8981.“他主人若给他一个女人”表在争战期间，被属灵层附于真理的良善。这从“主人”和“给他一个女人”的含义清楚可知。“主人”在此是指属灵层，因为“主人”在此是指以色列人中的某个人，而“以色列人”表示那些系真正的属灵教会成员，也就是出于爱与情感，或也可说，出于仁爱行善的人（关于“以色列人”表示属灵教会成员，可参看6426，6862，6868，7035，7062，7198，7201，7215，7223，7957，8234，8805节；因此，“以色列人”在抽象意义上表示属灵的真理和良善，参看5414，5801，5803，5806，5812，5817，5819，5833，5879节）；正因如此，这里的“主人”表示属灵层。“给他一个女人”是指将良善附于真理；因为“给”当论及一个女人时，表示附于……；“奴仆”是指充满教义真理，却未充满相应良善的人（8974节）；而“女人”是指快乐（8980节），但在此是指良善，因为这良善被属灵层给予或附于那真理。来自属灵层的一切都称为“良善”，因为属灵层本身就是仁之良善（“女人”表示良善，参看915，2517，4823，6014，8337节）。它之所以表示在争战期间，是因为经上说，他主人若给他一个女人，那么在他服事结束的时候，这个女人要归主人。由此明显可知，在奴仆服事期间，这个女人是这个奴仆的，但服事结束后不是；因而在争战期间是，在争战之后不是；因为六年的服事表示劳苦和争战（8975节）。
谁看不出这个条例含有一个奥秘？没有人能知道这个奥秘，除非它被揭示出来。因为就外在形式而言，这种事似乎违背神的公义，即：当一个奴仆不再服事时，给他的这个女人要留给主人，然而一个女人应该永远归她的男人或丈夫。耶和华吩咐给以色列人的许多其它事，和这些事一样，似乎也是不公，如：他们向埃及人索要金银器皿，由此掠夺他们，此外还有在其各自地方所论述的其它类似性质的行为。但尽管就外在形式而言，这些规定似乎违背神的公义，如前所述，但事实上并非如此；因为它们是从天上的神性秩序律法那里产生的，这些律法是完美的公义律法本身。不过，这些律法是看不见，除非它们凭内义从字义中脱离出来。这条律例从中产生的律法是这样的：属灵良善无法与那些从小就局限于教会的外在事物之人联结，只能在他们经历争战期间被附在他们身上，而争战之后它就退去了。
为了把整个事情弄清楚（因为它是一个奥秘），必须对它作一个简要的解释。有些人从小就很少思想永生，也很少思想灵魂的救赎或福祉，只思想世俗的生活及其富足，然而仍过着一种良善的道德生活，也相信其教会教义的真理。他们成年后，只能通过争战期间属灵良善的依附而得以改造。然而，他们不能保留这良善，只能利用它来确认或强化其教义的真理。他们之所以具有这种品性，是因为在过去的生活中，这些人沉溺于各种世俗的爱；当这些爱深深扎根下来时，它们不允许属灵良善与真理结合，因为这些爱与这种良善完全格格不入。然而，当这些爱消退时，如当他们陷入焦虑、不幸、病患等时的情形，属灵良善就能占据这些人的思维。这时，对出于仁爱行善的一种情感就会进入，但这种情感只用来确认或强化教义真理，使它们更深地扎下根来。然而，它无法与真理结合。原因在于，所进入的这种仁爱的情感只充满心智的理解力部分，没有进入它的意愿部分，凡不进入意愿部分的，都不会被真理采纳，因而与它结合。因为当真理进入意愿时，因而当此人意愿真理，并出于意愿实行真理时，与人同在的良善与真理就实现结合。这时，真理第一次变成良善，或也可说，信第一次变成仁。
这一切在那些从小就沉溺于各种世俗的爱，然而却充满其教会的教义真理之人身上是不可能发生的。因为他们心智的意愿部分被这些爱占据，而这些爱完全是属灵良善的对立面，并且排斥这良善。当这些爱休眠时，如在前面所说的病患、不幸，或焦虑的状态下，因而在劳苦和某种争战期间所发生的情形，它们只允许它进入其心智的理解力部分，也就是进入他们的思维。这是藏在这条律例中的奥秘；由于这条律例因此是关于那些充满教义真理，却未充满相应良善之人的神性秩序的律法的代表，所以在代表性教会，它符合神的公义，甚至在外在形式上也符合。
Potts(1905-1910) 8981
8981. If his master shall give him a woman. That this signifies good from the spiritual adjoined to truth while in combat, is evident from the signification of "master," as here being the spiritual; for by "master" is here meant someone of the sons of Israel, and by the "sons of Israel" are signified those who are true men of the spiritual church, that is, who do what is good from the affection which is of love, or what is the same, from charity. (That "the sons of Israel" denote the men of the spiritual church, see n. 6426, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223, 7957, 8234, 8805; consequently by the same in the abstract sense are signified spiritual truths and goods, n. 5414, 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5833, 5879.) From this it is that by "master" is here signified the spiritual. And from the signification of "giving him a woman," as being to adjoin good to truth; for "to give," when said of a woman, denotes to adjoin, and "a manservant" denotes one who is in the truth of doctrine and not in the corresponding good (n. 8974); and "a woman" denotes delight (n. 8980), but here good, because it is given (that is, adjoined) from the spiritual; for all that which comes from the spiritual is called "good," because the spiritual itself is the good of charity (that "a woman" denotes good, see n. 915, 2517, 4823, 6014, 8337). The reason why it denotes in combat, is that it is said that if his master have given him a woman, at the end of his service the woman should be the master's. From this it is evident that the woman was the manservant's while he was in service, and not afterward; thus while in combat, and not after combat; for by the service of six years is signified labor and combat (n. 8975). [2] Who cannot see that in this statute there is a secret which cannot be known except by him to whom it has been revealed? For in the