5354 – 6776 – The Lord's New Church

AC (Potts) n. 5354 5354. And the name of the second called he Ephraim. That this signifies a new understanding in the natural, and its quality, is evident from the signification of a “name” and “calling a name,” as being the quality (see n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3421); and from the representation of Ephraim, as being the understanding in the natural (of which in what follows). But first must be told what is meant by the new understanding and the new will signified by “Ephraim and Manasseh.” In the church it is indeed known that man must be born again (that is, must be regenerated) in order that he may enter the kingdom of God; for the Lord has plainly declared this in John 3:3, 5. But what it is to be born again is known only to few, for the reason that few know what good and evil are, and this because they do not know what charity toward the neighbor is; if they knew this, they would also know what good is, and from good what evil is; for all that is good which comes from genuine charity toward the neighbor.
[2] But no one can be in this good from himself, because it is the celestial itself which flows in from the Lord. This celestial flows in continually, but evils and falsities stand in the way of its being received; and therefore in order that it may be received it is necessary for man to remove evils, and as far as he is able falsities also, and thus dispose himself to receive the influx. When after evils have been removed the man receives the influx, he at the same time receives a new will and a new understanding; and from the new will he feels delight in doing good to the neighbor from no selfish end, and from the new understanding he perceives delight in learning what is good and true for its own sake and for the sake of the life. Inasmuch as this new understanding and new will come into existence through influx from the Lord, the man who has been regenerated acknowledges and believes that the good and truth with which he is affected are not from himself but from the Lord, and also that whatever is from himself, or of his own, is nothing but evil.
[3] From all this it is plain what it is to be born again, and also what the new will and new understanding are. But the regeneration through which come the new understanding and the new will is not accomplished in a moment, but goes on from earliest infancy even to the close of life, and afterward in the other life to eternity, and this by Divine means, innumerable and unspeakable; for man of himself is nothing but evil, which continually exhales as from a furnace, and continually endeavors to extinguish the nascent good. The removal of such evil, and the inrooting of good in its place, cannot be effected short of the whole course of life, and through Divine means numberless and unspeakable. Of these means scarcely any are known at the present day, for the reason that man does not suffer himself to be regenerated, nor does he believe regeneration to be anything, because he does not believe in a life after death. The process of regeneration, which includes indescribable things, makes up the main part of angelic wisdom, and is of such a nature that it cannot be fully exhausted by any angel to eternity. Hence it is that this is the chief subject treated of in the internal sense of the Word.
[4] That “Ephraim” is the new understanding in the natural, is plain from very many passages in the Word, especially in the prophet Hosea, which treats much of “Ephraim,” and in which we read as follows:
I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from Me, in that thou hast wholly committed whoredom, O Ephraim, Israel is defiled. Israel and Ephraim shall go to ruin by their iniquity; Judah shall also go to ruin with them. Ephraim shall become a solitude in the day of reproof. And I am as a moth to Ephraim, and as a boring-worm to the house of Judah. And Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, and Ephraim went to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb; and this one could not heal you (Hos. 5:3, 5, 9, 12-13).
Again in the same prophet:
When I healed Israel, then was the iniquity of Ephraim unveiled, and the evils of Samaria; for they have wrought a lie; and a thief cometh, and a troop spreadeth itself abroad. And Ephraim was like a silly dove without heart; they called Egypt, they went to Assyria. When they shall go I will spread my net over them (Hos. 7:1, 11-12).
[5] Again:
Israel is swallowed up; now shall they be among the nations as a vessel wherein is no desire; when they went up to Assyria, a wild ass alone; Ephraim winneth him loves with a harlot’s hire (Hos. 8:8-9);
Israel shall not dwell in the land of Jehovah, and Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat what is unclean in Assyria (Hos. 9:3);
Ephraim hath compassed me about with a lie, and the house of Israel with deceit; and Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints; Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind; every day he multiplieth a lie and wasting, and they make a covenant with the Assyrian, and oil is carried down into Egypt (Hos. 11:12; 12:1);
besides many other passages in the same prophet concerning Ephraim (as chap. 4:17-19; 5:3, 5, 9, 11-14; 7:8, 9; 9:8, 11, 13, 16; 10:6, 11; 11:3, 8, 9; 12:8, 14; 13:1, 12; 14:8).
[6] In all these passages by “Ephraim” is meant the intellectual of the church, by “Israel” its spiritual, and by “Judah” its celestial; and it is because the intellectual of the church is signified by “Ephraim” that it is so often said of him that he “goes away into Egypt,” and “into Assyria;” for by “Egypt” are signified memory-knowledges, and by “Assyria” reasonings from these; both being predicated of the understanding. (That “Egypt” signifies memory-knowledge may be seen above, n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 2588, 3325, 4749, 4964, 4966; and also that “Assyria” signifies reason and reasoning, n. 119, 1186.)
[7] In like manner in the following passages by “Ephraim” is signified the understanding of the church:
Exult greatly, O daughter of Zion; sound, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold thy King cometh to thee. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and I will cut off the battle bow; He shall speak peace against the nations; and His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. I will bend Judah for Me, I will fill Ephraim with the bow, and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, with thy sons, O Javan (Zech. 9:9-10, 13);
said of the coming of the Lord and of the church of the Gentiles. “To cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem” denotes to cut off all the understanding of the church; “to fill Ephraim with the bow” denotes to give a new understanding. That a “chariot” signifies what is of doctrine may be seen above (n. 5321), a “horse,” what is of the understanding (n. 2760-2762, 3217, 5321); and a “bow” also what is of doctrine (2685, 2686, 2709); for what is of doctrine depends on what is of the understanding, for it is believed as it is understood, the understanding of the doctrine determining the quality of the faith.
[8] Hence also the sons of Ephraim are called “shooters with the bow,” in David:
The sons of Ephraim, who were armed and shooters with the bow, turned back in the day of battle (Ps. 78:9).
In Ezekiel:
Son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the sons of Israel his companions; then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and of all the house of Israel his companions; afterward join them for thee one to another into one stick, that the two may become one in my hand. Behold I will take the stick of Joseph that is in the hands of Ephraim and of the tribes of Israel his companions, and will add those who are upon it with the stick of Judah, and I will make them one stick, that they may be one in My hand (Ezek. 37:16-17, 19);
where also by “Judah” is meant the celestial of the church, by “Israel” its spiritual, and by “Ephraim” its intellectual. That these are made one through the good of charity, is signified by one stick being made out of two. (That a “stick of wood” is the good of charity and consequently the good of works, may be seen above, n. 1110, 2784, 2812, 3720, 4943.)
[9] In Jeremiah:
There shall be a day that the watchman from the mountain of Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, let us go up to Zion unto Jehovah our God. I will be a father to Israel, and Ephraim My firstborn is he (Jer. 31:6, 9).
In the same:
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a calf unaccustomed; turn Thou me, that I may be turned. Is not Ephraim a precious son to Me? Is he not a child of delights? For after I have spoken against him, I will surely remember him again (Jer. 31:18, 20).
I will bring back Israel to his habitation, that he may feed in Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be sated in the mountain of Ephraim and in Gilead (Jer. 50:19).
In Isaiah:
Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower and to the glory of his adornment, which are upon the head of the valley of the fat ones that are troubled with wine (Isa. 28:1).
[10] In these passages also by “Ephraim” is signified the understanding of the church. The understanding of the church is the understanding the men of the Church have of truths and goods, that is, of the doctrinal things of faith and charity; thus their notion, concept, or idea about them. Truth itself is the spiritual of the church, and good is its celestial; but truth and good are understood differently by different men; such therefore as is the understanding of truth, such is the truth with everyone. It is similar with the understanding of good.
[11] What the will of the church is that is signified by “Manasseh,” may be known from its understanding, which is “Ephraim.” It is with the will of the church as with its understanding, namely, that it is varied with each person. “Manasseh” signifies this will in Isaiah:
In the wrath of Jehovah Zebaoth the land is darkened, and the people is become like food for the fire; no man shall spare his brother; they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm: Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: they together are against Judah (Isa. 9:19-21);
where “every man eating the flesh of his own arm, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Ephraim, Manasseh” denotes that the will of the man of the church will be against his understanding, and his understanding against his will.
[12] In David:
God hath spoken by His holiness: I will exult, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; and Ephraim is the strength of My head (Ps. 60:6-7).
Again:
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou that sittest upon the cherubim, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up Thy might (Ps. 80:1-2);
where also “Ephraim” denotes the understanding of the church, and “Manasseh” its will. The same is plain also from the blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh by Jacob before his death (Gen. 48:13-20); and also from Jacob’s accepting Ephraim in place of Reuben, and Manasseh in place of Simeon (Gen. 48:3, 5); for by Reuben was represented the understanding of the church, or faith in the understanding and in doctrine (see n. 3861, 3866), and by Simeon, faith in act, or obedience and will to do the truth, from which and by which is charity, and thus truth in act, which is the good of the new will (n. 3869-3872).
[13] The reason why Jacob, then Israel, blessed Ephraim in preference to Manasseh, by putting his right hand upon the former and his left upon the latter (Gen. 48:13-20), was the same that Jacob had for diverting to himself the birthright of Esau, and the same as in the case of Perez and Zerah the sons of Judah by Tamar, when Zerah, who was the firstborn, came forth after Perez (Gen. 38:28-30). This reason was that the truth of faith, which is of the understanding, is apparently in the first place during man’s regeneration, and then the good of charity, which is of the will, is apparently in the second place; and yet good is actually in the first place, and is manifestly so when the man has been regenerated (as may be seen above, n. 3324, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3701, 4243, 4244, 4247, 4337, 4925, 4926, 4928, 4930, 4977).

AC (Potts) n. 5355 5355. For God hath made me fruitful. That this signifies the consequent multiplication of truth from good, is evident from the signification of “making fruitful,” as being multiplication, namely, of truth from good; for “fruitfulness” is predicated of good, and “multiplication” of truth (n. 43, 55, 913, 983, 1940, 2846, 2847). Hence in the original language “Ephraim” was named from fruitfulness, and his quality is contained in the words, “for God hath made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” This quality is that truth from good was multiplied in the natural after the temptations suffered there. What the multiplication of truth from good is shall be briefly stated. When man is in good, that is, in love toward the neighbor, he is also in the love of truth; consequently insofar as he is in this good, so far he is affected by truth, for good is in truth as the soul in its body. As therefore good multiplies truth, so it propagates itself; and if it is the good of genuine charity, it propagates itself in truth and by truth indefinitely; for there is no limit to good or to truth. The Infinite is in all things in general and in particular, because they are all from the Infinite; but still the indefinite can never in any way reach the Infinite, because there is no ratio between the finite and the Infinite. In the church today there is rarely any multiplication of truth, for the reason that at this day there is no good of genuine charity. It is believed to be sufficient to know the dogmas of faith of the church in which the man is born, and to confirm them by various means. But one who is in the good of genuine charity, and thence in the affection of truth, is not content with this, but desires to be enlightened from the Word as to what truth is, and to see the truth before he confirms it. Moreover, he sees it from good, because the perception of truth is from good; for the Lord is in good, and gives the perception. When a man receives truth in this way, it increases indefinitely. In this respect it is like a little seed, which grows into a tree, and produces other little seeds, which in turn produce a garden, and so on.

AC (Potts) n. 5356 5356. In the land of my affliction. That this signifies where temptations were suffered, is evident from the signification of the “land,” here the land of Egypt, as being the natural (see n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301); and from the signification of “affliction,” as being temptation (n. 1846). From this it is plain that by “in the land of my affliction” is signified in the natural where temptations were suffered, and consequently that truth from good was multiplied therein. As this fruitfulness or multiplication of truth from good is effected chiefly by means of temptations, it was thus expressed. The reasons why this fruitfulness is effected chiefly by means of temptations, are these. Temptations remove the loves of self and of the world, thus evils; on the removal of which the affection of good and truth flows in from the Lord (see just above, n. 5354). Temptations also give quality to the perception of good and truth, by means of the opposite things which evil spirits then infuse; and it is by perceiving opposites that we get relatives, from which comes all quality; for no one knows what is good without also knowing what is not good, nor what is true without knowing what is not true. Temptations also confirm goods and truths, for the man then fights against evils and falsities, and by conquering comes into a stronger affirmative. Moreover, by means of temptations evils and falsities are subdued, so that they no longer venture to rise up; and in this way evils with falsities are rejected to the sides, and there hang, but drooping downward; while goods with truths are in the midst, and according to the zeal of affection are lifted upward, thus to heaven toward the Lord, by whom they are lifted up.

AC (Potts) n. 5357 5357. Verses 53-57. And the seven years of abundance of produce that was in the land of Egypt were ended. And the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said; and there was famine in all lands; and in all the land of Egypt there was bread. And all the land of Egypt was famished, and the people cried unto Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all Egypt, Go unto Joseph; what he saith unto you, do. And the famine was over all the faces of the land, and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to Egypt; and the famine was strengthened in the land of Egypt. And all the earth came into Egypt to buy, to Joseph; because the famine was strengthened in all the earth. “And the seven years of abundance of produce were ended,” signifies after the states of the multiplication of truth; “that was in the land of Egypt,” signifies in the natural; “and the seven years of famine began to come,” signifies the following states of desolation; “as Joseph had said,” signifies as had been foreseen by the celestial of the spiritual; “and there was famine in all lands,” signifies desolation everywhere in the natural; “and in all the land of Egypt there was bread,” signifies remains in consequence of truths from good having been multiplied; “and all the land of Egypt was famished,” signifies desolation in both naturals; “and the people cried unto Pharaoh for bread,” signifies the need of good for truth; “and Pharaoh said to all Egypt,” signifies perception; “Go unto Joseph,” signifies that it was from the celestial of the spiritual; “what he saith to you, do,” signifies provided there is obedience; “and the famine was over all the faces of the land,” signifies that there was desolation even to despair; “and Joseph opened all the storehouses,” signifies communication from remains; “and sold to Egypt,” signifies appropriation; “and the famine was strengthened in the land of Egypt,” signifies increasing severity; “and all the earth came into Egypt,” signifies that truths and goods were brought into the memory knowledges of the church; “to buy,” signifies appropriation therefrom; “to Joseph,” signifies where the celestial of the spiritual was; “because the famine was strengthened in all the earth,” signifies that everywhere, except there, was there desolation in the natural.

AC (Potts) n. 5358 5358. And the seven years of abundance of produce were ended. That this signifies after the states of the multiplication of truth, is evident from what was unfolded above (n. 5276, 5292, 5339), where similar words occur.

AC (Potts) n. 5359 5359. That was in the land of Egypt. That this signifies in the natural, is evident from the signification of the “land of Egypt,” as being the natural (see n. 5080, 5095, 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288).

AC (Potts) n. 5360 5360. And the seven years of famine began to come. That this signifies the following states of desolation, is evident from the signification of “years,” as being states (see n. 482, 487, 488, 493, 893); and from the signification of “famine,” as being a lack of the knowledges of truth and good (n. 1460, 3364), consequently desolation. That a famine denotes such a lack, or desolation, is because celestial and spiritual food are nothing else than good and truth. These are what angels and spirits are nourished by, and what they hunger for when hungry, and thirst for when thirsty; and therefore also material food corresponds thereto-as bread to celestial love, and wine to spiritual love, as well as everything that pertains to bread or food, and to wine or drink. When therefore there is a lack of such things, there is a “famine,” and in the Word this is called “desolation” and “vastation” – “desolation” when truths fail, and “vastation” when goods fail. This desolation and vastation is treated of in many passages of the Word, and is there described by the desolation of the earth, of kingdoms, of cities, of nations, and of peoples, and is also termed a “pouring out,” a “cutting off,” a “consummation,” a “desert,” and a “void;” and the state itself is called the “great day of Jehovah,” the “day of His wrath” and “vengeance,” a “day of darkness,” and “thick darkness,” of “cloud” and of “obscurity,” a “day of visitation,” also the “day when the earth shall perish,” thus the “last day” and the “day of judgment;” and because men have not understood the internal sense of the Word, they have hitherto supposed that it meant a day when the earth will perish, and that then for the first time will there be a resurrection and a judgment, not being aware that by a “day” in such passages is signified a state, and by the “earth” the church, and thus by a “day when the earth will perish,” a state when the church will come to its end; therefore when this perishing is described in the Word, a “new earth” is also described, by which is meant a new church. (In regard to the “new earth” and “new heaven,” see what is said above, n. 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4535.) That last state of a church which precedes the state of a new church, is properly meant and described in the Word by “vastation” and “desolation.” By the same words is described also the state that precedes man’s regeneration, which state is here signified by the seven years of famine.

AC (Potts) n. 5361 5361. As Joseph had said. That this signifies as had been foreseen by the celestial of the spiritual, is evident from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being to perceive (as often shown above), and therefore when predicated of the Lord, who here is “Joseph,” to perceive from Himself, thus to foresee; and from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial of the spiritual (n. 5249, 5307, 5331, 5332).

AC (Potts) n. 5362 5362. And there was famine in all lands. That this signifies desolation everywhere in the natural, is evident from the signification of “famine,” as being desolation (see above, n. 5360); and from the signification of “all lands,” as being everywhere in the natural. (That “land” denotes the natural mind, thus the natural, may also be seen above, n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301.)

AC (Potts) n. 5363 5363. But in all the land of Egypt there was bread. That this signifies remains in consequence of truths from good having been multiplied, is evident from the fact that by the “bread in all the land of Egypt” is meant the corn gathered in the seven years of abundance of produce, and laid up in the cities, by which are signified the remains stored up in the interiors of the natural mind, as has frequently been stated and shown above. Hence by the “bread in all the land of Egypt” are signified the remains in consequence of truths from good having been multiplied. That remains are here meant by the “bread in the land of Egypt,” is evident also from the fact that the years of famine had already begun, in which the land of Egypt suffered famine equally with the other lands, except that it had stores laid up which the other lands had not, and therefore these words now follow, “and all the land of Egypt was famished.”

AC (Potts) n. 5364 5364. And all the land of Egypt was famished. That this signifies desolation in both naturals, is evident from the signification of “famine,” as being desolation (of which above, n. 5360, 5362); and from the signification of “all the land,” as being both naturals (n. 5276).

AC (Potts) n. 5365 5365. And the people cried unto Pharaoh for bread. That this signifies the need of good for truth, is evident from the signification of “crying,” as being the act of a person in grief and mourning, thus being that of a person in need; from the signification of “people,” as being truth (see n. 1259, 1260, 3295, 3581); from the representation of Pharaoh, as being the natural (n. 5079, 5080, 5095, 5160); and from the signification of “bread,” as being the celestial of love, thus good (n. 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, 4976). From this it follows that by “the people cried unto Pharaoh for bread” is signified the need in the natural of good for truth. This meaning indeed appears remote from the historic sense of the letter; but still when they who are in the internal sense understand by “crying,” by “people,” by “Pharaoh,” and by “bread,” nothing else than what has been said, it follows that this meaning results therefrom.
[2] How the case is in regard to the need of good for truth, must be told. Truth has need of good, and good has need of truth; and when truth has need of good, truth is conjoined with good, and when good has need of truth, good is conjoined with truth; for the reciprocal conjunction of good and truth, namely of truth with good and of good with truth, is the heavenly marriage. In the early stages of man’s regeneration, truth is multiplied, but not good; and as truth has then no good with which to be conjoined, it is drawn in and stored up in the interiors of the natural mind, that it may be called forth thence according to the increasings of good. In this state truth is in need of good, and moreover conjunction of truth with good takes place according to the inflow of good into the natural; but still no fruitfulness is effected by this conjunction. But when man has been regenerated, then good increases; and as it increases it is in need of truth, and also procures truth for itself with which it may be conjoined, and thereupon there is a conjunction of good with truth. When this takes place, truth is made fruitful from good, and good from truth.
[3] That this is the case is entirely unknown in the world, but is very well known in heaven; and yet were it known in the world (not only by knowledge but also by perception) what celestial love or love to the Lord is, and what spiritual love or charity toward the neighbor is, it would also be known what good is, for all good is of these loves; and moreover it would be known that good desires truth, and truth good, and that they are conjoined according to the desire and its quality. This might be plain from the fact that when truth is thought of, the good adjoined to it is presented at the same time; and when good is stirred, the truth adjoined to it is presented at the present time-in both cases with affection, desire, delight, or holy aspiration; and from this the quality of the conjunction might be known. But as it is not known from any inward sensation or perception what good is, such things cannot come to knowledge; for that about which nothing is known is not understood, even when it comes to view.
[4] And as it is not known what spiritual good is, and that it is charity toward the neighbor, therefore it is a matter of dispute in the world, especially among the learned, what is the highest good; and scarcely anyone has maintained that it is that delight, satisfaction, blessedness, and happiness which is perceived from mutual love devoid of any selfish or worldly end, and which makes heaven itself. From this also it is plain that in the world at this day it is not at all known what spiritual good is, and still less that good and truth form a marriage together, and that heaven is in this marriage, and that those who are in it are in wisdom and intelligence and have satisfactions and happinesses with unlimited and inexpressible variety, not one of which is known by the world, nor is its existence even recognized and believed; when in fact it is heaven itself, or that very heavenly joy of which so much is said in the church.

AC (Potts) n. 5366 5366. And Pharaoh said to all Egypt. That this signifies perception, is evident from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being to perceive (n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2061, 2080, 2862, 3395, 3509); from the representation of Pharaoh, as being the natural in general (n. 5160); and from the signification of “all Egypt,” as being both naturals (n. 5276, 5364). From this it is plain that by “Pharaoh said to all Egypt” is signified perception in both naturals, in general and in particular.

AC (Potts) n. 5367 5367. Go unto Joseph. That this signifies that it was from the celestial of the spiritual, is evident from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial of the spiritual (of which often above). “To go unto him” signifies that it was from him, namely, the good for truth which is signified by the “bread for which the people cried unto Pharaoh” (see n. 5365).

AC (Potts) n. 5368 5368. What he saith to you, do. That this signifies provided there is obedience, is evident from the signification of “doing what anyone says,” as being to obey. By this is signified that good is adjoined to truth in the natural, provided the natural applies itself and obeys. Something must be said about the natural’s applying itself and obeying. They who are in worldly things only, and yet more they who are in bodily things, and still more they who are in earthly ones, cannot apprehend what is meant by saying that the natural ought to apply itself and obey. They suppose that there is only one thing that acts in man, and therefore that there is not one thing in him to command, and another to obey; and yet it is the internal man that should command, and the external that should obey, and that does obey when the man has not the world as the end, but heaven, and not self but the neighbor, consequently when he regards bodily and worldly things as means and not as the end; and he so regards them when he loves his neighbor more than himself, and the things of heaven more than those of the world. When this is the case, the natural obeys; the natural is the same as the external man.

AC (Potts) n. 5369 5369. And the famine was over all the faces of the earth. That this signifies when there was desolation even to despair, is evident from the signification of “famine,” as being desolation (of which above, n. 5360, 5362, 5364); and from the signification of the “earth,” as being the natural. When famine is said to be “over all the faces” of this, despair is signified, because the desolation is then everywhere; for the height and extremity of desolation is despair (see n. 5279, 5280).

AC (Potts) n. 5370 5370. And Joseph opened all the storehouses.* That this signifies communication from remains, is evident from the signification of “opening,” as here being to communicate. “All the storehouses” are the repositories in which the corn was stored, and by which are signified remains, as has been repeatedly shown above. (That remains are goods and truths stored up by the Lord in the interiors, may be seen above, n. 468, 530, 560, 561, 660, 661, 798, 1050, 1738, 1906, 2284, 5135, 5342, 5344.)
* Literally, “all in which.”

AC (Potts) n. 5371 5371. And sold to Egypt. That this signifies appropriation, is evident from the signification of “selling,” as being to appropriate to anyone; for what is sold becomes his who buys it. (That “selling” and “buying” signify appropriation, will be seen below, n. 5374.)

AC (Potts) n. 5372 5372. And the famine was strengthened in the land of Egypt. That this signifies increasing severity, that is, of the desolation, is evident from the signification of “famine” and of the “land of Egypt,” as being desolation in the natural, the increasing severity of which is signified by its “being strengthened.”

AC (Potts) n. 5373 5373. And all the earth came into Egypt. That this signifies that goods and truths were brought into the memory-knowledges of the church, is evident from the signification of the “earth.” The signification of “earth” or “land” in the Word is various: in general it signifies the church, and hence the things belonging to the church, which are goods and truths; and because it signifies the church, it signifies also the man of the church, for he is the church in particular; and because it signifies the man of the church, it signifies that in him which is the man, namely, the mind. Hence it is that by the “land of Egypt” is occasionally above signified the natural mind. In this passage, however, the land of Egypt is not meant, but the earth in general, consequently the things of the church, which are goods and truths. (That the signification of “land” or “earth” is various may be seen above, n. 620, 636, 2571; and that in general it signifies the church, n. 566, 662, 1068, 1262, 1413, 1607, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 2928, 3355, 3404, 4447, 4535.)
[2] That by “all the earth coming to Egypt” is signified that goods and truths were brought into memory-knowledges is evident from the signification of “Egypt” in the proper sense, as being memory-knowledge, consequently matters of memory-knowledge (see n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462); and that the memory-knowledges signified in a good sense by “Egypt” are those of the church (n. 4749, 4964, 4966). That this is the internal sense of these words is plain not only from the signification of the word “earth” or “land” when the land of Egypt is not meant, and from that of “Egypt” in the proper sense, and from its being said, “all the earth came” [venerunt] in the plural, but also from the very connection of things in the internal sense; for in this connection it now follows that the truths and goods of remains are brought into memory-knowledges.
[3] For the case is this: during man’s regeneration as to the natural, goods and truths are one and all brought together into memory-knowledges. Those which are not in the memory-knowledges there, are not in the natural; for the natural mind, as regards that part of it which is subject to the understanding, consists solely of memory-knowledges. The memory-knowledges that belong to the natural are the ultimates of order, and things prior must be in ultimates in order to come into existence and to appear in that sphere; and besides this all prior things tend to ultimates as to their boundaries or ends, and come into existence together therein as causes do in their effects, or as higher things do in lower as in their vessels. The memory-knowledges of the natural are such ultimates. Hence it is that the spiritual world is terminated in man’s natural, in which the things of the spiritual world are representatively presented. Unless spiritual things were presented representatively in the natural, thus by such things as are in the world, they would not be apprehended at all. From all this it is evident that during the regeneration of the natural all interior truths and goods, which are from the spiritual world, are brought into memory-knowledges, in order that they may appear.

AC (Potts) n. 5374 5374. To buy. That this signifies appropriation therefrom, is evident from the signification of “buying,” as being to procure for one’s self, thus to appropriate. Procuring and appropriating spiritually are effected by means of good and truth. To this corresponds the procuring and appropriating that in the world are effected by means of silver and gold; for in the spiritual sense “silver” is truth, and “gold” is good. Hence “buying” signifies appropriation, as also in the following passages in the Word:
Everyone that thirsteth come ye to the waters, and he that hath no silver; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without silver and without price (Isa. 55:1); and also in Jeremiah (Jer. 13:1-2, 11).
In Matthew:
The kingdom of the heavens is like unto treasure hid in the field; which when a man hath found, he hideth, and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like unto a merchantman, seeking goodly pearls, and he went and sold all that he had, and bought it (Matt. 13:44-46).
Again:
The prudent virgins said to the foolish ones, Go ye to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came (Matt. 25:9-10).
[2] As “buying” signifies appropriation, therefore in the Word the things bought with silver are well distinguished from those otherwise obtained. Moreover, the servants bought with silver were as one’s own, and in a lower degree like those born in the house; and therefore they are often mentioned together, as in Genesis:
Circumcising he shall be circumcised that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy silver (Gen. 17:13);
and in Leviticus:
If a priest buy any soul with the purchase of silver, he and one that is born in his house, they shall eat of his bread (Lev. 22:11).
Hence it is evident what is signified by the “redeemed (or those bought back) of Jehovah,” in the Word, namely, those who have received good and truth, and thus those to whom the things of the Lord have been appropriated.

AC (Potts) n. 5375 5375. To Joseph. That this signifies where the celestial of the spiritual was, is evident from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial of the spiritual, as often shown above. The celestial of the spiritual is the good of truth from the Divine.

AC (Potts) n. 5376 5376. Because the famine was strengthened in all the earth. That this signifies that everywhere, except there, was there desolation in the natural, is evident from the signification of “famine,” as being desolation (of which above); and from the signification of “earth,” as being the natural (of which also above). Its being everywhere except there, namely, in the memory-knowledges where the celestial of the spiritual was, follows from what goes before. How the case is with the desolation of the natural, or the deprivation of truth there, has already been told; but as the same subject is continued in what follows, it must be told again. The man who is born within the church, from earliest childhood learns from the Word and from the doctrinal things of the church what the truth of faith is, and also what the good of charity is. But when he grows up to manhood he begins either to confirm or to deny in himself the truths of faith that he has learned; for he then looks at these truths with his own sight, and thereby causes them either to be made his own or else to be rejected; for nothing can become one’s own that is not acknowledged of one’s own insight, that is, which the man does not know to be so from himself, and not from somebody else; and therefore the truths learned from childhood enter no further into the man’s life than the first entrance, from which they can either be admitted more interiorly, or else be cast out.
[2] With those who are being regenerated, that is, who the Lord foresees will suffer themselves to be regenerated, these truths are greatly multiplied, for these persons are in the affection of knowing truths; but when they come nearer to the very act of regeneration, they are as it were deprived of these truths, for these are drawn inward, and then the man appears to be in desolation; nevertheless as regeneration goes on these truths are successively let back into the natural, and are there conjoined with good. But with those who are not being regenerated, that is, who the Lord foresees will not suffer themselves to be regenerated, truths are indeed usually multiplied, for these persons are in the affection of knowing such things for the sake of reputation, honor, and gain; yet when they advance in years and submit these truths to their own sight, they then either do not believe them, or they deny them, or they turn them into falsities; thus with them truths are not withdrawn inward, but are cast forth, although they still remain in the memory for the sake of ends in the world, though without life. This state also is called in the Word “desolation” or “vastation,” but differs from the former state in the desolation of the former being apparent, while the desolation of this state is absolute; for in the former state man is not deprived of truths, while in this state he is entirely deprived of them. The desolation of the former state has been treated of in the internal sense in this chapter, and is still further treated of in the following one, and is what is signified by the “famine of seven years.”
[3] This same desolation is often treated of in other parts of the Word, as in Isaiah:
Awake, awake, O Jerusalem, who hast drunk at the hand of Jehovah the cup of His anger; two things are befallen thee, who shall bemoan thee? Wasting and breaking, famine and the sword; how shall I comfort thee? Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets. Therefore hear, do this, thou afflicted and drunken one, but not with wine, behold I have taken out of thy hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of My wrath; thou shalt no more drink it again, but I will put it into the hand of them that make thee sad (Isa. 51:17-23);
in this passage is described the state of desolation in which is the man of the church who is becoming a church, or who is being regenerated. This desolation is called “wasting,” “breaking,” “famine,” “sword,” and also the “cup of the anger and wrath of Jehovah,” and the “cup of trembling.” The truths of which he is then deprived are the “sons who faint, and lie at the head of all the streets.” That “sons” are truths may be seen above (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3373), and that “streets” are where truths are (n. 2336); hence “to lie at the head of all the streets” means that truths appear to be dispersed. It is evident that this desolation is apparent, and that by it as by temptations regeneration is effected, for it is said that she “shall no more drink,” but that “He will put the cup into the hand of them that make her sad.”
[4] In Ezekiel:
Thus hath said the Lord Jehovih, Because they lay waste and swallow you up on every side, that ye be an inheritance unto the remains of the nations, therefore ye mountains of Israel hear the word of the Lord Jehovih: thus hath said the Lord Jehovih to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, and to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the remains of the nations that are round about; I have spoken in My zeal and in My wrath, because ye have borne the reproach of the nations. Surely the nations that are round about you, these shall bear their reproach; but ye mountains of Israel shall put forth your branch and yield your fruit to My people Israel. For behold I am with you, and I will have regard unto you, that ye may be tilled and sown; and I will multiply man upon you, the whole house of Israel, and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes builded. I will cause you to dwell according to your times of old, and will do better to you than at your beginnings (Ezek. 36:3-12);
here also the subject treated of is the desolation that precedes regeneration, the desolation being signified by the “desolate wastes,” and the “cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision”; but regeneration being signified by “putting forth branch and yielding fruit,” by “having regard unto them that they may be tilled and sown, that man may be multiplied, the cities inhabited, and the wastes built,” and by “causing them to dwell according to their times of old,” and “doing better to them than at their beginning.”
[5] How the case is in regard to desolation is plain from those who are in desolation in the other life. They who are in desolation there are harassed by evil spirits and genii, who pour in persuasions of evil and falsity until they are almost overwhelmed, the result being that truths do not appear; but as the time of desolation draws to a close they are enlightened by light from heaven, and in this way the evil spirits and genii are driven away, everyone into his own hell, where they undergo punishments. These are the things signified by “the cities becoming a prey and derision to the remains of the nations that are round about,” and by “the nations that are round about bearing their reproach”; and above in Isaiah by “the cup being put into the hand of them that make her sad”; and also in other passages in Isaiah by the “waster being laid waste” (Isa. 33:1). Also in Jeremiah:
I will visit upon the wasters, and will make them everlasting desolations (Jer. 25:12).
In Isaiah:
Thy destroyers will hasten thy sons, and thy wasters shall go forth from thee. Lift up thine eyes round about and see; all gather together, they come to thee. For as to thy wastes and the land of thy destruction, thou shalt be too straitened for an inhabitant, they that swallow thee up shall be far away (Isa. 49:17-19);
[6] here again, and in this whole chapter, the subject treated of is the desolation of those who are being regenerated, and their regeneration and fruitfulness after desolation, and lastly the punishment of those who oppressed them (verse 26). In the same:
Woe to thee that layeth waste when thou art not laid waste! When thou hast ceased to lay waste, thou shalt be laid waste (Isa. 33:1);
meaning that they who vastate are punished, as above. In the same:
Let mine outcasts tarry in thee; Moab, be thou a covert to them before the waster; for the oppressor hath ceased, the wasting is ended (Isa. 16:4).
Again:
The day of Jehovah is near, it shall come as a wasting from Shaddai (Isa. 13:6);
“a wasting from Shaddai” denotes vastation in temptations; that God as to temptations was by the ancients called Shaddai, may be seen above (n. 1992, 3667, 4572).
[7] Again:
Then they shall not thirst; He shall lead them in wastes, He shall cause the waters to flow out of the rock for them; and He will cleave the rock that the waters flow out (Isa. 48:21);
speaking of the state after desolation. Again:
Jehovah will comfort Zion, He will comfort all the wastes thereof, so as to make the wilderness thereof as Eden, and the solitude thereof as the garden of Jehovah; gladness and joy shall be found therein, confession and the voice of a song (Isa. 51:3).
Where the subject treated of is the same, for as before said desolation is for the sake of the end that the man may be regenerated, that is, that after evils and falsities are separated, truths may be conjoined with goods, and goods with truths. The regenerate man as to good is what is compared to “Eden,” and as to truths to the “garden of Jehovah.” In David:
Jehovah hath made me come up out of the pit of devastation, out of the mire of clay, and hath set my feet upon a rock (Ps. 40:2).
[8] The vastation and desolation of the man of the church, or of the church in man, was represented by the captivity of the Jewish people in Babylon; and the raising up of the church by the return from that captivity, as occasionally described in Jeremiah, especially in chapter 32, verse 37 to the end; for desolation is captivity, the man then being kept as it were bound, and therefore by “those bound,” “in prison,” and “in the pit,” are signified those who are in desolation (see n. 4728, 4744, 5037, 5038, 5085, 5096).
[9] The state of desolation and vastation with those who are not being regenerated is also occasionally treated of in the Word. In this state are they who deny truths, or turn them into falsities: this is the state of the church toward its end, when there is no longer any faith or charity. Thus in Isaiah:
I will make known to you what I will do to My vineyard, in removing the hedge thereof so that it shall be eaten up, in breaking through the fence thereof that it may be trodden down. I will then make it a desolation; it shall not be pruned nor hoed, that there may come up brier and shrub; nay, I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it (Isa. 5:5-6).
In the same:
Tell this people, Hearing hear ye, but understand not; and seeing see ye, but know not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and smear over their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and their heart should understand, and they should be converted, and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he said, Until the cities be devastated that they be without inhabitant, and the houses that there be no man in them, and the land be reduced into a solitude; Jehovah will remove man. And the desert shall be multiplied in the midst of the land; scarcely a tenth part shall be in it any more, and yet it shall be banished (Isa. 6:9-13).
[10] In the same:
Remains shall return, the remains of Jacob, unto the mighty God; for a consummation is decreed, overflowing with righteousness; for a consummation and a decree shall the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth make in all the earth (Isa. 10:21-23).
Jehovah maketh the earth void, and maketh it empty, and will overturn the faces thereof. The earth shall be utterly void, the habitable earth shall mourn, shall be confounded, the world shall languish and be confounded, a curse shall devour the earth; the new wine shall mourn, the vine shall languish; that which is left in the city shall be a waste, the gate shall be smitten even to devastation; breaking, the earth is broken; breaking, the earth is broken in pieces; moving, the earth is moved; reeling, the earth reeleth like a drunkard (Isa. 24:1-23).
The paths are devastated, the wayfaring man ceaseth, the land mourneth and languisheth, Lebanon is ashamed and withered away, Sharon is become like a desert (Isa. 33:8-9).
I will make desolate and swallow up together, I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herb (Isa. 42:14-15).
[11] In Jeremiah:
I will give to the curse all the nations round about, and will make them a desolation, and a derision, and perpetual wastes; I will take from them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of the millstones and the light of the candle; that the whole land may be a desolation and a devastation. It shall come to pass when seventy years are fulfilled, that I will visit their iniquity upon the king of Babylon, and upon this nation, and upon the land of the Chaldees, and will make it everlasting desolations (Jer. 25:9-12 seq.).
Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall become perpetual wastes; Edom shall be a desolation, everyone that goeth by it shall be amazed, and shall hiss over all the plagues thereof (Jer. 49:13-18).
In Ezekiel:
Thus saith the Lord to the inhabitants of Jerusalem concerning the land of Israel, They shall eat their bread with solicitude, and drink their waters with amazement; that her land may be devastated from its fullness, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein; the cities that are inhabited shall be devastated, and the land shall be made desolate (Ezek. 12:19-20).
[12] Again:
When I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall make the deep come up against thee, and many waters shall cover thee, and I shall make thee go down with them that descend into the pit, to the people of old time, and shall make thee to dwell in the earth of the lower things, for a desolation from eternity with them that go down into the pit (Ezek. 26:19-21);
speaking of Tyre. In Joel:
A day of darkness and of thick darkness, a day of cloud and of obscurity; a fire devoureth before him and behind him a flame burneth; the land is as the garden of Eden before him, but behind him a wilderness of waste (Joel 2:2-3).
In Zephaniah:
The day of Jehovah is near, a day of wrath is this day, a day of distress and of cramping, a day of wasteness and devastation, a day of darkness and thick darkness, a day of cloud and shade; the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of the zeal of Jehovah, for I will make a consummation, yea, a speedy one, with all the inhabitants of the land (Zeph. 1:14-18).
In Matthew:
When ye shall see the abomination of desolation, foretold by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, then let them that are in Judea flee into the mountains (Matt. 24:15-16; Mark 13:14; Dan. 9:27; 12:10-12).
From these passages it is evident that desolation is the apparent deprivation of truth with those who are being regenerated, but is the absolute deprivation of it with those who are not being regenerated.

AC (Potts) n. 5377 5377. Continuation concerning the correspondence with the Grand Man; here concerning the correspondence of the interior viscera therewith.
The subject treated of at the close of the preceding chapter was the correspondence of some of the interior viscera of the body with the Grand Man, namely, of the liver, the pancreas, the stomach, and some others. The subject is now continued with the correspondence therewith of the peritoneum, the kidneys, the ureters, the bladder, and also of the intestines; for whatever is in man, both what is in the external man and what is in the internal, has a correspondence with the Grand Man. Without correspondence therewith (that is, with heaven, or what is the same, with the spiritual world) nothing would ever come into existence and subsist, for the reason that it would have no connection with what is prior to itself, nor consequently with the First, that is, with the Lord. What is unconnected, and thus independent, cannot subsist for a single moment; for its subsistence is from its connection with that from which is all existence, and its dependence upon it, because subsistence is a perpetual coming into existence.
[2] Hence it is that not only all things in general and particular in man correspond, but also all and each in the universe. The sun itself corresponds, and also the moon; for in heaven the Lord is the Sun, and also the Moon. The sun’s flame and heat, and also its light, correspond; for it is the Lord’s love toward the whole human race to which the flame and heat correspond, and the Divine truth to which the light corresponds. The very stars correspond, the societies of heaven and their habitations being what they have correspondence with; not that they are in the stars, but that they are in a similar order. Whatever appears under the sun corresponds, as all and each of the subjects in the animal kingdom, and also all and each of the subjects in the vegetable kingdom; and unless there were an influx from the spiritual world into all and each, they would instantly sink down and shrivel away. This has been granted me to know by much experience; for I have been shown with what things in the spiritual world many things in the animal kingdom, and many more in the vegetable kingdom, correspond, and also that without influx they would by no means subsist; for when that which is prior is taken away, that which is posterior necessarily falls, and the same is the case when what is prior is separated from what is posterior. As there is an especial correspondence of man with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord, a man appears in the other life in the light of heaven according to the quality of his correspondence. Hence the angels appear in ineffable brightness and beauty, but the infernals in inexpressible blackness and deformity.

AC (Potts) n. 5378 5378. Some spirits came to me, but were silent. After a while, however, they spoke, yet not as many, but all as one. I noticed from their speech that they were such that they desired to know everything, and were eager to explain everything, and in this way to confirm themselves that a thing is so. They were modest, and said that they do nothing of themselves, but from others, although it appears to be from them. They were then infested by others, who were said to be those who constitute the province of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder, and whom they answered modestly; yet these continued to infest and assail them, for such is the nature of the kidney spirits. And as they could not prevail against them by their modesty, they resorted to what was according to their nature, namely, to enlarging themselves, and thereby causing terror. Thereupon they seemed to become great, but only as a one, who so swelled in stature, that like Atlas he seemed to reach to heaven; a spear appeared in his hand, but still he did not wish to do any harm beyond exciting terror. In consequence of this the kidney spirits fled away, and then there appeared one who pursued them in their flight, and another who flew in front between the feet of that great one; moreover, that great one seemed to have wooden shoes, which he threw at the kidney spirits.
[2] Angels told me that those modest spirits who made themselves great were those who bear relation to the peritoneum. The peritoneum is the common membrane that surrounds and encloses all the viscera of the abdomen, as the pleura does all the viscera of the chest; and as it is so extensive, and relatively large, and also expansible, the spirits who belong to this province, when infested by others, are allowed to present themselves great in appearance, and at the same time to strike with terror, especially in the case of those who constitute the province of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder; for these viscera or vessels lie in the folds of the peritoneum, and are constrained by it. The wooden shoes represented the lowest natural things, such as the kidneys, ureters, and bladder absorb and carry off. (That shoes are the lowest natural things may be seen n. 259, 4938-4952.) And in saying that they do nothing of themselves, but from others, in this respect also these spirits bear relation to the peritoneum, which is also of such a nature.

AC (Potts) n. 5379 5379. It was also representatively shown what happens when they who constitute the colon intestine infest those who are in the province of the peritoneum. They who constitute the colon intestine become puffed up, like the colon with its wind, and when they desired to assail those of the peritoneum, it appeared as if a wall were thrown in the way; and when they attempted to overturn the wall, there always rose up a new wall. In this manner they were kept away from them.

AC (Potts) n. 5380 5380. It is known that there are secretions and excretions, in a series, from the kidneys down to the bladder. In the first of the series are the kidneys, in the middle of it are the ureters, and in the last is the bladder. They who constitute these provinces in the Grand Man are in like manner in a series; and although they are of one genus, they differ as do the species of this genus. They speak with a raucous voice as if cracked, and desire to introduce themselves into the body; but this is only an endeavor. Their situation in respect to the human body is as follows. They who relate to the kidneys are on the left side close to the body under the elbow; they who relate to the ureters are to the left farther off from the body; and they who relate to the bladder are still farther away. Together they form almost a parabola from the left side toward the front; for in this way they project themselves from the left toward the front; thus in a rather long course. This is one common way to the hells, the other is through the intestines, for both these ways end in the hells; for they who are in the hells correspond to such things as are excreted by the intestines and the bladder, the falsities and evils in which they are being nothing but urine and excrement in a spiritual sense.

AC (Potts) n. 5381 5381. They who constitute the province of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder in the Grand Man, are of such a disposition that they desire nothing more than to explore and to search out the quality of others; and there are some of them who are eager to chastise and to punish, provided there is some justice in the case. The functions of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder are of this kind; for they explore the blood thrown into them to see whether there is any useless and hurtful serum in it, which they separate from what is useful, and then correct it; for they drive it down toward lower positions, and on the way and afterward they agitate it in various ways. These are the functions of those who constitute the province of the parts in question. But the spirits and societies of spirits to which the urine itself, especially fetid urine, corresponds, are infernal; for as soon as the urine is separated from the blood, although it is in the little tubes of the kidneys or within the bladder, still it is out of the body; for what has been separated no longer circulates in the body, and therefore does not contribute anything to the coming into existence and subsistence of its parts.

AC (Potts) n. 5382 5382. I have often observed that they who constitute the province of the kidneys and ureters are quick to explore or search out the quality of others-what they think and what they will-and that they are in the cupidity of finding occasions, and making out others to be guilty of some fault, chiefly in order to be able to chastise them, and I have talked with them about this cupidity and this intention. Many of this kind in the world had been judges, who rejoiced at heart when they found an occasion which they believed just, to fine, chastise, and punish. The operation of such is felt in the region at the back where are the kidneys, ureters, and bladder. They who belong to the bladder stretch out toward gehenna, where some of them sit as it were in judgment.

AC (Potts) n. 5383 5383. The methods by which they explore or search out the dispositions of others are very numerous; but I may adduce only the following one. They lead other spirits to speak (which in the other life is done by an influx that cannot be intelligibly described), and if the speech they have thus led follows readily they judge thereby of the character of the spirits. They also lead into a state of affection. But they who explore in this way are among the grosser of them. Others use other methods. There are some of them who on approaching at once perceive another’s thoughts, desires, and acts, and also anything he has done that pains him to think of: this they seize upon, and also condemn, if they think there is just cause. It is one of the wonders of the other life-incredible to almost all in this world-that as soon as any spirit comes to another, and especially when he comes to a man, he instantly knows the other’s thoughts and affections and what he has been doing, thus all his present state, just as if he had been a long time with him-so perfect is the communication. But there are differences in these perceptions, some spirits perceiving interior things, and others perceiving only exterior ones. These latter, if they are in the cupidity of knowing, explore the interiors of others by various methods.

AC (Potts) n. 5384 5384. The methods by which those chastise who constitute the province of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder in the Grand Man, are also various; for the most part they take away joyous and glad things, and induce such as are joyless and sad. By this cupidity these spirits communicate with the hells; but by the justness of the cause, which they inquire into before chastising, they communicate with heaven. For this reason they are kept in this province.

AC (Potts) n. 5385 5385. From all this it is evident what is signified by its being said in the Word, that “Jehovah tries and searches the reins and the heart,” and that the “reins chasten,” as in Jeremiah:
Jehovah trieth the reins and the heart (Jer. 11:20).
In the same:
Jehovah that trieth the righteous, and seeth the reins and the heart (Jer. 20:12).
In David:
The just God trieth the hearts and reins (Ps. 7:9).
Again:
O Jehovah explore my reins and my heart (Ps. 26:2).
Again:
Jehovah Thou hast possessed my reins (Ps. 139:13).
In Revelation:
I am He that searcheth the reins and the heart (Rev. 2:23).
In these passages spiritual things are signified by the “reins” [or “kidneys”] and celestial things by the “heart;” that is, the things which are of truth are signified by the “reins,” and those which are of good by the “heart.” The reason of this is that the kidneys purify the serum, and the heart purifies the blood itself; hence by “trying, exploring, and searching the reins,” is signified to try, explore, and search out the quantity and quality of truth, or the quantity and quality of faith, in man. That this is the signification is plain also in Jeremiah:
Jehovah Thou art near in their mouth, but far from their reins (Jer. 12:2);
and in David:
Jehovah, behold Thou desirest truth in the reins (Ps. 51:6).
That “chastening” is attributed to the kidneys is clear also in David:
My reins chasten me in the night seasons (Ps. 16:7).

AC (Potts) n. 5386 5386. There are also secretories and excretories in other parts of the body: in the brain there are ventricles and mammillary processes which carry off the phlegmy substances there; and there are also little glands everywhere, as the mucous and salivary glands in the head, and very many others in the body, and myriads next the cuticles, by which the sweat and more subtle used-up matters are thrown off. To these correspond in the spiritual world-to speak generally-tenacities of opinions, and also conscientious scruples in unimportant matters. Some of these spirits appear at a moderate distance above the head, and are such that they raise scruples in matters where there need be none; hence because they burden the consciences of the simple, they are called conscience-mongers. What true conscience is, they know not, because they make everything that comes up a matter of conscience; for when any scruple or doubt is suggested, if the mind is anxious and dwells on it, there are never wanting things to strengthen the doubt and make it burdensome. When such spirits are present they also induce a sensible anxiety in the part of the abdomen immediately under the diaphragm. They are also present with man in temptations. I have talked with them, and noticed that they have not enough extension of thought to acquiesce in the more useful and necessary things; for they were unable to give attention to reasons, being tenaciously set in their own opinion.

AC (Potts) n. 5387 5387. They who correspond to the urine itself however are infernal; for as before said the urine is out of the body, because already separated from the blood, and in itself is nothing but unclean and used-up serum, which is thrown down. I may relate the following things concerning them. A certain spirit was perceived at first as if within the body, but presently below at the right; and when he stood there, he was invisible, having the power to render himself so by art. When he was questioned, he made no reply whatever. It was said by others that in the life of the body he had been engaged in piratical pursuits; for in the other life it is plainly perceived, from the sphere of the life’s affections and thoughts, who and of what quality everyone has been, because his life remains.
[2] He changed his place, appearing now at the right, and now at the left. I saw that he did this for fear of its being known who he was, and of being forced to make some confession. It was said by other spirits that such are most timorous at the least sign of danger, and most courageous when there is nothing to fear; and that they are the opposite of those to whom the discharge of the urine corresponds, and strive in every way to injure this. And that I might have no doubt, it was shown me by experience. When they who correspond to the discharge of the urine withdrew a little, and that pirate stood by, the discharge was completely stopped, and effort was attended with danger; but when they were recalled, the emission of the urine was intensified according to their presence.
[3] He afterward confessed that he had been a pirate, and said that he could then artfully hide himself, and by cunning and activity elude his pursuers; and that he now loves urinous filth much more than any clear water, and that the fetid smell of urine is what most delights him, so much so that he wishes to have his abode in pools, or even in casks, of fetid urine. It was shown also what sort of face he had; it was not really a face, but something with a black beard in place of one.
[4] Afterward other pirates also, who were not so active, were sent for, who also spoke but little, and strange to say gnashed their teeth. They too said that they love urine more than all other liquids, and feculent urine the most. These, however, had not something bearded for a face, as the first had, but a kind of dreadful grate of teeth; for the beard and teeth signify the lowest natural things. Their being without a face signifies that they have no rational life, because when no face appears it is a sign that there is no correspondence of the interiors with the Grand Man; for in the other life everyone appears in the light of heaven in accordance with his correspondence, and hence the infernals appear in horrible deformity.

AC (Potts) n. 5388 5388. A certain spirit was with me, talking with me, who in the life of the body had had no faith, and had not believed in any life after death; he also had been one of the dexterous. He could captivate the minds of others by flattery and by giving assent, on which account his quality was not apparent at first from his discourse; he could also talk with volubility, like a stream, and like a good spirit. But his quality was first known by his not liking to speak about matters of faith and charity, for then he could not follow in thought, but drew back; and it was afterward perceived from several indications that he had been an assentor for the purpose of deceiving. For assentations are according to ends; if the end is friendship, or the pleasure of conversation, or the like, or even rightful gain, there is not so much harm in it; but if the end is to elicit secrets, and thereby bind another to evil services-in general if the end is to do harm-it is evil. Such was the end this spirit had in view, and he was also in opposition to those who are in the province of the kidneys and ureters. He too said that he loved the smell of urine above all other odors; and he caused a painful contraction or cramp in the lower region of the belly.

AC (Potts) n. 5389 5389. There are troops of spirits who wander about, and by turns come back to the same places. Evil spirits greatly fear them, for they torment them with a certain kind of torture. I was informed that they correspond to the fundus or upper part of the bladder in general, and to the muscular ligaments converging therefrom toward the sphincter, where the urine is driven out by a kind of contortion. These spirits apply themselves to the part of the back where is the cauda equina. Their mode of operating is by quick movements to and fro which no one can stop. It is a method of constriction and restriction directed upward, and pointed in the form of a cone. The evil spirits who are thrown within this cone, especially at the upper part, are miserably tormented by being twisted to and fro.

AC (Potts) n. 5390 5390. There are other spirits also who correspond to unclean excretions, namely, such as in the world have been tenacious of revenge: these appeared to me in front to the left. To these unclean excretions also correspond those who debase spiritual things to unclean earthly ones. Such spirits came to me and brought with them filthy thoughts, from which they spoke filthy things, and also warped clean things to unclean things, and turned them into such. Many of this kind had belonged to the lowest orders, and some to people of higher station in the world, who during their bodily life had not indeed so spoken in company, but still had so thought; for they had refrained from speaking as they thought, lest they should come to shame, and lose friendship, gain, and honor. Nevertheless, among their like, when in freedom, their conversation had been like that of the lowest orders, and even fouler, because they possessed a certain intellectual capacity which they misused to defile even the holy things of the Word and of doctrine.

AC (Potts) n. 5391 5391. There are also kidneys called the subsidiary kidneys, or renal capsules. Their function is to secrete not so much the serum as the blood itself, and to transmit the purer blood toward the heart by a short circuit, and thus prevent the spermatic vessels, which are near, from carrying off all the purer blood. But these organs perform their main work in embryos, and also in newborn infants. It is chaste virgins who constitute this province in the Grand Man: prone to anxieties, and fearful of being disturbed, they lie quiet at the lower left side of the body. If there is any thought about heaven, or about a change of their state, they become anxious and sigh, as I have several times been given plainly to feel. When my thoughts were led to infants, they felt great comfort and inward joy, which they frankly confessed; and when there was any thought that had nothing heavenly in it, they were distressed. Their anxiety comes chiefly from their being of such a nature that they keep their thoughts fixed on one subject, and do not dispel anxious feelings by variety. The reason why they belong to this province is that in this way they keep another’s lower mind fixed on certain thoughts, the result being that such things arise and show themselves as cohere in a series, and as are to be drawn away, or from which the man is to be purified. In this way also interior things lie in plainer view to the angels; for when such things as obscure and turn away the thoughts are removed, there results a clearer insight and influx.

AC (Potts) n. 5392 5392. Who they are that constitute the province of the intestines in the Grand Man, may be seen to some extent from those who relate to the stomach; for the intestines are continued from the stomach, and the functions of the stomach become there more vigorous and harsh down to the last intestines, which are the colon and rectum; for which reason they who are in these are near the hells which are called excremental. In the region of the stomach and intestines are they who are in the earth of lower things, who, because they have brought with them from the world unclean things that cling to their thoughts and affections, are kept there for some time, until such things have been wiped away, that is, cast to the sides; after this is done, they can be taken up into heaven. They who are there are not as yet in the Grand Man; for they are like food taken into the stomach, which is not admitted into the blood, and thus into the body, until it has been cleared of dregs. They who have been defiled with more earthly dregs are under these in the region of the intestines; but the excrements themselves that are discharged correspond to the hells called the excremental hells.

AC (Potts) n. 5393 5393. It is well known that the colon intestine spreads out wide, and so do those who are in this province. They spread out in front toward the left in a curved line, leading to a hell. In that hell are they who have been merciless, and who without conscience have desired to destroy mankind, namely, to kill and to plunder them without respect or distinction of persons, whether they resist or not, and whether they are men or women. Of such a ferocious disposition are a great part of the soldiery and their officers, who, not in battle but after it, rage ferociously against the conquered and unarmed, and kill and despoil them in their fury. I have conversed with angels about such men, as to what they are when left to themselves and permitted to act without law and with freedom, how they are much more savage than the worst wild beasts, which do not so rush to the destruction of their own species, but merely defend themselves and appease their hunger with what is allotted them for food, and when sated do no such things. It is otherwise with the man who acts thus from cruelty and ferocity. The angels were horrified that mankind should be of such a nature as to first begin to rejoice at heart and be elated in mind when they see the whole field strewn with fallen troops, and reeking with blood-not rejoicing that their country has been freed, but only in being themselves lauded as great men and heroes. And yet they call themselves Christians, and even believe that they will come into heaven, where there is nothing but peace, mercy, and charity. Such are in the hell of the colon and rectum. But those of them in whom there had been any humanity appear in front to the left in a curved line, within a kind of wall; yet there is still much of the love of self in them. If any of these have a regard for what is good, this is sometimes represented by little stars almost fiery, but not of white light. A wall appeared to me as it were of plaster with molded figures, near the left elbow, which wall became more extended and at the same time higher, the upper part verging in color to sky-blue; and I was told that this was a representative of some spirits of this kind who were better.

AC (Potts) n. 5394 5394. They who have been cruel and adulterers, in the other life love nothing so well as filth and excrements, the stenches from such things being most sweet and delightful to them, and being preferred by them to all other delights. The reason is that these things correspond. These hells are partly under the buttocks, partly under the right foot, and partly deep down in front. These are the hells into which the way by the rectum intestine leads. A certain spirit being conveyed thither, and speaking with me therefrom, said that nothing but privies were to be seen there. They who were in the place spoke to him, and led him to various privies, which were very numerous there. He was afterward led to another place a little to the left; and when he was there, he said that a most dreadful stench exhaled from the caverns there, and that he could not stir a step without almost falling into some cavern. A cadaverous stench also was exhaled from the caverns, and the reason was that they who were there were cruel and deceitful, to whom a cadaverous stench is most delightful. But these will be described in the following pages, when I come to speak of the hells, and specifically of the excremental and cadaverous hells.

