5542.“他说，你可以杀我的两个儿子”表这两种信都不会存活。这从流便的“两个儿子”的含义清楚可知，他的“两个儿子”是指这两种信。因为“流便”代表教义和理解力中的信，他的“儿子”是指教会的两种教义，即真理的教义和良善的教义，或信之教义和仁之教义。“我若不带他回来给你，你可以杀我的两个儿子”表示如果“便雅悯”所代表的居间层不进行联结，这两种信或教会都不会存活。流便用这句话来证明，若没有一个居间层，教会就会走到尽头。若非这些话含有内义，流便绝不会告诉他父亲说，如果他不带便雅悯回来，父亲可以杀他的两个儿子；因为流便说这话言下之意是，他父亲随后可以除灭整个家庭。这种行为因违背一切正义，故是极其邪恶的。但教义的教导则解释了为何流便会说这样的话。
Potts(1905-1910) 5542
5542. Saying, Slay my two sons. That this signifies that neither kind of faith will live, is evident from the signification of the "two sons" of Reuben, as being both kinds of faith; for by Reuben is represented faith in doctrine and in the understanding, and his "sons" are the two doctrines of the church, the doctrine of truth and the doctrine of good, or the doctrine of faith and the doctrine of charity. That neither of these things of faith or of the church will live unless the intermediate represented by Benjamin is conjoined, is signified by "Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee." By these words Reuben gives confirmation that it will be all over with the church, unless there be an intermediate. Unless there were this internal sense in these words, Reuben would not have told his father to slay his two sons if he brought not Benjamin back; for he would thereby have proposed to put an end to one family more, which being contrary to all right, would have been infamous. But the internal sense teaches us why this was said.
Elliott(1983-1999) 5542
5542. 'He said, Make my two sons die' means that neither of the two kinds of faith will survive. This is clear from the meaning of Reuben's 'two sons' as both kinds of faith. For 'Reuben' represents faith in doctrine and in the understanding, while his 'sons' are the two kinds of teaching existing within the Church - teaching about what is true and teaching about what is good, that is, teaching about faith and teaching about charity. The thought that neither of these two kinds of faith or the Church will survive unless a joining of the intermediary represented by 'Benjamin' takes place is meant by 'make my two sons die if I do not bring back Benjamin to you'. In saying this Reuben certifies that the Church would be at an end unless the intermediary were present. But for the internal sense contained in those words Reuben would never have told his father to make his two sons die if he did not bring back Benjamin; for in telling him this Reuben would have been suggesting that he should subsequently wipe out an entire family. Such a course of action, being contrary to all that is right, would have been utterly wicked. But what the internal sense teaches explains why he spoke in the way he did.
Latin(1748-1756) 5542
5542. `Dicendo, Duos filios meos mori facias': quod significet quod fidei utrumque nec victurum, constat ex significatione `duorum filiorum Reubenis' quod sit fidei utrumque; per `Reubenem' enim repraesentatur fides doctrina et intellectu, `filii ejus' sunt binae doctrinae quae Ecclesiae, nempe doctrina veri et doctrina boni, seu doctrina fidei et doctrina charitatis; quod utrumque hoc fidei seu Ecclesiae non victurum nisi medium, quod per `Benjaminem' repraesentatur, conjungatur, significatur per quod `duos filios meos mori facias, nisi adduxero Benjaminem ad te'; per haec verba confirmat Reuben quod actum foret cum Ecclesia nisi medium sit; nisi hic sensus internus foret in illis verbis, Reuben nunquam dixisset ad patrem suum quod mori faceret duos `filios suos' nisi reduxerit Benjaminem, ita enim proposuisset exstirpare adhuc unam familiam; quod {1}, quia contra fas, nefarium foret; sed sensus internus docet quare ita dictum. @1 in se etiam$