7780.“直到磨坊后的婢女的长子”表占据末位的信之被歪曲的真理。这从“长子”和“婢女”的含义清楚可知：“长子”是指信，如刚才所述（7779节），它因表示信，故也表示整体上的真理，因为真理是一个人当信的东西，是信的内容；“婢女”是指对真理的一种相当外在的情感，或对记忆知识的情感（1895，2567，3835，3849节）。但“磨坊后的婢女”表示对记忆知识的最外在的情感，因为“磨坊后”表示占据末位的东西。经上之所以说“磨坊后”，是因为“磨坊”论及那些属于信的事物。事实上，谷粒通过磨坊被磨成细粉，从而预备制饼；而“粉”表示产生良善的真理，“饼”表示由真理所产生的实际良善。因此，“坐在磨坊上”是指学习并充满诸如服务于信，并通过信服务于仁的那类事物。这就是为何古人在描述信之教义的基本要素时，将它们描述为“坐在磨坊上”，将学习更基本的要素描述为“坐在磨坊后”。正是由于这种含义，主在教导教会末期地方说：
两个女人在磨坊里推磨，取去一个，撇下一个。（马太福音24:41）
若非“磨坊”表示这些信之事物，经上永远不会说这些话。至于“磨坊”和“推磨”在内义上表示什么，可参看前文（4335节）。关于占据首位的信之真理和占据末位的信之真理，要知道，占据首位的，是那些直接从仁之良善发出的信之真理，因为它们是良善所取的外在形式，而占据末位的真理，是赤裸的真理。事实上，当真理接连从良善衍生出来时，它们每一步都远离良善，最终变成赤裸的真理。这种真理由“磨坊后的婢女”来表示。
Potts(1905-1910) 7780
7780. Even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the millstones. That this signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the last place, is evident from the signification of "firstborn," as being faith (of which just above, n. 7779), and because it denotes faith, it denotes truth in the complex, for truth is of faith because it is to be believed; and from the signification of "maidservant," as being the exterior affection of truth, or the affection of memory-knowledges (n. 1895, 2567, 3835, 3849). But a "maidservant behind the millstones" denotes the most external affection of memory-knowledges, for by "behind the millstones" is signified what is in the last place. It is said "behind the millstones" because a "millstone" is predicated of those things which are of faith; for by millstones grain is ground into flour, and is thus prepared for bread; and by "flour" is signified the truth from which is good, and by "bread" that very good which is thence derived. Thus "to sit at the millstones" is to learn and be imbued with such things as may be serviceable to faith, and through faith to charity. For this reason the ancients, when they described the first rudiments of the doctrine of faith, described them by "sitting at the millstones," and the things which were still more rudimentary by "sitting behind the millstones." Because of such a signification, the Lord, where He teaches about the last time of the church, says:
Two women shall be grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken and the other left (Matt. 24:41), which would never have been said unless a "mill" had signified those things which are of faith. (What a "mill" and "grinding" mean in the internal sense, see n. 4335.) As to the truths of faith which are in the first place, and those which are in the last, be it known that those truths of faith which immediately proceed from the good of charity are what are in the first place, for they are goods in form; but the truths which are in the last place are naked truths; for when truths are successively derived, they recede at each step from good, and finally become naked truths. Such truths are signified by "maidservants behind the millstones."
Elliott(1983-1999) 7780
7780. 'Even to the firstborn of the servant-girl who is behind the mill' means falsified truths of faith that occupy the very last place. This is clear from the meaning of 'the firstborn' as faith, dealt with immediately above in 7779, and since faith is meant, so is truth in its entirety because truth, being that which one ought to believe, is the component of faith; and from the meaning of 'a servant-girl' as a rather external affection for truth, or an affection for knowledge, dealt with in 1895, 2567, 3835, 3849, and 'the servant-girl behind the mill' as the most external affection for knowledge since 'behind the mill' means that which occupies the very last place. The expression 'behind the mill' is used because 'the mill' has reference to matters of faith. For by means of a mill grain is ground into flour and so prepared for making bread, and 'flour' means truth which results in good, 'bread' the actual good that results from it. Thus 'sitting at the mill' is acquiring and learning the kinds of things that will be of service to faith, and through faith of service to charity. This is why when the ancients described learning the basic elements of faith they described it as 'sitting at the mill', or learning elements even more basic as 'sitting behind the mill'. It is because such things were meant that in His teachings about the final period of the Church the Lord says,
Two women grinding at the mill; one will be taken and the other will be left behind. Matt 24:41.
These words would never have been used if 'the mill' had not meant matters of faith. For what 'the mill' and 'grinding' mean in the internal sense, see 4335. With regard to the truths of faith that occupy the first place and those that occupy the very last, it should be recognized that the truths of faith which emanate directly from the good of charity occupy the first place, for they are the outward form taken by good, whereas the truths which occupy the last place are bare truths. For when truths derive in succession from good, each degree of them departs further away from it, till at length they become bare truths. This is the kind of truths meant by 'servant-girls behind mills'.
Latin(1748-1756) 7780
7780. `Usque ad primogenitum ancillae quae post molas': quod significet vera falsificata fidei quae postremo loco, constat ex significatione `primogeniti' quod sit fides, de qua mox supra n. 7779; et quia est fides, est verum in complexu, nam verum est fidei quia credendum; ex significatione `ancillae' quod {1}sit affectio exterior veri, seu affectio scientiarum, de qua n. 1895, 2567, 3835, 3849; {2}`ancilla' autem `post molas' est affectio scientiarum maxime externa, nam per `post molas' significatur quod postremo loco est; `post molas' dicitur quia `mola' praedicatur de illis quae sunt fidei; frumentum enim per molas comminuitur in farinam et sic praeparatur ad panem, et per `farinam' significatur verum ex quo bonum, {3}et per `panem' ipsum illud bonum quod inde; ita `sedere ad molas' est addiscere et imbuere talia quae inservitura sunt fidei et {4}per fidem charitati; inde est quod antiqui, cum describerent prima doctrinae fidei rudimenta, descripserint (c)id per `sedere ad molas,' et quae adhuc rudiora essent per `sedere post molas'; quia talia significabantur, idcirco Dominus, ubi de ultimo {5}tempore Ecclesiae docet, dicit, Duae molentes in mola, una assumetur, et altera derelinquetur, Matth. xxiv (x)41;quae nequaquam dicta fuissent, nisi `mola' significaret illa quae fidei essent; quid `mola' et `molere' in sensu interno, videatur n. 4335. Quod vera fidei attinet, quae primo loco et quae postremo, sciendum quod illa vera fidei quae immediate procedunt ex bono charitatis sint quae primo loco, nam sunt bona in forma; vera autem quae ultimo loco sunt nuda vera; {6}cum enim vera successive derivantur, recedunt in quovis gradu a bono, et tandem nuda (d)vera fiunt; talia vera sunt quae significantur per `ancillas post molas.' @1 sint affectiones veri exteriores, seu affectiones$ @2 ancillae autem post molas, sunt affectiones scientiae maxime externae, quae in sensuali homine$ @3 quod significatur per panem$ @4 postea$ @5 judicio$ @6 ita procedunt vera a bono, cum$