5893.“这地中的饥荒已经二年了”表属世心智中的良善缺乏的状态。这从“年”、“饥荒”和“地中”的含义清楚可知：“年”是指状态（参看487，488，493，893节）；“饥荒”是指良善的缺乏，因为“食物”在灵义上是指爱之良善，“粮”是指真理之良善，所以“饥荒”或“饥饿”是指良善的缺乏，而“渴”是指真理的缺乏；“地中”，即埃及的“地中”是指属世心智（参看5276，5278，5280，5288，5301节）。经上之所以说“中”，是因为“中”或中间是指至内在部分（1074，2940，2973节），也就是良善所居之地。“二年”表示良善与真理联结的状态，因为“二”表示联结（5194节），在此是指尚未联结，因为它们是饥荒的两年。
此中情形是这样：若要良善作工，属世心智中必须有真理，而这些真理必须通过对属于真爱的情感被引入。人记忆里的一切，无一例外，都是通过某种爱被引入的，并因与这爱联结而留在记忆里。这也适用于信之真理，这些真理若通过对真理的爱被引入，就会与那爱联结并保留下来。一旦它们与爱联结，情况便是这样：如果情感再次被唤起，与它联结的真理同时再现；如果真理再次被唤起，与它们联结的情感同时再现。正因如此，在人重生期间（重生发生在成年时期，因为在此之前，他还不能自己思想信之真理），主通过天使掌管他。天使通过将他保守在他已确信为真理的真理中，并通过这些真理将他保守在与这些真理联结的情感中来掌管他。由于这种情感，即对真理的情感来源于良善，所以他就这样一步一步被引向良善。
这一事实通过大量经历向我证明，因为我注意到，当恶灵向我注入邪恶与虚假时，从主而来的天使立即出现，将我保守在之前植入我里面的真理中，由此使我避开邪恶与虚假。由此也明显可知，通过对真理的情感而扎根在我里面的信之真理作为一个层面使得天使能进入其中运作。因此，没有这个层面的人无法被天使引导，而是让自己被地狱引导。因为没有这个层面，天使的运作无法在任何地方稳固下来，而是从他们身边流过去。然而，该层面无法获得，除非信之真理被付诸行动，从而被植入人的意愿，并通过这意愿而被植入他的生命。同样值得一提的是，当天使进入与人同在的信之真理进行运作时，这种运作很少显于眼见，也就是说，很少明显到能唤起对该真理的思考的地步。不过，会有一个对诸如与这真理一致的那类事物的大体概念，连同伴随它的情感产生，因为天使的这种运作通过一种不可察觉的流注实现；当这种流注呈现给视觉时，它看似一束流入的光。这光由良善里面的无数真理组成，这些真理专注于人所知的某一个特定真理，并且在将他保守在这真理中时，也将他保守在对该真理的爱中。这就是天使将人的心智从虚假当中提升上来，保护它免受邪恶之害的方式。不过，此人对这些事一无所知。
Potts(1905-1910) 5893
5893. Two years the famine is in the midst of the land. That this signifies a state of good in the natural mind, is evident from the signification of "years," as being states (see n. 487, 488, 493, 893); from the signification of "famine," as being a lack of good (for "bread" in the spiritual sense is the good of love, and "food" is the good of truth, and therefore "famine" is a lack of good, and "thirst" is a lack of truth); and from the signification of "in the midst of the land," namely, of Egypt, as being the natural mind (see n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301). It is said "in the midst" because the "midst" is the inmost (n. 1074, 2940, 2973), where good is. "Two years" denotes a state of the conjunction of good and truth, because "two" signifies conjunction (n. 5194), here not yet conjunction, because they are two years of famine. [2] The case herein is this. There must be truths in the natural mind in order that good may work, and the truths must be introduced by means of the affection which is of genuine love. All things whatever that are in man's memory have been introduced by means of some love, and remain there conjoined with it. So also it is with the truths of faith-if these truths have been introduced by means of the love of truth, they remain conjoined with this love. When they have been conjoined, then the case is as follows. If the affection is reproduced, the truths which are conjoined with it come forth at the same time; and if the truths are reproduced, the affection itself with which they have been conjoined comes forth at the same time. Wherefore during man's regeneration (which is effected in adult age, because previously he does not think from himself about the truths of faith) he is ruled by means of angels from the Lord, by being kept in the truths which he has impressed upon himself to be truths, and by means of these truths in the affection with which they have been conjoined; and as this affection, namely, of truth, is from good, he is thus led by degrees to good. [3] That this is so is evident to me from much experience, for I have noticed that when evil spirits have injected evils and falsities, then angels from the Lord kept me in the truths which had been implanted, and thus withheld me from evils and falsities. From this also it was plain that the truths of faith, which have been inrooted by means of the affection of truth, are the plane into which angels work. Wherefore they who have not this plane cannot be led by angels, but suffer themselves to be led by hell, for the working of the angels cannot then be fixed anywhere, but flows through. But this plane cannot be acquired unless the truths of faith have been put into act, and thus implanted in the will, and through the will in the life. It is also worthy of mention that the working of the angels into the truths of faith with man seldom takes place manifestly, that is, so as to excite thought about this truth; but there is produced a general idea of such things as are in agreement with this truth, together with affection. For this working is effected by means of an imperceptible influx, which when presented to the sight appears like an inflowing light, which light consists of innumerable truths in good, which encompass some single thing in the man, and keep him while in truth also in the love of this truth. Thus the angels elevate the mind of the man from falsities, and protect him from evils. But these things are wholly unknown to the man.