external form it appears contrary to Divine justice that a woman given to a manservant should remain the master's when the servant went out from service, seeing that a woman ought to be her man's forever. Of the same character are also many other things that were commanded the sons of Israel by Jehovah, as that they should ask of the Egyptians vessels of gold and of silver, and garments, and thus should spoil them; besides other things of a similar nature spoken of in their places. But although, as has been said, in the outward form these things appear contrary to Divine justice, they nevertheless are not so, for they flow from the laws of Divine order in the heavens, which laws are the very laws themselves of justice; but these laws are not clear unless they are unfolded from the sense of the letter by means of the internal sense. The law from which this statute flows is that spiritual good cannot be conjoined with those who are in the externals of the church from infancy, but can only be adjoined to them so long as they are in combat, and that after combat it recedes. [3] That it may be clear how the case herein is (for it is a secret), it shall be briefly explained. They who from infancy have thought little about eternal life, thus about the salvation of their soul, but only of worldly life and its prosperity, and yet have lived a good moral life, and have also believed in the truths of the doctrine of their church, when they come to more adult age, cannot be reformed otherwise than by the adjoining of spiritual good when they are in combat; but still they do not retain this good, but only confirm the truths of their doctrine by means of it. The reason why they are of this character is that in their past life they have indulged worldly loves; and when these loves have been rooted in, they do not suffer spiritual good to be conjoined with truth, because these loves are altogether repugnant to that good. Nevertheless spiritual good can take possession of the thought when these loves become inactive, as is the case when they are in anxiety, in misfortunes, and in sicknesses, and the like. Then the affection of well-doing from charity flows in, but this affection serves only for confirming and rooting in more deeply the truths of doctrine; but it cannot be conjoined with truth. The reason is that this influent affection of charity fills only the intellectual part of the mind, but does not enter into its will part, and that which does not enter into the will part is not appropriated, thus is not conjoined, because the conjunction of good and truth with man is effected when truth enters the will; consequently when the man wills truth, and from willing does it. Then for the first time truth becomes good, or what is the same, faith becomes charity. [4] This cannot be effected with those who from infancy have indulged the loves of the world, and yet are in the truth of the doctrine of their church; for their will part is possessed by these loves, which are wholly in opposition to and reject spiritual good. They merely admit this into the intellectual part of the mind, that is, into the thought, when these loves are dormant, which is the case, as said above, in a state of sickness or of misfortune, or in anxiety, consequently in labor, and in some combat. This is the secret which lies hidden in this statute. And as this statute was thus representative of the law of Divine order with respect to those who are in the truth of doctrine and not in the corresponding good, therefore in the representative church it was in agreement with Divine justice, even in the external form.