AC (Potts) n. 5395 5395. There are some who live not for the sake of any use to their country or to its communities, but with a view to live for themselves, taking no delight in public employments, but only in being honored and courted (to which end they indeed seek office); and also in eating, drinking, making merry and conversing with no other end than pleasure. Such in the other life cannot possibly be in the company of good spirits, still less in that of angels; for with these the use causes the delight, and according to the uses is the amount and quality of the delight. For the Lord’s kingdom is nothing but a kingdom of uses; and if in an earthly kingdom everyone is valued and honored according to his use, how much more is this the case in the heavenly kingdom! They who have lived solely for themselves and pleasure, without any useful end, are also under the buttocks, and pass their time in things unclean in accordance with the kinds of their pleasures and their ends.

AC (Potts) n. 5396 5396. By way of Appendix I may relate what follows. There was a numerous crowd of spirits about me that was heard like something devoid of order flowing. They were complaining that everything was going to destruction; for in that crowd nothing appeared consociated, and this made them fear destruction. They also supposed that it would be total, as is the case when such things happen. But in the midst of them I perceived a soft sound, angelically sweet, having nothing in it that was out of order. Angelic choirs were there within, and the crowd of spirits devoid of order was without. This angelic strain continued a long time; and I was told that by it was represented how the Lord rules confused and disorderly things which are without from what is peaceful in the midst, by which the disorderly things in the circumference are brought back into order, each from the error of its own nature.

Genesis 42
1. And Jacob saw that there was produce in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, Why do ye look at one another?
2. And he said, Behold I have heard that there is produce in Egypt; get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; and we shall live, and not die.
3. And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn from Egypt.
4. And Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Peradventure mischief may befall him.
5. And the sons of Israel came to buy in the midst of those that came; for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6. And Joseph he was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land; and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the earth.
7. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spoke hard things with them; and he said unto them, Whence came ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.
8. And Joseph knew his brethren; but they knew not him.
9. And Joseph remembered the dreams that he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
10. And they said unto him, Nay my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.
11. We are all one man’s sons; we are upright; thy servants are no spies.
12. And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
13. And they said, We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.
14. And Joseph said unto them, This is it that I spoke unto you, saying, ye are spies.
15. Hereby ye shall be proved; by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.
16. Send one of you, and let him get your brother, and ye shall be bound, and your words shall be proved, whether there be truth with you; or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.
17. And he shut them up in custody three days.
18. And Joseph said unto them in the third day, This do, and live; I fear God.
19. If ye be upright, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your custody; and go ye, bring produce for the famine of your houses.
20. And bring your youngest brother unto me; and your words shall be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
21. And they said a man to his brother, We are surely guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come unto us.
22. And Reuben answered them, saying, Spoke I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hearken? Moreover, behold his blood is searched for.
23. And they knew not that Joseph heard them; for there was an interpreter between them.
24. And he turned about from upon them, and wept; and he returned to them, and spoke unto them, and took Simeon from them, and bound him before their eyes.
25. And Joseph commanded, and they filled their vessels with corn, and to restore their silver everyone’s into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and he did thus to them.
26. And they lifted their produce upon their asses, and went thence.
27. And one opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, and he saw his silver; and behold it was in the mouth of his bag.
28. And he said unto his brethren, My silver is restored, and lo it is even in my bag; and their heart went forth, and they trembled a man to his brother, saying, What is this that God hath done to us?
29. And they came unto Jacob their father to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them, saying,
30. The man, the lord of the land, spoke hard things with us, and took us for spies of the land.
31. And we said unto him, We are upright; we are no spies.
32. We are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.
33. And the man, the lord of the land, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are upright; let one of your brethren remain with me, and take for the famine of your houses, and go.
34. And bring your youngest brother unto me, then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are upright; I will give you your brother, and ye shall go about trading in the land.
35. And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, and behold everyone’s bundle of silver was in his sack; and they saw the bundles of their silver, they and their father, and they were afraid.
36. And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved, Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin; all these things be come upon me.
37. And Reuben spoke unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons if I bring him not to thee; give him upon my hand, and I will bring him unto thee again.
38. And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left; and mischief will befall him in the way wherein ye shall go, and ye will make my gray hairs go down in sorrow to the grave.

5396a. The Contents.

In the latter part of the last chapter the subject treated of was the influx and conjunction of the celestial of the spiritual with the memory-knowledges in the natural; and now the subject treated of is the influx and conjunction of the celestial of the spiritual with the truths of faith therein which are of the church.

AC (Potts) n. 5397 5397. First is described the endeavor to appropriate these truths by means of the memory-knowledges of the church, which are “Egypt,” and without the intermediate, which is “Benjamin,” together with truth from the Divine, which is “Joseph;” but in vain, wherefore they were sent back and some good of natural truth was given freely.

AC (Potts) n. 5398 5398. The Internal Sense.
In this chapter and in those which follow about Joseph and the sons of Jacob, in the internal sense is described the regeneration of the natural as to the truths and goods of the church-that this is not effected by means of memory-knowledges, but by influx from the Divine. At the present day they who are of the church know so little about regeneration that it is scarcely anything. They do not even know that regeneration goes on through the whole course of life of one who is being regenerated, and that it is continued in the other life; or that the arcana of regeneration are so innumerable that scarcely a ten thousandth part of them can be known by the angels, and that those they do know are what effect their intelligence and wisdom. The reason why they who are of the church at this day know so little about regeneration is that they talk so much about remission of sins and about justification, and believe that sins are remitted in a moment, and some that they are wiped away like filth from the body by water, and that man is justified by faith alone or by the confidence of a single moment. The reason why the men of the church so believe is that they do not know what sin or evil is. If they knew this, they would know that sins can by no means be wiped away from anyone, but that when the man is kept in good by the Lord they are separated or rejected to the sides so as not to rise up, and that this cannot be effected unless evil is continually cast out, and this by means which are unlimited in number, and for the most part unutterable.
[2] Those in the other life who have brought with them the opinion that man is justified in a moment by faith, and wholly cleansed from sins, are astounded when they see that regeneration is effected by means unlimited in number and unutterable, and they then laugh at and call insane the ignorance in which they had been in the world in regard to the instantaneous remission of sins and justification. They are sometimes told that the Lord remits the sins of those who desire it from the heart; yet still they are not thereby separated from the diabolical crew, to whom they are held fast by the evils that attend their life, which they have with them complete. They then learn by experience that to be separated from the hells is to be separated from sins, and that this cannot be done except by thousands upon thousands of ways known to the Lord only, and this-if you will believe it-in a continual succession to eternity. For man is so evil that he cannot to eternity be fully delivered from even one sin, but can only by the mercy of the Lord (if he has received it) be withheld from sin, and kept in good.
[3] In what manner therefore man receives new life and is regenerated, is contained in the sanctuary of the Word, that is, in its internal sense, chiefly to the end that when the Word is being read by man the angels may thereby be in their happiness of wisdom, and also be at the same time in the delight of serving as means. In this and the following chapters about Joseph’s brethren, the subject treated of in the supreme internal sense is the glorification of the Lord’s natural, and in the representative sense, the regeneration of the natural in man by the Lord, here as to the truths of the church therein.

AC (Potts) n. 5399 5399. Verses 1-5. And Jacob saw that there was produce in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, Why do ye look at one another? And he said, Behold I have heard that there is produce in Egypt; get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; and we shall live, and not die. And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn from Egypt. And Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Peradventure mischief may befall him. And the sons of Israel came to buy in the midst of those that came; for the famine was in the land of Canaan. “And Jacob saw,” signifies the things which are of faith (“Jacob” signifies the natural as to the truth which is of the church); “that there was produce in Egypt,” signifies a disposition to procure truths by means of memory-knowledges, which are “Egypt;” “and Jacob said to his sons,” signifies perception regarding truths in general; “Why do ye look at one another?” signifies why did they hesitate; “and he said, Behold I have heard that there is produce in Egypt,” signifies that truths can be procured by means of memory-knowledges; “get you down thither, and buy for us from thence,” signifies appropriation by means of them; “and we shall live, and not die,” signifies spiritual life thereby; “and they went down,” signifies endeavor and act; “Joseph’s ten brethren,” signifies such truths of the church as corresponded; “to buy corn from Egypt,” signifies to appropriate to themselves the good of truth by means of memory-knowledges; “but Benjamin, Joseph’s brother,” signifies the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediate; “Jacob sent not with his brethren,” signifies that they were without this intermediate; “for he said, Peradventure mischief may befall him,” signifies that without the celestial of the spiritual, which is “Joseph,” it would perish; “and the sons of Israel came to buy in the midst of those that came,” signifies that it desired that spiritual truths, like all others, should be procured by means of memory-knowledges; “for the famine was in the land of Canaan,” signifies that there was desolation as to the things of the church in the natural.

AC (Potts) n. 5400 5400. And he saw. That this signifies the things which are of faith, is evident from the signification of “seeing,” as being the things which are of faith (see n. 897, 2325, 2807, 3863, 3869, 4403-4421). For spiritual sight abstracted from such things as are of the world is nothing else than a perception of truth, or of the things of faith; and therefore in the internal sense nothing else is signified by “seeing.” For the internal sense comes forth when the things of the world are removed, because the internal sense relates to such things as are of heaven. The light of heaven, by which is sight there, is Divine truth from the Lord, which appears before the eyes of the angels as light, a thousand times brighter than the midday light in the world; and as this light has life in it, therefore at the same time that it illumines the eyesight of the angels, it illumines also the sight of their understanding, and causes a perception of truth in accordance with the amount and quality of the good in which they are. As in the internal sense of this chapter are described the things of faith, or the truths of the church, therefore at the very beginning of the chapter it is said that “he saw;” and by his “seeing” are signified the things of faith.

AC (Potts) n. 5401 5401. Jacob. That this signifies the natural as to the truth which is of the church, is evident from the representation of Jacob, as being the doctrine of truth in the natural, and in the supreme sense the Lord’s natural as to truth (see n. 3305, 3509, 3525, 3546, 3599, 4009, 4538).

AC (Potts) n. 5402 5402. That there was produce in Egypt. That this signifies a disposition to procure truths by means of memory-knowledges which are “Egypt,” is evident from the signification of “produce,” as being the truths of the church, or the truths which are of faith (that “abundance of produce” denotes the multiplication of truth may be seen above, n. 5276, 5280, 5292); and from the signification of “Egypt,” as being memory-knowledges (n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462), and in the genuine sense the memory-knowledges of the church (see n. 4749, 4964, 4966). That a disposition to procure these things is involved, is plain from what presently follows. By the memory-knowledges of the church, which here are “Egypt,” are meant all knowledges of truth and good, before they have been conjoined with the interior man, or through the interior man with heaven, and thus through heaven with the Lord. The doctrinals of the church and its rituals, as also the knowledges of what spiritual things these represent and how, and the like, are nothing but memory-knowledges until the man has seen from the Word whether they are true, and in this way has made them his own.
[2] There are two ways of procuring the truths which are of faith-by means of doctrinal things, and by means of the Word. When man procures them only by doctrinal things, he then has faith in those who have drawn them from the Word, and he confirms them in himself to be true because others have said so; thus he does not believe them from his own faith, but from that of others. But when he procures them for himself from the Word, and thereby confirms them in himself to be true, he then believes them because they are from the Divine, and thus believes them from faith given from the Divine. Everyone who is within the church first procures the truths which are of faith from doctrinal things, and also must so procure them, because he has not yet sufficient strength of judgment to enable him to see them himself from the Word; but in this case these truths are to him nothing but memory-knowledges. But when he is able to view them from his own judgment, if he then does not consult the Word in order to see from it whether they are true, they remain in him as memory-knowledges; while if he does consult the Word from the affection and end of knowing truths, he then, when he has found them, procures for himself the things of faith from the genuine fountain, and they are appropriated to him from the Divine. These and other like things are what are here treated of in the internal sense; for “Egypt” denotes these memory-knowledges, and “Joseph” is truth from the Divine, thus truth from the Word.

AC (Potts) n. 5403 5403. And Jacob said to his sons. That this signifies perception regarding truths in general, is evident from the signification of “saying,” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception (see n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509); and from the signification of “sons,” as being the truths of faith (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373, 4257); and because they were the sons of Jacob, truths in general are signified; for by Jacob’s twelve sons, as by the twelve tribes, were signified all things of faith, thus truths in general (n. 2129, 2130, 3858, 3862, 3926, 3939, 4060).

AC (Potts) n. 5404 5404. Why do ye look at one another? That this signifies why did they hesitate, may be seen without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5405 5405. And he said, Behold I have heard that there is produce in Egypt. That this signifies that truths can be procured by means of memory-knowledges, may be seen from what was unfolded just above (n. 5402), where it was shown that by there being “produce in Egypt” is signified a disposition to procure truths by means of memory-knowledges, which are “Egypt,” and also what is meant by the memory-knowledges, which are “Egypt.” “Produce” is here expressed in the original language by a word that means “breaking,” and by a similar word are also meant “buying” and “selling” where it is said that Jacob’s sons “bought” it in Egypt, and that Joseph “sold” it there. The reason of this is that in the Ancient Church bread was broken when it was given to another, and by this was signified to communicate good from one’s own, and [at the same time] to appropriate it from one’s own, thus to make love mutual. For when bread is broken and given to another it is communicated from one’s own; or when bread is broken among several, then the one piece of bread becomes a mutual possession, and consequently there is conjunction through charity. From this it is plain that the breaking of bread was significative of mutual love.
[2] As this rite was accepted and customary in the Ancient Church, therefore the “breaking” itself meant produce that was made common. (That “bread” is the good of love may be seen above, n. 276, 680, 1798, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, 4976.) It was for this reason that the Lord brake the bread when He gave it, as in Matthew:
Jesus took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and brake and gave the bread to the disciples (Matt. 14:19; Mark 6:41; Luke 9:16).
In the same:
Jesus took the seven loaves and the fishes; and He gave thanks and brake, and gave to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude (Matt. 15:36; Mark 8:6).
Again:
Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and He gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My body (Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19).
In Luke:
It came to pass when the Lord was reclining with them, He took the bread, and blessed it and brake and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him. And the disciples told how the Lord was known of them in the breaking of the bread (Luke 24:30-31, 35).
In Isaiah:
This is the fast that I choose, to break thy bread to the hungry (Isa. 58:6-7).

AC (Potts) n. 5406 5406. Get you down thither, and buy for us from thence. That this signifies appropriation by means of them, is evident from the signification of “going down,” as being said of going toward exterior things (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “buying,” as being appropriation (n. 4397, 5374); that this is effected by means of memory-knowledges is signified by “from thence,” that is, from Egypt (that “Egypt” denotes memory-knowledges has been shown above). In the Word we often read of “going up” and “going down,” when going from one place to another is spoken of-not because one place was more elevated than the other, but because “going up” is predicated of going toward what is interior or higher, and “going down” of going toward what is exterior or lower; that is to say “going up” is predicated of going toward spiritual and celestial things, for these are interior, and are also believed to be higher, and “going down” is predicated of going toward natural and earthly things, for these are exterior and are also in appearance lower. For this reason it is that not only here but also everywhere else in the Word, we read of “going down” from the land of Canaan to Egypt, and of “going up” from Egypt to the land of Canaan; for by the “land of Canaan” is signified what is heavenly, and by “Egypt” what is natural. For the land of Canaan in the representative sense is the heavenly kingdom, and consequently celestial and spiritual goods and truths, which also are interiorly in the man who is a kingdom of the Lord; while Egypt in the representative sense is the natural kingdom, and consequently the goods and truths which are of the external church, and are for the most part memory-knowledges. (That “going up” is predicated of going toward interior things may be seen above, n. 4539.)

AC (Potts) n. 5407 5407. And we shall live, and not die. That this signifies spiritual life, is evident from the signification of “living and not dying,” as being spiritual life, because nothing else is signified in the internal sense by “living and not dying.” For in the other world by “life” is signified in general heaven, and in particular eternal happiness; and by “death” is signified in general hell, and in particular eternal unhappiness there, as is plain from many passages in the Word. That heaven in general and eternal happiness in particular is called “life,” is because the wisdom of good and the intelligence of truth are there; and in the wisdom of good and the intelligence of truth is life from the Lord, from whom is the all of life. But because in hell there is the contrary-evil in place of good and falsity in place of truth, thus the extinction of spiritual life-therefore in hell relatively there is death; for spiritual death is evil and falsity, and in man it is to will evil, and thence to think falsity. Evil genii and spirits are unwilling to hear it said of them that they do not live, or that they are dead; for they say that they have life because they are able to will and to think. But they are told that as life is in good and truth, it cannot possibly be in evil and falsity, for these are contrary.

AC (Potts) n. 5408 5408. And they went down. That this signifies endeavor and act, namely to procure and appropriate truths to themselves by means of memory-knowledges, is plain from the signification of “going down,” namely, to Egypt, as being both the endeavor and the act.

AC (Potts) n. 5409 5409. Joseph’s ten brethren. That this signifies such truths of the church as corresponded, is evident from the signification of “brethren,” as being the truths which are of the church. It is from the correspondence that these are called the “brethren” of Joseph, who is truth from the Divine; for the correspondence causes them to be conjoined as brother with brother. By the “sons of Jacob” are signified all things of faith, or the truths of the church in general (see n. 5403); and the same are signified by “Joseph’s brethren,” but from the correspondence. By the ten sons of Jacob by Leah are signified the truths of the external church, and by the two sons of Jacob by Rachel are signified the truths of the internal church, as is plain from what has been shown concerning Leah and Rachel, that “Leah” is the affection of exterior truth, and “Rachel” the affection of interior truth (n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819). That the internal and the external of the church are “brothers,” may be seen above (n. 1222). The Lord Himself calls “brethren” the derivative truths and goods in correspondence through charity and faith, that is, those who are in truths and the derivative good; as in Matthew:
The King shall say unto them, Verily I say unto you, insofar as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me (Matt. 25:40).
And in another passage:
Jesus answered them, saying, Who is My mother, or My brethren? And looking round about He said, Behold My mother and My brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is My brother, and My sister, and My mother (Mark 3:33-35; Matt. 12:49; Luke 8:21).

AC (Potts) n. 5410 5410. To buy corn from Egypt. That this signifies to appropriate to themselves the good of truth by means of memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of “buying,” as being to appropriate (see n. 4397, 5374, 5406); from the signification of “corn,” as being the good of truth (n. 5295); and from the signification of “Egypt,” as being memory-knowledges (of which above, n. 5402).

AC (Potts) n. 5411 5411. And Benjamin, Joseph’s brother. That this signifies the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediate,* is evident from the representation of Benjamin, as being the spiritual of the celestial (as may be seen above, n. 4592; and also that the spiritual of the celestial is the intermediate). In general it should be known that the internal cannot have communication with the external, and the converse, unless there is an intermediate; consequently that truth from the Divine, which is “Joseph,” cannot have communication with truths in general in the natural, which are the “sons of Jacob,” without the intermediate represented by Benjamin, and called the “spiritual of the celestial.” An intermediate, to be such, must partake of both the internal and the external. The reason why there must be an intermediate is that the internal and the external are most distinct from each other, and so distinct that they can be separated, just as man’s ultimate external, which is the body, is separated when he dies from his internal, which is his spirit. The external dies when the intermediate is sundered, and the external lives when the intermediate is between; and just so far and in such a way does the external live, as is the intermediate between. As Jacob’s sons were without Benjamin (that is, without the intermediate), therefore Joseph could not manifest himself to his brethren; and for the same reason spoke hardly to them, calling them spies, and putting them in custody; and for the same reason also they did not know Joseph.
[2] But what is the nature of this intermediate represented by Benjamin and called the spiritual of the celestial, cannot be described so as to be apprehended, for there is a want of knowledge about the celestial of the spiritual, which is “Joseph,” and about the truths of the church insofar as they are only memory-knowledges, which are the “sons of Jacob;” hence also about the spiritual of the celestial, which is “Benjamin.” But in heaven the nature of this intermediate appears as in clear day, being there shown in the light of heaven, in which at the same time is perception by means of unutterable representatives; for the light of heaven is intelligence itself from the Divine, and from it there is perceptive power in regard to everything that is represented by means of this light. This is not the case with the world’s light, which has nothing of intelligence in it; but by its means understanding is induced by the influx of the light of heaven into it, and at the same time by the influx of the perception that is in the light of heaven. Hence it is that man is so far in the light of heaven as he is in intelligence, and that he is so far in intelligence as he is in the truths of faith, and that he is so far in the truths of faith as he is in the good of love; consequently that man is so far in the light of heaven as he is in the good of love.
* See Arcana Coelestia n. 4585: 2, 5, and 6; n. 9421. [Reviser.]

AC (Potts) n. 5412 5412. Jacob sent not with his brethren. That this signifies that they were without this intermediate, may be seen from what has just now been said.

AC (Potts) n. 5413 5413. For he said, Peradventure mischief may befall him. That this signifies that without the celestial of the spiritual which is “Joseph,” it would perish, is evident from the signification of “mischief befalling,” as here being to perish. This was said by the father because he loved him, and feared lest he should perish among his brethren, like Joseph; but these same words were adduced and received in the Word on account of the internal sense, which is, that with its externals only, without the internal, the intermediate would perish; for the intermediate is “Benjamin,” the externals are the “sons of Jacob,” and the internal is “Joseph.” Every intermediate perishes when it has only the external things without the internal, because it comes into existence from the internal, and hence also subsists from it; for it comes into existence by the internal’s looking into the external from the affection and end of associating the external with itself. Thus the intermediate is conjoined with the internal, and from the internal with the external, but not with the external without the internal. From this it is plain that the intermediate would perish if it were with the external alone without the internal. Moreover, it is a general law, as well of the things of the spiritual world as of those of the natural world, that a thing can subsist with its prior, but not without this with its posterior, and that it would perish if it were with this alone. The reason is that everything without connection with what is prior to itself is without connection with the First, from whom is all coming into existence, and subsistence.

AC (Potts) n. 5414 5414. And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came. That this signifies that it desired that like all other truths, spiritual truths should be procured by means of memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of the “sons of Israel,” as being spiritual truths (for “sons” are truths, as may be seen above, n. 5403; and “Israel” is the celestial spiritual man from the natural, n. 4286, 4570, 4598; thus the “sons of Israel” are spiritual truths in the natural); from the signification of “buying,” as being to be procured; and from the signification of “in the midst of those that came,” as being like all other truths, that is, in that they are procured by means of memory-knowledges.

AC (Potts) n. 5415 5415. For the famine was in the land of Canaan. That this signifies that there was desolation as to the things of the church in the natural, is evident from the signification of “famine,” as being a lack of knowledges, and the consequent desolation (see n. 3364, 5277, 5279, 5281, 5300, 5349, 5360, 5376); and from the signification of the “land of Canaan,” as being the church (n. 3686, 3705, 4447); and because it is the church, it is also that which is of the church. Hence it is that by the “famine being in the land of Canaan” is signified desolation as to the things of the church. That the desolation was in the natural, is because these things are predicated of the sons of Jacob, by whom are signified the things of the external church (n. 5409), consequently those of the church in the natural.

AC (Potts) n. 5416 5416. Verses 6-8. And Joseph he was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land; and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the earth. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spoke hard things with them; and he said unto them, Whence came ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. “And Joseph he was the governor over the land,” signifies that the celestial of the spiritual, or truth from the Divine, reigned in the natural where memory-knowledges were; “he it was that sold to all the people of the land,” signifies that from this was all appropriation; “and Joseph’s brethren came,” signifies the general truths of the church without mediation; “and bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the earth,” signifies humiliation; “and Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them,” signifies perception and acknowledgment by the celestial of the spiritual; “but made himself strange unto them,” signifies non-conjunction because without an intermediate; “and spoke hard things with them,” signifies hence also non-correspondence; “and he said unto them, Whence came ye?” signifies exploration; “and they said, From the land of Canaan,” signifies that they were of the church; “to buy food,” signifies to appropriate the truth of good; “and Joseph knew his brethren,” signifies that these truths of the church appeared to the celestial of the spiritual from its light; “but they knew not him,” signifies that truth from the Divine did not appear in natural light not yet illumined by heavenly light.

AC (Potts) n. 5417 5417. And Joseph he was the governor over the land. That this signifies that the celestial of the spiritual, or truth from the Divine, reigned in the natural where memory-knowledges were, is evident from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial of the spiritual (see n. 4286, 4963, 5249, 5307, 5331, 5332; that the celestial of the spiritual is truth from the Divine will be seen below); from the signification of a “governor,” as being one who reigns; and from the signification of “land,” here the land of Egypt, as being the natural mind, thus the natural (n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301). (That the celestial of the spiritual reigned in the natural where memory-knowledges were, may be seen above, n. 5313; and also that “Egypt” in the internal sense is memory-knowledge, n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 4749, 4964, 4966.) That the celestial of the spiritual is truth from the Divine, is because the Lord’s internal Human, before it was fully glorified, being the receptacle of the Divine Itself, was the celestial of the spiritual, which must be so called because it cannot be expressed in any other words or forms of thought. This receptacle or recipient of the Divine is the same as truth from the Divine (that “Joseph” is this truth may be seen above, n. 4723, 4727).

AC (Potts) n. 5418 5418. He it was that sold to all the people of the land. That this signifies that all appropriation is from him, is evident from the signification of “selling,” as being appropriation (see n. 5371, 5374); and from the signification of the “people of the land,” as being the truths of the church (n. 2928), here in the natural (n. 5409).

AC (Potts) n. 5419 5419. And Joseph’s brethren came. That this signifies the general truths of the church without mediation, is evident from the signification of “Joseph’s brethren,” as being the general truths of the church (of which above, n. 5409). They were “without mediation” because they were without Benjamin, who is the intermediate (as may be seen above, n. 5411, 5413).

AC (Potts) n. 5420 5420. And bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the earth. That this signifies humiliation, is evident from the signification of “bowing down themselves,” as being humiliation (see n. 2153), and of “with their faces to the earth,” as being the humiliation of adoration (n. 1999). By humiliation here is not meant humiliation from acknowledgment, thus internal humiliation, but external humiliation, because it was in the presence of the governor of the land in accordance with established custom. That not internal but external humiliation is meant, is because there was not yet correspondence, and through correspondence conjunction. When the natural is in this state it can indeed humble itself, even to the last degree, but only from acquired habit. It is a gesture without the genuine affection that produces it, thus it is of the body without its soul. Such is the humiliation here meant.

AC (Potts) n. 5421 5421. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them. That this signifies perception and acknowledgment by the celestial of the spiritual, is evident from the signification of “seeing,” as being perception (see n. 2150, 3764, 4567, 4723); from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial of the spiritual (n. 5417); from the signification of “his brethren, “as being the general truths of the church (also spoken of above, n. 5419); and from the signification of “knowing,” as being acknowledgment from perception. In regard to this acknowledgment on the part of Joseph, and non-acknowledgment on the part of his brethren, see below (n. 5422, 5427, 5428).

AC (Potts) n. 5422 5422. But made himself strange unto them. That this signifies non-conjunction because without an intermediate, is evident from the signification of “making himself strange,” as here being non-conjunction because without an intermediate; for one who is not in reciprocal conjunction, because without an intermediate, appears strange, just as internal truth, or truth immediately from the Divine, appears strange to those who are in external truths. For this reason it is that Joseph made himself strange to his brethren, not because he was estranged, for he loved them, so that he turned from them and wept (verse 24); but the strangeness on their part, because of non-conjunction, is represented by his so bearing himself. As for example, where it is said in the Word that Jehovah or the Lord “makes Himself strange” to the people, “opposes” them, “rejects” them, “condemns,” “casts into hell,” “punishes,” and “delights” in such things, in the internal sense is meant that the people make themselves strange to Jehovah or the Lord, oppose Him, are in evils which reject them from His face, and which condemn them, cast them into hell, and punish them, and that such things never proceed from Jehovah or the Lord. But it is so stated in the Word on account of the appearance; for so it appears to the simple. The case is similar with internal truths when they are viewed by external truths without conjunction by what is intermediate; for then these truths appear altogether strange to external truths, and even sometimes opposite; when in fact the opposition is not in the internal, but in the external truths; for these without conjunction by what is intermediate cannot view the former except from the light of the world separate from the light of heaven, and consequently as strange to them. But in regard to this matter more will be said in what follows.

AC (Potts) n. 5423 5423. And spoke hard things with them. That this signifies hence also non-correspondence, is evident from the same explication that was given above of his “making himself strange” to them. To “make one’s self strange” has regard to the affection of the will, and to “speak hardly” has regard to the thought of the understanding, for in the internal sense “to speak” is to think (see n. 2271, 2287, 2619); and the internal appears strange to the external when there is no affection, and the internal appears to speak hard things when there is no correspondence. Correspondence is the appearing of the internal in the external, and its representation therein; wherefore when there is no correspondence, there is no appearing of the internal in the external, and therefore no representation of it therein. Hence comes the hardness.

AC (Potts) n. 5424 5424. And he said unto them, Whence came ye? That this signifies exploration, is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5425 5425. And they said, From the land of Canaan. That this signifies that they were of the church, is evident from the signification of the “land of Canaan,” as being the church (see n. 3686, 3705, 4447).

AC (Potts) n. 5426 5426. To buy food. That this signifies to appropriate the truth of good, is evident from the signification of “buying,” as being to appropriate to themselves (see n. 4397, 5374, 5406, 5410); and from the signification of “food,” as being the truth of good (n. 5293, 5340, 5342).

AC (Potts) n. 5427 5427. And Joseph knew his brethren. That this signifies that these truths of the church appeared to the celestial of the spiritual from its light, is evident from the signification of “knowing,” as being to perceive, to see, and thus to appear; from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial of the spiritual (of which above); and from the signification of “his brethren,” as being the general truths of the church (of which also above, n. 5409, 5419). And because by “Joseph’s knowing his brethren” is signified that the general truths of the church appeared to the celestial of the spiritual, it follows that they appeared from the light in which the celestial of the spiritual was, thus from the celestial light of the spiritual. From this light, which is truth from the Divine (n. 5417), appear all and each of the truths that are below, or that are in the natural; but not the converse unless there is an intermediate, still less unless there is correspondence and through correspondence conjunction. This may be seen from the fact that the angels who are in the heavens, and thus in the light of heaven, can see everything that is taking place in the world of spirits, which world is next beneath the heavens, and also everything that is taking place in the lower earth, and even in hell; but not the converse.
[2] It is also the case that the angels of a higher heaven can see all that is going on below them in a lower heaven; but not the converse, unless there is an intermediate. There are also intermediate spirits through whom the communication is effected to and fro. When therefore they who are below and have no intermediate, and still more if they have no correspondence, look into the light of heaven, they see nothing at all, but everything there appears in darkness; when yet they who are there are in the clearest day. This may be illustrated by this single experience. There appeared to me a great city in which were thousands upon thousands of various objects, all pleasing and beautiful. I saw them because an intermediate was given me, but the spirits who were with me, being without an intermediate, could not see the least thing there; and it was said that they who are not in correspondence, even if they are in the city, do not perceive a single thing therein.
[3] Such also is the case with the interior man, or man’s spirit, which is also called the soul, and which can see everything that exists and takes place in the exterior man; but not the converse, unless there is a correspondence and an intermediate. Consequently, to the exterior man not in correspondence the interior appears as nothing, so much so that when anything is said about the interior man, it appears to the exterior either so obscure that he is unwilling even to look in that direction, or else it appears as naught and not to be credited. But when there is correspondence, then the exterior man sees through an intermediate what is going on in the interior; for the light which the interior man has flows through the intermediate into the light which the exterior has, that is, heavenly light flows into natural light, and illumines it; from which illumining appears that which takes place in the interior man. Hence come intelligence and wisdom to the exterior or natural man. But if there is no intermediate, and especially if there is no correspondence, the interior man sees and perceives what is going on in the exterior, and in a measure leads it; but not the converse. If however there is contrariety, that is to say, if the exterior man entirely perverts or extinguishes what flows in through the interior, the interior man is then deprived of his light which is from heaven, and communication heavenward is closed to him; but communication from hell is opened toward the exterior man. On this subject more will be seen in what now follows.

AC (Potts) n. 5428 5428. But they knew not him. That this signifies that truth from the Divine did not appear in natural light not yet illumined by heavenly light, is evident from what immediately precedes; for as by “Joseph’s knowing his brethren” is signified that the general truths of the church appeared to the celestial of the spiritual from its light, it follows that by “their not knowing him” is signified that the celestial of the spiritual, or truth from the Divine, did not appear to the general truths of the church in natural light not yet illumined by heavenly light. How this matter stands is indeed plain from what was said just above; but as it is a mystery it may be illustrated by examples-as for instance by the glory of heaven. They who think about the glory of heaven from natural light unillumined by the light of heaven, being without an intermediate, and much more if there is no correspondence, can form no other idea of it than such as they may have of the glory of the world; as when they read the prophetic revelations, especially those of John in the Revelation, that all things in heaven are most magnificent. And if they are told that the glory of heaven so far surpasses all the magnificence of the world that the latter can scarcely be compared with it, and yet that this is not the glory of heaven, but the glory of heaven is the Divine that shines forth from everything that appears there, and is the perception of Divine things, and the consequent wisdom; but that this glory is possessed only by those in heaven who regard the magnificence there as nothing in comparison with wisdom, and attribute all wisdom to the Lord and none at all to themselves-when this glory of heaven is viewed by natural light without an intermediate, and much more if there is no correspondence, it is not at all acknowledged.
[2] Let us take as another example, angelic power. They who think about angelic power, especially about the power of the archangels mentioned in the Word, from natural light not illumined by the light of heaven, because without an intermediate, and much more so if there is no correspondence, cannot form any other idea of it than as of the power of the mighty in the world, namely, that they have thousands upon thousands of inferiors over whom they rule, and that eminence in heaven consists in such rule. And if they are told that angelic power indeed surpasses all the power of the mighty in the world, and that it is so great that one of the lesser angels can drive away myriads of the infernals and thrust them down into their hells, and that this is the reason why in the Word they are called “powers” and also “dominions;” while nevertheless the least of them is the greatest, that is, he is most powerful who believes, wills, and perceives that all power is from the Lord and none from himself, and thus they who are powers in heaven are utterly averse to all self-derived power-this too, when viewed by natural light without an intermediate, and much more if there is no correspondence, is not acknowledged.
[3] Let us take another example. He who looks at freedom from what is natural without an intermediate, and much more if there is no correspondence, cannot know otherwise than that freedom consists in thinking and willing from himself, and in being able to act without check as he thinks and wills. Wherefore the natural man, in order that he may have whatever he thinks and wills, desires to be the richest; and in order that he may be able to do whatever he thinks and wills, desires to be the most powerful; and he believes that he would then be in the height of freedom, and hence in happiness itself. But if he is told that real freedom, which is called heavenly freedom, is not at all like this, but consists in willing nothing from self, but from the Lord, and also in thinking nothing from self, but from heaven, and hence that the angels are overwhelmed with sorrow and grief if permitted to think and to will from themselves-this is not acknowledged. From these examples it will to some extent be seen how it is that truth from the Divine does not appear in natural light not yet illumined by heavenly light, which is signified by Joseph’s brethren “not knowing him.”

AC (Potts) n. 5429 5429. Verses 9-16. And Joseph remembered the dreams that he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. And they said unto him, Nay my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. We are all one man’s sons; we are upright; thy servants are no spies. And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. And they said, we thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not. And Joseph said unto them, This is it that I spoke unto you, saying, ye are spies; hereby ye shall be proved; by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. Send one of you, and let him get your brother, and ye shall be bound, and your words shall be verified whether there be truth with you; or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies. “And Joseph remembered the dreams that he dreamed of them,” signifies that the celestial of the spiritual foresaw what would happen in regard to the general truths of the church in the natural; “and said unto them” signifies perception thence; “Ye are spies” signifies that they came only to seek gain; “to see the nakedness of the land ye are come,” signifies that they would like nothing better than to know in themselves that there are no truths; “and they said unto him, Nay my lord, we are upright,” signifies that they are truths in themselves; “but to buy food are thy servants come,” signifies that they are to be appropriated to the natural by means of good; “we are all one man’s sons,” signifies that these truths are from one origin; “we are upright,” signifies that thus they are truths in themselves; “thy servants are no spies,” signifies that therefore it was not for the sake of gain; “and he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come” signifies that they do not care whether there are truths; “and they said, We thy servants are twelve brethren,” signifies that all things of faith were thus conjoined together; “the sons of one man,” signifies from one origin; “in the land of Canaan,” signifies in the church; “and behold the youngest is this day with our father,” signifies that there was also conjunction with spiritual good; “and one is not” signifies that the Divine spiritual from which it is does not appear; and Joseph said unto them,” signifies perception concerning that matter; “This is it that I spoke unto you” signifies that the truth is as I thought; “saying, ye are spies,” signifies that they are in the truths of the church for the sake of gain; “hereby ye shall be proved,” signifies it will be seen whether it is so; “by the life of Pharaoh,” signifies of a certainty; “ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither,” signifies that it must needs be that the truths with you are such, unless they are conjoined with spiritual good; “send one of you, and let him get your brother,” signifies if only there is some conjunction with that good; “and ye shall be bound,” signifies even though there is separation in all other respects; “and your words shall be verified, whether there be truth with you,” signifies that it will then be so; “or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies,” signifies otherwise it is certain that you have truths only for the sake of gain.

AC (Potts) n. 5430 5430. And Joseph remembered the dreams that he dreamed of them. That this signifies that the celestial of the spiritual foresaw what would happen in regard to the general truths of the church in the natural, is evident from the signification of “remembering,” as being presence, for the thing which is remembered becomes present (that “to be remembered” is predicated of foresight may be seen above, n. 3966); from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial of the spiritual (of which often above); and from the signification of “dreams,” as being foresight, prediction, and the event (see n. 3698, 5091, 5092, 5104); here therefore foresight of what would happen to the general truths of the church in the natural because these truths are signified by the “sons of Jacob” (n. 5409, 5419). Wherefore also it is said “that he dreamed of them.”

AC (Potts) n. 5431 5431. And said unto them. That this signifies perception thence, is manifest from the signification of “saying,” as being perception (see n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3509).

AC (Potts) n. 5432 5432. Ye are spies. That this signifies only to seek gain, is evident from the signification of “spies,” as being to seek gain. That nothing else is signified in the internal sense by “spies,” is evident from the series, for in the internal sense the truths of the church are treated of, that they are to be appropriated to the natural, and that they cannot be appropriated to it except by means of influx from the celestial of the spiritual through an intermediate. These truths of the church are the “sons of Jacob,” or “Joseph’s brethren;” the celestial of the spiritual is “Joseph;” and the intermediate is “Benjamin.” How the case herein is has been told above (n. 5402), that the truths of faith of the church, which are called doctrinal things, when learned in early life, are taken into the mind and committed to memory just like any other memory-knowledges, and remain as such until the man begins to view them with his own eyes, and see whether they are true, and after seeing that they are true, wills to act according to them. This viewing of them, and this will, make them no longer memory-knowledges, but precepts of life, and finally life; for in this way they enter into the life to which they are appropriated.
[2] They who have arrived at maturity, and still more they who have arrived at old age, and have not viewed with their own eyes the truths of the church, which are called doctrinal things, and seen whether they are true, and then been willing to live according to them, retain them merely as they do all other memory-knowledges; they are in their natural memory only, and thence on their lips; and when they utter them, they utter them not from their interior man or from the heart, but only from the exterior man and from the mouth. When a man is in this state he cannot possibly believe that the truths of the church are true, although it seems to him that he so believes. The reason why it seems to him that he believes them to be true, is that he relies on others, and has confirmed in himself the teachings of others. It is very easy to confirm things taken from others, whether true or false; for this needs nothing but ingenuity.
[3] These truths of the church, or they who are in this manner in the truths of the church, are signified by “spies coming to see the nakedness of the land.” For they do not believe the doctrinal things of their church from any affection of truth, but from an affection of winning honors or getting gain; wherefore in themselves they believe scarcely anything, for the most part denying at heart, and regarding these doctrinal things as a merchant does his merchandise; and they appear to themselves learned and wise when from themselves they see that truths are not truths, and yet can persuade the common people that they are truths. That many of the church dignitaries are of this character, is very manifest from them in the other life; for wherever they go there, they are in the sphere of their affections and derivative thoughts, which sphere is plainly perceived by others, and it causes the quality of their affection of truth, and the quality of their faith, to be known to the very senses. In the world this is not made manifest, for there is not there any spiritual perception of such things; and this being so they do not expose themselves, for they would lose their gain.
[4] That they are spies may be evident enough from the fact that such persons seek nothing but faults in those who are in truths from good, in order that they may accuse and condemn them. Are such persons anything but spies, whether they belong to the so called Papists, or the Reformed, Quakers, Socinians, or Jews, when they have once confirmed in themselves the doctrinals of their church? They ridicule and condemn the veriest truths, if any such are to be found; for they do not comprehend that truths are true. The reason of this is that they have no affection of truth for its own sake, still less for the sake of life, but only for the sake of gain. Moreover, when such men read the Word they search it with the sole end of confirming doctrinal memory-knowledges for the sake of gain; and many of them search the Word that they may see the nakedness of the land, that is, may see that the truths of the church are not truths, but only serviceable for persuading others that they are truths, for the sake of gain.
[5] But they who are in the affection of truth for the sake of truth and of life, consequently for the sake of the Lord’s kingdom, have indeed faith in the doctrinal things of the church; but still they search the Word for no other end than the truth, from which their faith and their conscience are formed. If anyone tells them that they ought to stay in the doctrinal things of the church in which they were born, they reflect that if they had been born in Judaism, Socinianism, Quakerism, Christian Gentilism, or even out of the church, the same would have been told them; and that it is everywhere said, Here is the church! Here is the church! Here are truths and nowhere else! And this being the case the Word should be searched with devout prayer to the Lord for enlightenment. Such do not disturb anyone within the church, nor do they ever condemn others, knowing that everyone who is a church lives from his faith.

AC (Potts) n. 5433 5433. To see the nakedness of the land ye are come. That this signifies that they would like nothing better than to know in themselves that there are no truths, is evident from the signification of “coming to see,” as being to desire to know that it is so, thus that they would like nothing better than to know; from the signification of “nakedness,” as being to be without truths, thus that there are no truths (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “land,” as being the church (see n. 566, 662, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4447, 4535); here therefore the “nakedness of the land” denotes no truths in the church. That “nakedness” signifies deprived of truths, or without truths, is because “garments” in general signify truths, and each specific garment signifies some particular truth (see n. 2576, 3301, 4545, 4677, 4741, 4742, 4763, 5248, 5319). Hence “nakedness” signifies being without truths, as will also be seen below from passages taken from the Word.
[2] How the case herein is, is plain from what was said just above (n. 5432), that they who learn truths not for the sake of truth and of life, but for the sake of gain, cannot but think within themselves that the truths of the church are not truths. The reason is that the affection of gain is an earthly affection, and the affection of truth is a spiritual affection. One or the other must have the dominion, for no man can serve two masters. Therefore where one affection is, the other is not; thus where there is the affection of truth, there is not the affection of gain; and where there is the affection of gain, there is not the affection of truth. Consequently, if the affection of gain has dominion, it must needs be that nothing is more desired than that truths should not be truths, and also that they should be believed to be truths by others; for if the internal man looks downward to earthly things, and vests everything in them, it is impossible for him to look upward, and to vest anything in heavenly things, because the earthly things completely absorb and stifle the heavenly things. The reason is that the angels of heaven cannot be with man in earthly things, and therefore they draw back, and the infernal spirits then come near, who cannot be with man in heavenly things. The result is that heavenly things are naught to him, and earthly things are everything; and when earthly things are everything to him, he believes himself to be more learned and wise than anyone else, in that to himself he denies the truths of the church, saying at heart that they are for the simple. Man must therefore be either in earthly affection or in heavenly affection, for he cannot be at the same time with the angels of heaven and with the infernals; because he would then hang between heaven and hell. But when he is in the affection of truth for the sake of truth, that is, for the sake of the Lord’s kingdom, where the Divine truth is, thus for the sake of the Lord Himself, he is then among angels, nor does he then despise gain so far as it is useful for his life in the world; but he has as the end, not gain, but uses therefrom, which he looks upon as mediate ends to the final heavenly end; thus by no means does he set his heart upon gain.
[3] That “nakedness” signifies to be without truths, may be seen from other passages in the Word, as in the Revelation:
To the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, Because thou sayest I am rich, and have been enriched, so that I have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and needy and blind and naked (Rev. 3:17);
where “naked” denotes penury of truth. In the same:
I counsel thee to buy of Me gold purified in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white garments, that thou mayest be clothed, and the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest (Rev. 3:18);
“to buy gold” denotes to procure and appropriate good to one’s self; “that thou mayest be rich,” denotes being in celestial and spiritual good; “white garments” denote spiritual truths; the “shame of thy nakedness” denotes being without goods and truths. (That “to buy” is to procure and to appropriate to one’s self may be seen above, n. 5374; also that “gold” is celestial and spiritual good, n. 1551, 1552; that “garments” are truths, n. 1073, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248, 5319; and that “white” is predicated of truth, because from the light of heaven, n. 3301, 3993, 4007, 5319.)
[4] Again:
Behold I come as a thief, blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked (Rev. 16:15);
“he that keepeth his garments” denotes him that keepeth truths; “lest he walk naked,” denotes being without truths. In Matthew:
The King shall say unto them on His right hand, I was naked, and ye clothed Me; and to them on His left, I was naked, and ye clothed Me not (Matt. 25:36, 43);
where “naked” denotes the good who acknowledge that there is nothing of good and truth in themselves (n. 4958).
[5] In Isaiah:
Is not this the fast, to break thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the afflicted that are cast out into thy house? When thou seest the naked that thou cover him? (Isa. 58:7);
where the meaning is similar. In Jeremiah:
Jerusalem hath sinned a sin; therefore she hath become a menstruous woman; all that honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness (Lam. 1:8);
where “nakedness” denotes without truths. In Ezekiel:
Thou hast come into comelinesses of comelinesses, the paps have been made firm, and thy hair was grown, yet thou wast naked and bare. I spread My skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness. Thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare (Ezek. 16:7-8, 22);
[6] this is said of Jerusalem, by which is meant the Ancient Church, as it was when set up, and as it afterward became, namely, that at first it was without truths, but afterward was instructed in them, and at last rejected them. Again:
If a just man who hath done judgment and justice give his bread to the hungry, and cover the naked with a garment (Ezek. 18:5, 7);
where “to cover the naked with a garment” denotes to instruct in truths those who desire them. In Hosea:
Lest I strip her naked, and show her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a land of drought, and slay her with thirst (Hos. 2:3);
where “stripping naked” denotes to deprive of truths. In Nahum:
I will show the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame (Nah. 3:5);
where “showing the nations the nakedness” denotes to show the ugliness; for all ugliness is from want of truths, and all beauty is from truths (n. 4985, 5199).

AC (Potts) n. 5434 5434. And they said unto him, Nay my lord, we are upright. That this signifies that they are truths in themselves, is evident from the signification of “saying to him, Nay my lord,” as being that they did not come to seek gain, which is signified by Joseph’s words, “Ye are spies” (see n. 5432), and that it was not the case that they would like nothing better than to know in themselves that there are no truths, as is signified by Joseph’s words, “To see the nakedness of the land ye are come” (n. 5433); and from the signification of “we are upright,” as being that they are truths in themselves; for in the internal sense “upright” signifies truth, in this as in many other passages of the Word. This meaning-that they are truths in themselves-follows from the series; for to those who have procured for themselves the truths of the church for the purpose of gain, truths are indeed not truths (as was shown above, n. 5433); yet they may be truths in themselves, for the very truths of the church in general are signified by the “sons of Jacob.” That by the “upright” are meant truths in the abstract, is because in the internal sense everything is abstracted from person, and the idea of person is turned into the idea of thing (see n. 5225, 5287). The reason of this is that otherwise the thought and derivative speech must needs be drawn away and lost from the thing itself and the view of it, to such things as are of person; and moreover the thought and derivative speech can in no other way become universal, and comprehend many things at the same time, still less things unlimited and unutterable, as with the angels. Nevertheless this abstracted idea involves persons, namely, those who are in the things in question. Hence it is that by “the upright” are signified truths.

AC (Potts) n. 5435 5435. But to buy food are thy servants come. That this signifies that they, namely these truths, are to be appropriated to the natural by means of good, is evident from the signification of “servants,” as being things lower and relatively natural (see n. 2541, 3019, 3020, 5161, 5164, 5305); hence also truths (n. 3409), for truths are subject to good, and things subject are in the Word called “servants”-here therefore truths in the natural in respect to the celestial of the spiritual; from the signification of “buying,” as being to be appropriated (n. 4397, 5374, 5406, 5410); and from the signification of “food,” as being celestial and spiritual good (n. 5147), and also truth adjoined to good (n. 5340, 5342); here therefore truth to be adjoined to the natural by means of good, and thus to be appropriated. Truth is never appropriated to man otherwise than by means of good; but when it is so appropriated, then truth becomes good, because it then acts as one with it; for together they make as it were one body, the soul of which is good, the truths in this good being as it were the spiritual fibers which form the body. Wherefore by fibers are signified the inmost forms proceeding from good, and by nerves are signified truths (see n. 4303, 5189).

AC (Potts) n. 5436 5436. We are all one man’s sons. That this signifies that these truths are from one origin, is evident from the signification of “sons,” here the sons of Jacob, as being truths in general (of which often before). That their being “one man’s sons” signifies that they are from one origin, is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5437 5437. We are upright. That this signifies that thus they are truths in themselves, is evident from the signification of “we are upright,” as being truths in themselves (of which just above, n. 5434).

AC (Potts) n. 5438 5438. Thy servants are no spies. That this signifies that it was not for the sake of gain, is evident from the signification of “spies,” as being those who are in the truths of the church for the sake of gain (as shown above, n. 5432); here that it was not so.

AC (Potts) n. 5439 5439. And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. That this signifies that they did not care whether there are truths, is evident from the signification of “coming to see the nakedness of the land,” as being to like nothing better than to know in themselves that there are no truths (see n. 5433); here, that they did not care whether there are truths.

AC (Potts) n. 5440 5440. And they said, We thy servants are twelve brethren. That this signifies that all things of faith were thus conjoined together, is evident from the signification of “twelve,” as being all things, and when as here predicated of the sons of Jacob, or of the tribes named after them, and also of the apostles, all things of faith in one complex (see n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 2553, 3272, 3488, 3858, 3862, 3913, 3926, 3939, 4060); and from the signification of “brethren,” as being conjunction through good; for when truths are conjoined by means of good, they take on as it were a brotherhood among themselves. If when without good they appear conjoined, they nevertheless are not conjoined; for falsities of evil are always entering and disjoining them. The reason of this is that they have not one origin from which they are derived, nor one end to which they are directed. For there to be conjunction the first and the last must be conjoined; the first must be the good from which they come, and the last must be the good to which they tend. Furthermore, for truths to be conjoined, good must reign universally; for that which reigns universally, conjoins. (That a “brother” denotes the affection of good, thus good, may be seen above, n. 2360, 2524, 3303, 3459, 3803, 3815, 4121.)

AC (Potts) n. 5441 5441. The sons of one man. That this signifies from one origin, is evident from what was said just above (n. 5436), where similar words occur.

AC (Potts) n. 5442 5442. In the land of Canaan. That this signifies in the church, is evident from the signification of the “land of Canaan,” as being the Lord’s kingdom and the church (see n. 1413, 1437, 1607, 3038, 3481, 3686, 3705, 4447).

AC (Potts) n. 5443 5443. And behold the youngest is this day with our father. That this signifies that there was also conjunction with spiritual good, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, who is here “the youngest,” as being an intermediate that conjoins (of which in what follows); and from the representation of Jacob, here Israel, who is the “father,” as being spiritual good (n. 3654, 4598). That “Benjamin” is the spiritual of the celestial, which is an intermediate, may be seen above (n. 4592, 5411, 5413, 5419); that is, an intermediate between the natural, or the things of the natural, and the celestial of the spiritual, which is “Joseph.” And as “Benjamin” is an intermediate, and “Israel” spiritual good, therefore by the words, “Behold the youngest is this day with our father” is signified conjunction with spiritual good.

AC (Potts) n. 5444 5444. And one is not. That this signifies that the Divine spiritual, which is the source, does not appear, is evident from the representation of Joseph, who here is the “one,” as being the celestial of the spiritual, or what is the same thing, the Divine spiritual, or truth from the Divine (see n. 3969, 4286, 4592, 4723, 4727, 4963, 5249, 5307, 5331, 5332, 5417), and because all conjunction of truth in the natural proceeds from the Divine spiritual, it is called “the Divine spiritual which is the source;” and from the signification of “is not,” as being that it does not appear; for it was, but did not appear to them, because the intermediate, which is “Benjamin,” was not there.

AC (Potts) n. 5445 5445. And Joseph said unto them. That this signifies perception concerning this matter, namely, concerning the things which his brethren spoke, is evident from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception (see n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 3509).

AC (Potts) n. 5446 5446. This is it that I spoke unto you. That this signifies that the truth is as I thought, is evident from the signification of “speaking,” as being to think (see n. 2271, 2287, 2619); that it signifies that this is the truth, is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5447 5447. Saying, ye are spies. That this signifies that they are in the truths of the church for the sake of gain, is evident from the signification of “spies,” as being those who are in the truths of the church only to seek gain (n. 5432, 5438).

AC (Potts) n. 5448 5448. Hereby ye shall be proved. That this signifies that it will be seen whether it is so, is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5449 5449. By the life of Pharaoh. That this signifies of a certainty, is evident from the fact that “by the life of Pharaoh,” is a form of emphatic assertion, thus implying that it is certain. Joseph indeed knew that they were not spies, and that they did not come to see the nakedness of the land; yet he so asserted because in the internal sense it was certain that the truths of the church, in whomsoever they are, without conjunction through good with the interior man, have as the end nothing but gain; but when they have been conjoined through good with the interior man, they have as the end good and truth itself, thus the church, the Lord’s kingdom, and the Lord Himself; and when they have these as the end, then as much gain falls to their share as is needed, according to the Lord’s words in Matthew:
Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all things shall be added unto you (Matt. 6:33).

AC (Potts) n. 5450 5450. Ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. That this signifies that it must needs be that the truths with you are such, unless conjoined with spiritual good, cannot be so well unfolded according to the significations of the words themselves; but this meaning results therefrom; for conjunction with spiritual good is here signified by the “youngest brother” (see n. 5443).

AC (Potts) n. 5451 5451. Send one of you, and let him get your brother. That this signifies if only there is some conjunction with this good, is evident from the signification of “your brother,” namely, the youngest, as being conjunction with spiritual good (as just above, n. 5450); and from the signification of “sending one and getting him,” as being if only there is some conjunction; for something of doubt is expressed.

AC (Potts) n. 5452 5452. And ye shall be bound. That this signifies even though there is separation in all other respects, is evident from the signification of “binding,” as here being to be separated; for he who is kept bound is separated, namely, from spiritual good, which is signified by the “father Israel.”

AC (Potts) n. 5453 5453. And your words shall be proved, whether there be truth with you. That this signifies that it will then so take place, is evident from the signification of “words being proved,” and “whether there is truth,” as being that it is certain that it will then take place as they said. The certainty has reference to the things told by them, and contained in the internal sense (regarding which see above, n. 5434-5444).

AC (Potts) n. 5454 5454. Or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies. That this signifies that otherwise it is certain that you have truths only for the sake of gain, is evident from the signification of “by the life of Pharaoh,” as being of a certainty (see n. 5449); and from the signification of “spies,” as being they who are in the truths of the church only to seek gain (n. 5432, 5438, 5447). A further explication of these and the immediately preceding words is omitted, because they have been unfolded already in a general way, and moreover they are such as cannot fall distinctly into the understanding; for general things must first be in the understanding, and then particular things may come in under them, such as are contained in the preceding words. If the generals have not been first received, the particulars are not admitted, and even excite disgust; for there can be no affection for particulars, unless generals have previously entered with affection.

AC (Potts) n. 5455 5455. Verses 17-20. And he shut them up in custody three days. And Joseph said unto them in the third day, This do, and live; I fear God. If ye be upright let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your custody; and go ye, bring produce for the famine of your houses; and bring your youngest brother unto me; and your words shall be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so. “And he shut them up in custody,” signifies separation from itself; “three days,” signifies to the full; “and Joseph said unto them in the third day,” signifies perception of the celestial of the spiritual concerning those truths separated from itself, when there was fulfillment; “This do, and live; I fear God,” signifies that so it shall be if they have life from the Divine; “if ye be upright,” signifies if they are truths in themselves; “let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your custody,” signifies that faith in the will must be separated; “and go ye, bring produce for the famine of your houses,” signifies that in the meantime they are free to look out for themselves; “and bring your youngest brother unto me,” signifies until an intermediate is present; “so shall your words be verified,” signifies that then it will be with truths as has been declared; “and ye shall not die,” signifies that in this way truths will have life; “and they did so,” signifies the end of this state.

AC (Potts) n. 5456 5456. And he shut them up in custody. That this signifies separation from itself, is evident from the signification of “shutting up in custody,” as being rejection, thus separation (see n. 5083, 5101).

AC (Potts) n. 5457 5457. Three days. That this signifies to the full, is evident from the signification of “three days,” as being from beginning to end, thus what is full (see n. 2788, 4495); for it is a new state that is now described. This entire state is signified by “three days;” and the last of it, and thereby what is new, is signified by the “third day,” as presently follows.

AC (Potts) n. 5458 5458. And Joseph said unto them in the third day. That this signifies the perception of the celestial of the spiritual concerning these truths separated from itself, when there was fulfillment, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being perception (see n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2619, 3509); and from the representation of the sons of Jacob, as being the truths of the church in general (of which above), here these truths separated from the celestial of the spiritual (n. 5436); from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial of the spiritual (of which also above); and from the signification of the “third day,” as being the last of a state when what is new begins (n. 5159, 5457), thus when there was fulfillment. From this it is plain that by “Joseph’s saying unto them in the third day,” is signified the perception of the celestial of the spiritual concerning these truths separated from itself, when there was fulfillment.

AC (Potts) n. 5459 5459. This do, and live; I fear God. That this signifies that so it shall be if they have life from the Divine, is evident from the signification of “this do,” as being that so it shall be; and from the signification of “and live,” as being that they, namely the truths here signified by the “sons of Jacob,” shall have life; and from the signification of “I fear God,” as being from the Divine. For by Joseph is represented the Lord as to truth from the Divine, which is the same as the celestial of the spiritual; wherefore by “I” is here signified in the supreme sense truth from the Divine Itself which is in the celestial of the spiritual, or the Divine which is in truth. By “fearing,” in the supreme sense, when predicated of the Lord, is not signified fear, but love; and moreover the “fear of God” occasionally in the Word signifies love to God. For love to God is according to the subjects of it; it becomes fear with those who are in external worship without internal, it becomes holy fear with those who are in spiritual worship, and it becomes love in which is holy reverence with those who are in celestial worship; but in the Lord there was not fear, but pure love. From this it may be seen that by “I fear God,” when predicated of the Lord, is signified Divine love, thus the Divine.

