4612.“雅各来到他父亲以撒那里”表此时神性理性层被联结到神性属世层。这从“雅各”和“以撒”的代表清楚可知：“雅各”是指在刚才（参看4604-4610节）所论述的这种状态期间的神性属世层；“以撒”是指神性理性层（参看1893，2066，2072，2083，2630，3012，3194，3210节）。联结由雅各到以撒那里来表示。在下文，直到本章末尾，所论述的主题是属世层与理性层的联结；因此，前面紧邻的内容描述了这属世层的性质。也就是说，描述了它如何良善与真理的全部事物在里面，属世层的这种性质由雅各的十二个儿子表示，因为如前所示，他的每个儿子都代表真理与良善的某个一般方面。
至于下文所论述的属世层与理性层的这种联结，要知道，理性层接受真理与良善比属世层更快一、更容易（3286，3288，3321，3368，3498，3513节）。事实上，理性层比属世层更纯粹、更完美，因为它更内在或更高，就其本身而言，居于它所适合的天堂之光。这就是为何理性层接受属于这光的事物，也就是真理与良善，或也可说，构成聪明和智慧的事物，比属世层更快、更容易，也更完美。另一方面，属世层之所以更粗糙、更不完美，是因为它更外在，或更低，就其本身而言，居于尘世之光；这光没有丝毫聪明和智慧在里面，除非它从透过理性层闪耀出来的天堂之光那里获得聪明和智慧。当今学者所谈论的流注并非别的。
至于属世层，情况是这样：属世层自婴幼儿早期就从经由外在感官自尘世所流入的印象那里接受它的性质，人利用并凭借这些印象来发展自己的理解力。但由于那时他陷入自我之爱和尘世之爱的快乐，因而陷入私欲，这二者是他的遗传和自己行为的产物，所以如此发展的理解力充满这些欲望。凡赞成其快乐的，他都视之为良善与真理。因此，属世层中的良善与真理的次序是颠倒的，或与天堂次序对立。当人处于这种状态时，天堂之光虽通过理性层流入，因为正是这光赋予他思考、推理、说话，以及外在形式上表现得体和礼貌的能力；但属于天堂之光、有助于他的永恒幸福的事物并不在属世层里面，因为在那里占据主导地位的快乐与它们对抗；事实上，自我之爱与尘世之爱的快乐本身就和对邻之爱的快乐，因而和对主之爱的快乐完全对立。诚然，此人能知道属于光或天堂的事物，但他无法产生对它们的任何情感，除非它们有助于他获得重要地位和物质利益，因而除非它们赞成自我之爱和尘世之爱的快乐。
由此可见，属世层里面的次序完全颠倒，或与天堂的次序对立。正因如此，当天堂之光通过理性层流入属世层时，它要么被反转，要么被窒息，要么被扭曲。这就是为何必属世层在能与理性层联结之前，必须重生。一旦属世层重生，从主经由天堂，因而经由理性层流入属世层的事物就被接受，因为它们与它一致。属世层是指外在人，也就是所谓的属世人；理性层是指内在人。预先说这些是为了叫人能明白下面的内容是什么意思，因为下文所论述的主题是属世层与理性层的联结。
Potts(1905-1910) 4612
4612. And Jacob came unto Isaac his father. That this signifies now the Divine rational with which it was conjoined, is evident from the representation of Jacob, as being the Divine natural in the state treated of just above (see n. 4604-4610); and from the representation of Isaac, as being the Divine rational (see n. 1893, 2066, 2072, 2083, 2630, 3012, 3194, 3210). Conjunction is signified by his coming to him. In what follows, down to the end of the chapter, the subject treated of is the conjunction of the natural with the rational; and therefore in what immediately precedes, the quality of the natural has been described, in that it contained within it all things of good and truth, and this quality of the natural is signified by the twelve sons of Jacob, for as we have seen, each one of them represents some general of truth and good. [2] As regards the conjunction of the natural and the rational treated of in the following verses, be it known that the rational receives truths and goods sooner and more easily than the natural (n. 3286, 3288, 3321, 3368, 3498, 3513). For the rational is purer and more perfect than the natural, because it is interior or higher, and viewed in itself it is in the light of heaven, to which it is adapted. This is the reason why the rational receives the things of this light (namely, truths and goods, or what is the same, the things of intelligence and wisdom), sooner and more easily than the natural. But the natural is grosser and more imperfect, because it is exterior or lower, and viewed in itself it is in the light of the world; which light has nothing of intelligence and wisdom within it except insofar as it receives it through the rational from the light of heaven. The influx of which the learned of the present day speak, is nothing else. [3] But with the natural the case is this: From the earliest infancy and childhood the natural receives its quality from the things which flow in from the world through the external senses, and by and from these the man acquires an intellectual. But as he is then in the delights of the love of self and of the world, and consequently in cupidities, both from inheritance and from actual life, the intellectual which he then acquires is filled with such things, and whatever favors his delights he then regards as goods and truths, and the result is that the order of the goods and truths in the natural is inverted, or is opposite to heavenly order. When the man is in this state, the light of heaven does indeed flow in through the rational, for it is from this that he has the ability to think, to reason, to speak, and to act becomingly and as a good citizen in the outward form; but still the things which are of light, and that conduce to his eternal happiness, are not in the natural, because the delights which rule there are repugnant to them, for the delights of the love of self and of the world are in themselves diametrically opposite to the delights of the love of the neighbor, and consequently to those of love to the Lord. The man may indeed know the things of light or of heaven, but he cannot be affected with them, except insofar as they conduce to his winning honors and gaining wealth, and thus except insofar as they favor the delights of the love of self and of the world. [4] From this it may appear that the order in the natural