This chapter continues the "Joseph story" and his family has come to Egypt to escape the famine in Canaan. Joseph is thrilled to have them with him, especially his father, Jacob. He gives them land in Goshen, the best part of Egypt. Pharaoh welcomes them, too, asking Joseph’s brothers about their work, and talking with Jacob, too.

In verses 1-6, Pharaoh corresponds here to external, scientific knowledge, while Joseph includes also the inner enlightenment that flows from the deepest things (Secrets of Heaven 6062). Without this influx our natural level does not have any life, for it is totally devoid of life on its own. Life comes to us directly from the Lord, and this chapter gives a glimpse of how the Lord creates life in us (Secrets of Heaven 6063).

When Joseph brings five of his brothers to meet Pharaoh, this means that some truths, meant by “five,” flowing from heaven reached into the natural part of us where factual things (Pharaoh) reside.

Pharaoh asks about their occupation, and they tell him that they are shepherds, as were their fathers. Here the natural part of us becomes aware of new things flowing in from the spiritual depths. It wonders what good these new insights will lead to. Since shepherds tend sheep that are innocently led, it follows that Joseph’s brothers represent truths that lead to innocence. In all innocence there is good from the Lord.

The brothers talking with Pharaoh means the perception the natural was having is continuing. Truth and knowledge sustain the human soul just as food does the body, but famine represents a severe lack of it. When we are regenerating or being made spiritual, we have a desire for knowledge and wisdom, and when we don’t find it, we are desolate, listless, and famished. Goshen is the best land in Egypt; living in it symbolizes that a person who is being regenerated has access to the types of natural knowledges that begin our heavenly instruction.

Pharaoh's generosity illustrates how the natural part of us starts perceiving some deeper things. Jacob’s father and brothers being permitted to dwell in “the best of the land” shows how delighted our external mind is in receiving insights from spiritual things. Any “competent men” or “energetic men” (the latter used in a different translation) signifies that the outermost part of us is perceiving the most powerful or important truths, letting them be first or foremost among known facts. An example could be the instruction in Deuteronomy 6:4 to “Love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul and all our strength.”

In verse 7, Joseph brings Jacob to meet Pharaoh, "and Jacob blessed Pharaoh." This shows the sequence in our spiritual growth: our inmost spirit (Joseph) flows into intermediate truths (Jacob) which become present in the outermost part of us (Pharaoh).

Pharaoh asks Jacob his age, which shows a continuing interest on the part of our outer selves to learn about spiritual things. (Secrets of Heaven 6093).

In verse 9, we read this:

"And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”

A pilgrimage is a journey for a spiritual end. Jacob’s has been full of temptations, producing inner feelings of anxiety and distress, which is why Jacob says his days have been “few and evil.” The natural person is particularly subjected to temptations when it is starting to receive the things of spiritual life. Evils of life and falsities of doctrine reside only in the outer or external part of us (Secrets of Heaven 6097).

Jacob’s blessing of Pharaoh, in verse 10, shows a heartfelt desire on the part of spiritual things to join natural ones. This will result in fruitfulness of life if we actually live according to inner dictates. The actuality of it has yet to be effected; so far there has only been an introduction to it. That Jacob “went out from Pharaoh” shows there still is some separation.

In verse 10 Joseph settles his father and brothers in the best land—an image of all the good and true things we receive from the innermost or celestial (Joseph) as it flows into the natural part of us. Then a true “church” can exist, a “church” being the place inside us where the things of the Lord are known (Secrets of Heaven 10761). That the natural acquiesces to this conjunction is shown by Pharaoh having commanded for Joseph’s family to be settled in the best land.

Joseph's providing for his father and brothers in verse 12 again shows the flow of good from the inmost or deepest level into the middle or spiritual level, and then into the outermost or natural levels of a person.

“According to their families.” Families, especially children, signify innocence, or a willingness to be led—here to receive this spiritual influx.