AC (Potts) n. 5460 5460. If ye be upright. That this signifies if they are truths in themselves, is evident from the signification of “being upright,” as being that they are truths in themselves (of which above, n. 5434, 5437).

AC (Potts) n. 5461 5461. Let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your custody. That this signifies that faith in the will must be separated, is evident from the representation of Simeon, who is “one of their brethren who was to be bound” (verse 24), as being faith in the will (see n. 3869-3872, 4497, 4502-4503); and from the signification of “being bound in the house of your custody,” as being to be separated (n. 5083, 5101, 5452, 5456). The case herein is that when faith in the will, or the will of doing the truth of faith, is separated from those who are in the truths of the church, then connection with the Divine is so slight that it is hardly more than acknowledgment; for the influx of the Divine from the Lord with the regenerate man is into good and thence into truth, or what is the same, into the will and thence into the understanding. Insofar therefore as the man who is in the truths of faith receives good from the Lord, so far the Lord forms in him a new will in his intellectual part (that it is in the intellectual part may be seen above, n. 927, 1023, 1043, 1044, 2256, 4328, 4493, 5113), and so far the Lord flows in, and produces the affection of doing what is good, that is, of exercising charity toward the neighbor. From all this it is evident what is meant by faith in the will (represented by Simeon) being separated before the intermediate, which is “Benjamin,” became present.

AC (Potts) n. 5462 5462. And go ye, bring produce for the famine of your houses. That this signifies that in the meantime they are free to look out for themselves, is evident from the signification of “go ye,” after their being bound and one of them being held in their stead, as being that in the meantime they were free; from the signification of “produce,” as being truth (see n. 5276, 5280, 5292); from the signification of “famine,” as being a lack of knowledges and desolation (n. 5360, 5376); and from the signification of “your houses,” as being the abodes where were the truths of each in particular, thus the natural mind. (That a “house” denotes the natural mind may be seen above, n. 4973, 5023; and that the truths here represented by the sons of Jacob are of the external church, thus in the natural, n. 5401, 5415, 5428.) From these significations taken together it is evident that by “bringing produce for the famine of your houses” is signified that in the desolation of truth in which they are, they may look out for themselves and their own.

AC (Potts) n. 5463 5463. And bring your youngest brother unto me. That this signifies until an intermediate is present, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, as being an intermediate between the celestial of the spiritual and the natural (of which above, n. 5411, 5443).

AC (Potts) n. 5464 5464. And your words shall be verified. That this signifies that then it will be with truths as had been declared, is evident without explication. What they had declared about themselves, and consequently about the truths of the church which they represented, may be seen above (n. 5434-5444). The case herein is that they who are in the truths of the church merely for the sake of their own advantage, can, equally with others, declare how the case is with truths, as for example that truths are not appropriated to anyone unless they are conjoined with the interior man, nay, that they cannot be conjoined therewith except by means of good, and that until this is done truths have no life. These and like things they sometimes see equally as well as others, and sometimes apparently more clearly than others; but this is only when they are talking about them. But when they are speaking to themselves, thus to their interior man (that is, when they are thinking), then they who are in the truths of the church merely for the sake of their own advantage see the contrary; and though they see the contrary and at heart deny truths, they can nevertheless persuade others that the case is so, and even that they themselves are in this way in truths. The cupidity of gain, honor, and reputation for their own sake, imbibes all means of persuading, and none more readily than such things as in themselves are true; for these have within them a hidden power of attracting minds. Every man whatever, unless densely stupid, is endowed with the capacity to understand whether things are true, to the end that by means of the intellectual part he may be reformed and regenerated. But when he has wandered into perverse ways, and has completely rejected the things of the faith of the church, he then indeed has the same faculty of understanding truths, but no longer desires to understand them, being averse to them as soon as he hears them.

AC (Potts) n. 5465 5465. And ye shall not die. That this signifies that in this way truths will have life, namely, when the truths are as declared, is evident from the signification of “ye shall not die,” as being ye shall live, thus that the truths represented by them will have life.

AC (Potts) n. 5466 5466. And they did so. That this signifies the end of this state, is evident from the signification of “doing,” or “done,” as being the end of a prior state, and as involving the beginning of a following one (see n. 4979, 4987, 4999, 5074). It is needless to explain these matters more at length, for the same reason that was given above (n. 5454). Be it known, however, that they contain within them unutterable arcana, which shine forth from the several words in the heavens, though not the least of them appears before man. The holiness sometimes perceived with a man when he is reading the Word has many such arcana within it; for in the holiness by which man is affected lie hidden innumerable things that are not manifest to him.

AC (Potts) n. 5467 5467. Verses 21-24. And they said a man to his brother, We are surely guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come unto us. And Reuben answered them, saying, Spoke I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hearken? And moreover behold his blood is searched for. And they knew not that Joseph heard them; for there was an interpreter between them. And he turned about from upon them and wept; and he returned to them, and spoke unto them, and took Simeon from them, and bound him before their eyes. “And they said a man to his brother,” signifies perception concerning the cause; “We are surely guilty concerning our brother,” signifies that they are to blame because they have alienated the internal by non-reception of good; “in that we saw the distress of his soul,” signifies the state of the internal in regard to good when it was alienated; “when he besought us, and we would not hear,” signifies its continual entreaty without reception; “and Reuben answered them, saying,” signifies perception still from faith in doctrine and in the understanding; “Spoke I not unto you, saying,” signifies the degree of perception thence; “Do not sin against the child,” signifies that they should not be disjoined; “and ye would not hearken,” signifies non-reception; “and moreover behold his blood is searched for,” signifies the stings of conscience thence; “and they knew not that Joseph heard them,” signifies that from the natural light in which those truths are, it is not believed that all things appear from spiritual light; “for there was an interpreter between them,” signifies that then spiritual things are apprehended quite differently; “and he turned about from upon them,” signifies somewhat of drawing back; “and wept,” signifies mercy; “and he returned to them, and spoke to them,” signifies influx; “and took Simeon from them,” signifies faith in the will; “and bound him,” signifies separation; “before their eyes,” signifies to the perception.

AC (Potts) n. 5468 5468. And they said a man to his brother. That this signifies perception concerning the cause, is evident from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception (see n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 3509); and from the signification of “a man to his brother,” as being mutually (n. 4725). The reason why their “saying a man to his brother” here signifies perception concerning the cause, namely, why Joseph spoke hardly to them, calling them spies, and keeping them in custody three days, is that in the verses which now follow, their mutual discourse treats of the cause; wherefore perception concerning this is signified.

AC (Potts) n. 5469 5469. We are surely guilty concerning our brother. That this signifies that they are to blame because they have alienated the internal by non-reception of good, is evident from the signification of “being guilty,” as being to be at fault and under the imputation of rejection of good and truth (see n. 3400); and from the representation of Joseph, who is the “brother concerning whom they were guilty,” as being the internal they had rejected or alienated. For by Joseph and Benjamin is represented the internal of the church, but by the other ten sons of Jacob its external; for Rachel, who was the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, is the affection of interior truth, and Leah is the affection of exterior truth (see n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819). In this chapter, by Joseph is represented the celestial of the spiritual, or truth from the Divine, which is the internal; by Benjamin the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediate proceeding thence, and by the other ten sons of Jacob the truths of the external church, thus truths in the natural (as often said above). This chapter treats also of the conjunction of the internal of the church with its external in general and in particular; for every man must be a church in particular in order to be a part of the general church. But in the supreme sense the subject treated of is the Lord, how he united the internal with the external in His Human, that He might make it Divine.

AC (Potts) n. 5470 5470. In that we saw the distress of his soul. That this signifies the state of the internal in the meantime when it was alienated, is evident from the signification of “distress of soul,” as being the state in which the internal is when alienated from the external. As regards this state, the Lord continually flows in with man with good, and in good with truth; but man either receives or does not receive; if he receives, it is well with him; but if he does not receive, it is ill with him. If when he does not receive he feels some anxiety (here meant by “distress of soul”), there is hope that be may be reformed; but if he has no feeling of anxiety the hope vanishes. With every man there are two spirits from hell, and two angels from heaven; for man being born in sins cannot possibly live unless on one side he communicates with hell, and on the other with heaven; all his life is thence. When man is grown up and begins to rule himself from himself, that is, when he seems to himself to will and to act from his own judgment, and to think and to conclude concerning the things of faith from his own understanding, if he then betakes himself to evils, the two spirits from hell draw near, and the two angels from heaven withdraw a little; but if he betakes himself to good, the two angels from heaven draw near, and the two spirits from hell are removed.
[2] If therefore when a man betakes himself to evils, as is the case with many in youth, he feels any anxiety when he reflects upon his having done what is evil, it is a sign that he will still receive influx through the angels from heaven, and it is also a sign that he will afterward suffer himself to be reformed; but if when he reflects upon his having done what is evil, he has no anxious feeling, it is a sign that he is no longer willing to receive influx through the angels from heaven, and it is also a sign that he will not afterward suffer himself to be reformed. Here therefore where the truths of the external church are treated of, which are represented by the ten sons of Jacob, mention is made of the distress of soul in which Joseph was when alienated from his brethren, and also next that Reuben admonished them, whereby is signified that when this state had preceded, reformation or the conjunction of the internal with the external would afterward take place (of which conjunction in the following pages); for with those who are then in anxiety there is an internal acknowledgment of evil, which when recalled by the Lord becomes confession, and finally repentance.

AC (Potts) n. 5471 5471. When he besought us, and we would not hear. That this signifies its continual entreaty without reception, is evident from the signification of “beseeching,” as being entreaty; for beseeching not to be alienated, when the influx of good from the Divine is treated of, is an entreaty to be received; because the good which flows in from the Lord is continually urging and as it were entreating, but its reception rests with the man. Hence it is that beseeching not to be alienated signifies continual entreaty. From this it follows that “not to hear” signifies not to be received. In the sense of the letter a number of persons are treated of, as the ten sons of Jacob and Joseph; but in the internal sense these are treated of in one subject. The truths of the external church or in the natural, represented by the ten sons of Jacob, are the truths in the external man; and the celestial of the spiritual, represented by Joseph, is truth from the Divine in the internal man. It is similar with other historicals of the Word; for things are what are signified by persons, and the things themselves have reference to one subject.

AC (Potts) n. 5472 5472. And Reuben answered them, saying. That this signifies perception still from faith in doctrine and in the understanding, is evident from the signification of “answering” or “saying” to his brethren, as being perception (that “saying” denotes perception may be seen above, n. 5468); and from the representation of Reuben, as being faith in doctrine and in the understanding, or the truth of doctrine through which the good of life can be attained (see n. 3861, 3866). As the subject here treated of is the entreaty of good, or of the Divine in good, to be received, mention is made of faith, and the way in which it teaches concerning the reception of good; for if when a man recedes from good he feels any anxiety, this is not from any innate dictate, but from the faith he has acquired from infancy, and which then dictates and causes this anxiety. This is the reason why Reuben, by whom this faith is represented, here speaks. It is called faith in doctrine and in the understanding, to distinguish it from faith in life and in the will, which faith is represented by Simeon.

AC (Potts) n. 5473 5473. Spoke I not unto you, saying. That this signifies the degree of perception thence, is evident from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception (see n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 3509); and because “speaking” or “saying” is twice mentioned, as also just above, it is the degree of perception that is signified.

AC (Potts) n. 5474 5474. Do not sin against the child. That this signifies that they should not be disjoined, namely, the external from the internal, is evident from the signification of “sinning,” as being disjunction (see n. 5229), for all sin disjoins; and from the representation of Joseph, who is here the “child,” as being the internal (as above, n. 5469).

AC (Potts) n. 5475 5475. And ye would not hearken. That this signifies nonreception, is evident from the signification of “hearing,” or “hearkening,” as being to obey (see n. 2542, 3869, 4652-4660, 5017); and because it denotes to obey, it also denotes to receive (as above, n. 5471); for one who obeys what faith dictates, receives. In this instance it is non-reception, because it is said, “ye would not hearken.”

AC (Potts) n. 5476 5476. And moreover behold his blood is searched for. That this signifies the stings of conscience thence, is evident from the signification of “blood,” as being violence offered to good or to charity (see n. 374, 1005). When this violence or this blood is searched for, it causes internal anxiety, which is called stings of conscience; but this is the case only with those who have been in anxiety when they sinned (n. 5470).

AC (Potts) n. 5477 5477. And they knew not that Joseph heard them. That this signifies that from the natural light in which those truths are, it is not believed that all things appear from spiritual light, is evident from the representation of the sons of Jacob, who “knew not,” as being the truths of the external church, thus truths in the natural (of which often before), whence follows the signification that from the natural light in which these truths are it is not believed; and from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial of the spiritual, which is in spiritual light. That from this light appear the truths in the natural, is signified by “Joseph’s hearing them;” for “to hear” signifies both to obey and to perceive (see n. 5017), thus that the truths in the natural appeared from spiritual light, but not the converse.
[2] In regard to natural light and spiritual light the case is this: natural light is from the sun of the world, and spiritual light is from the sun of heaven, which is the Lord. All the truths of faith that man learns from infancy are apprehended by means of such objects and derivative ideas as are from the light of the world, thus all and each are apprehended naturally; for all the ideas of man’s thought, so long as he lives in the world, are founded upon such things as are in the world; and therefore if these were taken away from him, his thought would utterly perish. The man who has not been regenerated is wholly ignorant that there is spiritual light, or even that there is in heaven a light that has nothing in common with the light of the world, still less does he know that it is this light that enlightens the ideas and objects which are from the light of the world, and enables man to think, infer, and reflect. That spiritual light can do this is because this light is the wisdom itself that proceeds from the Lord, and this is presented as light before the sight of the angels in heaven. From this light appear all and each of the things that are below, or that are in man from natural light; but not the converse, unless the man has been regenerated, in which case the things of heaven, that is, of good and truth, by enlightenment from spiritual light appear in the natural as in a representative mirror. From this it is evident that the Lord, who is light itself, sees all things and each that are in the thought and will of man, nay, that are in universal nature, and that nothing whatever is hidden from Him.
[3] From all this it is now evident how the case herein is, namely, that from the natural light in which these truths are, it is not believed that all things appear from spiritual light, as is signified by their “not knowing that Joseph heard them.” Joseph’s knowing his brethren, and their not knowing him (verse 8 above), involves a similar meaning; for thereby is signified that these truths of the church appeared to the celestial of the spiritual from its light, and that truth from the Divine did not appear in natural light not yet illumined by heavenly light (see n. 5427-5428).

AC (Potts) n. 5478 5478. For there was an interpreter between them. That this signifies that then spiritual things are apprehended quite differently, is evident from the signification of there being “an interpreter between them,” as being that the spiritual things are apprehended differently; for an interpreter translates the language of one into the language of another, and thus sets forth the meaning of the one to the apprehension of the other. Hence it is that by there being “an interpreter between them” is signified that then spiritual things are apprehended quite differently by those who are in the truths of the church not yet conjoined by means of good with the internal man. That the truths of the church are apprehended by those who are in good (that is those with whom these truths are conjoined with good) quite differently from what they are by those who are not in good, seems indeed like a paradox, but still it is the truth. For truths are spiritually apprehended by those who are in good, because these persons are in spiritual light; but they are apprehended naturally by those who are not in good, because these are in natural light. Hence truths on the part of those who are in good have truths continually conjoined with them; but on the part of those who are not in good they have conjoined with them very many fallacies, and also falsities. The reason of this is that truths with those who are in good extend themselves into heaven; while truths with those who are not in good do not extend themselves into heaven. Hence truths with those who are in good are full, but with those who are not in good they are nearly empty. This fullness and this emptiness are not apparent to man so long as he lives in the world, but they appear to the angels. Did man but know how much of heaven there is in truths conjoined with good, he would feel very differently about faith.

AC (Potts) n. 5479 5479. And he turned about from upon them. That this signifies somewhat of drawing back, is evident from the signification of “turning about from upon them,” when predicated of the influx of good from the Divine or the Lord, as being somewhat of drawing back; for the Lord never turns Himself from anyone, but moderates the influx of good according to the state of the man or angel. It is this moderating that is meant by “drawing back.”

AC (Potts) n. 5480 5480. And wept. That this signifies mercy, is evident from the signification of “weeping,” when predicated of the Lord, who is here represented by Joseph, as being to be merciful. That weeping is expressive of grief and love, is well known, and consequently it is expressive of mercy or pity, for mercy is love grieving. The Divine love is therefore called mercy, because the human race is of itself in hell; and when man perceives this in himself, he implores mercy. As weeping is also mercy in the internal sense, therefore in the Word “weeping” is sometimes predicated of Jehovah or the Lord, as in Isaiah:
I will weep with weeping for Jazer, the vine of Sibmah; I will water thee with My tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh (Isa. 16:9);
and in Jeremiah:
I know the indignation of Moab, saith Jehovah, that it is not right. Therefore will I howl over Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; above the weeping of Jazer will I weep for thee, O vine of Sibmah (Jer. 48:30-32);
“Moab” denotes those who are in natural good and suffer themselves to be led astray, and when led astray adulterate goods (see n. 2468); “to howl,” “cry out,” and “weep over,” it denotes pitying and grieving. Likewise in Luke:
When Jesus drew nigh He beheld the city, and wept over it (Luke 19:41);
Jerusalem, over which Jesus wept, or which He pitied and over which He grieved, was not only the city Jerusalem, but also the church, the last day of which; when there would no longer be any charity nor consequently any faith, is meant in the internal sense; and hence from pity and grief He wept. (That “Jerusalem” is the church may be seen above, n. 2117, 3654.)

AC (Potts) n. 5481 5481. And he returned to them, and spoke to them. That this signifies influx, is evident from the signification of “returning to them and speaking to them” after he had turned about from them, as being influx; for the celestial of the spiritual or truth from the Divine, represented by Joseph, flows into the truths that are in the natural. This is expressed in the sense of the letter by “returning to them and speaking to them.” (That “speaking” also denotes to flow in, may be seen above, n. 2951.)

AC (Potts) n. 5482 5482. And took Simeon from them. That this signifies faith in the will, is evident from the representation of Simeon, as being faith in the will (see n. 3869-3872, 4497, 4502-4503). The reason why faith in the will was separated from them is that there was not yet present the intermediate represented by Benjamin; for truth from the Divine, represented by Joseph, flows in through an intermediate into the good of faith, and through this into its truth; or what is the same, into the willing of truth, and through this into the understanding of truth; or what is still the same, into charity toward the neighbor, and through this into faith. No other way of influx is possible with the man who has been regenerated, nor is there any other way of influx with the angels. This is comparatively like the influx of the sun into its earthly subjects. While it is producing them from seed, and renewing them, it flows in with heat, as is the case in the time of spring and summer, and at the same time with light, and thereby produces them; but by light alone it produces nothing at all, as is plain from these subjects in winter time. Spiritual heat is the good of love, and spiritual light is the truth of faith; moreover, spiritual heat in the subjects of the animal kingdom produces the vital heat, and spiritual light produces the life thence derived.

AC (Potts) n. 5483 5483. And bound him. That this signifies separation, is evident from the signification of “binding,” as being separation (see n. 5083, 5101, 5452, 5456).

AC (Potts) n. 5484 5484. Before their eyes. That this signifies to the perception, is evident from the signification of “eyes,” as being the understanding and perception (see n. 2701, 4083, 4403-4421, 4523-4534).

AC (Potts) n. 5485 5485. Verses 25-28. And Joseph commanded, and they filled their vessels with corn, and to restore their silver, everyone’s into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and he did thus to them. And they lifted their produce upon their asses, and went thence. And one opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, and he saw his silver; and behold it was in the mouth of his bag. And he said unto his brethren, My silver is restored, and lo it is even in my bag; and their heart went forth, and they trembled a man to his brother, saying, What is this that God hath done to us? “And Joseph commanded,” signifies influx from the celestial of the spiritual; “and they filled their vessels with corn,” signifies that the memory-knowledges were endowed with good from truth; “and to restore their silver,” signifies without any ability of theirs; “everyone’s into his sack,” signifies wherever there was a receptacle in the natural; “and to give them provision for the way,” signifies and that it would support the truths they had; “and he did thus to them,” signifies the effect; “and they lifted their produce upon their asses,” signifies that truths were gathered into memory-knowledges; “and they went thence,” signifies the consequent life; “and one opened his sack,” signifies observation; “to give his ass provender in the inn,” signifies when there was reflection upon the memory-knowledges in the exterior natural; “he saw his silver,” signifies perception that it was without any ability of their own; “and behold it was in the mouth of his bag,” signifies that they were bestowed and stored up in the threshold of the exterior natural; “and he said unto his brethren,” signifies general perception; “my silver is restored,” signifies that there was no aid from them; “and lo it is even in my bag,” signifies that it was in the exterior natural; “and their heart went forth,” signifies fear; “and they trembled a man to his brother,” signifies general terror; “saying, What is this that God hath done to us?” signifies on account of so much providence.

AC (Potts) n. 5486 5486. And Joseph commanded. That this signifies influx from the celestial of the spiritual, is evident from the signification of “commanding,” when predicated of the celestial of the spiritual, or of the internal in respect to the external, as being influx, for the internal commands in no other way than by influx, and then by disposal for use; and from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial of the spiritual (of which often above).

AC (Potts) n. 5487 5487. And they filled their vessels with corn. That this signifies that the memory-knowledges were endowed with good from truth, is evident from the signification of “filling,” which being free signifies to be endowed with; from the signification of “vessels,” as being memory-knowledges (see n. 3068, 3079); and from the signification of “corn,” as being good from truth, or the good of truth (n. 5295).

AC (Potts) n. 5488 5488. And to restore their silver. That this signifies without any ability of theirs, is evident from the signification of “buying with silver,” as being to procure for oneself from one’s own; here therefore “to restore silver” is to endow gratis, or without any ability of theirs; as also in Isaiah:
Everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no silver, come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without silver and without price (Isa. 55:1).

AC (Potts) n. 5489 5489. Into his sack. That this signifies wherever there was a receptacle in the natural, is evident from the signification of a “sack,” as being a receptacle (of which in what follows); that it is in the natural, is because the subject treated of is the truths and memory-knowledges that are in the natural. Here a “sack” specifically signifies memory-knowledge, for the reason that as a sack is a receptacle of corn, so memory-knowledge is a receptacle of good, here of the good that is from truth (as above, n. 5487). Few know that memory-knowledge is a receptacle of good, because few reflect upon such things, and yet this may be known from the following considerations. The memory-knowledges that enter into the memory are always introduced by means of some affection; those not introduced by any affection do not stick there, but slip away. The reason of this is that in affection there is life, but not in memory-knowledges except through affection. From this it is plain that memory-knowledges always have conjoined with them such things as are of affection, or what is the same, as are of some love, consequently some good, for everything that is of love is called good, whether it be good or thought to be so. Memory-knowledges therefore together with these goods form as it were a marriage, and hence it is that when this good is excited, the memory-knowledge with which it is conjoined is also at once excited; and conversely, when the memory-knowledge is recalled, the good conjoined with it also comes forth, as everyone can put to the test in himself if he chooses.
[2] This then is the reason why with the unregenerate, who have rejected the good of charity, the memory-knowledges which are truths of the church, have adjoined to them such things as are of the love of self and of the world, thus evil things, which by reason of the delight that is in them they call good, and also by wrong interpretations make out to be good. These memory-knowledges make a fair show when the loves in question reign universally, and according to the degree in which they reign. But with the regenerate the memory-knowledges which are truths of the church have joined with them such things as are of love toward the neighbor and love to God, thus genuine good things. These are stored up by the Lord in the truths of the church with all who are being regenerated; and therefore when the Lord instills into such persons a zeal for good, these truths show themselves in their order; and when He instills a zeal for truth, this good is present and enkindles it. From all this it is evident how the case is with memory-knowledges and with truths-that they are receptacles of good.

AC (Potts) n. 5490 5490. And to give them provision for the way. That this signifies, and that it would support the truths which they had, is evident from the signification of “giving provision,” as being support; and from the signification of a “way,” as being truth (see n. 627, 2333); here, however, “for the way,” denotes so long as they were in that state, because to be “on the way” signifies a state of truth conjoined with good (n. 3123). By “provision” is also signified support from truth and good in David:
He made it rain manna upon them for food, and gave them the corn of the heavens. Man did eat the bread of the mighty; He sent them provision to satiety (Ps. 78:24, 25).

AC (Potts) n. 5491 5491. And he did so. That this signifies the effect, is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5492 5492. And they lifted their produce upon their asses. That this signifies that truths were gathered into memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of “produce,” as being truth (see n. 5276, 5280, 5292, 5402); and from the signification of an “ass,” as being memory-knowledge (n. 2781). Hence it follows that by their “lifting their produce upon their asses,” is signified that truths were gathered into memory-knowledges. That this is the signification of these words seems strange to him who keeps his mind in the historic sense of the letter, especially if he believes that there is no other internal sense than that which proximately shines forth from the letter; for he says to himself, How can lifting produce upon their asses signify truths gathered into memory-knowledges? But let him know that the literal sense of the Word passes into such a spiritual sense when it passes from man to the angels, or into heaven, and even into a still more remote sense when it passes into the inmost heaven, where all and each of the things of the Word pass into affections which are of love and charity, to which sense the internal sense serves as a plane.
[2] That the historicals of the Word pass into another sense when they are elevated into heaven, may be seen by the man who concludes from reason, and who knows anything about the natural and the spiritual. He can see that to lift produce upon their asses is a purely natural act, and that there is nothing spiritual in it whatever; and he can also see that the angels who are in heaven, or they who are in the spiritual world, cannot apprehend these words otherwise than spiritually, and that they are apprehended spiritually when in their place are understood their correspondences, namely, the truth of the church in place of “produce,” and the memory-knowledges that are in the natural in place of “asses.” That by “asses” in the Word are signified things that serve, and thus memory-knowledges (for these are things that serve relatively to things spiritual and also to things rational), may be seen explained at n. 2781. Hence also it is plain what angelic thought and speech are relatively to man’s thought and speech-that angelic thought and speech are spiritual, but man’s natural; and that the former falls into the latter when it descends, and that the latter is turned into the former when it ascends. Unless this were so, there would be no communication whatever of man with angels, or of the world with heaven.

AC (Potts) n. 5493 5493. And they went thence. That this signifies the consequent life, is evident from the signification of “going,” as being to live (see n. 3335, 3690, 4882). The case is the same with “going” (which in the spiritual sense denotes to live) as with what was said just above (n. 5492).

AC (Potts) n. 5494 5494. And one opened his sack. That this signifies observation, is evident from the signification of a “sack,” as being a receptacle in the natural (n. 5489, 5497), which was endowed with good from truth (n. 5487). That to “open” it denotes to observe, is plain from the series; for by the words which follow, “to give his ass provender in the inn,” is signified when they reflected upon the memory-knowledges in the exterior natural.

AC (Potts) n. 5495 5495. To give his ass provender in the inn. That this signifies when they reflected upon the memory-knowledges in the exterior natural, is evident from the signification of “giving his ass provender,” as being to reflect upon memory-knowledges; for provender is the food with which asses are fed, consisting of straw and chaff, and hence it denotes all reflection upon memory-knowledges, for these are what reflections chiefly feed on (that an “ass” denotes memory-knowledge may be seen just above, n. 5492); and from the signification of an “inn,” as being the exterior natural. That an “inn” here is the exterior natural cannot indeed be confirmed from parallel passages elsewhere in the Word, but still it can be confirmed from the fact that memory-knowledges are as it were in their inn when in the exterior natural. (That the natural is twofold, exterior and interior, may be seen above, n. 5118.) When memory-knowledges are in the exterior natural, they communicate directly with the external senses of the body, and there repose and as it were rest upon these senses. Hence it is that this natural is to memory-knowledges an “inn,” or place for resting, or for passing the night.

AC (Potts) n. 5496 5496. And he saw his silver. That this signifies perception that it was without any ability of their own, is evident from the signification of “seeing,” as being to understand and perceive (see n. 2150, 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, 4403-4421, 4567, 4723, 5400); and from the signification of the “silver being restored,” as denoting without any power of theirs (n. 5488).

AC (Potts) n. 5497 5497. And behold it was in the mouth of his bag. That this signifies that they were bestowed and stored up in the threshold of the exterior natural, is evident from the signification of the “mouth of the bag,” as being the threshold of the exterior natural. That they were stored up there is implied, and that they were bestowed follows from what is said before-that it was without any ability of their own. As the mouth was the fore part of the sack, therefore nothing else is signified by it than the fore part of the receptacle, thus the exterior natural, for this also is before (that a “sack” denotes a receptacle may be seen, n. 5289, 5494). In order that it may be known what the exterior and the interior natural are, it shall be again briefly explained. A boy, being not yet of mature age, cannot think from anything higher than the exterior natural; for he composes his ideas from things of sense. But as he grows up, and from things of sense draws conclusions as to causes, he thereby begins to think from the interior natural; for from things of sense he then forms some truths, which rise above the senses, but still remain within the things that are in nature. But when he becomes a young man, if as he then matures he cultivates his rational, he thus forms reasons from the things in the interior natural, which reasons are truths still higher, and are as it were drawn out from the things in the interior natural. The ideas of thought from these are called in the learned world intellectual and immaterial ideas; while the ideas from the memory-knowledges in both naturals, insofar as from the senses they partake of the world, are called material ideas. In this way man mounts in his understanding from the world toward heaven. But still he does not come into heaven with his understanding unless he receives good from the Lord, which is continually present and flowing in; and if he receives good, truths also are bestowed on him, for in good all truths find their abode; and according as truths are bestowed on him, so also is understanding, by reason of which he is in heaven.

AC (Potts) n. 5498 5498. And he said unto his brethren. That this signifies general perception, is evident from the signification of “saying,” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception (of which often before); and from the signification of “unto his brethren,” as being what is general, for that which is said to all becomes general.

AC (Potts) n. 5499 5499. My silver is restored. That this signifies that there was no aid from them, is evident from the signification of “restoring silver,” as being without any ability of theirs, or what is the same thing, that there was no aid from them (of which above, n. 5488, 5496).

AC (Potts) n. 5500 5500. And lo it is even in my bag. That this signifies that it was in the exterior natural, is evident from the signification of “bag,” as being the exterior natural (of which just above, n. 5497).

AC (Potts) n. 5501 5501. And their heart went forth. That this signifies fear; is evident from the signification of the “heart going forth,” as being fear. That the “going forth of the heart” denotes fear, is because the heart palpitates in fear.

AC (Potts) n. 5502 5502. And they trembled a man to his brother. That this signifies a general terror, is evident from the signification of “trembling,” as being terror; and from the signification of “a man to his brother,” as being what is general (as just above, n. 5498). The reason why fear is here expressed twice, by the “heart going forth,” and by their “trembling,” is that one expression has reference to the will, and the other to the understanding; for it is usual in the Word, especially the prophetic, to express one thing twice, merely changing the words. He who does not know the mystery herein might suppose that it is a meaningless repetition; yet this is not so, for one expression refers to good, and the other to truth; and because good is of the will and truth is of the understanding, one refers to the will and the other to the understanding. The reason is that in the Word everything is holy, and the holiness is from the heavenly marriage, which is that of good and truth. Hence it is that heaven is in the Word, and consequently the Lord, who is the all in all things of heaven, insomuch that the Lord is the Word. The double name of the Lord, “Jesus Christ,” involves the same; the name “Jesus” expressing the Divine good, and the name “Christ” the Divine truth (see n. 3004, 3005, 3008, 3009). Hence it is plain also that the Lord is in all things of the Word, insomuch that He is the Word itself. (That a marriage of good and truth, or the heavenly marriage, is in every part of the Word, may be seen above, n. 683, 793, 801, 2516, 2712, 5138.) From this it may also be plainly concluded that man, if he hopes for heaven, must be not only in the truth which is of faith but also in the good which is of charity, and that otherwise there is no heaven in him.

AC (Potts) n. 5503 5503. Saying, What is this that God hath done to us? That this signifies on account of so much providence, is evident from the signification of “God’s doing,” as being providence; for everything that God does can be expressed by no other word than providence. The reason of this is that in everything that God or the Lord does there is the eternal and the infinite, and these are in the word “providence.” As they were amazed it is therefore signified, on account of so much providence.

AC (Potts) n. 5504 5504. Verses 29-34. And they came unto Jacob their father to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them, saying, The man, the lord of the land, spoke hard things with us, and took us for spies of the land. And we said unto him, We are upright; we are no spies; we are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan. And the man, the lord of the land, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are upright; let one of your brethren remain with me, and take for the famine of your houses, and go, and bring your youngest brother unto me; then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are upright; I will give you your brother, and ye shall go about trading in the land. “And they came,” signifies what is successive of reformation; “unto Jacob their father,” signifies the good of natural truth; “to the land of Canaan,” signifies which is of the church; “and told him all that had befallen them,” signifies reflection from the good of that truth upon the things which were hitherto provided; “saying,” signifies perception; “the man, the lord of the land spoke,” signifies the celestial of the spiritual reigning in the natural; “hard things with us,” signifies non-conjunction therewith on account of non-correspondence; “and took us for spies of the land,” signifies that it observed that the truths of the church were for seeking gain; “and we said unto him, We are upright, we are no spies,” signifies denial that they were in the truths of the church for the purpose of gain; “we are twelve brethren,” signifies all truths in one complex; “sons of our father,” signifies of one origin; “one is not,” signifies that the Divine spiritual source does not appear; “and the youngest is this day with our father,” signifies that from him is adjunction to spiritual good; “and the man, the lord of the land, said unto us,” signifies perception concerning the celestial of the spiritual reigning in the natural; “Hereby shall I know that ye are upright,” signifies that it is willing, if they are not in truths for the sake of gain; “let one of your brethren remain with me,” signifies that faith in the will should be separated from them; “and take for the famine of your houses,” signifies that in the meantime they may provide for themselves in that desolation; “and go” signifies that so they may live; “and bring your youngest brother unto me,” signifies that if there were an intermediate there would be conjunction; “then shall I know that ye are no spies,” signifies that then truths would no longer be for the purpose of gain; “but that ye are upright,” signifies that thus there would be correspondence; “I will give you your brother,” signifies that thus truths would become goods; “and ye shall go about trading in the land,” signifies that thus truths will be made fruitful from good, and will all turn to use and profit.

AC (Potts) n. 5505 5505. And they came. That this signifies what is successive of reformation, is evident from the signification of “coming to Jacob their father,” as here being what is successive of reformation; for by Jacob their father is represented the good of truth in the natural, and to “come” to this is to be so far reformed. For in the internal sense the subject treated of is the truths of the church, which are represented by the sons of Jacob, how they were implanted in the natural, and afterward conjoined with the celestial of the spiritual; or what is the same, how truths in the external man were conjoined with truths from the Divine in the internal. From all this it is evident that by their “coming” is here signified what is successive of reformation.

AC (Potts) n. 5506 5506. Unto Jacob their father. That this signifies the good of natural truth, is evident from the representation of Jacob, as being the good of natural truth (see n. 3659, 3669, 3677, 3775, 4234, 4273, 4538); and also from the signification of “father,” as being good (n. 3703). To come to this good is to be reformed to that extent. By this good afterward, when the intermediate which is “Benjamin” was added, conjunction was effected with the internal, which is “Joseph.”

AC (Potts) n. 5507 5507. Unto the land of Canaan. That this signifies which is of the church, is evident from the signification of the “land of Canaan,” as being the church (see n. 3705, 4447). This good of truth which is represented by Jacob is the good of the external church; but that which is represented by Israel is the good of the relatively internal church.

AC (Potts) n. 5508 5508. And told him all that had befallen them. That this signifies reflection from the good of that truth upon the things hitherto provided, is evident from the signification of “telling,” as being to think and reflect (see n. 2862), for what is told anyone is thought of from reflection; and from the signification of “all that had befallen,” as being what is of providence, or what is provided (of which in what follows). The reason why the reflection was from the good of truth is that they told Jacob their father, by whom the good of truth is represented (n. 5506). The reason why the reflection was not from the truths represented by the sons of Jacob, as the sense of the letter implies, is that all the reflection and thence thought that the lower or exterior has, comes from the higher or interior, although it appears to come from the lower or exterior; and as the good of truth that Jacob represents is interior, therefore reflection from the good of truth is signified.
[2] That the things which befell them are things of providence or things provided, is because everything that befalls or happens, which in other words is called accidental, and is ascribed to chance or fortune, is of providence. Divine providence works thus invisibly and incomprehensibly in order that man may in freedom ascribe an event either to providence or to chance; for if providence acted visibly and comprehensibly, there would be danger of man’s believing, from what he sees and comprehends, that it is of providence, and afterward changing into the contrary. Thus truth and falsity would be conjoined in the interior man, and truth would be profaned, which profanation is attended with eternal damnation. Therefore it is better for such a man to be kept in unbelief than to be in faith and then recede from it.
[3] This is what is meant in Isaiah:
Say to this people, Hearing hear ye, but understand not; and seeing see ye, and know not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and besmear their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and their heart should understand, and they should turn again, and be healed (Isa. 6:9-10; John 12:40).
It is for this reason also that miracles are not wrought at this day, for these, like all visible and comprehensible things, would compel men to believe, and whatever compels takes away freedom; when yet all the reformation and regeneration of man is effected in his freedom. That which is not implanted in freedom does not stay. It is implanted in freedom when the man is in the affection of good and truth (see n. 1937, 1947, 2744, 2870-2893, 3145, 3146, 3158, 4031).
[4] That miracles so great were wrought among the posterity of Jacob was for the sake of their being compelled to observe the statutes in their outward form; for this was sufficient for those who, being only in the representatives of a church, were in external things separate from internal, and therefore could not be reformed as to the interiors; for they entirely rejected interior things, and therefore they could not profane truths (n. 3147, 3398, 3399, 3480, 4680). Men like these could be compelled without danger of profaning what is holy.
[5] That man at this day ought to believe what he does not see, is evident from the Lord’s words to Thomas, in John:
Because thou hast seen Me, Thomas, thou hast believed: blessed are they who do not see, and yet believe (John 20:29).
That the things which happen (in other words which are ascribed to chance or fortune) are of the Divine providence, the church indeed acknowledges, but still does not believe; for who does not say, when apparently by chance he comes out of some great peril, that he has been preserved by God, and also gives God thanks? And likewise when he is exalted to honors, and also when he becomes wealthy, he calls it a blessing from God. Thus the man of the church acknowledges that what happens is of providence, but still does not believe. But on this subject, of the Lord’s Divine mercy more will be said elsewhere.

AC (Potts) n. 5509 5509. Saying. That this signifies perception, is evident from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being to perceive (as often shown above).

AC (Potts) n. 5510 5510. The man, the lord of the land, spoke. That this signifies the celestial of the spiritual reigning in the natural, is evident from the representation of Joseph, who is here “the man, the lord of the land,” as being the celestial of the spiritual. “Man” [vir] is predicated of the spiritual, and “lord” of the celestial; for “man” in the internal sense is truth, and “lord” is good, and truth from the Divine is what is called spiritual, and good from the Divine is what is called celestial; and from the signification of “land,” here the land of Egypt, as being the natural mind (see n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301). That the celestial of the spiritual, which is represented by Joseph, reigned in both naturals, is contained in the preceding chapter in the internal sense; and it was to the end that this might be represented that Joseph was appointed over the land of Egypt.
[2] There are two things in the natural-memory-knowledges and truths of the church; concerning memory-knowledges it has been shown that the celestial of the spiritual or truth from the Divine disposed them in order in the natural; and now the truths of the church, which are represented by the ten sons of Jacob, are treated of. Memory-knowledges must be disposed in order in the natural before the truths of the church, because these are to be apprehended from the former; for nothing can enter man’s understanding without ideas derived from such memory-knowledges as he has acquired from infancy. Man does not at all know that every truth of the church that is called a truth of faith is founded upon his memory-knowledges, and that he apprehends it, keeps it in the memory, and calls it out of the memory, by means of ideas composed of the memory-knowledges in him.
[3] In the other life the quality of these ideas is wont to be shown to the life to those who desire it; for such things are presented plainly to view in the light of heaven; and then also it appears with what degrees of shade or with what rays of light they have held the truth of the doctrine of the church. In some this truth appears among falsities, in some among jests and even scandals, in some among fallacies of the senses, in some among apparent truths, and so on. If the man has been in good, that is, if he has lived a life of charity, then from that good, as from flame out of heaven, truths are illumined, and the fallacies of the senses which they are in are beautifully irradiated; and when innocence is instilled by the Lord, these fallacies appear like truths.

AC (Potts) n. 5511 5511. Hard things with us. That this signifies non-conjunction therewith on account of noncorrespondence, is evident from the signification of “speaking hard things,” when predicated of the internal relatively to the external separate from it, as being nonconjunction on account of non-correspondence (of which above, n. 5422, 5423); for if there is no correspondence of the external with the internal, then all that which is internal and comes from the internal appears hard to the external, because there is no conjunction. As for example-if it is said by the internal, or by one who is in what is internal, that man thinks nothing from himself, but either from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord, or from hell-if he thinks good, that it is through heaven from the Lord, if evil, that it is from hell-this appears altogether hard to him who desires to think from himself, and who believes that if this were as stated he would be nothing at all; when yet it is most true, and all who are in heaven are in the perception that it is so.
[2] In like manner if it is said by the internal, or by those who are in what is internal, that the joy the angels have is from love to the Lord and from charity toward the neighbor-that is, when they are in the use of performing the things of love and charity-and that in these there is so great a joy and happiness as to be quite inexpressible, this will be hard to those who are in joy only from the love of self and the world, and in no joy from the love of the neighbor except for the sake of self; when yet heaven and the joy of heaven first begin in man when his regard to self in the uses which he performs, dies out.
[3] Take this also as an example. If it is said by the internal that the soul of man is nothing else than the internal man, and that the internal man after death appears just like man in the world, with a similar face, similar body, and similar sensitive and thinking faculty-to those who have cherished the opinion concerning the soul that it is only a power of thought, and thereby as it were ethereal, thus without form, and that it will be clothed again with the body, what is said by the internal about the nature of the soul will seem far removed from the truth; and it will be hard to those who believe that the body only is the man, when they hear that the soul is the man himself, and that the body which is buried is of no use in the other life. And yet that this is the truth, I know; for of the Lord’s Divine mercy I have been with those who are in the other life-not with a few but with many, not once but often-and have talked with them about it. So also in numberless other cases.

AC (Potts) n. 5512 5512. And took us for spies of the land. That this signifies that he observed that the truths of the church were for the seeking of gain, is evident from the representation of the sons of Jacob, who are meant here by “us,” as being the truths of the church in the natural (see n. 4503, 5419, 5427, 5458); and from the signification of “spies” or “spies of the land,” as being those who are in the truths of the church merely for their own advantage (n. 5432).

AC (Potts) n. 5513 5513. And we said unto him, We are upright; we are no spies. That this signifies denial that they were in truths for the sake of gain, is evident from the signification of “saying unto him,” as being a reply, here denial; and from the signification of “we are upright,” as being that they were in truths which in themselves are truths (see n. 5434, 5437, 5460); and from the signification of “spies,” as being those who are in the truths of the church for the sake of their own advantage, here meaning that it was not for this.

AC (Potts) n. 5514 5514. We are twelve brethren. That this signifies all truths in one complex, is evident from the signification of “twelve,” as being all things, and when as here predicated of the sons of Jacob, or of the twelve tribes named from them, and also of the twelve apostles, as being all things of faith in one complex (see n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 2553, 3272, 3488, 3858, 3862, 3913, 3926, 3939, 4060).

AC (Potts) n. 5515 5515. Sons of our father. That this signifies from one origin, is evident from the signification of “sons,” as being truths (see n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373); and from the signification of “father,” as being good (n. 2803, 3703, 3704). Hence “sons of a father” signifies truths from good, thus from one origin; moreover, all truths are from one good.

AC (Potts) n. 5516 5516. One is not. That this signifies that the Divine spiritual source does not appear, is evident from what was said above (n. 5444), where the same words occur.

AC (Potts) n. 5517 5517. And the youngest is this day with our father. That this signifies that by him there is adjunction to spiritual good, is evident also from what was unfolded above (see n. 5443), where the same words occur. It is said to be “by him,” because the intermediate which is represented by Benjamin proceeds from the celestial of the spiritual, which is “Joseph.”

AC (Potts) n. 5518 5518. And the man, the lord of the land, said unto us. That this signifies perception concerning the celestial of the spiritual reigning in the natural, is evident from the signification of “saying,” in the historicals of the Word, as being to perceive (of which often above); and from the signification of “the man, the lord of the land,” as being the celestial of the spiritual reigning in the natural (of which also above, n. 5510).

AC (Potts) n. 5519 5519. Hereby shall I know that ye are upright. That this signifies that it is willing, if they are in truths not for the sake of gain, is evident from the signification of “knowing,” as here being to be willing, for this follows from the series; and from the signification of “that ye are upright,” thus that they were not spies, as being that they were in truths not for the sake of their own advantage (n. 5432, 5512).

AC (Potts) n. 5520 5520. Let one of your brethren remain with me. That this signifies that faith in the will shall be separated, is evident from the representation of Simeon, who is here “one of your brethren,” as being faith in the will (see n. 5482); and from the signification of “letting remain,” as being to be separated. How the case herein is has been stated before.

AC (Potts) n. 5521 5521. And take for the famine of your houses. That this signifies that in the meantime they may provide for themselves in that desolation, is evident from what was said above (n. 5462), where similar words occur. That it signifies in that desolation, is because desolation is signified by “famine.”

AC (Potts) n. 5522 5522. And go. That this signifies that so they may live, is evident from the signification of “going,” as being to live (see n. 3335, 3690, 4882, 5493).

AC (Potts) n. 5523 5523. And bring your youngest brother unto me. That this signifies that if there were an intermediate there would be conjunction, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, who is here the “youngest brother,” as being an intermediate (see n. 5411, 5413, 5443); and from the signification of “bringing him unto me,” as being that thereby there would be conjunction. For by the intermediate there is effected a conjunction of the internal represented by Joseph with the external things represented by the sons of Jacob (as shown above, n. 5411, 5413, 5427, 5428).

AC (Potts) n. 5524 5524. Then shall I know that ye are no spies. That this signifies that then truths would no longer be for the sake of gain, is evident from the signification of “spies,” as being those who are in the truths of the church for the sake of their own advantage, meaning here that they would be so no longer if there were conjunction through an intermediate.

AC (Potts) n. 5525 5525. But that ye are upright. That this signifies that thus there would be correspondence, is evident from the signification of “ye are upright,” as being that they were in truths; for “uprightness” is truth (see n. 5434, 5437); and as they are then in truths not for the sake of their own advantage, when there is correspondence, therefore this also is signified by, “ye are upright.”

AC (Potts) n. 5526 5526. I will give you your brother. That this signifies that thus truths would become goods, is evident from the representation of Simeon, who here is the “brother whom he would give them,” as being faith in the will (see n. 5482); and from the representation of the ten sons of Jacob, who here are they to whom he would be “given,” as being the truths of the church in the natural (n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5428, 5512). That by “I will give you your brother” is signified that thus truths will become goods, is because when there exists faith in the will, truths become goods; for as soon as the truth of faith which is of doctrine enters the will, it becomes the truth of life, and becomes truth in act, and is then called good, and also becomes spiritual good. From this good a new will is formed in man by the Lord. That the will causes truth to be good, is because regarded in itself the will is nothing else than the love, for whatever a man loves he wills, and whatever he does not love he does not will; and also because all that which is of the love or from the love is perceived by the man as good, for it delights him. Hence it is that everything that is of the will or from the will is good.

AC (Potts) n. 5527 5527. And ye shall go about trading in the land. That this signifies that in this way truths will be made fruitful from good, and will all turn to use and profit, is evident from the signification of “trading,” as being to procure for one’s self the knowledges of good and truth, thus the truths of the church, and to communicate them (see n. 4453). They who have such things are called “traders” (n. 2967); wherefore “to go about trading in the land” is to seek diligently for such things wherever they are. From this it follows that “to go about trading in the land” signifies also to make truths fruitful from good; for when conjunction is effected through the intermediate which is “Benjamin,” that is, the conjunction of the external man represented by the ten sons of Jacob, with the internal which is “Joseph” (which conjunction is here treated of), or what is the same, when the man has been regenerated, then truths are continually made fruitful from good. For he who is in good is in the capacity of clearly seeing the truths which flow from general truths, and this in a continual series; and still more afterward in the other life, where worldly and bodily things do not cast a shade. That this capacity is in good has been given me to know by much experience. I have seen spirits who had not been very clear sighted when they lived as men in the world, yet had led a life of charity, taken up into heavenly societies; and then they were in similar intelligence and wisdom with the angels there, and even did not know but that this wisdom and intelligence were in them. For through the good in which they had been they were in the capacity of receiving all influx from the angelic societies in which they were. Such a capacity, and hence such fruitfulness, is in good. But the truths which are made fruitful in them by good do not remain truths, but are committed by them to life, and then become uses; and therefore by “going about trading in the land” is signified also that they all will turn to use and profit.

AC (Potts) n. 5528 5528. Verses 35-38. And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, and behold everyone’s bundle of silver was in his sack; and they saw the bundles of their silver, they and their father, and they were afraid. And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved, Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin; all these things will be upon me. And Reuben spoke unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons if I bring him not to thee; give him upon my hand, and I will bring him unto thee again. And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left; and mischief will befall him in the way wherein ye shall go, and ye will make my gray hairs go down in sorrow to the grave. “And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks,” signifies use from the truths in the natural; “and behold everyone’s bundle of silver,” signifies settings in order of truths bestowed gratis; “was in his sack,” signifies in the receptacle of each; “and they saw the bundles of their silver,” signifies perception that it was so; “they and their father,” signifies from truths and the good of truth in the natural; “and they were afraid,” signifies what is holy; “and Jacob their father said unto them,” signifies perception in them from the good of truth; “Me have ye bereaved,” signifies that thus the church was no more; “Joseph is not,” signifies that there is no internal; “and Simeon is not,” signifies that neither is there faith in the will; “and ye will take Benjamin,” signifies if the intermediate also is taken away; “all these things will be upon me,” signifies that thus what is of the church will be destroyed; “and Reuben spoke unto his father,” signifies the things of faith in the understanding perceived from the good of truth; “saying, Slay my two sons,” signifies that neither kind of faith will live; “if I bring him not to thee,” signifies unless an intermediate be adjoined; “give him upon my hand,” signifies so far as was in its power; “and I will bring him unto thee again,” signifies that it shall be restored; “and he said, My son shall not go down with you,” signifies that it will not let itself down toward lower things; “for his brother is dead,” signifies because the internal is not present; “and he only is left,” signifies that it is now in place of the internal; “and mischief will befall him in the way wherein ye shall go,” signifies that with truths alone in the natural, separated from the internal, it would perish; “and ye will make my gray hairs go down,” signifies that this will be the last of the church; “in sorrow to the grave,” signifies without hope of resuscitation.

AC (Potts) n. 5529 5529. And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks. That this signifies use from the truths in the natural, is evident from the signification of “emptying” the produce they brought from Egypt, as being to do use from truths, for by “produce” is signified truth (see n. 5276, 5280, 5292, 5402), and from the signification of “sacks,” as being receptacles in the natural (n. 5489, 5494), thus the natural. (Of the receptacles in the natural, see below, n. 5531.)

AC (Potts) n. 5530 5530. And behold everyone’s bundle of silver. That this signifies the settings in order of truths bestowed gratis, is evident from the signification of a “bundle,” as being a setting in order (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (see n. 1551, 2954); by “everyone having it in his sack” is signified that these were bestowed gratis. That a “bundle” denotes a setting in order is because the truths with man are disposed and ordered in series. Those most in agreement with his loves are in the midst, those not so much in agreement are at the sides, finally those not at all in agreement are rejected to the outermost circumferences. Outside of this series are the things contrary to the loves. Wherefore those things which are in the midst are called blood-relations, for love produces blood-relationship, and those which are more remote are connections; and at the ultimate boundaries the connections die away. All things in man are disposed in such series, and are signified by “bundles.”
[2] From this it is plainly evident how the case is with those who are in the loves of self and of the world, and how with those who are in love to God and toward the neighbor. With those who are in the loves of self and of the world, such things as favor these loves are in the midst, and such as slightly favor them are in the circumferences; and the things which are contrary to them, as those which relate to love to God and love toward the neighbor, are thrown out. In such a state are the infernals. And this order sometimes causes a lucidity to appear about them; but within this lucidity, where they themselves are, all is dusky, monstrous, and horrible. But with the angels there is a flaming radiance in the midst from the good of celestial and spiritual love, and from this there is a light or brightness round about. They who so appear are likenesses of the Lord; for the Lord Himself, when He showed His divine to Peter, James, and John, “shone in the face as the sun, and His raiment became as the light” (Matt. 17:2). That the angels who are likenesses appear in flaming radiance and hence in white is plain from the angel who descended from heaven and rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulcher:
His appearance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow (Matt. 28:3).

AC (Potts) n. 5531 5531. Was in his sack. That this signifies in the receptacle of each, is evident from the signification of a “sack,” as being a receptacle (see n. 5489, 5494, 5529). What is here meant by a receptacle may be briefly told. Man’s natural is divided into receptacles; and in each receptacle is some general thing, in which things less general or relatively particular are set in order, and in these single things. Each such general thing, together with its particulars and singulars, has its own receptacle, within which it can operate, or vary its forms and change its states. With the man who has been regenerated these receptacles are as many in number as there are general truths in him, and each receptacle corresponds to some society in heaven. Such is the setting in order with the man who is in the good of love and thence in the truth of faith. From this it will to some extent be plain what is meant by the receptacle of each, when predicated of the general truths in the natural, represented by the ten sons of Jacob.

AC (Potts) n. 5532 5532. And they saw the bundles of their silver. That this signifies perception that it was so, namely that the settings in order of truths were bestowed gratis, is evident from what was unfolded just above (n. 5530).

AC (Potts) n. 5533 5533. They and their father. That this signifies from truths and the good of truth in the natural, is evident from the representation of the sons of Jacob, who here are “they,” as being truths in the natural (see n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512); and from the representation of Jacob, who is here “their father,” as being the good of truth also in the natural (n. 3659, 3669, 3677, 3775, 4234, 4273, 4538). What is meant by perception from truths and from the good of truth in the natural, may indeed be unfolded, but not so as to fall into the apprehension, except very obscurely. But in very deed this falls into the understanding of spirits as in clear day, being to them one of the more easy things. Thus it may in some measure be seen what a difference there is between the intelligence of man while he is in the world and its light, and when he is in heaven and the light there.

AC (Potts) n. 5534 5534. And they were afraid. That this signifies what is holy, is evident from the signification of “being afraid” when such things happen as are of Divine providence-here that truths were bestowed gratis, signified by “every man’s bundle of silver being in his sack.” The holy which then flows in also induces something of fear together with holy reverence.

AC (Potts) n. 5535 5535. And Jacob their father said unto them. That this signifies perception in them from the good of truth, is evident from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception (of which often above); and from the representation of Jacob, as being the good of truth (of which just above, n. 5533).

AC (Potts) n. 5536 5536. Me have ye bereaved. That this signifies that thus the church was no more, is evident from the representation of Jacob, who says this of himself, as being the good of truth (see n. 3659, 3669, 3677, 3775, 4234, 4273, 4538); and because it is the good of truth, it is also the church, for good is the essential of the church; and therefore it is the same whether we say the good of truth, or the church, for with the man with whom is the good of truth, there is the church (that “Jacob” is the church may be seen above, n. 4286, 4520; and hence also that his sons represent the truths of the church, n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512); and from the signification of “bereaving,” as being to deprive the church of its truths and goods, as here of those which are represented by Joseph, Benjamin, and Simeon (of which in what follows).
[2] That “to bereave” denotes to deprive the church of its truths, is because the church is compared to a marriage, its good to the husband, and its truth to the wife, and the truths born of this marriage to sons, and the goods to daughters, and so on. When therefore “bereavement,” or “bereaving” is spoken of, it signifies that the church is deprived of its truths, and that thereby it becomes no church. In this sense the terms “bereavement,” or “bereaving,” are occasionally used elsewhere in the Word, as in Ezekiel:
I will send upon you famine and evil beast, and will make thee bereaved (Ezek. 5:17).
And again:
When I make the evil beast to pass through the land, and it shall bereave it, so that it become a desolation, that no man may pass through because of the wild beast (Ezek. 14:15).
In Leviticus:
I will send against you the wild beast of the field, which shall bereave you, and cut off your beast, and lessen you, that your ways shall be laid waste (Lev. 26:22).
[3] In these passages “famine” denotes a lack of the knowledges of good and truth, and hence desolation; an “evil beast,” falsities from evils; the “land,” the church; “sending a famine and an evil beast to bereave the land” denotes to destroy the church by falsities from evils, thus to completely deprive it of truths. In Jeremiah:
I will winnow them with a fan in the gates of the land, I will bereave, I will destroy My people (Jer. 15:7);
where also “bereaving” denotes to deprive of truths. In the same:
Give their sons to the famine, and make them flow away by the hand of the sword; that their wives may become bereaved and widows (Jer. 18:21);
where “their wives becoming bereaved and widows” denotes being without truths and good.
[4] In Hosea:
Of Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the belly, and from conception; because if they have brought up their sons, then will I make them bereaved of man (Hos. 9:11-12);
with a similar meaning. In Ezekiel:
I will make man, My people, walk over you, who shall possess thee by inheritance, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more add to bereave them. Thus hath said the Lord Jehovih, Because they say to you, Thou art a consumer of man, and hast been a bereaver of thy peoples (Ezek. 36:12-13);
where also “bereaving” is to deprive of truths,
[5] In Isaiah:
Now hear this, O delicate one, sitting securely, saying in thine heart, I and none besides like me, I shall not sit a widow, neither shall I know bereavement; surely these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, bereavement and widowhood (Isa. 47:8-9);
said of the daughter of Babylon and of Chaldea, that is, of those who are in a holy external and a profane internal, and by virtue of this holy external call themselves the church. “Bereavement and widowhood” denote the deprivation of good and truth. Again:
Lift up thine eyes round about, and see; all they gather themselves together, they come to thee. The sons of thy bereavement shall yet say in thine ears, The place is strait for me; go from me that I may dwell. But thou shalt say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I am bereaved and lonely, banished and far away? Who therefore hath brought up these? I was left alone; these, where were they? (Isa. 49:18, 20-21);
said of Zion or the celestial church, and of its fruitfulness after vastation; the “sons of bereavement” denoting the truths of which she had been deprived in vastation, restored and vastly increased.

