3401. 'And Abimelech commanded all the people, saying' means a decree. This is clear from the meaning of 'commanding' as making a decree; from the representation of 'Abimelech' as people who possess the doctrine of faith, dealt with in 3392, and in the highest sense the Lord, 3393; and from the meaning of 'people' as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with in 3398. From this it is evident that 'Abimelech commanded all the people' means a decree from the Lord made within the spiritual Church. The decree itself is what follows next, which is that Divine Truth and Divine Good are not to be exposed, insomuch that not even any approach is to be made towards them by faith, because of the danger of eternal condemnation if they are made profane. This point is dealt with next.

5958. 'Ten asses carrying some of the good of Egypt' means [superior] factual knowledge together with much of a subservient kind. This is clear from the meaning of 'ten' as much, dealt with in 3107, 4638, 5708; from the meaning of 'asses as factual knowledge, dealt with in 5741, in this case the lowest level of it, dealt with in 5934. Which is subservient since it carries the more internal levels; and from the meaning of 'the good of Egypt' as factual knowledge, as above in 5942, 5949, but factual knowledge which the Church possesses since this is what is meant, strictly speaking, by 'Egypt', 4749, 4964, 4966. The reason this kind is meant by 'the good of Egypt' is that it is sent from Joseph to Israel, that is, from the internal celestial to spiritual good.