49. 3. “Spirit” means the life of those who have been regenerated, which is called spiritual life.

Jesus said, “Unless you have been born of water and the spirit you cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5)

I will give you a new heart and a new spirit. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

God will give a new heart and a new spirit. (Ezekiel 11:19)

Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a strong spirit within me. Bring back to me the joy of your salvation, and let a willing spirit uphold me. (Psalms 51:10-12)

Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 18:31)

You send out your spirit, and they are created; you renew the face of the earth. (Psalms 104:30)

The hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23)

Jehovah God gives soul to the people and spirit to those who are walking on [the earth]. (Isaiah 42:5)

Jehovah forms the human spirit within us. (Zechariah 12:1)

With my soul I have awaited you in the night; with my spirit within me I have awaited you in the morning. (Isaiah 26:9)

On that day Jehovah will become a spirit of judgment to the one who sits in judgment. (Isaiah 28:6)

My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. (Luke 1:47)

They have given rest to my spirit in the land of the north. (Zechariah 6:8)

Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me. (Psalms 31:5)

There was not one, even among the remnant who had spirit. (Malachi 2:15)

After three and a half days the spirit of life from God entered the two witnesses who had been killed by the beast. (Revelation 11:11)

I, Jehovah, form the mountains and create the spirit. (Amos 4:13)

O God, the God of the spirits for all flesh... (Numbers 16:22; 27:18)

I will pour a spirit from on high upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:10)

... even until he has poured out upon us a spirit from on high. (Isaiah 32:15)

I will pour out waters upon those who are thirsty and streams upon the dry land; I will pour out my spirit upon your seed. (Isaiah 44:3)

I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; also upon my male and female servants I will pour out spirit in those days. (Joel 2:28-29)

To pour out the spirit means to regenerate, as does to give a new heart and a new spirit.

[2] “Spirit” refers to the spiritual life of people who have been genuinely humbled.

I dwell in a crushed and humble spirit, to bring to life the spirit of the humble and to bring to life the heart of the crushed. (Isaiah 57:15)

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; God will not scorn a crushed and broken heart. (Psalms 51:17)

He will give the oil of joy in place of mourning, and a garment of praise in place of a confined spirit. (Isaiah 61:3)

... a woman abandoned and afflicted in spirit. (Isaiah 54:6)

Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. (Matthew 5:3)

7711. “埃及地必有幽暗” 表真理和良善的完全剥夺. 这从 “幽暗” 的含义清楚可知, “幽暗” 是指真理和良善的完全剥夺. 在圣言中, 各个地方都提到 “黑暗”, 还同时提到 “幽暗”; 在这些地方, “黑暗” 论及虚假, “幽暗” 论及与虚假在一起的邪恶. 不过, 在本节, 用来表达 “幽暗” 的词表示乌黑的黑暗, 这在内义上表示从邪恶涌出的那类虚假. 这类虚假就在那些属于教会, 过着一种违背他们所知道的信仰诫命的邪恶生活的人中间产生. 这些虚假所源于的邪恶反对教会, 反对天堂, 反对主, 因而与良善和真理截然对立. 现在 “幽暗” 就描述了这种状态.

在圣言中, 经上会同时提到 “黑暗” 和 “幽暗”, “黑暗” 表示真理的剥夺, 而 “幽暗 (经上有时译为幽冥)” 表示真理和良善的剥夺, 这一点可从以下经文看出来. 以赛亚书:

公平离我们远, 公义追不上我们. 我们等候光, 看哪, 却只有黑暗; 等候光明, 却行在幽暗中. 我们摸索墙壁, 好像瞎子; 我们摸索, 如同无目之人. 我们晌午绊跌, 如在黄昏一样; 我们在活人中间, 像死人一般. (以赛亚书 59:9-10)

“公平离我们远, 公义追不上我们” 表示既没有真理, 也没有良善的事实; “公平” 论及真理, “公义” 论及良善 (参看2235, 3997节); “等候光” 表示等候真理; “等候光明” 表示等候真理之良善, 因为光明源于良善. “黑暗” 在此是指 “光” 和 “公平” 的对立面, 因而是真理的对立面; “幽暗” 是 “光明” 和 “公义” 的对立面, 因而是良善的对立面; 因此, “黑暗” 表示真理的剥夺, “幽暗” 表示真理和良善的剥夺. 阿摩司书:

耶和华的日子, 不是黑暗没有光明吗? 不是幽暗毫无光辉吗? (阿摩司书 5:20)

此处意思也一样. 约珥书:

耶和华的日子将到, 是一个黑暗, 幽冥的日子, 一个密云, 乌黑的日子. (约珥书 2:1-2)

西番雅书:

耶和华的日子是急难困苦的日子, 是黑暗, 幽冥的日子. (西番雅书 1:15)

“黑暗” 表示真理的剥夺; “幽冥” 表示真理和良善的剥夺; 如果 “幽暗或幽冥” 与 “黑暗” 的意思一样, 那将是一个毫无意义的重复, 这样的重复绝不是圣言的特征. 在圣言中经常会发现两种表达方式用来描述一件事, 一种表达方式涉及真理或虚假; 另一种表达方式涉及良善或邪恶. 在以赛亚书也一样:

祂俯视大地, 看哪, 尽是艰难, 黑暗; 他必因困苦和碰撞的幽暗而昏昧. (以赛亚书 8:22)

“黑暗” 也表示诸如存在于外邦人当中的那种对真理的无知; “幽暗” 表示对良善的无知. 以赛亚书:

到那日, 聋子必听见这书上的话; 瞎子的眼必从幽冥黑暗中得以看见. (以赛亚书 29:18)

又:

你若使困苦的灵魂得满足, 你的光就必在黑暗中升起来, 你的幽暗必变如午日. (以赛亚书 58:10)

“黑暗” 是指虚假 (参看7688节).