4988.“约瑟的主之妻，举目送情给约瑟”表与属世良善结合的非属灵的属世真理及其觉知。这从“妻”和“举目”的含义清楚可知：“妻”是指与良善结合的真理（1468，2517，3236，4510，4823节），在此是指与属世良善结合的非属灵的属世真理，因为所论述的是这种真理和这种良善，与这种真理结合的良善就是此处的“主”（4973节）；“举目”是指思维、注意力，以及觉知（2789，2829，3198，3202，4339节）。
“妻”在此表示属世真理，但不是属灵的属世真理；而此处“主”所指她的丈夫则表示属世良善，但不是属灵的属世良善。因此，有必要解释一下何谓非属灵的属世良善与真理，何谓属灵的属世良善与真理。对人来说，良善有两种不同的来源，一种是遗传，因而是额外的添加物；另一种是信与仁之教义，或对外邦人来说，是他们的宗教信仰。由第一种来源所产生的良善就是非属灵的属世良善；而由第二种来源所产生的良善则是属灵的属世良善。真理也出于一种类似的来源，因为一切良善都有与其结合的自己的真理。
第一种来源所产生的属世良善，也就是遗传，因而额外的添加物，与第二种来源，也就是信与仁之教义，或某种宗教信仰所产生的属世良善具有很多的相似之处；但这些相似之处仅在于外在形式，而就内在形式而言，这二者完全不同。第一种来源所产生的属世良善好比存在于温顺动物当中的良善；而第二种来源所产生的属世良善则是凭理性行事、因而知道如何照功用以各种不同的方式施与良善之人所特有的。施与良善的这些不同方式就是公义与公平的教义所教导的，也是在更高程度上信与仁的教义所教导的；对那些真正理性的人来说，教义的教导也可凭理性以多种方式来证实。
那些所行良善出自第一种来源的人在行仁爱时，仿佛被盲目的本能所打动；而那些所行良善出自第二种来源的人则被一种内在的责任感所打动，可以说他们的眼睛完全睁开了，知道自己在做什么。简言之，那些所行良善出自第一种来源的人不是被对于公义与公平的任何良知引导，更不是被对于属灵的真理与良善的任何关注引导；而那些所行良善出自第二种来源的人则被良知引导。关于这个主题，可参看前面3040，3470，3471，3518节）和下文（4992节）的相关阐述。但至于这些事物到底是何情形，这是绝无可能解释清楚的；事实上，凡不属灵，或尚未重生的人都是站在良善所取外在形式的角度来看待良善的。这是因为他不知道何为仁爱，何为邻舍；他不知道这些事物的原因在于，他没有仁爱的教义。这些事物在天堂之光却看得非常清楚，因而被属灵之人或重生之人看得分明，因为这些人居于天堂之光。
Potts(1905-1910) 4988
4988. That his lord's wife lifted up her eyes to Joseph. That this signifies truth natural not spiritual adjoined to natural good, and its perception, is evident from the signification of a "wife," as being truth adjoined to good (n. 1468, 2517, 3236, 4510, 4823), here truth natural not spiritual adjoined to natural good, because this truth and this good are treated of, that good to which this truth is conjoined being here the "lord" (n. 4973); and from the signification of "lifting up the eyes," as being thought, intention, and also perception (n. 2789, 2829, 3198, 3202, 4339). [2] By the "wife" is here signified truth natural, but not truth spiritual natural; and by the husband, who is here the "lord," is signified good natural, but not good spiritual natural. It must therefore be explained what is meant by good and truth natural not spiritual, and good and truth spiritual natural. Good in man is from a twofold source-from what is hereditary and hence additional, and also from the doctrine of faith and of charity, or with the Gentiles from their religiosity. Good* from the former origin is good natural not spiritual, while good from the latter origin is good spiritual natural. From a like origin is truth, because all good has its own truth adjoined to it. [3] Good natural from the former origin, that is, from what is hereditary and hence adventitious, has much that is akin to good natural from the second origin, that is, from the doctrine of faith and charity, or from some religiosity, but only in the external form, being entirely different in the internal form. Good natural from the former origin may be compared to the good that exists with gentle animals; but good natural from the second origin is proper to the man who acts from reason, and consequently knows how to dispense what is good in various ways in accordance with uses. This dispensing of what is good is taught by the doctrine of what is just and fair, and in a higher degree by the doctrine of faith and charity, and with those who are truly rational is also confirmed in many ways by reason. [4] They who do good from the former origin are borne blindly along as it were by instinct into the exercise of charity; but they who perform what is good from the second origin are borne along by an internal obligation, and as it were with their eyes open. In a word, they who do what is good from the former origin, do it from no conscience of what is just and fair, still less from any conscience of spiritual truth and good; whereas they who do what is good from the second origin, do it from conscience. (See what has been said before on this subject, n. 3040, 3470, 3471, 3518, and what follows, n. 4992.) But how the case is with these things can by no means be explained to the apprehension; for everyone who is not spiritual, or who has not been regenerated, sees good from its external form, and this for the reason that he does not know what charity is, or what the neighbor is; and the reason why he does not know these things is that he has no doctrinals of charity. In the light of heaven these things appear most distinctly, and hence they appear distinctly also with the spiritual or regenerate, because these are in the light of heaven. * The Latin here has bonum et verum.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4988
4988. 'That his lord's wife lifted up her eyes towards Joseph' means unspiritual natural truth wedded to natural good, and its perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'wife' as truth wedded to good, dealt with in 1468, 2517, 3236, 4510, 4823, and in this case as unspiritual natural truth wedded to natural good since that kind of truth and this kind of good are described - the good to which that truth is joined being meant here by 'lord', 4973; and from the meaning of 'lifting up the eyes' as thought, attention, and also perception, dealt with in 2789, 2829, 3198, 3202, 4339.
