Arcana Coelestia # 6389
6389. 'Is a bony ass' means lowest-ranking service. This is clear from the meaning of 'an ass' as service, dealt with in 5958, 5959; and from the meaning of 'bone' as that which possesses little spiritual life, dealt with in 5560, 5561. Thus 'a bony ass' is the lowest-ranking service, for people who do good for the sake of recompense do, it is true, perform useful services and act as servants; nevertheless they belong among those in the Lord's kingdom who occupy the lowest position. For the good that is communicated to them they pass on to none but those who can repay them. They overlook all others who may be in the greatest need; or if they do help them out it is to the end that the Lord may recompense them. They look on what they do as that which earns them merit and so on the Lord's mercy as their due. Thus they depart from a state of humility, and to the extent that they depart from it they depart from a state in which blessing and happiness are received from the Lord through heaven. From all this it may be seen that in the next life such people are, it is true, engaged in the performance of useful services; but they are the lowest ranking servants.
Arcana Coelestia # 5958
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.