4923.“说，这是先出来的”表它具有优先权。这从“先出来”或头生的含义清楚可知，“先出来”或头生是指优先和优越（3325节）。此处和本章剩下的篇幅所论述的主题是长子名分。人若不知道圣言的内义，会以为只是论述长子名分，因而根据律法长子所拥有的优先权。但是，人若对内义有所了解，就足以清楚看出还有某种更高尚的事物隐藏并存储在这些话中。他不仅能从以下事实看出这一点：其中一个孩子伸出手来，又收了回去，于是另一个孩子便出来了；还能从这一事实看出来：他们由此而得名，收生婆在第一个的手上拴上了染过两次的线或红线；又从这一事实进一步看出来：经上所记载以扫和雅各的事几乎一样：他们在腹中相争，当以扫先出来时，雅各抓着以扫的脚跟（创世记25:22，26）。此外还有涉及约瑟的两个儿子的事；当祝福他们时，雅各右手按在次子的头上，左手按在长子的头上（创世记48:14，17-19）。
诚然，犹太人，以及一些基督徒相信这些和其它圣言经文都包含某种他们称之为秘密的隐藏含义；如此相信的原因在于，就圣言而言，神圣的观念从他们很小就被深深印在他们身上。但当被问及这种神秘意义是什么时，他们却不知道。如果他们被告知，由于圣言是神性，所以它里面的这种神性意义必是天上的天使所理解的那种意义，并且圣言不可能有任何其它神性内容，即便有，这种内容要么像神话，要么是用于巫术的，要么是偶像崇拜；再者，天上的天使所理解的这种神秘意义无非是所谓的属灵和属天之物，唯独论述主及其国度和教会，因而论述良善与真理；如果他们知道何为良善与真理，或何为信与爱，当被告知这层意义时，他们也能知道。然而，当被告知时，几乎没有一个犹太人或基督徒相信它。事实上，教会成员如今如此无知，以致凡涉及属天和属灵之物的，几乎都不为他们所理解。但即便如此，由于蒙主的神性怜悯，我被允许既作为一个灵在天堂，同时又作为人在地上，因而与天使交谈，并且这种事已不间断地持续了许多年，所以我若不揭开那些被称为圣言的神秘内容，也就是圣言的内层，即主国度的属灵和属天之物，还能做什么呢？此处所记载关于他玛的两个儿子的细节在内义上包含什么，这在下文将予以说明。
Potts(1905-1910) 4923
4923. Saying, this came out first. That this signifies that it had the priority, is evident from the signification of "coming out first," or being the firstborn, as being priority and superiority (n. 3325). The subject treated of here and through the remainder of this chapter is primogeniture. One who has no knowledge of the internal sense of the Word may suppose that it is primogeniture only that is treated of, and consequently the prerogatives which the firstborn would have according to the laws; but one who knows anything of the internal sense can see plainly enough that something more exalted also lies concealed and stored up in these words, not only from the very fact that one of the children put out his hand and drew it back again, whereupon the other came out, but also from the fact that they were named from this, and that the midwife bound double-dyed upon the hand of the first; and further from the fact that very similar incidents were related of Esau and Jacob-that they struggled together in the womb, and that when Esau came out first, Jacob took hold of his heel (Gen. 25:22, 26); and from the similarity of the case of the two sons of Joseph, on the younger of whom Jacob placed his right hand, and on the other his left hand, when he blessed them (Gen. 48:14, 17-19). [2] The Jews and also some Christians believe indeed that in these, and also in the rest of the passages of the Word, there is some meaning stored up, which they call mystical, the reason of this belief being that an idea of holiness in regard to the Word has been impressed upon them from early childhood; but when it is inquired what this mystical meaning is, they do not know. If they are told that because the Word is Divine, this meaning must necessarily be such as is in heaven among the angels; and that no other mystical meaning can exist in the Word, or if so, that it would be either fabulous or magical or idolatrous; and furthermore that this mystical meaning which is in heaven among the angels is nothing else than what is called the spiritual and celestial, and treats solely of the Lord, of His kingdom, and of the church, consequently of good and truth; and that if they knew what good and truth, or what faith and love, are, they would be able to know this meaning-when this is told them, scarcely anyone believes it; nay, in such ignorance at the present day are they who are of the church, that what is related concerning the celestial and spiritual, is scarcely comprehensible to them. Be it so; nevertheless as it has been granted me of the Lord's Divine mercy to be at the same time in heaven as a spirit and on earth as a man, and therefore to speak with angels, and this now continually for many years, I cannot do otherwise than open those things of the Word which are called mystical, that is, its interiors, which are the spiritual and celestial things of the Lord's kingdom. But what the incidents related of the two sons of Tamar involve in the internal sense, will be shown in the following pages.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4923
4923. 'Saying, This one came out first' means that it had priority of place. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming out first', or being the firstborn, as priority of place and a higher position, dealt with in 3325. Dealt with here and in the remainder of this chapter is the birthright. Anyone unacquainted with the internal sense of the Word may suppose that merely the birthright, and consequently the privileges which the firstborn might lawfully acquire, are dealt with. But one who does have some knowledge of the internal sense may see plainly enough that something of higher significance also lies concealed in this description. He may see this not only from the actual fact that one of the infants put out a hand and then drew it back, at which point the other infant came out, but also from the fact that they received their names from this, and from the fact that the midwife bound a twice-dyed thread on the hand of him who was first. Other descriptions may also lead him to see the same, such as the incident very like the present one when, after Esau and Jacob had struggled together in the womb, Esau came out first with Jacob grasping his - Esau's - heel, Gen 25:23, 24, 26. In addition to this there is the incident involving the two sons of Joseph; when blessing them Jacob placed his right hand on the younger and his left on the older, Gen 48:17- 19.