“No bread in the land” in verse 13 symbolizes what happens to us when we don't receive this inflowing spiritual good from an inner connection with the Lord. Even knowledges of spiritual things (represented by “Egypt" and “Canaan”) get desperate.

In verse 14 Joseph gathers up all the money found in Egypt and Canaan. This represents that all the factual knowledge of the Church that had truth in it, represented here by the money, was now being subordinated to the innermost or deepest part of ourselves, the part closest to the Lord and His leading. The knowledge was no longer going to be spurious or falsified because of being subject to our own evil loves and self-serving "truths," or things in our outer self only.

When the money failed in the land in verse 15, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence?” This happens when our life is so devastated that we no longer know anything, or have any truth, that leads to good. Even what we thought were our knowledges of truth and good have failed. This is because they came from ourselves and therefore were not life-giving. All of our being needs to turn toward the deepest of inner things, represented by Joseph.

In verse 16, Joseph says, “Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone.” This sounds sort of harsh but, again, we need to look at the inner meaning. Giving livestock for bread shows that truths need to be filled in with good. In other words, it is no longer good enough to know truths for their own sake; they must serve good or have good within them. That can only be done by living according to them. We can't just know things. And we can’t do good from ourselves.

The following verses 17-27 deal with the actual joining together of spiritual with natural things. In verse 17 the Egyptians bring their livestock to Joseph and exchange them for bread. We bring the lesser things in our lives under the direction or control of our inmost spiritual selves. “Horses” represent things of our understanding; “flocks,” inner truths that contain good; “herds,” more external truths; and “donkeys,” things of our outermost self that serve inner things. Joseph's feeding the people corresponds to how our outer self is sustained and given life by an inflow from inner things.

In verses 18 and 19, things are getting much more serious. “When that year ended” means that a new state is beginning and the previous one has ended. “We will not hide from my lord” shows that our outermost self is now fully aware that it can only be helped by an inflow from deepest or inmost things. Nothing being left “but our bodies and our lands” shows the utter desolation of our outer self, completely lacking any knowledge of good, or the true things that lead to good. This desolation comes from trying to live in the outer or bodily self without any influx from the inner or spiritual parts of ourselves (Secrets of Heaven 6108).

“Why should we die” shows how our outer self gets more and more desperate. It realizes that it can’t be helped by anything external. Its desperation is becoming great, so great that it is willing to give up its autonomy and totally submit, becoming a servant to inward things.

The people are asking for seed. This is a sign that there can now be an inflow of charitable good and truth, because our outer self has become humbled and is willing to give up thinking it does things entirely on its own. It stops blocking the Lord's influx, fighting it, or twisting it into falsities. With help from "Joseph" or inner things, we no longer have to fear the damnation which is close at hand. “That the land may not be desolate” shows that now our minds can be cultivated with true things of the church, the “church” being the place inside a person where things from the Lord are known (Secrets of Heaven 10761).

In verse 20 “Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharoah” directly corresponds to how the inmost part of us now governs the entire natural mind, this because it is conjoined with the Lord. In other words we're no longer struggling on our own because of our self-centeredness. An example can be seen in a person who is destroying his or her life with an addiction, but who gets a realization of how bad things are, and slowly stops drinking or doing the drug, eventually getting away from it entirely, and becoming healed.

Joseph, in verse 21, moves the people into the cities, throughout Egypt. Cities correspond to doctrines which are organized sets of truths. Moving people into cities corresponds to the way that our inmost mind is now directing our thoughts into areas where there are knowledges that hold truths within them.

Joseph doesn't buy the priests' land (verse 22). Here Pharaoh’s priests represent the capacity to receive good that exists only from the inner levels flowing outward, not from anything that exists externally of itself (Secrets of Heaven 6148). “The priests having rations from Pharaoh all along” shows how important these capacities are. “Therefore they did not sell their lands” shows that those parts of us never did things on their own without inner guidance.

Joseph looks kindly on the people and quickly gives them seed (verse 23). This parallels how our inmost spiritual self is excited at being joined with outermost natural things. It quickly flows out with truths through which spiritual things can grow. The excitement here is parallel to the excitement Joseph felt when he first saw that his brothers came to Egypt to buy grain (Genesis 43).

