565a.启12:7. “龙向妇人发怒，去与她其余的种争战，就是那守神诫命，为耶稣基督作见证的”表那些因对主里面神性和人性合一的奥秘，以及唯信称义的确认而自以为智慧的人对那些承认唯独主是天地之神，十诫是生活法则之人所燃起的仇恨，他们接近新来者，企图迷惑他们。所有这一切就包含在这寥寥数语中，因为这一点按着一个系列从前文可推知，那里说到“地却帮助妇人，开口吞了那龙从口吐出来的河”，这句话表示其源于虚假的推理都落空了（564节）；所以，他们摧毁新教会的努力是徒劳的。因此，“龙向妇人发怒”表示他对新教会充满仇恨并渴望报复；“龙的发怒”表示仇恨（558节）；“去争战”表示利用源于虚假的推理来攻击和诋毁（500节）；“她其余的种，就是那守神诫命，为耶稣基督作见证的”表示接受关于主和十诫的教义的新来者；至于何为“为耶稣基督作见证的”，可参看前文（6，490节）。
“龙”在此之所以表示那些因确认主的神性与人性合一的奥秘而自以为智慧的人，是因为这些人以自己的智慧为骄傲，还知道如何去推理；由骄傲便生出仇恨，由仇恨生出对那些不这样认为之人的愤怒和报复。这神秘的合一，也就是所谓的“位格合一”，是指他们对于神性在主的人性里面，如同在另一人里面那样的流注和作工的臆想；殊不知，神与人，或主里面的神性与人性是一个位格，而非两个，如灵魂与身体那样合一，正如整个基督教界所接受的、名为《亚他那修信经》的教义所言；但在此引用他们对于这“神秘合一”的臆想纯粹是浪费时间，因为它们实在荒诞。
“妇人的种”在此表示那些属于新教会，处于其教义的真理之人。这一点从以下经文中的“种”的含义明显看出来：
他们的种必在列邦中被人认识，他们的后裔在众民中间也是如此，凡看见他们的必承认他们是耶和华赐福的种。（以赛亚书61:9）
他们是蒙耶和华祝福的种。（以赛亚书65:23）
我要造的新天新地怎样在我面前长存，你们的种也照样长存。（以赛亚书66:22）
必有种侍奉祂，主的事必传与后代。（诗篇22:30）
我要把仇恨放在你和女人，你的种和女人的种之间。（创世记3:15）；
就一个寻求神的种吗？（玛拉基书2:15）
看哪，日子将到，我要把人的种播种在以色列家和犹大家。（耶利米书31:27）
你以他的灵魂为赎罪祭，他必看见种。（以赛亚书53:10）
不要怕，因我与你同在，我必从东方带来你的种。（以赛亚书43:5，6）
你要向右向左开展，你的种后裔必得列邦为业。（以赛亚书54:3）
我栽你是上等的葡萄树，是真理的种子，你怎么向我变为外邦葡萄树的枝子了呢？（耶利米书2:21）
你必从地上灭绝他们的果子，从人间灭绝他们的种。（诗篇21:10）
种子就是天国之子。（马太福音13:38）
“以色列的种”所表相同，因为“以色列”是指教会（以赛亚书41:8，9；耶利米书23:8；31:35，36）；“大卫的种”也是，因为“大卫”是指主（耶利米书30:9，10；33:22，25，26；诗篇8:3，4，29）；“田间的种子”同样是，因为“田”在许多地方表示教会。但“恶人的种”（以赛亚书1:4；14:20；57:3，4）和“蛇的种”（创世记3:15）表示对立面。
565b.启12:18. “我就站在海边的沙上”表他的状态现在是属灵-属世的，诸如那些在第一层或最底层天堂的人所具有的那种状态。“海边的沙”表示这种状态，因为“海”表示教会的外在。这种状态被称为属灵-属世，诸如那些在第一层或最底层天堂之人所具有的那种状态。之前在天上，约翰一直在上面，在那里看见“龙”以及他与米迦勒的战争，看见龙被摔下去，又逼迫那妇人。但现在，当“龙”被摔下去，并且下文继续论述有关龙的事时，约翰在灵里被下放，好叫他看见那“龙”在诸天堂之下的更多事，并将它们描述出来。在这种状态下，他看见两个“兽”上来，一个从“海”中上来，一个从“地”中上来。这些事，他从天上是看不到的，因为任何天使都不可从天上俯视低层区域，但他若想看，就得下去。要知道，在灵界，地方对应于状态；事实上，除了其生命状态所在之地外，没有人能住在其它任何地方。由于约翰如今站在“海边的沙上”，故可知，他如今的状态是属灵-属世的。
565. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and it went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (12:17) This symbolizes the hatred ignited in those people who believe themselves wise because of their arguments in support of the mystical union of the Divine and the human in the Lord and in support of justification by faith alone, against those who acknowledge the Lord alone as God of heaven and earth and the Ten Commandments as law to be lived, and their attacking new converts with the intention of leading them astray.