Elliott(1983-1999) 8981
8981. 'If his master has given him a woman' means good attached by the spiritual to truth during conflict. This is clear from the meaning of 'master' here as the spiritual, for 'master' in this instance is used to refer to one who is a member of the children of Israel, and by 'the children of Israel' those who are true members of the spiritual Church are meant, that is, who do good from love and affection, or what amounts to the same thing, from charity (regarding 'the children of Israel', that they are members of the spiritual Church, see 6426, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223, 7957, 8234, 8805, which being so, they mean in the abstract sense spiritual truths and forms of good, 5414, 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833, 5879), so that 'master' here means the spiritual; and from the meaning of 'giving him a woman' as attaching good to truth, for 'giving', when said in regard to a woman, means attaching. And 'the slave' is someone who is imbued with the truth of religious teachings and not with complementary good, 8974, while 'the woman' is delight, 8980, but at this point good, because this is given or attached to that truth by the spiritual. Everything is called good that comes from the spiritual, since the spiritual itself is the good of charity. For the meaning of 'woman' as good, see 915, 2517, 4823, 6014, 8337. During conflict is meant because it says that if his master had given him a woman she was to be the master's after the servitude. From this it is evident that the woman was the slave's during servitude but not after it thus during conflict but not after conflict; for servitude lasting six years means labour and conflict, 8975.
[2] Is there anyone who cannot see that this regulation holds an arcanum which no one can know unless it is disclosed to him? For in its outward form it appears contrary to God's justice, that when a slave goes out of servitude the woman who has been given to him should remain the master's, when yet a woman should be her husband's forever. There are many other apparent injustices like these which Jehovah commanded the children of Israel, such as that they were to ask from the Egyptians vessels of gold and silver, and clothes, and in so doing were to plunder them, besides other similar actions, dealt with in their individual places. But although those regulations in their outward form appear, as has been stated, contrary to God's justice, they are not really so; for they rise out of the laws of Divine order in heaven, and these are perfect laws of justice. But those laws cannot be seen unless the internal sense is used to disengage them from the sense of the letter. The law that this regulation rises out of is this: Spiritual good cannot be joined to those who are confined since early childhood to the external things of the Church; it can only be linked to them for as long as they undergo conflict, after which it departs.
[3] To bring this whole matter out into the open, for it is an arcanum, it must be discussed briefly. There are people who - although they have from early childhood thought little about eternal life, and so about the welfare of their soul, and have thought instead about worldly life and its prosperity - have nevertheless led a morally good life and have also believed the truths taught by their Church. When they reach maturer age there is no other way in which they can be reformed than by the linking of spiritual good during conflict. They do not however retain that good but merely use it to strengthen the truths they have been taught. The reason for this is that in their life before then such people have surrendered themselves to worldly kinds of love, and when these have become deeply rooted they do not allow spiritual good to be joined to truth; for those kinds of love are totally repugnant to this good. Nevertheless spiritual good can take hold in those people's thinking when those kinds of love subside, as happens during anxiety, misfortunes, or sicknesses, and the like. At this time an affection to do good from charity enters in; but that affection merely serves to strengthen and root more deeply the truths they have been taught. It cannot however be joined to truth. The reason why is that this charitable affection entering in fills only the understanding part of the mind. It does not pass into the will part of it, and what does not pass into the will is not adopted by or accordingly joined to truth For goodness and truth with a person come to be joined together when truth passes into the will, consequently when the person wills it and because he wills it does it. Then, for the first time, truth becomes good, or what amounts to the same thing, faith becomes charity.
[4] This cannot come about with those who have from early childhood surrendered themselves to worldly kinds of love and yet have been imbued with truth taught by their Church. For the will part of their mind is occupied by such love, which is the complete opposite of spiritual good and repels it They allow it into solely the understanding part of their mind, that is, into their thought, when those kinds of love have become dormant, which happens, as stated above, during a state of sickness or misfortune, or during anxiety, consequently during labour and some conflict. This is the arcanum that lies concealed within this regulation; and since the regulation was for that reason representative of the law of Divine order regarding those imbued with the truth of religious teachings and not with the complementary good, in the representative Church it was in keeping with God's justice, even in its outward form.
