----中文待译----
722. That when she had brought forth, he might devour her child.- That this signifies that they might destroy the doctrine of that church at its first beginning, is evident from the signification of the child which the woman was about to bring forth, as denoting the doctrine of the church, for that this is meant by the male child whom she brought forth will be seen in the following article; and from the signification of devouring as denoting to destroy. For predicates follow their subjects, and when the dragon is the subject, then to devour is the predicate; but when the doctrine of the church is the subject, then to destroy is the predicate, therefore to devour here signifies to destroy. To destroy it at its first beginning is signified, because it is said that when the woman had brought forth, he might devour her child. That to devour and to eat also in other passages of the Word signify to destroy, when used in reference to wild beasts, which signify falsities and evils, is plain in Ezekiel:
"One of the whelps" of the lion "rose up, it became a young lion, it learned to seize the prey; it devoured man" (19:3, 6).
To devour man signifies to destroy the understanding of truth and intelligence.
In Hosea:
"I will meet them as a bear bereaved, and I will devour them as a fierce lion, a wild beast of the field shall tear them" (13:8).
In Daniel:
"Lo, a beast like a bear," which "had three ribs in the mouth between the teeth," it was said to it, "Rise, devour much flesh" (7:5).
Moreover, in the Hebrew, to devour is put in many passages for consuming, ruining, and destroying, as in Jeremiah:
"They have devoured Jacob, they have devoured him and consumed him, and have laid waste his habitations" (10:25; and elsewhere).
722. That when she brought forth he might devour her offspring, signifies that they might destroy the doctrine of that church at its first rise. This is evident from the signification of "the offspring" that the woman was about to bring forth, as being the doctrine of the church; that this is meant by "the son a male" which she brought forth will be seen in the following article. Also from the signification of "to devour," as being to destroy; for what is predicated follows its subject, and when "the dragon" is the subject, "to devour" is predicated of him, but when the doctrine of the church is the subject, being destroyed is predicated of it, therefore "to devour" here signifies to destroy. To destroy it at its first rise is signified because it is said "that when the woman brought forth he might devour her offspring." "To devour" and "to eat" also elsewhere signify to destroy, when predicated of wild beasts, which signify falsities and evils, as is evident in Ezekiel:
One of the whelps of the lion went up, it became a young lion, and it learned to seize the prey, it devoured man (Ezekiel 19:3, 6).
"To devour man" signifies to destroy the understanding of truth and intelligence. In Hosea:
I will encounter them as a bear that is bereaved; and I will devour them like an immense lion; the wild beast of the field shall tear them (Hosea 13:8).
In Daniel:
Behold, a beast, like to a bear, it had three ribs in the mouth between the teeth, it was said to it, Rise, devour much flesh (Daniel 7:5).
Moreover, in the Hebrew, "to devour" in many passages stands for to consume, to ruin, and to destroy, as in Jeremiah:
They have devoured Jacob, they have devoured him and consumed him, and have laid waste his habitations (Jeremiah 10:25).
722. "Ut postquam pepererit, fetum ejus devoraret." - Quod significet ut destruerent doctrinam illius ecclesiae in primo ejus ortu, constat ex significatione "fetus", quem mulier paritura esset, quod sit doctrina ecclesiae; quod haec intelligatur per "filium masculum" quem peperit, videbitur in articulo mox sequente: et ex significatione "devorare", quod sit destruere; praedicata enim sequuntur sua subjecta; quum "draco" est subjectum, tunc praedicatum ejus est "devorare", at cum doctrina ecclesiae est subjectum, tunc praedicatum ejus est destruere; inde est quod destruere hic per "devorare" significetur; quod significetur destruere in primo ejus ortu, est quia dicitur quod "postquam mulier pepererit, fetum ejus devoraret." Quod "devorare" et "comedere" etiam alibi significet destruere, quando dicitur de "feris", per quas significantur falsa et mala, constat apud Ezechielem,
"Surrexit unus de catulis" leonis, qui "juvenis leo factus est", qui "didicit rapere rapinam, hominem devoravit" (19:3, 6):
"hominem devorare" significat intellectum veri ac intelligentiam destruere.
Apud Hoscheam,
"Occurram illis sicut ursus orbatus, .... et comedam eos.. sicut immanis leo, fera agri diffindet eos" (13:8);
apud Danielem,
"Ecce bestia... similis urso", cui "tres costae in ore inter dentes", cui dictum, "Surge, devora carnem multam" (7:5).
Praeterea in lingua Hebraea multis in locis dicitur "comedere" pro consumere, perdere et destruere:
- Ut apud Jeremiam,
"Comederunt Jacobum, comederunt eum, et consumpserunt eum, et habitationes ejus devastarunt" (10:25; et alibi).