All of this is contained in these few words, because they follow in sequence from those of the preceding verse, where we are told that the earth helped the woman, and opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon had spewed out of its mouth, which means, symbolically, that their reasonings flowing from falsities came to nothing (no. 564), and accordingly that they tried in vain to destroy the New Church. The dragon's being enraged with the woman symbolizes, therefore, hatred ignited and a longing for vengeance seething against the Church. The rage or wrath of the dragon symbolizes hatred (no. 558). To make war means, symbolically, to attack and assail with reasonings flowing from falsities (no. 500).
The rest of her offspring or seed who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ means newcomers who accept the doctrine regarding the Lord and the Ten Commandments. What the testimony of Jesus Christ is may be seen in nos. 6 and 490 above.
[2] The dragon here means people who believe themselves wise because of their arguments in support of the mystical union of the Divine and the human in the Lord and in support of justification by faith alone, because they pride themselves on their wisdom and know how to reason. From that pride or conceit then springs hatred, and from that hatred rage and a longing for vengeance against people who do not believe as they do. By the mystical union, also called a hypostatic union, we mean their fictions regarding the influx and operation of the Lord's Divinity into His humanity as though into another entity, their not knowing that God and man, or the Divine and the human in the Lord, are not two persons, but one, united like soul and body, in accordance with the doctrine accepted throughout the Christian world which has its name from Athanasius. But this is not the place to cite their fictions regarding the mystical union, as they are absurd.
[3] That the offspring or seed of the woman here means people of the New Church, who possess its doctrinal truths, can be seen from the symbolic meaning of offspring in the following passages:
Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants among peoples. All who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the offspring whom Jehovah has blessed. (Isaiah 61:9)
...they are the offspring of the blessed of Jehovah... (Isaiah 65:23)
...as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me..., so shall your offspring... remain. (Isaiah 66:22)
Offspring that will serve Him shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation... (Psalms 22:30)
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and the offspring (of the woman). (Genesis 3:15)
Does the one seek the offspring of God? (Malachi 2:15)
Behold, the days are coming..., (when) I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man... (Jeremiah 31:27)
If he makes His soul a guilt offering, he shall see his offspring... (Isaiah 53:10)
Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east... (Isaiah 43:5-6)
...you shall break out to the right and to the left, and your offspring will inherit the nations... (Isaiah 54:3)
I had planted you a noble vine, the offspring of truth. How then have you turned before Me into the offshoots of an alien vine? (Jeremiah 2:21)
Their fruit You shall destroy from the earth, and their offspring from among the children of men. (Psalms 21:10)
...the... seeds are the children of the kingdom... (Matthew 13:38)
The offspring or seed of Israel has the same symbolic meaning, because "Israel" is the church (Isaiah 41:8-9; 44:3). So likewise the seed of the field, in many places, because a field symbolizes the church.
On the other hand, the offspring or seed of evil people has an opposite meaning (Isaiah 1:4; 14:20; 57:3-4).
565. [repeated]. Then I stood on the sand of the sea. 1(12:18) This symbolizes John's spiritual state now natural, like that of people in the first or lowest heaven.
The sand of the sea symbolizes that state, because the sea symbolizes the external component of the church. We call this state spiritually natural, like the state of people in the first or lowest heaven.
