5202.“看哪，在它们之后又有七只母牛从河里上来”表属于也在边界的属世层的虚假。这从“母牛”和“河”的含义清楚可知。“母牛”是指属世层的真理，如刚才所述（5198节）；因此，“母牛”在反面意义上表示虚假，因为在圣言中，绝大多数事物都有一个能从正面意义得知的反面意义；所以正如“母牛”在正面意义上表示属世类的真理，它们在反面意义上表示属世类的虚假，因而表示属世层里面的虚假。“河”是指一个边界，如前所述（5196，5197节）。这些虚假在边界，这一点也可从经上说它们“从河里上来”明显看出来；因为“上来”论及从外层事物到内层事物的发展（3084，4539，4969节）。
有必要阐明这个问题是何情形，因为这是下文所论述的主题。前一章论述的主题是外层属世层，以及属于理解力的那类感官印象和属于意愿的那类感官印象。前者被接受，后者被抛弃。“酒政”代表属于理解力的那类印象，“膳长”代表属于意愿的那类印象。属于理解力的那类印象因被接受，故也顺从内层属世层。这些是前一章所论述的问题，这是属世层重生的第一步。
然而，本章论述的主题是属灵层的属天层流入被保留下来的属世层里面的印象；也就是说，属于那里的理解力部分、现由“长相俊美，肌肉肥壮的母牛”来表示的印象。不过，由于单单就属于理解力的观念而言，属世层无法经历任何重生，所以也必须有属于意愿的渴望；因为属世层的每一个部分要成为某种事物，必须包括某种属于理解力的元素，同时包括某种属于意愿的元素。但由于之前的意愿元素已经被抛弃，所以一个新的意愿必须进入以取代它。这新的元素或新意愿从属灵层的属天层得来，属灵层的属天层及其进入属世层的流注是本章所论述的主题。就内义而言，所描述的是属世层处在该状态下是何情形；在这个状态下，那里的真理通过虚假被驱逐，以致属世层被暴露给属灵层的属天层。这些就是“好母牛被不好的母牛吃尽，饱满的穗子被虚空的穗子吞了，之后约瑟为埃及全地作提供”来表示。不过，蒙主的神性怜悯，我们会在下文详述这些问题。
此外，它们具有很难进入人类理解力之光的性质；因为它们是重生的奥秘，这些奥秘本身不计其数，人对此几乎一无所知。处于良善的人从他在世上的童年最早期到生命的最后阶段，此后直到永远，都在经历重生；不仅内层在经历，而且外层也在经历；这种重生涉及令人惊叹的过程。正是这些过程在很大程度上构成天使的智慧；这智慧如众所周知的，是无法形容的，包含诸如耳所未闻、眼所未见、也从未进入人思维的那类事物。圣言的内义就论述这类事物，因而适合天使的智慧；当这内义从这智慧流入字义时，它就变得适合人类智慧，由此以一种看不见的方式影响那些出于良善的动机而渴望认识从圣言所得来的真理之人。
Potts(1905-1910) 5202
5202. And behold seven other kine came up after them out of the river. That this signifies falsities that were of the natural, also in the boundary, is evident from the signification of "kine" as being truths of the natural (of which just above, n. 5198), whence it is that "kine" in the opposite sense are falsities (for most of the expressions in the Word have an opposite sense, which is known from the genuine sense, and therefore as in the genuine sense "kine" are truths of the natural, in the opposite sense they are falsities of the same kind, thus falsities in the natural); and from the signification of a "river," as being a boundary (of which also above, n. 5196, 5197). That they were in the boundary is plain also from their being said to have "come up out of the river;" for "to come up" is predicated of progression from what is exterior toward things interior (n. 3084, 4539, 4969). [2] It will be necessary to state how the case is with this matter, because this is the subject treated of in what follows. In the preceding chapter the subject treated of was the exterior natural, and the things in it which belonged to the class of the intellect, and those which belonged to the class of the will-that the former were received, and the latter rejected. Those belonging to the class of the intellect were represented by the butler, and those belonging to the class of the will by the baker; and because those belonging to the class of the intellect were received, they were also made subordinate to the interior natural. These were treated of in the previous chapter, and this was the first of the rebirth of the natural. [3] In the present chapter, however, the subject treated of is the influx of the celestial of the spiritual into those things of the natural which were retained, namely, those in it that were of the intellectual part, and that are signified by "kine beautiful in look and fat in flesh." But as the natural cannot be reborn as to intellectual things alone, there were also things of the will; for in everything there must be something of the intellect and at the same time something of the will in order that it may be anything; and as the former will had been rejected, therefore a new one must flow in, in its place. This new will is from the celestial of the spiritual, which together with its influx into the natural, is treated of in this chapter. How the case is with the natural in this state is described in the internal sense-that the truths in it were banished through falsities, the natural being thus left to the celestial of the spiritual, which is signified by the good kine being eaten up by the evil kine, and by the full ears of corn being swallowed up by the empty ones, and afterward by Joseph's making provision for all Egypt; but of the Lord's Divine mercy more will be said on these subjects in the following pages. [4] They are, moreover, of such a nature as to come with difficulty into the light