5890.“因为是为要使你们存活，神才差我在你们以先来的”表他们所领受的属灵生命是神所命定的。这从“存活”和“神才差我在你们以先来”的含义清楚可知：“存活”是指属灵生命，如下文所述；“神才差我在你们以先来”是指神的命定。这层含义，即神的命定从约瑟的梦清楚看出来。在梦里预言了他的弟兄，以及他的父亲都要向他下拜；若不是神的命定，这种事是不可能预见到的。“存活”表示属灵生命，或通过重生所获得的新生命，这一点单从以下考虑就能清楚看出来：圣言的灵义不可能是别的什么。既有属世生命，也有属灵生命。属世生命是指圣言字义上的生命，属灵的生命是指圣言内义上的生命。而且在许多经文中，字义上的“存活或活着”和“生命”表示属灵生命本身；如以西结书：
我若指着恶人说，你必定死；你若不警戒他，也不劝说恶人离开恶行，好使他存活。（以西结书3:18）
又：
你们为几把大麦，为几块饼，在我民中亵渎我，杀死不该死的性命，使不该存活的性命存活。你们坚固恶人的手，使他不回转离开恶道得以存活。（以西结书13:19，22）
何西阿书：
过两天耶和华必使我们存活；第三天祂必使我们兴起，我们就在祂面前得以存活。（何西阿书6:2）
诗篇：
我若不信在生命之地得见美物。（诗篇27:13）
启示录：
得胜的，我必将神乐园中间的生命树赐给他吃。（启示录2:7）
约翰福音：
父怎样叫死人起来，使他们活着，子也照样随自己的意思使人活着。（约翰福音5:21）
又：
使人活着的乃是灵，肉体是无益的。我对你们所说的话就是灵，就是生命。（约翰福音6:63）
在这些经文中，“使人活着”和“生命”明显表示属灵的生命，也就是天上的生命，这生命也被简单地称为“生命”，如马太福音：
引到生命的，那门窄，那路狭隘，找着的人也少。（马太福音7:14）
在其它地方（马太福音18:8，9；19:17；马可福音9:43，45，47；约翰福音5:24），“进入生命”表示进入天堂。
Potts(1905-1910) 5890
5890. For God did send me before you to make to live. That this signifies spiritual life imparted to them of Providence, is evident from the signification of "making to live," as being spiritual life (of which in what follows); and from the signification of "God did send me before you," as being of Providence. That it was of Providence is evident from Joseph's dreams, in which it was foretold that his brethren should bow themselves down to him, and also his father, which would not have been foreseen unless it had been provided. That by "making to live" is signified spiritual life, or new life through regeneration, may be seen from this alone-that the spiritual of the Word cannot be anything else. There is natural life and there is spiritual life. Natural life is meant in the literal sense of the Word, but spiritual life in the internal sense; and moreover in many passages by "to make to live," and by "life," is meant in the literal sense spiritual life itself; as in Ezekiel:
When I shall say to the wicked, Dying thou shalt die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to dissuade the wicked from his evil way, to make him live (Ezek. 3:18). Again:
Ye have profaned Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die and to make live the souls that should not live. Ye strengthen the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his evil way, by making him live (Ezek. 13:19, 22). In Hosea:
After two days Jehovah will make us live; and in the third day He will set us up, that we may live before Him (Hos. 6:2). In David:
Unless I had believed to see good in the land of life (Ps. 27:13). In John:
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God (Rev. 2:7). In John the Evangelist:
As the Father raiseth up the dead and maketh them live, even so the Son also maketh live whom He will (John 5:21). Again:
It is the spirit that maketh to live; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you are spirit, and are life (John 6:63). In these passages "to make to live," and "life," manifestly denote spiritual life, which is life in heaven, and which is also called simply "life," as in Matthew:
Strait [is the gate] and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it (Matt. 7:14);
"to enter into life" denotes to enter into heaven (Matt. 18:8, 9; 19:17; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; John 5:24).
