9018. 'And anyone stealing a man and selling him' means applying the truth of faith to evil, and alienating it. This is clear from the meaning of 'stealing a man' as applying the truth of faith to evil (for the meaning of 'a man', at this point a man who is an Israelite, as the truth of faith, see 5414, 5879, 5951, 7957, 9007, and for 'stealing' as the application of it to evil, 5135); and from the meaning of 'selling' as alienating, dealt with in 4098, 4752, 4758, 5886.

5139. Verses 16-19 And the chief of the bakers saw that he had interpreted what was good, and he said to Joseph, I also was in my dream, and behold, three baskets with holes in them were on my head. And in the highest basket there was some of every kind of food for Pharaoh, the work of the baker, and the birds were eating them out of the basket, from upon my head. And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days. In yet three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you, and will hang you on wood; and the birds will eat your flesh from upon you.

'And the chief of the bakers saw' means the discernment of the sensory power subject to the will part of the mind. 'That he had interpreted what was good' means what was going to take place. 'And he said to Joseph' means the perception of the celestial within the natural. 'I also was in my dream' means a foretelling. 'And behold, three baskets' means consecutive degrees forming the will. 'With holes in them were on my head' means without a termination anywhere at all in the middle. 'And in the highest basket' means the inmost degree of the will. 'There was some of every kind of food for Pharaoh' means full of celestial good for nourishing the natural. 'The work of the baker' means according to every useful purpose served by that power of the senses. 'And the birds of the air were eating them out of the basket, from upon my head' means that falsity originating in evil would consume it. 'And Joseph answered and said' means revelation resulting from the perception received by the celestial within the natural. 'This is the interpretation of it' means what it held within it. 'The three baskets' means the consecutive degrees of the will. 'Are three days' means even to the final one. 'In yet three days' means that within the final one. 'Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you' means a decision based on foresight. 'And will hang you on wood' means a casting aside and condemnation. 'And the birds will eat your flesh from upon you' means that falsity originating in evil will consume every one of those sensory impressions.