AC (Potts) n. 5537 5537. Joseph is not. That this signifies that there is no internal, is evident from the representation of Joseph, which, being the celestial of the spiritual, is the internal of the church (see n. 5469, 5471).

AC (Potts) n. 5538 5538. And Simeon is not. That this signifies that neither in the will is there faith, is evident from the representation of Simeon, as being faith in the will (see n. 3869-3872, 4497, 4502, 4503, 5482).

AC (Potts) n. 5539 5539. And ye will take Benjamin. That this signifies if the intermediate also be taken away, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, as being what is intermediate (see n. 5411, 5413, 5443).

AC (Potts) n. 5540 5540. All these things will be upon me. That this signifies that thus what is of the church will be destroyed, is evident from the representation of Jacob, who says this of himself, as being the church (see n. 5536). When in the church there is no internal, represented by Joseph, and no faith in the will, represented by Simeon, if the conjoining intermediate represented by Benjamin is taken away, everything of the church is destroyed. This is what is signified by “all these things will be upon me.”

AC (Potts) n. 5541 5541. And Reuben spoke unto his father. That this signifies the things of faith in the understanding perceived from the good of truth, is evident from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being to perceive (of which often above); and from the representation of Reuben, as being faith in doctrine and in the understanding (see n. 3861, 3866, 5472), consequently the things of this faith; and from the representation of Jacob, who is here the “father” to whom Reuben spoke, as being the good of truth (n. 3659, 3669, 3677, 3775, 4234, 4273, 4538, 5533). From this it is plain that by “Reuben’s speaking to his father” are signified the things of faith in the understanding perceived from the good of truth. The reason why Reuben speaks here, is that the church is treated of, in which faith in doctrine and in the understanding apparently takes the first place, and also teaches, here what must be done lest the things of the church be destroyed.

AC (Potts) n. 5542 5542. Saying, Slay my two sons. That this signifies that neither kind of faith will live, is evident from the signification of the “two sons” of Reuben, as being both kinds of faith; for by Reuben is represented faith in doctrine and in the understanding, and his “sons” are the two doctrines of the church, the doctrine of truth and the doctrine of good, or the doctrine of faith and the doctrine of charity. That neither of these things of faith or of the church will live unless the intermediate represented by Benjamin is conjoined, is signified by “Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee.” By these words Reuben gives confirmation that it will be all over with the church, unless there be an intermediate. Unless there were this internal sense in these words, Reuben would not have told his father to slay his two sons if he brought not Benjamin back; for he would thereby have proposed to put an end to one family more, which being contrary to all right, would have been infamous. But the internal sense teaches us why this was said.

AC (Potts) n. 5543 5543. If I bring him not to thee. That this signifies unless an intermediate be conjoined, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, who is here meant by “him whom he would bring,” as being what is intermediate (see n. 5411, 5413, 5443, 5539); and from the signification of “bringing,” as being to be conjoined.

AC (Potts) n. 5544 5544. Give him upon my hand. That this signifies so far as was in its power, is evident from the signification of the “hand,” as being power (see n. 878, 3387, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328). “To give him upon his hand” is in the strict sense to intrust him to him; but as faith in the understanding, which is represented by Reuben, has little strength to be trusted to (for the truth which is of faith has its power from the good which is of charity, see n. 3563), therefore by “Give him upon my hand,” is signified so far as was in its power.

AC (Potts) n. 5545 5545. And I will bring him unto thee again. That this signifies that it shall be restored, is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5546 5546. And he said, My son shall not go down with you. That this signifies that it will not let itself down toward lower things, is evident from the signification of “going down,” as being predicated of going toward lower things (see n. 5406), here of going to the truths of memory-knowledge in the exterior natural (n. 5492, 5495, 5497, 5500), which are represented by the sons of Jacob.

AC (Potts) n. 5547 5547. For his brother is dead. That this signifies because the internal is not present, is evident from the representation of Joseph, who is here the “brother,” as being the celestial of the spiritual, or truth from the Divine, consequently the internal of the church (see n. 5469); and from the signification of “being dead,” as here being not to be present; for he was living, but was not present.

AC (Potts) n. 5548 5548. And he only is left. That this signifies that it is now in place of the internal, is evident from the fact that, as the internal which is “Joseph” was not present, and Benjamin was the only other child of Joseph’s mother, he was now as Joseph. Moreover, both Joseph and Benjamin represent the internal, and the other ten sons of Jacob represent the external (see n. 5469).

AC (Potts) n. 5549 5549. And mischief will befall him in the way wherein ye shall go. That this signifies that with truths alone in the natural, separated from the internal, it would perish, is evident from what was unfolded above (n. 5413), where similar words occur.

AC (Potts) n. 5550 5550. And ye will make my gray hairs go down. That this signifies that this will be the last of the church, is evident from the signification of “gray hairs,” when the subject treated of is the church, as being the last of it. The last of it is signified by “gray hairs” also in Isaiah:
Attend unto Me O house of Jacob, and all the remains of the house of Israel, who have been borne from the womb, who have been carried from the matrix; and even to old age I am the same; and even to gray hairs will I carry you (Isa. 46:3-4);
the “house of Jacob” denotes the external church; the “house of Israel,” the internal church; “from the womb and the matrix” denotes from the beginning of it; “to old age and gray hairs” denotes to the last of it. And in David:
They that are planted in the house of Jehovah shall sprout in the courts of our God. They shall still have increase in gray hairs (Ps. 92:13-14);
“in gray hairs” denotes in the last stage.

AC (Potts) n. 5551 5551. In sorrow to the grave. That this signifies without hope of resuscitation, is evident from the signification of “sorrow” here, as being without hope, for when there is no longer any hope there is sorrow; and from the signification of the “grave,” as being resurrection and regeneration (see n. 2916, 2917, 3256, 4621), thus the resuscitation of the church; for if in the church there is neither an internal which is “Joseph,” nor an intermediate which is “Benjamin,” nor faith in the will, or charity, which is “Simeon,” there is no longer any hope of its resuscitation. It appears strange that the “grave” should denote resuscitation, but this is because of man’s idea concerning it; for he does not separate the grave from death, nor even from the dead body in the grave. Yet the angels in heaven cannot have such an idea of the grave, but one entirely different from man’s, namely, an idea of resurrection or resuscitation. For when man’s dead body is committed to the grave he is resuscitated into the other life; and therefore the idea angels have about the grave is not an idea of death, but of life, consequently of resuscitation.

AC (Potts) n. 5552 5552. Continuation concerning the correspondence with the Grand Man; here concerning the correspondence of the skin, the hair, and the bones therewith.
In regard to correspondence the case is this. The things in man which have the most life correspond to those societies in the heavens which have the most life and hence the most happiness there, as do those to which man’s external and internal sensories correspond, and the things of his understanding and will. But the things in man which have less life correspond to such societies there as are in less life, as the cuticles which invest the whole body, the cartilages and bones which support and hold together all the parts of the body, and also the hairs which grow out from the cuticles. What the societies are to which these correspond, and what is their quality, is also to be told.

AC (Potts) n. 5553 5553. The societies to which the skins correspond are in the entrance to heaven, and to them is given a perception of the quality of the spirits who throng to the first threshold, whom they either reject or admit; so that they may be called entrances or thresholds to heaven.

AC (Potts) n. 5554 5554. There are very many societies that constitute the external integuments of the body, with differences from the face to the soles of the feet; for there are differences everywhere. I have spoken much with them. In regard to spiritual life they had been such that they suffered themselves to be persuaded by others that a thing is so; and when they heard it confirmed from the literal sense of the Word, they wholly believed it, and remained in the opinion, and instituted a life, not evil, in accordance with it. Others who are not of a similar nature cannot easily have interaction with them; for they cling tenaciously to the opinions they have received, and do not suffer themselves to be led away from them by reasons. Very many such are from this earth, because our planet is in externals, and also reacts against internals, as does the skin.

AC (Potts) n. 5555 5555. There are those who in the life of the body have known nothing but the general things of faith-as that the neighbor ought to be loved-and who from this general principle have done good to the evil and to the upright alike without discrimination, saying that everyone is the neighbor. When these lived in the world they suffered themselves to be led much astray by the deceitful, hypocritical, and pretending; and the same thing happens to them in the other life; nor do they care what is said to them, for they are sensuous and do not enter into reasons. These also constitute the skin, but the outer and less sensitive part. I have spoken with those who constitute the skin of the skull. There is as great a difference in those who constitute the skin, as there is in the skin itself in various places-as on different parts of the skull, about the occiput, sinciput, and temples, on the face, and on the chest, abdomen, loins, feet, arms, hands, and fingers.

AC (Potts) n. 5556 5556. It has also been given me to know who constitute the scarf skin. This skin is less sensitive than any other of the coverings, for it is covered over with scales that are nearly like a thin cartilage. The societies which constitute it are they who reason about all things as to whether it be so or not so, and go no further. When I spoke with them, it was given to perceive that they do not at all apprehend what is true or not true; and the more they reason, the less they apprehend. Yet they seem to themselves wiser than others, for they vest wisdom in the faculty of reasoning. They are altogether ignorant that the chief thing in wisdom is to perceive without reasoning, that a thing is so or not so. Many such are from those who in the world became so from a confusion of good and truth through philosophical subtleties, and who thereby have the less common sense.

AC (Potts) n. 5557 5557. There are also spirits through whom others speak, and who hardly understand what they say. This they confessed, but still talked much. They become so who in the life of the body only prated, without thinking at all about what they said, and loved to talk about everything. I was told that they are in companies, and that some of these relate to the membranes which cover the viscera of the body, and some to the cuticles which have but little sensitiveness; for they are only passive powers, and do nothing from themselves, but from others.

AC (Potts) n. 5558 5558. There are spirits who when they wish to know anything, say that it is so, one after another in the society; and when they say it, they observe whether it flows freely without any spiritual resistance; for when it is not so, they usually perceive a resistance from within; and if they perceive no resistance they think that it is so, and do not know it in any other way. Such are they who constitute the little glands of the skin. But there are two kinds of them, one which affirms because there appears a free flow, as was said, from which they surmise that as there is no resistance it is in agreement with the heavenly form, consequently with the truth, and thereby that it is affirmed; and another kind which boldly affirms that it is so, although they do not know it.

AC (Potts) n. 5559 5559. The conformation of the interweavings of the skins has been shown to me representatively. The conformation with those in whom these outermost things corresponded to the interiors, or in whom the material things there were obedient to spiritual things, was a beautiful weaving of spirals wonderfully intertwined in a kind of lace-work which it is impossible to describe. They were of a blue color. Afterward were represented forms still more elaborate, more delicate, and more beautifully interwoven. Of such a structure appear the skins of a regenerate man. But with those who have been deceitful, these outermost things appear like knottings together of mere serpents; and with those who have used magical arts, like foul intestines.

AC (Potts) n. 5560 5560. The societies of spirits to which the cartilages and bones correspond are very many; but they are such as have little spiritual life in them, just as there is little life in the bones as compared with the soft parts which they enclose-as for example in the skull and the bones of the head compared with either brain and the medulla oblongata and the sensitive substances there; and also as in the vertebrae and ribs in comparison with the heart and lungs; and so on.

AC (Potts) n. 5561 5561. It has been shown me how little spiritual life they have who relate to the bones. Other spirits speak through them, and they themselves know little of what they say; but still they speak, vesting delight in this only. Into such a state are they reduced who have led an evil life, and yet have had some remains of good stored up in them. These remains make that little of spiritual life, after the vastations of many ages. (What remains are, may be seen above, n. 468, 530, 560-561, 660, 1050, 1738, 1906, 2284, 5135, 5342, 5344.) It is said that they have little spiritual life, and by spiritual life is meant the life which the angels in heaven have. To this life man is introduced in the world by the things of faith and charity; the very affection of the good which is of charity, and the affection of the truth which is of faith, are spiritual life, man’s life without these is a natural, worldly, bodily, and earthly life, which is not spiritual life, unless spiritual life is in it, but is such a life as he has in common with animals.

AC (Potts) n. 5562 5562. They who come out of vastations, and serve the uses of the bones, have not any determinate thought, but general, almost indeterminate; they are like those who are called distraught, as if not in the body; they are slow, heavy, stupid, sluggish in everything. Yet sometimes they are not untranquil, because cares do not penetrate, but are dispersed in their general obscurity.

AC (Potts) n. 5563 5563. Pains are sometimes felt in the skull, now in one part, now in another; and nuclei seem to be perceived there which are separate from the other bones, and which thus are in pain. It has been given me to know by experience that such pains come from falsities originating in cupidities; and wonderful to say the genera and species of falsities have fixed places in the skull, as has also been made known to me by much experience. Such nuclei, which are indurations, are broken up and made soft in those who are being reformed; and this is done in various ways, in general by instructions in good and truth, by harsh influxes of truths which cause inward pain, and by actual rendings which cause outward pain. Falsities from cupidities are of such a nature that they produce hardness; for they are contrary to truths, which because they are determined according to the form of heaven, flow as it were spontaneously, freely, gently, and softly, while falsities, being of a contrary tendency, have opposite determinations, so that the flow which is of the form of heaven is stopped; hence the indurations. From this cause they who have been in deadly hatred and in the revengefulness of such hatred, and from these in falsities, have skulls completely indurated, and some have skulls like ebony, through which no rays of light, which are truths, penetrate, but are wholly reflected.

AC (Potts) n. 5564 5564. There are spirits small in stature who when they speak, thunder, one sometimes like a troop. It is innate in them to speak so. They are not from this earth, but from another, which of the Lord’s Divine mercy will be spoken of when I speak of the inhabitants of the various earths. It was said that they relate to the shield like cartilage in front of the chest, and which serves as a support in front to the ribs, and also to the various muscles of tone.

AC (Potts) n. 5565 5565. There are also some spirits who relate to bones still harder, as the teeth; but it has not been granted me to know much about them, merely that having scarcely any spiritual life left, when presented to view in the light of heaven, they do not appear with any face, but only with teeth in place of a face; for the face represents man’s interiors, thus his spiritual and celestial things, that is, those of faith and charity; and therefore they appear thus who in the life of the body have not acquired anything of this life.

AC (Potts) n. 5566 5566. There came toward me one who appeared like a black cloud about which were shooting stars. When shooting stars appear in the other life they signify falsities; but fixed stars signify truths. I perceived that it was a spirit who wished to approach. When he came near he struck me with fear; this certain spirits can do, especially robbers, and therefore I was able to conclude that he had been a robber. When he was near me, he made every effort to infest me by magic arts, but in vain. He stretched out his hand that he might exert his imaginary power, but with no effect whatever. The kind of face he had was afterward shown. It was no face, but something very black in place of one; and in it appeared a mouth gaping so dreadfully and ferociously that it was a very maw in which teeth were set in rows. In a word, it was like a mad dog with distended jaws, so that it was a wide open mouth, not a face.

AC (Potts) n. 5567 5567. A certain one applied himself to my left side, and at that time I did not know where he came from, nor what he was; he also acted obscurely. He wanted to penetrate inwardly into me, but was kept out. He induced a general sphere of ideas of thought that is indescribable, and I do not remember having previously noticed any general sphere like it. He was bound by no principles, but in general was against all whom he could readily and ingeniously refute and censure, although he did not know what truth is. I wondered at his having the cleverness to show others to be wrong, and yet do this from no knowledge of truth in himself. Afterward he went away, but soon returned with an earthen jug in his hand, and wanted to give me something out of it to drink. There was in the jug, from phantasy, something that would take away the understanding of those who drank. This was represented because he had deprived those who were attached to him in the world of the understanding of truth and good; but still they clung to him. He also, in the light of heaven, did not appear with any face, but only with teeth, for the reason that he could ridicule others, and still knew nothing of truth himself. I was told who he was, and that when he lived, he was one of the men of note, and his nature had been known to some.

AC (Potts) n. 5568 5568. There have been with me at times those who gnashed with their teeth. They were from the hells where are those who had not only led an evil life, but had also confirmed themselves against the Divine, and had referred all things to nature. These gnash with their teeth when they speak, which is horrible to hear.

AC (Potts) n. 5569 5569. As there is a correspondence of the bones and the skins, so there is of the hairs; for these push forth from roots in the skins. Whatever has a correspondence with the Grand Man is possessed by angels and spirits; for each one as an image represents the Grand Man; therefore the angels have hair arranged becomingly and in order. Their hair represents their natural life and its correspondence with their spiritual life. That “hair” signifies the things of natural life, may be seen above (n. 3301); and also that “to poll the hair” is to accommodate natural things so that they may be becoming and thus comely (n. 5247).

AC (Potts) n. 5570 5570. There are many, especially women, who have vested everything in adornment, nor have they thought higher, and scarcely anything about eternal life. This is pardoned to women until the age of womanhood, when the ardor which is wont to precede marriage ceases; but if they persist in such things in adult age, when they can know better, they then contract a nature which remains after death. Such appear in the other life with long hair spread over the face, which they also comb, vesting elegance therein; for “to comb the hair” signifies to accommodate natural things so that they appear becoming (see n. 5247). From this their quality is known by others; for spirits can tell from the color, length, and arrangement of the hair what the persons had been as to natural life in the world.

AC (Potts) n. 5571 5571. They who have believed nature to be everything, and have confirmed themselves in this, and therefore have led a careless life, not acknowledging any life after death, thus neither hell nor heaven, being merely natural, do not appear in the light of heaven to have any face, but in its place something bearded, hairy, unshorn; for as before said, the face represents spiritual and heavenly things inwardly in man, but hairiness natural things.

AC (Potts) n. 5572 5572. There are very many at this day in the Christian world who ascribe all things to nature, and scarcely anything to the Divine; but there are more of these in one nation than in another. I may therefore relate a conversation I had with some from that nation in which there are very many such.

AC (Potts) n. 5573 5573. A certain one was present above the head who was unseen, but whose presence was perceived from an odor of burnt horn or bone, and from a stench of teeth. Afterward a great multitude, like a black cloud, came unseen from beneath upward behind the back, and stopped above the head. I supposed they were unseen because they were subtle; but I was told that where there is a spiritual sphere they are invisible, but where there is a natural sphere they are visible. They are called invisible natural spirits. The first thing disclosed about them was that they strove with the utmost diligence, skill, and artfulness to prevent anything from being divulged about them, to which end they were skilled in stealing from others their ideas, and inducing other ideas, by which they hindered detection. This continued quite a long time. Hence it was given to know that in the life of the body they had been such as not to desire to have anything divulged of what they did or thought, assuming a different face and a different speech. Nevertheless they had not used these things in order to deceive in a lying manner.
[2] It was perceived that they who were present had been traders in the life of the body, but traders whose delight of life consisted rather in trading itself than in riches, so that trading had been as it were their soul, I therefore spoke to them about this, and was given to say that trading does not at all prevent anyone from coming into heaven, and that the rich as well as the poor are in heaven. But they objected, saying that it had been their opinion that if they were to be saved they would have to renounce trade, give all they had to the poor, and make themselves miserable. But it was given to reply to them that such is not the case, and that those among them who are in heaven because they had been good Christians, had thought otherwise, and yet they had been wealthy, and some of them very wealthy. These had the common good and love toward the neighbor as their end, and had engaged in mercantile pursuits merely for the sake of employment in the world, and moreover had not set their heart on these things. And the reason why they themselves are below is that they had been merely natural, and therefore had not believed in a life after death, nor in hell and heaven, nor even in any spirit; and that they had not hesitated to deprive others of their goods by any artifice whatever, and could without mercy see whole families ruined for the sake of their own gain; and that they therefore had ridiculed everyone who spoke to them about a spiritual life.
[3] The kind of faith they had had about the life after death, and about heaven and hell, was also shown. There appeared one who was taken up into heaven from the left toward the right; and it was said that it was one who had recently died, and was being immediately conducted by the angels into heaven. There was a conversation about this. But although they also saw it they nevertheless had a very strong sphere of unbelief, and spread it around, so much so that they wanted to make themselves and others believe contrary to what they saw. And as their unbelief was so great I was given to say to them, Suppose that in the world you had seen someone resuscitated who was lying dead in a coffin. They said that at first they should not have believed unless they had seen many dead persons resuscitated; and if they had seen this, still they would have attributed it to natural causes. And after they had been left awhile to their own thoughts, they said that at first they would have believed it to be a fraud; and when it was proved to be no fraud they would have believed that the soul of the dead person had a secret communication with him who resuscitated it; and finally that there was some secret thing they did not comprehend, because there are very many incomprehensible things in nature; so that they could never have believed that such a thing took place from any force above nature. Hereby was disclosed the nature of their faith that they could never have been brought to believe that there is any life after death, nor that there is a hell, nor that there is a heaven; thus that they were wholly natural. When such persons appear in the light of heaven, they appear without a face, and with a thick mass of hair in place thereof.

Genesis 43

1. And the famine became grievous in the land.
2. And it came to pass when they had finished the eating of the produce which they had brought from Egypt, and their father said unto them, Go back, buy us a little food.
3. And Judah spoke unto him, saying, Protesting the man did protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my faces except your brother be with you.
4. If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food.
5. And if thou wilt not send, we will not go down; for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my faces except your brother be with you.
6. And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye ill with me, to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?
7. And they said, Asking the man asked unto us, and unto our birth, saying, Is your father yet alive? Have ye a brother? And we told him according to the mouth of these words. Knowing could we know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
8. And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go; and we will live, and not die, both we and thou, and also our little ones.
9. I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him; if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then I shall sin to thee all the days.
10. For except we had lingered, surely we had now returned these two times.
11. And their father Israel said unto them, If therefore this be so, do this: take of the song of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little resin and a little honey, wax and stacte, terebinth* nuts and almonds.
12. And take double silver in your hands, and the silver that was returned in the mouth of your bags carry back in your hand; peradventure it was an error.
13. And take your brother, and arise, and return unto the man.
14. And God Shaddai give you mercies before the man, and send you your other brother and Benjamin. And I, as I have been bereaved, I shall be bereaved.
15. And the men took this present, and they took double silver in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
16. And Joseph saw Benjamin with them, and he said to him that was over his house, Bring the men to the house, and slaying slay, and make ready; for the men shall eat with me at noon.
17. And the man did as Joseph said; and the man brought the men to Joseph’s house.
18. And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, Over the word of the silver that was returned in our bags in the beginning are we brought; to roll down upon us, and to cast himself upon us, and to take us for servants, and our asses.
19. And they came near to the man that was over Joseph’s house, and they spoke unto him at the door of the house,
20. And said, In me, my lord, in coming down we came down in the beginning to buy food;
21. And it came to pass, when we came to the inn and we opened our bags, and behold everyone’s silver in the mouth of his bag, our silver in its weight; and we have brought it back in our hand.
22. And the other silver have we brought down in our hand to buy food; we know not who put our silver in our bags.
23. And he said, Peace be to you, fear not; your God and the God of your father gave you a hidden gift in your bags; your silver came to me. And he brought Simeon out unto them.
24. And the man brought the men to Joseph’s house, and gave water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.
25. And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon; for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26. And Joseph came to the house, and they brought him the present which was in their hand to the house, and bowed down themselves to him to the earth.
27. And he asked them to peace, and said, Is there peace to your father, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?
28. And they said, There is peace to thy servant our father; he is yet alive. And they bent themselves, and bowed themselves down.
29. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spoke unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.
30. And Joseph made haste, for his compassions were moved toward his brother; and he sought to weep, and he came to the bed-chamber, and wept there.
31. And he washed his faces, and went out, and he restrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
32. And they set on for him alone, and for them alone, and for the Egyptians who did eat with him, alone; because the Egyptians cannot eat bread with the Hebrews; because this is an abomination to the Egyptians.
33. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men were amazed, everyone at his companion.
34. And he brought out portions from his faces unto them; and he multiplied Benjamin’s portion above the portions of them all, five measures. And they drank and drank largely with him.
* pistachio

AC (Potts) n. 5574 5574. The Contents.

The subject is continued of the conjunction in the natural of the truths of the church, which are the “ten sons of Jacob,” with the celestial of the spiritual, or truth from the Divine, which is “Joseph,” through the intermediate which is “Benjamin;” but in this chapter, in the internal sense, only the general influx which precedes conjunction is treated of.

AC (Potts) n. 5575 5575. The Internal Sense.
Verses 1-5. And the famine became grievous in the land. And it came to pass when they had finished the eating of the produce which they had brought from Egypt, and their father said unto them, Go back, buy us a little food. And Judah spoke unto him, saying, Protesting the man did protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my faces except your brother be with you. If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food. And if thou wilt not send, we will not go down; for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my faces except your brother be with you. “And the famine became grievous,” signifies desolation from want of spiritual things; “in the land,” signifies about the things that were of the church; “and it came to pass,” signifies what is new; “when they had finished the eating of the produce,” signifies when truths failed; “which they had brought from Egypt,” signifies which were from memory-knowledges; “and their father said unto them,” signifies perception from the things of the church; “Go back, buy us a little food,” signifies that in order to live they must procure for themselves the good of spiritual truth; “and Judah spoke unto him,” signifies the good of the church; “saying, Protesting the man did protest unto us,” signifies that the spiritual derived from the internal was averse to them; “saying, Ye shall not see my faces,” signifies that there will be no compassion; “except your brother be with you,” signifies unless there is an intermediate for you; “if thou wilt send our brother with us,” signifies that if it is so done by the church that adjunction shall take place, there must be an intermediate; “we will go down and buy thee food,” signifies that then the good of truth will be procured there; “and if thou wilt not send him,” signifies if not; “we will not go down,” signifies that it cannot be procured; “for the man said unto us,” signifies perception concerning the spiritual; “Ye shall not see my faces,” signifies that there will be no compassion; “except your brother be with you,” signifies unless there is an intermediate for you.

AC (Potts) n. 5576 5576. And the famine became grievous. That this signifies desolation from the want of spiritual things, is evident from the signification of “famine,” as being a lack of the knowledges of good and truth (see n. 3364, 5277, 5279, 5281, 5300), and hence desolation (n. 5360, 5376, 5415); and because desolation comes from a scarcity and consequent want of spiritual things, this also is signified by “famine.”
[2] Hunger in the spiritual world or in heaven is not hunger for food, because the angels do not feed upon material food, which is for the body that man carries about in the world; but it is hunger for such food as nourishes their minds. This food, which is called spiritual food, is to understand truth and be wise in good; and wonderful to say the angels are nourished by this food; which has been made evident to me from the fact that after little children who die have been instructed in heaven in the truths of intelligence and the goods of wisdom, they no longer appear as little children, but as adults, and this according to their increase in good and truth; and also from the fact that the angels continually long for the things of intelligence and wisdom, and that when they are in the evening, that is, in a state in which these things fail, they are so far in what is relatively not happiness, and they then hunger and long for nothing more than that the morning may dawn for them afresh, and that they may return into their life of happiness, which is of intelligence and wisdom.
[3] That to understand truth and to will good is spiritual food, may also appear to everyone who reflects that when anyone is enjoying material food for the nourishment of the body, his food is more nourishing if he is at the same time in cheerful spirits and conversing on agreeable topics, which is a sign that there is a correspondence between spiritual food for the soul and material food for the body. And the same is further evident from the fact that when one who longs to imbue his mind with the things of knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom is kept from them, he begins to be saddened and distressed, and like one who is famished longs to return to his spiritual food, and thereby to the nourishment of his soul.
[4] That there is spiritual food which nourishes the soul as material food nourishes the body may also be seen from the Word, as in Moses:
Man doth not live by bread only; but by every utterance of the mouth of Jehovah doth man live (Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:4).
The “utterance of the mouth of Jehovah” is in general the Divine truth which proceeds from the Lord, thus all truth of wisdom, specifically the Word, in which and from which are the things of wisdom. And in John:
Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you (John 6:27);
that this meat is the truth of wisdom which proceeds from the Lord is evident.
[5] From this too it may be known what is meant by these words of the Lord in the same chapter:
My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed (John 6:55);
namely, that the Lord’s “flesh” is Divine good (n. 3813), and His “blood” Divine truth (n. 4735); for when the Lord made His whole Human Divine, then His flesh was nothing else than Divine good, and His blood Divine truth. It is evident that in the Divine nothing material is to be understood; and therefore “food” in the supreme sense, that is, when predicated of the Lord, is the good of the Divine love for saving the human race. This food is what is meant by the Lord’s words in John:
Jesus said to the disciples, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to perfect His work (John 4:32, 34);
“to do the will of Him that sent Him, and to perfect His work” is to save the human race; the Divine from which this is done is the Divine love. From all this it is now plain what is meant in the spiritual sense by “famine.”

AC (Potts) n. 5577 5577. In the land. That this signifies about the things that were of the church, is evident from the signification of “land” in the Word, as being the church, here therefore the things that are of the church, because anything that signifies the church, signifies also the things that are of the church; for these produce it. That in the Word “land” signifies the church is because the land of Canaan was the place where the church had been from most ancient times. So when “land” or “earth” is mentioned in the Word, the land of Canaan is meant; and when this is meant, the church is meant; for when a land is mentioned they who are in the spiritual world do not stay in the idea of the land, but in that of the nation which is there, nor in the idea of the nation, but in that of the quality of that nation; thus in the idea of the church when “land” is spoken of and the land of Canaan is meant. From this it is plain how deluded are they who believe that at the day of the last judgment a new earth and new heaven will come into existence, according to the prophecies in the Old Testament, and in John in the New (where however by the “new earth” nothing else is meant than a new external church, and by the “new heaven” a new internal church), and also they who believe that anything but the church is meant where the “whole earth” is mentioned in the Word. Hence it is plain how little they apprehend the Word who think there is no holier sense in it than that which shines forth from the letter alone. That the church was in the land of Canaan from the most ancient times may be seen above (n. 3686, 4447, 4454, 4516, 4517, 5136); that by “land” in the Word is signified the church (n. 662, 1066, 1068, 1262, 1413, 1607, 2928, 4447); and that by the “new heaven and new earth” is signified a new church internal and external (n. 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4535).

AC (Potts) n. 5578 5578. And it came to pass. That this signifies what is new, is evident from the signification of “it was,” or “it came to pass,” as involving a new state (see n, 4979, 4987, 4999, 5074, 5466). In the original tongue the meaning was not at first distinguished by punctuation, but the text was continuous, in imitation of heavenly speech; and instead of punctuation marks, “and” was used, and also “it was,” or “it came to pass.” This is the reason why these words occur so often, and why “it was,” or “it came to pass,” signifies something new.

AC (Potts) n. 5579 5579. When they had finished the eating of the produce. That this signifies when truths failed, is evident from the signification of “produce,” as being truth (see n. 5276, 5280, 5292, 5402); that truth failed is signified by their “finishing the eating of it.” Those who are in the spiritual world are sated with things true and good, for these are their food (n. 5576); but when these have served their purpose, they come again into want. This is as with the nourishment of man by material food when this has fulfilled its use, hunger comes on again. The hunger that is a need of spiritual things, in the spiritual world is evening or the twilight of their day; but after it comes daybreak and morning. Thus there are alternations there. They come into that evening or into spiritual hunger, in order that they may feel hungry and long for truths and goods, which yield them more nourishment when they are hungry, just as does material food to one who is famishing. From all this it is evident what is meant by the need of spiritual things when truths failed.

AC (Potts) n. 5580 5580. Which they had brought from Egypt. That this signifies which were from memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of “Egypt,” as being memory-knowledges (see n. 1164-1165, 1186, 1462), that they were “from these,” is signified by their “bringing it thence.” By “Egypt” in a good sense are signified the memory-knowledges of the church, namely, those which are of service for the form of the church (see n. 4749, 4964, 4966). By means of such knowledges man is introduced into the truths of the church as through a court into a house; for these knowledges are what first strike the senses, and thereby open a way to interior things; for it is known that the outward things of sense are first opened in man, and then the inner things of sense, and at last the things of the understanding; and that when these last have been opened, they are represented in the former so as to be comprehended. The reason is that things of the understanding arise from those of sense by a sort of extraction, for things of the understanding are conclusions, which when formed are separated, and rise to a higher plane. This is brought about by the influx of spiritual things through heaven from the Lord. From all this it is plain how it is that truths are from memory-knowledges.

AC (Potts) n. 5581 5581. And their father said unto them. That this signifies perception from the things of the church, is evident from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception (of which often above); and from the representation of Israel, who here is the “father,” as being the church (that “Israel” is the internal spiritual church, and “Jacob” the external, may be seen above, n. 4286, 4292, 4570). He is called “father” because by “father” in the Word is also signified the church, and likewise by “mother;” but by “mother” the church as to truth, and by “father” the church as to good. The reason of this is that the church is a spiritual marriage, which is from good as the father, and from truth as a mother.

AC (Potts) n. 5582 5582. Go back, buy us a little food. That this signifies that in order to live they must procure for themselves the good of spiritual truth, is evident from the signification of “buying,” as being to procure for one’s self and to appropriate (see n. 4397, 5374, 5406, 5410, 5426); and from the signification of “food,” as being the good of truth (n. 5340, 5342), here the good of spiritual truth, for it is this good that is treated of in what follows. That it means in order to live, follows.

AC (Potts) n. 5583 5583. And Judah spoke unto him. That this signifies the good of the church, is evident from the representation of Judah, as being the good of the church (see n. 3654). Judah’s now speaking about Benjamin, and Reuben’s speaking about him before (in the preceding chapter, Genesis 42:36-37) is a secret which cannot be unfolded except from the internal sense. And so when Reuben spoke about Benjamin, Jacob was called “Jacob” (see Genesis 42:36); while here when Judah speaks about him, Jacob is called “Israel” (verses 6, 8, 11). That there is something involved in this no one can deny; but what it is cannot be known from the historical sense of the letter. So too in other places where Jacob is now called “Jacob” and now “Israel” (n. 4286). The secret involved will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be told in the following pages. That Judah now speaks is because the subject treated of is the good of spiritual truth, that it is to be procured (n. 5582); and therefore Judah, who is the good of the church, speaks with Israel, who is the good of spiritual truth, and makes himself answerable for Benjamin, who is the intermediate; for the intermediate must be conjoined by means of good.

AC (Potts) n. 5584 5584. Saying, Protesting the man did protest unto us. That this signifies that the spiritual from the internal was averse to them, is evident from the signification of “protesting to protest,” as being to be averse; for he protested that they should not see his faces unless their brother were with them; such protesting is of aversion, for by not seeing his faces is signified that there will be no compassion (of which in what presently follows); and from the representation of Joseph, as being the Divine spiritual, or what is the same, truth from the Divine (n. 3969), who here, being called “the man,” is the spiritual, or truth flowing in from the internal.

AC (Potts) n. 5585 5585. Saying, Ye shall not see my faces. That this signifies that there will be no compassion, is evident from the signification of “faces” when predicated of man, as being his interiors, that is, his affections and derivative thoughts (see n. 358, 1999, 2434, 3527, 3573, 4066, 4796, 4797, 5102); but when predicated of the Lord, they denote mercy or compassion. Therefore “not to see his faces” means that there will be no mercy, or no compassion; for in the supreme sense the Lord is here represented by Joseph. Not that the Lord has no compassion, for He is mercy itself; but when there is no intermediate that conjoins, it appears to the man as if there were no compassion in the Lord. The reason is that if there is not a conjoining intermediate, there is no reception of good, and when there is no reception of good; there is evil in its stead. If the man then cries to the Lord, and because he cries from evil and thus for himself against all others, is not heard, it appears to him as if there were no compassion. That the “faces” of Jehovah or the Lord denote mercy, is evident from the Word; for the “face” of Jehovah or the Lord in the proper sense denotes the Divine love itself; and because it denotes the Divine love, it denotes what is of mercy, for this from love is shown toward the human race steeped in miseries so great.
[2] That the “face” of Jehovah or the Lord is the Divine love, is evident from the face of the Lord when He was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, that is, when He showed them His Divine; for then His face did shine as the sun (Matt. 17:2); that the “sun” is the Divine love may be seen shown above (n. 30-38, 1521, 1529-1531, 2441, 2495, 3636, 3643, 4060, 4321, 4696). The Lord’s Divine Itself never appeared in any face, but His Divine Human, and through this as in it the Divine love, or relatively to the human race, the Divine mercy. This Divine mercy in the Divine Human is called the “angel of faces,” in Isaiah:
I will make mention of the mercies of Jehovah. He will recompense them according to His mercies, and according to the multitude of His mercies, and He became for them a Saviour. And the angel of His faces saved them, for the sake of His love, and for the sake of His pity (Isa. 63:7-9);
it is called an “angel” because “angels” in the internal sense of the word signify something of the Lord (n. 1925, 2821, 4085), here His mercy and therefore it is said “the angel of His faces.”
[3] That the “face” of Jehovah or the Lord is mercy, and also peace and good, because these are of mercy, may likewise be seen from the following passages. In the benediction:
Jehovah make His faces to shine upon thee, and be merciful unto thee. Jehovah lift up His faces unto thee, and give thee peace (Num. 6:25-26);
it is very evident that “to make the faces to shine” is to be merciful, and “to lift up the faces” is to give peace. In David:
God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and cause His faces to shine upon us (Ps. 67:2);
the “faces” here again denote mercy. In the same:
Bring us back, O God, and cause Thy faces to shine, that we may be saved (Ps. 80:3, 7, 19);
with a similar meaning. Again:
Deliver me from the hands of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Make Thy faces to shine upon Thy servant (Ps. 31:15, 16; so too Ps. 119:134-135).
In Daniel:
Hear, O our God, the praying of Thy servant, and his prayers, and cause Thy faces to shine upon Thy sanctuary that is desolate (Dan. 9:17);
“causing the faces to shine” denoting to be merciful.
[4] In David:
There are many that say, Who will make us see good? Lift up the light of Thy faces upon us (Ps. 4:6, 7);
“lifting up the light of the faces” denotes to give good from mercy. In Hosea:
Let them seek My faces when distress is theirs; in the morning let them seek Me (Hos. 5:15).
Again in David:
Seek ye My faces; Thy faces, Jehovah, will I seek (Ps. 27:8-9).
Seek Jehovah and His strength; seek His faces continually (Ps. 105:4);
“to seek the faces of Jehovah” denotes to seek His mercy.
Again:
I shall see Thy faces in righteousness (Ps. 17:15);
and in Matthew:
See that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you that their angels in the heavens do always behold the face of My Father who is in the heavens (Matt. 18:10);
“to behold the face of God” denotes to enjoy peace and good from mercy.
[5] But the opposite is “to conceal,” or “hide,” and also “to turn away the faces” which signifies not to be merciful; as in Isaiah:
In the overflowing of My anger I hid My faces from thee for a moment; but with mercy of eternity will I have mercy on thee (Isa. 54:8);
where the “overflowing of anger” denotes temptation, and because the Lord appears not to be merciful therein, it is said “I hid My faces from thee for a moment.” In Ezekiel:
I will turn away My faces from them (Ezek. 7:22).
In David:
How long wilt Thou forget me, O Jehovah? to eternity? How long wilt Thou hide Thy faces from me? (Ps. 13:1.)
In the same:
Hide not Thy faces from me; put not Thy servant away in anger (Ps. 27:9).
Again:
Wherefore Jehovah dost Thou forsake my soul? why hidest Thou Thy faces from me? (Ps. 88:14.)
And again:
Make haste, answer me, O Jehovah; my spirit is consumed. Hide not Thy faces from me, lest I become like them that go down into the pit. Cause me to hear Thy mercy in the morning (Ps. 143:7-8).
And in Moses:
My anger shall wax hot against this people in that day, so that I will forsake them; and I will hide My faces from them, whence it will be for consuming; I will surely hide My faces in that day for all the evil which they have done (Deut. 31:17-18);
[6] “the anger waxing hot” denotes a turning away (n. 5034); and “hiding the faces” denotes not being merciful. These things are predicated of Jehovah or the Lord, although He is never angry, and never turns away or hides His faces; but it is so said from the appearance with the man who is in evil; for the man who is in evil turns himself away, and hides from himself the Lord’s faces, that is, removes His mercy from himself. That it is the evils in man that do this, may also be seen from the Word, as in Micah:
Jehovah will hide His faces from them at that time, according as they have rendered their works evil (Micah 3:4).
In Ezekiel:
Because they trespassed against Me, therefore I hid My faces from them. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions did I with them; and I hid My faces from them (Ezek. 39:23-24).
And especially in Isaiah:
It is your iniquities that separate between you and your God, and your sins do hide His faces from you (Isa. 59:2).
From these and many other passages the internal sense is plain, which here and there stands forth, and is found by him who seeks it.

AC (Potts) n. 5586 5586. Except your brother be with you. That this signifies unless there is an intermediate for you, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, as being an intermediate (see n. 5411, 5413, 5443). The intermediate which Benjamin represents is the intermediate between the internal and the external, or between the spiritual and the natural man, and is the truth of good which proceeds from the truth from the Divine which is represented by Joseph. This truth of good is called the spiritual of the celestial, and that this is “Benjamin” may be seen above (n. 3969, 4592). Man’s internal and external are most distinct from each other, for his internal is in the light of heaven, and his external in the light of the world; and because they are most distinct, they cannot be conjoined except by means of an intermediate that partakes of both.

AC (Potts) n. 5587 5587. If thou wilt send our brother with us. That this signifies that if it is so done by the church that adjunction shall take place, there must be an intermediate, is evident from the representation of Israel, who was to send, as being the church (see n. 4286), and hence “if thou wilt send” denotes if it is so done by the church; and from the representation of Benjamin, who here is their “brother,” as being an intermediate (of which just above, n. 5586). From this it is plain that by “if thou wilt send our brother with us” is signified that if it is so done by the church that its external be adjoined to its internal, there must be an intermediate.

AC (Potts) n. 5588 5588. We will go down and buy thee food. That this signifies that then the good of truth will be procured, is evident from the signification of “buying,” as being to procure and appropriate, and from the signification of “food,” as being the good of truth (as may be seen above, n. 5582).

AC (Potts) n. 5589 5589. But if thou wilt not send him. That this signifies if not, that is, if it be not of the church that adjunction shall take place, is plain from what was said just above (n. 5587).

AC (Potts) n. 5590 5590. We will not go down. That this signifies that it cannot be procured, is evident from what was said just above (n. 5588).

AC (Potts) n. 5591 5591. For the man said unto us. That this signifies perception concerning the spiritual, is evident from the signification of the “man,” as being the spiritual from the internal (of which above, n. 5584); and from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception (of which often above).

AC (Potts) n. 5592 5592. Ye shall not see my faces. That this signifies that there will be no compassion, is evident from what was unfolded above (n. 5585), where the same words occur.

AC (Potts) n. 5593 5593. Except your brother be with you. That this signifies unless there is an intermediate for you, is evident from what was said above in regard to Benjamin, who is here the “brother,” that he is an intermediate (n. 5586, 5587).

AC (Potts) n. 5594 5594. Verses 6-10. And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye ill with me, to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? And they said, Asking the man asked unto us, and unto our birth, saying is your father yet alive? Have ye a brother? And we told him according to the mouth of these words. Knowing could we know that he would say, Bring your brother down? And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go; and we will live, and not die, both we and thou, and also our little ones. I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him; if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, and I shall sin to thee all the days; for except we had lingered, surely we had now returned these two times. “And Israel said,” signifies perception from spiritual good; “Wherefore dealt ye ill with me to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?” signifies that they separated from them the truth of good, to conjoin it with the spiritual from the internal; “and they said, Asking the man asked unto us,” signifies that it clearly perceived the things in the natural; “and unto our birth,” signifies concerning the truths of faith there; “saying, is your father yet alive?” signifies and concerning the spiritual good from which they were; “have ye a brother?” signifies concerning interior truth; “and we told him according to the mouth of these words,” signifies that he perceived them conformably; “knowing could we know that he would say, Bring your brother down?” signifies that we did not believe that he wished the truth of good to be conjoined with him; “and Judah said unto Israel his father,” signifies perception from the good of the church concerning those things; “Send the boy with me,” signifies that he should be adjoined to him; “and we will arise and go; and we will live, and not die,” signifies spiritual life according to degrees; “both we,” signifies the external of the church; “and thou,” signifies its internal; “and also our little ones,” signifies the things which are still more interior; “I will be surety for him,” signifies that in the meantime it will be adjoined to itself; “of my hand shalt thou require him,” signifies that it shall not be torn away insofar as lies in its power; “if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee,” signifies unless he is quite restored to the church; “and I shall sin to thee all the days,” signifies that the good of the church will no longer be; “for except we had lingered,” signifies tarrying in a state of doubt; “surely we had now returned these two times,” signifies that there would have been spiritual life both exterior and interior.

AC (Potts) n. 5595 5595. And Israel said. That this signifies perception from spiritual good, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being to perceive (of which above); and from the representation of Israel, as being spiritual good (see n. 3654, 4598); and because Israel is spiritual good, he is also the internal spiritual church (n. 3305, 4286), for this church is a church from spiritual good. Spiritual good is truth that has become good; for truth becomes good when the man lives according to it, for it then passes into the will, and from the will into act, and becomes of the life; and when it becomes of the life it is no longer called truth but good. But the will which transforms truth into good is the new will in the intellectual part; it is this good that is called spiritual good. Spiritual good is distinguished from celestial good in that celestial good is implanted in man’s will part itself; but this subject has often been treated of before.
[2] That Jacob is not now called “Jacob,” as in the previous chapter (Genesis 42:36), but “Israel,” is because good is the subject treated of in this chapter, and truth in the preceding; wherefore in that chapter Reuben was the one to speak, by whom is represented the truth of doctrine of the church (see n. 3861, 3866, 4731, 4734, 4761, 5542), while in this chapter it is Judah who speaks, by whom is represented the good of the church (n. 3654, 5583). That good is now treated of is because this time the conjunction between the internal, which is Joseph, and the external, which is the ten sons of Jacob, is effected by means of the intermediate which is Benjamin; and the conjunction of the internal with the external is effected by means of good.

AC (Potts) n. 5596 5596. Wherefore dealt ye ill with me, to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? That this signifies that they separated from them. the truth of good, to conjoin it with the spiritual from the internal, is evident from the signification of “dealing ill,” as being to separate, for it is their separating Benjamin from him that he calls “dealing ill;” and from the signification of “telling,” as being to give something for another to think and reflect upon (n. 2862, 5508), consequently to communicate (see n. 4856), thus also to conjoin; for when anything passes into the will of another, conjunction is effected by what is communicated, as when Joseph heard that Benjamin was still living and with his father, he wanted him to come to him, and then to be alone with him, conjoined with him, as is plain from the historicals that follow; and from the representation of Joseph, as being the Divine spiritual, and as being, when called “the man,” the spiritual from the internal (n. 5584); and from the representation of Benjamin, who is here their brother of whom they told, as being the truth of good (n. 5586). From all this it is plain that by “Wherefore dealt ye ill with me to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?” is signified that they separated from them the truth of good, to conjoin it with the spiritual from the internal.

AC (Potts) n. 5597 5597. And they said, Asking the man asked unto us. That this signifies that it clearly perceived the things in the natural, is evident from the signification of “asking,” as being to perceive another’s thought (of which in what follows); and from the representation of the ten sons of Jacob, who are here meant by “us,” as being the things of the church which are in the natural (see n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512). That by “asking” is meant perceiving another’s thought, is because in heaven there is a communication of all thoughts, so that no one has need to ask another what he is thinking. Hence it is that “asking” signifies perceiving another’s thought; for in the internal sense the quality of a thing on earth is its quality in heaven.

AC (Potts) n. 5598 5598. And unto our birth. That this signifies concerning the truths of faith there, is evident from the signification of “birth,” as being the birth of truth from good, or of faith from charity (see n. 1145, 1255, 4070, 4668). That “birth” in the internal sense denotes this is because in heaven no other birth is understood than that which is called regeneration, which is effected by means of the truth of faith and the good of charity. By this birth, from being sons of man men become sons of the Lord; these are they who are said to be “born of God” (John 1:13). According to the varieties of good from truth and of truth from good in this birth are the brotherhoods or relationships by blood and by marriage in heaven; for in heaven there are perpetual varieties, but the varieties are so disposed by the Lord as to represent families in which are brothers, sisters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandsons, granddaughters, and so on. In general, however, all are disposed in such a form that together they make a one, as is the case with the varieties in the human body, where no member is exactly like another, nor indeed any part in one member the same as another part, and yet all the various parts are disposed in such a form that they act as a one, and each concurs intimately or remotely with the action of every other. Such being the form in man, it may be inferred what the form in heaven must be, with which all the things in man have correspondence-that it must be most perfect.

AC (Potts) n. 5599 5599. Saying, Is your father yet alive? That this signifies and concerning the spiritual good from which they were, is evident from the representation of Israel, who is the “father” here, as being spiritual good (see n. 3654, 4598, 5595). It is said “from which they were” because from this good, as from a father, the truths of faith come down (n. 5598).

AC (Potts) n. 5600 5600. Have ye a brother? That this signifies concerning interior truth, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, as being the spiritual of the celestial, or what is the same, the truth of good, or interior truth. (That “Benjamin” is truth in which is good, or the spiritual of the celestial, may be seen above, n. 3969, 4592.) This interior truth is the intermediate between truth from the Divine and truth in the natural.

AC (Potts) n. 5601 5601. And we told him according to the mouth of these words. That this signifies that he perceived them conformably, is evident from the signification of “telling,” as being to perceive (see n. 3608), for in the spiritual world or in heaven they have no need to tell what they think, there being a communication of all thoughts (n. 5597), and therefore in the spiritual sense “telling” signifies perceiving; and from the signification of “according to these words,” as being conformably; for they are the things he desired to perceive.

AC (Potts) n. 5602 5602. Knowing could we know that he would say, Bring your brother down? That this signifies that we did not believe that he desired the truth of good to be conjoined with himself, is evident from the signification of “knowing could we know that he would say,” as being not to believe; and from the representation of Benjamin, who is here the “brother,” as being the truth of good (of which just above, n. 5600). That this was to be conjoined with him is signified by their “bringing him down,” as is plain from what was said above (n. 5596).

AC (Potts) n. 5603 5603. And Judah said unto Israel his father. That this signifies perception from the good of the church concerning these things, is evident from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being to perceive (of which often above); from the representation of Judah, as being the good of the church (see n. 5583); and from the representation of Israel, as being the internal spiritual church (n. 3305, 4286). From this it is plain that by “Judah’s saying to Israel his father” is signified the perception of the church from its good.

AC (Potts) n. 5604 5604. Send the boy with me. That this signifies that he should be adjoined to him, namely, to the good of the church which is represented by Judah, is evident from the signification of “sending with him,” as being to be adjoined to him, and not to the others; for it is said in what follows “I will be surety for him, of my hand shalt thou require him;” and from the representation of Benjamin, who is here the “boy,” as being interior truth (of which just above, n. 5600). This is called the “boy,” because that which is interior is in the Word called relatively a “boy,” for the reason that there is more innocence in the interior than in the exterior, and innocence is signified by an “infant,” and also by a “boy” (n. 5236).

AC (Potts) n. 5605 5605. And we will arise and go, and we will live, and not die. That this signifies spiritual life according to degrees, is evident from the signification of “arising,” as being elevation to higher or interior things, consequently to the things of spiritual life (see n. 2401, 2785, 2912, 2927, 3171, 4103, 4881); from the signification of “going,” as being to live (n. 3335, 3690, 4882, 5493), and as the words follow “and we will live,” “going” signifies the first spiritual life; from the signification of “living,” as being spiritual life, for no other life is meant in the internal sense of the Word; and from the signification of “not dying,” as being no longer to be damned, that is, to be out of a state of damnation, for in the internal sense of the Word no other than spiritual death is meant, which is damnation. From this it is plain that by “we will arise and go, and we will live and not die” is signified life according to degrees; namely, introduction into life by “arising,” the first of life by “going,” life itself by “living,” and being led out from the things of no life by “not dying.”
[2] That “to go” in the internal sense is to live, seems strange to him who knows nothing about spiritual life; but it is like “journeying,” which denotes the order of life and what is successive of life (n. 1293, 4375, 4554, 4585), and like “sojourning,” which denotes to be instructed and to live accordingly (n. 1463, 2025, 3672). The reason why “going,” “journeying,” and “sojourning” have these significations might indeed be told, but the reason is of such a nature as could scarcely be accepted by those who are ignorant of the nature of movements in the other life. Movements and progressions there are nothing else-because from no other source-than changes of the state of life. These changes appear in externals exactly like progressions from place to place. That this is so can be confirmed by much experience in the other life; for I have walked there in spirit with them and among them, through many of their abodes, and this though in body I remained in the same place. I have also talked with them as to how this could be, and have been informed that it is the changes of the state of life that make progressions in the spiritual world.
[3] This was also confirmed by the fact that by means of changes induced on their states, spirits can appear on high, and then in a moment beneath, or now far to the west, and in a moment to the east, and so on. But as before said this cannot but seem strange to him who knows nothing about life in the spiritual world; for there are no spaces or times there, but states of life instead. These states produce in externals a most living appearance of progressions and motions. The appearance is as living and real as that life itself is in us and therefore our own, when yet life flows in from the Lord, who is the fountain of all life (see n. 2021, 2658, 2706, 2886-2888, 3001, 3318, 3337-3338, 3484, 3619, 3741-3743, 4151, 4249, 4318-4320, 4417, 4523, 4524, 4882). As “going” and “moving” signify living, it was therefore said by the ancients, that “in God we move, live, and have our being” [Acts 17:28]; and by “moving” they meant the external of life, by “living” its internal, and by “being” its inmost.

AC (Potts) n. 5606 5606. Both we. That this signifies the external of the church, is manifest from the representation of the ten sons of Jacob, who here are “we,” as being the external of the church (see n. 5469).

AC (Potts) n. 5607 5607. And thou. That this signifies its internal, is evident from the representation of Israel, who here is “thou,” as being the internal of the church (see n. 4286, 4292, 4570).

AC (Potts) n. 5608 5608. And also our little ones. That this signifies the things still more interior, is evident from the signification of “little ones,” as being the things which are interior (see n. 5604). That more interior things are signified by “little children” and by “boys,” is because innocence is signified by both, and innocence is what is inmost. In the heavens the inmost or third heaven consists of those who are in innocence, for they are in love to the Lord; and because the Lord is innocence itself, therefore they who are there, being in love to Him, are in innocence. These, although they are the wisest of all in the heavens, yet appear to others like little children. It is for this reason, and also because little children are in innocence, that by “little children” in the Word is signified innocence.
[2] As the inmost of the heavens is innocence, therefore that which is interior with all in the heavens must be innocence. This is like successive things in relation to those which exist together, or like the things which are distinct from one another by degrees in relation to those which exist from them; for all that which exists simultaneously, springs from that which is successive. When the former exists from the latter, the parts place themselves in the same order as that in which they had before been distinguished by degrees; as, by way of illustration, end, cause, and effect are in succession and distinct from one another; and when they exist together they place themselves in the same order, the end as inmost, the cause next, and the effect last. The effect is coexisting, and is such that unless there is in it a cause, and in the cause an end, there is no effect, because if from the effect you remove the cause you destroy the effect, and still more if from the cause you remove the end; for from the end the cause has what makes it a cause, and from the cause the effect has what makes it an effect.
[3] So also it is in the spiritual world: just as the end, cause, and effect are distinct from one another, so in the spiritual world are love to the Lord, charity toward the neighbor, and the works of charity. When these three become one or exist together, the first must be in the second, and the second in the third. And also as in the works of charity: unless charity from affection or the heart is within them, they are not works of charity; and unless love to God is within charity, it is not charity. Therefore if you take away that which is interior, the exterior falls; for the exterior comes into existence and subsists from its interiors in order. So is it with innocence. This makes one with love to the Lord, and unless it is within charity it is not charity; consequently unless charity in which there is innocence is within the works of charity they are not works of charity. Hence it is that innocence must be within all who are in the heavens.
[4] That this is so, and that innocence is signified by “little children,” is evident in Mark:
Jesus said to the disciples, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And taking them up in His arms, he put His hand upon them, and blessed them (Mark 10:14-16; Luke 18:15-17; Matt. 18:3).
It is evident that by “little children” is here signified innocence, because with little children there is innocence, and because those who are innocent appear in heaven as little children.
[5] No one can enter heaven unless he has somewhat of innocence (see n. 4797); and moreover little children suffer themselves to be governed by angels who are forms of innocence, and not as yet by what is their own, as is the case with adults who govern themselves by their own judgment and will. That little children suffer themselves to be governed by angels is evident from the Lord’s words in Matthew:
See that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say to you, that their angels in the heavens do always behold the face of My Father (Matt. 18:10);
no one can “see the face” of God except from innocence.
[6] In the following passages also innocence is signified by “infants” or “little children.” In Matthew:
Out of the mouth of babes and suckling, Thou hast perfected praise (Matt. 21:16; Ps. 8:2).
Again,
Thou hast hid these things from the wise and the intelligent, and hast revealed them unto babes (Matt. 11:25; Luke 10:21);
for innocence, which is signified by “babes,” is wisdom itself, because genuine innocence dwells in wisdom (n. 2305-2306, 4797). For this reason it is said, “out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise,” and also that such things have been “revealed unto babes.”
[7] In Isaiah:
The cow and the bear shall feed, their young ones shall lie down together, and the suckling shall play on the hole of the viper (Isa. 11:7-8);
speaking of the Lord’s kingdom, and specifically of the state of peace or innocence therein. A “suckling” denotes innocence; that nothing of evil can befall those who are in innocence is signified by a “suckling playing on the hole of a viper”; “vipers” are they who are most crafty. This chapter plainly relates to the Lord. In Joel:
Sound the trumpet in Zion, gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the babes and those that suck the breasts (Joel 2:15-16);
“elders” denotes the wise; “babes and those that suck the breasts,” the innocent.
[8] In the following passages also by “infants” is meant innocence, but in these that it was destroyed. In Jeremiah:
Wherefore commit ye great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, infant and suckling, out of the midst of Judah, so that I shall leave you no remains? (Jer. 44:7).
Again:
Lift up thy hands to Him upon the soul of thy little children, that faint for hunger in the head of all the streets (Lam. 2:19).
In Ezekiel:
Pass through Jerusalem, and smite, let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity, the old man, the young man, and the maiden, and the little child (Ezek. 9:5-6).
In Micah:
The women of My people ye drive out of everyone’s house of delights, from the babes thereof they take away Mine honor forever (Micah 2:9).
[9] As regards the innocence of little children however, it is only external and not internal; and because it is not internal it cannot be conjoined with any wisdom. But the innocence of the angels, especially those of the third heaven, is internal innocence, and thus conjoined with wisdom (n. 2305, 2306, 3494, 4563, 4797). Man is so created that when he grows old and becomes like a little child, the innocence of wisdom conjoins itself with the innocence of ignorance which he had in infancy, and so he passes into the other life as a true infant.

