8714. Princes of fifties. That this signifies intermediate primary truths, is evident from the signification of “princes,” as being primary things (as above, n. 8712, 8713); and from the signification of “fifties,” as being intermediate things, namely, between the truths from good that are in the second degree and those which are in the third, signified by “princes of hundreds” and “princes of tens.” That “fifty” denotes things intermediate, is because by “fifty” is signified both much and somewhat, the like as by “five” (that it signifies much, see n. 5708, 5956; that it signifies somewhat, n. 4638, 5291); consequently when “fifty” is named between “a hundred” and “ten,” it denotes things intermediate. Intermediate things are those which draw near to one side, and proceed from the other, thus are between those which for the sake of conjunction are in a prior degree and those which are in a posterior one.

5956. And five changes of garments. That this signifies much of truth from the natural, is evident from the signification of “five,” as being much (n. 5708); and from the signification of “changes of garments,” as being truths initiated in good. That it is from the natural, is because “garments” are predicated of the natural. That the intermediate which is represented by Benjamin had truth from the natural, is because in order to be an intermediate it partakes of the internal and of the external (n. 5822). That which is from the internal is meant by the intermediate having fullness of truth from good, which is signified by the “three hundred pieces of silver” (of which just above, n. 5955). That which is from the external is meant by much of truth from the natural, which is signified by the “five changes of garments.”