194、⑼妻子以种种隐秘的方式实现这种转变，这就是女人在男人沉睡时被造的意思。我们在《创世记》中读到：
耶和华神使亚当沉睡，他就睡了，于是取下他的一条肋骨，把它建成一个女人。（创世记2:21，22）
男人的沉睡，以及睡了表示他完全不知道妻子正在形成，可以说正从他被造。这一点从前章和本章的相关内容明显可知，即：妻子出于天生的小心谨慎，不会透露有关她们的爱，或她们如何接收丈夫生命的情感，并将其智慧转录到自己里面的任何情况。从前面的解释（166-168节）清楚可知，妻子以种种隐秘的方式实现这一切，而丈夫浑然不知，如同沉睡一般。那里还解释了，为了极其必要的理由，女人这样做的谨慎自创造，因而自出生就被注入她们，以便婚姻之爱，友谊和信任能建立起来，从而使得夫妻二人能享受同居的祝福和生活的幸福。为确保这一切按时发生，男人被吩咐离开父母，与妻子连合（创世记2:24;马太福音19:4，5）。
就灵义而言，男人要离开的父和母表示其意愿中的小我和理解中的小我。男人意愿中的小我是爱他自己，理解中的小我是爱他自己的智慧。连合表示专注于对妻子的爱。从刚才（193节）和其它章节可以看出，这两种小我若留在男人里面，对他来说就是致命的邪恶；只要男人与妻子连合，也就是说，接受她的爱，对这两种邪恶的爱就转变为婚姻之爱。沉睡表示浑然不知，或毫不关心；父和母表示男人的这两个小我，就是其意愿中的小我和理解中的小我；连合表示专注于对某人的爱，这一切可通过圣言中的其它经文得以证实，但此处不合适。
194、（9）女人的这种变化是悄悄的完成的。这就是所说的女人是在男人睡着了的时候被创造出来。
在创世纪中我们知道耶和华神使亚当进入睡眠状态后从他身上取出一根肋骨而创造了女人。这种睡眠状态的象征意义是男人对女人是从自身而创造出来的一无所知。这一点在前一章可以看到，同时本章也讲到女人不会透露自己接受丈夫的思想并将他们的智慧融入自身中。从166-168节中可以清楚看到女人在丈夫知道的情况下悄悄地做到了以上几点。前面还提到小女人在这方面的谨慎性也是生来就有的。这种谨慎有助于建立婚姻之爱，友谊及信任，进而两个人能够拥有幸福。
为了能实现这一点，男人也生来有将来要离开他的父母而与妻子相伴的天性。参见（《创世纪》2:24），《马太福音》19:4、5）。男人所离开的父母是有象征意义的，是指生来就有的对自己的意愿和才智的爱，与妻子相伴意思是将自己投入到对妻子的爱之中，这两种生来就有的本性是罪恶的，但由这两个本性而来的爱在他与妻子相伴后就被转变为婚姻之爱，参见193节。
194. (ix) This formation is effected by the wife in secret ways, and this is meant by woman being created while the man slept.
We read in Genesis that Jehovah God made a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, so that he went to sleep, and He then took one of his ribs and built it into a woman (Genesis 2:21-22). The man's sleep and going to sleep mean his total ignorance of his wife being formed and, as it were, created out of him. This is plain from what was demonstrated in the last chapter, as well as from the natural prudence and carefulness which prevents wives revealing anything about their love, or how they take over the affections of their husbands' life, and copy their wisdom into themselves. It is clear from what was explained above (166-168 ff.) that this is done by the wife while her husband is unaware of it and, so to speak, asleep, that is, in secret ways. In that passage it was also made clear that women have the prudence to act like this instilled in them from creation, and so from their birth, for the very necessary reasons that this establishes conjugial love, friendship and trust, so that they can enjoy living together and have a happy life. To ensure that this duly takes place, the man is instructed to leave his father and mother and cling to his wife (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-5).
[2] In the spiritual sense the father and mother whom the man is to leave mean selfishness in the will and in the intellect. Selfishness in a person's will is self-love, and selfishness in his intellect is loving his own wisdom. Clinging means devoting oneself to one's wife's love. These two forms of selfishness are fatal evils to the man, if they endure with him. The love of these two evils is changed into conjugial love to the extent that a man clings to his wife, that is, to the extent that he receives her love. On both these points see just above (193 and elsewhere). This is not the place for it, but it can be adequately confirmed from other passages in the Word, that sleeping means being unaware and uncaring, father and mother mean a person's two forms of selfishness, one in the will and the other in the intellect, and clinging means devoting oneself to someone's love.
194. 9. This transformation is accomplished by the wife in secret ways, which is what is meant by woman's having been created while the man slept. We read in the book of creation that Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam so that he slept, and that He then took one of the man's ribs and fashioned it into a woman (Genesis 2:21-22). This sleep and the man's sleeping symbolize a man's complete ignorance that his wife is transformed and, so to speak, created from him. This is apparent from observations made in the preceding chapter, and also in this one, respecting wives' innate discretion and prudence not to divulge anything of their love, not even of their adopting their husband's life's affections and of their thus transfusing his wisdom into them. It is clear from what we presented before in nos. 166-168ff that a wife does this without her husband's knowing and while he is, so to speak, asleep, thus that she does it in secret ways. We also showed in the same numbers that the prudence needed to accomplish it is instinctive in women from creation, thus from birth, for reasons that are necessary in building conjugial love, friendship and trust, so that the two may have bliss in living together and happiness of life.
