4925.“看哪，他哥哥生出来了”表良善的真理。这从“哥哥”的含义清楚可知，“哥哥”是指凭良善而具有血缘关系的（3815，4267节），因而是指良善的真理。良善的真理是植根于良善的真理，或植根于仁爱的信仰。对那些被主再生或重生的人而言，此处在内义上所论述的主题是长子名分，因而是教会内的长子名分。谁是头生的，是仁之良善还是信之真理，这是自古以来就争论不休的问题。由于在人正经历重生、被作成一个教会期间，良善并未显露出来，而是将自己隐藏在内层人中，只以并未进入外在人或属世人的意识感觉的某种情感显现，直到他重生。而真理却将自己显明出来，因为它通过意识感觉进入并居于属外在人或属世人的记忆。这解释了为何许多人陷入错误，误以为真理是长子，最终甚至以为真理是教会至关重要的元素，并且如此重要，以致被称为信的真理就能拯救人，无需仁之良善。
由这一个错误衍生出其它众多错误；这些错误不仅影响教义，还影响生活。如这个衍生错误：无论人过着什么样的生活，只要有信，他就会得救；甚至最坏的人也能被接入天堂，只要他们在临终那一刻宣称他们相信诸如那些属于信仰的事。另一个衍生错误是，仅凭恩典，人人都能被接入天堂，无论他的生活是什么样。由于抓住这种教义不放，所以他们最终不知道何为仁爱，也不关心它；最终不相信它的存在，因而不相信天堂或地狱的存在。原因在于，信离了仁，或真理离了良善什么也教导不了；它越偏离良善，就越使人愚蠢。因为主流入良善，并经由良善赐予聪明和智慧，进而赐予一种卓越能力，以明白并觉察某事是否是真的。
由此可见长子名分是何情形，即：它实际上属于良善，只是表面上属于真理。这就是他玛的两个儿子的出生在内义上所描述的，因为收生婆拴在手上的“染过两次的线”或红线表示良善（参看4922节）；“先生出来”表示优先权（4923节）；“收回手”表示良善隐藏了自己的能力，如刚才所述（4924节）；“他哥哥生出来”表示真理；“你给自己开了一个缺口”表示真理与良善表面的分离；“后来，他弟弟也生出来”表示实际上良善是首先的；“拿染过两次的线拴在他手上”表示承认良善是首先的。因为在人重生之前，良善并不被承认为首先的；此时，他出于良善行事，并出于良善关注真理及其性质。
这些就是包含在内义中的事，内义教导正在新生之人里面的良善与真理是何情形，即：良善实际上占据第一位，而表面上看，真理占据第一位；当人正在重生时，良善看上去并未占据第一位；但是，一旦他重生，良善看上去却明显占据第一位。不过，无需在此进一步解释这些事，因为它们在前面都已经被解释过了（参看3324，3325，3494，3539，3548，3556，3563，3570，3576，3603，3701，4243，4244，4247，4337节）。长子名分是属于良善还是属于真理，也就是说，是属于仁还是属于信，这是自古以来就存在争议的问题，这在前面（2435节）早已说明。
由于就至高意义而言，主是“头生的”，因而对主之爱和对邻之仁是头生的，因此在代表性教会制定了这样一条律法：头生的是耶和华的；如摩西五经：
以色列人中一切头生的，就是凡开了子宫的，无论是人是牲畜，都是我的，要分别为圣归我。（出埃及记13:2）
你要将一切开了子宫的，并牲畜中头生的，归给耶和华；公的都要属耶和华。（出埃及记13:12）
凡开了子宫的都是我的；一切牲畜头生的，无论是牛是羊，公的都是我的。（出埃及记34:19）
凡血肉中一切开了子宫的，连人带牲畜，都要归给你；只是人头生的，总要赎出来。（民数记18:15）
看哪，我从以色列人中拣选了利未人，代替以色列人一切开了子宫的，利未人要归我。（民数记3:12）
由于凡开了子宫的，都是头生的，所以凡提到“头生的”这个词的地方，经上也说“开了子宫”；以便能表示良善。这个词表示良善，这一点从包含在内义中的细节，尤其从关于他玛儿子的记载明显看出来，即：经上说谢拉用手开了子宫，“谢拉”代表良善，这一点从他手上染过两次的线或红线明显可知（4922节）。此外，经上所说开了的“子宫”表示良善与真理所在的地方，因而表示教会（4918节）。
由于唯独主是头生的，因为祂是良善本身，祂的良善是一切真理的源头，所以为叫不是长子的雅各能代表祂，雅各被允许从他哥哥以扫那里买下长子名分；并且由于这还不够，所以他被称为以色列，好叫他能以这个名字代表真理的良善；因为“以色列”在代表意义上表示经由真理而来的良善（3654，4286，4598节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 4925
4925. That behold his brother came out. That this signifies the truth of good, is evident from the signification of a "brother," as being what is kindred from good (n. 3815, 4267), thus the truth of good; the truth of good is that truth which is from good, or that faith which is from charity. The subject treated of here in the internal sense is primogeniture in the case of those who are being reborn or regenerated by the Lord, consequently primogeniture in the church. It has been a matter of dispute from the most ancient times which is the firstborn, whether the good which is of charity, or the truth which is of faith; and as good does not appear while man is being reborn and made a church, but conceals itself in the interior man, and manifests itself only in a certain affection which does not fall clearly into the sensation of the external or natural man, until he has been reborn - whereas truth makes itself manifest, because it enters through the senses and stores itself in the memory of the external or natural man - therefore many persons have fallen into the error of thinking that truth is the firstborn, and at last even into that of thinking that truth is the essential of the church, and so essential that truth, which they call faith, has power to save without the good which is of charity. [2] From this one error very many others have been derived, which have infected not only doctrine, but also life; as for instance that no matter how a man lives, provided he has faith he is saved; that even the most wicked are received into heaven if in the hour of death they make profession of such things as are of faith; and that everyone can be received into heaven merely from grace, whatever his life has been. In consequence of holding this doctrine they at last do not know what charity is, nor do they care for it; and finally they do not believe there is such a thing, nor consequently that there is a heaven or a hell. The reason is that faith without charity, or truth without good, teaches nothing; and the more it recedes from good, the more foolish it renders a man. For it is good into which and through