[2] 'Wife' in this instance means natural truth, but not natural truth that is spiritual, while her husband, to whom 'lord' refers here, means natural good, but not natural good that is spiritual. But some explanation is needed to show what is meant by natural good and truth that are not spiritual and what is meant by natural good and truth that are spiritual. With the human being, good has two different origins - one being heredity and consequently that which is adventitious, the other being the doctrine of faith and charity or, in the case of gentiles, their religious belief. Good arising from the first origin is unspiritual natural good, whereas good arising from the second is spiritual natural good. Truth too comes from a like origin, for all good has its own truth wedded to it.
[3] Natural good arising from the first origin, which is hereditary and consequently adventitious, bears many similarities to natural good arising from the second origin, which is the doctrine of faith and charity or some other set of religious beliefs. But those similarities are confined to outward appearances; inwardly the two are completely different. Natural good arising from the first origin may be compared to the good that is also present among living creatures of a gentle nature, whereas natural good arising from the second is peculiar to the human being who uses his reason when he acts, and who consequently knows how to administer what is good in different ways, in keeping with useful purposes that need to be served. These different ways in which good has to be administered are what the doctrine regarding what is right and fair teaches, and in a higher degree what the doctrine regarding faith and charity teaches; and in the case of people who are truly rational, reason also serves in many instances to corroborate what doctrine teaches.
[4] Those whose performance of good arises from the first origin are moved as if by blind instinct in their exercise of charity, whereas those whose performance of good arises from the second origin are moved by an inner sense of duty and so with their eyes so to speak fully open to what they are doing. In short, those whose performance of good arises from the first origin are not led by any conscientious regard for what is right and fair, still less by any such regard for spiritual truth and good; but those whose performance of good arises from the second origin are led by conscience. See what has been stated already on these matters in 3040, 3470, 3471, 3518, and what is said below in 4992. But what is involved in all this cannot possibly be explained intelligibly; for anyone who is not spiritual, that is, not regenerate, sees good from the point of view of the outward form it takes. He does this because he does not know what is meant by charity or by the neighbour; and the reason why he does not know this is that no doctrinal teachings regarding charity exist. Such matters can be seen very clearly in the light of heaven, and they can consequently be seen clearly by spiritual or regenerate persons because they dwell in the light of heaven.
Latin(1748-1756) 4988
4988. `Et sustulit uxor domini ejus oculos ad Josephum': quod significet verum naturale non spirituale adjunctum bono naturali, et ejus perceptionem, constat ex significatione `uxoris' quod sit verum adjunctum bono, de qua n. 1468, 2517, 3236, 4510, 4823, hic verum naturale non spirituale, {1}adjunctum bono naturali, quia de illo vero et hoc bono agitur; bonum illud cui conjunctum id verum, est hic `dominus', n. 4973; et ex significatione `tollere oculos,' quod sit cogitatio, intentio, et quoque perceptio, de qua n. 2789, 2829, 3198, 3202, 4339. [2] Per `uxorem' hic significatur verum naturale, sed non verum naturale spirituale et per `maritum' {2}, qui hic {3} dominus, significatur bonum naturale, sed non bonum naturale spirituale; explicandum itaque est quid bonum et verum naturale non spirituale, et quid bonum et verum naturale spirituale: bonum apud hominem est ex duplici origine, nempe ex hereditario et inde adscititio, et est ex doctrina fidei et charitatis, apud gentiles ex religioso; bonum et verum quod ex priore origine est, est bonum naturale non spirituale; bonum autem quod ex hac origine et bonum naturale spirituale; ex simili origine est verum quia omne bonum (t)adjunctum sibi habet suum verum. [3] Bonum naturale ex priore origine, hoc est, ex hereditario et inde adscititio, multa affinia habet cum bono naturali ex altera origine, hoc est, ex doctrina fidei et charitatis, seu {4} religioso sed solum in externa forma; in interna prorsus differunt; bonum naturale ex priore origine comparari potest bono quod etiam datur apud animalia quae mitia sunt, sed bonum naturale ex altera origine est proprium homini qui ex ratione agit, et inde novit dispensare bonum diversimode secundum usus; hanc dispensationem docet doctrina justi et aequi, et in superiore gradu doctrina fidei et charitatis, et haec quoque in multis confirmat ratio apud vere rationales: [4] illi qui ex priore origine bonum agunt, feruntur sicut instinctu caece in charitatis exercitia, at qui ex altera origine bonum agunt, feruntur ex debito interno, et quasi visualiter ad illa:verbo, qui ex priore origine bonum agunt, non ex aliqua conscientia justi et aequi, minus `veri et boni' spiritualis, bonum agunt; qui autem ex altera origine, ex conscientia agunt; videantur quae prius n. 3040, 3470, 3471, 3518 de his dicta sunt, et quae sequuntur n. 4992. Sed quomodo cum his se habet, nequaquam potest explicari ad captum, nam unusquisque qui non spiritualis est seu qui non regeneratus est, bonum videt a forma ejus externa {5}, et hoc ex causa quia non scit quid charitas nec quid proximus; et quod haec non sciat, etiam est causa quia nulla doctrinalia charitatis sunt;
in luce caeli illa apparent distinctissime, et inde quoque distincte apud spirituales seu regeneratos, quia hi in luce caeli sunt. @1 conjunctum$ @2 i ejus$ @3 i est$ @4 i ex$ @5 i non autem ab interna$