John had previously been up above in heaven when he saw the dragon, its battle with Michael, its being cast down, and its pursuing the woman. But now that the dragon has been cast down, and it continues to be dealt with in the following chapter, John was conveyed down in spirit in order to see the further events involving the dragon beneath the heavens and describe them. In that state he saw the two beasts, one rising up out of the sea and the other coming up out of the earth, which he could not have seen from heaven, since it is not granted to any angel to look down from heaven into lower regions, though if he wishes, he may descend.
It should be known that a place in the spiritual world corresponds to the inhabitants' state, for no one can be anywhere else than where his state of life is found. And because John now stood on the sand of the sea, it follows that his state was now a spiritually natural one.
Footnotes:
1. In most manuscripts, the Textus Receptus, the received text of the Greek New Testament, makes this verse part of the first verse of the next chapter (13:1), as do numerous translations into other languages. The Alexandrian text, however, and the text of Westcott and Hort, together with some translations, including those Latin versions consulted by the writer, make it verse 18 of the present chapter.
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565. [verse 17] 'And the dragon was in a rage against the woman, and went away to wage war with the remnant of her seed, keeping the commandments of God and having the testimony of Jesus Christ' signifies the hatred kindled in those who believe themselves to be wise by virtue of confirmations in favour of a mystical union of the Divine and the Human in the Lord, and in favour of justification by faith alone, against those who acknowledge the Only Lord as the God of heaven and earth and that the Decalogue is the law of life, while they [the dragonists] are attacking novitiates with the intention of leading them astray. All these things are contained in these few words because they follow in a series resulting from the preceding things, where it is said that 'the land helped the woman and opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had cast forth out of his mouth,' by which is signified that their reasonings derived from untruths have fallen to nothing (564); consequently that they have endeavoured in vain to destroy the New Church. Therefore by 'the dragon' being 'in a rage against the woman' is signified a kindling of hatred and breathing of revenge against the Church. By 'the wrath of the dragon' is signified hatred (558); by 'to wage war' is signified to approach and attack by means of reasonings derived from untruths (n. son) By 'the remnant of her seed keeping the commandments of God and having the testimony of Jesus Christ' are understood novitiates who are receiving the doctrine concerning the Lord and concerning the Decalogue; what 'the testimony of Jesus Christ' is may be seen above (6, 490).
[2] The reason why by 'the dragon' here are understood those who believe themselves to be wise by virtue of confirmations in favour of a mystical union of the Lord's Divine and Human, and in favour of justification by faith alone, is because these are in the pride of wisdom and are skilled in reasoning; and out of the pride proceeds a hatred, and out of the hatred anger and vindictiveness against those who do not believe likewise. By the 'mystical union,' which is also called a 'hypostatic union,' are understood their fabrications concerning the influx and operation of the Divinity in the Lord's Humanity as if in another they being ignorant that God and Man, or the Divine and the Human in the Lord, are not two, but are one person united as soul and body, in accordance with the doctrine received throughout Christendom which has its name from Athanasius. But there is not room to quote the fabrications of their 'mystical union,' because they are incompatible.
[3] That here by 'the seed of the woman' are understood those who belong to the New Church and are in the truths of its doctrine can be established from the signification of 'seed' in the following passages:
Their seed shall become known in the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the people, all seeing shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which Jehovah has blessed. Isaiah 61:9.
They are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah. Isaiah 65:23.
As the new heavens and the new hand that I am going to make shall stand before Me, so shall your seed stand. Isaiah 66:22.
The seed that shall serve Him, it shall be accounted to the Lord for the generation. Psalms 22:30; [H.B. 31].
I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and the seed of the woman. Genesis 3:15.
Does one seek a seed of God? Malachi 2:[Malachi 2:15].
Behold the days shall come in which I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man. Jeremiah 31:27.
If he has made his soul guilty, he shall see seed. Isaiah 53:10.
Fear not, for I am with thee; from the east I will bring thy seed. Isaiah 43:5-6.
Thou shalt break forth to right and left, and thy seed shall inherit the nations. Isaiah 54:3.