which the Lord flows and gives intelligence and wisdom, thus a higher mental view, and also perception as to whether a thing be so or not so. [3] All this shows how the case is in regard to primogeniture - it actually belongs to good, and to truth only apparently. This then is what is described in the internal sense by the birth of Tamar's two sons, for by the "double-dyed" which the midwife bound upon the hand is signified good (see n. 4922); by "coming out first" is signified priority (n. 4923); by "drawing back his hand" is signified that good concealed its power, as was said just above; by his "brother coming out" is signified truth; by "thou hast broken upon thee a breach" is signified the apparent separation of truth from good; by his "brother coming out afterward" is signified that good is actually prior; and by "that had the double-dyed upon his hand" is signified acknowledgment that it is good; for good is not acknowledged to be prior until after the man has been reborn, for he then acts from good and from it regards truth and its quality. [4] These are the things which are contained in the internal sense, which teaches how the case is with good and truth in the man who is being born anew, namely, that good is actually in the first place, but truth apparently; and that good does not appear to be in the first place while the man is being regenerated, but becomes manifestly so when he has been regenerated. But these things need not be further explained here, because they have been explained before (see n. 3324, 3325, 3494, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3701, 4243, 4244, 4247, 4337). That from ancient times it has been a matter of controversy whether primogeniture belongs to good or to truth, or whether to charity or to faith, has also been shown above (n. 2435). [5] As the Lord in the supreme sense is the "Firstborn," consequently love to Him and charity toward the neighbor, therefore it was ordained as a law in the representative church that the firstborn should be Jehovah's, as we read in Moses:
Sanctify to Me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the sons of Israel, in man and in beast, let them be Mine (Exod. 13:2). Thou shalt cause to pass to Jehovah everything that openeth the womb, and everything that openeth the offspring of a beast, as many as shall be males to thee, shall be Jehovah's (Exod. 13:12). Everything that openeth the womb is Mine; therefore as to all thy cattle thou shalt give the male, that openeth of ox and small cattle (Exod. 34:19). Everything that openeth the womb of all flesh, which they shall bring to Jehovah, of men and of beasts, shall be thine; nevertheless every first born of man shalt thou surely redeem (Num. 18:15). Behold I have taken the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel, instead of every firstborn that openeth the womb of the sons of Israel; that the Levites may be Mine (Num. 3:12). [6] As that which opens the womb is the firstborn, therefore where the word "firstborn" is mentioned, it is also said "that which openeth the womb;" in order that good may be signified. That this signifies good is evident from the particulars in the internal sense, especially from what is related of Tamar's sons-that Zerah opened the womb with his hand, by whom good is represented, as is evident from the double-dyed upon his hand (n. 4922). Moreover, the "womb," which is said to be "opened," is where good and truth are, consequently the church (n. 4918); and to "open the womb" is to give power that truth may be born. [7] As the Lord alone is the Firstborn - for He is good itself, and from His good is all truth - therefore in order that Jacob, who was not the firstborn, might represent Him, he was permitted to buy the primogeniture from Esau his brother; and because this was not sufficient, he was called Israel, in order that by this name he might represent the good of truth; for Israel in the representative sense is the good which comes by means of truth (n. 3654, 4286, 4598).
