6255. Verses 10-14. And the eyes of Israel were heavy with old age; he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them and embraced them. And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy faces, and lo God hath made me see thy seed also. And Joseph brought them away from his thighs; and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand on Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand on Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him. And Israel put forth his right hand, and put it upon Ephraim’s head, and he was the younger; and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head; he put forth his hands crosswise; for Manasseh was the firstborn.

“And the eyes of Israel were heavy,” signifies his obscure perception; “with old age,” signifies because at the end of the representation; “he could not see,” signifies no advertence; “and he brought them near unto him,” signifies presence; “and he kissed them,” signifies conjunction from the affection of truth; “and embraced them,” signifies conjunction from the affection of good; “and Israel said unto Joseph,” signifies elevation to the internal; “I had not thought to see thy faces,” signifies that he had had no hope of the influx of his love; “and lo God hath made me see thy seed also,” signifies that not only was the influx of love perceived, but also the good and truth thence derived; “and Joseph brought them away from his thighs,” signifies the good of the will and the truth of the intellectual in the natural from the affection of love on the part of spiritual good; “and he bowed himself with his face to the earth,” signifies their humiliation; “and Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand on Israel’s left hand,” signifies the truth of the intellectual as in the second place; “and Manasseh in his left hand on Israel’s right hand,” signifies the good of the will in the first place; “and brought them near unto him,” signifies adjunction; “and Israel put forth his right hand, and put it upon Ephraim’s head,” signifies that he accounted truth as being in the first place; “and he was the younger,” signifies although it is in the second; “and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head,” signifies that he accounted good as being in the second place; “he put forth his hands crosswise,” signifies thus not according to order; “for Manasseh was the firstborn,” signifies since indeed good is in the prior place.