9003.“不可减少那女子的饮食、衣服并好合的事”表不剥夺“饮食”所表示的内在生命，也不剥夺“衣服”所表示的外在生命，因而不剥夺“好合的事”所表示的结合。这从“饮食”、“衣服”、“好合的事”和“不可减少”的含义清楚可知：“饮食”是指内在生命的维持，因为就灵义而言，“饮食”，无论固体的还是液体的，都是指关于良善和真理的认知或知识，固定食物是指关于良善的认知或知识（5147节），“喝的”是指关于真理的认知或知识（3168，3772节），所以“饮食”是指滋养人的属灵生命的事物n （5293，5576，5579，5915，8562节）；“衣服”是指外在生命的维持，因为就灵义而言，“衣服”或服装是指低级的记忆知识，因为这些记忆知识就是那维持人的外在生命的（5248，6918节）；“好合的事”是指结合；“不可减少”是指不可剥夺。
此处的情况是这样：与属灵真理结合的属世情感由“许配给儿子的婢女”来表示，这种情感需要不断从与它结合的属灵真理那里维持生命；因为情感若不从那里得以维持，就会灭亡。人之情感的情况和这个人自己一模一样；他若不靠食物支撑，就会死亡。此外，就内层而言，人无非是情感，良善的人是对良善，因而对真理的情感；而邪恶的人则是对邪恶，因而对虚假的情感。这一点从成为一个灵人时的一个人看得尤其明显；因为那时从他涌出的生命气场要么是一种对良善的情感的气场，要么是一种对邪恶的情感的气场。现在他不再靠属世的饮食，而是靠属灵的饮食来滋养或维持；属灵的饮食对一个恶灵来说，是邪恶所产生的虚假，对一个善灵来说，则是源于良善的真理。在世上活在肉身期间，对人们心智的滋养并非其它东西。正因如此，就圣言里面的灵义而言，各种饮食，如饼、肉、酒、水，以及其它许多东西，都表示构成属灵滋养的那类饮食。
由此也明显可知主的这些话是什么意思：
人活着，不是单靠食物，乃是靠神口里所出的一切话。（马太福音4:4）
路加福音：
叫你们在我国里，坐在我的席上吃喝。（路加福音22:30）
马太福音：
我告诉你们，从今以后，我不再喝这葡萄树的产物，直到我在我父的国里，同你们喝新的那日子。（马太福音26:29）
主在设立圣餐之后说了这些话，在圣餐中，“饼和酒”是指那些表示爱和信的事物或元素；“肉和血”也是。由此清楚可知在约翰福音（6:49-58），尤其在那里的这些话中的主的“肉和血”是什么意思：
我的肉真是可吃的，我的血真是可喝的。（约翰福音6:55）
在圣言中，“肉”表示爱之良善（参看3813，7850节）；“血”表示信之良善（4735，6978，7317，7326，7846，7850，7877节）；“饼和酒”具有同样的含义（2165，2177，3464，3478，3735，3813，4211，4217，4735，4976，5915，6118，6377节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 9003
9003. Her food, her raiment, and her conjugial due, he shall not diminish. That this signifies no deprivation of the interior life which is "food," nor of the exterior life which is "clothing," thus no deprivation of conjunction which is the "conjugial due," is evident from the signification of "food," as being the sustenance of the interior life, for in the spiritual sense "food," or meat and drink, denote the knowledges of good and truth, "meat," the knowledges of good (n. 5147), and "drink," the knowledges of truth (n. 3168, 3772); and therefore "food" denotes the things which nourish the spiritual life of man (n. 5293, 5576, 5579, 5915, 8562); from the signification of "covering," or "clothing," as being the sustenance of the exterior life, for in the spiritual sense "covering," or "clothing," denotes lower memory-knowledges, because these are what sustain the external life of man (n. 5248, 6918); from the signification of the "conjugial due," as being conjunction; and from the signification of "not to diminish," as being not to deprive of. [2] The case herein is that natural affection conjoined with spiritual truth, which is signified by "a maidservant betrothed to a son," requires continual sustenance of life from the spiritual truth with which it has been conjoined; for affection without sustenance therefrom perishes. It is with the affection of man as it is with man himself-unless it is sustained with food it dies. Moreover in respect to his interiors man is nothing but affection; a good man the affection of good and the truth thence derived; but an evil man the affection of evil and the falsity thence derived. This is especially evident from a man when he becomes a spirit, for the sphere of life which then flows forth from him is a sphere either of the affection of good, or of the affection of evil. His nourishment or sustenance then is not from natural food and drink, but from spiritual food and drink, which are falsity from evil to an evil spirit, and truth from good to a good spirit. The nourishments of human minds during their life in the body in the world, are no other, and from this it is that all things which relate to food, such as bread, flesh, wine, water, and many other things, in the spiritual sense in the Word signify such things as belong to spiritual nourishment. [3] From this it is also plain what is meant by these words of the Lord:
Man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that goeth forth out of the mouth of God (Matt. 4:4). Ye shall eat and drink upon My table in My kingdom (Luke 22:30). I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this product of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom (Matt. 26:29);