Elliott(1983-1999) 4925
4925. 'That behold, his brother came out' means the truth of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'brother' as that which is kindred, by virtue of good, dealt with in 3815, 4267, and so the truth of good. The truth of good is that truth which is rooted in good, or that faith which is rooted in charity. Dealt with here in the internal sense is the birthright in the case of those who are being born again or regenerated by the Lord, and therefore the birthright within the Church. It has been a matter of argument since most ancient times as to which is the firstborn, whether this is the good of charity or whether it is the truth of faith. Unseen while a person is being born again and becoming a Church, good conceals itself within the interior man and reveals itself solely within some affection which does not pass into the conscious feelings of the external or natural man until he has been born again. But truth reveals itself, for this does enter his conscious feelings and lodges in the memory belonging to the external or natural man. This explains why many have fallen into the error that truth is the firstborn, and at length even thinking that truth is the vital element of the Church, so vital that truth which is called faith can save a person without the good of charity.
[2] From this one error very many others have been derived which have infected not only what is taught but also life, such as the error that no matter what kind of life a person leads he can be saved provided he has faith A further derivative error is that very wicked people are accepted into heaven provided that in the final hour before they die they declare their belief in those things which are matters of faith; and another such error is that, irrespective of the kind of life one has led, one is accepted into heaven solely by grace. Because people hold to this teaching they fail at length to know what charity is or to have any concern about what it is, till in the end they do not believe in the existence of it, or consequently in the existence of heaven and hell. The reason for this is that faith without charity, or truth without good, teaches a person nothing; and the more it departs from good, the more foolish it makes him. For good is what the Lord flows into and through which He flows, imparting intelligence and wisdom and consequently a superior ability to see, and also perception whether something is really true or not.
[3] From these considerations one may now see the position with regard to the birthright, namely that in actual fact it belongs to good but appears to belong to truth. This is what the birth of Tamar's two sons is used to describe in the internal sense. 'The twice-dyed thread' which the midwife bound on the hand that came out means good, as shown in 4922; 'coming out first' means priority of place, 4923; 'withdrawing the hand' means that good concealed its own power, as stated immediately above [in 4924]; 'his brother came out' means truth; 'you have made a breach upon yourself means this truth's apparent separation from good; 'afterwards his brother came out' means that good is in actual fact first; and 'on whose hand was the twice-dyed thread' means the acknowledgement that good is first. For it is not until after a person has been born again that good is acknowledged to be first, at which point that person's actions spring from good, and his view of truth and what this is like springs from the same.
[4] These are the matters contained within the internal sense, in which teaching is given regarding the good and truth with a person who is being born anew, namely that good in actual fact occupies first place but truth appears to do so, and that good is not seen to occupy the first place while a person is being regenerated but is plainly seen to do so once he has been regenerated. But there is no need to explain these matters any further since they have been explained already - see 3324, 3325, 3494, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3701, 4243, 4244, 4247, 4337; and the fact that controversy has taken place since ancient times over whether the birthright belonged to good or to truth, that is, to charity or to faith, 2435.