AC (Potts) n. 5609 5609. And I wilt be surety for him. That this signifies that in the meantime it will be adjoined to itself, is evident from the signification of “being surety for” anyone, as being to be instead of him, as is plain from what now follows, especially from what Judah said to Joseph about his being surety (Gen. 44:32-33); and as to be surety for anyone denotes to be instead of him, it also denotes that while in the way it is adjoined to itself.

AC (Potts) n. 5610 5610. Of my hand shalt thou require him. That this signifies that it shall not be torn away insofar as lies in its power, is evident from the signification of the “hand,” as being power (see n. 878, 3387, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328, 5544), and that it denotes insofar as lies in its power, is because surety or guarantee goes no further (the internal sense here sets forth the truth and the nature of it); and from the signification of “requiring him from him,” as being not to be torn away; for one who is required of another must be adjoined to him and not be torn from him.

AC (Potts) n. 5611 5611. If I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee. That this signifies unless he is quite restored to the church, is evident from the signification of “bringing to him and setting before him,” as being to completely restore; and from the representation of Israel, to whom he was to be restored, as being the church (see n. 3305, 4286, 5595).

AC (Potts) n. 5612 5612. And I shall sin to thee all the days. That this signifies that the good of the church will no longer be, is evident from the representation of Judah, who says this of himself, as being the good of the church (see n. 5583, 5603); and from the signification of “sinning,” as being disjunction (see n. 5229, 5474), thus that it will not be, for anything that is disjoined from another is not with it any longer; and from the signification of “all the days,” as being forever, thus no longer. These things are said because the good of the church is impossible without the intermediate between the internal and the external which is represented by Benjamin; for both the good and the truth of the church flow from the internal through the intermediate into the external, and consequently in the degree that it is important to have the good of the church, in the same degree it is important to have the intermediate. It is for this reason that Judah makes himself surety for Benjamin. That the good of the church is not possible without the intermediate, is signified by these words of Judah, and that the truth of the church is not possible, by Reuben’s words (n. 5542).

AC (Potts) n. 5613 5613. For except we had lingered. That this signifies tarrying in a state of doubt, is evident from the signification of “lingering,” as being a state of doubt; for as “going,” “advancing,” “journeying,” and “sojourning” signify states of life (see n. 5605), so “lingering” signifies a state of doubt, because when the state of life is in a state of doubt, then the external is in a state of lingering. Moreover, this is to be seen in man himself; for when his mind hangs in any doubt, he halts and deliberates. The reason is that doubt makes the state of life hesitating and wavering, and consequently the outward progression, which is the effect. Hence it is plain that tarrying in a state of doubt is signified by “except we had lingered.”

AC (Potts) n. 5614 5614. Surely we had now returned these two times. That this signifies that there would have been spiritual life both exterior and interior, is evident from the signification of “going,” as being to live (of which above, n. 5605); and therefore “returning” is living therefrom, for they went thither to procure corn, and by “corn” is signified the good of truth from which is spiritual life; and from the signification of “these two times,” which, as it relates to life, denotes life exterior and interior, for by the “produce” they got the first time was signified life that is exterior or in the natural, for the reason that they were without an intermediate (as explained in the preceding chapter); while by the “corn” they get this time is signified interior life, because they were now with Benjamin, who is the intermediate, as explained in this and in the following chapter. Hence it is that by “surely we had now returned these two times,” is signified spiritual life both exterior and interior.
[2] That this is the signification cannot but seem strange, especially to one who knows nothing about what is spiritual; for it seems as if “returning these two times” has nothing in common with the spiritual life that is signified; but still this is the internal sense of the words. If you will believe it, the interior thought itself of the man who is in good apprehends this, because this thought is in the internal sense, although while in the body the man is deeply ignorant of it; for unknown to him the internal sense, that is, the spiritual sense, which is of the interior thought, falls into material and sensuous ideas that partake of time and space and of such things as are in the world, and therefore it does not appear that his interior thought is of such a nature; for his interior thought is like that of the angels, his spirit being in company with them.
[3] That the thought of the man who is in good is according to the internal sense, may be seen from the fact that when after death he comes into heaven, he at once without any information is in the internal sense, and this could not be unless as to his interior thought he had been in this sense while in the world. The reason of his being in this internal sense is that there is a correspondence between spiritual and natural things so complete that there is not the smallest thing that has not its correspondence; and therefore because the interior or rational mind of the man who is in good is in the spiritual world, and his exterior or natural mind in the natural world, it must needs be that both minds think (the interior mind spiritually, and the exterior naturally), and that the spiritual falls into the natural, and they act as a one by correspondence. [4] That man’s interior mind, the ideas of thought of which are called intellectual and are said to be immaterial, does not think from the words of any language, nor consequently from natural forms, can be seen by him who is able to reflect on these things, for he can think in a moment what he can scarcely utter in an hour, and he does so by universals which comprise in them very many particulars. These ideas of thought are spiritual, and when the Word is being read are no other than as the internal sense is; although the man does not know this, because as before said these spiritual ideas, by influx into what is natural, present natural ideas, so that the spiritual ideas do not appear; insomuch that unless he has been instructed the man believes that there is no spiritual unless it is like the natural, and even that he does not think otherwise in spirit than as he speaks in the body. In such a manner does the natural cast a shade over the spiritual.

AC (Potts) n. 5615 5615. Verses 11-14. And their father Israel said unto them, If therefore this be so, do this; take of the song of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little resin and a little honey, wax and stacte, terebinth* nuts and almonds; and take double silver in your hand; and the silver that was returned in the mouth of your bags carry back in your hand; peradventure it was an error; and take your brother, and arise, and return unto the man; and God Shaddai give you mercies before the man, and send you your other brother and Benjamin. And I, as I have been bereaved I shall be bereaved. “And their father Israel said unto them,” signifies perception from spiritual good; “If therefore this be so, do this,” signifies if it cannot be done otherwise, so let it be done; “take of the song of the land in your vessels,” signifies the choice things of the church in the truths of faith; “and carry down the man a present,” signifies to obtain favor; “a little resin and a little honey,” signifies the truths of good of the exterior natural, and its delight; “wax and stacte,” signifies the truths of good of the interior natural; “terebinth* nuts and almonds,” signifies goods of life corresponding to these truths; “and take double silver in your hands,” signifies truth received in the abilities; “and the silver that was returned in the mouth of your bags carry back in your hand,” signifies that by truth gratuitously given in the exterior natural they were to submit themselves as far as possible; “peradventure it was an error,” signifies lest he be adverse; “and take your brother,” signifies that thus they would have the good of faith; “and arise, and return unto the man,” signifies life from spiritual truth; “and God Shaddai,” signifies consolation after hardships; “give you mercies before the man,” signifies may spiritual truth receive you graciously; “and send you your other brother,” signifies may it give the good of faith; “and Benjamin,” signifies and also interior truth; “and I, as I have been bereaved I shall be bereaved,” signifies that the church, before these things are done, will be as if deprived of its truths.
* pistachio

AC (Potts) n. 5616 5616. And their father Israel said unto them. That this signifies perception from spiritual good, is evident from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception; and from the representation of Israel, as being spiritual good (of which above, n. 5595). He is called “father” because the truths that his sons represent are from this good as from a father.

AC (Potts) n. 5617 5617. If therefore this be so, do this. That this signifies that if it cannot be done otherwise so let it be done, is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5618 5618. Take of the song of the land in your vessels. That this signifies the choice things of the church in the truths of faith, is evident from the signification of the “song,” as being the choice things (of which in what follows); and from the signification of the “land,” as being the church (of which above, n. 5577); and from the signification of “vessels,” as being the truths of faith (n. 3068, 3079, 3316, 3318). The word “song” is used because this word in the original tongue is derived from singing; hence the “song of the land” signifies productions hailed with songs and praises, consequently in the internal sense choice things.

AC (Potts) n. 5619 5619. And carry down the man a present. That this signifies obtaining favor, is evident from the signification of “offering a present to the man,” here to Joseph, who is called the “lord of the land,” as being to obtain favor. It was customary in the Ancient representative Church, and thence in the Jewish, to give some present to judges, and at a later period to kings and priests, when they were approached; moreover, this was commanded. The reason was that the presents they gave them represented such things in man as ought to be offered to the Lord when He is approached, which are things that are from freedom, consequently from the man himself; for his freedom is what is from the heart, and what is from the heart is from the will, and what is from the will is from the affection which is of the love, and what is from the affection which is of the love is free, thus of the man himself (see n. 1947, 2870-2893, 3158). From this it is that a present should be given by man to the Lord on approaching Him. It was this present that was represented; for kings represented the Lord as to Divine truth (n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4581, 4966, 5044), and priests as to Divine good (n. 1728, 2015, 3670). That these presents were initiations, see n. 4262; and initiations are for obtaining favor.

AC (Potts) n. 5620 5620. A little resin and a little honey. That this signifies the truths of good of the exterior natural and its delight, is evident from the signification of “resin,” as being the truth of good or truth from good (see n. 4748). The reason why “resin” has this signification is that it ranks among unguents, and also among aromatics. “Aromatics” signify such things as are of truth from good, especially if they are of an unctuous nature, and so partake of oil; for “oil” signifies good (n. 886, 3728, 4582). That this resin was aromatic, may be seen in Gen. 37:25; and for this reason also the same word in the original means balsam. That it was like an ointment or thick oil, is evident. This then is the reason why by “resin” is signified the truth of good which is in the natural, here in the exterior, because “resin” is put first and joined with “honey,” which is the delight therein. That “honey” denotes delight is because it is sweet, and everything sweet in the natural world corresponds to what is delightful and pleasant in the spiritual world. The reason why it is called its delight, that is, the delight of truth from good in the exterior natural, is that every truth and especially every truth of good has its own delight; but a delight from the affection of these, and from the derivative use.
[2] That “honey” is delight is evident also from other passages in the Word, as in Isaiah:
A virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel [God with us]. Butter and honey shall He eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good (Isa. 7:14-15);
speaking of the Lord; “butter” denotes the celestial; “honey,” that which is from the celestial.
[3] In the same:
It shall come to pass for the multitude of milk that they shall yield, he shall eat butter; and butter and honey shall everyone eat that is left in the midst of the land (Isa. 7:22);
speaking of the Lord’s kingdom; “milk” denotes spiritual good; “butter,” celestial good; and “honey,” that which is from them, thus what is happy, pleasant, and delightful.
[4] In Ezekiel:
Thus wast thou adorned with gold and silver; and thy garments were of fine linen and silk and broidered work. Thou didst eat fine flour and honey and oil; so thou becamest beautiful very exceedingly, and thou didst prosper even unto a kingdom. With fine flour and oil and honey I fed thee; but thou didst set it before them for an odor of rest (Ezek. 16:13, 19);
speaking of Jerusalem, by which is meant the spiritual church, the quality of which is described as it was with the ancients, and as it afterward became. Her being “adorned with gold and silver” denotes with celestial and spiritual good and truth; her “garments of fine linen, silk, and broidered work” denotes truths in the rational and in each natural; “fine flour” denotes the spiritual; “honey,” its pleasantness; and “oil,” its good. That such things as belong to heaven are signified by these particulars can be seen by anyone.
[5] In the same:
Judah and the land of Israel were thy traders, in wheat of Minnith, and pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm (Ezek. 27:17);
speaking of Tyre, by which is signified the spiritual church such as it was in the beginning and such as it afterward became, but in respect to the knowledges of good and truth (n. 1201). “Honey” here also denotes the pleasantness and delight from the affections of knowing and learning celestial and spiritual goods and truths.
[6] In Moses:
Thou makest him ride on the high places of the earth, and he eats the produce of the fields. He maketh him suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flint of the rock (Deut. 32:13);
here also treating of the Ancient spiritual Church; “to suck honey out of the rock” denotes delight from truths of memory-knowledge.
[7] In David:
I feed them with the fat of wheat, and with honey out of the rock I sate them (Ps. 81:16);
“to sate with honey out of the rock” denotes to fill with delight from the truths of faith.
[8] In Deuteronomy:
Jehovah bringeth me unto a good land, a land of rivers of water, of fountains and of deeps that go out from the valley, and from the mountain; a land of wheat and barley, and of vine and of fig and of pomegranate; a land of oil olive and of honey (Deut. 8:7-8);
speaking of the land of Canaan; in the internal sense, of the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens. A “land of oil olive and of honey” denotes spiritual good and its pleasantness.
[9] Hence also the land of Canaan was called:
A land flowing with milk and honey (Num. 13:27; 14:8; Deut. 26:9, 15; 27:3; Jer. 11:5; 32:22; Ezek. 20:6).
In the internal sense of these passages by the “land of Canaan” is meant, as before said, the Lord’s kingdom; “flowing with milk” denotes an abundance of celestial spiritual things; and “with honey,” an abundance of derivative happiness and delights.
[10] In David:
The judgments of Jehovah are truth, righteous are they together; more to be desired are they than gold and much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the dropping of the honeycombs (Ps. 19:9-10);
the “judgments of Jehovah” denote truth Divine; “sweeter than honey and the dropping of the honeycombs” denotes delights from good and pleasantnesses from truth. Again:
Sweet are Thy words to my palate, sweeter than honey to my mouth (Ps. 119:103);
where the meaning is similar.
[11] The manna that Jacob’s posterity had for bread in the wilderness is thus described in Moses:
The manna was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like a cake kneaded with honey (Exod. 16:31);
as the manna signified the truth Divine that descends through heaven from the Lord, it consequently signified the Lord Himself as to the Divine Human, as He Himself teaches in John 6:51, 58; for it is the Lord’s Divine Human from which all truth Divine comes, yea, of which all truth Divine treats; and this being so, the manna is described in respect to delight and pleasantness by the taste, that it was “like a cake kneaded with honey.” (That the taste denotes the delight of good and the pleasantness of truth may be seen above, n. 3502.)
[12] As John the Baptist represented the Lord as to the Word, which is the Divine truth on earth, in like manner as Elijah (n. 2762, 5247), he was therefore the “Elijah who was to come” before the Lord (Mal. 4:5; Matt. 17:10-12; Mark 9:11-13; Luke 1:17); wherefore his clothing and food were significative, of which we read in Matthew:
John had his clothing of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loin; and his meat was locusts and wild honey (Matt. 3:4; Mark 1:6).
The “clothing of camel’s hair” signified that the Word, such as is its literal sense as to truth (which sense is a clothing for the internal sense), is natural; for what is natural is signified by “hair,” and also by “camels;” and the “meat being of locusts and wild honey” signified the Word such as is its literal sense as to good; the delight of this is signified by “wild honey.”
[13] The delight of truth Divine in respect to the external sense is also described by “honey” in Ezekiel:
He said unto me, Son of man, feed thy belly and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. And when I ate it, it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness (Ezek. 3:3).
And in John:
The angel said unto me, Take the little book and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. So I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey; but when I had eaten it my belly was made bitter. Then he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again over many peoples and nations and tongues and kings (Rev. 10:9-11).
The “roll” in Ezekiel, and the “little book” in John, denote truth Divine. That in the external form this appears delightful, is signified by the flavor being “sweet as honey;” for truth Divine, like the Word, is delightful in the external form or in the literal sense because this admits of being unfolded by interpretations in everyone’s favor. But not so the internal sense, which is therefore signified by the “bitter” taste; for this sense discloses man’s interiors. The reason why the external sense is delightful, is as before said that the things in it can be unfolded favorably; for they are only general truths, and general truths are susceptible of this before they are qualified by particulars, and these by singulars. It is delightful also because it is natural, and what is spiritual conceals itself within. Moreover, it must be delightful in order that man may receive it, that is, be introduced into it, and not be deterred at the very threshold.
[14] The “honeycomb and broiled fish” that the Lord ate with the disciples after His resurrection, also signified the external sense of the Word (the “fish” as to its truth and the “honeycomb” as to its pleasantness), in regard to which we read in Luke:
Jesus said, Have ye here anything to eat? They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and of a honeycomb, and He took them and did eat before them (Luke 24:41-43).
And because these things are signified, the Lord therefore said to them:
These are the words which I spoke unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me (Luke 24:44).
It appears as if such things were not signified, because their having a piece of broiled fish and a honeycomb seems as if fortuitous; nevertheless it was of providence, and not only this, but also all other, even the least, of the things that occur in the Word. As such things were signified, therefore the Lord said of the Word that in it were written the things concerning Himself. Yet the things written of the Lord in the literal sense of the Old Testament are few; but those in its internal sense are all so written, for from this is the holiness of the Word. This is what is meant by His saying that “all things must be fulfilled which are written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Him.”
[15] From all this it may now be seen that by “honey” is signified the delight that is from good and truth, or from the affection of them, and that there is specifically signified external delight, thus the delight of the exterior natural. As this delight is of such a nature as to be from the world through the things of the senses, and thereby contains within it many things from the love of the world, the use of honey in the meat-offerings was therefore forbidden, as in Leviticus:
No meat-offering which ye shall bring unto Jehovah shall be made with leaven; for there shall be no leaven, nor any honey, from what ye burn with fire to Jehovah (Lev. 2:11);
where “honey” denotes such external delight, which, because it contains in it what partakes of the love of the world, was also like leaven, and was on this account forbidden. (What “leaven” or “leavened” means may be seen above, n. 2342.)

AC (Potts) n. 5621 5621. Wax and stacte. That this signifies the truths of good of the interior natural, is evident from the signification of “wax,” here aromatic wax, as being the truth of good (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “stacte,” as also being truth from good (see n. 4748). Their being of the interior natural is because these spices are purer than resin and honey, and are therefore mentioned in the second place; for such particulars are enumerated in the Word in accordance with the order. By “wax” here is not meant common, but aromatic wax, such as storax. This wax is signified by the term used in the original language, and spice also by the same. Hence it is plain why this aromatic wax signifies the truth of good; for all spices, being sweet-scented, in the internal sense signify the truths which are from good. This may be seen from the fact that truths from good are perceived in heaven pleasantly, like sweet-scented things in the world; and therefore when the perceptions of the angels are turned into odors, as of the Lord’s good pleasure often happens, they are then smelt as fragrances from spices and from flowers. This is the reason why frankincense and incense were compounded of materials of grateful odor, and were employed for a holy use; and also why aromatics were mixed with the anointing oil. One who does not know that such things derive their cause from things perceived in heaven, may be of the opinion that they were commanded merely to render outward worship grateful; but in that case there would be in them nothing of heaven, or nothing holy, and consequently such matters of worship would not have anything Divine in them. (See what has already been shown on this subject; that frankincense and incense, and also the fragrant substances used in the anointing oil, were representative of spiritual and celestial things, n. 4748; and that the spheres of faith and love are turned into grateful odors, and therefore grateful and sweet-scented and also spicy odors signify truths of faith which are from the good of love, n. 1514, 1517-1519, 4628.)

AC (Potts) n. 5622 5622. Terebinth* nuts and almonds. That this signifies goods of life corresponding to these truths, is evident from the signification of “terebinth* nuts,” as being goods of life corresponding to the truths of good of the exterior natural which are signified by “resin” (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “almonds,” as being goods of life corresponding to the truths of good of the interior natural which are signified by “aromatic wax and stacte.” That these “nuts” have this signification is because they are fruits, and “fruits” in the Word signify works; the fruits of useful trees good works, or what is the same, goods of the life, for in respect to use the goods of life are good works. That “terebinth* nuts” signify goods of life corresponding to truths of good of the exterior natural, is because they are of a less noble tree; and things that are exterior are signified by such objects as are less noble. The reason is, that in themselves exterior things are grosser than interior; for they are generals composed of very many interior things.
[2] That “almonds” signify goods of life corresponding to the truths of good of the interior natural, is because the almond is a nobler tree. This tree itself signifies in the spiritual sense a perception of interior truth which is from good, its “blossom” interior truth which is from good, and its “fruit” good of life thence derived. In this sense the “almond tree” is spoken of in Jeremiah:
The word of Jehovah came to pass, saying, Jeremiah what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. Then said Jehovah unto me, Thou hast well seen; for I wake over My word to do it (Jer. 1:11-12);
a “rod” denotes power; “almond tree,” the perception of interior truth; here, being predicated of Jehovah, it denotes waking over it; “word” denotes truth.
[3] By the “almonds which budded from the rod of Aaron for the tribe of Levi,” are also signified goods of charity or goods of life, of which we read in Moses:
It came to pass on the morrow, when Moses entered into the tent of meeting, behold the rod of Aaron for the tribe of Levi had blossomed and brought forth blossom, so that the flower flowered, and bare almonds (Num. 17:8).
This was a sign that this tribe was chosen for the priesthood; for by the “the tribe of Levi” was signified charity (see n. 3875, 3877, 4497, 4502, 4503), which is the essential of the spiritual church.
* pistachio

AC (Potts) n. 5623 5623. And take double silver in your hands. That this signifies truth received in the abilities, is evident from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (see n. 1551, 2954); and from the signification of “double,” as being again in succession (see n. 1335), namely truth which was gratuitously bestowed on them, and which was to be bestowed on them again; and from the signification of “hands,” as being abilities (n. 878, 3387, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328). Truth in the abilities means in the capacities for receiving it, thus according to the capacities. But the capacities or abilities for receiving truth are wholly according to good, because the Lord adjoins them to good; for when the Lord flows in with good He also flows in with capacity. Hence truth received in the abilities means according to goods. That the capacities for receiving truth are according to good is evident from much experience in the other life. They who are in good there have the capacity not only for perceiving truth, but also for receiving it, yet according to the amount and quality of the good in which they are. But they who are in evil have on the other hand no capacity for receiving truth. This comes from pleasure and consequent desire. They who are in good have pleasure in perfecting good by means of truth, because good takes its quality from truths; and therefore they desire truths. But they who are in evil have pleasure in evil, and in confirming it by falsities, and therefore they desire falsities; and because they desire falsities they are averse to truths. For this reason they have no capacity for receiving truths, for they reject or stifle or pervert them as soon as they reach the ear or occur to the thought. Besides, every man who is of sound mind has a capacity for receiving truths; but they extinguish this capacity who turn to evil, and they exalt it who turn to good.

AC (Potts) n. 5624 5624. And the silver that was returned in the mouth of your bags carry back in your hand. That this signifies that by means of the truth given gratuitously in the exterior natural they were to submit themselves as far as possible, is evident from the signification of the “silver returned,” as being truth given gratuitously (see n. 5530); from the signification of “in the mouth of their bags,” as being in the threshold of the exterior natural (see n. 5497); and from the signification of “in the hand,” as being in the ability (of which just above, see n. 5623), thus as far as possible. Their submitting themselves by means of this truth is signified by their “carrying it back;” for in the spiritual world to carry back truth to the Lord, from whom it has been received gratuitously, is to submit one’s self by means of it. But the manner in which they submitted themselves by its means is plain from the conversation with the man who was over Joseph’s house (verses 18-24).

AC (Potts) n. 5625 5625. Peradventure it was an error. That this signifies lest he be adverse, is evident from the signification of an “error,” as being what is adverse, for the error here meant is as if they had forgotten to pay the silver and so were taking it back, everyone in his own sack; for which reason he might possibly be adverse to them, as they also believed; for they were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and said, “Upon the word of the silver that was returned in our bags in the beginning are we brought, to roll down upon us, and to throw himself upon us, and to take us for servants, and our asses” (verse 18). Moreover “sin” signifies disjunction and aversion (n. 5229, 5474); and so does “error” if there is sin in it, but in a less degree; wherefore it is said “lest he be adverse.”

AC (Potts) n. 5626 5626. And take your brother. That this signifies that in this way they would have the good of faith, is evident from the representation of Simeon, who is here the “brother” whom they were to take, as being faith in the will (n. 3869-3872, 4497, 4502, 4503, 5482), thus the good of faith, because when the truth of faith passes into the will it becomes the good of faith; for the truth then passes into the man’s life, and when it is there it is regarded not as something to be known, but as something to be done; consequently it changes its essence and becomes actual. Hence it is no longer called truth, but good.

AC (Potts) n. 5627 5627. And arise, return unto the man. That this signifies life from spiritual truth, is evident from the signification of “arising,” as being elevation to things interior, consequently to spiritual things (see n. 2401, 2785, 2912, 2927, 3171, 4103, 4881); from the signification of “returning,” as being the consequent life (of which above, n. 5614); and from the representation of Joseph, when called “the man,” as being spiritual truth (n. 5584).

AC (Potts) n. 5628 5628. And God Shaddai. That this signifies consolation after hardships, is evident from the signification of “Shaddai,” as being temptation and consolation after it (n. 1992, 4572); here therefore consolation after the hardships they had suffered in Egypt. That it is consolation after hardships is plain also from the words that follow in continuance-“give you mercies before the man.” That “Shaddai” signifies temptation and consolation after it, is because the ancients designated the One Only God by various names, according to the various things that were from Him; and as they believed that temptations were from Him, they then called God “Shaddai,” and by this name they did not mean another God, but the Only One in respect to temptations. But when the Ancient Church declined, they began to worship as many gods as there were names for the One Only God, and also of themselves added to them many more. This practice at last became so prevalent that every family had its own god, and they wholly distinguished him from the rest who were worshiped by other families.
[2] Terah’s family, of which was Abraham, worshiped Shaddai for its god (see n. 1356, 1992, 2559, 3667); and hence not only Abraham, but Jacob also, acknowledged Shaddai as his god, even in the land of Canaan; and this was permitted them lest they should be forced from their own religiosity; for no one is forced from what he regards as holy. But as the ancients understood by “Shaddai” Jehovah Himself, or the Lord, who was so styled when they underwent temptations, therefore Jehovah or the Lord regained this name with Abraham, as is plain from Gen. 17:1, and also with Jacob, Gen. 35:11. The reason why not merely temptation, but consolation also, is signified by “Shaddai,” is that consolation follows all spiritual temptations. This has been given me to know by experience in the other life; for when anyone there suffers hard things from evil spirits, through infestations, incitements to evils, and persuasions to falsities, after the evil spirits have been removed, he is received by angels, and is brought into a state of comfort by means of a delight conformable to his genius.

AC (Potts) n. 5629 5629. Give you mercies before the man. That this signifies, may spiritual truth receive you graciously, is evident from the signification of “giving mercies,” as being to receive graciously; and from the representation of Joseph, as being when called “the man,” spiritual truth (as above, n. 5627).

AC (Potts) n. 5630 5630. And send you your other brother. That this signifies, may it give the good of faith, is evident from the representation of Simeon, who is here the “other brother,” as being the good of faith (as above, n. 5626). That “sending” denotes to give is because “sending” is used in reference to the person, and “giving” in reference to the thing signified by the person.

AC (Potts) n. 5631 5631. And Benjamin. That this signifies, and also interior truth, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, as being interior truth (of which above, n. 5600).

AC (Potts) n. 5632 5632. And I, as I had been bereaved, I shall be bereaved. That this signifies that before these things are done the church will be deprived of its truths, is evident from the representation of Israel, who says this of himself, as being the church (see n. 3305, 4286); and from the signification of “being bereaved” as being to be deprived of the truths of the church (see n. 5536). That this is so before these things are done is plain, for if there is no good of faith which is represented by Simeon (n. 5630), and no interior truth, which is the intermediate represented by Benjamin, the church has not any truth, except such as is on the lips merely, and not in the heart.

AC (Potts) n. 5633 5633. Verses 15-17. And the men took this present, and they took double silver in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. And Joseph saw Benjamin with them, and he said to him that was over his house, Bring the men to the house, and slaying slay, and make ready; for the men shall eat with me at noon. And the man did as Joseph said; and the man brought the men to Joseph’s house. “And the men took this present,” signifies that truths had with them the means for obtaining favor; “and they took double silver in their hand,” signifies also truth received in the ability; “and Benjamin,” signifies and the intermediate also; “and rose up and went down to Egypt,” signifies elevation to life to be gained by them from the interior things of memory-knowledges; “and stood before Joseph,” signifies the presence of the celestial of the spiritual there; “and Joseph saw Benjamin with them,” signifies the perception by the celestial of the spiritual of a spiritual intermediate with truths; “and he said to him that was over his house,” signifies to that which is of the external church; “Bring the men to the house,” signifies that the truths in the natural were to be introduced thither; “and slaying slay and make ready,” signifies through the goods of the exterior natural; “for the men shall eat with me at noon,” signifies that they will be conjoined when with the intermediate; “and the man did as Joseph said,” signifies bringing it about; “and the man brought the men to Joseph’s house,” signifies first introduction into the good which is from the celestial of the spiritual.

AC (Potts) n. 5634 5634. And the men took this present. That this signifies that truths had with them the means for obtaining favor, is evident from the signification of “men,” as being truths (n. 3134); and from the signification of a “present,” which was given on approaching kings and priests, as being something to obtain favor (n. 5619).

AC (Potts) n. 5635 5635. And they took double silver in their hand. That this signifies also truth received in the ability, is evident from what was said above (n. 5623), where the same words occur. It may also be seen there what is meant by truth received in the ability.

AC (Potts) n. 5636 5636. And Benjamin. That this signifies and the intermediate also, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, as being the intermediate (see n. 5411, 5413, 5443).

AC (Potts) n. 5637 5637. And rose up, and went down to Egypt. That this signifies elevation to life to be gained by them from the interior things of memory-knowledges is evident from the signification of “rising up,” as being elevation to the things of spiritual life (see n. 2401, 2785, 2912, 2927, 3171, 4103, 4881); and from the signification of “going down,” as being to life to be gained by them, for “going down” here involves the same as was meant before by the words, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, and we will live, and not die” (verse 8), by which is signified spiritual life according to degrees (n. 5605); and from the signification of “Egypt,” as being memory-knowledges (n. 1164-1165, 1186, 1462, 4749, 4964, 4966), here the interior things of memory-knowledges, because the celestial of the spiritual which is represented by Joseph was there; wherefore it is presently said that they “stood before Joseph.” The interior things of memory-knowledges are spiritual things in the natural mind, and spiritual things are there when the memory-knowledges there are enlightened by the light of heaven, and they are so enlightened when the man has faith in the doctrinal things that are from the Word, and he has this faith when he is in the good of charity; for then truths and thereby memory-knowledges are enlightened by the good of charity as by a flame. From this they have their spiritual light. Hence it may be seen what is meant by the interior things of memory-knowledges.

AC (Potts) n. 5638 5638. And stood before Joseph. That this signifies the presence of the celestial of the spiritual there, is evident from the signification of “standing before” anyone, as being presence; and from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial of the spiritual (of which often before). That the celestial of the spiritual was present in both naturals was represented by Joseph’s being made lord over all Egypt. This is what is meant by the presence of the celestial of the spiritual in the interior things of memory-knowledges; for these knowledges are in the natural (see n. 5316, 5324, 5326-5328, 5333, 5337, 5373). The truths represented by Jacob’s ten sons are truths in the natural.

AC (Potts) n. 5639 5639. And Joseph saw Benjamin with them. That this signifies the perception by the celestial of the spiritual of a spiritual intermediate with truths, is evident from the signification of “seeing,” as being to understand and perceive (see n. 2150, 2807, 3764, 4567, 4723, 5400); and from the representation of Jacob’s ten sons (who are meant by “with them,” that is, with whom Joseph saw Benjamin), as being truths in the natural (n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512); and from the representation of Benjamin, as being the intermediate (see n. 5411, 5413, 5443). That this is here called a spiritual intermediate is because the truths represented by Jacob’s ten sons were now to be conjoined with the truth from the Divine which is “Joseph,” and this conjunction is not effected without an intermediate which is spiritual; and therefore when this intermediate was perceived, it immediately follows that “Joseph said to him that was over his house, Bring the men to the house, and slaying slay, and make ready; for the men shall eat with me at noon,” by which is signified that they would be introduced and conjoined because with the intermediate.
[2] What the spiritual is relatively to the natural must be further told in a few words, because most of those who are in the Christian world are so ignorant of what the spiritual is that when they hear the term they hesitate, and say to themselves that no one knows what it is. In its essence with man the spiritual is the very affection of good and truth for the sake of good and truth, and not for the sake of self, and also the affection of what is just and fair for the sake of what is just and fair, and not for the sake of self. When a man feels in himself delight and pleasantness, and still more if he feels happiness and blessedness, from these affections, this is the spiritual in him, which comes not from the natural, but from the spiritual world or from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord. This then is the spiritual, which when it reigns in a man, affects and as it were tinges all that he thinks, wills, and does, and causes the thoughts and the acts of his will to partake of the spiritual, until at last these also become spiritual in him, as when he passes out of the natural into the spiritual world. In a word, the affection of charity and faith, that is, of good and truth, and the delight and pleasantness, and still more the happiness and blessedness thence derived, which are felt inwardly in man and make him a man truly Christian, are the spiritual.
[3] That most men in the Christian world are ignorant of what the spiritual is, is because they make faith and not charity the essential of the church. Consequently as those few who are concerned about faith think little if at all about charity or know what it is, therefore as there is no knowledge, there is no perception of the affection which is of charity; and he who is not in the affection of charity cannot possibly know what the spiritual is. Especially is this true at the present day, when scarcely anyone has any charity, because it is the last time of the church. But be it known that in a general sense the “spiritual” means the affection both of good and of truth, and therefore heaven is called the spiritual world, and the internal sense of the Word the spiritual sense; but specifically that which is of the affection of good is called the celestial, and that which is of the affection of truth is called the spiritual.

AC (Potts) n. 5640 5640. And he said to him that was over his house. That this signifies to that which is of the external church, is evident from the representation of him that was over the house, as being the external church, when he who is in the house is the internal church (see n. 1795). And as in the internal sense the thing, and not the person, is regarded (see n. 5225, 5287, 5434), therefore by “him that was over the house” is signified that which is of the external church.

AC (Potts) n. 5641 5641. Bring the men to the house. That this signifies that the truths in the natural mind were to be introduced thither, is evident from the signification of “Jacob’s sons,” as being the truths of the church in the natural (see n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512). Their being introduced there is signified by “bringing the men to the house.”

AC (Potts) n. 5642 5642. And slaying slay and make ready. That this signifies through the goods of the exterior natural, is evident from the signification of “slaying,” as involving that which is slain-an ox, a bullock, a he-goat, or other cattle-as being the goods of the natural (that an “ox” and a “bullock” are the goods of the natural may be seen above, n. 2180, 2566, 2781, 2830); here the goods of the exterior natural, because through these they were now first introduced to conjunction; for his “bringing the men to Joseph’s house” signifies the first introduction into the good which is from the celestial of the spiritual (see below n. 5645). As the “bullock” and “ox” signified the goods of the natural, everything done in regard to them also signified this good, for the one involved the other.

AC (Potts) n. 5643 5643. For the men shall eat with me at noon. That this signifies that they will be conjoined when with the intermediate, is evident from the signification of “eating with,” as being to be communicated, conjoined and appropriated (n. 2187, 2343, 3168, 3513, 3596, 3832). And because they were with the spiritual intermediate, which is “Benjamin” (n. 5639), it is said “at noon;” for “noon” signifies a state of light, thus the spiritual state which comes through the intermediate (n. 1458, 3708).

AC (Potts) n. 5644 5644. And the man did as Joseph said. That this signifies bringing it about, is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5645 5645. And the man brought the men to Joseph’s house. That this signifies the first introduction into the good which is from the celestial of the spiritual, is evident from the signification of “bringing,” as being introduction (as above, n. 5641); from the signification of “Jacob’s sons,” as being the truths of the church in the natural (see n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5428, 5512); from the signification of a “house,” as being good (n. 3652, 3720, 4982), and hence also the church (n. 3720), for the church is the church from good; and from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial of the spiritual (of which often above). From this it is plain that by “the man’s bringing the men to Joseph’s house” is signified that the truths in the natural were to be introduced into the good which is from the celestial of the spiritual. That the first introduction is what is signified, is because they now only ate with Joseph, and did not know him. By this is signified a general conjunction, which is the first introduction; for truth from the Divine then flows in generally, and is not discerned. But when the truth which flows in is observed, there is then a second conjunction, which is signified by Joseph’s manifesting himself to his brethren, as related in a subsequent chapter (Gen. 45).

AC (Potts) n. 5646 5646. Verses 18-23. And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, Over the word of the silver that was returned in our bags in the beginning are we brought; to roll down upon us, and to cast himself upon us, and to take us for servants, and our asses. And they came near to the man that was over Joseph’s house, and they spoke unto him at the door of the house, and said, In me, my lord, in coming down we came down in the beginning to buy food; and it came to pass when we came to the inn and we opened our bags, and behold everyone’s silver in the mouth of his bag, our silver in its weight; and we have brought it back in our hand. And other silver have we brought down in our hand to buy food; we know not who put our silver in our bags. And he said, Peace be to you, fear not; your God, and the God of your father, gave you a hidden gift in your bags; your silver came to me. And he brought Simeon out unto them. “And the men were afraid,” signifies a drawing back; “because they were brought to Joseph’s house,” signifies because the truths that belonged to the natural were to be adjoined and subjected to the internal; “and they said, Over the word of the silver that was returned in our bags in the beginning are we brought,” signifies because truth in the exterior natural appears to be given gratuitously, they were therefore to be in subjection; “to roll down upon us and to cast himself upon us,” signifies that on this account they were to be reduced under absolute power; “and to take us for servants and our asses,” signifies until whatever is in either natural be as nothing; “and they came near to the man that was over Joseph’s house,” signifies the doctrinals of the church; “and they spoke unto him at the door of the house,” signifies taking counsel of them about introduction; “and said, In me, my lord,” signifies a testifying; “in coming down we came down in the beginning to buy food,” signifies a disposition to procure good for truths; “and it came to pass when we came to the inn and we opened our bags,” signifies introspection into the exterior natural; “and behold everyone’s silver in the mouth of his bag,” signifies that it was clearly seen that truths had been given as it were gratuitously; “our silver in its weight,” signifies truths according to each one’s state; “and we have brought it back in our hand,” signifies that what had been given gratuitously would be in submission as far as possible; “and other silver have we brought down in our hand to buy food,” signifies that there is a disposition to procure good by means of truth from another source; “we know not who put our silver in our bags,” signifies non-belief, from ignorance of the source of truth in the exterior natural; “and he said, Peace be to you, fear not,” signifies that it is well, let them not despair; “your God, and the God of your father,” signifies the Lord’s Divine Human; “gave you a hidden gift in your bags,” signifies that it was from Him without any prudence of theirs; “your silver came to me,” signifies that it will seem as truth procured by them; “and he brought Simeon out unto them,” signifies that he adjoined will to truths.

AC (Potts) n. 5647 5647. And the men were afraid. That this signifies a drawing back, is evident from the signification of “being afraid,” as here being a drawing back, namely, from conjunction with the internal. Fear arises from various causes, as from danger of loss of life, of gain, honor, and reputation, also of being brought into some servitude and thus losing freedom and with it the life’s delight. This is the subject treated of in what now follows; for they were afraid lest they should be adjoined to the internal, and thereby lose their own, and with it their freedom, and with freedom the life’s delight, because this depends on freedom. This is the reason why by “the men were afraid” is signified a drawing back lest they should be adjoined. Here in few words it must be told in advance how the case is with this conjunction, that is, the conjunction of the external or natural man with the internal or spiritual. The external or natural man reigns from life’s earliest age, and knows not that there is an internal or spiritual man. When therefore the man is being reformed and from being natural or external is beginning to become spiritual or internal, the natural at first rebels, for it is taught that the natural man is to be subjugated, that is, that all its concupiscences together with the things that confirm them are to be rooted out. Hence when the natural man is left to itself, it thinks that in this way it would utterly perish; for it knows no otherwise than that the natural is everything, and it is wholly ignorant that in the spiritual there are things immeasurable and unutterable; and when the natural man so thinks, it draws back and is not willing to be subjected to the spiritual. This is what is here meant by their “fear.”

AC (Potts) n. 5648 5648. Because they were brought to Joseph’s house. That this signifies because the truths that belong to the natural were to be adjoined and subjected to the internal, is evident from the signification of “being brought to Joseph’s house,” as being to be conjoined and subjected to the internal; for by Joseph is represented the internal, because he represents truth from the Divine, or the celestial of the spiritual (see n. 5307, 5331, 5332, 5417, 5469); and by a “house” is signified man’s internal as well as his external (n. 3128, 3538, 4973, 5023), here the internal, as it is called “Joseph’s house;” and by “being brought” (namely, to the internal) is signified to be adjoined, and therefore to be subjected. The reason is that when the natural is adjoined to the internal, it is then subjected to it; for the command which had before belonged to the natural man, then becomes the spiritual man’s; of which command, of the Lord’s Divine mercy more will be said in the following pages.
[2] A few words must here be added in regard to the internal sense. The internal sense of the Word is especially for those who are in the other life. When those who are there are with a man who is reading the Word, they perceive it according to the internal sense, and not according to the external; for they understand no human words, but only the sense of the words, and this not according to the man’s natural thoughts, but according to their thoughts which are spiritual. Into this spiritual sense the natural sense that is with the man is at once transmuted, just as one turns the language of another into his own which is different, doing it in an instant. So is the sense of natural human thought turned into spiritual, for spiritual language or speech is proper to the angels, and natural language or speech to men. That there is so sudden a change of as it were one language into the other, is because there is a correspondence of each and all things in the natural world with those in the spiritual world.
[3] Now as the internal sense of the Word is chiefly for those who are in the spiritual world, therefore such things are here mentioned in the internal sense as are for them, and as are pleasant and delightful to them. Yet the more interior such things are, the more remote are they from the apprehension of men to whom only those things which are of the world and the body are pleasant and delightful; and when this is the case, they hold in contempt the spiritual things that belong to the internal sense, and also loathe them. Let everyone explore within himself whether the things contained in the internal sense of the verses that now follow are worthless and distasteful to him, when yet they are what the angelic societies take the greatest delight in. From this it may be plain to one who reflects what a difference there is between the delights of men and the delights of angels, and also in what things the angels vest wisdom, and in what men vest it – that the angels vest wisdom in such things as man thinks worthless and holds in aversion, and that man vests wisdom in such things as the angels care nothing about, and many in such things as the angels reject and shun.

AC (Potts) n. 5649 5649. And they said, Over the word of the silver that was returned in our bags in the beginning are we brought. That this signifies that because truth in the exterior natural appears to be given gratuitously, they were therefore to be in subjection, is evident from the signification of the “silver being returned,” as being truth bestowed gratuitously, (see n. 5530, 5624); from the signification of a “bag,” as being the threshold of the exterior natural (n. 5497); and from the signification of “being brought,” as being to be adjoined or subjected (as shown just above, n. 5648).
[2] The case herein is this. As it was perceived that the truths of memory-knowledge in the exterior natural were given gratuitously, and would therefore be enticed to conjoin themselves with the internal, and thereby be in subjection to it, they would as just said be deprived of their freedom, and thereby of all the delight of life. That this is the case, namely, that it is perceived that truths of memory-knowledge are bestowed gratuitously, and this in the natural mind whether exterior or interior, is quite unknown to man. The reason is that he is in no such perception; for he does not at all know what is bestowed on him gratuitously, still less what is stored up in the exterior natural, and what in the interior. The reason why he has not this perception is usually because worldly and earthly things are dear to him, and not celestial and spiritual things; and therefore he does not believe in any influx through heaven from the Lord, thus not at all that anything is given him; when yet all the truth that he rationally infers from memory-knowledges, and supposes to be of his own ability, is such as is given him. Still less can man perceive whether it is placed in the exterior natural or in the interior, because he is ignorant that the natural is twofold, namely the outer which draws near to the external senses, and the inner which draws back from them and turns to the rational.
[3] As man knows nothing about either the one or the other, he can therefore have no perception about such things; for the knowledge of a thing must come first in order that there may be a perception of it. Yet the angelic societies know and perceive these things well and clearly, not only what is bestowed on them gratuitously, but also where it is, as may be seen from the following experience. When any spirit who is in good, and hence in ability, comes into an angelic society, he comes at the same time into all the memory-knowledge and intelligence the society has, and in which he had not been before; and he then knows no otherwise than that he had known and understood it so before, and from himself. But when he reflects, he perceives that it is gratuitously bestowed on him through that angelic society by the Lord; and he also knows from the angelic society where it is, whether in the exterior or in the interior natural. For there are angelic societies that are in the exterior natural, and there are others that are in the interior natural. Yet the natural which belongs to them is not such a natural as man has; but it is a spiritual natural, which has become spiritual by having been conjoined and subjected to the spiritual.
[4] From all this it is evident that the things here related in the internal sense take place actually so in the other life, namely, that they perceive what is given them gratuitously, as well as where it is stored up, although man at this day knows nothing of such things. But in ancient times they who were of the church knew such things, being taught them by their memory-knowledges and by their doctrinals. They were interior men; but since those times men have become successively more external, insomuch that at this day they are in the body, thus in the outermost. A sign of this is that they do not even know what the spiritual and the internal are, nor believe in their existence. Nay, to such an outermost in the body have they gone away from interior things, that they do not even believe that there is a life after death, nor that there is a heaven or a hell. Nay, by receding from interior things they have gone to such an outermost, and have become so stupid in spiritual things, as to believe that man’s life is like that of beasts, and therefore that man will die in like manner; and strange to say the learned believe so more than the simple, and anyone who believes differently is accounted by them a simpleton.

AC (Potts) n. 5650 5650. To roll down upon us and to cast himself upon us. That this signifies that on this account they were to be reduced under absolute power, is evident from the signification of “rolling down upon” anyone, as being to present him as culpable; and from the signification of “casting one’s self upon” anyone, as being to reduce him under power, here absolute power, for it follows “and to take us for servants, and our asses.” The case herein is that before the natural man is conjoined with the spiritual, or the external with the internal, he is left to think whether he desires to get rid of the concupiscences arising from the love of self and of the world, together with the things by which he has defended them, and to yield the command to the spiritual or internal man. He is left to think this in order that he may be free to choose what he will. When the natural man apart from the spiritual thinks about this, he rejects it; for he loves his concupiscences because he loves himself and the world. Hence he becomes anxious, and supposes that if these were got rid of he would have no life left, for he vests everything in the natural or external man; or supposes that afterward he could do nothing of himself, and all that he would think, will, and do, would flow in through heaven, thus that he would not be his own master any longer. When the natural man on being left to himself is in this state, he draws back and resists. But when some light flows into his natural through heaven from the Lord, he begins to thinks differently, namely, that it is better for the spiritual man to have the supremacy, because thereby he can think and will what is good, and so can come into heaven, but not if the natural man were to rule. And when he reflects that all the angels in the universal heaven are of this character, and that they are consequently in unspeakable joy, he then fights with the natural man, and at last desires it to be subordinated to the spiritual man. In this state is the man placed who is to be regenerated, in order that he may be in freedom to turn whither he will; and so far as he turns to this in freedom, so far he is being regenerated. All this is treated of here in the internal sense.

AC (Potts) n. 5651 5651. And take us for servants, and our asses. That this signifies until whatever is in both naturals be as nothing, is evident from the representation of Jacob’s ten sons, who say this of themselves, as being truths in the natural (see n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512); and from the signification of “servants,” as being things of slight importance (n. 2541), here of none at all (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “asses,” as being things in the natural which are memory-knowledges (n. 5492), here in the exterior natural, because the truths signified by “Jacob’s sons” are in the interior natural.
[2] In regard to whatever is in both naturals being as nothing the case is this. In order that a man may become spiritual, his natural must become as nothing, that is, be able to do nothing whatever of itself, because insofar as the natural is able of itself, so far the spiritual is not able; for the natural has imbibed from infancy nothing else than the things of the cupidities of self and of the world, thus those which are contrary to charity. These evils prevent the influx of good through the internal man from the Lord, for whatever flows in is turned in the natural into evil, the natural being the plane in which the influx terminates. And therefore unless the natural (that is, the evil and falsity which have formed it) becomes as nothing, good cannot possibly flow in through heaven from the Lord. It has no abiding place, but is dissipated; for it cannot stay in evil and falsity. It is for this reason that the internal is closed so long as the natural does not become as nothing. This also is known in the church from the doctrine that the old man must be put off in order that the new may be put on.
[3] Regeneration is nothing else than that the natural be subjugated, and the spiritual obtain the dominion; and the natural is subjugated when it is reduced to correspondence. When the natural has been reduced to correspondence, it does not react any more, but acts as it is commanded, and obeys the spiritual, almost as the acts of the body obey the behest of the will, and as the speech, together with the expression of the face, conforms to the influx of the thought. From this it is plain that for a man to become spiritual the natural must needs become as nothing whatever in respect to willing.
[4] But be it known that it is the old natural that must become as nothing, because this has been formed from evils and falsities; and when it has become as nothing the man is then gifted with a new natural, which is called the spiritual natural-spiritual from the fact that the spiritual is what acts through it, and manifests itself through it, as the cause through the effect. It is known that the cause is everything of the effect. Hence the new natural in its thinking, willing, and producing effect, is nothing else than the representative of the spiritual. When this comes to pass the man receives good from the Lord; and when he receives good he is gifted with truths; and when he is gifted with truths he is perfected in intelligence and wisdom; and when he is perfected in intelligence and wisdom he is blessed with happiness to eternity.

AC (Potts) n. 5652 5652. And they came near to the man that was over Joseph’s house. That this signifies the doctrinals of the church, is evident from the signification of the “man over Joseph’s house,” as being that which is of the external church (of which above, n. 5640), thus doctrine, for this is of the church. Moreover, by “man” is signified truth, and thus doctrine (n. 3134), and by a “house,” the church (see n. 1795), and as “Joseph” is the internal (n. 5469), “Joseph’s house” is the internal church. Doctrine from the Word is what is over this house, in being of service and in ministering.

AC (Potts) n. 5653 5653. And they spoke unto him at the door of the house. That this signifies taking counsel of them about introduction, is evident from the signification of “speaking to the man over Joseph’s house,” as being to take counsel of them, namely, of doctrinals; and from the signification of the “door of the house,” as being introduction (see n. 2356, 2385), here from the natural or external man to the spiritual or internal, which is the subject treated of. As this is signified, it is not said in the original “at the door of the house,” but “the door of the house.”

AC (Potts) n. 5654 5654. And said, In me, my lord. That this signifies a testifying, is evident from this very form of speech, as being one of testifying, namely, that they will tell the truth about the silver that was found in the mouth of everyone’s bag.

AC (Potts) n. 5655 5655. In coming down we came down in the beginning to buy food. That this signifies a disposition to procure good for truths, is evident from the signification of “coming down,” as being a disposition or an intention; for he who comes down or betakes himself anywhere, does so from a disposition, here to procure good for truths, signified by “to buy food;” for by “buying” is signified procuring and appropriating (n. 5374, 5397, 5406, 5414, 5426), and by “food,” the good of truth (n. 5340, 5342), here good for the truths represented by Jacob’s sons, who say this of themselves.

AC (Potts) n. 5656 5656. And it came to pass when we came to the inn and we opened our bags. That this signifies introspection into the exterior natural, is evident from the signification of an “inn,” as being the exterior natural in general (see n. 5495); and from the signification of “opening,” as being introspection, for he who opens does so for the sake of looking in; and from the signification of a “bag,” as being specifically the exterior natural (n. 5497).

AC (Potts) n. 5657 5657. And behold everyone’s silver in the mouth of his bag. That this signifies that it was clearly seen that truths had been given as it were gratuitously, is evident from the signification of “everyone’s silver in his bag,” as being truths given gratuitously (see n. 5530, 5624). It is similar with “everyone’s silver in the mouth of his bag,” with the difference that by this are signified the truths that had been given gratuitously, and that had been stored up in the threshold of the exterior natural; for by the “mouth of the bag” is signified the threshold of the exterior natural (n. 5497). As it were given gratuitously is here signified because they are in a state of doubt as to whether they would be willing to be conjoined with the internal and become as nothing; and when anyone is in a state of doubt, he feels doubtful also about the truths which confirm.

AC (Potts) n. 5658 5658. Our silver in its weight. That this signifies truths according to each one’s state, is evident from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (see n. 1551, 2954); and from the signification of “weight,” as being the state of a thing as to good (n. 3104); thus “truths according to each one’s state” is according to the good they are capable of receiving. Weights and measures are mentioned in many passages of the Word; yet in the internal sense they do not signify weights and measures; but weights signify the states of a thing as to good, and measures the states of a thing as to truth. So also do heaviness and extension; heaviness in the natural world corresponds to good in the spiritual world, and extension to truth. The reason is that in heaven, which is the source of correspondences, there is no heaviness and no extension, because there is no space. Things indeed appear heavy and extended among spirits; but these are appearances arising from states of good and truth in a higher heaven.
[2] That “silver” signifies truth was very well known in ancient times. Hence the ancients distinguished the several ages of the world from the first to the last into the golden, the silver, the copper, and the iron ages, to which they added an age of clay. They called those times the golden ages when there was innocence and wholeness, and when everyone did what was good from good, and what was just from justice. They called those times the silver ages when there was no longer innocence, but still a kind of wholeness that consisted not in doing good from good, but in doing truth from truth; and they gave the name of copper and iron to the ages which are yet lower.
[3] That they so designated these periods was not from comparison, but from correspondence; for the ancients knew that silver corresponds to truth, and gold to good, and this by communication with spirits and angels. For when good is spoken about in a higher heaven, there is an appearance of gold below among those who are beneath them in the first or lowest heaven; and when truth is spoken of, there is an appearance of silver; sometimes so that not only the walls of the rooms where they dwell sparkle with gold and silver, but also the very atmosphere. Tables of gold also, golden lampstands, and many other things, appear with the angels of the first or ultimate heaven who are in good from good; while to those who are in truth from truth, such objects appear of silver. Yet who at the present day knows that it was from their correspondence that the ancients called these the gold and silver ages? Indeed who at this day knows anything about correspondence? And he who does not know this, and still more he who makes pleasure and wisdom consist in disputing whether it is or is not so, cannot know the least of the countless things that belong to correspondence.

AC (Potts) n. 5659 5659. And we have brought it back in our hand. That this signifies that what had been given gratuitously would be in submission as far as possible, is evident from the signification of “bringing back,” as here being to submit; and from the signification of “in our hand,” as being as far as possible (of which above, n. 5624). Its having been given gratuitously is signified by the “silver in the mouth of the bag which they had brought back” (n. 5657).

AC (Potts) n. 5660 5660. And other silver have we brought down in our hand to buy food. That this signifies that there is a disposition to procure good by means of truth from another source, is evident from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (of which just above, n. 5657); and as by “silver” is signified truth, by the “other silver” is signified other truth, consequently truth from another source (as there is no genuine truth but that which is from the Lord, who bestows it gratuitously, so truth itself is from no other source); and from the signification of “bringing down,” as being a disposition for procuring, namely, the good of truth which is signified by the corn they were to buy. The historical sense of the letter implies that the other silver also came to Joseph to buy food from him, and therefore did not come from any other source. But the internal sense does not abide in the historical sense of the letter, for which it does not care, but abides in the subject that is being treated of; and the subject is, that if they were to be subjected as servants because some truths in the exterior natural had been bestowed gratuitously, they would procure good by means of truth from some other source. Such also is the series in the internal sense, for it is presently said, “We know not who put our silver in our bags,” by which is signified that they would not believe, because they did not know what was the source of the truth in the exterior natural.
[2] Something similar takes place in the other life with spirits who are being initiated into good by means of truths, and especially into this one-that all good and truth flow in from the Lord. When they perceive that everything they think and will flows into them, thus that they have no power to think and to will from themselves, they resist as much as they can, believing that if this were so they would have no life of their own, and thereby that all delight would perish, for they vest this in what is their own. Besides, if they cannot do good or believe truth of themselves, they suppose they should let go their hands, doing and thinking nothing from themselves, and should wait for influx.
They are permitted to think so, even to the extent of almost coming to the conclusion that they do not desire to receive good and truth from this source, but from some other by which there would not be such a loss of what is their own; and sometimes it is given them to inquire where they may find it. Yet afterward when they find it nowhere, those who are being regenerated come back, and in freedom choose to be led by the Lord in their willing and thinking. They are then informed that they will receive an own that is heavenly, such as angels have, and with this own, also blessedness and happiness to eternity.
[3] As regards the own that is heavenly, this comes forth from the new will that is given by the Lord, and differs from the man’s own in the fact that they who have it no longer regard themselves in each and all things they do, and in each and all things they learn or teach; but they then have regard to the neighbor, the public, the church, the Lord’s kingdom, and thereby to the Lord Himself. It is the ends of life that are changed. The ends that look to lower things, that is, to self and the world, are removed, and ends that look to higher things are substituted in their place. The ends of life are nothing else than the man’s life itself, for they are his very will and loves, because what a man loves he wills and has for his end. He who is gifted with an own that is heavenly is also in quietude and in peace; for he trusts in the Lord, and believes that nothing of evil will reach him, and knows that concupiscences will not infest him. And besides, they who are in the heavenly own are in freedom itself; for to be led by the Lord is freedom, because they are led in good, by good, to good. From this it is evident that they are in blessedness and happiness, for there is nothing that disturbs them, nothing of the love of self, consequently nothing of enmity, hatred, and revenge; nor is there anything of the love of the world, consequently nothing of fraud, of fear, of unrest.

AC (Potts) n. 5661 5661. We know not who put our silver in our bags. That this signifies non-belief, from ignorance of the source of truth in the exterior natural, is evident from the signification of “not knowing,” as being in the spiritual sense not believing or non-belief; from the signification of “who put,” as being ignorance from what source; from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (see n. 5658); and from the signification of a “bag,” as being the exterior natural (n. 5497).

