices ad Pharaonem, Quia non sicut mulieres Aegyptiae Hebraeae, nam vivaces hae {4}, antequam venit ad illas obstetrix et pepererunt; et benefecit Deus obstetricibus, et multiplicatus populus, et numerosus factus valde: et factum, quia timuerunt obstetrices Deum, et fecit illis domos, Exod. i 15-21;
per `filias et filios quos pepererunt mulieres Hebraeae' repraesentantur bona et vera novae Ecclesiae, per `obstetrices' naturale quatenus recipiens bona et vera, per `regem Aegypti' scientificum (o)in communi, n. 1164, 1165, 1186, quod exstinguit vera, quod fit cum scientificum intrat in illa quae fidei sunt, via praepostera, nihil credendo nisi quod sensuale et scientificum dictat; quod `obstetrices' ibi sint receptiones veri in naturali, ex Divina Domini Misericordia, confirmabitur cum illa quae illius capitis sunt, explicanda veniunt. @1 i spiritualis$ @2 cadant$ @3 before vivificarunt$ @4 illae$