is wholly inverted, or opposite to heavenly order, and therefore when the light of heaven flows in through the rational into the natural, it must needs be either reflected back, or suffocated, or perverted. Hence then it is that the natural must be regenerated before it can be conjoined with the rational. For when the natural has been regenerated, the things which flow in from the Lord through heaven, thus through the rational into the natural, are received, because they agree. For the natural is nothing else than a receptacle of good and truth from the rational, or through the rational from the Lord. By the natural is meant the external man, which is also called the natural man, and by the rational is meant the internal man. These things have been premised in order that it may be known how the case is with what follows, in which the subject treated of is the conjunction of the natural with the rational.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4612
4612. 'Jacob came to Isaac his father' means that at this point the Divine Rational was joined to the Divine Natural. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the Divine Natural during the state dealt with just above in 4604-4610, and from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine Rational, dealt with in 1893, 2066, 2072, 2083, 2630, 3012, 3194, 3210. A joining together is meant by these words stating that he came to him In all that follows to the end of the chapter the subject is the joining of the natural to the rational, and therefore what has gone immediately before has contained a description of the essential nature of that natural. That is to say, it has described how all aspects of good and truth were now present within it, the essential nature of it being meant by the twelve sons of Jacob; for as has been shown, each of his sons represents some general aspect of truth or good.
[2] As regards the joining of the natural to the rational, the subject in what follows below, it should be remembered that the rational receives truths and goods before the natural does, and in a more perfect way, 3286, 3288, 3321, 3368, 3498, 3513. For the rational is purer and more perfect than the natural because it is more internal or higher, and regarded essentially dwells in the light of heaven to which it is suited. This is why the rational receives things belonging to that light- that is to say, truths and goods, or what amounts to the same, the things that constitute intelligence and wisdom - before the natural does, and in a more perfect way. The natural, on the other hand, is grosser and less perfect because it is more external or lower, and regarded essentially dwells in the light of the world, a light which holds no intelligence or wisdom within itself, except insofar as it receives these from the light of heaven shining through the rational. Influx, which the learned talk about at the present day, is nothing other than this.
[3] With the natural however the position is that from earliest infancy and childhood it receives its essential nature from impressions gained from the world which come through the external senses; and a person uses and draws on these impressions to develop his understanding. But because the delights of self-love and love of the world reign in him at that time of life, and consequently selfish desires, which are the product of both his heredity and his own actions, the understanding so developed is filled with those desires. And all that accords with his delights he sees as goods and truths. Consequently the way these are ordered in the natural is the reverse or opposite of a heavenly ordering. When this is a person's state the light of heaven is, it is true, flowing in through the rational, for it is this that gives him the ability to think, to reason, to speak, and in outward appearance to act decently and politely. But things belonging to the light of heaven which contribute to such a person's eternal happiness are not present in the natural, since the delights which reign there are antagonistic towards them; for the delights of self-love and love of the world are by nature utterly opposed to the delights that go with love of the neighbour and consequently with love to the Lord. That person is able, it is true, to have a knowledge of the things belonging to light or heaven, but he cannot have any affection for them, except insofar as they are conducive to the acquisition of important positions and material gain, thus insofar as they accord with the delights of self-love and love of the world.