In order that this may come about as it should, therefore, it was enjoined on man that he leave father and mother and cling to his wife(Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-5).
[2] The father and mother a man is to leave mean, in a spiritual sense, the inherent nature of his will and the inherent nature of his intellect (the inherent nature of a person's will being to love itself, and the inherent nature of a person's intellect being to love its own wisdom). And to cling means to commit himself to love of his wife. These two inherent natures are evil and deadly to a man if they remain in him, but the love arising from the two is turned into conjugial love as a man clings to his wife, that is, as he acquires a love for her, as may be seen just above in no. 193, and elsewhere.
(It can be amply demonstrated from passages elsewhere in the Word that to be asleep symbolically means to be unaware or oblivious; that father and mother symbolically mean the two inherent natures of a person, one of the will and one of the intellect; and that to cling symbolically means to commit oneself to love for something. But it would be out of place to do it here.)
194. 9. The wife works this transformation in unknown ways, and this is what it means by the woman being created while the man was sleeping.
It says in Genesis that Jehovah God made a heavy sleep fall on Adam, so he fell asleep, and then He took one of his ribs and built it into a woman (2:21-22). The heavy sleep and the man's falling asleep stand for his complete unawareness that a wife is formed and in this sense created from him. This is clear from the presentation in the last chapter and also in this one about the inborn prudence and watchfulness of a wife not to let anything be known about her love, nor about taking the motives of the man's life to herself and in this way transferring his wisdom into herself.
The explanation above (nos. 166ff.) shows that a wife brings this about with her husband unaware and as if sleeping - in other words, by hidden means. In that place it also shows that the skill to bring this about is inherent in women from creation and therefore from their birth, for reasons that are necessary to preserve the love, friendship, and confidence of married love, and thus the happiness of living together and productive life. So for this to be done right the man is told to leave his father and mother and cling to his wife (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-5). In a spiritual sense, the father and mother whom the man leaves mean his own will and his own intellect. A person's own will is to love himself, and his own intellect is to love his wisdom. And to cling means to give himself over to loving his wife.
(No. 193, above, and other places, show that these two things of his own are fatal ills to the man if they stay in him and that love of them both turns into the love in marriage as the man clings to his wife - i.e., receives her love.)
(There are other passages in the Word that can sufficiently confirm that sleeping means being ignorant and unaware, that father and mother stand for the two things of a person's ownone associated with will and the other with intellect - and that to cling means to give yourself over to loving someone. But this is not the place for the passages.)
194. IX. THAT THIS FORMATION IS EFFECTED BY THE WIFE IN SECRET WAYS; AND THAT THIS IS WHAT IS MEANT BY THE WOMAN BEING CREATED WHILE THE MAN SLEPT. We read in the Book of Creation that Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, that he might fall asleep, and then took one of his ribs and built it into a woman (Genesis 2:21, 22). That by the man's sleep and by his falling asleep is signified his entire ignorance that a wife is being formed and, as it were, created from him, is evident from what was shown in the preceding and also in the present chapter, concerning the innate prudence and circumspection of wives in not divulging anything whatever about their love or about their assumption of the affections of the man's life and so about the transcription of his wisdom into themselves. That this is effected by the wife in secret ways, the husband all unaware and as though sleeping, is clear from what has been explained above (nos. 166-168.). There it was also explained that for reasons which are necessities, the prudence to accomplish this is implanted in women from creation and hence from birth, to the end that conjugial love, friendship, and confidence may be established, and so the blessedness of cohabitation and the happiness of life. That this may be rightly done, it was therefore enjoined on the man that he should leave father and mother and cleave unto his wife (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4, 5).
[2] In the spiritual sense, by the father and mother whom the man is to leave is meant the proprium of his will and the proprium of his understanding, the proprium of man's will being to love himself, and the proprium of his understanding to love his own wisdom; and by cleaving is signified devoting himself to the love of his wife. That these two propriums are evils deadly to man if they remain with him, and that the love of the two is changed into conjugial love so far as the man cleaves to his wife, that is, receives her love, may be seen just above (no. 193) and in other passages. That by sleeping is signified being in ignorance or unconcern; that by father and mother are signified the two propriums of man, that of his will and that of his understanding; and that by cleaving is signified devoting one's self to the love of some one, can be abundantly confirmed by passages from other parts of the Word, but this is not the place.