AC (Potts) n. 5662 5662. And he said, Peace be to you, fear not. That this signifies that it is well, let them not despair, is evident from the signification of “peace,” as being to be well (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “fear not,” as being let them not despair. For the internal sense treats of a change of state, in that they no longer procure truths and through them good by their own power; but are presented with them from the Lord. And because they supposed that they would thus lose their own, thus freedom, and consequently all the delight of life, they were in despair, as is plain from what has gone before. Hence it is that “fear not” here signifies let them not despair; for fear arises from various causes (see n. 5647), and therefore also signifies various things. [2] That “peace” denotes it is well, is because it is the inmost, and hence the universally reigning thing, in each and all things in heaven; for peace in heaven is like spring on earth, or like the dawn, which does not affect us by sensible changes, but by a universal pleasantness that flows into everything that is perceived, and fills with this pleasantness not only the perception itself but also the several objects. At the present day scarcely anyone knows the meaning of “peace” where mentioned in the Word, as in the benediction, “Jehovah lift up His faces upon thee, and give thee peace” (Num. 6:26); and in other places. Almost everyone believes peace to be security from enemies, and also tranquillity at home and among companions. Such peace is not meant in this passage, but a peace which immeasurably transcends it – the heavenly peace just now spoken of. This peace can be bestowed on no one unless he is led by the Lord and is in the Lord, that is, in heaven where the Lord is all in all; for heavenly peace flows in when the cupidities arising from the love of self and the love of the world are taken away. These are what take peace away, for they infest man’s interiors, and at last cause him to make rest consist in unrest, and peace in annoyances, because his delight is in evils. So long as man is in these he cannot possibly know what peace is, nay, he so long believes that such peace is nothing; and if anyone says that it becomes perceptible when the delights from the love of self and the world are taken away, he laughs, because he makes peace consist in the delight of evil, which is the opposite of peace.
[3] Because such is the nature of peace, namely, the inmost of all happinesses and blessednesses, and hence the universal that reigns in them all, therefore the ancients used as a common form of speech the words, “Peace be unto you,” when they meant that it be well; and asked whether people “had peace” when they meant “Is it well?” See what has been said and shown above in regard to peace, namely: That peace in heaven is like spring and the dawn on earth (n. 1726, 2780): That peace in the supreme sense is the Lord, in the representative sense His kingdom, and that it is the Lord’s Divine affecting with good from the inmost (n. 3780, 4681): That all unrest is from evil and falsity, but peace from good and truth (n. 3170).

AC (Potts) n. 5663 5663. Your God, and the God of your father. That this signifies the Lord’s Divine Human may be seen from the fact that where “God” or “Jehovah” is mentioned in the Word, the Lord and no one else is meant (see n. 1343, 1736, 2921, 3035); and when it is said “your God and the God of your father” that is, the God of Israel and of Jacob and his sons, it means the Lord’s Divine Human, and indeed as to the Divine natural (n. 3305, 4286, 4570); for Israel represented the Lord as to the interior natural, Jacob as to the exterior, and his sons as to the truths in this natural.
[2] That the Lord was meant in the Word by “God” and “Jehovah” the Jewish Church did not know, nor does the Christian Church know it at this day. That the Christian Church has not known it is because it has distinguished the Divinity into three persons. But the Ancient Church which was after the flood, and above all the Most Ancient Church which was before the flood, understood by “Jehovah” and “God” no other than the Lord, and Him indeed as to His Divine Human. They also knew about the Divine Itself which is in the Lord, and which He calls His “Father” yet they were not able to think about that Divine Itself which is in the Lord, but about the Divine Human, and consequently could not be conjoined with any other Divine; for conjunction is effected through thought which is of the understanding and affection which is of the will, thus through faith and through love. For if we think of the Divine Itself, the thought falls as it were into a boundless universe, and thus is dissipated, whence there is no conjunction. It is otherwise when the Divine Itself is thought of as the Divine Human. And the ancients knew that they could not be saved unless they were conjoined with the Divine.
[3] Therefore it was the Divine Human that the Ancient Churches worshiped; and Jehovah also manifested Himself to them in the Divine Human. The Divine Human was the Divine Itself in heaven; for heaven constitutes one man, which is called the Grand Man, as has been heretofore shown at the end of the chapters. This Divine in heaven is none other than the Divine Itself, but in heaven it is as a Divine Man. This Man is what the Lord took on and made Divine in Him, and united it to the Divine Itself as it had been united from eternity; for from eternity there was a one. He did this because mankind could not otherwise have been saved; for it was no longer sufficient for the Divine Itself to be able, through heaven and thus through the Divine Human Itself there, to flow into human minds; wherefore the Divine Itself willed to unite the Divine Human to Itself actually by the Human taken on in the world. The one and the other is the Lord.

AC (Potts) n. 5664 5664. Gave you a hidden gift in your bags. That this signifies that it was from Him without any prudence of theirs, is evident from the signification of a “hidden gift,” as being the truth and good that are given by the Lord without the man’s knowing it; and from the signification of “silver brought back in the sacks or bags,” as being without any ability of theirs (see n. 5488, 5496, 5499). From this it is plain that by “gave you a hidden gift in your bags” is signified that from Him, namely from the Lord’s Divine Human, is truth and good in the natural without any ability of theirs; and because it is without their ability, it is without their prudence. The word “prudence” is used, because prudence corresponds to providence, and that which is of the Divine providence is not of man’s prudence.

5664a. Your silver came to me. That this signifies that it will seem as truth procured by them, is evident from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (n. 1551, 2954). Their “silver coming to him” means that they bought, and thus that they themselves procured; for “to buy” is to procure (n. 5655). Thus by “your silver came to me” is signified truth procured by them; but as the truth which is of faith is never procured by any man, but is instilled and given by the Lord, and yet seems as if acquired by man, it is said that it will seem as truth procured by them.
[2] It is known in the church that truth is instilled and given by the Lord; for it is taught that faith is not from man but from God; thus not only confidence, but also the truths of faith are from Him. Still it appears as if the truths of faith were procured by the man, for he is profoundly ignorant that they flow in, because he does not perceive it. The reason why he does not perceive it is that his interiors are closed, so that he cannot have perceptible communication with spirits and angels; and when the interiors are closed the man can know nothing whatever about influx.
[3] Be it known, however, that it is one thing to know the truths of faith, and quite another to believe them. They who merely know the truths of faith, charge their memory with them just as they do with the facts of any other branch of knowledge. These truths man can procure for himself without such an influx, but they have no life, as is plain from the fact that an evil man, even the worst, can know the truths of faith just as much as an upright and pious man. But as before said with the evil these truths have no life; for when an evil man brings them forth he regards in everyone of them either self-glory or gain; so that it is the love of self and of the world that inflates them and makes a sort of life; but it is such life as there is in hell, which is called spiritual death. Hence it is that when he brings them forth, he brings them forth from the memory, and not from the heart, whereas he who believes the truths of faith brings them forth from the heart at the same time as from the lips; for with him the truths of faith are so deeply rooted in as to have their root in the outer memory, and to grow from there toward what is interior or higher, like fruit-bearing trees; and like trees they deck themselves with leaves, and at last with blossoms, for the sake of the end of bearing fruit. So it is with such a man.
[4] He also aims at nothing else through the truths of faith than uses, which are the practices of charity, which to him are the fruits. These are the truths which man cannot procure for himself, even in the smallest degree; but they are gratuitously bestowed on him by the Lord, and this in every moment of his life, nay, if he will believe it, without number in every moment. But as man is of such a nature as to have no perception of their flowing in, for as before said if he had the perception he would resist, because he would believe that he would then lose his own, and with his own his freedom, and with his freedom his delight, and would thus become a thing of nought, it is therefore brought about that man does not know but that he procures truths of himself. This then is what is meant by saying that it will seem as truth procured by them. Moreover, in order that a heavenly own and heavenly freedom may be bestowed on man, he must needs do good as of himself and think what is true as of himself; but when he reflects he should acknowledge that these are from the Lord (see n. 2882, 2883, 2891).

AC (Potts) n. 5665 5665. And he brought Simeon out unto them. That this signifies that he adjoined will to truths, is evident from the representation of Simeon, as being faith in the will, or the will to do the truth which is of faith (see n. 3869-3872, 4497, 4502, 4503, 5482); and from the representation of the sons of Jacob, who are they unto whom he brought out Simeon, as being the truths of the church in the natural (n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512). From this it is plain that his “bringing Simeon out unto them” signifies that he adjoined will to truths.

AC (Potts) n. 5666 5666. Verses 24-28. And the man brought the men to Joseph’s house, and gave waters, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender. And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon; for they heard that they should eat bread there. And Joseph came to the house, and they brought him the present which was in their hand to the house, and bowed down themselves to him to the earth. And he asked them to peace, and said, Is there peace to your father, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive? And they said, There is peace to thy servant our father; he is yet alive. And they bent themselves and bowed themselves down. “And the man brought the men to Joseph’s house,” signifies initiation to conjunction with the internal; “and gave waters,” signifies a general influx of truth from the internal; “and they washed their feet,” signifies a consequent purifying of the natural; “and he gave their asses provender,” signifies instruction concerning good; “and they made ready the present,” signifies instilling; “against Joseph came at noon,” signifies until the internal should be present with light; “for they heard that they should eat bread there,” signifies a noticing that good would be adjoined to truths; “and Joseph came to the house,” signifies the presence of the internal; “and they brought him the present which was in their hand to the house,” signifies instilling as far as possible; “and bowed down themselves to him to the earth,” signifies humiliation; “and he asked them to peace,” signifies perception that it is well; “and said, Is there peace to your father, the old man of whom ye spoke,” signifies also with spiritual good; “is he yet alive,” signifies that it has life; “and they said, There is peace to thy servant our father,” signifies a noticing therefrom of the natural that it is well with the good from which it comes; “he is yet alive,” signifies and that it has life; “and they bent themselves and bowed themselves down,” signifies outward and inward humiliation.

AC (Potts) n. 5667 5667. And the man brought the men to Joseph’s house. That this signifies initiation to conjunction with the internal, is evident from the signification of “bringing the men to Joseph’s house,” as being to adjoin to the internal the truths belonging to the natural (of which above, n. 5648). That initiation to conjunction is signified, is clear from what follows-that they ate there, and that Joseph did not then manifest himself to them; by which is signified a general influx, which is now described, and which also is initiation.

AC (Potts) n. 5668 5668. And gave waters. That this signifies a general influx of truth from the internal, is evident from the signification of “waters,” as being truth (see n. 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976), and indeed truth in general. Hence “giving waters” signifies a general influx of truth. That it is from the internal, is because it was in Joseph’s house (n. 5667). A general influx of truth is the enlightenment which gives the capacity of apprehending and understanding truth. This enlightenment is from the light of heaven that is from the Lord, which light is nothing else than the Divine truth (see n. 2776, 3138, 3167, 3195, 3223, 3339, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3993, 4302, 4413, 4415, 5400).

AC (Potts) n. 5669 5669. And they washed their feet. That this signifies a consequent purifying of the natural, is evident from the signification of “washing the feet,” as being the purifying of the natural (see n. 3147).

AC (Potts) n. 5670 5670. And he gave their asses provender. That this signifies instruction concerning good, is evident from the signification of “giving provender,” as being to instruct in good; for by “provender” is signified the good of the truths of memory-knowledges (see n. 3114); and by “giving provender,” which is “feeding,” is signified to instruct in this good (that “feeding” is instructing, see n. 5201; and by “asses” are signified memory-knowledges, see n. 5492). From this it is plain that by “giving asses provender” is signified instruction about the good of memory-knowledges. The good of memory-knowledges is the delight from the truths of these knowledges. The truths of memory-knowledges are most general truths, which appear in the natural light which is from the light of the world; but in order that they may appear (that is, as being truths), there must be a general influx from the internal (n. 5668). This is the enlightenment from the light of heaven.

AC (Potts) n. 5671 5671. And they made ready the present. That this signifies instilling, is evident from the signification of a “present,” as being to obtain favor (see n. 5619); thus “to make ready the present” is instilling.

AC (Potts) n. 5672 5672. Against Joseph came at noon. That this signifies until the internal should be present with light, is evident from the signification of “against he came” as being when it should be present; from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (see n. 5648); and from the signification of “noon,” as being a state of light (n. 1458, 3195, 3708). That “noon” denotes a state of light is because the times of day, as morning, noon, and evening, correspond to the enlightenments in the other life, and the enlightenments there are those of intelligence and wisdom, for in the light of heaven there is intelligence and wisdom. There are alternations of enlightenment there, like morning, noon, and evening on earth. The states of shade, like those of evening, do not arise from the sun there, that is, the Lord, who is always giving light, but from the angels’ own, for insofar as they are let into their own they come into a state of shade or evening, and insofar as they are lifted out of their own into a heavenly own, they come into a state of light. From this it is plain why noon corresponds to a state of light.

AC (Potts) n. 5673 5673. For they heard that they should eat bread there. That this signifies a noticing that good would be adjoined to truths, is evident from the signification of “hearing,” as being a noticing (see n. 5017); from the signification of “eating,” as being to be appropriated and conjoined (see n. 2187, 3168, 3513, 3596, 3832, 5643); and from the signification of “bread,” as being the good of love (see n. 2165, 2177, 2187, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, 4976).

AC (Potts) n. 5674 5674. And Joseph came to the house. That this signifies the presence of the internal, is evident from the signification of “coming to the house,” as being to be at hand, or presence (as above, n. 5672); and from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (n. 5648).

AC (Potts) n. 5675 5675. And they brought him the present which was in their hand to the house. That this signifies instilling as far as possible, is evident from the signification of the “present” that was given to kings and priests, as being to obtain favor; thus also instilling (of which just above, n. 5671); and from the signification of being “in their hands,” as being as far as possible (of which also above, n. 5624, 5659).

AC (Potts) n. 5676 5676. And bowed down themselves to him to the earth. That this signifies humiliation, is evident from the signification of “bowing down to the earth,” as being to humble one’s self (n. 2153, and also below, n. 5682).

AC (Potts) n. 5677 5677. And he asked them to peace. That this signifies perception that it is well, is evident from the signification of “asking,” as being to perceive another’s thought (n. 5597); and from the signification of “peace,” as being to be well (see n. 5662).

AC (Potts) n. 5678 5678. And said, Is there peace to your father, the old man of whom ye spoke? That this signifies also with spiritual good, is evident from the signification of “peace,” as being to be well (as above, n. 5677); and from the representation of Israel, who is the “father” here, as being spiritual good (n. 3654, 4286, 4598).

AC (Potts) n. 5679 5679. Is he yet alive? That this signifies that it has life, is evident from the signification of “living,” as being spiritual life (see n. 5407).

AC (Potts) n. 5680 5680. And they said, There is peace to thy servant our father. That this signifies a noticing therefrom of the natural that it is well with the good from which it comes, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being to perceive (see n. 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509); from the signification of “peace,” as being to be well (see n. 5662, 5677); and from the representation of Israel, as being spiritual good (of which just above, n. 5678). This good is called “father,” because from it as from a father are the truths and goods in the natural which are represented by his ten sons; and because the truths and goods in the natural are represented by them, the natural also is signified by them; for the natural is the containant, and the truths and goods therein are the contents, which make a one. From this it is plain that by their saying “there is peace to thy servant our father,” is signified a noticing therefrom of the natural that it is well with the good from which it comes. It is called a noticing therefrom, namely, from the internal, which is represented by Joseph (n. 5648), because all the perception of the natural comes from the spiritual, and because from the spiritual, it comes from the internal, that is, through the internal from the Lord. The natural never has any perception, nor even any life of thought and affection, except what comes from the spiritual; for in the natural all things are of themselves dead, but they are vivified by influx from the spiritual world, that is, through the spiritual world from the Lord. In the spiritual world all things live from the light which is from the Lord; for in this light is wisdom and intelligence. That here there is signified a noticing therefrom, or from the internal in the natural, follows also from what has been said above (n. 5677).

AC (Potts) n. 5681 5681. He is yet alive. That this signifies, and that it has life, is evident from what was adduced just above (see n. 5679; compare also n. 5407).

AC (Potts) n. 5682 5682. And they bent themselves and bowed themselves down. That this signifies outward and inward humiliation, is evident from the signification of “bending themselves,” as being outward humiliation; and from the signification of “bowing themselves down,” as being inward humiliation; for bending is a less degree of bowing down, and therefore it denotes outward humiliation; and bowing down is a greater degree, and therefore it denotes inward humiliation. Moreover, “bending” denotes the humiliation of truth, that is, of those who are in truth, thus of the spiritual; and “bowing down” denotes the humiliation of good, that is, of those who are in good, thus of the celestial. In this case also “bending” is outward humiliation, and “bowing down” inward; for they who are in good are more interior men than those who are in truth. These things are what are contained in the internal sense of this period. Most of them have been unfolded simply as to the significations of the words, for the reason that they are such as have been previously unfolded.

AC (Potts) n. 5683 5683. Verses 29-34. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spoke unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. And Joseph made haste, for his compassions were moved toward his brother; and he sought to weep, and he came to the bed-chamber, and wept there. And he washed his faces, and went out, and he restrained himself and said, Set on bread. And they set on for him alone, and for them alone, and for the Egyptians, who did eat with him, alone; because the Egyptians cannot eat bread with the Hebrews; because this is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men were amazed, everyone at his companion. And he brought out portions from his faces unto them; and he multiplied Benjamin’s portion above the portions of them all, five measures. And they drank and drank largely with him. “And he lifted up his eyes,” signifies reflection; “and saw Benjamin,” signifies a noticing of the intermediate “his brother, his mother’s son,” signifies the internal from the natural, as from a mother; “and said,” signifies perception; “Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spoke unto me?” signifies the one born after all, as was also known to them; “and he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son,” signifies that the Divine is also with the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediate, because it proceeds from the celestial of the spiritual, which is truth from the Divine; “and Joseph made haste,” signifies from the inmost; “for his compassions were moved,” signifies mercy from love; “toward his brother,” signifies toward the internal from itself; “and he sought to weep,” signifies the effect of mercy from love; “and he came to the bed chamber, and wept there,” signifies in itself, not apparently; “and he washed his faces,” signifies that it is so arranged; “and went out,” signifies by removal; “and he restrained himself,” signifies by concealment; “and said, Set on bread,” signifies perception of conjunction through the intermediate with truths in the natural; “and they set on for him alone, and for them alone,” signifies outward appearance that the internal was as if separated from them; “and for the Egyptians, who did eat with him, alone,” signifies separation of the memory-knowledges that are in inverted order; “because the Egyptians cannot eat bread with the Hebrews,” signifies that they could not possibly be conjoined with the truth and good of the church; “because this is an abomination to the Egyptians,” signifies that they are in opposition; “and they sat before him,” signifies that they were set in order by his presence; “the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth,” signifies according to the order of truths under good; “and the men were amazed, everyone at his companion,” signifies a change of state of each one among them; “and he brought out portions from his faces unto them,” signifies goods applied to each one from mercy; “and he multiplied Benjamin’s portion above the portions of them all,” signifies good for the intermediate above the goods for the truths in the natural; “five measures,” signifies much increased; “and they drank,” signifies the application of truths under good; “and drank largely with him,” signifies abundantly.

AC (Potts) n. 5684 5684. And he lifted up his eyes. That this signifies reflection, is evident from the signification of “lifting up the eyes,” as being thought and attention (see n. 2789, 2829, 4339), and also observation (n. 4086). Thus it denotes reflection; for to reflect is to concentrate the intellectual sight, and to observe whether a thing is so, and then that it is so.

AC (Potts) n. 5685 5685. And saw Benjamin. That this signifies a noticing of the intermediate, is evident from the signification of “seeing,” as being to understand and notice (see n. 2150, 2325, 3764, 3863, 4403-4421, 4567, 4723, 5400); and from the representation of Benjamin, as being the intermediate (see n. 5411, 5413, 5443, 5639).

AC (Potts) n. 5686 5686. His brother, his mother’s son. That this signifies the internal from the natural as from a mother, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, who is here the “brother” and “mother’s son,” as being the internal (see n. 5469); and as he is the intermediate he therefore comes forth from the celestial of the spiritual, which is “Joseph,” as from a father, and from the natural as from a mother; for he must partake of both in order to serve as an intermediate. This then is what is meant by the internal from the natural as from a mother. And because the celestial of the spiritual, which is “Joseph,” in like manner came forth from the natural as a mother, but from the Divine as a father, Benjamin is therefore called his “brother, the son of his mother,” as indeed he was by birth. And presently he is called also his “son.” The Lord, who is meant here by “Joseph” in the supreme sense, calls everyone a “brother” who has anything of the good of charity from the Lord. He is also called the “son of His mother,” but then by “mother” is meant the church.

AC (Potts) n. 5687 5687. And said. That this signifies perception, is evident from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception (of which often above). That “saying” is perceiving, is because in heaven the very thoughts from which the speech comes are perceived, otherwise than is the case in the world. Hence it is that “perceiving” in the spiritual sense is “speaking” or “saying” in the literal, or what is the same, the natural sense.

AC (Potts) n. 5688 5688. Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spoke unto me? That this signifies the one born after all, as was also known to them, is evident from the signification of the “youngest brother,” as being the one born after all (of which in what follows); and from the signification of the words “of whom ye spoke unto me,” as being what was perceived by them. (That “to speak” denotes what is perceived, thus what is known, may be seen just above, n. 5687.) That Benjamin is here called, as he was, their “youngest brother,” that is, the one born after all or the youngest in birth, is because it is similar in the spiritual sense with the intermediate which Benjamin represents; for the intermediate is born in man last of all, because when a man is born spiritually, that is, when he is reborn, his rational, which is the internal human, is first regenerated by the Lord, and afterward his natural (see n. 3286, 3288, 3321, 3493, 4612); and as the intermediate partakes of both (of the rational made spiritual, or made new, and also of the natural), and as it cannot take anything from the natural unless this also is made new, therefore the intermediate cannot be born till afterward, and indeed according to the degree in which the natural is being regenerated.
[2] All things that are related in the Word of Jacob’s sons had so come to pass of Providence, in order that the Word might be written about them and their descendants, and might contain within it heavenly things, and in the supreme sense Divine things, which they would represent in actual life. So also was it with Benjamin, who being born last, would therefore represent the intermediate between the internal and the external, or between the celestial of the spiritual which the Lord had in the world, and the natural which the Lord also had and was to make Divine.
[3] All that is related of Joseph and his brethren represents in the supreme sense the glorifying of the Lord’s Human, that is, how the Lord made the Human in Him Divine. The reason for this being represented in the inmost sense is that the Word might be most holy in its inmost sense, and also that it might contain in every part of it what would enter into the wisdom of the angels; for it is known that angelic wisdom so far surpasses human intelligence that scarcely anything of it can be apprehended by man. It is also the happiness itself of the angels that every detail of the Word has reference to the Lord; for they are in the Lord. Furthermore, the glorifying of the Lord’s Human is the pattern of man’s regeneration, and hence man’s regeneration also is presented in the internal sense of the Word at the same time with the glorification of the Lord. Man’s regeneration together with its innumerable mysteries also enters into the angels’ wisdom, and affords them happiness according as they apply it to its uses, which are for man’s reformation.

AC (Potts) n. 5689 5689. And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. That this signifies that the Divine was also with the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediate, because it proceeds from the celestial of the spiritual, which is truth from the Divine, is evident from the signification of “God be gracious,” when it is said by the celestial of the spiritual which is “Joseph,” to the spiritual of the celestial which is “Benjamin,” and when the latter is also called his “son,” which means that the Divine is also with the spiritual of the celestial, which is an intermediate because it proceeds from the celestial of the spiritual which is truth from the Divine. (That “Benjamin” is the spiritual of the celestial may be seen above, n. 3969, 4592; and also that this is an intermediate, n. 5411, 5413, 5443, 5639.)
[2] As in the supreme sense, as before said, the Lord’s internal human was the celestial of the spiritual, and this was truth from the Divine, or the first clothing of the Divine Itself in the Lord, and as the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediate, proceeded therefrom, it follows that the Divine was also with this. That which proceeds from anything derives its essence from that from which it proceeds; but it is clothed with such things as serve for communication, thus for use in a lower sphere. The things with which it is clothed are taken from such as are in the lower sphere, to the end that the internal from which it proceeds may act in the lower sphere by such means as are there.
[3] That which gives the essence is as the father, for the essence is the soul; and that which gives the clothing is the mother, for the clothing is the body of this soul. This is the reason why it was said above that the intermediate must draw from both in order to be an intermediate; what it has from the internal being as its father, and what it has from the external being as its mother.

AC (Potts) n. 5690 5690. And Joseph made haste. That this signifies from the inmost, is evident from the signification of “making haste,” as here being what bursts forth from the inmost; because there follows, “for his compassions were moved,” by which is signified mercy from love. When this bursts forth, it bursts forth from the inmost, and this at the first glance of the eye or at the first instant of thought; wherefore by “making haste” here nothing else is signified than from the inmost.

AC (Potts) n. 5691 5691. For his compassions were moved. That this signifies mercy from love, is evident from the signification of the “compassions being moved,” as being mercy from love; it is said “mercy,” because he was not yet acknowledged by him, and “from love,” because as an intermediate he had proceeded from him. In the original language “compassions” is expressed by a word which signifies the inmost and tenderest love.

AC (Potts) n. 5692 5692. Toward his brother. That this signifies toward the internal from itself, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, who is here the “brother,” as being the intermediate, thus also the internal (see n. 5649); and as both the intermediate and the internal proceed from the celestial of the spiritual, which is “Joseph,” it is therefore called the internal from itself. Whoever receives anything of the Divine from the Lord, who here is “Joseph” in the supreme sense, as he who receives any of the good of charity, is called by the Lord a “brother,” and also a “son.”

AC (Potts) n. 5693 5693. And he sought to weep. That this signifies the emotion of mercy from love, is evident from the signification of “weeping,” as being the effect of mercy from love (see n. 3801, 5480).

AC (Potts) n. 5694 5694. And he came to the bed-chamber, and wept there. That this signifies in itself, not apparently, is evident from the signification of “coming to the bed-chamber,” as being in one’s self, so as not to appear. It was customary with the ancients to speak of “entering into the chamber,” and also of then “shutting the door,” when they meant the doing of anything that was not to appear. This form of speaking was derived from the significatives in the Ancient Church; for by “house” in the spiritual sense they understood man (see n. 3128), and by the “rooms” and “bed-chambers” they understood man’s interiors. Therefore “coming or entering into the chamber” signified to be in one’s self, consequently so as not to appear; and because “entering the chamber” was significative, it is therefore frequently mentioned in the Word, as in Isaiah:
Go, My people, enter into thy bed-chambers, and shut thy door after thee; hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the anger be overpast (Isa. 26:20);
that “entering into the bed-chambers” does not here mean to do so literally, but to keep one’s self in concealment, and in one’s self, is very evident.
[2] In Ezekiel:
He said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his image? For they say, Jehovah seeth us not (Ezek. 8:12);
where “to do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his image” denotes inwardly within themselves, in the thoughts. The interior things of their thought and affection were represented to the prophet by chambers, and were called “chambers of the image.”
[3] In Moses:
Abroad shall the sword bereave, and out of the chambers terror, both young man and virgin, the suckling with the old man (Deut. 32:25);
where the “sword” denotes the vastation of truth and the punishment of falsity (see n. 2799); “terror out of the chambers” denotes out of man’s interiors. That the “chambers” here are not the chambers that are meant is evident.
[4] In David:
Who watereth the mountains from His chambers (Ps. 104:13);
“to water the mountains” in the spiritual sense is to bless those who are in love to the Lord, and in love toward the neighbor (that a “mountain” is the celestial of love, see n. 795, 1430, 4210); hence “from His chambers” is from the interiors of heaven. In Luke:
Whatsoever ye have spoken in the darkness shall be heard in the light, and that which ye have spoken in the ear in the bed-chambers shall be proclaimed upon the roofs (Luke 12:3);
where also “bed-chambers” denote the interiors of man, namely, what he has thought, what he has purposed, and what he has endeavored to do. In Matthew:
When thou prayest, enter into thy bed-chamber, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray in secret (Matt. 6:6);
“to enter into the bed-chamber and pray” means not in the outward appearance; for this was said representatively.

AC (Potts) n. 5695 5695. And he washed his faces. That this signifies that it so arranged, is evident from the signification of “washing the faces,” as here being to arrange so as not to appear; for the face was washed that no trace of tears might appear; consequently it was arranged in this way. How the case is with these things will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be told in the following pages. Here something must be said about the correspondence of the face with the interiors. The face is the external representative of the interiors, for the face is so formed that the interiors may appear in it as in a representative mirror, and that another may know from it of what mind the person is toward him; so that when he speaks he shows his feelings by his face as well as by his words. The most ancient people, who were of the celestial church, had a face like this; and all the angels have it, for they have no desire to conceal from others what they think, because they think well and only well toward the neighbor, nor have they any lurking thought of wishing well to the neighbor for the sake of themselves. But the infernals, when not seen in the light of heaven, have a different face from that which corresponds to their interiors. The reason is that in the life of the body their faces had shown charity toward the neighbor, merely for the sake of their own honor and gain, and yet they had never wished well to the neighbor except insofar as he favored them. The result is that the makeup of their faces is so much out of agreement with their interiors that sometimes enmities, hatreds, revenges, and murderous feeling are within, while their faces are made up so as to beam with love toward the neighbor. This shows how great at the present day is the disagreement between the interiors and the exteriors, resulting in the cultivation of such arts.

AC (Potts) n. 5696 5696. And went out. That this signifies by removal, is evident from the signification of “going out,” as here being removal; for one who removes himself goes out or withdraws from another. The case in the internal sense is this. By Joseph in the supreme sense is represented the Lord; by the ten sons of Israel are represented the truths and goods in the natural with those who are being regenerated; and by Benjamin is represented the intermediate. There is mercy from love toward the intermediate because thereby the things beneath are regenerated. But the Lord’s love and mercy do not appear until conjunction through the intermediate has been effected. It is also so arranged that they do not appear; for should they appear, regeneration could not be effected. This arrangement is made by removal and concealment-not that the Lord ever removes or conceals mercy; but when one who is being regenerated is let into his evils, it appears to him as if the Lord were remote and hidden. It is the evils that interpose and have this effect, just as dense clouds interpose between us and the sun, and make it seem distant and hide it. This is the concealment and removal that are meant.

AC (Potts) n. 5697 5697. And he restrained himself. That this signifies concealment, is evident from the signification of “restraining one’s self,” as being to conceal; for he who restrains himself conceals what he inwardly wills. What is here meant by concealment may be seen just above (n. 5696).

AC (Potts) n. 5698 5698. And said, Set on bread. That this signifies perception of conjunction through the intermediate with truths in the natural, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being perception (of which often above); and from the signification of “setting on bread,” as being conjunction through the intermediate with truths in the natural. By the setting on of bread is meant the banquet itself, and by banquets and feasts is signified conjunction, specifically initiation to conjunction (n. 3596, 3832, 5161). That it is a conjunction through the intermediate with truths in the natural, follows from the series, for “Benjamin” is the intermediate, and the ten sons of Jacob are truths in the natural, as has already been shown; and because the conjunction is through the intermediate, on seeing Benjamin Joseph commanded that they should eat with him-“and when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to him that was over his house, Bring the men to the house, and slaying slay, and make ready; for the men shall eat with me at noon” (Gen. 43:16).

AC (Potts) n. 5699 5699. And they set on for him alone, and for them alone. That this signifies an outward appearance that the internal was as if separated from them, is evident from the signification of “setting on for him alone, and for them alone,” as being separation; and as the internal is represented by Joseph, and the external by Israel’s ten sons (see n. 5469), therefore by these words is signified the separation of the internal from the external, but only in appearance, because he gave them food from his own table, sending portions to each.

AC (Potts) n. 5700 5700. And for the Egyptians, who did eat with him, alone. That this signifies the separation of the memory-knowledges which are in inverted order, is evident from the representation of the Egyptians, as being memory-knowledges that are in inverted order (of which hereafter); and from the signification of “who did eat with him alone,” as being separation (as just above, n. 5699). By the Egyptians “who did eat with him” are meant the Egyptians who ate at Joseph’s house; that they did not eat with Joseph is plain, because they ate alone. By “Egypt” or the “Egyptians” in a good sense are signified the memory-knowledges of the church (see n. 1462, 4749, 4964, 4966); but in the opposite sense are signified the memory-knowledges which are in inverted order, thus which are contrary to the truths of the church (n. 1164, 1165, 1186). In this sense “Egypt” is mentioned in many passages of the Word. That “Egypt” signifies these memory-knowledges, is because the memory- knowledges of the Ancient Church, which were representative and significative of celestial and spiritual things, and which were cultivated among the Egyptians more than among others, were turned by them into magic; whereby they completely inverted the memory-knowledges of the representative church.
[2] Memory-knowledges are said to be in inverted order when men abuse heavenly order to do evil; for heavenly order is that good be done to all. Hence it comes to pass that when they have thus inverted heavenly order, they at last deny Divine things, the things of heaven, and consequently those of charity and faith. They who become such know how to reason acutely and skillfully from memory-knowledges, because they reason from the senses, and to reason from these is to reason from such things as are external, that is, from such as are of the body and the world, which take direct hold of man’s senses and feelings. Unless such things have been illumined by the light of heaven, and thereby arranged in an entirely different order, they put the man in so great an obscurity as to heavenly things that he not only comprehends none of them, but even wholly denies, and at last rejects them, and then as far as he may, blasphemes them. When memory-knowledges are in order, they are arranged by the Lord in the form of heaven; but when they are in inverted order, they are arranged in the form of hell, and then things most false are in the midst, and those which confirm them are at the sides, while truths are without, and because they are without they can have no communication with heaven where truths reign; and therefore interior things are closed to such persons; for heaven is open by means of things interior.

AC (Potts) n. 5701 5701. Because the Egyptians cannot eat bread with the Hebrews. That this signifies that they could not possibly be conjoined with the truth and good of the church, is evident from the representation of the Egyptians, as being those who are in inverted order, thus in evil and falsity (of which just above, n. 5700); from the signification of “eating bread,” as being to be conjoined (of which also above, n. 5698); and from the representation of the Hebrews, as being those who are in genuine order, thus in the truth and good of the church. (That by the “land of the Hebrews” is signified the church may be seen above, n. 5136, 5236, and this because the Hebrew Church was the second Ancient Church, n. 1238, 1241, 1343.) “Eating bread” is mentioned here, and above “setting on bread,” because by “bread” is signified all food in general (n. 2165), thus the banquet. The reason why by “bread” is signified all food and the banquet itself, is that in the spiritual sense “bread” is celestial love, and celestial love contains within it all things of good and truth, thus all things of spiritual food. (That “bread” is celestial love may be seen above, n. 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 2187, 3464, 3478, 3735, 4211, 4217, 4735, 4976.)

AC (Potts) n. 5702 5702. Because this is an abomination to the Egyptians. That this signifies that they are in opposition, is evident from the representation of the Egyptians, as being those who are in inverted order (see n. 5700); and from the representation of the Hebrews, to eat with whom was an abomination to the Egyptians, as being those who are in genuine order (n. 5701); thus they are in opposition to each other, whence comes aversion, and at last abomination. In regard to this abomination be it known that those who are in inverted order, that is, in evil and the derivative falsity, become at last so averse to the good and truth of the church that when they hear them, and especially when they hear the interior things of them, they so greatly abominate them that they feel as it were a nausea and vomiting. This has been told and shown me, when I have wondered why the Christian world does not receive these interior things of the Word. There appeared spirits from the Christian world who, on being compelled to hear the interiors of the Word, were seized with so great a nausea that they said they felt as if they were going to vomit; and I was told that such is the Christian world at this day almost everywhere. The reason of its being so is that they are in no affection of truth for truth’s sake, still less in the affection of good from good. Their thinking and speaking anything from the Word or from their doctrine is from habit acquired from early childhood, and from the established form; thus it is an external without an internal.
[2] That all things of the Hebrew Church that was afterward instituted among Jacob’s descendants were an abomination to the Egyptians, is plain not only from their being unwilling even to eat with them, but also from the sacrifices which the Hebrew Church regarded as the chief part of its worship being an abomination to them, as is evident in Moses:
Pharaoh said, Go ye, sacrifice in the land; but Moses said, It is not meet so to do; because we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to Jehovah our God; lo if we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes will they not stone us? (Exod. 8:25, 26).
The pasturing of flocks, and a shepherd also, were an abomination to them, as is plain in Moses:
Every shepherd of a flock is an abomination unto the Egyptians (Gen. 46:34).
Thus the Egyptians abominated everything that belonged to that church. The reason was that at first the Egyptians had been among those who constituted the Ancient representative Church (n. 1238, 2385); but in course of time they rejected the God of the Ancient Church, that is, Jehovah or the Lord, and served idols, especially calves; and they also turned into magic the very representatives and significatives of the celestial and spiritual things of the Ancient Church, which they had learned when they belonged to that church. Hence order was inverted with them, and consequently all things of the church were an abomination to them.

AC (Potts) n. 5703 5703. And they sat before him. That this signifies that they were set in order by his presence, is evident from the signification of “sitting,” as here being to be set in order, for they were placed in order by Joseph, as appears from what follows (for they were amazed that the firstborn should sit according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth); and from the signification of “before him,” as being by his presence. The case herein is this. In the supreme sense by Joseph is represented the Lord, and by Israel’s sons, the goods and truths in the natural; when the Lord is present, then all things are set in order by His very presence. The Lord is order itself; and therefore where He is present there is order, and where there is order He is present. The order itself is described in the pages that now follow, which is that truths be rightly set in order under good.

AC (Potts) n. 5704 5704. The firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth. That this signifies according to the order of truths under good, is evident from the signification of “sitting according to birthright and according to youth,” as being according to the order of truths under good; for the sons of Israel represent the truths of the church in their order (see the explication of the twenty-ninth and thirtieth chapters of Genesis); and therefore to sit “according to their birth” is according to the order of truths. But the truths of the church which the sons of Israel represent do not come into any order except through Christian good, that is, through the good of charity toward the neighbor and of love to the Lord; for in good there is the Lord, and hence in good there is heaven; consequently in good there is life, thus living active force; but never in truth without good. That good sets truths in order after its own likeness is very manifest from every love, even from the loves of self and of the world, thus from the love of revenge, of hatred, and of the like evils. They who are in these evils call evil good, because to them evil is delightful. This so-called good of theirs sets in order the falsities which to them are truths, so that they may favor it, and at last sets all these falsities which they call truths in such an order as to effect persuasion. But this order is such as is the order in hell; whereas the order of truths under the good of celestial love is such as is the order in the heavens; and from this the man who has such order within him, that is, who has been regenerated, is called a little heaven, and moreover is a heaven in the least form, for his interiors correspond to the heavens.
[2] That it is good which sets truths in order is evident from the order in the heavens. There all the societies are set in order according to the truths under good which are from the Lord; for the Lord is nothing but Divine good; Divine truth is not in the Lord, but proceeds from Him; and according to this Divine truth under Divine good are all the societies in the heavens set in order. That the Lord is nothing but Divine good, and that Divine truth is not in Him, but proceeds from Him, may be illustrated by comparison with the sun of the world. The sun is nothing but fire, and light is not in it, but proceeds from it; and likewise the things that are of light in the world, such as vegetable forms, are set in order by the heat which proceeds from the sun’s fire and is in its light, as is evident in the time of spring and summer. As universal nature is a theater representative of the Lord’s kingdom, so also is this universal. The sun represents the Lord, the fire of it His Divine love, and the heat from it the good which flows therefrom, and the light the truths which are of faith; and because they are representative, therefore in the Word in the spiritual sense by the “sun” is meant the Lord (see n. 1053, 1521, 1529-1531, 3636, 3643, 4321, 5097, 5377), and by “fire” love (n. 934, 4906, 5071, 5215); thus the sun’s fire is representatively the Divine love, and the heat from it is good from the Divine love. (That light represents truth may be seen above, n. 2776, 3138, 3190, 3195, 3222, 3339, 3636, 3643, 3862, 3993, 4302, 4409, 4413, 4415, 4526, 5219, 5400.)

AC (Potts) n. 5705 5705. And the men were amazed, everyone at his companion. That this signifies a change of state of each one among them, is evident from the signification of “to be amazed,” as being an unexpected and sudden change of state in the thoughts, which being the cause of the amazement is signified in the internal sense; and from the signification of “everyone at his companion,” as being of each one among them; for the subject treated of is the order of truths under good caused by the presence of the internal (see n. 5703, 5704), and as the order is new, there is therefore a change of state of each one among them, which is signified by “the men being amazed, everyone at his companion.”

AC (Potts) n. 5706 5706. And he brought out portions from his faces unto them. That this signifies goods applied to everyone from mercy, is evident from the signification of “portions,” namely of food, as being goods (for all kinds of food signify goods, and drink of every kind signifies truths). That these are applied to everyone is plain from what follows, and is signified by “he brought out to them;” and from the signification of “faces,” when predicated of the Lord, who is represented by Joseph, as being mercy (n. 222, 223, 5585).

AC (Potts) n. 5707 5707. And he multiplied Benjamin’s portion above the portions of them all. That this signifies good for the intermediate above the goods for the truths in the natural, is evident from the signification of “portions,” as being goods (of which just above, n. 5706); from the representation of Benjamin, as being the intermediate (n. 5411, 5413, 5427, 5428, 5443, 5586, 5612); and from the representation of Jacob’s ten sons, above the portions of whom he made Benjamin’s portion, as being truths in the natural (n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512).
[2] From this it is plain that by his “multiplying Benjamin’s portion above the portions of them all” is signified good for the intermediate above the goods for the truths in the natural. The reason why there was good for the intermediate above the goods for the truths in the natural, is that the intermediate is interior, and what is interior abounds with goods more than that which is exterior. Few know how this is, namely, that the interior abounds with goods and truths more than the exteriors. The reason is that few, if any, have hitherto known that the interior is distinct from the exterior, and indeed so distinct that they can be separated, and that when separated the interior lives and the exterior dies, but that so long as they are conjoined, the exterior lives from the interior. If this had first been known, it might then have been known what the interior is as compared with the exterior-that in the interior there are thousands of things which in the exterior appear as one; for the interior is in a purer sphere, and the exterior in a grosser, and that which is in a purer sphere is capable of receiving distinctly thousands of things more than that which is in a grosser sphere. Hence it is that when the man who has led a life of good comes after death into heaven, he can receive thousands of thousands more things of intelligence and wisdom and happiness than when he lived in the world; for in heaven he is in a purer sphere, and is in his interiors, and has put off the grosser things of the body. From all this it is now plain what is meant by good for the intermediate above the goods for the truths in the natural, which is signified by his “multiplying Benjamin’s portion above the portions of them all.”

AC (Potts) n. 5708 5708. Five measures. That this signifies much increased, is evident from the signification of “five,” as being much (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “measures,” as being states of truth from good (see n. 3104). As regards “five,” it is a number that signifies a little, likewise some, and also much. Its signification depends upon its relation to the number of which it is a part (n. 5291): as a part of “ten” it involves the same as ten, but in a less degree, because it is half of the number ten; for as numbers formed by multiplication signify the like with their simple numbers (see n. 5291, 5335), so numbers produced by division signify the like as their multiples-for instance “five” the same as “ten” and as “twenty” and also as “one hundred” and “one thousand,” and so on. (That “ten” denotes what is full may be seen above, n. 3107, 4638.) Five more measures were given to Benjamin than to the rest of his brethren because of the signification of the matter in the internal sense; ten measures could not have been given, for they would have been far too much. By traditions from the Most Ancient Church the ancients knew what some numbers signified, and therefore they made use of these numbers when anything occurred which they might serve to signify, as here the number “five;” and in other cases they applied several other numbers, as “three” to signify what is full from beginning to end; “seven” to signify what is holy; “twelve” to signify all things in their complex.

AC (Potts) n. 5709 5709. And they drank. That this signifies the application of truths under good, is evident from the signification of “drinking,” as being the communication and appropriation of truth (see n. 3168, 3772, 4017, 4018), hence also its application. It is “under good,” because all the application of truth is effected under good (see above, n. 5704).

AC (Potts) n. 5710 5710. And drank largely with him. That this signifies abundantly, is evident from the signification of “drinking,” as being to apply truths under good (of which just above, n. 5709); hence “to drink largely” denotes abundantly. From the things unfolded in this chapter it is evident that the subject treated of is initiation to the conjunction of the natural with the celestial of the spiritual, and in a subsequent chapter the first conjunction is treated of; for the first conjunction is represented by Joseph’s manifesting himself to his brethren; the second by his going to meet his father and brethren, and bringing them down into Egypt.

AC (Potts) n. 5711 5711. Continuation concerning correspondence, here concerning the correspondence of diseases with the Spiritual World.
As the correspondence of diseases is to be treated of, be it known that all diseases in man have correspondence with the spiritual world; for whatever in universal nature has not correspondence with the spiritual world cannot exist, having no cause from which to exist, consequently from which to subsist. The things that are in nature are nothing but effects; their causes are in the spiritual world, and the causes of these causes, which are ends, are in the interior heaven. Nor can the effect subsist unless the cause is constantly in it, because the effect ceases when the cause ceases. Regarded in itself the effect is nothing else than the cause, but so clothed outwardly as to enable the cause to act as a cause in a lower sphere. Similar to the relation of the effect to the cause is that between the cause and the end; unless a cause also exists from its cause, which is an end, it is not a cause; for a cause without an end is a cause in no order, and where there is no order nothing is effected. From this it is now plain that regarded in itself an effect is a cause, and that regarded in itself a cause is an end, and that an end of good is in heaven and proceeds from the Lord; consequently that an effect is not an effect unless a cause is in it, and constantly in it; and that a cause is not a cause unless an end is in it, and constantly in it; and that an end is not an end of good unless the Divine which proceeds from the Lord is in it. Hence it is also plain that as each and all things in the world have come forth from the Divine, they continue to come forth from the Divine.

AC (Potts) n. 5712 5712. These things have been said in order that it may be known that diseases also have correspondence with the spiritual world; not a correspondence with heaven, which is the Grand Man, but with those who are in what is opposite, thus with those who are in the hells. By the spiritual world in the universal sense is meant both heaven and hell; for when man dies he passes out of the natural into the spiritual world. That diseases have correspondence with such is because they correspond to the cupidities and passions of the lower mind, which are also their origins; for the origins of diseases are, in general, intemperance, luxury of various kinds, mere bodily pleasures, as also feelings of envy, hatred, revenge, lewdness, and the like, which destroy man’s interiors; and when these are destroyed the exteriors suffer, and drag man into disease, and so into death. It is known in the church that the death of man is from evils, or on account of sin; and it is the same with diseases, for these belong to death. From all this it is evident that even diseases have correspondence with the spiritual world, but with unclean things there; for diseases are in themselves unclean, because as before said they spring from unclean things.

AC (Potts) n. 5713 5713. All the infernals induce diseases, but with a difference, for the reason that all the hells are in the desires and lusts of evil, and thus are contrary to the things of heaven; wherefore they act upon man from what is opposite. Heaven, which is the Grand Man, holds all things together in connection and safety; hell, being in what is opposite, destroys and severs all things. Consequently if the infernals are applied they induce diseases and at last death. Yet they are not permitted to flow as far as into the solid parts of the body, or into the parts of which man’s viscera, organs, and members consist, but merely into his cupidities and falsities. It is only when the man falls into disease that they flow into such unclean things as belong to the disease; for as before said nothing ever takes place in man without a cause in the spiritual world. If the natural with man were separated from the spiritual, it would be separated from all cause of existence, and thus from all that is vital. Yet this does not hinder man’s being healed in a natural way; for the Lord’s providence concurs with such means. That this is so has been given me to know by much experience, and this so often and for so long that no doubt was left; for evil spirits from such places have been applied to me often and long, and according to their presence they induced pains, and also diseases. I was shown where they were, and what they were, and was told also where they came from.

AC (Potts) n. 5714 5714. One who in the life of the body had been a consummate adulterer, and had made his highest delight consist in committing adultery with many women, whom he immediately afterward discarded and held in aversion, persisted in such practices even to old age. Moreover he had also been devoted to pleasures, and did not desire to act well to anyone and do him a service, except for his own sake, especially for the sake of his adultery. He was with me for several days, being seen under the feet; and when the sphere of his life was communicated to me, to whatever part he came he inflicted a pain in the periosteums and nerves of that part, as for instance in the toes of the left foot; and when he was permitted to rise up he inflicted pain in the parts where he was, especially in the periosteums in the loins, and in the periosteums of the breast under the diaphragm, and also in the interior of the teeth. While his sphere was operating it caused also great oppression in the stomach.

AC (Potts) n. 5715 5715. There once appeared a great quadrangular opening that extended obliquely downward to a considerable depth. In the deep was seen a round opening, which was then open but presently was closed. From it exhaled a dangerous heat, collected from various hells, and arising from cupidities of various kinds, as from arrogance, lewdness, adultery, hatred, revenge, quarrels, and fights, from which arise in the hells such heat as exhaled. When it acted upon my body it instantly brought on disease like that of a burning fever; but when it ceased to flow in, this effect of disease at once ceased. When a man falls into such a disease as he has contracted from his life, then forthwith an unclean sphere corresponding to the disease attaches itself, and is present as a fomenting cause. That I might know for certain that this is the case, there have been spirits with me from a number of hells, through whom the sphere of exhalations thence was communicated; and according as it was permitted to act upon the solid parts of the body, I was seized with oppression, with pain, even with the corresponding disease, which ceased in an instant when those spirits were driven away; and that no room for doubt might be left, this has been done a thousand times.

AC (Potts) n. 5716 5716. There are also spirits not far therefrom who infuse unclean colds, like those of a shivering fever, as has been granted me to know by experience. The same spirits induce such things as disturb the mind, and they also bring on swoons. The spirits from this neighborhood are most malicious.

AC (Potts) n. 5717 5717. There are some who not only relate to the most viscid substances of the brain, which are its excremental things, but also know how to infect them as if with poisons. When such spirits arrive they rush within the skull, and thence by continuity even into the spinal marrow. This cannot be felt by those whose interiors are not open. It has been given me plainly to feel the inroad, and also the effort to destroy me; but this was vain, because I was protected by the Lord. They strove to take away from me all the capacity of the intellect. I plainly felt their operation, and felt also pain from it, which however soon ceased. I afterward spoke to them, and they were compelled to confess whence they were. They said that they lived in dark forests, where they durst not injure their companions, because in that case their companions were allowed to treat them cruelly. Thus they are kept in bonds. They are ugly, having the face of a wild beast, and hairy. I was told that they are such as had formerly slain whole armies, as we read in the Word; for they rushed into the chambers of everyone’s brain, and inspired terror, together with such madness that they killed each other. At the present day such spirits are kept shut up within their own hell, and are not let out. These too bear relation to deadly tumors of the head within the skull. It was said above that they rush within the skull and by continuity therefrom even into the spinal marrow; but be it known that it is only an appearance that the spirits themselves rush in, they being borne along outside by a way which corresponds to the spaces in question within the body, which is felt within as if there were an inroad. This sensation is caused by correspondence, from which their operation is easily brought to bear upon the man to whom it is directed.

AC (Potts) n. 5718 5718. There is a certain kind of spirits who, because they wish to have dominion, and to be sole rulers over all others, to this end stir up enmities, hatreds, and fights among others. I have seen the consequent fights, and wondered at them. I inquired who they were, and was told that they were that kind of spirits who excite such passions because they are bent on being sole rulers, according to the maxim, Divide and rule. It was also granted me to talk with them, and they immediately said that they rule all. But it was given to answer that they were insanity personified if they sought to establish their rule by such means. They talked with me from above at a middle height over the forehead. They spoke with fluency, because in the bodily life they had excelled in eloquence. I was instructed that they are such as relate to the thick phlegm of the brain, from which organ they take away vitality by their presence, and induce on it torpor, whence come obstructions, giving rise to a number of diseases, as well as to dullnesses.
[2] It was noticed that they were devoid of all conscience, and that they made human prudence and wisdom to consist in stirring up enmities, hatreds, and intestine fights, in order to rule. It was given to ask them whether they know that they are now in the other life, where they are to live to eternity, and that there are spiritual laws there which utterly forbid such actions, and that while they were in the world they might among fools be esteemed and believed to be wise, but that among the wise they are insane. This displeased them. I continued, that they ought to know that heaven consists in mutual love, or that of one toward another, whence there is order in heaven, whereby so many myriads are ruled as one; but that the contrary is the case with them, because they instigate others to breathe against their companions nothing but what savors of hatred, revenge, and cruelty. They replied that they cannot be other than they are; whereupon it was given to say that from this they may know that everyone’s life remains with him after death.

AC (Potts) n. 5719 5719. They who despise and ridicule the Word in the letter, and still more who do this to the things contained therein in the deeper sense, and consequently to the doctrinal things that are from the Word, and who at the same time are in no love toward the neighbor, but are in the love of self, bear relation to the vitiated things of the blood, which find their way into all the veins and arteries, and taint the whole mass. Lest by their presence they should bring anything of the kind upon man, they are kept separate from others in their own hell, and communicate only with those who are of this nature; for these throw themselves into the breath and sphere of that hell.

AC (Potts) n. 5720 5720. Hypocrites have been with me, those namely who have spoken in a holy manner about Divine things, and with an affection of love about the public and the neighbor, and have borne witness to what is just and equitable, and yet in their heart have despised and even laughed at these things. When they were permitted to flow into the parts of the body to which they correspond by opposition, they inflicted pain on the teeth, so severe on their nearest presence that I could not bear it; and in proportion as they were removed, the pain ceased. This was shown repeatedly, that no doubt might remain. Among them was one whom I had known in the life of his body, and I therefore spoke to him; and at his presence also there was pain in the teeth and gums. When he was raised upward to the left, the pain attacked the left jaw, and invaded the bone of the left temple down to the bones of the cheek.

AC (Potts) n. 5721 5721. The most stubborn of all are they who during their life in the body had appeared more just than others, and had also been established in dignity, and on both accounts had authority and weight, and yet had believed nothing, and had lived a mere life of the love of self, being inflamed with inward hatred and revenge against all who did not favor them, and pay them reverence, and still more against those who in any way opposed them. If in these they detected any blemish they made an enormous evil of it, and defamed them, even though they might be among the best of citizens.
[2] In the other life such persons speak as they had done in this world, with authority and weight, and as if from justice; wherefore many suppose that they are to be believed above others. Yet they are most malicious. When they are applied to a man, they induce great pain by weariness, which they continually inflate and increase, even to the utmost impatience; which induces so great a weakness in the mind and in consequence in the body that the man can scarcely rise from his bed. This was shown me by such weakness seizing me when they were present, and yet ceasing according to the degree in which they were removed.
[3] They make use of many an art in order to infuse weariness and consequent weakness, especially by means of disparagements and defamations among themselves and their associates, whose common sphere they inject. When these persons reason within their closets about Divine worship, faith, and eternal life, they utterly reject them, and this they do as from a preeminent wisdom. In the other life they are willing to be called devils, provided they are allowed to rule over the hells, and thus from supreme power-as they believe-to act against the Divine. Inwardly they are filthy, because pre-eminently in the love of self, and thereby in hatred and revenge, and in cruelty against all who do not pay court to them.
[4] They are severely punished, as I have also heard, until they desist from leading others astray by an appearance of justice. When this appearance is taken away from them, they speak in another tone. They are afterward cast out from the world of spirits, and are then carried toward the left, and there are cast down deep into hell. Their hell is toward the left at a mid distance.

AC (Potts) n. 5722 5722. There are others who in the life of the body have been most filthy, their filthiness being such as to be unmentionable. By their presence and influx into the solid parts of the body they induce a weariness of life, and such torpor in the members and limbs that the man cannot rise from his bed. They are very stubborn, and do not desist through penalties, as do other devils. They appear beside the head, and as if lying there. When they are driven away, it is not done suddenly, but gently, and they are then by degrees rolled down toward lower places; and when they come into the deep, they are tormented there so severely that they cannot but desist from infesting others. Such is their delight in doing evil that nothing is more delightful to them.

AC (Potts) n. 5723 5723. There were spirits with me who induced so severe an oppression in the stomach that I seemed to myself scarcely able to live. The oppression was so great that with others it would have brought on a swoon. But they were removed, and then it at once ceased. I was told that such spirits are they who in the life of the body had been devoted to no pursuit, not even at home, but solely to pleasure, and besides had lived in foul idleness and sloth, and had not cared anything for others. Moreover they had despised the faith. In short, they had been animals, not men. The sphere of such produces numbness in the members and joints of the sick.

AC (Potts) n. 5724 5724. There are in the brain viscidities in which is mingled something spirituous or vital, and these viscidities, expelled from the blood there, fall first among the meninges, then among the fibers, part of them into the great ventricles of the brain, and so on. The spirits who relate by correspondence to those viscidities which have something spirituous or some life in them, appear almost directly above the middle of the head at a mid distance, and are such that from habit acquired in the life of the body they stir scruples of conscience, and intrude in matters of no conscience, and in this way burden the conscience of the simple. Nor do they know what ought to engage the conscience, but make everything that occurs a matter of conscience. Such spirits induce a sensible anxiety in the part of the abdomen beneath the region of the diaphragm. They are also present in temptations, and inject anxieties, at times unbearable. Those of them who correspond to the viscous phlegm of less vitality then keep the thought fixed in these anxieties. Moreover, when I have been in discourse with them, in order to know their quality, they tried in various ways to burden the conscience. This had been the delight of their life; and it was given me to notice that they cannot attend to reasons, and that they do not possess that more universal view of things that would enable them to see the singular ones.

AC (Potts) n. 5725 5725. It has been granted me to learn by experience what an inundation or deluge is in the spiritual sense. Such an inundation is two-fold, one of cupidities, and the other of falsities. That which is of cupidities belongs to the will part, and is on the right side of the brain; but that which is of falsities belongs to the intellectual part, in which is the left side of the brain. When a man who has lived in good is remitted into his own, thus into the sphere of his own life, there then appears as it were an inundation; and when he is in this inundation he is indignant, angry, thinks restlessly, desires impetuously. This takes place in one way when the left side of the brain where there are falsities is inundated, and in another when the right side where evils are is inundated. But when the man is kept in the sphere of life which he had received from the Lord by regeneration, he is then entirely out of such an inundation, and is as it were in a serene and sunny, cheerful and happy state, thus far from indignation, anger, unrest, cupidities, and the like. This is the morning or springtime of spirits; the other is their evening or autumn. It was given me to perceive that I was outside this inundation, and this for quite a long time; while I saw that other spirits were in it. Afterward, however, I myself was immersed, and then I noticed the appearance of an inundation. In such an inundation are they who are in temptations. By it too I was instructed what the “flood” signifies in the Word-that the last posterity of the most ancient people, who were of the Lord’s celestial church, were completely inundated with evils and falsities, and thus perished.

AC (Potts) n. 5726 5726. As death is from no other source than sin, and sin is all that which is contrary to Divine order, therefore evil closes the very smallest and most invisible vessels, of which are composed the next larger ones, also invisible; for the vessels which are smallest of all and wholly invisible are continued from man’s interiors. Hence comes the first and inmost obstruction, and hence the first and inmost vitiation into the blood. When this vitiation increases, it causes disease, and finally death. If, however, man had lived a life of good, his interiors would be open into heaven, and through heaven to the Lord; and so too would the very least and most invisible little vessels (the traces of the first threads may be called little vessels, on account of the correspondence). In consequence man would be without disease, and would merely decline to extreme old age, even until he became again a little child, but a wise one; and when the body could no longer minister to his internal man or spirit, he would pass without disease out of his earthly body into a body such as the angels have, thus out of the world directly into heaven.