In verse 24, there's an interesting division of the yield of the seed: “And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households, and as food for your little ones.”

As things of good and truth start to grow, the natural or outer part of us needs to constantly acknowledge that its good comes from somewhere other than itself. Giving one-fifth to Pharoah accomplishes that. Tithing, or giving a percentage of one’s salary to the church, is reminiscent of this. The people were able to keep four-fifths of the produce as their own, showing that there will still be lots of things we think and feel where it seems like they originate from ourselves. In the reality of spiritual life, though, they actually are coming from the Lord. The difference is that we do them “as of ourself” or “as if” they originate from us. “Your little ones” shows that when it is done this way, the person will be innocent or without fault.

In verses 25 and 26, the people are grateful. “You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.” Our outer self starts with pride, self-centeredness, and some delusions that lead to a disconnectedness from the Lord's love and wisdom. But now, after hardship, temptation, and spiritual famine, we've made the decision to allow the Lord to flow into our minds, and to be governed by real love and wisdom. And now, finally, our outer self is grateful. To “find favor in the sight of my lord” shows a willingness to be led in this way.

We need to give consent in order for spiritual things to flow in; they will not be forced on us. When we give consent, we're on the road to having our whole life be nourished. The parallel to Joseph’s law is that we need to always respond to the prompting of inner leading. “To this day” means forever. “That Pharaoh should have one-fifth” shows that the Lord just wants us to acknowledge Him. He still wants us to have freedom, and the feeling that we do things on our own is signified by the four-fifths the people keep. For the sake of our spiritual life, at the same time we need to remember the Lord and recognize that our life comes from Him.

The Children of Israel thrive in Goshen (verse 27). Spiritual good is present with the person now. “Israel” means spiritual good, different from “Jacob,” which means natural truth. “In the country of Goshen”—the spiritual good is in the middle or best part of the natural. That Joseph’s family “grew and multiplied exceedingly” shows that goods and truths are being formed and shared with the natural, and the outermost part of us is responding to them (Secrets of Heaven 6172).

From verse 28 on, the focus is on Jacob and his impending death. Swedenborg says that Jacob living one hundred and forty-seven years is not easy to explain. The “numbers contain the entire state of reality represented by ‘Jacob’ and its essential nature” (Secrets of Heaven 6175). As for one hundred and forty-seven, it probably has something to do with “forty” meaning “temptations” (as seen in the story of Noah), and “seven” meaning “completeness."

Israel calls Joseph to his side (verse 29). As Israel dies, deeper things are present, because ‘Joseph’ represents inmost things. “Now if I have found favor in your sight” shows the desire on the part of our outer self for inner things to predominate. “Please put your hand under my thigh.” This was a way of expressing a sacred bond, the “hand” having to do with power in outer things and the “thigh” with things of heavenly married love. (Think of the sacred bond which is made at weddings.) That we are reaching a state of humility is shown in Israel’s request for Joseph to “deal kindly and truly with me.” Not wanting to be buried in Egypt indicates the desire to dwell in things of the spirit, i.e., heaven, and not be left only in knowledges of them, which are in our outermost self (Secrets of Heaven 6181).

Jacob's lying with his fathers represents our desire, when opening to inner things, to live the type of spiritual life that the earliest people on earth had. They lived in spiritual innocence. Carrying Jacob “out of Egypt” corresponds to being carried out of knowledges only. (See Secrets of Heaven 6183).

Swearing a vow is a sacred thing, an unchangeable agreement to do something (verse 31). The “head of the bed” is the part that is higher up when compared to the rest of the bed and “bowing oneself” indicates humility. This shows that natural truth meant by “Jacob” was raised to “spiritual good” meant by “Israel” (Secrets of Heaven 6188). The intention of the Lord in all this has been to join with us by flowing in and giving us the capacities to live according to heavenly truths. Knowledge is not enough; understanding is not enough; only living according to spiritual things will do.