Elliott(1983-1999) 5893
5893. 'There have been two years of famine in the midst of the land' means statesa when there is a lack of good in the natural mind. This is clear from the meaning of 'years' as states, dealt with in 487, 488, 493, 893; from the meaning of 'famine' as a lack of good (for 'bread' in the spiritual sense is the good of love, and 'food' is the good of truth, so that 'famine' or 'hunger' is a lack of good, while 'thirst' is a lack of truth); and from the meaning of 'in the midst of the land' - the land of Egypt - as the natural mind, dealt with in 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301. The expression 'in the midst' is used because the midst or middle is the inmost part, 1074, 2940, 2973. Where good resides. 'Two years' are states when good and truth exist joined together, since 'two' means a joining together, 5194; but in the present use of the expression a joining together that has not yet been effected is meant since they are 'two years of famine'.
[2] The implications of this are as follows: Truths must be present in the natural mind if good is to do its work, and those truths must be brought into it through an affection belonging to genuine love. Everything without exception in a person's memory has been brought into it through some love, and having become joined to that love remains in the memory. This also applies to the truths of faith; if they have been brought in through a love of truth, those truths become joined to and remain there with that love. Once they have become joined to it the following is then the situation: If the affection is evoked again, the truths that have been joined to it reappear at the same time; and if the truths are evoked again, the affection to which they have been joined reappears at the same time. This being so, when a person is being regenerated - which happens in adult life because he is unable before this to think for himself about the truths of faith - he is governed by angels sent by the Lord. They govern him by maintaining in him the truths which he has become convinced are truths, and by maintaining in him through those truths the affection to which they have been joined. And because that affection - an affection for truth - has its origin in good, he is then led step by step towards good.
[3] A considerable amount of experience has proved the truth of this to me. For I have noticed that when evil spirits have thrust evils and falsities at me, the angels from the Lord present at the time have maintained in me the truths implanted in me previously and have thereby withheld me from those evils and falsities. From this it has also been evident that the truths of faith which, through an affection for truth, have become rooted in me serve as a level into which angels can operate, so that people who do not have this level laid down in them cannot be led by angels but allow themselves to be led by hell. For without it the operation of the angels cannot become established anywhere and so passes away from them. That level for angels to operate into cannot however be acquired unless the truths of faith have been put into service and thus have been implanted in the person's will and through this in his life. It is also worth mentioning that when the operation of the angels into the truths of faith present with a person takes place, it is rarely plain to see, that is to say, so plain that thought about the truth operated into is aroused. Rather, a general notion of things in keeping with that truth, and the affection that goes with it, is produced. For that operation by the angels is effected by means of an imperceptible inflowing which, when a visual presentation of it is made, looks like an inflowing beam of light. That light is made up of countless truths present within good which focus on one particular truth known by a person and which, while they sustain the truth in him, also sustain the love that belongs to that truth. This is the way the angels raise a person's mind above falsities and protect it from evils. Yet the person is totally unaware of any of this.