Elliott(1983-1999) 5890
5890. 'For God sent me before you for the bestowal of life' means the spiritual life they received as ordained by Providence. This is clear from the meaning of 'the bestowal of life' as spiritual life, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'God sent me before you' as ordained by Providence. This meaning - ordained by Providence - becomes clear from Joseph's dreams. In them it was foretold that his brothers, and his father too, would bow down to him, which would never have been foreseen unless it had been ordained providentially. The meaning of 'the bestowal of life' and 'to bestow life' as spiritual life, or new life received through regeneration becomes clear from the single consideration that the spiritual meaning of the Word cannot be anything else. There is natural life and there is spiritual life, natural life being meant in the literal sense of the Word, but spiritual life in its internal sense. What is more, there are many places where even in the sense of the letter 'bestowing life' and simply 'life' are used to mean spiritual life, as in Ezekiel,
When I say to the wicked, You will surely die, and you do not warn him or speak to dissuade the wicked from his evil way so that life may be bestowed on him. Ezek 3:18.
In the same prophet,
You have desecrated Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for crusts of bread, to kill souls that ought not to die and to bestow life on souls that ought not to live. You strengthen the hands of the wicked so that he does not turn back from his evil way for life to be bestowed on him. Ezek 13:19, 22.
In Hosea,
Jehovah will bestow life on us after two days, and on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live before Him. Hosea 6:1.
In David,
Unless I believed I would see goodness in the land of life. Ps 27:13.
In John,
To him who conquers I will grant to eat from the tree of life which is in the middle of the paradise of God. Rev 2:7.
In John the Evangelist,
As the Father raises up the dead and bestows life [on them], so also the Son bestows life on whom He will. John 5:21.
In the same gospel,
It is the Spirit who bestows life; the flesh does not profit anything. The words which I speak, they are spirit and they are life. John 6:63.
In these places 'bestowing life' and 'life' plainly stand for spiritual life, which is life in heaven, a life which is also simply called 'life', as in Matthew,
Narrow and strait is the road that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matt 7:14.
And in other places 'entering into life' stands for entering heaven, Matt 18:8, 9; 19:17; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; John 5:24.
Latin(1748-1756) 5890
5890. `Quia ad vivificationem misit me Deus ante vos': quod significet vitam spiritualem illis ex providentia, constat ex significatione `vivificationis' quod sit vita spiritualis, de qua sequitur; et ex significatione `misit me Deus ante vos' quod significet ex providentia; quod ex providentia, constare potest ex somniis Josephi, quibus praedictum quod se incurvarent ei fratres ejus, ut et pater ejus, quod nisi provisum nec praevisum fuisset. Quod per `vivificationem et vivificare' significetur vita spiritualis, seu vita nova per regenerationem, constare potest ex eo solo quod spirituale Verbi non aliud possit esse; est vita naturalis et est vita spiritualis, vita naturalis intelligitur in Verbi sensu litterae, at spiritualis in sensu interno, et quoque multis in locis per vivificare et per vitam ipsa vita spiritualis intelligitur in sensu litterae; ut apud Ezechielem, Cum dixero impio, moriendo morieris, nec admonueris illum, nec locutus fueris ad dehortandum impium a via ejus mala ad vivificandum illum, iii 18:apud eundem, Profanastis Me apud populum Meum pro pugillis hordeorum et pro frustis panis, ad occidendum animas quae non mori debent, et ad vivificandum animas quae non vivere debent. . . . Confirmatis manus impii, ut non revertatur a via sua mala vivificando illum, xiii 19, 22:
apud Hosheam, Jehovah vivificabit nos post biduum, et in die tertio eriget nos, ut vivamus coram Ipso, vi 2:
apud Davidem, Nisi crederem videre bonum . . . in terra vitae, Ps. xxvii 13: apud Johannem, Qui vincit, dabo ut comedat de arbore vitae, quae est in medio paradisi Dei, Apoc. ii 7:
apud Johannem Evangelistam, Quemadmodum Pater suscitat mortuos, et vivificat, ita etiam Filius quos vult, vivificat, v 21:
apud eundem, Spiritus est qui vivificat, caro non prodest quicquam; quae Ego loquor verba, spiritus sunt et vita sunt, vi 63;
in his locis `vivificare et vita' manifeste pro vita spirituali, quae est vita in caelo, quae quoque simpliciter vita vocatur, ut apud Matthaeum, Angusta {1}[porta] et stricta via est quae ducit ad vitam, et pauci sunt qui inveniunt illam, vii 14;
et alibi `intrare in vitam' pro in caelum, Matth. xviii 8, 9, xix 17, Marc. ix 43, 45, 47, Joh. v 24. @1 S omits this word so also does Sch; it is omitted also by a few unimportant codices. In v. 13, also, a few o `gate'.$