'Waters' particularly signify the spiritual parts of a person, or the intellectual aspects of faith, and also their opposites.

'The waters above the firmament,' as in Genesis 1:7, signify the knowledges in the internal self, and 'the waters beneath the firmament' signify the knowledges of the external self.

'Waters,' as in Ezekiel 47:9, refer to the New Jerusalem, and they signify spiritual things from a celestial origin.

'Many waters,' as in Revelation 17:1, signify truths of the Word adulterated. 'Waters' or 'rivers' signify spiritual, rational, or scientific things pertaining to truth.

'Waters … that go softly,' as in Isaiah 8:6-7, signify spiritual things, and 'waters … strong and many,' signify falsities.

'Waters,' as in Psalms 104:3, signify divine truths.

'Waters' signify truths in the natural self, and in the opposite sense, falsities.

'The waters were dried up from off the earth,' as in Genesis 8:7, signifies the apparent dissipation of falsities.

(Odkazy: Apocalypse Explained 17; Apocalypse Revealed 50; Genesis 8)

2691. “神听见孩子的声音” 表当时的帮助. 这从 “神听见声音” 用于历史意义时的含义, 以及 “孩子” 的含义清楚可知: 就内义而言, “神听见声音” 是指带来帮助; “孩子” 是指属灵真理, 如前所述. 此处的状态就真理而言, 是有属灵之物在其中的. 因为经上说 “神听见孩子的声音”, 接着在本节又说 “孩子在那里所发的声音, 神已经听见了”, 也就是在什么样的状态下. 前几节已说明, 由于损失真理而极度悲伤的人就处于这种状态. 经上说神听见的声音是孩子的, 而非夏甲的, 其原因在于: 所论述的主题是属灵之人的状态. “孩子” 或以实玛利代表教会成员, “他母亲夏甲” 则代表对真理的认知的情感. 所感觉到的悲伤就在这情感当中. 人类理性是从作为母亲的对记忆知识的情感生出的 (1895-1896, 1902, 1910, 2094, 2524节), 而人的属灵之物则是从由教义, 主要由圣言所得对真理的认知的情感生出的. 属灵之物本身就是此处的 “孩子”, 而对真理的认知的情感则是 “夏甲”.