[2] The Jews and also some Christians do, it is true, believe that these, along with all other descriptions in the Word, contain some hidden meaning which they call mystical, the reason for that belief being the holiness, so far as the Word is concerned, which has been impressed on them since early childhood. But when asked what that mystical meaning may be, they do not know. One may tell them that because the Word is Divine the mystical meaning within it must of necessity be the kind of meaning the angels in heaven understand, and that the Word cannot have any other mystical content, or if it does, that content would be either mythical, magical, or idolatrous. One may in addition tell them that this mystical meaning understood by the angels in heaven is nothing else than what is called spiritual and celestial, the sole subject of which is the Lord, His kingdom and the Church, and consequently good and truth, and that if they knew what good and truth were, or what love and faith were, they would also be acquainted with that mystical sense. Yet scarcely any Jew or Christian believes any of this when told it. Indeed members of the Church are so lacking in knowledge at the present day that any mention of that which is celestial and spiritual is barely intelligible to them. But even so, because in the Lord's Divine mercy I have been allowed to be simultaneously in heaven as a spirit and on earth as a man, and consequently to talk to angels, doing so now without a break for many years, what else can I do but disclose those things which are called the mystical contents of the Word, that is, its interiors, which are the spiritual and celestial things of the Lord's kingdom? What the details recorded here hold within them in the internal sense - the details regarding Tamar's two sons - will be stated in what follows below.
Latin(1748-1756) 4923
4923. `Dicendo, Hic exivit prius': quod significet quod ei prioritas, constat ex significatione `exire prior' seu primogenitus esse quod sit Prioritas et superioritas, de qua n. 3325; agitur hic et in sequentibus ad finem hujus capitis de primogenitura; qui non sensum internum Verbi scit, autumare potest quod solum sit primogenitura de qua agitur, et consequenter de praerogativis quae primogenitura obtineret secundum leges; sed qui aliquid de sensu interno novit, is salis manifeste videre potest quod sublimius quid etiam hic reconditum lateat, tam ex ipso facto quod unus illorum exporrexerit manum et reduxerit illam, et quod tunc alter exivisset, quam ex eo quod inde nominati sint, et quod obstetrix ligaverit super manu prioris dibaphum; et porro ex paene similibus de Esavo et Jacobo quod `colliderint in utero, et cum exiret prius Esavus quod Jacobus teneret calcaneum ejus', Gen. xxv 23, 24, 26;insuper etiam ex duobus filiis Josephi quod Jacobus, cum benediceret illis, dextram manum imposuerit minori, et sinistram majori', Gen. xlviii 17-19. [2] Judaei et quoque aliqui ex Christianis quidem credunt quod in his ut et (o)in reliquis Verbi, sit quoddam reconditum quod mysticum vocant, et hoc ex causa quia sanctitas illis pro Verbo ab infantia est impressa; sed cum quaeritur quodnam illud mysticum sit, hoc non sciunt; si {1} illis dicitur quod mysticum illud (o)in Verbo quia est Divinum, necessario erit tale quod in caelo apud angelos est, et quod aliud mysticum in Verbo dari nequeat, et si aliud, id foret vel fabulosum, vel magicum, vel idololatricum, et porro quod mysticum illud quod in caelo apud angelos non aliud sit quam id quod vocatur spirituale et caeleste, et agit unice de Domino, de regno Ipsius et de Ecclesia, consequenter de bono et vero, et si scirent quid bonum et verum, seu quid amor et fides, quod id mysticum etiam scire possent, sed cum hoc dicitur, vix aliquis credit; immo in tali ignorantia hodie sunt qui ab Ecclesia, ut id quod memoratur de caelesti et spirituali, vix {2} comprehensibile sit; sed sit, usque quia ex Divina Domini Misericordia, concessum est mihi in caelo simul esse sicut spiritus et in terra sicut homo, et inde loqui cum angelis, et hoc nunc continue per plures annos, non possum aliter quam aperire illa quae mystica Verbi vocantur, hoc est, ejus interiora, quae sunt spiritualia et caelestia regni Domini. Quid autem involvunt in sensu interno haec quae de binis filiis Tamaris memorantur, in nunc sequentibus dicetur. @1 sique$ @2 i alicui$