saying these words after He had instituted the Holy Supper, in which "the bread and the wine" denote those things which are of love and faith; in like manner also "the flesh and the blood." From this it may be clearly known what is meant by "the flesh and blood" of the Lord in John 6:49-58; and also by these words in the same chapter:
My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed (John 6:55). (That "flesh" in the Word denotes the good of love, see n. 3813, 7850; also that "blood" denotes the good of faith, n. 4735, 6978, 7317, 7326, 7846, 7850, 7877; in like manner "bread and wine," n. 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, 4976, 5915, 6118, 6377.)
Elliott(1983-1999) 9003
9003. 'He shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and [[her] marital rights' means no deprivation of inner life meant by 'food', nor of outer life meant by 'clothing', thus no deprivation of the joining together meant by 'marital rights'. This is clear from the meaning of 'food' as the sustaining of inner life, for in the spiritual sense 'food', both solid and liquid, is cognitions or the knowledge of good and truth, solid food being cognitions of good, 5147, and 'drink' cognitions of truth, 3168, 3772, so that 'food' is the things that nourish a person's spiritual life, 5293, 5576, 5579, 5915, 8562; from the meaning of 'clothing' as the sustaining of outer life, for in the spiritual sense 'clothing' or garments are inferior factual knowledge, this knowledge being that which spiritually sustains a person's outer life, 5248, 6918; from the meaning of 'marital rights' as a pining together; and from the meaning of 'not diminishing' as not depriving.
The situation here is that a natural affection joined to a spiritual truth, which is meant by 'a female slave betrothed to a son', unceasingly needs to be sustained with life from the spiritual truth to which it has been joined; if the affection is not sustained from there it perishes. The situation with a person's affection is just the same as with the person himself; if he is not sustained by food he dies. Interiorly furthermore a person is nothing other than affection, one who is good being interiorly an affection for good and consequently for truth, and one who is evil being an affection for evil and consequently for falsity. This is especially evident in a person when he becomes a spirit; the sphere of life which then wells out of him is either one of affection for good or one of affection for evil. Now he is nourished or sustained not with natural food and drink but with spiritual, which for an evil spirit is falsity arising from evil, but for a good spirit is truth springing from good. The nourishment that people's minds receive in the world during their life in the body is nothing other. So it is that all kinds of food - bread, flesh, wine, water and many others - mean in the spiritual sense within the Word the kinds of food that constitute spiritual nourishment.
[3] All this also shows what one is to understand by the Lord's words in Matthew,
Man does not live by bread only but by every word that goes out of the mouth of God. Matt 4:4.
Also what one should understand by His words in Luke,
You will eat and drink at My table in My kingdom. Luke 22:30.
And in Matthew,
I tell you that I shall not drink from now on of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom. Matt 26:29.
The Lord spoke these words after He had instituted the Holy Supper, in which the bread and wine are elements which denote love and faith, in the same way as flesh and blood do From this it can be clearly seen what the Lord's flesh and blood mean in John 6:49-58, especially in these words there,My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. John 6:55.