of the human understanding; for they are secret things of regeneration, of which though in themselves innumerable, man knows scarcely anything. From his early infancy to the last of his life in the world and thereafter to eternity, the man who is in good is being born again every moment, not only as to interiors, but also as to exteriors, and this by amazing processes. It is these processes that for the most part constitute angelic wisdom, which is known to be ineffable, and to contain such things as ear has not heard, nor eye seen, neither have entered into the thought of man. The internal sense of the Word treats of things like these, and thus is adapted to angelic wisdom; and when it flows from this wisdom into the sense of the letter it becomes adapted to human wisdom, and thereby in a hidden way affects those who are in the desire from good of knowing truths from the Word.
Elliott(1983-1999) 5202
5202. 'And behold, seven other cows were coming up after them out of the river' means falsities belonging to the natural which are also at the boundary. This is clear from the meaning of 'cows' as the truths belonging to the natural, dealt with just above in 518, so that in the contrary sense 'cows' means falsities (for most things in the Word have a contrary meaning that can be recognized from the genuine one, and therefore since truths of a natural kind are meant by 'cows' in the genuine sense, falsities of the same kind, thus falsities within the natural, are meant in the contrary sense); and from the meaning of 'the river' as the boundary, also dealt with above, in 5196, 5197. The presence of those falsities at the boundary is also evident from the use of the words 'came up out of the river', for coming or going up is used in reference to an advance made from what is exterior towards things that are interior, 3084, 4579, 4969.
[2] The implications of this, since it forms the subject in what follows, must be stated here. The previous chapter dealt with the exterior natural, with the fact that some impressions were the kind that belonged to the understanding while others were the kind that belonged to the will. The former were accepted, but the latter were cast aside. Impressions such as belonged to the understanding were represented by 'the cupbearer', and those such as belonged to the will by 'the baker'. Also, because the kind belonging to the understanding were accepted, they were also made subordinate to the internal natural. These were the matters that were dealt with in the previous chapter, in which the first stage in the rebirth of the natural is described.
[3] In the present chapter however the subject is the influx of the celestial of the spiritual into the impressions in the natural which were retained, that is to say, the impressions belonging to the understanding part there, which are meant now by 'the cows beautiful in appearance and fat-fleshed'. But as the natural cannot undergo any rebirth solely so far as ideas belonging to the understanding are concerned, desires belonging to the will must also be involved; for every individual part of the natural, to be anything at all, must include some element belonging to the understanding and at the same time another element belonging to the will. But because the will element that was present previously has been cast aside a new one must therefore enter in to replace it. This new element is received from the celestial of the spiritual which, together with its influx into the natural, is the subject in the present chapter. What the natural is like in this state is described in the internal sense - a state in which the truths there have been banished by falsities, so that the natural has been left exposed to the celestial of the spiritual. These are the considerations that are meant by the devouring of the good cows by the bad cows and the swallowing up of the full heads of grain by the empty ones, and after this by Joseph's making provision for all the land of Egypt. But in the Lord's Divine mercy more regarding these matters will be stated in what follows.