6148. 'Only the ground of the priests he did not buy' means that the internal obtained for itself from the natural every capacity to receive good, because every such capacity came from itself. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph', about whom these things are said, as the internal, dealt with already; from the meaning of 'the ground' as the receptacle of truth, dealt with above in 6135-6137, at this point the capacity to receive good, for the capacity of something is its inherent ability to receive, which causes a receptacle to be a receptacle (that capacity comes from good, that is, from the Lord through good, for if the good of love did not flow in from the Lord no one would ever have the capacity to receive truth or good. That inflow of the good of love from the Lord causes everything present inwardly in a person to be of a receptive nature. The truth that the capacity to receive good comes from the natural is meant by the fact that the ground lay in Egypt, since 'Egypt' means the natural in respect of factual knowledge, 6142); from the meaning of 'the priests' as good, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'not buying' as not taking those capacities to itself - not in the way that it made truths and forms of the good of truth, together with their receptacles, its own, which came about through periods of desolation and sustainment - for the reason that those capacities came from itself, from the internal. All these meanings serve to show that 'only the ground of the priests he did not buy' means that the internal obtained for itself from the natural every capacity to receive good, because every such capacity came from itself.

[2] The implications of all this are that a person's capacities to receive truth and good come directly from the Lord; he obtains them without any help at all from himself. A person's capacity to receive goodness and truth is maintained in him unceasingly; and from that capacity he possesses understanding and will. But a person does not receive them if he turns to evil. The capacity to receive does, it is true, remain, but its access to thought and sensitivity is blocked, on account of which his capacity to see what is true and have a sensitive awareness of what is good perishes. And it perishes to the extent that he turns to evil and in faith and life becomes firmly settled in it. The fact that a person contributes nothing whatever to his capacity to receive truth and good is well known from the Church's teaching that nothing at all of the truth of faith and nothing at all of the good of charity comes from man but from the Lord. Yet a person can destroy that capacity residing with him. From all this one may now see how one should understand the idea that the internal obtained for itself from the natural every capacity to receive good, because every such capacity came from itself. The expression 'from the natural' is used because the inflow of good from the Lord is effected by the Lord through the internal into the natural; and once the capacity to receive has been obtained from there, the inflow takes place, for now there is reception, see 5828.

[3] So far as the meaning of 'the priests' as forms of good is concerned, it should be recognized that there are two realities which go forth from the Lord - goodness and truth. Divine Good was represented by priests, and Divine Truth by kings; and this is why 'the priests' means forms of good and 'the kings' truths. Regarding the attribution of Priesthood and Kingship to the Lord, see 1728, 2015 (end), 3670. In the representative Ancient Church those two offices of priest and king existed jointly in one personage, the reason for this being that goodness and truth which go forth from the Lord are united; and they are also joined together in heaven among the angels.

[4] A personage in the Ancient Church in whom the two offices existed joined together was called Melchizedek, a name meaning king of righteousness. This may be seen from the following statement about Melchizedek who came to Abraham, ¹

Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; and he was a priest to God Most High. And he blessed Abraham. Genesis 14:18-19.

His representation of the Lord in both offices is evident from the fact that he was a king and at the same time a priest, and from the fact that he was allowed to bless Abraham and offer him bread and wine, which even at that time were the symbols of the good of love and the truth of faith. His representation of the Lord in both offices is further evident in David,

Jehovah has sworn and will not repent, You are a priest for ever after the manner of Melchizedek. Psalms 110:4.

These words were spoken in reference to the Lord. 'After the manner of Melchizedek' means that He is both King and Priest, that is, in the highest sense that Divine Good and Divine Truth go forth together from Him.