Latin(1748-1756) 5893
5893. `Anni duo famis {1}in medio terrae': quod significet status defectus boni in mente naturali, constat ex significatione `annorum' quod sint status, de qua n. 487,488, 493, 893; ex significatione `famis' quod sit defectus boni, `panis' enim in sensu spirituali est bonum amoris, et `cibus' est bonum veri, inde `fames' est defectus boni, `sitis' autem defectus veri; et ex significatione `in medio terrae', nempe Aegypti, quod sit mens naturalis, de qua n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301; `in medio' dicitur quia medium est intimum, n. 1074, (x)2940, 2973, ubi bonum; `anni duo' sunt status conjunctionis boni et veri, quia `duo' significant conjunctionem, n. 5194, hic nondum conjunctionem, (x)quia `anni duo famis'. [2] Cum hoc ita se habet: in mente naturali erunt {2}vera ut bonum operari possit; et vera introducta erunt per affectionem quae amoris genuini; omnia quaecumque in memoria hominis sunt, introducta sunt per aliquem amorem et ibi conjuncta manent; ita quoque vera quae fidei, si introducta sunt per amorem veri, vera illa cum isto amore conjuncta manent; cum conjuncta sunt, tunc ita se res habet: si reproducitur affectio, vera quae ei conjuncta sunt, simul prodeunt; et si {3}reproducuntur vera, ipsa affectio cui conjuncta sunt, simul prodit; quapropter cum homo regeneratur, quod fit in adulta aetate quia {4}prius non de veris fidei cogitat ex se, regitur ille per angelos a Domino per id quod teneatur in veris quae {5}sibi impressit quod vera sint, et per illa in affectione cum qua conjuncta sunt; et quia affectio illa, nempe veri, est ex bono, ducitur sic per gradus ad bonum. [3] Quod ita sit, ex multa experientia mihi constat; appercepi enim cum mali spiritus ingesserunt mala et falsa, quod angeli tunc a Domino tenuerint me in veris quae implantata fuerunt, et sic detinuerint a malis et falsis; inde {6}etiam patuit quod vera quae fidei, irradicata per affectionem veri, sint planum in quod angeli operantur; quapropter qui non habent hoc planum, non possunt duci ab angelis sed se (t)duci patiuntur ab inferno; operatio enim angelorum nullibi tunc {7}figi potest sed transfluit; {8}at planum hoc non (x)acquiri potest nisi vera fidei missa fuerint in actum et sic implantata voluntati (c)et per hanc vitae; memoratu etiam dignum est quod operatio angelorum in vera fidei apud hominem raro fiat {9}manifeste, nempe ut (m)excitetur cogitatio de illo vero, sed producitur idea communis talium quae vero illi conveniunt(n) {10}cum affectione, operatio enim illa fit per influxum imperceptibilem qui cum sistitur videndus, apparet instar lucis influentis, quae lux consistit ex innumerabilibus veris in bono, quae unicum aliquod apud hominem ambiunt, et tenent illum cum in vero, etiam in amore qui est istius veri; sic angeli elevant mentem hominis a falsis et tutantur a malis. Sed haec homini prorsus ignota sunt. @1 I o here only.$ @2 prius vera antequam bonum se manifestare potest$ @3 excitantur$ @4 non prius in veris fidei est$ @5 habet$ @6 quoque$ @7 haerere$ @8 sed$ @9 manifesta$ @10 sed$