261. About the liberation of those who are bound in the pit; then,

What is meant by the pain of a woman in labor

Some of those who are bound in the pit are not set free before they arrive at the utmost of despair, that is, until they have paid the last of the debt [cf. Matt. 5:26]. This is also called the pain of a woman in labor, and the arrival [of the unborn babe] at the mouth of the womb [see 244].