[5] Because in the highest sense the Lord is the firstborn, and therefore love to Him and charity towards the neighbour are the firstborn, the law was for that reason laid down in the representative Church that firstborn things were Jehovah's: in Moses,
Sanctify to Me all the firstborn, that which opens the womb among the children of Israel; with man and with beast let them be Mine. Exod. 13:2.
You shall make over to Jehovah all that opens the worm', and every firstling of a beast; however many males you have they shall be Jehovah's. Exod 13:12.
All that opens the womb is Mine; therefore among all your cattle, you shall give the male. that among oxen and small cattle which opens [the womb]. Exod 34:19.
All that opens the womb among all flesh which they bring to Jehovah, from men and from beasts, shall be yours. Nevertheless you shall surely redeem all the firstborn of men. Num 18:15.
Behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from the midst of the children of Israel, instead of every firstborn, that which opens the womb, from the children of Israel, so that the Levites may be Mine. Num 3:12.
[6] Because the firstborn is the one that opens the womb, the expression 'that which opens the womb' is therefore added, when the firstborn is mentioned in these places, so as to mean good. It is evident that this expression means good from the specific details contained in the internal sense, especially from those which are recorded regarding the sons of Tamar: Zerah is said to have opened the womb with his hand, and 'Zerah' represents good, as is also clear from the twice-dyed thread placed on his hand, dealt with in 4922. In addition to this 'the womb', to which the expression 'opened' is applied, means the place where good and truth, consequently the Church, lie, see 4918, while 'opening the womb' means supplying the power which enables truth to be born.
[7] Because the Lord is the only firstborn - He being Good itself, and His Good being the source of all truth - Jacob, who was not the firstborn, was therefore allowed to purchase the birthright from Esau his brother so that he might represent Him. Also, because this was not sufficient, he was called Israel, so that by this name he might represent the good of truth; for 'Israel' in the representative sense means good which comes through truth, 3654, 4286, 4598.
Latin(1748-1756) 4925
4925. `Et ecce exivit frater ejus': quod significet boni verum, constat ex significatione `fratris' quod sit consanguineum ex bono, de qua n. 3815, 4267, ita boni verum; boni verum est id verum quod ex bono est, seu est illa fides quae ex charitate. Agitur hic in sensu interno de primogenitura apud illos qui renascuntur seu regenerantur a Domino, proinde de primogenitura in Ecclesia;disceptatum fuit ab antiquissimis temporibus quid primogenitum, num bonum quod `est' charitatis, vel num velim quod est fidei; et quia bonum cum renascitur homo et fit Ecclesia, non apparet, sed se occultat in interiore homine, et solum se manifestat in quadam affectione quae non manifeste cadit in sensum externi seu naturalis hominis prius quam renatus est, at verum se manifestat, hoc enim intrat per sensus et se in memoria externi seu naturalis hominis reponit, idcirco plures lapsi sunt in illum errorem quod verum sit primogenitum, et tandem etiam in illum quod verum sit essentiale Ecclesiae, et tam essentiale ut verum quod vocatur fides, salvare possit absque bono quod est charitatis;
[2] ex uno hoc errore perplures alii derivati sunt, qui non solum doctrinam sed etiam vitam infectarunt, sicut quod utcumque homo vivit, modo fidem habeat, salvetur; quod etiam scelestissimi, si modo in ultima mortis hora confitentur {1} talia quae sunt fidei, recipiantur in caelum; quod in caelum quisque recipi possit solum ex gratia, qualiscumque ei vita fuerit; et quia in illa doctrina sunt, etiam tandem non sciunt quid charitas, nec illam curant; et denique nec credunt dari, consequenter nec caelum nec infernum;