I had planted thee a noble vine, a seed of the truth (veritas); how hast thou turned into the shoots of a strange vine unto Me? Jeremiah 2:21.
Thou wilt destroy their fruit from the land, and their seed from the sons of man. Psalms 21:10; [H.B. 11].
The seed are the sons of the kingdom. Matthew 13:38.
The like is signified by the seed of Israel, because 'Israel' is the Church (Isaiah 41:8-9; 44:3; Jeremiah 23:8; 31:35-36; likewise also by the seed of David, because 'David' is the Lord (Jeremiah 30:10; 33:22, 25-26; Psalms 89:3-4, 29 [H.B. 4-5, 30]. The like also by seed of the held, Because 'a field' signifies the Church, in many places. But the opposite is signified by the seed of the evil (Isaiah 1:4; 14:20; 57:3-4), and by the seed of the serpent (Genesis 3:15).
565 1/2. [verse 18] 'And I stood upon the sand of the sea' signifies his state now spiritual natural such as it is with those who are in the first or ultimate heaven. That state is signified by 'the sand of the sea' because by 'the sea' the external of the Church is signified. This state is called spiritual natural because it is with those who are in the first or ultimate heaven. Previously he [John] had been above in heaven, where he saw 'the dragon,' his fight with Michael, that he was cast down, and that he was pursuing the woman. But now when 'the dragon' has been cast down, and there is a continuation concerning him in the things following, John in the spirit has been let down for the purpose of seeing more things concerning 'the dragon' beneath the heavens and describing them. In this state he saw the two 'beasts' coming up, one out of 'the sea' and the other out of 'the land.' He could not see these out of heaven, since it is not granted to any angel to look out of heaven into lower regions, but if he chooses he is allowed to go down. It should be known that in the spiritual world place corresponds to state, for no one can be anywhere else than where his state of life is, and because John now 'stood upon the sand of the sea' it follows that his state was now spiritual natural.
565. Verse 17. And the dragon was angry against the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, signifies the burning hatred with those who believe themselves wise from confirmations in favor of the mystic union of the Divine and the Human in the Lord, and in favor of justification by faith alone, against those who acknowledge the Lord alone as the God of heaven and earth, and that the Decalogue is the law of life, approaching novitiates with intent to seduce them. All this is contained in those few words, because it follows in a series from what went before, where it is said, that "the earth helped the woman, and opened her mouth, and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth," by which is signified that their reasonings from falsities fell to nothing, (564); consequently that their endeavors to destroy the New Church were vain. Therefore by "the dragon being angry with the woman," is signified that he burned with hatred and breathed revenge against the church; by "the dragon's anger" is signified hatred, (558); by "making war" is signified to assault and impugn by reasonings from falsities, (500); by "the rest of her seed which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ," are meant novitiates who receive the doctrine concerning the Lord and concerning the Decalogue; what "the testimony of Jesus Christ" is, may be seen above, (6, 490).
[2] The reason why by "the dragon" are here meant those who believe themselves wise from confirmations in favor of the mystic union of the Lord's Divine and Human, is because these are in the pride of their own wisdom, and know how to reason; and from pride proceeds hatred, and from hatred proceed anger and revenge against those who do not believe likewise. By the mystic union, which is also called the hypostatic union, are meant their fictions concerning the influx and operation of the Divine in the Lord's Human as upon another; not knowing that God and Man, or the Divine and the Human in the Lord, are not two but one Person, united like soul and body, according to the doctrine received throughout the whole Christian world, which has its name from Athanasius; but to adduce their fictitious things respecting this mystic union would be an idle thing, because they are absurd.
[3] That by "the seed of the woman" are here meant those who are of the New Church, and are in the truths of its doctrine, may appear from the signification of "seed," in the following passages:
Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring in the midst of the people, all that see shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which Jehovah hath blessed, (Isaiah 61:9).
They are the seed of the blessed Jehovah, (Isaiah 65:23).
As the new heavens and the new earth which I will make, shall remain before Me, so shall your seed, (Isaiah 66:22).
