4976.“伺候他”表记忆知识被归给它自己的良善。这从“伺候”的含义清楚可知，“伺候”是指通过供给别人所需之物而进行服务，在此是指被归给，因为所论述的主题是记忆知识将要被归给的属世良善。此外，“伺候”论及记忆知识，因为在圣言中，“伺候或事奉者”和“仆人”表示记忆知识或属世真理，因为这是从属于如同它主人的良善的。记忆知识之于属世人的快乐，或也可说，属世真理之于它的良善，就像水之于饼，或喝的之于食物。水或喝的使得饼或食物溶解，好叫它们被输送至血液中，由血液再被输送至身体的各个部位，从而滋养它们。因为没有水或喝的，饼或食物无法被分解成极微小的颗粒，并被输送至全身，以实现它的功用。
这同样适用于知识之于快乐，或真理之于良善。因此，良善喜好并渴慕真理；这是为了这真理通过事奉并服务它所能实现的功用。此外，食物与喝的也对应于这些，因为在来世，人被滋养不是靠任何属世的食物与喝的，而是靠属灵的食物与喝的。属灵的食物是良善，属灵的喝的是真理；因此，当圣言提及“饼”或“食物”时，天使将其理解为属灵的饼或食物，也就是爱与仁之良善；当提及“水”、“喝的”时，他们理解秋属灵的水、喝的，也就是信之真理。由此可见何为没有仁之良善的信之真理，以及前者若没有后者以哪种方式滋养内在人，也就是说，就像只用水或喝的，不用饼或食物滋养人一样。众所周知，这样做的结果就是消瘦而死。
Potts(1905-1910) 4976
4976. And he ministered unto him. That this signifies that the memory-knowledge was appropriated to its good, is evident from the signification of "ministering," as being to be of service by supplying that which another needs, here to be appropriated, because the subject treated of is natural good to which memory-knowledge was to be appropriated. Moreover, "to minister" is predicated of memory-knowledges; for in the Word by a "minister" and by a "servant" is signified memory-knowledge or natural truth, because this is subordinate to good, as to its lord. Memory-knowledge relatively to the delight of the natural man, or what is the same thing, natural truth relatively to its good, is circumstanced exactly as is water to bread, or drink to food. Water or drink causes bread and food to be diluted, so that they may be conveyed into the blood, and thence into all parts of the body, to nourish them; for without water or drink, bread or food is not resolved into its minute particles, nor is it distributed for use. [2] The same is true of memory-knowledge relatively to delight, or of truth relatively to good; and therefore good has an appetite for and desires truth, and this for the sake of its use in ministering to and being of service to itself. Moreover, they correspond in a similar way, for in the other life man is not nourished by any natural food and drink, but by spiritual food and drink. Spiritual food is good, and spiritual drink is truth; and therefore when "bread" or "food" is mentioned in the Word, the angels understand spiritual bread or food, that is, the good of love and of charity; and when "water" or "drink" is mentioned, they understand spiritual water or drink, that is, the truth of faith. From this we can see what the truth of faith is without the good of charity, and also in what way the former without the latter can nourish the internal man, that is to say in the same way as water or drink alone can nourish without bread and food, for it is known that the result of this is emaciation and death.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4976
4976. 'And ministered to him' means that factual knowledge was assigned to its own good. This is clear from the meaning of 'ministering' as serving by supplying what another has need of, in this case as being assigned to since the subject is natural good to which factual knowledge is to be assigned. 'Ministering' is also used to describe known facts, for in the Word a minister and a servant mean factual knowledge or natural truth because this is subservient to good as its lord. Factual knowledge stands in relation to delight present in the natural man - or what amounts to the same, natural truth stands in relation to its good - in exactly the same way as water does to bread, or drink to food. Water or drink enables bread or food to be dissolved, and once dissolved to be conveyed into the blood, from which it passes into all parts around the body and nourishes them. Without the water or drink the bread or food is not broken down into extremely small particles and carried around the body to fulfill its purpose.
[2] The same applies to factual knowledge in relation to delight, or truth in relation to good. That being so, good longs for and desires truth, and does so because of the purpose such truth can fulfill by ministering to it and serving it. Food and drink also correspond to these. No one in the next life is nourished by any natural food or natural drink, only by spiritual food and spiritual drink, spiritual food being good, and spiritual drink truth. This is why, when bread or food is mentioned in the Word, angels understand spiritual bread or food, which is the good of love and charity; and when water or drink is mentioned they understand spiritual water or drink, which is the truth of faith. From this one may see what the truth of faith without the good of charity is, and also what kind of nourishment the former without the latter is able to supply to the internal man; that is to say, it is like the nourishment supplied by water or drink alone without bread or food. It is well known that a person fed on water or drink alone wastes away and dies.
Latin(1748-1756) 4976
4976. `Et ministravit illi': quod significet quod scientificum appropriaretur bono suo, constat ex significatione `ministrare' quod sit inservire suppeditando id cujus indiget alius, hic appropriari quia agitur de bono naturali cui appropriandum scientificum; `ministrare' etiam praedicatur de scientificis, per ministrum enim et per servum in Verbo significatur scientificum seu verum naturale, quia hoc subordinatum est bono ut suo domino;scientificum ad jucundum naturalis hominis, seu quod idem, verum naturale ad bonum ejus, se habet prorsus sicut aqua ad panem, seu potus ad cibum; aqua seu potus facit ut diluatur panis et cibus, et dilutus feratur in sanguinem et inde in partes corporis circumquaque, et nutriat illas; absque enim aqua {1}aut potu panis seu cibus non resolvitur in sua minuta, nec circumfertur ad usum; [2] ita quoque est scientificum respective ad jucundum, seu verum respective ad bonum; quapropter bonum appetit et desiderat verum, et hoc propter usum ut sibi ministret et serviat; correspondent etiam similiter; homo in altera vita non nutritur per aliquem cibum et potum naturalem, sed per cibum et potum spiritualem; cibus spiritualis est bonum, et potus spiritualis est verum; quapropter ubi in Verbo panis aut cibus nominatur, angeli intelligunt panem seu cibum spiritualem, nempe bonum amoris et charitatis, et ubi aqua aut potus nominatur, intelligunt aquam seu potum spiritualem, nempe verum fidei; inde videri potest quid verum fidei absque bono charitatis, tum quomodo illud absque hoc nutrire potest internum hominem, quod nempe sicut sola aqua seu solus potus absque pane et cibo; quod inde `homo emacietur' et pereat, notum est. @1 et$