6142. 'And Joseph bought all the ground of Egypt for Pharaoh' means that [the internal] made the entire natural mind where factual knowledge resides its own and placed it under its overall control. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal, dealt with often; from the meaning of 'buying' as making one's own, dealt with in 4397, 5374, 5797, 5406, 5410, 5426; from the meaning of 'the ground of Egypt' as the natural mind where factual knowledge resides, dealt with immediately above in 6141; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural in general, dealt with in 5160, 5799, 6015. Thus the acquisition of that ground for Pharaoh means placing under an overall control in the natural.

6141. 'And the ground may not become a waste' means that the mind must be cultivated with facts known to the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the ground' as the receptacle of truth, as above in 6135-6137, the actual receptacle being the mind, in this instance the natural mind since it is the ground of Egypt; and from the meaning of 'being laid waste' as a situation in which there is no truth to be seen, at this point no facts known to the Church, for 'the Egyptians' means the facts known to the Church, 4749, 4964, 4966, 6004, which are also the truths present in the natural. 'The land of Egypt' means the natural mind where factual knowledge resides, see 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5701, and therefore 'the ground of Egypt' means that mind specifically. This now explains why 'the ground may not become a waste' means that the mind must be cultivated with facts [known to the Church].