9186.“他就要按处女的聘礼，交出聘银来”表取而代之的另一个同意的真理。这从“银”、“交出”和“处女的聘礼”的含义清楚可知：“银”是指真理（参看1551，2954，5658，6112，6914，6917节）；“交出”是指取代前者的替代者，因为交出聘礼，不娶处女的人为她给出其它某种东西；“处女的聘礼”是指同意结合的一种象征，如刚才所述（9184节）。这象征就是同意内层良善，与其相一致的真理；因为聘礼是五十锭银子，给那少女的父亲（申命记22:29），因而是指引入一种完全结合的真理。因为“银”表示真理，如刚才所示；“五十”表示完全（2252节），在此是指代替前者的其它真理，这些真理同意良善，并与它一致。前面已经说明这些真理是什么情况；不过，要补充以下内容，即：为叫一种非法结合变成一种合法结合，从主经由内在人流入的良善必须与通过外在人，也就是通过外在人的听觉进入的真理结合。如果这种真理与良善不一致，那么就必须有另一种相一致或同意结合的真理来取代它。
可以举例说明这个主题；但由于关于良善与真理结合的概念被笼罩在黑暗中，因为人们已经将爱之良善与信之真理分离，并将这良善抛在真理后面，几乎背弃它，所以任何例子都不会使这个主题变得更清晰。一般来说，没有人能理解圣言的内义，因而理解天使智慧的事物，除非他知道并明白，在天堂，每一个事物都与良善和真理有关，若没有彼此的联结，任何事物都不存在或产生。正因如此，那些将这一个与那一个分离，也就是信之真理与仁之良善分离的人，就陷入了黑暗，如那些声称一个人唯信得救，或单凭伴随信仰的信心得救之人。这些人把一切都归因于信，丝毫不归因于仁，所以根本不可能理解包含在圣言内义中的天上事物。事实上，他们在良善上陷入黑暗，由此在良善与真理的结合上，进而在真理本身上也陷入黑暗，因为这真理被笼罩在同样的黑暗中。如此多、如此大的错谬和异端邪说便由此产生。那些在真理被光照的人是少数被教导真理，并活出真理的人。
要叫那些赞成唯信的人知道，在第二层天堂，被称为属灵的天使，其一切思维观念皆源于通过这些天使所过的生活已经变成良善的真理。还要叫他们知道，在第三层天堂，被称为属天的天使，其一切思维观念皆源于良善；因此，属天天使拥有智慧本身；蒙主的神性怜悯，我将在别处描述这种智慧的奇迹。
Potts(1905-1910) 9186
9186. He shall pay silver according to the dowry of virgins. That this signifies other truth consenting in its place, is evident from the signification of "silver," as being truth (see n. 1551, 2954, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917); from the signification of "paying," as being substitution in the place of the former, for he who pays a dowry and does not take the virgin gives something else in place of her; and from the signification of "the dowry of virgins," as being a token of consent to conjunction (of which just above, n. 9184), which token is truth consenting to interior good. For the dowry was fifty pieces of silver given to the father of the girl (Deut. 22:29), and thus denotes truths initiating to full conjunction; for "silver" denotes truth, as shown just above; and "fifty" denotes to the full (n. 2252); here other truths in place of the former, and consenting to good. [2] How the case is with these truths is clear from what was shown above; to which is to be added what follows, namely, in order that an unlawful conjunction may become lawful, the good which flows in from the Lord through the internal man, must conjoin with itself the truth which enters through the external man, that is, through its hearing. If this truth does not agree with that good, then in place of it there has to be substituted some other truth which does agree; that is, which consents to conjunction. [3] This might be illustrated by examples; but as the conjunction of good and truth is enveloped in thick darkness on account of the good of love having been removed from the truths of faith, and rejected behind the truths, and almost behind the back, this subject will not become any clearer by examples. In general no one can apprehend the internal sense of the Word, and thus the things of angelic wisdom, unless he knows and understands that each and all things in heaven bear relation to good and truth; and that nothing exists there except from the one of these conjoined with the other. Hence it is that those are in darkness who separate the one from the other, namely, the truth which is of faith from the good which is of charity, as do those who say that a man is saved by faith alone, that is, by the mere confidence which is of faith. As these persons ascribe all things to faith, and nothing to charity, they cannot possibly apprehend anything about those heavenly things which are in the internal sense of the Word; for they are in darkness concerning good, thus also in darkness concerning the conjunction of good and truth; and consequently concerning truth itself, for this is then involved in the same darkness. Hence arise mental wanderings and heresies so many and so great. They who are enlightened in respect to truths, are the few who are in the doctrine, and at the same time in the life, of truth. [4] Let those who are in faith alone know that all the ideas of thought of the angels who are in the second heaven, and are called spiritual, are from truths which have become goods by life; and that all the ideas of thought of the angels who are in the third heaven, and are called celestial, are from good; and that therefore these latter are in wisdom itself, concerning which, of the Lord's Divine mercy, wonderful things shall be told elsewhere.
Elliott(1983-1999) 9186
9186. 'He shall pay silver according to the dowry of virgins' means another kind of truth which consents instead. This is clear from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with in 1551, 2954, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917; from the meaning of 'paying' as a substitution instead of the former, for the one who pays a dowry and does not take the virgin gives something else for her; and from the meaning of 'the dowry of virgins' as a token of consent to a joining together, dealt with just above in 9184. This token is truth that consents to, is in agreement with, interior good; for the dowry was fifty pieces of silver given to the young woman's father, Deut 22:29, thus truths that lead into a full joining together. For 'silver' means truth, as shown immediately above, and 'fifty' means to the full, 2252, at this point some other truths instead of the former, which consent to, and are in agreement with, good.
