4904.“并且，看哪，她因行淫有了身孕”表或说，有任何事物能由此被生出来。这从“有了身孕”或“怀了孩子”和“行淫”的含义清楚可知，“有了身孕”或“怀了孩子”是指要生产某种事物，因为“种”表示信之真理，“怀孕”表示对它的接受，因而“有了身孕”或“怀了孩子”表示生产或产生；“行淫”是指虚假，也就是说，出于他们的宗教表象，如前所述（4903节）。由此明显可知，“说，你的儿媳他玛作了妓女，并且，看哪，她因行淫有了身孕”这些话表示一种觉知，即：若说他们之间存在任何婚姻之物，或说有任何事物能由此被生出来，这是一种虚假。当论及教会时，被产生表示通过真理被生产的良善；当真理经由理解力进入意愿，并从意愿进入行为时，它就被生产出来。因为如前所述，“种”表示信之真理，“怀孕”表示对它的接受；当存在于理解力中的真理进入存在于意愿中的良善时，或当系信之真理的真理进入系仁之良善的良善时，接受就会实现。当良善存在于意愿中时，它就存在于自己的子宫中，然后首先被生出来；当人在行为上处于良善，也就是出于意愿，因而出于快乐和自由产生良善时，这良善就从子宫中出来，或被生出来，这也由再生或重生来表示。由此明显可知“怀了身孕”或“怀了孩子”在灵义或内义上表示什么。然而，此处所表相反，即：根本没有良善被生产出来，因为此处所描述的这个民族因没有处于教会的任何内在而未处于任何真理，相反却陷入虚假。
再生或重生，也就是被作成内在人，是这个民族完全不知道的事；因此，这事在他们看来如同一个妓女。这种无知从尼哥底母明显看出来，他是犹太人的官（约翰福音3:1-13），因为他说：
人已经老了，如何能重生呢？岂能再进母腹？（约翰福音3:4）
众所周知，主揭开了其国度和教会的内在真理。然而，古人都知道这些真理，如：人要重生或再生，以便进入生命；他要脱去旧人，也就是对自我和尘世之爱及其恶欲，要披上新人；也就是对邻对神之爱；还有，天堂在重生之人里面；此外还有许多其它真理。属于古教会的人都知道这些真理，不过，是通过外在代表被引导认识它们的。然而，由于这类真理在犹太民族当中完全丧失了，所以主教导这些真理，但废除了代表本身，因为它们大多关注祂自己；事实上，当形式本身显现时，形像必消失。
因此，祂建立了一个新教会，该教会不像以前的教会那样通过代表被引导认识内在真理，而是无需代表的帮助就会认识它们。祂只规定了一些外在形式，即洗礼和圣餐；以取代这些代表。规定洗礼是为了叫人能通过它想起重生；规定圣餐是为了叫人通过它想起主，想起主对全人类的爱，人所回应给祂的爱。提及这些事是为了叫人知道主所教导的教会内在真理一直为古人所知；但在犹太民族当中，它们完全丧失了，并丧失得如此彻底，以致它们无非被视为虚假。
Potts(1905-1910) 4904
4904. And Moreover, behold she is with child to whoredoms. That this signifies, and that anything can be produced thence, is evident from the signification of "carrying in the womb" or "being with child," as being to produce something, for by "seed" is signified the truth of faith, and by "conception" its reception, whence by "carrying in the womb" or "being with child" is signified producing; and from the signification of "whoredom," as being falsity, namely, from their religiosity, as above (n. 4903). From this it is evident that by these words, "saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with child to whoredoms" is signified a perception that it is false that anything conjugial exists between them, and that anything can be produced thence. To be produced, when predicated of the church, denotes the good which is produced by means of truth; and it is produced when truth passes through the understanding into the will, and from the will into act. For as before said, the "seed" is the truth of faith, and "conception" is reception, and reception is effected when truth which is of the understanding passes into good which is of the will, or when truth which is of faith passes into good which is of charity; and when it is in the will, it is in its womb, and is then first produced; and when man is in good in act, that is, when he produces good from the will, thus from delight and freedom, it then goes forth from the womb or is born-which also is meant by being reborn or regenerated. From this it is evident what is signified in the spiritual sense by "being with child." Here however the contrary is signified-that nothing of good could be produced; for that nation which is here described was not in any truth, because not in any internal of the church, but in falsity. [2] That to be reborn or regenerated, that is, to be made an internal man, was a thing wholly unknown to that nation, and consequently that it seemed to them as a harlot is evident from Nicodemus, who was a ruler of the Jews (John 3:1-13), for he said, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb?" (verse 4). It is known that the Lord opened the internal things of His kingdom and church, and yet these internal things were known to the ancients-as, that man should be reborn in order to enter into life; and that he should then put off the old man, that is, the loves of self and of the world with their evil desires, and should put on the new, that is, love toward the neighbor and to God; and also that heaven was in the regenerate man-besides other internal things. These things were known to those who belonged to the Ancient Church, but they were led to them by external things which were representative. But as such things were entirely lost with the Jewish nation, the Lord taught them, but abolished the representatives themselves, because most of these had respect to Himself; for the image must vanish when the form