542.“龙就站在那将要生产的妇人面前，等她生产之后，要吞吃她的孩子”表新教会的教义刚刚出现时，“龙”所表示的那些人会努力毁灭它。至于“龙”所表示的那些人是谁，可参看前文（537节）；“妇人”表示新教会（533节）；“生产”表示接受出于圣言的教义良善与真理（535节）；她所生产的“孩子”表示新教会的教义，这一点可见于下一节。“吞吃”表示毁灭，因为“孩子”表示教义；当“吞吃”的是这个孩子时，毁灭的就是教义。教义刚刚出现时之所以会发生这种事，是因为经上说“龙”站在妇人面前，等她生产之后，要吞吃她的孩子。
542. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. This symbolically means that those people meant by the dragon endeavor to snuff out the doctrine of the New Church at its first appearance.
For the people who are meant by the dragon, see no. 537 above. That the woman symbolizes the New Church, no. 533. That to give birth means, symbolically, to accept doctrinal goods and truths from the Word, no. 535. That the Child that she bore symbolizes the doctrine of the New Church - this will be seen in the exposition following next. To devour means, symbolically, to snuff out because the Child symbolizes doctrine, and when a child is said to be devoured, the doctrine is said to be extinguished.
We say that this occurs at the doctrine's first appearance because we are told that the dragon stood before the woman to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
542. 'And the dragon stood before the woman about to bring forth, that after she had brought forth he might devour her offspring' signifies that those who are understood by 'the dragon' are doing their utmost to extinguish the doctrine of the New Church at its first appearance. Who are understood by 'the dragon' may be seen above (537); that by 'the woman' is signified the New Church (533); that by 'to bring forth' is signified to receive goods and truths of doctrine out of the Word (535). That by the 'offspring' that she would bring forth is signified the doctrine of the New Church, will be seen in the following paragraph. By 'to devour' is signified to extinguish, because by the 'offspring' doctrine is signified, and when 'devour' is said of the offspring, to extinguish is said of the doctrine. This [happens] at its first appearance because it is said that 'the dragon stood before the woman, that after she had brought forth he might devour her offspring.
542. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, that after she had brought forth, he might devour her offspring, signifies that they who are meant by "the dragon" will endeavor to extinguish the doctrine of the New Church in its first origin. Who they are that are meant by "the dragon" may be seen above, (537); that by "the woman" is signified the New Church, (533); that by "bringing forth" is signified to receive the goods and truths of doctrine from the Word, (535); that by "the offspring" which she brought forth is signified the doctrine of the New Church, will be seen in the next article. "To devour" signifies to extinguish, because by "the offspring" is signified doctrine; and when "to devour" is said in relation to the offspring, to extinguish is said in relation to doctrine. The reason why this was the case in its first origin, is because it is said, that "the dragon" stood before the woman, to devour her offspring after she had brought forth.
542. "Et Draco stetit coram Muliere paritura, ut postquam peperit, fetum ejus devoraret," significat quod illi qui per "Draconem" intelliguntur, doctrinam Novae Ecclesiae, in primo ejus ortu exstinguere satagant. - Quinam per "Draconem" intelliguntur, videatur supra (537); quod per "Mulierem" significetur Nova Ecclesia (533); quod per "parere" significetur recipere bona et vera doctrinae ex Verbo (535); quod per "fetum" quem pareret significetur doctrina Novae Ecclesiae, videbitur in sequente articulo; quod per "devorare" significetur exstinguere, est quia per "fetum" significatur doctrina, et cum de "fetu" dicitur "devorare," de doctrina dicitur exstinguere. Quod hoc in primo ejus ortu, est quia dicitur quod "Draco steterit coram Muliere, ut postquam pepererit, fetum ejus devoraret."