194. (ix) This formation is effected by the wife in secret ways, which is meant by the woman's being formed while the man slept. We read in the Book of Creation that Jehovah God made a deep sleep to fall upon Adam so that he slept; and then took one of his ribs and built it into a woman (Genesis 2:21-22). By the man's profound slumber is signified his entire ignorance that the wife is formed and as it were created from him. The man's ignorance of this is plain from what was shown in the preceding chapter and also from what is said in the present chapter about the innate prudence and circumspection of wives not to betray their love or in any way their taking up the affections of the man's life or their transcribing his wisdom into themselves. From what was explained above it is evident that the wife does all this while the husband is unaware and as it were asleep, thus by secret ways. We also showed that the prudence for accomplishing this is implanted in women by creation and thus from birth for reasons which are necessities, that marital love, friendship, and trust, and so the blessedness of living together and happiness of life, may be secured. That this may all be effected the man is enjoined to leave father and mother, and to cleave to his wife (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-5). By the father and mother whom a man is to leave are meant in the spiritual sense his will's own and his understanding's own, the will's own being to love himself, and the understanding's own being to love his own wisdom. By "cleave" is signified to give himself to love for his wife. These two "owns" are deadly evils to the man if they persist in him, but the love of the two is turned into marital love, as the man cleaves to his wife, that is, as he receives her love (see just above,193 and elsewhere). It could be shown fully from passages in the Word (this is not the place) that to be in ignorance and unaware is meant by "sleeping;" that the two things peculiar to man, the will's own and the understanding's own, are signified by "father" and "mother;" and to devote oneself to love for some one is meant by "to cleave."
194. (9) That this formation is effected by the wife in secret ways, and that this is meant by the woman's being created while the man slept. We read in the Book of Creation that:
Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, that he should fall asleep; and then He took one of his ribs and built it into a woman (Genesis 2:21-22).
That by the man's deep sleep and by his falling asleep is signified his entire ignorance that the wife is formed and as it were created from him, appears from what was shown in the preceding chapter, and also in this, respecting the innate prudence and circumspection of wives, lest they divulge anything whatever about their love or about their assumption of the affections of the man's life, and so of the transcription of his wisdom into themselves. That this is effected by the wife in secret ways, the husband being unaware and as it were asleep, is clear from the explanations above, at n. 166-168, and after, where it is also explained that the prudence to accomplish this is inherent in women from creation, and thence from birth, for reasons which are necessities, that conjugial love, friendship, and confidence, and so the blessedness of living together and happiness of life may be secured. Therefore, in order that this shall be rightly done it is enjoined upon the man that he shall leave father and mother and cleave unto his wife (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-5). By 'father and mother' whom the man is to leave are meant in the spiritual sense his proprium of the will, and of the understanding. It is the proprium of man's will to love himself; and the proprium of his understanding is to love his own wisdom. By 'cleave' is signified to devote himself to the love of his wife. That these two propria are evils deadly to man if they remain with him; and that the love of these two is changed into conjugial love in so far as the man cleaves to his wife, that is, receives her love, may be seen just above n. 193, and elsewhere. That to 'sleep' signifies to be in ignorance or unwariness; that by 'father and mother' are signified the two propria of man, the one of the will, the other of the understanding; and that to 'cleave' signifies to devote one's self to the love of some one, may be satisfactorily confirmed by passages from other parts of the Word; but this is not the place.
194. IX. Quod formatio illa fiat ab Uxore modis arcanis, et quod hoc intelligatur per quod foemina creata sit dormiente viro. Legitur in Libro Creationis, quod Jehovah Deus cadere fecerit somnum gravem super Adamum, ut obdormiret, et tunc sumserit unam de costis ejus, et aedificaverit illam in mulierem, Genes. 2:21-22; 1quod per somnum et obdormitionem viri, significetur plenaria ignorantia ejus, quod uxor formetur et sicut creetur ab illo, patet ex ostensis in praecedente Capite, et quoque in hoc, de insita prudentia et circumspectione uxorum, ne quicquam evulgent de Amore suo, nec de assumptione affectionum vitae viri, et sic transcriptione ejus sapientiae in se; quod hoc fiat ab uxore, nesciente et quasi dormiente marito, ita modis arcanis, patet ab explicatis supra 166, 167, 168. seqq.; ubi etiam illustratur, quod prudentia id peragendi mulieribus a creatione, et inde a nativitate, insita sit, propter causas, quae sunt necessitates, ut conjugialis amor, amicitia, et confidentia, et sic beatitudo cohabitationis, et felicitas vitae, constabiliantur; quare ut hoc rite fiat, injunctum est viro, ut relinquat patrem et matrem, et adhaereat uxori, Genes. 2:24. Matth. 19:4-5;
[2] per patrem et matrem, quos vir relinquet, in sensu spirituali intelligitur ejus proprium voluntatis et proprium intellectus, et proprium voluntatis hominis est amare se, et proprium intellectus ejus est amare suam sapientiam; et per adhaerere significatur addicare se amori uxoris; quod duo Propria illa sint mala internecina viro, si permanent apud illum, et quod amor duorum illorum vertatur in amorem conjugialem, sicut vir adhaeret uxori, hoc est, recipit amorem ejus, videatur mox supra 193, et alibi. Quod per dormire significetur in ignorantia et incuria esse; quod per patrem et matrem significentur duo propria hominis, unum voluntatis et alterum intellectus, et quod per adhaerere significetur addicare se amori alicujus, ex locis in Verbo alibi potest satis confirmari; sed hoc hujus loci non est.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: 22.