6286. Verses 17-20. And Joseph saw that his father put his right hand, upon the head of Ephraim, and it was evil in his eyes; and he laid hold of the hand of his father to remove it from upon Ephraim’s head upon Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know, my son, I know; he also shall be for a people, and he also shall become great; and nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall be the fullness of the nations. And he blessed them in this day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God set thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh; and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

“And Joseph saw that his father put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim,” signifies a perception that he accounted truth as being in the first place; “and it was evil in his eyes,” signifies displeasure; “and he laid hold of the hand of his father,” signifies influx into the power of his obscure perception; “to remove it from upon Ephraim’s head upon Manasseh’s head,” signifies to turn him away from error; “and Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn” signifies perceptible influx with respect to good that it has priority; “put thy right hand upon his head,” signifies that thus it should be in the first place; “and his father refused,” signifies no consent; “and said, I know, my son, I know,” signifies that so it is, but that it appears otherwise; “he also shall be for a people, and he also shall become great,” signifies that truth from good also shall be increased, thus the celestial man; “and nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he,” signifies that good from truth shall receive more increase, thus the spiritual man; “and his seed shall be the fullness of the nations,” signifies that the truth of faith shall reign; “and he blessed them in this day,” signifies foresight and providence eternally; “saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God set thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh,” signifies that his own spiritual may be in the truth of the intellectual and in the good of the will; “and he set Ephraim before Manasseh,” signifies that he accounted truth as being in the first place, because he was spiritual.