itself appears. [3] He therefore set up a new church, which should not like the former be led by representatives to internal things, but should know them without representatives; and He enjoined instead only a few external observances, namely, baptism and the Holy Supper-baptism, that by it regeneration might be remembered; and the Holy Supper, that by it might be remembered the Lord, and His love toward the whole human race, and the reciprocal love of man to Him. These things are said that it may be known that the internal things of the church, which the Lord taught, were known to the ancients, but were so entirely lost with the Jewish nation that they were regarded merely as falsities.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4904
4904. 'And also, behold, she is pregnant owing to acts of whoredom' means, or to say anything can be brought forth from this. This is clear from the meaning of carrying in the womb or 'being pregnant' as bringing something forth (for 'seed' means the truth of faith and 'conception' the reception of it, and therefore carrying in the womb or 'being pregnant' means bringing forth); and from the meaning of 'whoredom' as falsity, that is to say, from their semblance of religion, as above in 4903. From this it is evident that 'saying, Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed whoredom, and also, behold, she is pregnant owing to acts of whoredom' means the perception that it is a falsity to say that anything of marriage exists between them, or that anything can be brought forth from it. In reference to the Church, 'being brought forth' is used to describe the good which is brought forth by means of truth, that good being actually brought forth when truth passes by way of the understanding into the will, and from the will into action. For as stated above, 'seed' means the truth of faith, and 'conception' the reception of it; and reception takes place when truth present in the understanding passes into good present in the will - that is, when truth that is the truth of faith passes into good that is the good of charity When present in the will good is in its own womb and is first brought forth; but when it is present in a person's action - that is, when the will, and so delight and freedom, lead him to bring forth good - that good leaves the womb and is born. The expressions 'being born again' and 'being regenerated' are also used with the same meaning. All this shows what is meant in the internal sense by 'being pregnant', though here the contrary is meant - that no good at all could be brought forth since no truth at all, only falsity, existed among that nation which is the subject here, because no internal aspect of the Church existed among them.
[2] That nation had no knowledge at all of rebirth or regeneration, that is, of becoming an internal man, and as a consequence saw this as 'a harlot'. Such ignorance may be seen from Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, in John 3:1-13, for he said,
How can a person be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? John 3:4.
It is well known that the Lord revealed the internal truths of His kingdom and of His Church. Even so, those truths had been known to the ancients, such as the truth that a person needed to be born again, so that he could enter into life; the truth that in this case he needed to cast aside the old man, that is, self-love and love of the world together with their lusts, and to put on the new man, that is, love towards the neighbour and towards God; and the truth that heaven needed to exist within the regenerate person; and many more truths that were internal ones. Those who belonged to the Ancient Church knew these truths, but they were led to know them through external representatives. However, because among the Jewish nation such truths had become completely lost the Lord presented those same truths in His teaching. Actual representatives were done away with by Him since the majority of them had regard to Himself; for the image must pass away when the actual likeness presents itself.
