848、当试探结束时，可以说就会有摇摆。试探若是属灵的，就是真理与虚假之间的摇摆，这从以下事实足以清楚看出来：试探是重生的开始或起点。因此，一切重生的目的都在于使人能接受新生命，确切地说，使他能接受生命，从非人变成人，也就是从死人变成活人。所以，当他以前纯动物式的生命通过试探被摧毁时，他在试探之后只能在真理与虚假之间摇摆。真理属于新生命，虚假属于旧生命。除非以前的生命被摧毁，这种摇摆发生，否则，属灵的种子永远不可能被播种，因为没有适合它的土地。
然而，一旦以前的生命被摧毁，这种摇摆正在发生，一个人几乎不知道何为真理与良善，事实上几乎不知道像真理这样的东西是否存在。例如，当他反思仁之良善，思想他能否从自己行出仁之良善，或如人们所称呼的善行，功德是否在他自己里面时，就处在这种模糊和黑暗之中；当被告知，没有人能从自己，也就是他的自我行任何善事，更不用说有什么功德了，一切良善皆来自主，一切功德唯独属于主时，他必感到震惊。这同样适用于其它所有信仰问题。不过，其心智的这种模糊和黑暗会缓慢地、一点一点地被照亮。
重生就像一个人生为婴儿时的情形。那时，他的生命是极其模糊的；他几乎一无所知。正因如此，对事物的大体观念首先流入；随着具体观念逐渐被引入大体观念，这些观念逐渐变得更加清晰；随着更详细的观念被引入具体观念，它们进一步变得清晰。因此，详细概念会照亮大体概念，使他不仅知道它们的存在，还知道它们的性质和品质。凡从属灵试探中走出来的人都会经历类似过程；在来世，那些一直受虚假影响，正在经历荒废的人也有类似状态。这种状态被称为摇摆，在此被描述为“水来回渐退”。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]848. When our trials are over, we experience a kind of wavering, and if our trials have been spiritual, it is a vacillation between truth and falsity, as can be seen clearly enough from the fact that trial is the beginning of regeneration.
The whole process of rebirth exists in order for us to receive new life, or rather to receive life at all. It exists in order that from being nonhuman we may become human, or from being dead may become alive. So when our previous way of life, which was no better than animal life, breaks down in times of trouble, we cannot help faltering between truth and falsity after the trouble has passed. Truth belongs to the new life, falsity to the old. Unless the earlier way of life is destroyed and this uncertainty takes hold, spiritual seed cannot possibly be sown in us, since there is no soil for it.
[2] When disintegration of the prior life is complete, on the other hand, and such hesitation takes its place, we are left with almost no idea what is true or good. We are so unsure that we scarcely know whether anything is true. For instance, we can wonder whether we are capable of doing the good that charity urges (or good works, as people call them) under our own power, when the exercise of our powers involves a sense of merit. Our minds are so cloudy and dark at this point that if someone says that people cannot do any good or earn any merit on their own or under their own power, that all good comes from the Lord and all the credit is the Lord's, we can only sit there stupefied. It is the same with all other religious questions. Yet slowly, bit by bit, light begins to pierce the murk or darkness we live in.
[3] Regeneration is exactly like human development. When babies are born, they live in great mental darkness, knowing almost nothing, so at that stage general impressions enter their minds first. By degrees, as specifics are introduced into the general ideas, those ideas grow more distinct, and still more distinct when the specifics acquire even greater detail. In this way, the particular sheds light on the general, allowing a person to see not only that such things exist but also of what quality they are. The case is the same with everyone emerging from spiritual trial.
Conditions are similar for those in the other life who, since they had held false notions, go through the process of devastation.
This state is called vacillation and is portrayed here by the waters that receded, going and coming back.
Potts(1905-1910) 848
848. When the temptations are over, there is as it were a fluctuation, and if the temptation was spiritual, it is a fluctuation between what is true and what is false, which may be sufficiently evident from this, that temptation is the beginning of regeneration; and as all regeneration has for its end that man may receive new life, or rather that he may receive life, and from being no man may become man, or from dead be made living, therefore when his former life, which is merely animal, is destroyed by temptations, he cannot but fluctuate between what is true and what is false. Truth is of the new life, falsity of the old; and unless the former life is destroyed, and this fluctuation takes place, it is impossible for any spiritual seed to be sown, because there is no ground. [2] When however the former life is destroyed and such fluctuation results, the man scarcely knows what is true and good, and indeed scarcely whether there is any such thing as truth. Thus, for example, when he reflects about the goods of charity, or, as they are called, good works, and considers whether or no he can do them from himself and have merit in himself, he is in such obscurity and darkness, that when informed that no one can do good from himself or from his Own, and that still less can anyone possess merit, but that all good is from the Lord, and all merit is His alone, he must be lost in wonder. And so it is in all other matters of faith; but still the obscurity and darkness of his mind become sensibly and gradually enlightened. [3] It is with regeneration exactly as with man's birth as an infant. His life is then very obscure; he knows almost nothing, and therefore at first receives only general impressions of things, which by degrees become more distinct as particular ideas are inserted in them, and in these again still more minute particulars. Thus are generals illustrated by particulars, so that the child may learn not only the existence of things, but also their nature and quality. So it is with everyone who emerges out of spiritual temptation; and the state of those in the other life who have been in falsities and are being vastated, is also similar. This state is called Fluctuation, and is here described by "the waters receding, going and returning."
