870、“鸽子”表示与要重生的人同住的信之真理和良善，这从圣言中的“鸽子”，尤其落到受洗时的耶稣身上的鸽子的含义清楚可知，如马太福音中所提到的：
耶稣受了洗，随即从水里上来，看哪，天开了，祂就看见神的灵仿佛鸽子降下，落在祂身上。（马太福音3:16；约翰福音1:32；路加福音3:21-22；马可福音1:10-11）
此处“鸽子”只表示信的神圣；“受洗”本身表示重生；因此，这也表示与将要兴起的新教会同住的信之真理和良善，人们通过被主重生接受这真理和良善。
类似事物由在犹太教会被献为祭物和燔祭的雏鸽或斑鸠来代表并体现；如相关经文所提到的（利未记1:14-17；5:7-10，12:6，8，14:21，22，15:14，29，30；民数记6:10，11；路加福音2:22-24），这一点从刚才所提到的这几处经文明显看出来。仅从以下事实谁都能理解，它们具有这种含义，即：它们必代表某种事物。否则，它们将毫无意义，也毫无神性可言，因为教会的外在之物是没有生命的，而是靠内在之物存活，而这内在之物靠主存活。
“鸽子”一般表示信的理解力的概念（intellectualconcepts），这一点也明显可见于先知书，如何西阿书：
以法莲好像一只愚蠢无心的鸽子；他们求告埃及，投奔亚述。（何西阿书7:11）
论及以法莲：
他们必如鸟儿从埃及战兢而来，又如鸽子从亚述的陆地来到。（何西阿书11:11）
此处“以法莲”表示一个有聪明的人，“埃及”表示一个有知识的人，“亚述”表示一个理性的人，“鸽子”表示属于信的理解力的概念之物；此处论述的主题也是属灵教会的重生。诗篇：
耶和华啊，不要将你斑鸠的灵魂交给野兽。（诗篇74:19）
“野兽”表示没有仁爱的人；“斑鸠的灵魂”表示信之生命。可参看前面关于鸟的阐述和说明（40，776，777，778节），即：鸟表示理解力的事物。温驯、无害、美丽、洁净和有用的鸟尤表理解力中真理和良善的观念；而凶猛、有害、丑陋、不洁和无用的鸟，如此处与鸽子对立的乌鸦，表示对立面，即虚假。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]870. The symbolism of a dove or pigeon as the truth and goodness of faith in one who is being reborn can be seen from the symbolism of a dove in the Word — especially the one that settled on Jesus when he was baptized, as told in Matthew:
After he was baptized, Jesus went up immediately out of the water, and here, the heavens opened! And he saw God's spirit coming down like a dove and lighting on him. (Matthew 3:16-17; told also in John 1:32; Luke 3:21-22; Mark 1:10-11)
The dove simply symbolizes the holy quality of faith, while baptism itself symbolizes rebirth. So in relation to the new church that was to arise, it symbolizes faith's truth and goodness, which the people of that church receive through the Lord's regeneration of them.
[2] The use of pigeon chicks and turtledoves as sacrifices and burnt offerings in the Jewish religion represented and involved similar things. This can be seen in the individual passages that speak of those offerings: Leviticus 1:14-end; 5:7-10; 12:6; 14:21-22; 15:14-15, 29-30; Numbers 6:10-11; Luke 2:22-23, 24. Anyone can grasp that they symbolized such things, for the simple reason that they had to have represented something. If not, the gesture would be hollow rather than divine in any way. The church's outward motions are lifeless; all their life comes from within, and what is within comes from the Lord.
