857、“水渐消”表示虚假开始被驱散，这从这句话本身和前面的说明（8:3）清楚可知，前面说“水来回渐退”，而此处说“水渐消”。后者和前者都表示真理与虚假之间的摇摆，只是此处这些摇摆正在减少。如前所述（849节），在试探之后的摇摆期间，人不知道何为真理；但随着摇摆逐渐停止，真理之光出现。其原因在于，只要人处于这种状态，内在人就无法作用于外在人，也就是说，主无法通过内在人作用于外在人。内在人含有前面所描述（561，661:2节）的余剩，余剩是源于它的对良善与真理的情感；而外在人含有恶欲和源于它们的思维。只要这些外在事物没有被征服和消灭，道路就不会从内在人，也就是经由内在人从主向良善与真理打开。
因此，试探的另一个目的是，人的外在可以被征服，从而顺从内在。谁都能从以下事实清楚看到这一点：一旦人的爱受到攻击和破碎，如在他遭遇不幸、疾病和精神疾病期间，他的恶欲就开始消退；随着它们消退，他也开始谈论更虔诚的事。可一旦他回到以前的状态，外在人会再次掌权，他几乎不思想这些事了。类似情形发生在肉体事物开始消亡时死亡的最后时刻。谁都能由此看出何为内在人、外在人，何为余剩，以及属于外在人的欲望和享乐如何阻碍主藉由内在人的运作。谁也能由此明显看出试探，也就是被称为良心刺痛的内在痛苦所产生的效果，即：外在人可以顺从内在人。外在人的顺从仅仅是这样：对良善和真理的情感不再被恶欲和源于它们的虚假所阻碍、抵制和扼杀。恶欲和虚假的消退在此被描述为“水渐消”。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]857. The meaning of the waters were going and disappearing as the fact that falsity began to be dispersed can be seen from the words themselves. It can also be seen from the remarks just above explaining verse 3, which says that the waters receded, going and coming back, where the present verse says that the waters were going and disappearing. Both phrases symbolize vacillation between truth and falsity, but the meaning here is that such vacillation lessened.
To waver after a period of trial, as I said [849], is not to know what is true; but as the wavering gradually ends, the light of truth appears. The reason for the darkness is that as long as we are at this stage, our inner self — that is, the Lord working through our inner self — cannot act on the outer self. The inner self holds the remnant described earlier [561, 661:2], which is a desire for goodness and for the truth it leads to. The outer self contains cravings and the falsity they lead to. Until these outer attributes are overcome and eliminated, no channel lies open for goodness and truth coming from the inner self, that is, from the Lord through the inner self.
[2] An additional purpose of our trials, then, is to subdue our external qualities and make them obedient to inner qualities. Anyone can see this by considering that as soon as our interests are attacked and crushed, the way they are by misfortune, sickness, and mental illness, our cravings start to shut down. As they shut down, we start talking devoutly. But the minute we return to our previous condition, the outer self takes over and we barely think about religious subjects. Something similar happens in the last hour of death, when our bodily drives begin to die away.
From this everyone can see what the inner self and outer self are, what the remnant is, and how the cravings and sensual pleasures of the outer self block the Lord from operating through the inner being. By the same token it is easy to see what else is accomplished by our struggles or inward pangs, called the gnawings of conscience: subordination of the outer self to the inner. Obedience in the outer self is simply a state in which cravings and consequent falsities do not obstruct, resist, or smother the desire for goodness and truth. An end to perverse longings and misguided thinking is what the going and disappearing of the waters depicts here.
Potts(1905-1910) 857
857. And the waters were going and failing. That this signifies that falsities began to disappear, is evident from the words themselves, as well as from what was shown above (verse 3), where it is said that "the waters receded, going and returning." Here however it is said that "the waters were going and failing" and by this, as by the former phrase, are signified fluctuations between what is true and what is false, but here that these fluctuations were decreasing. The case with fluctuations after temptation (as before said) is that the man does not know what truth is, but that as by degrees the fluctuations cease, so the light of truth appears. The reason of this is that so long as the man is in such a state, the internal man, that is, the Lord through the internal man, cannot operate upon the external. In the internal man are remains, which are affections of what is good and true, as before described; in the external are cupidities and their derivative falsities; and so long as these latter are not subdued and extinguished, the way is not open for goods and truths from the internal, that is, through the internal from the Lord. [2] Temptations, therefore, have for their end that the externals of man may be subdued and thus be rendered obedient to his internals, as may be evident to everyone from the fact that as soon as man's loves are assaulted and broken (as during misfortunes, sickness, and grief of mind), his cupidities begin to subside, and he at the same time begins to talk piously; but as soon as he returns to his former state, the external man prevails and he scarcely thinks of such things. The like happens at the hour of death, when corporeal things begin to be extinguished; and hence everyone may see what the internal man is, and what the external; and also what remains are, and how cupidities and pleasures, which are of the external man, hinder the Lord's operation through the internal man. From this it is also plain to everyone what temptations, or the internal pains called the stings of conscience, effect, namely, that the external man is made obedient to the internal. The obedience of the external man is nothing else than this: that the affections of what is good and true are not hindered, resisted, and suffocated by cupidities and their derivative falsities. The ceasing of the cupidities and falsities is here described by "the waters which were going and failing."