AC (Potts) n. 5727 5727. This is the end of the subject of correspondence. In the following pages, at the close of the chapters, of the Lord’s Divine mercy I will speak of the spirits and angels with man; then of influx, and of the interaction of the soul with the body; and afterward of the inhabitants of other earths.

AC (Potts) n. 5728 5728. THE BOOK OF GENESIS

CHAPTER THE FORTY-FOURTH

1. And he commanded him that was over his house, saying, Fill the men’s bags with food, as much as they can carry, and put every one’s silver in his bag’s mouth.
2. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the bag’s mouth of the youngest, and his grain silver. And he did according to the word of Joseph that he had spoken.
3. The morning grew light, and the men were sent away, they and their asses.
4. They were gone out of the city, not yet far off, and Joseph said unto him that was over his house, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore do ye return evil for good?
5. Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and in which divining he divineth? Ye have done evil in so doing.
6. And he overtook them, and he spake unto them there words.
7. And they said unto him, Wherefore speaketh my lord according to these words? Far be it from thy servants to do according to this word.
8. Behold, the silver which we found in our bag’s mouth we brought back to thee out of the land of Canaan; and how should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold?
9. With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be to my lord for servants.
10. And he said, Now also according to your words so be it; he with whom it is found shall be to me a servant, and ye shall be blameless.
11. And they hastened, and made every one his bag come down to the earth, and opened every man his bag.
12. And he searched; he began at the eldest, and left off at the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s bag.
13. And they rent their garments, and laded every one his ass, and returned to the city.
14. And Judah and his brethren entered Joseph’s house, and he was yet there; and they fell before him to the earth.
15. And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? Knew ye not that such a man as I divining divineth?
16. And Judah said, what shall we say to my lord? what shall we speak? and how shall we be justified? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold we are servants to my lord, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup was found.
17. And he said, Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be to me a servant; and ye, go ye up in peace to your father.
18. And Judah came near unto him, and said, By me, my lord, let thy servant I pray speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger be kindled against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.
19. My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?
20. And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old ages, the youngest; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left to his mother, and his father loveth him.
21. And thou saidst unto thy servants, Make him come down unto me, and I will set mine eye upon him.
22. And we said unto my lord, The boy cannot leave his father; and should he leave his father, he will die.
23. And thou sadist unto thy servants, If your youngest brother come not down with you, ye shall see my faces no more.
24. And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
25. And our father said, Return ye, buy us a little food.
26. And we said, We cannot go down; if our younger brother be with us, then will we go down; for we cannot see the man’s faces, and our youngest brother he not with us.
27. And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons;
28. And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely tearing he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him hitherto.
29. And ye are taking this one also from my faces, and if harm befall him, ye will make my gray hairs go down in evil to the grave.
30. And now when I come to thy servant my father, and the boy he not with us, and his soul is bound in his soul,
31. And it shall come to pass when he seeth that the boy is not, that he will die; and thy servants will make thy servant our father’s gray hairs go down in sorrow to the grave.
32. For thy servant became surety for the boy from being with my father, saying, If I bring him not back unto thee I shall sin to my father all the days.
33. And now I pray let thy servant remain instead of the boy a servant to my lord, and let the boy go up with his brethren.
34. For how shall I go up to my father and the boy not with me? peradventure I shall see the evil that shall come upon my father.

The Contents

The subject treated of in this chapter in the internal sense is the intermediate between the internal celestial man and the external natural man; and first that the internal celestial man filled the intermediate with spiritual truth from itself. The intermediate is “Benjamin,” the spiritual truth with it is “Joseph’s silver cup,” the internal celestial man is “Joseph,” and the external natural man is the “ten sons of Jacob.”

AC (Potts) n. 5729 5729. The subject next treated of is the temptation of the external natural man, which continues until there is willing submission to the internal celestial. The temptation is described by their being accused, and by their returning in despair to Joseph. The willing submission is described by their all offering themselves for servants, and Judah’s offering himself in their stead. The conjunction of the external man with the internal is not accomplished without temptation and willing submission.

AC (Potts) n. 5730 5730. In the representative historic sense the subject here treated of is Jacob’s descendants, that they were rejected, but that they obstinately insisted on being representative. Their being rejected is meant by Joseph’s desiring to send them away, and to keep Benjamin only; their obstinately insisting is involved in the particulars of their confession and entreaty.

AC (Potts) n. 5731 5731. The Internal Sense
Verses 1, 2. And he commanded him that was over his house, saying, Fill the men’s bags with food, as much as they can carry, and put everyone’s silver in his bag’s mouth. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the bag’s mouth of the youngest, and his grain silver. And he did according to the word of Joseph that he had spoken. “And he commanded him that was over his house, saying,” signifies influx from himself; “Fill the men’s bags with food,” signifies into the natural with the good of truth; “as much as they can carry,” signifies to sufficiency; “and put everyone’s silver in his bag’s mouth,” signifies together with truth anew in the exterior natural; “and put my cup, the silver cup, in the bag’s mouth of the youngest,” signifies interior truth bestowed on the intermediate; “and his grain silver,” signifies the truth of good; “and he did according to the word of Joseph that he had spoken,” signifies that it was so done.

AC (Potts) n. 5732 5732. And he commanded him that was over his house, saying. That this signifies influx from himself, is evident from the signification of “commanding,” as being influx (n. 5486); and from the signification of “him that was over his house,” as being which communicated. That it was from himself, namely, from the internal celestial, which Joseph represents, is plain. That “to command” is influx, is because in heaven no one is commanded or ordered; but thought is communicated, and the other acts willingly in accordance therewith. Communication of thought together with a desire which wills that something be done, is influx, and on the part of the recipient is perception, and therefore by “commanding” is signified also perception (n. 3661, 3682).
[2] Moreover in heaven they not only think, but also talk together, but about things of wisdom; yet in their conversation there is nothing of command from one to another, for no one desires to be master and thereby to look upon another as a servant; but everyone desires to minister to and serve the others. From this it is plain what form of government there is in the heavens, which is described by the Lord in Matthew:
It shall not be so among you; but whosoever would become great among you should be your minister, and whosoever would be first should be your servant (Matt. 20:26, 27);
and again:
He that is greatest among you shall be your minister. Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted (Matt. 23:11, 12).
He does this who loves his neighbor from the heart, or who feels delight and blessedness in doing good to others for no selfish end; that is, who has charity toward the neighbor.

AC (Potts) n. 5733 5733. Fill the men’s bags with food. That this signifies into the natural with the good of truth, is evident from the signification of a “bag,” as being the exterior natural (see n. 5497); and from the signification of “food,” as being the good of truth (n. 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 5487, 5582, 5588, 5655). From this it is plain that by his “commanding him that was over his house to fill the men’s bags with food” is signified influx from himself into the natural with the good of truth. As the expressions “good of truth” and “truth of good” frequently occur, the difference between them shall be stated. He who does not know what the celestial church is relatively to the spiritual church, cannot possibly know this difference. The truth of good is of the celestial church, and the good of truth is of the spiritual church. With those who were of the celestial church, good was implanted in the will part, which is the proper seat of good, and from this good, that is, through this good from the Lord, they had a perception of truth; hence they had the truth of good. But with those who are of the spiritual church, good is implanted in the intellectual part by means of truth, for all truth is of the intellectual part, and through truth they are led to good, to do truth being their good; hence they have the good of truth. The latter is properly predicated of those who are of the spiritual church; yet the truth of good, although not properly, is also predicated of them, of which more will be said elsewhere.

AC (Potts) n. 5734 5734. As much as they can carry. That this signifies to sufficiency, may be seen without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5735 5735. And put everyone’s silver in his bag’s mouth. That this signifies together with truth anew in the exterior natural, is evident from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (see n. 1551, 2954, 5658); and from the signification of the “bag’s mouth,” as being the threshold of the exterior natural (see n. 5497). (What the exterior natural is, and what the interior, may be seen above, n. 4570, 5118, 5126, 5497, 5649.) That it is truth anew, is because silver was once before placed in their bag’s mouth (chap. 42:25, 27, 28, 35).

AC (Potts) n. 5736 5736. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the bag’s mouth of the youngest. That this signifies interior truth bestowed on the intermediate, is evident from the signification of a “silver cup,” as being the truth of faith that is from the good of charity (see n. 5120), and because it is called “my cup,” that is, Joseph’s, it is interior truth (as Benjamin represents the intermediate, also as to truth, he represents interior truth, n. 5600, 5631, thus spiritual truth, n. 5639); from the signification of the “bag’s mouth,” when predicated of Benjamin as the intermediate, as being where it is adjoined to the natural; for an intermediate to be an intermediate communicates with the external and with the internal (n. 5411, 5413, 5586), its exterior here being the natural; and from the representation of Benjamin, who is here the “youngest,” as being the intermediate (n. 5411, 5413, 5443, 5688). From these things it is plain what is signified by Joseph’s putting his silver cup in Benjamin’s bag.

AC (Potts) n. 5737 5737. And his grain silver. That this signifies the truth of good, is evident from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (see n. 1551, 2954, 5658); and from the signification of “grain,” as being good (n. 5295, 5410); for the interior or spiritual truth which proceeds from the internal celestial, which is “Joseph,” is the truth of good. (What the truth of good is, may be seen just above, n. 5733.)

AC (Potts) n. 5738 5738. And he did according to the word of Joseph that he had spoken. That this signifies that it was so done, is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5739 5739. Verses 3-5. The morning grew light, and the men were sent away, they and their asses. They were gone out of the city, not yet far off, and Joseph said unto him that was over his house, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore do ye return evil for good? Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and in which divining he divineth? Ye have done evil in so doing. “The morning grew light,” signifies a state of enlightenment at that time; “and the men were sent away, they and their asses,” signifies that the external natural man was removed somewhat with its truths and memory-knowledges; “they were gone out of the city, not yet far off,” signifies the amount of removal; “and Joseph said unto him that was over his house,” signifies perception and influx anew; “Up, follow after the men,” signifies that it should now adjoin them to itself; “and when thou dost overtake them,” signifies mediate adjunction; “say unto them, Wherefore do ye return evil for good?” signifies why is there a turning away; “is not this it in which my lord drinketh?” signifies that there was interior truth with them received from the celestial; “and in which divining he divineth?” signifies that the celestial knows hidden things from its Divine; “ye have done evil in so doing,” signifies that it is contrary to Divine law to claim it to themselves.

AC (Potts) n. 5740 5740. The morning grew light. That this signifies a state of enlightenment at that time, is evident from the signification of “morning” and “growing light,” as being a state of enlightenment. “Morning” in the supreme sense is the Lord (see n. 2405, 2780); and therefore when it is said “the morning grew light,” it signifies a state of enlightenment, for all enlightenment is from the Lord. (That “rising in the morning” also means a state of enlightenment may be seen above, n. 3458, 3723.)

AC (Potts) n. 5741 5741. And the men were sent away, they and their asses. That this signifies that the external natural man was removed somewhat with its truths and memory-knowledges, is evident from the representation of Jacob’s sons, who are here the “men,” as being the truths of the church in the natural (see n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512), and therefore the external natural man (n. 5680); from the signification of “asses,” as being memory-knowledges (n. 5492); and from the signification of “sent away, and not far off,” as being that it-the external natural man-was removed somewhat. From this it is plain that by “the men were sent away, they and their asses, not far off,” is signified the external natural man, removed somewhat with its truths and memory-knowledges, namely, from the internal celestial which is represented by Joseph.
[2] As regards the signification of “asses,” be it known that they signified one thing when they were used for riding, and another when they served for carrying burdens; for judges, kings, and their sons rode upon he-asses, she-asses, and also upon mules, and these then signified rational, and also natural, truth and good (n. 2781); for which reason when the Lord as Judge and King entered Jerusalem, He rode upon an ass with a colt; for this was the mark of judgeship, and also of royalty. But when asses served for carrying burdens, as here, then they signified memory-knowledges. Nor is the case different with these knowledges. One who in thinking of man’s interior things advances no further than to the knowledges that are of the memory, supposes that everything of man consists in these knowledges, not being aware that memory-knowledges are the lowest things in man, and such as for the most part are put away when the body dies (n. 2475-2480); but the things that are in them, namely truth and good together with their affections, remain; and also with the evil there remain falsity and evil together with their affections; memory-knowledges being as it were the body of these. So long as a man lives in the world, he has truth and good, or falsity and evil, in the memory-knowledges, for these are what contain them; and because memory-knowledges contain, and therefore as it were carry, interior things, they are signified by the asses which serve for carrying burdens.

AC (Potts) n. 5742 5742. They were gone out of the city, not yet far off. That this signifies the amount of removal, may be seen from what has gone before.

AC (Potts) n. 5743 5743. And Joseph said unto him that was over his house. That this signifies perception and influx anew, is evident from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being to perceive (as often before explained); and because it is perception in respect to him who hears and receives, it is influx in respect to him who says; for they mutually answer to each other. (That his “commanding him that was over his house” denotes influx from himself, may be seen above, n. 5732.)

AC (Potts) n. 5744 5744. Up, follow after the men. That this signifies that it ought now to adjoin them to itself, is evident from the signification of “following after the men and overtaking them,” as being to adjoin; for “to follow” denotes a disposition to adjoin, and “to overtake” denotes adjunction. In the rest of this chapter is described the return of Jacob’s sons, and in the following chapter the manifestation of Joseph, by which is signified the conjunction of the celestial of the spiritual with truths in the natural. Hence it is plain that by “follow after the men” is signified that it ought now to adjoin them to itself.

AC (Potts) n. 5745 5745. And when thou dost overtake them. That this signifies mediate adjunction, is evident from the signification of their being overtaken by him that was over Joseph’s house, as being mediate adjunction.

AC (Potts) n. 5746 5746. Say unto them, Wherefore do ye return evil for good? That this signifies why is there a turning away? is evident from the signification of “returning evil for good,” as being to turn away, for evil is nothing else than a turning away from good; for they who are in evil spurn good, that is, spiritual good, which is of charity and faith. That “evil” is a turning away, is very evident from the evil in the other life; for they appear in the light of heaven with the feet upward and the head downward (see n. 3641), thus wholly inverted, and consequently turned away.

AC (Potts) n. 5747 5747. Is not this it in which my lord drinketh? That this signifies that the interior truth with them was received from the celestial, is evident from the signification of a “cup,” which is meant by “this in which my lord drinketh,” as being interior truth (see n. 5736); and from the representation of Joseph, who is here “my lord,” as being the celestial of the spiritual (n. 5307, 5331, 5332), here the celestial, because interior truth is treated of, which is spiritual and proceeds from the celestial. That it was received is signified by the cup being placed at Joseph’s command in the mouth of Benjamin’s bag.
[2] They are accused as if they had taken the cup. The reason why they were so accused, although the cup had been placed there, is plain from the internal sense, which is this. The truth which is bestowed by the Lord is first received as if it were not bestowed; for before regeneration the man supposes that he procures truth for himself, and so long as he supposes this he is in spiritual theft. To claim good and truth to oneself, and to attribute them to oneself for righteousness and merit, is to take away from the Lord that which is His (see n. 2609, 4174, 5135). It was in order that this might be represented, that this thing was done by Joseph; but still their being accused of theft was in order that conjunction might be effected, for until man has been regenerated he cannot but so believe. He does indeed say with his lips from doctrine that all the truth of faith and good of charity are from the Lord, yet he does not believe it until faith has been implanted in good, when for the first time he acknowledges it from the heart.
[3] Confession from doctrine is quite another thing than confession from faith. Many, even those who are not in good, can confess from doctrine, for doctrine to them is merely knowledge; but none can confess from faith except those who are in spiritual good, that is, in charity toward the neighbor. That they were accused of theft in order to bring about conjunction, is plain also from the fact that Joseph thereby brought them back to him, and kept them awhile in thought about what they had done, and that he then manifested, that is conjoined, himself to them.

AC (Potts) n. 5748 5748. And in which divining he divineth? That this signifies that the celestial knows hidden things from its Divine, is evident from the signification of “divining,” as being to know hidden things. That it is from the Divine, is because the celestial of the spiritual, which is “Joseph,” represents truth from the Divine, or truth in which is the Divine (see n. 5703).

AC (Potts) n. 5749 5749. Ye have done evil in so doing. That this signifies that it is contrary to Divine law to claim it to themselves, is evident from the signification of “theft,” which is meant here by the “evil which they did,” as being to claim to oneself that which belongs to the Lord, namely, the truth which is signified by Joseph’s silver cup (see n. 5747). That this is contrary to the Divine law is manifest (n. 2609). The reason why man ought not to claim to himself anything that is from the Lord, thus not truth and good, is that he may be in the truth; and insofar as he is in the truth, so far he is in the light in which angels are in heaven; and insofar as he is in this light, so far he is in intelligence and wisdom; and insofar as he is in intelligence and wisdom, so far he is in happiness. This is the reason why man ought to acknowledge from the faith of the heart that nothing of truth and good is from himself, but all from the Lord, and this because it is so.

AC (Potts) n. 5750 5750. Verses 6-10. And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these words. And they said unto him, Wherefore speaketh my lord according to these words? Far be it from thy servants to do according to this word. Behold, the silver which we found in our bag’s mouth we brought back to thee out of the land of Canaan; and how should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold? With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be to my lord for servants. And he said, Now also according to your words so be it; he with whom it is found shall be to me a servant, and ye shall be blameless. “And he overtook them,” signifies mediate adjunction; “and he spake unto them these words,” signifies the influx of this thing; “and they said unto him,” signifies perception; “Wherefore speaketh my lord according to these words?” signifies reflection why such a thing flows in; “far be it from thy servants to do according to this word,” signifies when it is not from the will; “behold the silver which we found in our bags’ mouth,” signifies when truth was bestowed gratuitously; “we brought back to thee out of the land of Canaan,” signifies submitted from a principle of religion; “and how should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold?” signifies why then shall we claim to ourselves truth and good, which are from the Divine celestial; “with whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die,” signifies that he is damned who does so; “and we also will be to my lord for servants,” signifies that they will be associates forever without freedom from their own; “and he said, Now also according to your words,” signifies that indeed it would be so from justice; “so be it,” signifies a milder sentence; “he with whom it is found shall be to me a servant,” signifies that he with whom it is shall be forever without freedom of his own; “and ye shall be blameless,” signifies that the rest shall be at their own disposal, because not sharing in the fault.

AC (Potts) n. 5751 5751. And he overtook them. That this signifies mediate adjunction, is evident from what was said above (see n. 5745).

AC (Potts) n. 5752 5752. And he spake unto them these words. That this signifies the influx of this thing, is evident from the signification of “speaking,” as being influx (see n. 2951, 3037, 5481); and from the signification of “words,” as being things. A “thing” and a “word” are expressed in the original language by the same term.

AC (Potts) n. 5753 5753. And they said unto him. That this signifies perception, is evident from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception.

AC (Potts) n. 5754 5754. Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? That this signifies reflection why such a thing flows in, is evident from the signification of “speaking,” as being to flow in; and from the signification of “such words as these,” as being this thing or such a thing (of which just above, n. 5752). Reflection is involved in the word “wherefore,” which is a word of questioning with oneself.

AC (Potts) n. 5755 5755. Far be it from thy servants to do according to this word. That this signifies when it is not from the will, namely of claiming truth to themselves, is evident from the signification of “doing,” as being to will; for all deed is of the will. The deed itself is natural, and the will is the spiritual source of it. Its not being from the will is signified by “far be it from thy servants.”

AC (Potts) n. 5756 5756. Behold the silver which we found in our bags’ mouths. That this signifies when truth was bestowed gratuitously, is evident from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (n. 1551, 2954, 5658); and from the signification of “we found,” as being bestowed gratuitously, for everyone’s grain silver was returned to him, thus was bestowed gratuitously (n. 5530, 5624); and from the signification of the “bags’ mouths,” as being the threshold of the exterior natural (n. 5497).

AC (Potts) n. 5757 5757. We brought back to thee out of the land of Canaan. That this signifies submitted from a principle of religion, is evident from the signification of “bringing back,” as being to submit (see n. 5624); and from the signification of the “land of Canaan,” as being what is religious. The “land of Canaan” signifies various things, for the reason that it signifies that which includes very many things; for it signifies the Lord’s kingdom, the church, and consequently the man of the church, because he is a church; and as it signifies these, it signifies also the celestial which is of the church, namely, the good of love; and also its spiritual, which is the truth of faith, and so on; here therefore it signifies the religious principle which is of the church; for it is of the religious principle of the church that no one ought to claim truth and good to himself. From these things it is plain why the same expression sometimes signifies a number of things; for when it involves several things in the complex, it also signifies those which it involves, according to the series of things in the internal sense. That the “land of Canaan” is the Lord’s kingdom, see n. 1413, 1437, 1607, 3038, 3481, 3705; and also the church, n. 3686, 3705, 4447. From these flow its other significations.

AC (Potts) n. 5758 5758. And how should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold? That this signifies why then shall we claim to ourselves truth and good, which are from the Divine celestial, is evident from the signification of “stealing,” as being in the spiritual sense to claim to oneself that which belongs to the Lord (of which above, n. 5749); from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (n. 1551, 2954, 5658); and from the signification of “gold,” as being good (n. 113, 1551, 1552, 5658). In this whole chapter spiritual theft is treated of, which is the claiming to oneself of the good and truth that are from the Lord. This is a matter of so great moment that a man after death cannot be admitted into heaven until he acknowledges at heart that nothing of good or truth is from himself, but all from the Lord, and that whatever is from himself is nothing but evil. The fact that this is so, is shown to man after death by many experiences. The angels in heaven plainly perceive that all good and truth are from the Lord; and moreover that by the Lord they are withheld from evil and kept in good and so in truth, and this by a mighty force.
[2] It has been given me plainly to perceive this now for many years, and also that insofar as I have been left to my own or to myself, I have been inundated with evils, and so far as I have been withheld therefrom by the Lord, I have been lifted up from evil into good. Therefore to claim truth and good to oneself is contrary to the universal that reigns in heaven, as well as contrary to the acknowledgment that all salvation is of mercy, that is, that man of himself is in hell, but is of mercy drawn out thence by the Lord. Man cannot be in humiliation, nor consequently can he receive the Lord’s mercy (for this flows in only in humiliation or into a humble heart), unless he acknowledges that there is nothing but evil from himself, and that all good is from the Lord. Without this acknowledgment a man attributes to himself as merit, and at length as righteousness, whatever he does; for to claim to himself the truth and good which are from the Lord is to make himself righteous. This is the source of many evils; for he then regards self in everything that he does for the neighbor, and when he does this he loves himself above all others, whom he then despises, if not in word, yet in heart.

AC (Potts) n. 5759 5759. With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die. That this signifies that he is damned who does so, is evident from the signification of “dying,” as being to be damned; for spiritual death is nothing else than damnation. It is plain from what was said just above (n. 5758), that they who claim to themselves the truth and good which are of the Lord, cannot be in heaven, but are outside of it; and they who are outside of heaven are damned. But this law is one of judgment from truth; whereas when judgment is made at the same time from good, then they who do what is true and good, and from ignorance or simplicity attribute these to themselves, are not damned, but in the other life are set free by a method of vastation. Moreover everyone ought to do what is true and good as of himself, yet believing that it is from the Lord (n. 2882, 2883, 2891); and when he does so, then as he grows up and increases in intelligence and faith he puts off that fallacy, and at last acknowledges at heart that his every effort of doing good and thinking truth was and is from the Lord. Wherefore he that was sent by Joseph, though he indeed confirms, yet presently rejects, the judgment that he should die with whom the cup was found; for he says, “Now also according to your words so be it; he with whom it is found shall be to me a servant, and ye shall be blameless,” words which convey a milder sentence. But it is otherwise with those who do so, not from ignorance and simplicity, but from principles which they have confirmed in their faith, and also in life. Yet because they do what is good, the Lord from mercy preserves in them something of ignorance and simplicity.

AC (Potts) n. 5760 5760. And we also will be to my lord for servants. That this signifies that they will be associates forever without freedom from their own, is evident from the signification of “we also,” as being associates; and from the signification of “being servants,” as being to be without freedom from their own; for one who is a servant has no freedom from his own, but is dependent on the own and freedom of his master. What it is to be without freedom from one’s own, will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be told in the following pages.

AC (Potts) n. 5761 5761. And he said, Now also according to your words. That this signifies that it would indeed be so from justice, is evident from what has been explained just above (see n. 5758, 5759). Its being from justice that he who did this should die is signified by, “now also according to your words;” but a milder sentence now follows.

AC (Potts) n. 5762 5762. So be it. That this signifies a milder sentence, is evident from the words that follow, in which this milder sentence is given.

AC (Potts) n. 5763 5763. He with whom it is found shall be to me a servant. That this signifies that he with whom it is, shall be forever without his own freedom, is evident from the signification of a “servant,” as being to be without one’s own freedom (as above, n. 5760). The case is this. Joseph’s silver cup, placed by his order with Benjamin, signifies interior truth (see n. 5736, 5747). He who is in interior truth knows that all truth and good are from the Lord, and also that all freedom from his own, or from the man himself, is infernal; for when a man thinks or does anything from his own freedom, he thinks and does nothing but evil. In consequence he is a servant of the devil, for all evil flows in from hell. He also feels delight in such freedom, because it agrees with the evil in which he is, and into which he was born. Wherefore this freedom from one’s own must be put off, and heavenly freedom must be put on instead, which consists in willing what is good and thence doing it, and in desiring what is true and thence thinking it. When a man receives this freedom he is a servant of the Lord, and is then in freedom itself, and not in the bondage in which he was before, and which appeared like freedom. This then is what is meant by being forever without one’s own freedom. (The nature and source of freedom may be seen above, n. 2870-2893; and also that freedom itself is to be led by the Lord, n. 2890.)

AC (Potts) n. 5764 5764. And ye shall be blameless. That this signifies that the rest shall be at their own disposal, because not sharing in the fault, is evident from the signification of “blameless” in regard to a servant, as being to be at his own disposal; because not sharing in the fault, follows. It was of old a custom among the Gentiles, when anyone sinned, to make his companions also guilty of the offense, and even to punish a whole house for the crime of one in it. But such a law is derived from hell, where all the companions conspire together for evil. The societies there are so constituted that they act together as one against good, and thus they are kept consociated, though they are in deadly hatred one against another. They are in the union and friendship of robbers. Hence because companions in hell conspire together for evil, when they do evil they are all punished. But to do so in the world is wholly contrary to the Divine order; for in the world the good are consociated with the evil, because one does not know what the interiors of another are, and for the most part does not care. Wherefore the Divine law for men is that everyone shall pay the penalty of his own iniquity; as is written in Moses:
The fathers shall not die for the sons, neither shall the sons die for the fathers; everyone shall be slain in his own sin (Deut. 24:16);
and in Ezekiel:
The soul that hath sinned, it shall die, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him (Ezek. 18:20).
From these passages it is plain how the case is with what the sons of Jacob said, “with whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be to my lord for servants.” But he who was sent by Joseph changed this judgment, and said, “he with whom it is found shall be to me a servant, and ye shall be blameless;” in like manner further on where Judah says to Joseph, “Behold we are servants to my lord, both we and he also in whose hand the cup was found.” And Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be to me a servant; and ye, go ye up in peace to your father” (verses 16, 17).

AC (Potts) n. 5765 5765. Verses 11, 12. And they hastened, and they made everyone his bag come down to the earth, and opened every man his bag. And he searched; he began at the eldest, and left off at the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s bag. “And they hastened,” signifies impatience; “and made everyone his bag come down to the earth,” signifies that they brought what was in the natural down to things of sense; “and opened every man his bag,” signifies that they might thus make the matter manifest to themselves; “and he searched,” signifies investigation; “he began at the eldest, and left off at the youngest,” signifies order; “and the cup was found in Benjamin’s bag,” signifies that interior truth from the celestial was with the intermediate.

AC (Potts) n. 5766 5766. And they hastened. That this signifies impatience, is evident from the signification of “hastening,” when persons are eager to clear themselves, as being impatience.

AC (Potts) n. 5767 5767. And they made everyone his bag come down to the earth. That this signifies that they brought what was in the natural down to things of sense, is evident from the signification of “making to come down,” when it has reference to what here follows, as being to bring to; from the signification of a “bag,” as being the exterior natural (see n. 5497); and from the signification of the “earth,” when it is said that they “made come down to” it, as being the ultimate and lowest, thus the sensuous; for the sensuous is the lowest and ultimate, because things of sense are in the very threshold to the outside world. To bring to things of sense, is wholly to confirm that a thing is so; for the matter is then brought down to the evidence of the senses.

AC (Potts) n. 5768 5768. And opened every man his bag. That this signifies that they might thus make the matter manifest to themselves, is evident from the signification of “opening the bag,” as being to open what is in the natural, thus to make the matter manifest.

AC (Potts) n. 5769 5769. And he searched. That this signifies investigation, is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5770 5770. He began at the eldest, and left off at the youngest. That this signifies order, is evident from what has been said above (n. 5704).

AC (Potts) n. 5771 5771. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s bag. That this signifies that interior truth from the celestial was with the intermediate, is evident from the signification of the “cup,” as being interior truth (see n. 5736); and from the representation of Benjamin, as being the intermediate (n. 5411, 5413, 5443). That such truth from the celestial was with the intermediate, is signified by the cup being placed in Benjamin’s bag by Joseph’s order. How these matters stand is clear from what has been said before.

AC (Potts) n. 5772 5772. Verses 13-17. And they rent their garments, and laded everyone his ass, and returned to the city. And Judah and his brethren entered Joseph’s house, and he was yet there; and they fell before him to the earth. And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? Knew ye not that such a man as I divining divineth? And Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? what shall we speak? and how shall we be justified? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold we are servants to my lord, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup was found. And he said, Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be to me a servant; and ye, go ye up in peace to your father. “And they rent their garments,” signifies mourning; “and laded everyone his ass, and returned to the city,” signifies that truths were brought back from things of sense to memory-knowledges; “and Judah and his brethren entered,” signifies the good of the church with its truths; “Joseph’s house,” signifies communication with the internal; “and he was yet there,” signifies foresight; “and they fell before him to the earth,” signifies humiliation; “and Joseph said unto them,” signifies their perception then; “What deed is this that ye have done?” signifies that to claim to themselves what is not theirs is an enormous evil; “knew ye not that such a man as I divining divineth?” signifies that it cannot be concealed from Him who sees future and hidden things; “and Judah said,” signifies perception given to the good of the church in the natural; “What shall we say to my lord? what shall we speak?” signifies a wavering; “and how shall we be justified?” signifies that we are guilty; “God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants,” signifies confession; “behold we are servants to my lord,” signifies that they are forever to be deprived of freedom of their own; “both we,” signifies the associates; “and he also in whose hand the cup was found,” signifies as well as he with whom there is interior truth from the Divine celestial; “and he said, Far be it from me to do this,” signifies that it should by no means be so; “the man in whose hand the cup was found,” signifies but that he with whom is interior truth received from the Divine; “he shall be to me a servant,” signifies that he will be forever subject; “and ye, go ye up in peace to your father,” signifies that the associates, with whom there is not that truth, are to return to the former state.

AC (Potts) n. 5773 5773. And they rent their garments. That this signifies mourning, is evident from the signification of “rending the garments,” as being mourning on account of truth being lost (see n. 4763), here on account of truths from their own which they could no longer claim to themselves, because they had offered themselves as servants both in the presence of him that was over Joseph’s house (verse 9), and in the presence of Joseph himself (verse 16), whereby is signified that they would be without freedom from their own, thus without truths from themselves. As regards mourning on account of truths from their own, which is signified by their “rending their garments and offering themselves as servants,” be it known that a turning about takes place with those who are being regenerated, namely, that they are led to good by means of truth, and afterward from good they are led to truth. When this turning about takes place, or when the state is changed and becomes the inverse of the former one, there is mourning; for they are then let into temptation, whereby what is of their own is weakened and broken down, and good is insinuated, and with good a new will, and with this a new freedom, thus a new own. This is represented by Joseph’s brethren returning in despair to Joseph, and offering themselves to him as servants, and their being kept in that state for some time, and by Joseph’s not manifesting himself until after the temptation; for when the temptation is over, the Lord shines on them with comfort.

AC (Potts) n. 5774 5774. And laded everyone his ass, and returned to the city. That this signifies that truths were brought back from things of sense into memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of an “ass,” as being memory-knowledge (see n. 5492) that “lading the ass” means bringing back from things of sense, is because by “making their bags come down to the earth” is signified bringing what was in the natural down to things of sense (n. 5767); and raising it from them is therefore here meant by “lading;” and from the signification of a “city,” as being doctrinal truth (n. 402, 2449, 2943, 3216).
[2] What it is to bring back truths from things of sense into memory-knowledges must be briefly explained. Things of sense are one thing, memory-knowledges another, and truths another. They succeed one another in turn; for memory-knowledges come forth from things of sense, and truths from memory-knowledges; for the things which enter by the senses are laid up in the memory, and from them the man concludes memory-knowledge, or perceives from them memory-knowledge which he learns; from the memory-knowledges he then concludes truths, or perceives from them truth which he learns. Every man so progresses as he grows up from childhood. When he is a child he thinks and apprehends things from things of sense; when older he thinks and apprehends things from memory-knowledges; and afterward from truths. This is the way to the judgment into which man grows with age.
[3] From this it may be seen that things of sense, memory-knowledges, and truths, are distinct, and even remain distinct-so much so that a man is sometimes in things of sense, as when he thinks only of what meets the senses; sometimes in memory-knowledges, as when he elevates his mind out of things of sense, and thinks interiorly; and sometimes in truths which have been concluded from memory-knowledges, as in the case when he thinks more interiorly. Everyone who reflects upon it can know these things from himself. Man can also bring truths down into memory-knowledges, and see them in these, and he can also bring memory-knowledges down into things of sense, and contemplate them therein; as well as the converse. From this it is now plain what is meant by bringing what is in the natural down to things of sense, and by bringing truths back from things of sense into memory-knowledges.

AC (Potts) n. 5775 5775. And Judah and his brethren entered. That this signifies the good of the church with its truths, is evident from the representation of Judah, as being the good of the church (see n. 5583, 5603); and from the representation of his brethren, as being truths in the natural. That Judah entered and spoke with Joseph, and not Reuben the firstborn, or any other of them, is because Judah chiefly represented good; and it is good that communicates with the celestial from the Divine, and not truths, because truths have no communication with the Divine except through good. This is the reason why Judah alone spoke.

AC (Potts) n. 5776 5776. Joseph’s house. That this signifies communication with the internal, is evident from the signification of “entering the house,” as being communication; and from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (see n. 5469). That “entering a house” denotes communication, is because by a “house” is signified the man himself (see n. 3128, 5023), thus what makes the man, namely his mind with truth and good (n. 3538, 4973, 5023); and therefore when “entering a house” is spoken of, it means entering into his mind, thus to have communication.

AC (Potts) n. 5777 5777. And he was yet there. That this signifies foresight, may be seen from the fact that it was foreseen by Joseph that they would return, and he therefore stayed at home in order to manifest himself to Benjamin and consequently to the others; and in the internal sense that conjunction might be effected of the truths in the natural with the Divine celestial. It is called “foresight,” because in the supreme sense it treats of the Lord who in this sense is “Joseph.”

AC (Potts) n. 5778 5778. And they fell before him to the earth. That this signifies humiliation, is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5779 5779. And Joseph said unto them. That this signifies their perception then, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being perception. That it is their perception, is because it is said by Joseph, and by Joseph is represented the internal; and from the internal, that is, through the internal from the Lord, comes all perception. From no other source does perception come, nor even sensation. It appears as if sensation, as also perception, come by influx from the external; but this is a fallacy, for it is the internal that feels through the external. The senses placed in the body are nothing but organs or instruments that are of service to the internal man in order that it may be sensible of what is in the world; wherefore the internal flows into the external, causing it to feel, to the end that it may thereby perceive and be perfected; but not the reverse.

AC (Potts) n. 5780 5780. What deed is this that ye have done? That this signifies that to claim to themselves what is not theirs is an enormous evil, is evident from the signification of the theft of which they were accused, as being to claim to themselves the truth and good that belong to the Lord; this is the “deed” that is meant in the internal sense. (What this evil is may be seen above, n. 5749, 5758.)

AC (Potts) n. 5781 5781. Knew ye not that such a man as I divining divineth? That this signifies that it cannot be concealed from Him who sees future and hidden things, is evident from the signification of “divining,” as being to know from His Divinity things that are hid (see n. 5748), and also future things, because it is predicated of the Lord, who is “Joseph” in the supreme sense. That it cannot be concealed is plain from the very words.

AC (Potts) n. 5782 5782. And Judah said. That this signifies perception given to the good of the church in the natural, is evident from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception (of which often above); that it is “given” is because all perception comes from the internal, that is, flows in through the internal from the Lord (see n. 5779); and from the representation of Judah, as being the good of the church (n. 5583, 5603, 5775). As regards the representation of Judah, be it known that in the supreme sense he represents the Lord as to the Divine love, and in the internal sense His celestial kingdom (see n. 3654, 3881), thus the celestial of love there; here therefore Judah represents the good of love in the church in the natural, because he is now among those who represent the things that are in the natural which are to be conjoined with the internal.

AC (Potts) n. 5783 5783. What shall we say to my lord? what shall we speak? That this signifies a wavering, is evident from the feeling expressed in these words, as being a wavering.

AC (Potts) n. 5784 5784. And how shall we be justified? That this signifies that we are guilty, is evident from the signification of “how shall we be justified?” (that is, that they cannot be justified), as being that they are guilty; for he who cannot be justified is guilty. Their acknowledging themselves to be guilty is plain from their offering themselves as servants to Joseph.

AC (Potts) n. 5785 5785. God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants. That this signifies confession, namely of their having done wrong, here in their having sold Joseph, and in the internal sense in their having estranged themselves from truth and good, and thereby separated themselves from the internal, is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5786 5786. Behold we are servants to my lord. That this signifies that they are forever to be deprived of freedom of their own, is evident from the signification of “servants,” as being to be without freedom from their own (see n. 5760, 5763). What it is to be deprived of freedom from their own has also been told in the numbers cited; but as this is a matter of the greatest moment, it shall be stated again. There is an external man, and there is an internal; the external man is that through which the internal acts; for the external is only an organ or instrument of the internal. This being so, the external must be wholly subordinate and subject to the internal; and when it is subject, heaven acts through the internal into the external, and disposes it according to such things as are of heaven.
[2] The contrary takes place when the external is not subject, but rules, as it does when the man has as his end the pleasures of the body and of the senses, especially those of the love of self and the world, and not those of heaven. To have as the end is to love the one and not the other; for when a man has such things as the end, he no longer believes that there is any internal man, nor that there is anything in himself which is to live when the body dies. For his internal, not having rule, merely serves the external to enable it to think and reason against good and truth, because in this case no other influx through the internal is open. For this reason it is that such persons wholly despise, and even turn away from, the things that are of heaven. From these things it is clear that the external man, which is the same as the natural man, ought to be entirely subject to the internal which is spiritual, and consequently to be without freedom from its own.
[3] Freedom from one’s own is to indulge in pleasures of every kind, to despise others in comparison with oneself, to subject them to oneself as servants, or else to persecute and hate them, to delight in evils that befall them, and more so in those which the man himself brings on them purposely or deceitfully, and to desire their death. Such are the results of freedom from one’s own. It is plain therefore what a man is when he is in this freedom, namely, a devil in human form. But when he loses this freedom, he then receives from the Lord heavenly freedom, which is utterly unknown to those who are in freedom from their own. These suppose that if the latter freedom were taken away from them, they would have no life left; when in fact life itself then begins; and joy, bliss, happiness, with wisdom, then come, because this freedom is from the Lord.

AC (Potts) n. 5787 5787. Both we. That this signifies the associates, is evident from the signification of “both we,” as being the associates (as above, n. 5760).

AC (Potts) n. 5788 5788. And he also in whose hand the cup was found. That this signifies as well he with whom there is interior truth from the Divine celestial, is evident from the signification of “in whose hand,” as being with whom; from the signification of the “cup,” as being interior truth (see n. 5736); and from the representation of Joseph, as being the Divine celestial.

AC (Potts) n. 5789 5789. And he said, Far be it from me to do this. That this signifies that it should by no means be so, is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5790 5790. The man in whose hand the cup was found. That this signifies that he with whom is interior truth received from the Divine, is evident from what was said just above (n. 5788).

AC (Potts) n. 5791 5791. And he shall be to me a servant. That this signifies that he will be forever subject, is evident from the signification of a “servant,” as being to be forever without freedom from one’s own (of which just above, n. 5786), thus to be forever subject.

AC (Potts) n. 5792 5792. And ye, go ye up in peace to your father. That this signifies that the associates, with whom there is not that truth, are to return to the former state, is evident from the representation of Jacob’s ten sons, as being the associates with whom the cup was not found-that is, the interior truth which is signified by the “cup” (see n. 5736, 5788, 5790); and from the signification of “go ye up in peace to your father,” as being to return to the former state; for when they are not accepted by the internal, which is “Joseph,” the former state then awaits them.

AC (Potts) n. 5793 5793. Verses 18-31. And Judah came near unto him, and said, By me, my lord, let thy servant I pray speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger be kindled against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother? And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old ages, the youngest; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left to his mother, and his father loveth him. And thou saidst unto thy servants, Make him come down unto me, and I will set mine eye upon him. And we said unto my lord, The boy cannot leave his father; and should he leave his father, he will die. And thou saidst unto thy servants, If your youngest brother come not down with you, ye shall see my faces no more. And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. And our father said, Return ye, buy us a little food. And we said, We cannot go down; if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down; for we cannot see the man’s faces, and our youngest brother he not with us. And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons; and the one went out from me, and I said, Surely tearing he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him hitherto: and ye are taking this one also from my faces, and if harm befall him, ye will make my gray hairs go down in evil to the grave. And now when I come to thy servant my father, and the boy he not with us, and his soul is bound in his soul; and it shall come to pass when he seeth that the boy is not, that he will die; and thy servants will make thy servant our father’s gray hairs go down in sorrow to the grave. “And Judah came near unto him,” signifies the communication of the external man with the internal through good; “and said,” signifies perception; “By me, my lord,” signifies entreaty; “let thy servant I pray speak a word in my lord’s ears,” signifies for reception and hearing; “and let not thine anger he kindled against thy servant,” signifies lest he turn away; “for thou art even as Pharaoh,” signifies that it has dominion over the natural; “my lord asked his servants, saying,” signifies perception of their thought; “Have ye a father, or a brother?” signifies that there is good which is the source, and truth which is the means; “and we said unto my lord,” signifies reciprocal perception; “We have a father, an old man,” signifies that they have spiritual good as the source; “and a child of his old ages, the youngest,” signifies truth therefrom which is new; “and his brother is dead,” signifies that internal good is not; “and he alone is left to his mother,” signifies that this is the only truth of the church; “and his father loveth him,” signifies that it has conjunction with spiritual good from the natural; “and thou saidst unto thy servants,” signifies perception given; “Make him come down unto me,” signifies that the new truth must be in subjection to internal good; “and I will set mine eye upon him,” signifies influx then of truth from good “and we said unto my lord,” signifies reciprocal perception; “The boy cannot leave his father,” signifies that this truth cannot he separated from spiritual good; “and should be leave his father, he will die,” signifies that if it were separated the church would perish; “and thou saidst unto thy servants,” signifies perception concerning that thing; “If your youngest brother come not down with you,” signifies if it be not subject to internal good; “ye shall see my faces no more,” signifies that there will be no mercy, and no conjunction with truths in the natural; “and it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father,” signifies elevation to spiritual good; “we told him the words of my lord,” signifies knowledge of this thing; “and our father said,” signifies perception from spiritual good; “Return ye, buy us a little food,” signifies that the good of truth should he appropriated; “and we said, We cannot go down,” signifies objection; “if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down,” signifies unless there be with them a conjoining intermediate; “for we cannot see the man’s faces,” signified because there will be no mercy or conjunction; “and our youngest brother he not with us,” signifies except by means of an intermediate; “and thy servant my father said unto us,” signifies perception from spiritual good; “Ye know that my wife bare me two sons,” signifies that if there be spiritual good which is of the church, there will he internal good and truth; “and the one went out from me,” signifies the seeming departure of internal good; “and I said, Surely tearing he is torn in pieces,” signifies perception that it perished by evils and falsities; “and I have not seen him hitherto,” signifies because it has vanished; “and ye are taking this one also from my faces,” signifies if the new truth also should depart; “and if harm befall him,” signifies by evils and falsities; “and ye will make my gray hairs go down in evil to the grave,” signifies that spiritual good, and thus the internal of the church, would perish; “and now when I come to thy servant my father,” signifies the good of the church corresponding to the spiritual good of the internal church; “and the boy he not with us,” signifies if the new truth is not with them; “and his soul is bound in his soul,” signifies since there is a close conjunction; “and it shall come to pass when he seeth that the boy is not, that he will die,” signifies that spiritual good will perish; “and thy servants will make thy servant our father’s gray hairs go down in sorrow to the grave,” signifies that all will be over with the church.

AC (Potts) n. 5794 5794. And Judah came near unto him. That this signifies the communication of the external man with the internal through good, is evident from the signification of “coming near” to speak with anyone, as being communication; and from the representation of Judah, as being the good of the church in the natural (see n. 5782). That it is the communication of the external man with the internal, is because Judah represents the good of the church in the natural or external man, and Joseph, good in the internal. That it is “through good,” is because the communication takes place solely through good, and not through truth unless there is good in the truth.

AC (Potts) n. 5795 5795. And said. That this signifies perception, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being perception (of which often above).

AC (Potts) n. 5796 5796. By me, my lord. That this signifies entreaty, is plain from what follows.

AC (Potts) n. 5797 5797. Let thy servant I pray speak a word in my lord’s ears. That this signifies for reception and hearing (that is, entreaty therefor), is evident from the signification of “speaking a word,” as being influx (see n. 2951, 5481), and as it is influx, it is reception on the part of the other (n. 5743); and from the signification of “ears,” as being obedience (n. 4551, 4653), here a kind of hearkening or hearing, because an inferior is speaking to a superior. Hence it is plain that by “Let thy servant I pray speak a word in my lord’s ears,” is signified entreaty for reception and hearing.

AC (Potts) n. 5798 5798. And let not thine anger be kindled against thy servant. That this signifies lest he turn away, is evident from the signification of “anger,” as being a turning away (see n. 5034), because one who is angry with another turns away, for in that state he does not think like him, but against him. That “anger” is a turning away is plain from many passages in the Word, especially from those where anger and wrath are ascribed to Jehovah or the Lord, by which is signified a turning away-not that Jehovah or the Lord ever turns away, but that man does so; and when he turns away it seems to him as if the Lord did so, for he is not heard. The Word so speaks in accordance with the appearance. And because “anger” is a turning away, it is also an assault on good and truth on the part of those who have turned away; while on the part of those who have not turned away, there is no assault, but repugnance on account of aversion to what is evil and false.
[2] That “anger” is an assault has been shown above (n. 3614); that it is also a turning away, and likewise the penalty when truth and good are assailed, is plain from the following passages. In Isaiah:
Woe to them that decree decrees of iniquity. They shall fall under the bound, and under the slain. For all this His anger is not turned away. Woe to Asshur, the rod of Mine anger. I will send him against a hypocritical nation, and against the people of wrath will I give him a charge. He thinketh not right, and his heart doth not meditate right (Isa. 10:1, 4-7);
“anger” and “wrath” denote a turning away and opposition on man’s part, and the attendant punishing and not hearing appear like anger; and as it is on man’s part, it is said, “Woe to them that decree decrees of iniquity. He thinketh not right, and his heart doth not meditate right.”
[3] In the same:
Jehovah, with the vessels of His anger, [comes] to destroy the whole land. Behold, the day of Jehovah cometh, cruel, with indignation, wrath and anger, to make the earth a waste, that He may destroy the sinners thereof out of it. I will shake the heaven, and the earth shall be shaken out of her place in the indignation of Jehovah Zebaoth, and in the day of the wrath of His anger (Isa. 13:5, 9, 13);
the “heaven” and the “earth” here denote the church, which having turned away from truth and good, its vastation and destruction are described by the “indignation, anger, and wrath” of Jehovah; when in fact it is quite the contrary, namely, that the man who is in evil is indignant, angry, and wroth, and sets himself in opposition to good and truth. The penalty which is from the evil is attributed to Jehovah on account of the appearance. Elsewhere occasionally in the Word the last time of the church and its destruction are called the “day of the anger of Jehovah.”
[4] Again:
Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of the rulers. Thou wilt smite the peoples in fury, with an incurable stroke, ruling the nations with anger (Isa. 14:5, 6);
where the meaning is similar. This is as with a culprit who is punished by the law, and who ascribes the evil of the penalty to the king or judge; not to himself. Again:
Jacob and Israel because they would not walk in the ways of Jehovah, neither heard they His law; He poured upon him the wrath of anger, and the violence of war (Isa. 42:24, 25).
In Jeremiah:
I will fight against you in an outstretched hand and a strong arm, and in anger, and in wrath, and in great heat. Lest my fury go forth like fire, and burn and be not quenched, because of the wickedness of your works (Jer. 21:5, 12);
in this passage “fury,” “anger,” and “great heat” are nothing else than the evils of penalty because of the turning away from what is good and true, and an assault thereon.
[5] By Divine law all evil is attended with the penalty, and wonderful to say, in the other life the evil and the penalty cleave together; for as soon as an infernal spirit does evil more than usual, punishing spirits are at hand, and punish him, and this without advertence. That evil of penalty because of turning away is meant, is plain, for it is said, “because of the wickedness of your works.” In David:
He sent upon them the wrath of His anger, indignation and fury, and distress, and an inroad of evil angels. He leveled a path for His anger, He spared not their soul from death (Ps. 78:49, 50). See also Isa. 30:27, 30; 34:2; 54:8; 57:17; 63:3, 6; 66:15; Jer. 4:8; 7:20; 15:14; 33:5; Ezek. 5:13, 15; Deut. 9:19, 20; 29:20, 22, 23; Rev. 14:9, 10; 15:7.
[6] “Wrath,” “anger,” “indignation,” “fury,” in these passages also denote a turning away, assault, and consequent penalty. That the penalty for turning away and assault is ascribed to Jehovah or the Lord, and is called “anger,” “wrath,” and “fury in Him,” is because the race sprung from Jacob had to be kept in the representatives of a church, which are merely external; and they could not have been kept in them except through fear and dread of Jehovah, and unless they had believed that He would do them evil from anger and wrath. They who are in externals without an internal cannot otherwise be brought to do external things; for there is nothing interior that binds them. Moreover the simple within the church, from the appearance apprehend no otherwise than that God is angry when anyone does evil. Yet everyone who reflects can see that there is nothing of anger, still less of fury, with Jehovah or the Lord; for He is mercy itself and good itself, and is infinitely above willing evil to anyone. Nor does the man who is in charity toward the neighbor do evil to anyone. All the angels in heaven are such; and how much more the Lord Himself!
[7] But in the other life the case is this. When the Lord reduces heaven and its societies into order, which is continually being done on account of new comers, and gives them bliss and happiness, and when this flows into the societies which are in the opposite (for in the other life all the societies of heaven have opposed to them societies in hell, whence there is equilibrium), and these feel a change owing to the presence of heaven, they are then angry and wrathful, and burst forth into evil, and at the same time rush into the evil of the penalty. Moreover when evil spirits or genii approach the light of heaven, they begin to be in anguish and torment (see n. 4225, 4226), which they attribute to heaven, and consequently to the Lord; when in fact it is they themselves that bring the torment upon themselves; for evil is tortured when it comes near to good. Hence it is evident that nothing but good is from the Lord, and that all evil is from those who turn away, who are in the opposite, and who attack. From this arcanum it is evident how the matter stands.

AC (Potts) n. 5799 5799. For thou art even as Pharaoh. That this signifies that it has dominion over the natural, is evident from the representation of Pharaoh, as being the natural in general (see n. 5160); and from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (of which above). That the internal has dominion over the natural is represented by Joseph’s being set over all the land of Egypt, and also over all Pharaoh’s house (Gen. 41:40, 41).

AC (Potts) n. 5800 5800. My lord asked his servants, saying. That this signifies perception of their thought, is evident from the signification of “asking,” as being to perceive another’s thought (see n. 5597). That “asking” signifies this, is because in the spiritual world or in heaven no one has need to ask another what he thinks about such things as are of his affection, because the one perceives the other’s thought which is thence derived; and moreover the internal which Joseph represents does not ask the external which Jacob’s sons represent, for the external has its all from the internal. Hence it is plain that by “asking” is signified the perception of the thought. We occasionally read in the Word that Jehovah asks man, when yet He knows all and everything that man thinks; but this is so said because man believes that his thought is concealed from everyone because it is within him. The asking is in consequence of this appearance and the derivative belief.

AC (Potts) n. 5801 5801. Have ye a father, or a brother? That this signifies the good which is the source, and the truth which is the means, is evident from the representation of Israel, who is here the “father,” as being spiritual good or the good of truth (see n. 3654, 4598), that it is the good which is the source, is because the truths in the natural are from the spiritual good; and from the representation of Benjamin, who is here the “brother,” as being truth; that it is the truth which is the means, is because through this there is conjunction of the truths of the church in the natural (which Jacob’s sons represent) with the spiritual good which is “Israel;” and as the conjunction is through this, it is described in many passages how his father loved Benjamin who represents this truth, and how Judah could not return with the others to his father unless Benjamin were with them. (In regard to this truth, see below, n. 5835.)

AC (Potts) n. 5802 5802. And we said unto my lord. That this signifies reciprocal perception, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being perception, as often explained. That reciprocal perception is meant is plain.

AC (Potts) n. 5803 5803. We have a father, an old man. That this signifies that they have spiritual good as the source, is evident from the representation of Israel, who is here the “father,” as being spiritual good which is the source (of which just above, n. 5801). In regard to the representation of Israel, it may be seen above (n. 4286, 4292, 4570) that he represents the spiritual church, and indeed its internal, which is the good of truth, or spiritual good from the natural. (What spiritual good or the good of truth is, may also be seen above, n. 5526, 5733.)

AC (Potts) n. 5804 5804. And a child of his old age, the youngest. That this signifies truth therefrom which is new, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, who is here the “child, the youngest,” as being truth (of which above, n. 5801; as also that a “child” or “son” is truth, n. 489, 491, 1147, 2623, 3373); and from the signification of “old age,” as being newness of life (see n. 3492, 4220, 4676). Hence it is plain that by a “child of old ages, the youngest,” is signified truth which is new. The case herein is this. The man who is being regenerated and becoming spiritual is first led to good by means of truth; for man does not know what spiritual good, or what is the same thing, Christian good is, except through truth or through doctrine drawn from the Word. In this way he is initiated into good. Afterward, when he has been initiated, he no longer is led to good through truth, but to truth through good, for he then not only sees from good the truths which he knew before, but also from good brings forth new truths which he did not and could not know before; for good is attended with a longing for truths, because with these it is, as it were, nourished, it being perfected by them. These new truths differ greatly from the truths which he had previously known; for those which he then knew had but little life, while those which he now acquires have life from good.
[2] When a man has come to good by means of truth, he is “Israel;” and the truth which he then receives from good, that is, through good from the Lord, is new truth, which is represented by Benjamin while he was with his father. By means of this truth good becomes fruitful in the natural, and brings forth numberless truths wherein is good. In this way the natural is regenerated, and through fruitfulness first becomes like a tree with good fruits, and successively like a garden. From all this it is evident what is meant by new truth from spiritual good.

AC (Potts) n. 5805 5805. And his brother is dead. That this signifies that internal good is not, is evident from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial of the spiritual (see n. 4592, 4963, 5249, 5307, 5331, 5332), thus internal good, for this is the same as the celestial of the spiritual; and from the signification of “being dead,” as being to be no more (n. 494). The difference between the representation of Joseph as being internal good, and that of Israel as being spiritual good, is this. “Joseph” is internal good from the rational, and “Israel” is internal good from the natural (see n. 4286). This difference is such as is that between celestial good, or the good that is of the celestial church, and spiritual good, or the good that is of the spiritual church, which goods have already been frequently treated of. It is said that such internal or celestial good is not there; which is signified by “his brother is dead.”

AC (Potts) n. 5806 5806. And he alone is left of his mother. That this signifies that this is the only truth of the church, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, who here is the “only one left,” as being new truth, (as just above, n. 5804); and from the signification of “mother,” as being the church (n. 289, 2691, 2717, 5581). In regard to this, that the truth which Benjamin here represents, and which is described above (see n. 5804) is the only truth of the church, the case is this. This truth is that truth which is from spiritual good (which is “Israel”), and which is represented by Benjamin when with his father; but it is a still more interior truth when with Joseph. The truth which Benjamin represents when with his father, and which is called new truth, is that which alone makes man to be the church; for in this truth, or in these truths, there is life from good. That is to say, the man who is in truths of faith from good, he is the church; but not the man who is in truths of faith and not in the good of charity. For the truths with this man are dead, even though they are the same truths. From this it may be seen what is meant by this being the only truth of the church.

AC (Potts) n. 5807 5807. And his father loveth him. That this signifies that it has conjunction with spiritual good from the natural, is evident from the signification of “love,” as being conjunction (of which presently); from the representation of Israel, who here is he that “loves him,” as being spiritual good from the natural (see n. 4286, 4598); and from the representation of Benjamin, who is he whom “the father loves,” as being new truth (as above, n. 5804, 5806). The conjunction of this truth with that good is what is signified by “his father loving him.” There cannot fail to be conjunction with this truth, because it is from that good. Between this truth and good there is conjunction like that between father and son; also like that between the willing of the mind and its understanding; for all good is of the will, and all truth is of the understanding. When the will wills good, this good is insinuated into the understanding, and there takes form according to the quality of the good; and this form is truth. And because the new truth is thus born, it is evident that there must be conjunction.
[2] In regard to love as being conjunction, be it known that love is spiritual conjunction, because it is a conjunction of the minds, or of the thought and the will, of two. From this it is evident that regarded in itself love is purely spiritual, and that the natural of it is the delight of consociation and conjunction. In its essence love is the harmony resulting from changes of the state, and variations in the forms or substances, of which the human mind consists. This harmony, if from the heavenly form, is heavenly love. It is evident therefore that love cannot have any other origin than the Divine love itself which is from the Lord; thus that love is the Divine which flows into forms, and so disposes them that their changes of state and variations may be in the harmony of heaven.
[3] But the opposite loves, namely, the loves of self and of the world, are not conjunctions but disjunctions. They indeed appear like conjunctions, but this is because each regards the other as one with himself so long as they are in pursuit of gains and honors, or in revenge and persecution toward those who oppose them. But as soon as the one does not favor the other, there is disjunction. It is otherwise with heavenly love, which is altogether averse to doing well to another for the sake of self; but does it for the sake of the good that is in the other, and which he receives from the Lord; consequently for the sake of the Lord Himself from whom is the good.