[4] From this it may be seen that order within the natural is the complete reverse or opposite of heavenly order. This being so, when the light of heaven flows in by way of the rational into the natural it is inevitably turned back, or smothered, or perverted. This is why the natural must be regenerated before it can be joined to the rational. Once the natural has been regenerated the things which flow in from the Lord by way of heaven, and so through the rational into the natural, are received there because they accord with it. For the natural is nothing else than the receptacle of good and truth coming from the rational, that is, from the Lord by way of the rational. By the natural is meant the external man, also called the natural man, and by the rational the internal man. These preliminary remarks have been made to enable one to see the implications of what follows below, for there the joining of the natural to the rational is the subject.
Latin(1748-1756) 4612
4612. `Venit Jacob ad Jishakum patrem suum': quod significet quod nunc Divinum Rationale cui conjunctum, constat a repraesentatione `Jacobi' quod sit Divinum Naturale in statu de quo mox supra n. 4604-4610; et a repraesentatione `Jishaki' quod sit Divinum Rationale, de qua n. 1893, 2066, 2072, 2083, 2630, 3012, 3194, 3210; conjunctio significatur per quod venerit ad illum. In sequentibus usque {1} ad finem capitis agitur de conjunctione naturalis cum rationali; et quia ita, in mox praecedentibus descriptum est naturale quale fuit, quod nempe in illo omnia boni et veri; quale ejus significatum est per (o)duodecim filios Jacobi, nam, ut ostensum, quilibet eorum aliquid commune veri et boni repraesentat. [2] Quod conjunctionem naturalis et rationalis {2}, de qua in sequentibus agitur, concernit, sciendum quod rationale prius et facilius recipiat vera et bona quam naturale, n. 3286, 3288, 3321, 3368, 3498 {3}, 3513; est enim rationale purius et perfectius quam naturale quia interius seu superius, et in se spectatum in luce caeli, cui adaptatum est, inde est quod rationale illa quae sunt lucis illius, nempe vera et bona {4}, seu quod idem, quae sunt intelligentiae et sapientiae, prius et facilius quam naturale recipiat; naturale autem est crassius et imperfectius quia exterius seu {5} inferius, et in se spectatum in luce mundi, quae lux nihil intelligentiae et sapientiae (t) in se habet, nisi quantum per rationale recipit a luce caeli; influxus, de quo eruditi hodie loquuntur, non alius est. [3] Cum natura autem ita se habet: hoc a prima infantia et pueritia suum quale accipit ab illis quae e mundo per sensualia externa influunt, per illa et ex illis homo sibi acquirit intellectuale; sed quia tunc in jucundis amoris sui et mundi est et inde in cupiditatibus, tam ex hereditario quam ex actuali, ideo intellectuale quod tunc acquirit, talibus est oppletum, et {6}tunc illa quae jucundis ejus favent, spectat ut bona et vera; inde ordo eorum in naturali est inversus seu oppositus ordini caelesti; in quo statu cum est, lux caeli quidem per rationale influit, inde enim habet quod cogitare, quod ratiocinari, quod loqui, et in externa forma decore et civiliter agere possit, sed usque illa quae sunt {7}lucis et quae ei conducunt ad felicitatem aeternam, in naturali non sunt; nam jucunda quae dominantur ibi, repugnant illis; jucunda enim amoris sui et mundi in se prorsus opposita sunt jucundis amoris proximi et inde amoris in Dominum; scire quidem potest illa quae sunt lucis seu caeli, sed non potest illis affici, nisi quantum conducunt ad aucupandos honores et captandum lucrum, ita nisi quantum favent jucundis amoris sui et mundi: inde constare potest quod ordo {8}in naturali sit prorsus 4 inversus seu oppositus ordini caelesti;quapropter cum lux caeli per rationale influit in {9}naturale, non potest aliter quam ut vel reflectatur, vel suffocetur, vel pervertatur: inde nunc est quod naturale prius regenerandum sit quam conjungi possit cum rationali; cum enim naturale regeneratum est, tunc illa quae influunt a Domino per caelum ac ita per rationale in naturale, recipiuntur, quia concordant; est enim naturale nihil aliud quam receptaculum boni et veri e rationali, seu per rationale a Domino. Per naturale intelligitur externus homo, qui etiam naturalis homo vocatur, et per rationale internus. Haec praemissa sunt ut sciatur quomodo se res habet cum illis quae sequuntur, nam ibi de conjunctione naturalis cum rationali agitur. @1 autem$ @2 cum Rationale$ @3 A i 3493 in m.$ @4 veri et boni$ @5 et$ @6 non nisi quam illa ut bona et vera spectat quae jucundis illis favent$ @7 caeli$ @8 i omnis$ @9 tale naturale, necessaria followed by verbs in indicative$