The seed which shall serve Him, it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation, (Psalms 22:30).
I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and the woman's seed, (Genesis 3:15).
Does one seek a seed of God? (Malachi 2:15).
Behold the days come, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, (Jeremiah 31:27).
If thou shalt make his soul a guilt offering, he shall see seed, (Isaiah 53:10).
Fear not, for I am with thee, I will bring thy seed from the east, (Isaiah 43:5-6 Thou shalt break forth on the right and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, (Isaiah 54:3).
I had planted thee a noble vine, a seed of truth; how then art thou turned into the branches of a vine strange unto Me? (Jeremiah 2:21).
Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from the sons of man, (Psalms 21:10).
The seed are the sons of the kingdom, (Matthew 13:38).
The same is signified by "the seed of Israel," because "Israel" is the church, (Isaiah 41:8-9; 44:3; Jeremiah 23:8; 31:35-36); and also by "the seed of David," because "David" is the Lord, (Jeremiah 30:10; 33:22, 25-26; Psalms 89:3-4, 29); and by "the seed of the field," because "a field" signifies the church in many places. But the opposite is signified by "the seed of the evil" (Isaiah 1:4; 14:20; 57:3-4), and by "the seed of the serpent" (Genesis 3:15).
565b. Verse 18, 1And I stood upon the sand of the sea, signifies his state spiritual-natural, now such as it is with those who are in the first or lowest heaven. By "the sand of the sea" that state is signified, because "by the sea" is signified the external of the church; the state called spiritual-natural, such as it is with those who are in the first or lowest heaven. He had been above in heaven previously, where he saw the dragon, his combat with Michael, his being cast out, and his persecution of the woman; but now, when the dragon was cast down, and continues to be treated of in what follows, John is let down in spirit, to the end that he may see more of the dragon beneath the heavens, and describe the same; in which state he saw two "beasts" come up, one out of the sea, and the other out of the earth, which he could not see from heaven, because it is not granted to any angel to look down from heaven into the parts below, but if he chooses he may go down. It is to be known, that in the spiritual world place corresponds to state, for no one can be anywhere else than where the state of his life is; and as John now stood upon "the sand of the sea," it follows that his state now was spiritual-natural.
Footnotes:
1. English Bible, "13:1."
565.a (Vers. 17.) "Et iratus Draco contra Mulierem, et abivit bellum facere cum reliquis seminis ejus, observantibus mandata Dei, et habentibus testimonium Jesu Christi," significat accensum odium apud illos qui es credunt sapientes ex confirmationibus pro Unione mystica Divini et Humani in Domino, et pro justificatione per solam Fidem, contra illos qui agnoscunt Solum Dominum pro Deo Caeli et Terrae, et quod Decalogus sit Lex vitae, aggrediendo novitios animo seducendi. - Haec omnia continentur in paucis illis verbis, quia sequuntur in serie ex antecedentibus, ubi dicitur quod "Terra adjuverit Mulierem, et aperuerit os suum, et deglutiverit flumen quod Draco ex ore suo ejecerat," per quae significatur quod ratiocinationes illorum ex falsis in nihilum ceciderint (564); proinde, quod Novam Ecclesiam destruere frustra conati sint. Quare per quod "iratus Draco contra Mulierem" significatur accensum odium et spirans vindicta contra Ecclesiam; per "iram Draconis" significatur odium (558); per "bellum facere" significatur per ratiocinationes ex falsis aggredi et impugnare (500); per reliquos seminis ejus observantes mandata Dei et habentes testimonium Jesu Christi" intelliguntur novitii, qui recipiunt