[4] They are, what is more, the kind of considerations that scarcely fall within the area of light within the human understanding, for they are the arcana of regeneration which in themselves are countless but about which a person knows barely anything at all. The person with whom good is present is undergoing rebirth every moment, from earliest childhood to the final stage of his life in the world, and after that for ever. This is happening to him not only interiorly but also exteriorly; and this rebirth involves processes that are amazing. They are processes which for the most part constitute angelic wisdom, and that wisdom, as is well known, is indescribable, embracing such things as ear has not heard, nor eye seen, and such as have never entered man's thought.a The internal sense deals with such matters and so is suited to angelic wisdom; and when this sense passes into the sense of the letter it becomes suited to human wisdom, and in an unseen way it stirs the affections of those who, motivated by good, have the desire to know truths received from the Word.
Latin(1748-1756) 5202
5202. `Et ecce septem vaccae aliae ascendentes post eas e fluvio': quod significet falsa quae naturalis etiam in termino, constat ex significatione `vaccarum' quod sint vera naturalis, de qua mox supra n. 5198; inde est quod `vaccae' in opposito sensu sint falsa; pleraque enim in Verbo oppositum sensum habent qui cognoscitur ex genuino, consequenter quia `vaccae' in genuino sensu sunt vera naturalis, in opposito sunt ejusdem generis falsa, ita falsa {1}in naturali; et ex significatione `fluvii' quod sit terminus, de qua etiam supra n. 5196, 5197; quod in termino, patet {2}etiam ex eo quod dicatur quod `ascenderint e fluvio', ascendere enim praedicatur de progressione ab exteriore versus interiora, n. 3084, 4539, 4969. [2] Quomodo cum hac re se habet{3}, quia in sequentibus de illa agitur, dicendum: in capite praecedente actum est de exteriore naturali, deque illis ibi quae ad classem intellectualem pertinebant, et de illis quae ad classem voluntariam, et quod illa recepta sint et haec rejecta; quae ad classem intellectualem pertinebant, repraesentabantur per `pincernam', et quae ad voluntariam per `pistorem'; et quia illa quae ad classem intellectualem pertinebant, recepta sunt, etiam subordinata sunt naturali interiori; de his in capite praecedente actum est, et hoc erat primum renascentiae naturalis; [3] in hoc autem capite agitur de influxu caelestis spiritualis in illa naturalis quae retenta fuerunt, nempe in illa quae partis intellectualis ibi erant; ea sunt quae significantur per `vaccas pulchras aspectu et pingues carne'; sed quia naturale quoad intellectualia sola non renasci potest, erunt quoque voluntaria, in singulis enim erit ex intellectuali et simul ex voluntario, ut sit aliquid; et quia prius voluntarium rejectum est, idcirco novum loco ejus influet; hoc novum est ex caelesti spiritualis, de quo et de cujus influxu in naturale in hoc capite agitur; quomodo cum naturali in hoc statu se habeat, in sensu interno {4}describitur, quod nempe vera ibi exterminata sint per falsa, et sic naturale relictum caelesti spiritualis, quae significantur per quod `vaccae bonae comestae sint a malis', et quod `aristae plenae absorptae sint a vacuis', et dein per quod `Joseph prospexerit toti Aegypto'; sed de his in sequentibus, ex Divina Domini Misericordia, plura dicenda; [4] sunt insuper talia quae in lucem intellectus humani aegre cadunt, sunt enim arcana regenerationis quae in se innumerabilia sunt, homo vix aliqua eorum scit; renascitur enim homo qui in bono est unoquovis momento a prima infantia {5} ad ultimum vitae in mundo et dein in aeternum, non solum quoad interiora sed etiam quoad exteriora, et hoc per processus stupendos; hi sunt qui quoad multam partem faciunt sapientiam angelicam, quae quod ineffabilis sit et contineat talia quae auris non audivit, {6}et oculus non vidit, {7}nec usquam pervenerunt in cogitationem hominis, notum est; sensus internus Verbi de talibus agit, ita adaequatus est sapientiae angelicae, qui cum inde influit in sensum litterae, fit adaequatus sapientiae humanae, {8}et afficit inde latenter illos qui ex bono in desiderio sunt sciendi vera ex Verbo. @1 A alters in naturali to naturalis$ @2 quoque$ @3 i paucis dicendum$ @4 i hic$ @5 i usque$ @6 nec$ @7 et nusquam$ @8 afficit enim$