Elliott(1983-1999) 848
848. When temptations have come to an end there is so to speak fluctuation. And if the temptations are spiritual it is fluctuation between truth and falsity, as also becomes quite clear from the fact that temptation is the starting point to regeneration. The purpose of all regeneration therefore is that a person may receive new life, or rather that he may receive life, and from not being a man may become one, that is, from being a dead man may become one who is alive. When therefore his former life, which is purely animal, is destroyed by means of temptations he cannot after temptations do other than fluctuate between truth and falsity. Truth belongs to the new life, falsity to the old. Unless the former life is destroyed and this fluctuation takes place, spiritual seed can never be implanted because there is no ground for it.
[2] Once that former life has been destroyed however, and this kind of fluctuation is taking place, a person knows almost nothing at all of what truth and good are. Indeed he scarcely knows of the existence of any such thing as truth. Take, for example, the situation in which a person considers whether he is able to perform from the proprium any good deeds that stem from charity, that is, good works, as people call them, and whether merit rests in his proprium. He is in that case in such obscurity and darkness that when told that nobody is able to do anything good from himself, that is, from his proprium, still less merit anything, and that all good comes from the Lord and all merit is the Lord's, it must inevitably astonish him. The same applies to all other matters of faith. Nevertheless that obscurity or darkness in which he dwells is slowly and gradually lightened.
[3] Regeneration is exactly like when a person is born as an infant. At this point he is living in the greatest obscurity, knowing virtually nothing. This being so, general ideas of things flow in first, which gradually become more definite as specific ideas are introduced into the general, and further still as yet more detailed ideas are introduced into the specific. Detailed ideas light up the general so that he knows not merely of their existence but also the nature of them. A similar process takes place with everyone emerging from spiritual temptation; and the state is similar in the case of people in the next life who have been under the influence of falsities and who are now being vastated. This state is called fluctuation and is described here as 'the waters receding, going back and forth'.
Latin(1748-1756) 848
848. Peractis tentationibus est quasi fluctuatio; et si tentationes spirituales sunt, est fluctuatio inter verum et falsum, quod etiam inde satis manifeste constare potest, quod tentatio sit principium regenerationis; omnis regeneratio ideo est ut homo novam vitam accipiat, seu potius ut vitam, et fiat homo ex nullo homine, seu vivus homo ex mortuo; quare cum vita ejus prior, quae solum est animalis, per tentationes destruitur, tunc non potest aliter quam post tentationem fluctuare inter verum et falsum; verum est novae vitae, falsum est veteris: nisi destruatur prior vita et tale fit, nequaquam semen spirituale potest inseminari, nam nulla est humus. Cum autem prior vita destructa est, et talis fluctuatio, tunc paene nihil scit quid verum et bonum, usque adeo ut vix sciat dari aliquid verum; sicut pro exemplo, cum cogitat de bonis charitatis, seu ut illa vocant, de bonis operibus, annon ex proprio illa possit facere, et in proprio sit meritum, tunc ita in obscuro et tenebroso est, ut cum dicitur 'ei quod ex semet, seu ex proprio, nemo facere bonum possit, minus aliquid mereri, sed quod omne bonum ex Domino et omne meritum sit Domini, nihil aliud possit quam obstupescere; similiter in omnibus reliquis quae sunt fidei, sed usque obscurum illud seu tenebrosum in quo est, sensim et per gradus illustratur. Regeneratio se prorsus habet, sicut cum homo nascitur infans, tunc in obscurissima vita est, fere nihil novit; quare tunc communia rerum primum influunt, quae per gradus distinctiora fiunt sicut communibus particularia insinuantur, porro particularibus singularia; ita communia a singularibus illustrantur ut sciat non modo quod sint sed etiam qualia sunt: ita se habet cum omni qui emergit ex tentatione spirituali: similis status quoque est eorum in altera vita qui in falsis fuerunt, et vastantur. Hic status vocatur fluctuatio et describitur hic per 'aquas recedentes eundo et redeundo.'