doctrinam de Domino et de Decalogo; quid "testimonium Jesu Christi" videatur supra (6, 490). Quod per "Draconem" hic intelligantur qui credunt se sapientes ex confirmationibus pro "Unione mystica" Divini et Humani Domini, et pro Justificatione per solam Fidem, est quia hi in fastu sapientiae sunt, ac sciunt ratiocinari; et ex fastu procedit odium, et ex odio ira et vindicta contra illos qui non similiter credunt: per "Unionem mysticam," quae etiam "Unio hypostatica" vocatur, intelliguntur figmenta illorum de influxu et operatione Divinitatis in Humanitatem Domini sicut in alium; non scientes quod Deus et Homo, seu Divinum et Humanum in Domino, non sint duo sed una Persona, unita sicut Anima et Corpus, secundum Doctrinam in toto Christiano Orbe receptam, quae ab Athanasio nomen habet; sed figmenta "Unionis mysticae" illorum non adducere vacat, quia sunt absona. Quod per "semen Mulieris" hic intelligantur qui a Nova Ecclesia et in ejus doctrinae veris sunt, constare potest ex significatione "seminis" in sequentibus locis:
Notum fiet in gentibus Semen eorum, et prognati eorum in medio populorum: omnes videntes agnoscent eos, quod illi sint Semen cui benedixit Jehovah," (Esaias 61:9);
Semen benedictorum Jehovae illi," (Esaias 65:23);
"Quemadmodum Caeli novi et Terra nova, quae facturus sum, stabunt coram Me, sic stabit Semen vestrum, (Esaias 66:22);
"Semen quod serviet Ipsi, numerabitur Domino in generationem," (Psalm 22:31 (B.A. Psalm 22:30));
"Inimicitiam ponam inter te et mulierem, et inter Semen tuum et inter Semen mulieris," (Genesis 3:15);
"Num unus quaerit Semen Dei," (Malachias 2:15); 1
"Ecce dies venient, quibus Seminabo domum Israelis et domum Jehudae Semine hominis," (Jeremias 31:27);
"Si posuerit reatum animam Suam, videbit Semen," (Esaias 53:10);
"Ne timeto, quia Ego tecum; ab oriente adducam Semen tuum," (Esaias 43:5-6);
"Ad dextram et sinistram erumpes, et Semen tuum gentes haereditabit," (Esaias 54:3);
Ego plantaveram te vitem nobilem, Semen veritatis; quomodo conversa es Mihi in palmites vitis 2alienae," (Jeremias 2:21);
"Fructum eorum de terra perdes, 3et Semen eorum de filiis hominis, (Psalm 21:11 (B.A. 10));
"Semen sunt filii Regni," (Matthaeus 13:38).
Simile significatur per "Semen Israelis," quia "Israel" est Ecclesia, (Esaias 41:8-9; 44:3; Jeremias 22:8; 31:35-36);
simile etiam per "Semen Davidis," quia "David" est Dominus, (Jeremias 30:10; 33:22, 25-26; Psalm 89:4-5, 30 (B.A. 3-4, 29)).
Simile etiam per "Semen agri," quia "ager" significat Ecclesiam, multis in locis Oppositum autem significatur per "Semen malorum," (Esaias 1:4; 14:20; 57:3-4);
perque "Semen Serpentis," (Genesis 3:15).
565.b (Vers. 18. - B.A. 13:1). "Et steti super arena maris," significat statum ejus spiritualem naturalem, nunc qualis est illis qui in Primo seu Ultimo Caelo sunt. - Per "arenam maris" ille status significatur, quia per "mare" significatur externum Ecclesiae; hic status vocatur spiritualis naturalis, qualis est illis qui in primo seu ultimo Caelo sunt: prius fuerat supra in Caelo, ubi vidit Draconem, pugnam ejus cum Michaele, quod dejiceretur, et quod persequeretur Mulierem; at nunc cum Draco dejectus est, et continuatur de illo in sequentibus, Johannes in spiritu demissus est, ob causam ut videret plura de Dracone infra Caelos, et describeret illa; in quo statu vidit binas "Bestias," unam e mari, et alteram e terra ascendentem, quas non videre potuit e Caelo, quoniam non conceditur alicui angelo e Caelo in inferiora spectare, sed si lubet, licet descendere. Sciendum est, quod in mundo spirituali locus correspondeat statui, non enim quisquam potest alibi esse quam ubi status vitae ejus est; et quia Johannes nunc stetit super "arena maris," sequitur quod status ejus nunc spiritualis naturalis esset.
Footnotes:
1. 15 pro "35"
2. vitis pro "vitae"
3. perdes pro "perdam"