[5] Because a representative Church was going to be established also among the descendants of Jacob, they too were to have a single personage to represent jointly Divine Good and Divine Truth, which go forth from the Lord united. But on account of the wars and the idolatry of that people the two were in fact divided right from the start; those who ruled over the attended to sacred duties were referred to as the priests, who belonged to the seed of Aaron and were the Levites. At a later time the two functions were joined together in a single person, as they were in Eli and Samuel. Yet because the nature of the people was such that the representative Church could not be established among them, only a representative of the Church, on account of the practice of idolatry prevalent among them, the two functions were allowed to be separated. The Lord was then represented in respect of Divine Truth by kings and in respect of Divine Good by priests. The separation took place because the people desired it, not because the Lord took any pleasure in it, as is clear from the Word of Jehovah to Samuel,

Obey the voice of the people in all that they have said to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them; and show them the right of the king. 1 Samuel 8:7-end; 12:19-20.

[6] The reason why the two functions were not meant to be separated was that Divine Truth separated from Divine Good condemns all people, whereas Divine Truth united to Divine Good saves them. Judged by Divine Truth a person is condemned to hell, but Divine Good brings him out of there and raises him into heaven. Salvation comes of mercy and so sprigs from Divine Good; but damnation exists when a person rejects mercy and so casts Divine Good away from himself, as a consequence of which he is left to be judged by Truth. As regards 'kings' representing Divine Truth, see 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068.

[7] 'The priests' represented the Lord in respect of Divine Good, and for that reason good is meant by them. This becomes clear from the internal sense of all that was prescribed regarding the priesthood when Aaron was chosen, and after him the Levites, such as these prescriptions:

The High Priest alone should enter the Holy of holies and minister there. [Leviticus 16.]

Things holy to Jehovah were to be for the priest. Leviticus 23:20; 27:21.

They were not to have any portion or inheritance in the land, but Jehovah would be their portion and inheritance. Numbers 18:20; Deuteronomy 10:9; 18:1.

The Levites were given to Jehovah instead of the firstborn, and they were given by Jehovah to Aaron. Numbers 3:9, 12-13, Numbers 3:40-end; 8:16-19.

The high priest and the Levites were to be in the middle of the camp when they pitched it and when they were journeying. Numbers 1:50-54; 2:17; 3:23-38; 4:1-end.

No one from the seed of Aaron who had a blemish in himself was to approach to offer burnt offerings or sacrifices. Leviticus 21:17-20.

And there are many other prescriptions besides these, such as those in Leviticus 21:9-13, and elsewhere.

[8] In the highest sense all these prescriptions relating to the priests represented the Lord's Divine Good and therefore in the relative sense the good of love and charity. Aaron's vestments however, called 'vestments of holiness', represented Divine Truth from Divine Good. These matters will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with in the explanations of what appears in Exodus.

[9] Since truth is meant by 'kings' and good by 'priests', 'kings and priests' are mentioned together many times in the Word, as in John, Jesus Christ has made us kings and priests to His God and Father. Revelation 1:6; 5:10.

By virtue of the truth of faith we are said to have been made 'kings', and by virtue of the good of charity to have been made 'priests', so that the truth and good residing with those who abide in the Lord have been joined together, in the way they are in heaven, as stated above. This is what is meant by 'being made kings and priests'.

[10] In Jeremiah,

It will happen on that day, that the heart of the king and of the princes will perish, and the priests will be dumbfounded and the prophets left wondering. Jeremiah 4:9.

In the same prophet,

The house of Israel is ashamed, they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets. Jeremiah 2:26.

In the same prophet,

The kings of Judah, the princes, the priests, and the prophets, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Jeremiah 8:1.

In these places 'kings stands for truths, 'princes' for first and foremost truths, 1482, 1089, 5044, 'priests' for forms of good, and 'prophets' for those who teach, 2534.

[11] Quite apart from this it should be recognized that Joseph did not buy the ground of the priests. The fact that this was representative of the consideration that the whole of a person's capacity to receive truth and good comes from the Lord is evident from a similar law in Moses regarding the fields belonging to the Levites,

The field of the country surrounding the cities of the Levites shall not be sold, for it is their eternal possession. Leviticus 25:34.

The meaning here in the internal sense is that no one ought to lay any claim to the good of the Church, which is the good of love and charity, because that good is from the Lord alone.

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