760、“四十昼又四十夜”表示它持续的时间，这在前面（7:4，730节）已经说明。如前所述，“四十”表示试探持续的整个时间，无论长短，事实上还表示涉及意愿事物的严厉试探。因为正是通过一系列的快乐，通过爱自己、爱世界，因而通过欲望，即这些爱的相关活动，人才为自己获得这种生命。因此，他的全部生命只在于诸如此类的事物。这种生命与天堂的生命格格不入，因为没有人既爱世俗事物，同时又爱天堂事物。爱世俗事物是向下看，爱天堂事物是向上看。人更不能既爱自己，同时又爱邻舍，尤其不能既爱自己，同时又爱主。凡爱自己的，都恨恶所有不顺从自己的人；因此，凡爱自己的，都距离天堂的爱和仁极其遥远，而天堂的爱和仁在于爱邻胜己、爱主高于一切。由此明显可知，世人的生活距离天堂的生活何等遥远。正因如此，主才通过试探使他重生，叫他转变方向，好适应天堂的生活。这就是为何这种试探是严厉的。事实上，它冲撞、攻击、破碎并改变一个人的本质生命，这也是为何它被描述为“大深渊的所有泉源都裂开了，天上的水闸也打开了”。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]760. The symbolism of forty days and nights as its duration was shown above at verse 4 [730].
Forty, as noted there, symbolizes every period that trials last, long or short, and in fact it symbolizes severe trial, which involves the impulses of the will.
We construct a life for ourselves through endless sensual pleasures, through love for the material world and for ourselves, and so through our cravings, which are extensions of those loves. The result is that these qualities and nothing more form the material of our lives. Such a life cannot possibly harmonize with heavenly life. No one can love worldly advantages and heavenly ones at the same time; to love what the world offers is to look downward, to love what heaven offers is to face upward. Still less can we love ourselves and our neighbor at the same time, and least of all the Lord. Those who love themselves hate everyone who fails to serve them. So those who love themselves are utterly alienated from heavenly love and charity, which consists in loving our neighbor more than ourselves and loving the Lord above everything.
This demonstrates how large a gap separates mortal life from heavenly life, which is the reason the Lord uses adversity to regenerate us and bend us into harmony.
That is why this kind of struggle is so severe, since it touches, attacks, destroys, and changes our very life. Consequently the situation is depicted in the words the springs of the abyss burst and heaven's floodgates opened.
Potts(1905-1910) 760
760. That the "forty days and forty nights" signify its duration, was shown above, at verse 4. By "forty" as before said, is signified every duration of temptation, whether greater or less, and indeed severe temptation, which is of the things of the will. For by continual pleasures, and by the loves of self and of the world, consequently by the cupidities that are the connected activities of these loves, man has acquired a life for himself of such a kind that it is nothing but a life of such things. This life cannot possibly accord with heavenly life; for no one can love worldly and heavenly things at the same time, seeing that to love worldly things is to look downward, and to love heavenly things is to look upward. Much less can anyone love himself and at the same time the neighbor, and still less the Lord. He who loves himself, hates all who do not render him service; so that the man who loves himself is very far from heavenly love and charity, which is to love the neighbor more than one's self, and the Lord above all things. From this it is evident how far removed the life of man is from heavenly life, and therefore he is regenerated by the Lord through temptations, and is bent so as to bring him into agreement. This is why such temptation is severe, for it touches a man's very life, assailing, destroying, and transforming it, and is therefore described by the words: "the fountains of the deep were broken up, and the cataracts of heaven were opened."
Elliott(1983-1999) 760
760. That 'forty days and forty nights' means its duration has been shown above at verse 4. As has been stated, 'forty' means the whole duration of temptation, long or short, and indeed severe temptation involving things of the will. For it is through a whole chain of pleasures and through love of the world and self-love, and so through the desires which are the unceasing activities of those loves, that a person has acquired life to himself. Consequently his whole life consists in nothing else than things such as these. This life cannot possibly accord with heavenly life, for nobody can love worldly things and at the same time heavenly. Loving worldly things is looking downwards, loving heavenly looking upwards. Still less can anyone love himself and at the same time the neighbour, and least of all himself and at the same time the Lord. Someone who loves himself hates all who are not subservient to him, and so he who loves himself is very far removed from heavenly love or charity, which consists in loving the neighbour more than self, and the Lord above all things. From these considerations it is clear how far away man's life is from heavenly life. This being so the Lord regenerates him by means of temptations, and redirects him so that he conforms [to heavenly life]. This is the reason why this temptation is severe. In fact it impinges on, attacks, breaks down, and alters a person's essential life, which also is why it is described by 'the fountains of the great deep being split open' and by 'the floodgates of heaven being opened'.
Latin(1748-1756) 760
760. Quod 'quadraginta dies et quadraginta noctes' significent durationem, supra ad vers. 4 ostensum est: per 'quadraginta,' ut dictum, significatur omnis duratio tentationis, sive major sive minor sit, et quidem tentatio gravis quae est voluntariorum: homo eram vitam sibi per continuas voluptates et per amores mundi et sui, proinde per cupiditates quae sunt Continua amorum istorum, comparavit, sic ut vita ejus nihil aliud sit quam talium; quae vita nusquam concordare potest cum vita caelesti; nam amare mundana nemo potest et simul caelestia; amare mundana est spectare deorsum, amare caelestia es spectare sursum; minus potest quisquam amare se et simul proximum, et adhuc minus Dominum; qui se amat, omnes qui ipsi non serviunt, odit; ita qui se amat, remotissime abest ab amore et charitate caelesti, quae est ut amet proximum plus quam se, et Dominum supra omnia; ex his constat quantum vita hominis distat a vita caelesti; quare per tentationes a Domino regeneratur, et flectitur ut usque concordet: haec causa est quod haec tentatio sit gravis, ipsam enim vitam hominis tangit, aggreditur, destruit et mutat; quare etiam describitur illa per quod 'fontes abyssi sint disrupti' et quod 'cataractae caeli sint apertae.