Latin(1748-1756) 8981
8981. `Si dominus ejus dederit ei mulierem': quod significet a spirituali adjunctum bonum vero cum in pugna, constat ex significatione `domini' quod hic (x)sit' spirituale, per `dominum' enim hic intelligitur aliquis ex filiis Israelis, et per `filios Israelis' significantur illi qui veri spiritualis Ecclesiae homines sunt, hoc est, qui ex affectione quae amoris, seu quod idem, qui ex charitate faciunt bonum; quod `filii Israelis' sint spiritualis Ecclesiae homines, videatur n. (x)6426, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, (x)7198, 7201, 7215, 7223, 7957, 8234, 8805; proinde per eosdem in sensu abstracto significantur vera et bona spiritualia, n. 5414, 5801, 5803, (x)5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833, 5879; inde est quod per `dominum' hic significetur spirituale; et ex significatione `dare ei mulierem' quod sit adjungere vero bonum, nam `dare' cum dicitur de muliere, est adjungere, et `servus' est qui in vero doctrinae et non in bono correspondente, n. 8974, et `mulier' est jucundum, n. 8980, hic autem bonum, quia est datum, hoc est, adjunctum, a spirituali, omne enim id dicitur bonum, quod venit a spirituali, quoniam ipsum spirituale est bonum charitatis; quod `mulier' sit bonum, videatur n. 915, 2517, 4823, 6014, (x)8337; quod sit cum in pugna, est quia dicitur si dominus ejus dederit ei mulierem, quod post servitium mulier esset domini; inde patet quod mulier esset servi cum in servitio et non postea, ita cum in pugna, et non post pugnam, nam per `servitium sex annorum' significatur labor et pugna, n. 8975. 2 Quis non videre potest quod in hoc statuto sit arcanum quod non notum esse potest quam cui revelatum est? apparet enim in externa forma sicut contra justitiam Divinam quod mulier data servo remaneret domini cum ille ex servitio exiret, cum tamen mulier erit viri sui in perpetuum; talia sunt plura alia quae a Jehovah mandata sunt filiis Israelis, sicut quod illi peterent ab Aegyptiis vasa auri et argenti, ac vestes, et sic depraedarentur illos, praeter alia similia, de quibus in suis locis; sed illa, tametsi in externa forma, ut dictum, apparent contra justitiam (x)Divinam usque tamen non ita sunt, fluunt enim ex legibus ordinis Divini in caelis, quae leges sunt ipsissimae leges justitiae; sed leges illae non patent nisi evolvantur e sensu litterae per sensum internum. Lex ex qua fluit hoc statutum est quod illis qui in externis Ecclesiae sunt ab infantia, non conjungi possit bonum spirituale, sed solum adjungi quamdiu sunt in pugna, et quod post pugnam recedat; ut pateat quomodo cum hoc se habet, 3 est enim arcanum, paucis dicetur: qui ab infantia parum cogitarunt de vita aeterna, ita de salute animae suae, sed de vita mundana et de ejus prosperitate, {1}(m)et usque vixerunt vitam moralem bonam, et quoque crediderunt veris doctrinae Ecclesiae suae,(n) illi cum ad aetatem adultiorem veniunt, non possunt reformari aliter quam per adjunctionem boni spiritualis cum in pugna sunt, {2}sed bonum illud usque non retinent sed modo per illud confirmant {3}suae doctrinae vera; causa quod tales sint, est quia in vita anteacta indulserunt amoribus mundanis, qui cum irradicati sunt, non (x)sinunt ut vero conjungatur bonum spirituale, nam illi amores huic bono prorsus repugnant; sed usque potest bonum spirituale occupare cogitationem quando cessant amores illi, ut fit cum in anxietate sunt, in infortuniis, inque morbis, et similibus; tunc influit affectio benefaciendi {4} ex charitate, sed ea affectio inservit modo pro confirmandis et altius irradicandis veris doctrinae, {5}ea autem non potest conjungi vero; causa est quia affectio illa charitatis influens {6}implet modo mentis intellectuale sed non intrat in voluntarium ejus, et quod non intrat in voluntarium, hoc non appropriatur, ita non conjungitur, nam conjunctio {7}boni et veri apud hominem fit cum verum intrat voluntatem, proinde cum homo vult illud et ex velle facit illud, tunc primum verum fit bonum, seu quod idem, fides fit charitas; 4 hoc non fieri potest apud illos qui ab infantia indulserunt amoribus mundi et tamen in vero doctrinae Ecclesiae suae sunt, nam voluntarium eorum est possessum ab amoribus illis, qui amores prorsus in opposito sunt et rejiciunt bonum spirituale; admittunt id (x)solum in mentis intellectuale, hoc est, in cogitationem, quando illi amores sopiti sunt, quod {8}fit, ut dictum supra, in statu morbi, aut {9}infortunii, aut in anxietate, proinde in labore (c)ac in aliqua pugna. Hoc arcanum est quod in hoc statuto latet reconditum; et quia hoc statutum sic fuit repraesentativum legis ordinis Divini de illis qui m vero doctrinae sunt et non in bono correspondente, idcirco in Ecclesia repraesentativa conveniens justitiae Divinae fuit, etiam in forma externa. @1 marked for insertion after animae suae$ @2 quod bonum$ @3 sua$ @4 i quasi$ @5 non autem conjungi potest$ @6 modo implet cogitationem hoc est$ @7 veri et boni$ @8 sit$ @9 in alicujus infortunio$