[3] A dove's general symbolism as the use of the intellect for religion can also be seen in the prophets, as in Hosea:
Ephraim will be like a simpleminded pigeon: no heart. They called Egypt; they left for Assyria. (Hosea 7:11)
In the same author:
Ephraim will quake like fowl from Egypt and a dove from the land of Assyria. (Hosea 11:11)
In these verses, Ephraim stands for a person endowed with understanding, Egypt for a knowledgeable person, Assyria for a logical one, and the dove or pigeon for everything having to do with the intellectual side of religion. The passages are about the spiritual church's rebirth. In David:
Jehovah, do not hand the turtledove's soul over to the wild animal. (Psalms 74:19)
The wild animal stands for those who have no love for their neighbor; the soul of a turtledove, for a life of faith.
See the remarks and evidence above at 40, 776, [777, 778] in respect to birds, showing that they symbolize matters of understanding. Tame, pretty, clean, and useful birds symbolize ideas in the intellect that are true and good, while rapacious, ugly, unclean, and useless ones symbolize the opposite — that is, ideas that are false — as does the raven, here set opposite the dove.
Potts(1905-1910) 870
870. That by a "dove" are signified the truths and goods of faith with him who is to be regenerated, is evident from the signification of a "dove" in the Word, especially the dove which came upon Jesus when He was baptized, of which we read in Matthew:
Jesus when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water, and lo the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and coming upon Him (Matt. 3:16; also John 1:32; Luke 3:21-22; Mark 1:10-11). Here the "dove" signified nothing else than the holy of faith; and the "baptism" itself, regeneration; so that there was signified, in the new church which was to arise, the truth and good of faith which is received by regeneration from the Lord. Similar things were represented and involved by the young pigeons or turtledoves that were offered for sacrifice and burnt offering in the Jewish Church, of which we read in Leviticus (Lev. 1:14-17; 5:7-10, 12:6, 8, 14:21, 22, 15:14, 29, 30; Num. 6:10, 11; Luke 2:22-24), as is evident from the several passages. That they had such a signification everyone may comprehend from the sole consideration that they must needs represent something; for otherwise they would have no meaning and would be in no respect Divine, for what is external of the church is an inanimate affair, but lives from what is internal, and this from the Lord. [2] That a "dove" in general signifies the intellectual things of faith, is also evident in the Prophets, as in Hosea:
Ephraim will be like a silly dove, without heart; they called Egypt, they went unto Assyria (Hos. 7:11). And again, concerning Ephraim:
They shall be afraid, as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria (Hos. 11:11). Here "Ephraim" denotes one who is intelligent, "Egypt" one who has knowledge, "Assyria" one who is rational, a "dove" what is of the intellectual things of faith; and here also the subject is the regeneration of the spiritual church. Again in David:
O Jehovah, deliver not the soul of Thy turtledove unto the wild beast (Ps. 74:19);where "wild beast" denotes those who are of no charity; the "soul of the "turtle dove" the life of faith. See also what has been said and shown before about birds, that they signify intellectual things: gentle, beautiful, clean, and useful birds, intellectual truths and goods; but fierce, ugly, unclean, and useless birds, the opposite, or falsities, such as the raven, which is here opposed to the dove.
Elliott(1983-1999) 870
870. That 'a dove' means the truths and goods of faith residing with a person who is to be regenerated is clear from the meaning of 'a dove' in the Word, especially from the dove that alighted on Jesus when He was baptized, as mentioned in Matthew,
When Jesus was baptized He went up immediately out of the water, and behold, the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Himself. Matt 3:16, 17; and in John 1:32, Luke 3:21, 22; Mark 1:10, 11.
Here 'a dove' meant nothing else than the holiness of faith, and the 'baptism' itself meant regeneration. It also meant therefore the truth and good of faith residing with the new Church that was to arise, which truth and good people receive through being regenerated by the Lord.
[2] Similar things were represented and embodied in the young doves or the turtle doves - mentioned in Lev 1:14-end; 5:7-10; 12:6; 14:21, 22; 15:14, 15, 29, 30; Num 6:10, 11; Luke 2:22-24 - which they used to offer as sacrifices and as burnt offerings in the Jewish Church, as becomes clear from each of the references just given. Anyone may grasp that they had such a meaning merely from the fact that they could not have been anything else than things of a representative nature. Otherwise they would be pointless, and in no sense Divine, for the external side of the Church is lifeless, but is made alive by the internal, as is the internal by the Lord.
