6050. 'Both we and our fathers' means that this was so from when the earliest forms of good existed. This is clear from the meaning of 'fathers' as forms of good, dealt with in 2803, 3703, 3704, 5581, 5902. Consequently the fact that they were keepers of livestock as their fathers had been means from when the earliest forms of good existed. There are in addition many other places in the Word where 'fathers' is not used in the internal sense to mean Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but members of the Ancient Church, who were governed by good.

5902. 'And He has established me as father to Pharaoh' means that now the natural was dependent on him. This is clear from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural in general, dealt with in 5160, 5799. Dependence on him is meant by the words 'established as father', for sons are dependent on their father. In the proper sense 'father' means good, 2803, 3703, 3704, 5581; and since everything both in the internal man and in the external is dependent on good, God's establishing him as father to Pharaoh accordingly means that the natural was dependent on him, on good. For 'Joseph' represents the internal celestial, which is internal good, 5805, 5826, 5827, 5869, 5877. This good flows in and brings order to all things in the natural, and at length causes the natural to be dependent on it.