causa est quia fides absque charitate seu verum absque bono nihil docet, et quo magis recedit a bono, eo magis infatuat hominem; est enim bonum, in quod et per quod influit Dominus et dat intelligentiam et sapientiam, proinde intuitionem superiorem, et quoque perceptionem num ita sit vel non ita sit. [3] Ex his constare potest quomodo habet cum primogenitura, quod illa bono sit actualiter et quod illa vero sit apparenter; hoc (o)nunc est quod in sensu interno hic per partum duorum filiorum Tamaris describitur; per `dibaphum' enim quod obstetrix ligavit super manu, significatur bonum, ut n. 4922 ostensum est; per `exire prius' significatur prioritas, n. 4923, per `reducere manum' significatur quod bonum potentiam suam occultaret, ut mox supra dictum; per quod `exivit frater ejus' significatur verum; per quod `rupisti super te rupturam' significatur separatio veri a bono apparenter; per `post exivit frater ejus' significatur quod bonum actualiter prius, et per `cujus super manu dibaphum' significatur {2} agnitio quod bonum; non enim prius agnoscitur bonum quod prius sit quam postquam renatus est homo, tunc enim homo agit ex bono, et ex illo spectat verum et ejus quale; [4] haec sunt quae continentur in sensu interno, in quo docetur quomodo se habet cum bono et vero apud hominem qui e novo nascitur, quod nempe bonum actualiter primo loco sit, sed verum apparenter, et quod bonum non appareat quod primo loco sit {3} quando homo regeneratur, sed tunc manifeste quando {4} regeneratus est; sed haec ulterius explicare non opus est, sunt enim prius explicata, quae videantur n. 3324, 3325, 3494, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3701, 4243, 4244, 4247, 4337;
et quod ab antiquis temporibus controversum sit de primogenitura num bono vel vero, seu num charitati aut fidei, n. 2435. {5} Quia Dominus in supremo sensu est Primogenitus, et inde amor in Ipsum et charitas erga proximum, idcirco in Ecclesia repraesentativa lex lata est quod primogenita Jehovae essent, de qua apud Mosen, Sanctifica Mihi omne primogenitum, aperturam {6} uteri inter filios Israelis, in homine et in bestia Mea sunto, Exod. xiii 2:
Transire facies omnem aperturam uteri Jehovae, et {7} omnem aperturam foetus bestiae, quotquot erunt tibi masculi, Jehovae erunt, Exod. xiii 12:
Omnis apertura uteri Mihi, ideo quoad omne pecus tuum, masculum dabis, aperturam bovis et pecudis, Exod. xxxiv 19:
Omnis apertura uteri quoad omnem carnem, quam adducent Jehovae, de hominibus et be bestiis, tibi erit, sed tamen redimendo redimes omnem primogenitum hominis, Num. xviii 15:
Ego ecce accepi Levitas {8} e medio filiorum Israelis, loco omnis primogeniti, aperturae uteri de filiis Israelis, ut sint Mihi Levitae, Num. iii 12;
[6] quia id primogenitum est quod aperit uterum, idcirco ubi {9} nominatur (o)ibi primogenitum, etiam dicitur apertura uteri (o)ut sit bonum quod significatur; quod id bonum sit, patet a singulis in sensu interno, imprimis ab his quae memorantur de filiis Tamaris, quod Zerah per manum aperuerit uterum, per quem quod bonum repraesentetur, constat etiam a {10} dibapho super manu ejus, de quo n. 4922 {11}; uterus etiam {12}, (o)de quod dicitur apertura, est ubi bonum et verum, proinde Ecclesia, videatur n. 4918, quem aperire {13} est potentiam dare ut nascatur verum. [7] Quia {14} Dominus est solus primogenitus, est enim {15} Ipsum Bonum, et a Bono ipsius est omne verum, ideo quoque ut Jacobus qui non primogenitus fuit, Ipsum repraesentaret, ei permissum fuit ut primogenituram ab Esavo fratre suo emeret, et quia hoc non satis, appellatus est Israel ut per id nomen repraesentaret bonum veri, nam `Israel' in sensu repraesentativo est bonum quod per verum, n. 3654, 4286, 4598. @1 confiteantur$ @2 postea exivit frater ejus, cujus super manu dibaphum, significatur quod bonum actualiter prius, et$ @3 primo loco sit non appareat$ @4 dum$ @5 i Et$ @6 In the Heb apertura is a substantive, independent of primogenitum.$ @7 etiam$ @8 Leviratas I$ @9 quapropter cum$ @10 ab illis quae de$ @11 supra n. 4922 ostensa sunt$ @12 enim$ @13 et aperire illum$ @14 Et quia$ @15 quoniam est$