[3] The Lord therefore established a new Church which was not to be led to know internal truths, as that former Church had been led, by means of representatives but was to know them without the help of representatives. In place of these representatives He ordained certain external forms, baptism and the Holy Supper. Baptism was ordained so that it might enable people to call regeneration to mind, and the Holy Supper so that it might enable them to bring to mind the Lord and His love towards the entire human race, and man's reciprocation of His love. These matters have been mentioned so that it may be recognized that the internal truths of the Church which the Lord taught had been known to the ancients but that among the Jewish nation they had become completely lost, so completely that they were regarded to be nothing else than falsities.
Latin(1748-1756) 4904
4904. `Et etiam ecce gravida ad scortationes': quod significet et quod inde aliquid produci queat, constat ex significatione `in utero gestare seu gravida esse' quod sit aliquid producere; per `semen' enim significatur verum fidei, perque `conceptionem' ejus receptio, inde per gestare utero seu `gravida esse' significatur producere; et ex significatione `scortationis' quod sit falsum, nempe ex religioso eorum, ut supra n. 4903; inde patet quod per `dicendo, Scortata Tamar nurus tua, etiam ecce gravida ad scortationes' significetur perceptio quod falsum sit quod aliquod conjugiale intercedat, et quod inde aliquid produci queat; produci cum praedicatur de Ecclesia, est bonum quod producitur per verum, et tunc producitur cum verum per intellectum transit in voluntatem et a voluntate in actum; `semen' enim est, ut supra dictum, verum fidei et `conceptio' est receptio, et tunc fit receptio cum verum quod est intellectus, transit in bonum quod est voluntatis, seu cum verum quod est fidei, transit in bonum quod est charitatis; cumque in voluntate est, in suo utero est, et tunc primum producitur;cumque homo actu in bono est, hoc est, cum ex voluntate, ita ex jucundo et libero producit bonum, tunc ex utero exit seu nascitur;
quod etiam intelligitur per renasci seu regenerari; inde patet quid in sensu spirituali per 'gravida esse' significatur; hic autem contrarium, quod nempe nihil boni produci posset; gens enim illa, de qua hic agitur, non fuit in aliquo vero quia 2 non in aliquo interno Ecclesiae, sed in falso. Quod renasci seu regenerari, hoc est, internus homo fieri, genti illi prorsus ignotum fuerit, proinde id visum ei sicut scortum, constare potest ex Nicodemo, qui fuit princeps Judaeorum, Joh. iii 1- 13, dixit enim, Quomodo potest homo generari cum senex est? num potest in uterum matris suae secundo ingredi et generari? vers. 4. (s)Notum est quod Dominus aperuerit interna regni Sui et Ecclesiae, sed usque interna illa antiquis nota fuerunt, sicut quod {1}renasceretur homo ut intrare posset in vitam, quod tunc exueret veterem hominem, hoc est, amores sui et mundi cum eorum concupiscentiis, ac indueret novum, hoc est, amorem erga proximum et in Deum, tum quod in regenerato caelum esset, et plura quae interna sunt haec noverunt illi qui ab Ecclesia Antiqua fuerunt sed ducebantur per externa quae fuerunt repraesentativa, {2}ad illa; at quia talia prorsus deperdita fuerunt apud gentem Judaicam, ideo Dominus docuit illa, sed ipsa repraesentativa adolevit, quia maxima (c)illorum pars spectabat Ipsum; 3 imago enim evanescet cum ipsa effigies apparet; instauravit itaque novam Ecclesiam, quae non sicut prior, duceretur per repraesentativa id interna, sed quae absque repraesentativis illa sciret; et loco illorum solum aliqua externa mandavit, nempe baptismum et Sanctam Cenam, baptismum ut per illum recordarentur regenerationis, et Sanctam Cenam ut per illam recordarentur Domini, ac ipsius amoris erga universum genus humanum (c)et reciproci hominis in Ipsum: {3}haec dicta sunt ut sciatur quod interna Ecclesiae quae Dominus docuit, antiquis nota fuerint, sed quod apud gentem Judaicam prorsus deperdita, usque adeo ut non aliter spectarentur quam sicut falsa.(s) @1 renasciturus$ @2 in cognitionem illorum$ @3 A has Pro memoria written vertically across the last sentence on this sheet, which is a very narrow one. The words may have been written earlier and ignored.$