[3] That 'a dove' in general means the intellectual concepts of faith is also clear in the Prophets, as in Hosea,
Ephraim will be like a stupid dove with no heart; they called Egypt, they went away to Assyria. Hosea 7:11.
In the same prophet, speaking of Ephraim,
They will tremble like a bird out of Egypt and a dove from the land of Assyria. Hosea 11:11.
Here 'Ephraim' stands for one who has intelligence, 'Egypt' for him who has knowledge, 'Assyria' for him who is rational, and 'a dove' stands for what belongs to the intellectual concepts of faith, the subject there being the regeneration of the spiritual Church. In David,
O Jehovah, deliver not the soul of [Your] turtle dove to the wild animal. Ps 74:19.
'Wild animal' stands for people without any charity, 'the soul of a turtle dove' for the life of faith. See what has been stated and shown already in 40, 776, about birds meaning intellectual things. Harmless, beautiful, clean, and useful birds in particular mean intellectual truths and goods; but harmful, ugly, unclean, and useless ones, such as the raven, which is here used as the opposite of the dove, mean their opposites, namely falsities.
Latin(1748-1756) 870
870. Quod per 'columbam' significentur vera et bona fidei apud regenerandum, constat a significatione 'columbae' in Verbo; imprimis a columba quae venit super Jesum cum baptizaretur, de qua apud Matthaeum, Baptizatus Jesus ascendit statim ex aqua, et ecce aperti sunt caeli, viditque spiritum Dei descendentem sicut columbam et venientem super Ipsum, iii 16, 17; et apud Joh. i 32; Luc. iii 21, 22; Marc. 1 10, 11;ubi 'columba' non aliud significavit quam sanctum fidei, ipse 'baptismus' regenerationem: inde, apud Ecclesiam novam quae exsurgeret verum et bonum fidei, quod accipiunt per regenerationem a Domino. Similia repraesentabant et involvebant 'pulli columbarum' aut 'turtures' quos in sacrificium et in holocaustum offerebant in Ecclesia Judaica; de quibus Lev. i 14 ad f.; v, 7-10; xii 6; xiv 21, 22; xv [14], 15, 29, 30; Num. vi 10, 11; Luc. ii 22 (x)24; quod constare potest a singulis illis locis; quod talia significaverint, unusquisque comprehendere potest solummodo ex eo quod non potuissent quin aliquid repraesentarent; si nihil, foret inane quid et nusquam aliquid Divinum; externum Ecclesiae est quoddam inanimatum, sed vivit ab interno, et internum a Domino. [3] Quod 'columba' in genere intellectualia fidei significet, etiam constat apud Prophetas, ut apud Hosheam, Erit Ephraim sicut columba stolida, non cor, Aegyptum vocarunt, Assyriam abiverunt, vii 11:
apud eundem, Ephraim, pavebunt sicut volucris ex Aegypto, et columba e terra Assyriae, xi 11;
ubi 'Ephraim' pro intelligente, 'Aegyptus' pro sciente, 'Assyria' pro rationali, 'columba' pro illis quae sunt intellectualium fidei, ubi etiam de regeneratione Ecclesiae spiritualis agitur: apud Davidem, Jehovah, ne des ferae animam turturis, Ps. (x)lxxiv 19; 'fera' pro illis qui sunt nullius charitatis, 'anima turturis' pro vita fidei. Videantur quae prius n. 40, 776, de avibus dicta et ostensa sunt, quod nempe significent intellectualia, et quidem quod aves mites, pulchrae, mundae, et utiles, intellectualia vera et bona; at immites, deformes, immundae et inutiles, opposita, nempe falsa, ut 'corvus,' qui hic opponitur 'columbae.'