In the Word 'flesh' means the good of love, see 3813, 7850, 'blood' the good of faith, 4735, 6978, 7317, 7326, 7846, 7850, 7877; and 'bread' and 'wine' have the same meanings, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, 4976, 5915, 6118, 6377.
Latin(1748-1756) 9003
9003. `Victum ejus, tegumentum ejus, et debitum conjugiale (ejus), non diminuet': quod significet non deprivationem vitae interioris, quae est `victus,' nec vitae exterioris, quae est `amictus,' ita non deprivationem conjunctionis, quae est `debitum conjugiale,' constat ex significatione `victus' quod sit sustentatio vitae interioris, `victus' enim, seu cibus et potus, in spirituali sensu sunt cognitiones boni et veri, `cibus' cognitiones boni, n. 5147, et `potus' cognitiones veri, n. 3168, 3772, quare `victus' sunt quae vitam hominis spiritualem nutriunt, n. 5293, 5576, 5579, 5915, 8562; ex significatione `tegumenti' seu amictus, quod sit sustentatio vitae exterioris, `tegumentum' enim seu vestis in spirituali sensu sunt scientifica inferiora, {1}haec sunt quae vitam externam hominis spiritualiter sustentant', n. 5248, 6918; ex significatione `debiti conjugialis' quod sit conjunctio; et ex significatione non diminuere' quod sit non deprivare. [2] Cum his ita se habet: affectio naturalis conjuncta vero spirituali, quae significatur per `ancillam desponsatam filio,' requirit jugiter sustentationem vitae a vero spirituali cum quo conjuncta est; affectio enim, absque sustentatione inde, perit; se habet cum affectione hominis sicut cum ipso homine, {2}quod nisi is sustentetur victu, {3}moriatur; homo etiam quoad interiora sua non est nisi quam affectio, {4}homo bonus est affectio boni et inde veri, {4}at malus est affectio mali et inde falsi; hoc imprimis constat ex homine cum fit spiritus, sphaera vitae quae tunc exundat ex illo est vel {5}affectionis boni vel {5}affectionis mali; nutricio seu sustentatio illius tunc non est ex cibo et potu naturali sed ex spirituali, qui est falsum ex malo {6}spiritui malo, ac verum ex bono {10}spiritui bono; nutriciones mentium humanarum cum vivunt in corpore in mundo, nec aliae sunt; inde est quod omnia quae victus sunt, sicut panis, caro, vinum, aqua, et plura alia, in sensu spirituali in Verbo significent talia quae nutricionis spiritualis sunt. [3] (s)Ex his etiam patet quid intelligitur per Domini verba apud Matthaeum, Non ex pane solo vivit homo, sed ex omni verbo quod egreditur ex ore Dei, iv 4:tum quid per Ipsius verba apud Lucam, Comedetis et bibetis super mensa Mea in regno Meo, xxii 30:
et apud Matthaeum, Dico vobis quod non bibiturus sim a nunc ex hoc genimine vitis usque ad diem illum quando id bibero vobiscum novum in regno Patris Mei, xxvi 29;
haec dicens postquam instituit Sanctam Cenam, in qua panis et vinum sunt illa quae sunt amoris et fidei, similiter {8}etiam caro et sanguis; inde sciri (t)evidenter potest quid intelligitur per carnem et per sanguinem Domini apud Johannem vi 49-58, et per haec ibi, Caro Mea est vere cibus, et sanguis Meus est vere potus, vers. 55;
quod `caro' in Verbo sit bonum amoris, videatur n. 3813, 7850, et `sanguis' bonum fidei, n. 4735, (x)6978, 7317, 7326, 7846, (a)7850, 7877; similiter `panis' et `vinum,' n. 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, 4976, 5915, 6118, 6377.(s) @1 nam haec sustentant vitam externam hominis$ @2 quod altered to qui$ @3 moriatur altered to moritur$ @4 si$ @5 tuo$ @6 si malus$ @7 si bonus$ @8 ac$