3049. 'And every good thing that was his master's was in his hand' means the goods and truths associated with those facts residing with the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'every good thing that was his master's' as both good and truth, for in itself truth is good since it springs from good - truth being the form that good takes, that is, when good receives a form so that it can be perceived in the understanding it is called truth; and from the meaning of 'the hand' as power, dealt with in 878. Thus the goods and truths residing with the natural man are meant here. General facts are not in themselves good, nor do they have any life; but the affection for them is what causes them to be good and to have life, for in that case they exist for the sake of their use. No one's affection is stirred by any fact or truth, except on account of the use it serves. The use is what makes it good, though the particular nature of the use determines the nature of the good.

In most cases, a "master" in the Bible refers to truth. That can vary according to the person being called master -- Egyptian masters respresent factual, worldly knowledge; when the Lord is referred to as master it means Divine Truth itself. The term does vary according to context. If the things directed by the "master" represent knowledge and ideas, the master will represent desires for good, since desires for good are the things that inspire true thinking.