[2] The situation in all this has been shown above; but let the following be added. To turn a wrongful joining together into a rightful one the good that flows in from the Lord by way of the internal man must join to itself the truth that enters by way of the external man, that is, through the external man's hearing. If this truth does not accord with that good, then another kind of truth which does accord or consents to be joined must be substituted.
[3] It would be possible to give examples to throw light on this subject; but since the notion of goodness and truth joined together lies in thick darkness, because people have separated the good of love from the truths of faith, thrown it back behind truths, and virtually turn their backs on it, no examples will help to make the subject clearer. As a rule the internal sense of the Word and thus matters of angelic wisdom fail to be apprehended by anyone unless he knows and understands that every single thing in heaven has a connection with goodness and truth, and that nothing there comes into being except from one joined to the other. So it is that those who separate one from the other are in the dark, that is to say, who separate the truth of faith from the good of charity, as do those who say that a person is saved by faith alone, or by the confidence that accompanies faith. Because they attribute everything to faith and nothing to charity, they cannot apprehend anything at all of the heavenly matters contained in the internal sense of the Word. For they walk in darkness as regards knowledge of good, thus also in darkness as regards knowledge of goodness and truth joined together, consequently as regards knowledge of truth itself since it is enveloped in the same darkness. This accounts for the existence of so many and such great delusions and heresies. People who are in the light as regards knowledge of truths are the few who have been taught the truth and live it out.
[4] Let those who subscribe to faith alone recognize that all the ideas in the thinking of angels who inhabit the second heaven and are called spiritual spring from truths that have become forms of good through the life those angels lead. Let them recognize also that all the ideas in the thinking of angels who inhabit the third heaven and are called celestial spring from good, and that these angels are consequently in possession of wisdom itself, the marvels of which wisdom will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described elsewhere.
Latin(1748-1756) 9186
9186. `Argentum pendet secundum dotem virginum': quod significet verum aliud consentiens loco ejus, constat ex significatione `argenti' quod sit verum, de qua n. 1551, 2954, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917, ex significatione `pendere' quod sit substitutio loco prioris, nam qui pendit (x)dotem et non accipit virginem, ille dat aliud pro illa {1}, et ex significatione `dotis virginum' quod sit tessera consensus ad conjunctionem, de qua mox supra n. 9184; quae tessera est verum consentiens bono interiori; (m)nam dos erat quinquaginta argenti data patri (o)puellae, Deut. xxii 29, ita vera (o)initiantia ad plenam conjunctionem; `argentum' enim est verum, ut hic supra ostensum (o)est, et quinquaginta sunt {2} ad plenum, n. 2252, hic vera alia loco priorum (x)et consentientia bono.(n) Quomodo cum his se habet, ex illis quae supra ostensa sunt, patet, quibus hoc addendum est: ut illegitima conjunctio fiat legitima, bonum quod per internum hominem influit {3} a Domino, conjunget sibi verum quod per externum, hoc est, per ejus {4} auditum, intrat; si hoc verum non concordat cum illo bono, tunc loco ejus aliud verum quod concordat seu consentit ad conjunctionem, substituetur. [2] Hoc per exempla illustrari posset, sed quia conjunctio boni et veri in caligine est propter remotionem {5} boni amoris e veris fidei et illius rejectionem {6} post vera, et paene ad tergum, ideo haec res per exempla non {7} illustratior evadet; in genere nemo potest sensum internum Verbi, ita nec res sapientiae angelicae, capere nisi qui scit et intelligit quod omnia et singula in caelo se referant ad bonum et verum, et quod ibi nihil existat nisi ex uno conjuncto alteri; inde est quod in tenebris sint qui separant unum ab altero, nempe verum quod fidei a bono quod charitatis, sicut faciunt illi qui dicunt hominem per solam fidem, seu per solam confidentiam quae fidei, salvari; illi quia referunt omnia ad fidem et nihil ad charitatem, nusquam (t)aliquod capere possunt de rebus caelestibus quae in sensu (t)interno Verbi sunt; sunt enim in tenebris de bono, ita quoque in tenebris de conjunctione boni et veri, consequenter de ipso vero, nam hoc tunc involutum est iisdem tenebris; inde tot et tantae hallucinationes et haereses {8}; [3] qui illustrantur de veris sunt illi pauci qui in doctrina et simul in vita veri sunt. Sciant qui in sola fide sunt quod omnes ideae cogitationis angelorum qui in secundo caelo sunt, et spirituales vocantur, sint ex veris quae facta bona per vitam, et quod omnes ideae cogitationis angelorum qui in tertio caelo sunt, et caelestes vocantur, sint ex bono; et quod hi inde in ipsa sapientia sint, de qua mirabilia, ex Divina Domini Misericordia, alibi dicentur. @1 qui pendet dat aliud quod aequivalet pro illo$ @2 est$ @3 intrat$ @4 quod per$ @5 rejectionem altered to ejectionem$ @6 ejectionem altered to rejectionem$ @7 non per exempla res$ @8 haereses et hallucinationes$