Elliott(1983-1999) 857
857. That 'the waters were going down and abating' means that falsities started to be dispersed is clear from the actual words themselves and from what has been stated just above, at verse 3, where it is said that 'the waters receded, going back and forth', whereas in this verse it is said that 'the waters were going down and abating'. The latter as well as the former means fluctuations between truth and falsity, though the present statement means that those fluctuations were becoming less pronounced. As has been stated, during the fluctuations that follow temptation a person does not know what truth is, but as the movements gradually come to an end so the light of truth appears. The reason for this is that as long as a person's state is such, the internal man cannot function, that is, the Lord cannot function by way of the internal into the external. The internal contains remnants, which are affections for good and for truth deriving from it, which have been dealt with already. The external contains evil desires, and falsities deriving from these. As long as these external things have not been subdued and done away with, no road is open for goods and truths to pass from the internal, that is, from the Lord by way of the internal.
[2] A further purpose of temptations therefore is that the external side of a person may be subdued and so made subservient to the internal. This may become clear to anyone from the fact that as soon as a person's loves are assaulted and crushed, as they are in times of misfortune, sickness, and mental illness, his evil desires start to subside. And as they subside he begins to talk of more devout things. But as soon as he goes back to his previous state, his external man takes control again and he gives scarcely any thought to such matters. It is similar in the final hour of death when bodily things start to fade. From these considerations anyone may see what the internal man is and what the external man, also what remnants are, and how too the desires and pleasures that belong to the external man hinder the Lord's functioning by way of the internal man. From this also anyone may discern what temptations, that is, the inward pains termed the pricks of conscience, accomplish; they take place so that the external man may become subservient to the internal. The external man is made subservient solely to ensure that affections for good and truth are not hindered, halted, and stifled by evil desires and by falsities deriving from them. The subsidence of evil desires and falsities is here described by 'the waters going down and abating'.
Latin(1748-1756) 857
857. Quod 'aquae essent eundo et deficiendo' significet quod falsa inciperent disparari, constat ex ipsis verbis et ex illis quae mox prius vers. 3 dicta, ubi dicitur quod 'aquae recesserint eundo et redeundo,' hic autem quod 'aquae essent eundo et deficiendo'; per haec sicut per illa significantur fluctuationes inter verum et falsum, sed hic quod fluctuationes istae diminuerentur. Se habent fluctuationes post tentationem, ut dictum, quod non sciat homo quid verum; sed ut per gradus cessant, ita lux veritatis apparet; causa inde est quo quamdiu homo est in tali statu, non operari possit internus homo, hoc est, Dominus per internum, in externum; in interno sunt 'reliquiae quae sunt affectiones boni et inde veri, de quibus prius; in externo sunt cupiditates et inde falsitates; quamdiu externa haec non domata et exstincta sunt, non patet via bonis et veris ab interno, hoc est, per internum a Domino: tentationes ideo quoque sunt ut externa hominis domentur et sic obsequiosa reddantur internis; quod cuivis constare potest ex eo ut primum impugnantur et franguntur hominis amores ut in infortuniis, morbis, aegritudinibus animi, tunc cessare incipiunt ejus cupiditates, quibus cessantibus incipit pia loqui; ut primum autem redit ad pristinum statum, dominatur externus homo et vix cogitat de illis; similiter in ultima mortis hora, cum corporea exstingui incipiunt: ex quibus quisque videre potest quid internus homo, et quid externus, tum quid reliquiae, ut et quomodo cupiditates et voluptates quae sunt externi hominis, impediunt quin Dominus per internum hominem operari possit: inde quoque cuivis patet quid etiam tentationes, seu dolores interni qui vocantur morsus conscientiae, efficiunt; ut nempe externus homo obsequia praestet interno; obsequium hominis externi nihil aliud est quam quod affectiones boni et veri non impediantur, resistantur et suffocentur a cupiditatibus et inde falsitatibus; cessationes cupiditatum et falsitatum hic describuntur per 'aquas quae sunt eundo et deficiendo.'