AC (Potts) n. 5808 5808. And thou saidst unto thy servants. That this signifies perception given, is evident from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception; and because something was said to them, it signifies perception given.

AC (Potts) n. 5809 5809. Make him come down unto me. That this signifies that the new truth must be in subjection to internal good, is evident from the signification of “making to come down,” for to come to the internal in order to be conjoined, is to become subject to it, because everything which is below or exterior must be wholly subordinate or subject to the higher or interior, in order that there may be conjunction; and from the representation of Benjamin, who here is he whom they should make to come down, as being new truth (of which above, n. 5804, 5806); and from the representation of Joseph, who is he to whom he should come down, as being internal good, as shown before.

AC (Potts) n. 5810 5810. And I will set mine eye upon him. That this signifies the influx then of truth from good, is evident from the signification of “setting the eye upon” anyone, as being to communicate the truth which is of faith. (That the “eye” corresponds to the intellectual sight, and to the truths of faith, may be seen, n. 4403-4421, 4523-4534.) And because “to set the eye upon” anyone is communication, it is also influx; for internal good, which Joseph represents, does not communicate except by influx with the truth represented by Benjamin, because this truth is below.

AC (Potts) n. 5811 5811. And we said unto my lord. This signifies reciprocal perception, as above (n. 5802).

AC (Potts) n. 5812 5812. The boy cannot leave his father. That this signifies that this truth cannot be separated from spiritual good, is evident from the signification of “leaving,” as being to be separated; from the representation of Israel as being spiritual good from the natural (as shown above, n. 4286, 4598, 5807); and from the representation of Benjamin as being new truth (see n. 5804, 5806). This truth is called a “boy,” because it is born last; for this truth is not born until the man is regenerate. He then receives newness of life through this new truth conjoined with good. Therefore also this truth is signified by “a child of his old age, the youngest” (n. 5804).

AC (Potts) n. 5813 5813. And should he leave his father, he will die. That this signifies that if it were separated the church would perish, is evident from the signification of “leaving,” as being to be separated (as just above, n. 5812); and from the signification of “dying,” as being to be no more (n. 494), thus to perish. As this truth conjoined with spiritual good makes the church (n. 5806), if it were separated from that good, the church would perish. Moreover Israel, who here is the “father,” represents the church (n. 4286), but not without this truth.

AC (Potts) n. 5814 5814. And thou saidst unto thy servants, signifies perception concerning this thing (as above, n. 5808).

AC (Potts) n. 5815 5815. If your youngest brother come not down with you. That this signifies if it be not subject to internal good, is evident from what has been said above (n. 5809).

AC (Potts) n. 5816 5816. Ye shall see my faces no more. That this signifies that there will be no mercy and no conjunction with the truths in the natural, is evident from the signification of the “face,” when predicated of the Lord, as being mercy (n. 222, 223, 5585); and therefore “not to see the faces” is that there is no mercy (n. 5585, 5592); and when there is no mercy, there is also no conjunction, for there is no love, which is spiritual conjunction. The Divine love is called “mercy” in respect to the human race, beset with miseries so great. That there would be no conjunction with the truths in the natural, is because by the sons of Jacob, to whom these words were said, are represented truths in the natural (n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512).
[2] As to there being no mercy and no conjunction with the truths in the natural, unless the truth which is represented by Benjamin be subject to the internal good which is “Joseph,” the case is this. The truth which makes man to be the church is the truth which is from good; for when man is in good then from good he sees truths and perceives them, and thus believes that they are truths; but not at all if he is not in good. Good is like a little flame which gives light and illumines, and causes man to see, perceive, and believe truths. For the affection of truth from good determines the internal sight thither, and withdraws the sight from worldly and bodily things, which induce darkness. Such is the truth which Benjamin here represents. That this is the only truth of the church may be seen above (n. 5806), that is, it is the only truth which makes man to be the church. But this truth must be altogether subject to the internal good which is represented by Joseph; for the Lord flows in through internal good, and gives life to the truths which are below; thus also to this truth which is from spiritual good from the natural, which is represented by Israel (see n. 4286, 4598).
[3] From these things it is also plain that conjunction takes place by means of this truth with the truths which are below; for unless this truth were subject to internal good, so that it had therefrom an influx of good into itself, there would be no reception of the mercy which continually flows in from the Lord through internal good, for there would be no intermediate. And if there were no reception of mercy, there would be no conjunction. This is what is signified by “if your youngest brother come not down with you, ye shall see my faces no more.”

AC (Potts) n. 5817 5817. And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father. That this signifies elevation to spiritual good, is evident from the signification of “coming up,” as being elevation, of which presently; and from the representation of Israel, who here is the “father,” as being spiritual good from the natural (see n. 4286, 4598). The elevation which is signified by “coming up,” is toward interior things, as here from the truths in the natural which are represented by the ten sons of Jacob, to the spiritual good from the natural which is represented by Israel. For there is an exterior and an interior natural (n. 5497, 5649); in the interior natural is the spiritual good which is “Israel,” and in the exterior natural are the truths of the church which are the “sons of Jacob.” Therefore by “coming up to the father” is signified elevation to spiritual good.

AC (Potts) n. 5818 5818. We told him the words of my lord. That this signifies knowledge of this thing, is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5819 5819. And our father said. That this signifies perception from spiritual good, is evident from the signification of “saying” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception (as frequently above); and from the representation of Israel, who here is the “father,” as being spiritual good (n. 3654, 4286, 4598).

AC (Potts) n. 5820 5820. Return ye, buy us a little food. That this signifies that the good of truth should be appropriated, is evident from the signification of “buying,” as being to appropriate to oneself (see n. 5397, 5406, 5410, 5426); and from the signification of “food,” as being the good of truth (n. 5410, 5426, 5487, 5582, 5588, 5655). Spiritual food is in general all good, but specifically it is the good which is acquired by means of truth, that is, truth in the will and in act, for this good becomes good from the willing and doing, and is called the good of truth. Unless truth thus becomes good, it does not benefit the man in the other life; for when he comes into the other life it is dissipated, because it does not agree with his will, thus not with the delight of his love. He who has learned truths of faith in the world, not for the sake of willing and doing them and thus turning them into goods, but only that he may know and teach them for the sake of honor and gain, even although he may in the world be considered most learned, yet in the other life he is deprived of the truths and is left to his own will, that is, his life. And he then remains as he had been in his life; and wonderful to say he is then averse to all the truths of faith: and denies them to himself, howsoever he had before confirmed them. To turn truths to goods by willing and doing them, that is, by life, is what is meant by appropriating the good of truth, which is signified by “buy us a little food.”

AC (Potts) n. 5821 5821. And we said, We cannot go down. That this signifies objection, is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5822 5822. If our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down. That this signifies unless there be with them a conjoining intermediate, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, who here is the “youngest brother,” as being a conjoining intermediate (see n. 5411, 5413, 5443, 5639, 5668). In regard to this, that Benjamin represents the intermediate between the celestial of the spiritual, or internal good, which is “Joseph,” and truths in the natural, which are the “ten sons of Jacob,” and also that he represents new truth (as in n. 5804, 5806, 5809), the case is this. An intermediate in order to be an intermediate must derive something from each, namely from the internal and from the external; otherwise it is not a conjoining intermediate. The intermediate which Benjamin represents derives from the external or natural that it is new truth there; for the new truth which he represents is in the natural, because it is from the spiritual good from the natural, which his father represents as Israel (n. 5686, 5689); but the intermediate derives this by influx from the internal which is represented by Joseph. Thus it derives something from each. This is the reason why Benjamin represents a conjoining intermediate, and also new truth-new truth when with his father, a conjoining intermediate when with Joseph. This is a secret which cannot be more clearly set forth; and it cannot be understood except by those who are in the thought that there is with man an internal and an external distinct from each other; and who are also in the affection of knowing truths. These are enlightened in respect to the intellectual part by the light of heaven, so that they see what others do not see, thus also this secret.

AC (Potts) n. 5823 5823. For we cannot see the man’s faces. That this signifies because there will be no mercy or conjunction, is evident from what has been said above (n. 5816), where are the same words.

AC (Potts) n. 5824 5824. And our youngest brother, he not with us. That this signifies except by means of an intermediate, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, as being an intermediate (as just above, n. 5822).

AC (Potts) n. 5825 5825. And thy servant my father said unto us. That this signifies perception from spiritual good, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being perception (of which frequently above); and from the representation of Israel, who here is the “father,” as being spiritual good from the natural (see n. 3654, 4598, 5801, 5803, 5807).

AC (Potts) n. 5826 5826. Ye know that my wife bare me two sons. That this signifies that if there be spiritual good which is of the church, there will be internal good and truth, is evident from the representation of Israel, who says this of himself, as being spiritual good from the natural (of which just above, n. 5825); from the representation of Rachel, who is here the “wife who bare him two sons,” as being the affection of interior truth (see n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819); and from the representation of Joseph and Benjamin, who are the “two” whom she bare, as being internal good and truth-Joseph internal good, and Benjamin interior truth.
[2] In regard to this, that there will be internal good and truth if there be spiritual good which is of the church, the case is this. The spiritual good which Israel represents is the good of truth, that is, truth in the will and in act. This truth, or this good of truth, in man, makes him to be the church. When truth has been implanted in the will (which is perceived by the fact that the man is affected with truth for the sake of the end that he may live according to it), then there is internal good and truth. When man is in this good and truth, then the kingdom of the Lord is in him, and consequently he is the church, and together with others like him makes the church in general. From this it may be seen that in order that the church may be the church, there must be spiritual good, that is, the good of truth, but by no means truth alone-from which at this day the church is called the church, and one church is distinguished from another. Let everyone think within himself whether truth would be anything unless it had life for the end. What are doctrinal things without this end? and what the precepts of the Decalogue without a life according to them? For if anyone is acquainted with these, and with all their meaning in its fullness, and yet lives contrary to them, of what benefit are they? have they any effect at all? except, with some, damnation? The case is similar with the doctrinals of faith from the Word, which are precepts of Christian life, for they are spiritual laws. Neither do these conduce to anything unless they become of the life. Let a man consider within himself whether there is anything in him that is anything except what enters into his very life; and whether the life of man, which is life, is anywhere else than in his will.
[3] From this then it is that it is said by the Lord in the Old Testament, and confirmed in the New, that all the Law and all the Prophets are founded in love to God, and love to the neighbor, thus in the life itself, but not in faith without life; therefore by no means in faith alone, consequently neither in confidence, for this is impossible without charity. If this appears with the evil in times of danger, or when death is at hand, it is a spurious or false confidence; for not the least of this confidence appears in them in the other life, however much they may have professed it with apparent ardor at the approach of death. That faith, whether you call it confidence or trust, effects nothing with the wicked, the Lord Himself teaches in John:
As many as received, to them gave He the power to be sons of God, to them that believe in His name; who were born, not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12, 13).
[4] They who are “born of bloods” are those who do violence to charity (see n. 374, 1005), also who profane truth (n. 4735); they who are “born of the will of the flesh” are those who are in evils from the love of self and of the world (n. 3813); and they who are “born of the will of man” are those who are in persuasions of falsity; for a “man” signifies truth, and in the opposite sense falsity. They who are “born of God” are those who have been regenerated by the Lord, and thence are in good. These are they who receive the Lord, and these are they who believe in His name, and these are they to whom He gives the power to be sons of God, but not to the others; from which it is very plain what faith alone effects for salvation.
[5] Moreover in order that man may be regenerated and become the church, he must be introduced through truth to good; and he is introduced when truth becomes truth in the will and in act. This truth is good, and is called the good of truth, and produces new truths continually; for then for the first time it makes itself fruitful. The truth which is thence brought forth or made fruitful is what is called internal truth, and the good from which it is, is called internal good; for nothing becomes internal until it has been implanted in the will, because what is of the will is the inmost of man. So long as good and truth are outside of the will, and in the understanding only, they are outside of the man; for the understanding is without, and the will is within.

AC (Potts) n. 5827 5827. And the one went out from me. That this signifies the seeming departure of internal good, is evident from the signification of “going out,” or going away, as being departure; and from the representation of Joseph as being internal good (of which above). That the departure was seeming only is plain, for Joseph still lived. The case herein is this. By what has been related of Joseph, from beginning to end, is represented in its order the glorification of the Lord’s Human, and consequently in a lower sense the regeneration of man, for this is an image or type of the Lord’s glorification (see n. 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490, 4402, 5688). With the regeneration of man the case is this. In the first state when a man is being introduced through truth into good, the truth appears manifestly, because it is in the light of the world, and not far from the sensuous things of the body. But it is not so with good, for this is in the light of heaven, and remote from the sensuous things of the body, for it is within in man’s spirit. Hence it is that the truth which is of faith appears manifestly, but not good, although this is continually present, and flows in, and makes the truths live. Man could not possibly be regenerated in any other way. But when this state has been passed through, then good manifests itself, and this by love to the neighbor, and by the affection of truth for the sake of life. These also are the things represented by Joseph’s being carried away and not appearing to his father, and by his afterward manifesting himself to him. This also is meant by the seeming departure of internal good, which is signified by “the one went out from me.”

AC (Potts) n. 5828 5828. And I said, Surely, tearing he is torn in pieces. That this signifies perception that it has perished by evils and falsities, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being perception (of which frequently above); and from the signification of “being torn in pieces,” as being to perish by evils and falsities (that is, the internal good which is represented by Joseph, n. 5805). That “to be torn in pieces” has this signification, is because in the spiritual world there is no other tearing in pieces than that of good by evils and falsities. The case herein is like death and what relates to death. In the spiritual sense these do not signify natural death, but spiritual death, which is damnation, for there is no other death in the spiritual world. So likewise “tearing” does not signify in the spiritual sense such tearing as is done by wild beasts, but the tearing to pieces of good by evils and falsities. Moreover the wild beasts which tear, signify in the spiritual sense the evils of cupidities and the derivative falsities, which also are represented by wild beasts in the other life.
[2] The good which continually flows in from the Lord with man, does not perish except by evils and the derivative falsities, and by falsities and the derivative evils. For as soon as this good, continuous through the internal man, comes to the external or natural man, it is met by evil and falsity, by which the good is torn in pieces and extinguished in various ways as by wild beasts. By this the influx of good through the internal man is checked and stayed, and consequently the inner mind, through which is the influx, is closed, and only so much of the spiritual is admitted through it as to enable the natural man to reason and speak, but this only from earthly, bodily, and worldly things, and indeed contrary to good and truth, or in accordance with them from pretense or deceit.
[3] It is a universal law that influx adjusts itself according to efflux, and if efflux is checked influx is checked. Through the internal man there is an influx of good and truth from the Lord, and through the external there must be an efflux, namely into the life, that is, in the exercise of charity. When there is this efflux then there is continual influx from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord; whereas if there is no efflux, but resistance in the external or natural man (that is, evil and falsity which tear to pieces and extinguish the inflowing good), it follows from the universal law just mentioned that the influx adjusts itself to the efflux, consequently that the influx of good draws back, and thereby the internal through which is the influx is closed; and through this closing there comes stupidity in spiritual things, even until the man who is such neither knows nor is willing to know anything about eternal life, and at last becomes insane, so that he opposes falsities against truths, calling them truths and the truths falsities, and evils against goods, making them goods and the goods evil. Thus he tears good completely to pieces.
[4] That which is “torn” is occasionally mentioned in the Word, whereby in the proper sense is signified that which perishes through falsities from evils; but that which perishes through evils is called a “carcass.” When only what is “torn” is mentioned, both are signified, for the one involves the signification of the other; but it is otherwise when both are mentioned, for then a distinction is made. Because that which is “torn” signified in the spiritual sense that which had perished by falsities from evils, therefore it was forbidden in the representative church to eat anything torn, which by no means would have been thus forbidden unless that spiritual evil had been understood in heaven. Otherwise what harm would there have been in eating flesh torn by a wild beast?
[5] Of “torn” things, that they were not to be eaten, it is thus written in Moses:
The fat of a carcass and the fat of that which is torn may be for every use, provided in eating ye shall not eat it (Lev. 7:24).
Again:
A carcass and that which is torn he shall not eat, to be defiled therewith: I am Jehovah (Lev. 22:8).
And again:
Men of holiness ye shall be to Me; therefore ye shall not eat the flesh that is torn in the field; ye shall cast it forth to dogs (Exod. 22:31).
In Ezekiel:
The prophet saith, Ah Lord Jehovih! behold my soul hath not been defiled, and a carcass and that which is torn I have not eaten from my youth until now, so that the flesh of abomination hath not come into my mouth (Ezek. 4:14).
From these passages it is plain that it was an abomination to eat that which was torn, not because it was torn, but because it signified the tearing of good to pieces by falsities which are from evils, whereas a “carcass” signified the death of good by evils.
[6] The tearing of good to pieces by falsities from evils is meant also in the following passages from David in the internal sense:
The likeness of the wicked is as a lion, he desireth to tear, and as a young lion that sitteth in hiding places (Ps. 17:12).
Again:
They opened their mouth against me, a tearing and a roaring lion (Ps. 22:13).
And yet again:
Lest they tear my soul as a lion, tearing but none rescuing (Ps. 7:2).
A “lion” denotes those who vastate the church. Where it is said above of Joseph, that he was sold by his brethren, and that his tunic stained with blood was sent to his father, then his father also said, “It is my son’s tunic, an evil wild beast hath devoured him, tearing, Joseph is torn in pieces” (Gen. 37:33). (That “to be torn in pieces” is to be dissipated by falsities from evil may be seen where this is explained, n. 4777.)

AC (Potts) n. 5829 5829. And I have not seen him hitherto. That this signifies because it has vanished, is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5830 5830. And ye are taking this one also from my faces. That this signifies if the new truth also should depart, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, of whom this is said, as being new truth (see n. 5804, 5806, 5809, 5822); and from the signification of “taking him from my faces,” as being to estrange from spiritual good, thus to depart. Because this truth is from spiritual good which is “Israel,” if it should depart, it would be all over with the good itself; for good takes its quality from truths, and truths take their being from good; thereby they have life together.

AC (Potts) n. 5831 5831. And if harm befall him. That this signifies by evils and falsities, is evident from the signification of “harm befalling” anyone, as being to be injured by evils and falsities. No other “harm” is meant in the spiritual sense, because in the spiritual world all harm is from evils and falsities.

AC (Potts) n. 5832 5832. And ye will make my gray hairs go down in evil to the grave. That this signifies that spiritual good, and thus the internal of the church, would perish, is evident from the representation of Israel, as being spiritual good (n. 5807, 5812, 5813, 5817, 5819, 5825), and the internal of the spiritual church (n. 4286); from the signification of “gray hairs,” as being the ultimate of the church; and from the signification of “going down in evil to the grave,” as being to perish (n. 4785). “To go down in good into the grave” is to rise again and to be regenerated (n. 2916, 2917, 5551), wherefore “to go down in evil into the grave” is the opposite, thus to perish. As to the internal of the church perishing if the truth represented by Benjamin were to perish, the case is this. In order that good may be good it must have its own truths; and truths must have their own good in order to be truths. Good without truths is not good, and truths without good are not truths. Together they form a marriage, which is called the heavenly marriage. Wherefore if one departs, the other perishes; and the one may depart from the other through a tearing in pieces by evils and falsities.

AC (Potts) n. 5833 5833. And now when I come to thy servant my father. That this signifies the good of the church corresponding to the spiritual good of the internal church, is evident from the representation of Judah, who says this of himself, as being the good of the church (see n. 5583, 5603, 5782); and from the representation of Israel, who here is his “father,” as being spiritual good (n. 5807, 5812, 5813, 5817, 5819, 5825). The good of the church which Judah represents is the good of the external church; whereas the spiritual good which Israel represents is the good of the internal church (n. 4286). For every church of the Lord is internal and external; and the things of the external church correspond to those which are of the internal church. Thus also the good of the church which Judah represents, corresponds to the spiritual good represented by Israel.

AC (Potts) n. 5834 5834. And the boy he not with us. That this signifies if the new truth is not with it, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, who here is the “boy,” as being new truth (see n. 5804, 5806, 5822).

AC (Potts) n. 5835 5835. And his soul is bound in his soul. That this signifies since there is close conjunction, is evident from the signification of “soul,” as being life, thus “the soul of the one being bound in the soul of the other” signifies the life of the one in the life of the other, consequently that there is close conjunction-here of spiritual good, which is “Israel,” with the truth from this good, which is “Benjamin.” As to there being so close a conjunction between good and its truth, like the soul of the one which is bound in the soul of the other, the case is this. The mind of man, which is the man himself, and is where the man’s life is, has two faculties, one allotted to the truths of faith, the other to the good of charity. The faculty which is allotted to the truths of faith is called the understanding, and that which is allotted to the good of charity is called the will. In order that man may be man, these two faculties must make a one.
[2] But that at the present day these two faculties are altogether disjoined, may be seen from the fact that a man can understand that a thing is true, and yet not will it. He can understand that all things in the Decalogue are true, also in some measure those in the doctrinals which are from the Word; nay, he may also be able intellectually to confirm them, and even to preach them, but yet will otherwise, and from willing act otherwise. It is plain from this that these two faculties in man are disjoined. But that they ought not to be disjoined may be known from the fact that to understand truth would elevate a man toward heaven, and to will evil would draw him down toward hell, and so he would hang between the two. But still his will, in which his very life consists, would draw him downward, thus inevitably into hell. Therefore lest this happen, these two faculties must be conjoined, which is done through regeneration by the Lord, and this through the implantation of the truth of faith in the good of charity. For thus through the truth of faith the man is endowed with a new understanding, and through the good of charity with a new will; whence he has two faculties which make one mind.

AC (Potts) n. 5836 5836. And it shall come to pass when he seeth that the boy is not, that he will die. That this signifies that spiritual good will perish (that is, if the truth which is “Benjamin” departs), is evident from the representation of Israel as being spiritual good (of which above); and from the representation of “dying,” as being to cease to be such (see n. 494), thus to perish. (That good would perish if its truth should depart has been shown above, n. 5830, 5832.)

AC (Potts) n. 5837 5837. And thy servants will make thy servant our father’s gray hairs go down in sorrow to the grave. That this signifies that all will be over with the church, is evident from the things unfolded above (n. 5832), where like things are said. That Israel, who is the “father,” is here the church, is because spiritual good, which he represents, makes the church in man; insomuch that whether you say “spiritual good,” or “the church,” it is the same thing, for they cannot be separated. Therefore it is that in the Word, especially in the prophets, “Israel” is the spiritual church.

AC (Potts) n. 5838 5838. Verses 32-34. For thy servant became surety for the boy from being with my father, saying, If I bring him not back unto thee I shall sin to my father all the days. And now I pray let thy servant remain instead of the boy a servant to my lord, and let the boy go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up to my father and the boy be not with me? peradventure I shall see the evil that shall come upon my father. “For thy servant became surety for the boy from being with my father, saying,” signifies adjunction to itself; “If I bring him not back unto thee,” signifies unless it be conjoined with spiritual good; “I shall sin to my father all the days,” signifies a turning away, and thus that there would be no good of the church; “and now I pray let thy servant remain instead of the boy a servant to my lord,” signifies submission; “and let the boy go up with his brethren,” signifies in order that interior truth may be conjoined with spiritual good; “for how shall I go up to my father and the boy he not with me?” signifies that spiritual good from the natural would be without interior truth; “peradventure I shall see the evil that shall come upon my father,” signifies perception that it will perish.

AC (Potts) n. 5839 5839. For thy servant became surety for the boy from being with my father, saying. That this signifies adjunction, is evident from the signification of “becoming surety for” another, as being to adjoin him to oneself (as above, n. 5609). For the truth which Benjamin represented, while it is not so much with spiritual good, which is the “father,” may in the meantime be with the good of the external church which Judah represents; for this good and spiritual good act as one by correspondence.

AC (Potts) n. 5840 5840. If I bring him not back unto thee. That this signifies unless it be conjoined with spiritual good, is evident from the signification of “bringing back,” as being to be conjoined again; and from the representation of Israel, as being spiritual good (of which frequently above).

AC (Potts) n. 5841 5841. I shall sin to my father all the days. That this signifies a turning away, and thus that there would be no good of the church, is evident from the signification of “sinning,” as being disjunction (see n. 5229, 5474), thus a turning away; and if the good of the external church which Judah represents, averts itself from the good of the internal church represented by Israel, there is no longer any good of the church. The conjunction itself causes that there is good from which is the church. With these two goods, of the internal church and of the external, the case is this. The good of the internal church, or internal good, produces the good of the external church, or external good, by influx; and because it is so, internal good elevates to itself external good in order that this may look to it, and through it upward toward the Lord. This takes place when there is conjunction; but if there is disjunction, external good turns itself away, and looks downward, and thus perishes. It is this turning away which is signified by “I shall sin to my father all the days.”

AC (Potts) n. 5842 5842. And now I pray let thy servant remain instead of the boy a servant to my lord. That this signifies submission, is evident from the fact that to offer oneself as a servant in the place of another is to deprive oneself of freedom from one’s own, and to submit oneself altogether to the other. By these words is signified the submission of the natural or external man under the internal; for when the good there submits itself, the very truths there submit themselves, for truths are of good.

AC (Potts) n. 5843 5843. And let the boy go up with his brethren. That this signifies in order that interior truth may be conjoined with spiritual good, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, as being new truth (see n. 5804, 5806, 5809, 5822), thus interior truth; and from the signification of “going up with his brethren,” as being to be again conjoined with his father, that is, with the spiritual good which is represented by Israel. The interior truth which Benjamin here represents, is the new truth, for this is interior relatively to the truths which are below. For the truth which proceeds from good is interior truth; thus this truth is so because it proceeds from spiritual good, which is “Israel.” The good of charity from the will, thus from affection, is internal good, or the good of the internal church; but the good of charity not from affection but from obedience, and not from the will but from doctrine, is external good, or the good of the external church; and it is the same with the truths which are from it.

AC (Potts) n. 5844 5844. For how shall I go up to my father, and the boy be not with me? That this signifies that spiritual good from the natural would be without interior truth, is evident from the representation of Israel, who here is the “father,” as being spiritual good from the natural (of which above); and from the representation of Benjamin, who here is the “boy,” as being interior truth (see just above, n. 5843).

AC (Potts) n. 5845 5845. Peradventure I shall see the evil that shall come upon my father. That this signifies a perception that it will perish, is evident from the signification of “seeing,” as being to understand (as above, n. 2807, 3863, 4403-4421), and thence to perceive (n. 3764, 4567, 5400). That it will perish is signified by the “evil which shall come upon him,” the same as by “making his gray hairs go down in evil to the grave” (n. 5832), also that if his father did not see him with his brethren, he “would die” (n. 5836). This is the evil that is signified. (That spiritual good, which is “Israel,” would perish if the truth which is “Benjamin” should depart, may be seen above, n. 5832.)

AC (Potts) n. 5846 5846. Of the angels and spirits with man.
The influx from the spiritual world into man is in general of such a nature that man cannot think or will anything of himself, but everything flows in; good and truth from the Lord through heaven, thus through the angels who are with the man; evil and falsity from hell, thus through the evil spirits who are with the man; and this into the man’s thought and will. This I know will appear a very great paradox because it is contrary to the appearance; but experience itself shall declare how the matter stands.

AC (Potts) n. 5847 5847. No man, spirit, or angel ever has any life from himself, thus neither can he think and will from himself; because in thinking and willing is the life of man, and speaking and acting is the life thence derived. For there is one only life, that of the Lord, which flows into all, but is variously received, and indeed according to the quality which a man has induced on his soul by his life. Hence with the evil, goods and truths are turned into evils and falsities, but with the good they are received-goods as goods, and truths as truths. This may be compared to the light of the sun flowing into objects, which is modified and varied in them diversely according to the form of the parts, and thus is turned into colors, some sad and some cheerful. While a man lives in the world he induces a form on the purest substances of his interiors, so that it may be said that he forms his soul, that is, its quality; and according to this form is received the life of the Lord, which is the life of His love toward the universal human race. (That there is one only life, and that men, spirits, and angels are recipients of life, see n. 1954, 2021, 2706, 2886-2889, 2893, 3001, 3318, 3337, 3338, 3484, 3741-3743, 4151, 4249, 4318-4320, 4417, 4524, 4882.)

AC (Potts) n. 5848 5848. In order that the life of the Lord may flow in and be received according to all law in man, there are continually with him angels and spirits-angels from heaven, and spirits from hell; and I have been informed that there are with everyone two spirits and two angels. That there are spirits from hell is because man of himself is continually in evil, for he is in the delight of the love of self and of the world, and insofar as man is in evil, or in this delight, so far angels from heaven cannot be present.

AC (Potts) n. 5849 5849. The two spirits adjoined to man cause him to be in communication with hell, and the two angels cause him to be in communication with heaven. Without communication with heaven and hell, man could not live even a moment. If these communications were taken away, the man would fall dead as a stock; for then would be taken away the connection with the First Esse, that is, with the Lord. This has also been shown me by much experience. The spirits with me were removed a little, and then as they were removed I began as it were to expire, and indeed should have expired if they had not been sent back. But I know that few will believe there is any spirit with them, nor even that there are any spirits; and this chiefly for the reason that at this day there is no faith, because no charity, and thus it is not believed that there is a hell, nor even that there is a heaven, nor consequently that there is any life after death. Another reason is that they do not see spirits with their eyes; for they say, “If I should see, I would believe; what I see, this is; but what I do not see, I do not know whether it is.” When yet they know, or might know, that man’s eye is so dull and gross that it does not even see many things that exist in ultimate nature, as is evident from microscopes which make them visible. How then could it see what is within even purer nature, where spirits and angels are? These man cannot see except with the eye of his internal man, for this is accommodated to such vision. But the sight of this eye is not opened to man while he is in this world, for many reasons. From all this it is evident how far distant is the faith of this day from the faith of ancient times, when it was believed that every man had his angel with him.

AC (Potts) n. 5850 5850. The truth of the matter is this. From the Lord through the spiritual world into the subjects of the natural world there is a general influx and also a particular influx-a general influx into those things which are in order, a particular influx into those things which are not in order. Animals of every kind are in the order of their nature, and therefore into them there is general influx. That they are in the order of their nature is evident from the fact that they are born into all their faculties, and have no need to be introduced into them by any information. But men are not in their order, nor in any law of order, and therefore they receive particular influx; that is, there are with them angels and spirits through whom the influx comes. And unless these were with men, they would rush into every wickedness and would plunge in a moment into the deepest hell. Through these spirits and angels man is kept under the auspices and guidance of the Lord. The order into which man was created would be that he should love the neighbor as himself, and even more than himself. Thus do the angels. But man loves only himself and the world, and hates the neighbor, except insofar as he favors his commanding and possessing the world. Therefore as the life of man is altogether contrary to heavenly order, he is ruled by the Lord through separate spirits and angels.

AC (Potts) n. 5851 5851. The same spirits do not remain constantly with a man, but are changed according to the man’s states, that is, the states of his affection, or of his loves and ends, the former being removed and others succeeding. In general there are with man spirits of such a quality as is the man himself. If he is avaricious, there are spirits who are avaricious; if he is haughty, there are haughty spirits; if he is desirous of revenge, there are spirits of this character; if he is deceitful, there are the like spirits. Man summons to himself spirits from hell in accordance with his life. The hells are most exactly distinguished according to evils of cupidities, and according to all the differences of evil. Thus there is never any lack of spirits like himself to be called out and adjoined to a man who is in evil.

AC (Potts) n. 5852 5852. The evil spirits with man are indeed from the hells, but while they are with him they are not in hell, but taken out from thence. The place where they then are is midway between hell and heaven, and is called the World Of Spirits, of which mention has often been made before. In this world called the world of spirits there are also good spirits who likewise are with man. Into that world also come men immediately after death, who after tarrying a while there, are either sent away into the lower earth, or are let down into hell, or taken up into heaven, each one according to his life. In that world the hells are terminated above, being there closed or opened at the good pleasure of the Lord; and in that world heaven is terminated below; thus it is an interval that distinguishes heaven from hell. From this it may now be known what the world of spirits is. When evil spirits who are with man are in that world, they are not in any infernal torment, but are in the delights of the love of self and of the world, as also of all the pleasures in which the man himself is; for they are in every thought and every affection of the man; but when they are sent back into their hell, they return into their former state.

AC (Potts) n. 5853 5853. The spirits who come to a man enter into all his memory and into all the memory-knowledges that he possesses. Thus they put on all things belonging to the man, insomuch that they know no otherwise than that these are their own. This is a prerogative that spirits have above man. Hence it is that all things which the man thinks they think, and all things which the man wills they will; and conversely, whatever the spirits think the man thinks, and whatever the spirits will the man wills; for they act as a one by conjunction. Yet on both sides it is supposed that such things are in and from themselves, both on the part of the spirits and on the part of the men. But this is a fallacy.

AC (Potts) n. 5854 5854. It is provided by the Lord that spirits should flow into what is thought and willed by man, but angels into his ends, and thus through the ends into all that follows from the ends. Angels also flow in through good spirits into the goods of life and truths of faith with man, by means of which they lead him away from evils and falsities as far as possible. This influx is tacit, imperceptible to the man, but still operating and efficient in secret. Especially do they avert evil ends and insinuate good ones. But insofar as they cannot do this, they withdraw, and flow in more remotely, and more absently, and then evil spirits come nearer; for angels cannot be present in evil ends, that is, in the loves of self and of the world, and yet they are present from afar.
[2] The Lord could through angels lead man into good ends by omnipotent force; but this would be to take away the man’s life, for his life consists in entirely contrary loves. Therefore the Divine law is inviolable, that man shall be in freedom, and that good and truth, or charity and faith, shall be implanted in his freedom, and by no means in compulsion; because what is received in a state of compulsion does not remain, but is dissipated. For to compel a man is not to insinuate into his will, because it is then the will of another from which he acts; and therefore when he returns to his own will, that is, to his own freedom, this is rooted out. The Lord therefore rules man through his freedom, and as far as possible withholds him from the freedom of thinking and willing evil; for unless man were withheld by the Lord, he would be continually plunging into the deepest hell.
[3] It was said that the Lord could through angels lead man into good ends by omnipotent force; for evil spirits can be driven away in an instant, even if there should be myriads about a man, and this indeed by means of one angel; but then the man would come into such torment and into such a hell that he could not possibly endure it, for he would be miserably deprived of his life. For the life of man is from cupidities and phantasies against good and truth. If this life were not sustained through evil spirits and thus amended, or at least led, he would be reduced to nothing and would not survive a minute. For nothing else is seated in him than the love of self and of gain, and of reputation for their sake, thus whatever is contrary to order. Wherefore unless he should be reduced into order moderately and by degrees, through the leading of his freedom, he would at once expire.

AC (Potts) n. 5855 5855. Before the way was opened to me to speak with spirits, I was of the opinion that no spirit or angel could ever know or perceive my thoughts, because they were within me, and known to God alone. And then it once happened that I observed that a certain spirit knew what I was thinking, for he spoke with me about what I was thinking of, in a few words, and gave an indication of his presence by a certain sign. At this I was astounded, chiefly because he knew my thoughts. From this it was evident how difficult it is for a man to believe that any spirit knows what he is thinking, when yet he knows not only the thoughts which the man himself knows, but also the least things of his thoughts and affections, which the man does not know-nay, such things as the man can never know during the life of the body. This I know from the continuous experience of many years.

AC (Potts) n. 5856 5856. Communications of societies with other societies are effected through spirits whom they send forth and through whom they speak. These spirits are called Subjects. When any society was present with me, I could not know it until they sent forth a spirit, at the sending of whom communication was at once opened. This is a very familiar thing in the other life and is frequently done. From this it may be seen that the spirits and angels who are with man, are for the sake of communication with societies in hell and with societies in heaven.

AC (Potts) n. 5857 5857. I have sometimes spoken with spirits about the surpassing capacity they have above men for putting on at their first coming all things of the man’s memory; and though they had previously known nothing of the sciences, of the languages, and other things which the man has learned and imbued from childhood even to old age, they nevertheless come in a moment into possession of all; so that with the learned they are learned, with the ingenious they are ingenious, and with the prudent they are prudent. At these remarks, those spirits became elated, for they were not good, and therefore it was given to tell them further that with the ignorant they are ignorant, and with the stupid they are stupid, with the insane and foolish they are insane and foolish; for they put on all the interiors of the man with whom they are, thus also his fallacies, phantasies, and falsities, consequently his insanities and follies. But evil spirits cannot approach little children, because these have not yet in their memory anything that evil spirits can put on; and therefore with little children there are good spirits and angels.

AC (Potts) n. 5858 5858. From much experience it has been given me to know that whatever the spirits think and speak from the memory of a man, they suppose to be their own and in themselves. If they are told that this is not the case, they are highly indignant-such is the fallacy of sense that prevails with them. To convince them that such is not the case, they were asked whence they knew how to speak with me in my mother tongue, and yet they had known nothing at all of it during their life in the body, and how they knew the other languages in which I am skilled, although from themselves they did not know one; do they believe that these languages are theirs? Moreover I read the Hebrew language before them, and they understood it as much as I did-even little children-but no further. All the knowledges also that are in my memory are in theirs. By this they were convinced that when they come to a man, they come into possession of all his knowledges, and that they are in falsity in believing them to be their own. They have also their own knowledges, but are not permitted to draw them out, to the end that they may serve man through his knowledges-as well as for various other reasons, of which above (n. 2476, 2477, 2479), and because there would be the greatest confusion if spirits were to flow in from their own memory (n. 2478).

AC (Potts) n. 5859 5859. Some spirits came to me by ascending, and said that they had been with me from the beginning, knowing no otherwise. But when I showed them to the contrary, they at last confessed that they had now come for the first time, but because they had at once put on all things of my memory, they could know no otherwise. From this again it was evident that when spirits come to a man they instantly put on all the man’s memory-knowledges as if they were their own; and also that when a number of spirits are present, they each of them put on these knowledges, and they each of them suppose that they are their own. Into this faculty comes man immediately after death. Hence also it is that when good spirits come into a heavenly society, they put on and possess all the wisdom of all in that society-for such is the communion-and this although in the life of the body they had known nothing whatever of such things as are said in the heavenly society. This is the case if when in the world they had lived in the good of charity, for this good is attended with the appropriation to itself of everything of wisdom, because this is secretly implanted in good itself; and it is from this that they know as it were from themselves things which in the bodily life had been incomprehensible and even unutterable.

AC (Potts) n. 5860 5860. The spirits who are with man also put on his persuasions, whatever these may be, as has been proved to me by much experience. Thus they put on man’s persuasions not only in civil and moral things, but also in the spiritual things of faith. From this it may be seen that the spirits with those who are in heresies, in fallacies and illusions as to the truths of faith, and in falsities, are in the like, with not the slightest difference. The reason of this is that man may be in his freedom, and not be disturbed by anything of the spirit’s own.

AC (Potts) n. 5861 5861. From all this it is plain that during his life in the world a man is as to his interiors, thus as to his spirit, in company with other spirits, and is so adjoined to them that he cannot think anything or will anything except together with them, and that thereby there is a communication of his interiors with the spiritual world, and that in this way and not otherwise can he be led by the Lord. When a man comes into the other life he has with him his unbelief in there having been with him any spirit, especially any from hell. There is therefore shown him, if he desires it, the society of spirits in whose company he had been, and from which emissary spirits had been with him. And then after passing through some preliminary states, he at last returns to the same society, because this society has acted in unity with the love which had obtained the dominion with him. I have sometimes seen their societies shown to them.

AC (Potts) n. 5862 5862. It is not known to the spirits with man, but only to angels from the Lord, that they are with him, because they are adjoined to his soul or spirit, and not to his body. Those things which from the thoughts are determined into speech, and those which from the will are determined into acts in the body, flow in order into act by general influx, according to the correspondences with the Grand Man; and therefore the spirits who are with man have nothing in common with these things: thus they do not speak through man’s tongue, which would be obsession; nor see through his eyes, nor hear through his ears, what is in the world. It is otherwise with me, for the Lord has opened my interiors so that I might see the things in the other life: hence spirits have known that I was a man in the body, and opportunity has been given them of seeing through my eyes things in the world, and of hearing those speaking to me who were in my company.

AC (Potts) n. 5863 5863. If evil spirits perceived that they are with man, and that they are spirits separate from him, and if they could flow into what is of his body, they would try to destroy him in a thousand ways, for they hold man in deadly hatred. And as they knew that I was a man in the body, they were in a continual effort to destroy me, not only as to the body, but especially as to the soul; for to destroy man and any spirit is the very delight of life of all those who are in hell; but I have been continually protected by the Lord. From this it is evident how dangerous it is for man to be in living company with spirits, unless he is in the good of faith.

AC (Potts) n. 5864 5864. As evil spirits have heard that spirits are with man, they have supposed that so they might assail these spirits, and together with them man. They have also sought them a long time, but in vain. Their intention was to destroy them. For as the delight and bliss of heaven is to do good to man, and to promote his eternal welfare, so on the other hand the delight of hell is to do evil to man, and to contribute to his eternal ruin. In such opposition are they.

AC (Potts) n. 5865 5865. There was a certain spirit, not evil, to whom it was permitted to pass over to a certain man and speak with me from thence. When he came to the man he said that there appeared to him as it were a kind of black inanimate something, or as it were a black lifeless mass. This was the bodily life of the man, which he was permitted to view. It was said that the bodily life of a man who is in the good of faith appears, when one is permitted to view it, not black, but woody and of the color of wood. The same was given me to know by another experience. A certain evil spirit was let into the state of the body, by thinking from the sensuous things of the body, thus from the external memory. He then seemed to me as a black lifeless mass. When he was restored, he said that he had supposed he was in the life of the body. In other cases spirits are not allowed to look into the bodily things of man, for these are in the world and its light, and when spirits look at those things which are of the light of the world, these appear as mere darkness.

AC (Potts) n. 5866 5866. A continuation about the angels and spirits with man will be found at the end of the following chapter.

Genesis 45

1. And Joseph could not restrain himself before all that were standing by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from with me. And there stood not anyone with him while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
2. And he gave forth his voice in weeping; and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.
3. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were in consternation before him.
4. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come ye near to me I pray. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
5. And now be not grieved, neither let there be anger in your eyes, that ye sold me hither; for God did send me before you to make to live.
6. For this two years the famine is in the midst of the land; and there are yet five years wherein is no plowing and harvest.
7. And God sent me before you to put for you remains in the land, and to make you live for a great escape.
8. And now not you have sent me hither, but God; and He set me for a father to Pharaoh, and for lord to all his house, and I rule in all the land of Egypt.
9. Haste ye and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus hath said thy son Joseph, God hath set me for lord to all Egypt; come down unto me, tarry not:
10. And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy sons, and thy sons’ sons, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:
11. And I will sustain thee there; for there are yet five years of famine; lest thou be rooted out, thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast.
12. And behold your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that with my mouth I am speaking unto you.
13. And ye shall tell my father all my glory in Egypt, and all that ye have seen; and haste ye and bring down my father hither.
14. And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s necks and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his necks.
15. And he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them; and afterward his brethren talked with him.
16. And the voice was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, Joseph’s brethren have come; and it was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants.
17. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, come ye into the land of Canaan;
18. And take your father, and your households, and come unto me; and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.
19. And now commanded, this do ye: take you out of the land of Egypt carts for your babes, and for your women, and bring your father, and come.
20. And let not your eye be sparing upon your stuff; because the good of the whole land of Egypt, this is for you.
21. And the sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them carts, according to the mouth of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.
22. And to all of them he gave to each changes of garments; and to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of garments.
23. And to his father he sent after this manner: ten asses carrying of the good of Egypt, and ten she-asses carrying grain and bread and nourishment for his father for the way.
24. And he sent his brethren away, and they departed; and he said unto them, Contend not in the way.
25. And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father.
26. And they told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is ruler in all the land of Egypt. And his heart failed, because he believed them not.
27. And they spake unto him all the words of Joseph, which he spake unto them; and he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, and the spirit of Jacob their father revived:
28. And Israel said, It is much; Joseph my son is yet alive; I will go and see him before I die.

AC (Potts) n. 5867 5867. The Contents.
In the preceding chapter the subject treated of was the internal man, which is “Joseph”-that it initiated into conjunction with itself the external natural, or the ten sons of Jacob, through the intermediate which is “Benjamin.” In this present chapter the subject treated of is the internal man-that it conjoined itself with the external natural; but inasmuch as there is no conjunction therewith except through spiritual good from the natural, which is “Israel,” therefore it first prepares to adjoin to itself this good.

AC (Potts) n. 5868 5868. The Internal Sense.
Verses 1, 2. And Joseph could not restrain himself before all that were standing by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from with me. And there stood not anyone with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he gave forth his voice in weeping; and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard. “And Joseph could not restrain himself before all that were standing by him,” signifies that all things were now made ready by the internal celestial for conjunction; “and he cried,” signifies the effect near at hand; “Cause every man to go out from with me,” signifies that memory-knowledges not in agreement and adverse should be cast out from the midst; “and there stood not anyone with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren,” signifies that there were not any such knowledges present when the internal celestial through the intermediate conjoined itself with truths in the natural; “and he gave forth his voice in weeping,” signifies mercy and joy; “and the Egyptians heard,” signifies even to ultimates; “and the house of Pharaoh heard,” signifies through the whole natural.

AC (Potts) n. 5869 5869. And Joseph could not restrain himself before all that were standing by him. That this signifies that all things were now made ready by the internal celestial for conjunction, is evident from the representation of Joseph, as being internal good (see n. 5805, 5826, 5827), thus the internal celestial, for by the celestial is meant the good which proceeds from the Lord; and from the signification of “not being able to restrain himself,” as being that all things were made ready for conjunction. For when anyone prepares himself with the utmost diligence for some end, or effect, by getting together and arranging the means conducive thereto, then when all things are made ready he can no longer restrain himself. This is signified by the above words; for in the preceding chapter initiation to conjunction was treated of, but in this chapter conjunction itself (see n. 5867). By “all that were standing by him,” are signified such things as hinder conjunction, for which reason they were cast out, as follows.

AC (Potts) n. 5870 5870. And he cried. That this signifies the effect near at hand, is evident from the signification of “crying,” when it is before said that he could not restrain himself, as being the effect near at hand.

AC (Potts) n. 5871 5871. Cause every man to go out from with me. That this signifies that memory-knowledges, not in agreement and adverse, should be cast out from the midst, is evident from the signification of “every man from with him,” as being memory-knowledges, for the men were Egyptians, by whom are signified memory-knowledges (see n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 5700, 5702). That these were not in agreement and were adverse, follows, because they were cast out. The case herein is this. When a conjunction is being effected of the truths which are in the external or natural man with the good which is in the internal, that is, when the truths of faith are being conjoined with the good of charity, then all those memory-knowledges which are not in agreement, and especially those which are adverse, are rejected from the midst to the sides, thus from the light which is in the midst to the shade which is at the sides; and then they are partly not seen and partly regarded as of no account. But from the memory-knowledges which are in agreement and harmonious, which remain, there is effected a kind of extraction, and so to speak a sort of sublimation, whence arises an interior sense of things, a sense which is not perceived by man while he is in the body except by somewhat of gladness, as the mind is gladdened by the morning of the day. Thus is effected the conjunction of the truth which is of faith with the good which is of charity.

AC (Potts) n. 5872 5872. And there stood not anyone with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. That this signifies that there were not any such knowledges present when the internal celestial by means of the intermediate conjoined itself with the truths in the natural, may be seen from what was unfolded just above (n. 5871), thus without further exposition.

AC (Potts) n. 5873 5873. And he gave forth his voice in weeping. That this signifies mercy and joy, is evident from the signification of “weeping,” as being the effect of mercy (see n. 5480); and also, as it is the effect of sadness, as being the effect of love (see n. 3801), thus joy.

AC (Potts) n. 5874 5874. And the Egyptians heard. That this signifies even to ultimates, is evident from the signification of “hearing,” namely, the voice in weeping, as being a perception of mercy and of joy; and from the representation of the Egyptians, as being memory-knowledges (see n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462), thus ultimates, for the memory-knowledges with man are his ultimates. That memory-knowledges are the ultimates with man, namely, in his memory and thought, is not apparent, for it seems to him as if they make the whole of intelligence and of wisdom. But it is not so. They are only vessels containing the things of intelligence and of wisdom, and indeed the ultimate vessels, for they conjoin themselves with the sensuous things of the body. That they are ultimates is plain to him who reflects upon his thought, when he inquires into any truth, in that memory-knowledges are then present, but are not apparent; for the thought then extracts what they contain (and this from very many scattered here and there and even deeply hidden), and thus forms conclusions; and the more interiorly the thought penetrates, so much the farther does it remove itself from them. This may be manifest from the fact that when man comes into the other life and becomes a spirit, he indeed has with him memory-knowledges, but he is not allowed to use them, for several reasons (n. 2476, 2477, 2479); and yet he thinks and speaks concerning truth and good much more distinctly and perfectly than in the world. Hence it may be seen that memory-knowledges are serviceable to man for forming the understanding, but when the understanding has been formed, they then constitute an ultimate plane in which the man no longer thinks, but above it.

AC (Potts) n. 5875 5875. And the house of Pharaoh heard. That this signifies through the whole natural, is evident from the representation of Pharaoh, as being the natural in general (see n. 5160, 5799). Thus his “house” is the whole natural.

AC (Potts) n. 5876 5876. Verses 3-5. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were in consternation before him. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come ye near to me I pray. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. And now be not grieved, neither let there be anger in your eyes, that ye sold me hither; for God did send me before you to make to live. “And Joseph said unto his brethren,” signifies that the internal celestial gave the faculty of perception to truths in the natural; “I am Joseph,” signifies manifestation; “doth my father yet live,” signifies the presence of spiritual good from the natural; “and his brethren could not answer him,” signifies that truths in the natural were not yet in a state to speak; “for they were in consternation before him,” signifies commotion among them; “and Joseph said unto his brethren,” signifies the perception of the new natural; “Come ye near to me I pray,” signifies interior communication; “and they came near,” signifies the effect; “and he said, I am Joseph your brother,” signifies manifestation by means of influx; “whom ye sold into Egypt,” signifies the internal which they had alienated; “and now be not grieved,” signifies anxiety of the heart or of the will; “neither let there be anger in your eyes,” signifies sadness of the spirit or of the understanding; “that ye sold me hither,” signifies that they had alienated to the lowest things; “for God did send me before you to make to live,” signifies spiritual life thence imparted to them of Providence.

AC (Potts) n. 5877 5877. And Joseph said unto his brethren. That this signifies that the internal celestial gave the faculty of perception to truths in the natural, is evident from the signification of “saying,” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception (see n. 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509, 5687, 5743), here to give the faculty of perception (of which in what follows); from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal celestial (of which just above, n. 5869); and from the representation of the ten sons of Jacob, who are here the “brethren,” as being truths in the natural (n. 5403, 5419, 5458, 5512). Thus the internal sense is that the internal celestial gave the faculty of perception to truths in the natural. By “saying” is here signified to give the faculty of perception, because in what now follows the subject treated of is the conjunction of the internal celestial, which is “Joseph,” with truths in the natural, which are the “sons of Jacob,” and when there is conjunction there is given the faculty of perceiving, namely, through the affection of truth, and thus of good.

AC (Potts) n. 5878 5878. I am Joseph, signifies manifestation, as is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5879 5879. Doth my father yet live? That this signifies the presence of spiritual good from the natural, is evident from the representation of Israel, who here is the “father,” as being spiritual good from the natural (see n. 5801, 5803, 5807, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833); that it is from the natural see n. 4286; and from the signification of “doth he yet live,” as being the presence thereof. For Joseph’s first thought when he manifested himself was about his father, whom he knew to be living. Wherefore Israel was first present in thought, and also continuously afterward while Joseph spoke to his brethren. The reason is that the conjunction of the internal celestial, which is “Joseph,” cannot be effected with the truths in the natural, which are the “sons of Jacob,” except through spiritual good from the natural, which is “Israel.” And when conjunction is effected, then they are no longer the sons of Jacob, but the sons of Israel, for the “sons of Israel” are spiritual truths in the natural.

AC (Potts) n. 5880 5880. And his brethren could not answer him. That this signifies that truths in the natural were not yet in a state to speak, is evident from the representation of the sons of Jacob, who are here Joseph’s “brethren,” as being truths in the natural (of which above, n. 5877); and from the signification of “not being able to answer,” as being to be not yet in a state to speak, namely, from the truths with the internal. The case herein is this. When the internal is being conjoined with the external, or good with truth, there is then for the first time effected a communication on the part of the internal with the external; but the communication is not yet reciprocal. When it is reciprocal, there is conjunction. Wherefore after Joseph had wept upon Benjamin’s necks, and had kissed all his brethren, it is said that then for the first time his brethren talked with him (verse 15), whereby is signified that after conjunction was effected, there took place a reciprocal communication by virtue of reception.

AC (Potts) n. 5881 5881. For they were in consternation before him. That this signifies commotion among them, is evident from the signification of “being in consternation,” as being commotion, consternation being nothing else. By commotion is meant a new disposition and setting in order of truths in the natural, concerning which setting in order be it known that the order in which memory-knowledges and truths are arranged in man’s memory is unknown to man, but when it pleases the Lord it is known to angels. For it is a wonderful order. They cohere as in little bundles, and the little bundles themselves cohere together, and this according to the connection of things which the man had conceived. These coherences are more wonderful than any man can ever believe. In the other life they are sometimes presented to view, for in the light of heaven which is spiritual such things can be exhibited to the sight of the eye, but not at all in the light of the world. The memory-knowledges and truths are arranged into these fascicular forms solely by the man’s loves-into infernal forms by the loves of self and of the world, but into heavenly forms by love toward the neighbor and love to God. Wherefore while the man is being regenerated, and conjunction is being effected of the good of the internal man with the truths of the external, a commotion takes place among the truths, for they then undergo a different arrangement. It is this commotion which is here meant, and is signified by their “being in consternation.” The commotion then made, manifests itself by an anxiety arising from the change of the former state, namely, from a privation of the delight which had been in that state. This commotion also manifests itself by anxiety concerning the past life-that internal good and the internal itself had been relegated to the lowest place-which anxiety is treated of in what follows.

AC (Potts) n. 5882 5882. And Joseph said unto his brethren. That this signifies the perception of the new natural, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being perception (of which see above, n. 5877); and from the representation of the sons of Jacob, as being truths in the natural (of which also above, n. 5877), here the natural; for they who represent truths in the natural, represent also the natural itself-as Pharaoh, who, as he represents memory-knowledges in general, because he was king of Egypt, also represents the natural itself in general (n. 5160, 5799). The truths in the natural, and the natural itself, or the natural man himself, act as a one, for truths are the contents, and the natural is the containant; and therefore in the internal sense the containant is now signified, and now the content, according to the series of the things. The reason why the sons of Jacob here represent the new natural is that in the internal sense is here described the act of conjunction, which-to speak generally-is in accordance with the things that are contained in the general explication; namely, that when there takes place a conjunction of the internal with the external, or of good with truth, there is first bestowed a capacity of perception that the man is affected with truth and thus with good, and that then a commotion is felt; next that an interior communication is given by means of influx; and so on. From this it is plain that the natural which the sons of Jacob here represent is the new natural, for its former state has been changed (n. 5881).

AC (Potts) n. 5883 5883. Come ye near to me I pray. That this signifies interior communication, is evident from the signification of “coming near,” as being to communicate more closely, which when predicated of the external relatively to the internal is to communicate more interiorly. A man knows not that communication with the natural or exterior man is interior and exterior, for the reason that he has not formed for himself any idea of the internal man, and of its life being distinct from the life of the external man. Of the internal man he has no other idea than that it is within, not at all distinct from the external, when yet they are so distinct that the internal can be separated from the external, and can live the life which it lived before, but purer, which also actually takes place when the man dies, for then the internal is separated from the external, and the internal which lives after the separation is what is then called the spirit. But this is the very man himself who lived in the body, and also appears to himself and to others in the other life like a man in this world, having his whole form, from the head to the heel. And he is also endowed with the same faculties with which a man in the world is endowed, namely, of feeling when he is touched, of smelling, of seeing, of hearing, of speaking, and of thinking; insomuch that when he does not reflect upon the fact that he is in the other life, he supposes that he is in his body in the world, as I have sometimes heard said by spirits. From these things it is plain what man’s internal and external are. If an idea be thus formed concerning them, the things which have so often been said in the explications about the internal and the external man will become somewhat clearer, as well as what is meant by the interior communication which is here signified by “Come ye near to me I pray.”

AC (Potts) n. 5884 5884. And they came near. That this signifies the effect, namely, that a more interior communication was effected, is evident without explication.

AC (Potts) n. 5885 5885. And he said, I am Joseph your brother. That this signifies manifestation by means of influx, is evident from the signification of “saying, I am Joseph your brother,” as being manifestation (as above, n. 5878). That it was by means of influx, follows, because the internal acts in no other way into the external, and now the more when a more interior communication has been effected (n. 5883). Manifestation by means of influx is, in respect to good, the noticing thereof through the affection of truth, and is charity; but in respect to truth, it is the acknowledgment thereof, and is faith.

AC (Potts) n. 5886 5886. Whom ye sold into Egypt. That this signifies the internal which they had alienated, is evident from the representation of Joseph, who is “he whom they sold,” as being the internal (see n. 5805, 5826, 5827); and from the signification of “selling,” as being to alienate (n. 4752, 4758). By “Egypt” is here signified things lowest (as below, n. 5889); for to account anything among memory-knowledges without acknowledgment is to cast it out to the sides, thus to ultimate or lowest things. This also is the case with man’s internal at this day. This is indeed one of the memory-knowledges, because it is known from doctrine that there is an internal man, but it has been rejected to lowest things, because it is not acknowledged and believed; so that it has been alienated, not indeed from the memory, but from faith. That in the internal sense “to sell” is to alienate the things of faith and charity, consequently those which make a man of the internal church, may be seen from the fact that in the spiritual world there is no buying or selling such as there is on earth, but the appropriation of good and truth which is signified by “buying,” and the alienation of them which is signified by “selling.” By “selling” is also signified the communication of the knowledges of good and of truth, for the reason that by “trading” is signified the procuring and communication of these knowledges (n. 2967, 4453), but in this case the selling is said to be “not by silver.”
[2] That “to sell” denotes alienation is evident from the foll