4338. Verses 1-3. And Jacob lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. And he divided the sons over towards Leah, and over towards Rachel, and over towards the two servant-girls. And he put the servant-girls and their sons first, and Leah and her sons further back, and Rachel and Joseph even further back. And he himself passed over in front of them, and bowed to the ground seven times, until he came right up to his brother.

'Jacob lifted up his eyes and saw' means the perception and the attention of the good of truth, meant by 'Jacob'. 'And behold, Esau was coming' means Divine Natural Good. 'And four hundred men with him' means a state. 'And he divided the sons over towards Leah' means the deployment of external truths beneath their own specific affection. 'And over towards Rachel' means the deployment of interior truths beneath their own specific affection. 'And over towards the two servant-girls' means beneath the affection for the things that serve those two affections. 'And he put the servant-girls and their sons first, and Leah and her sons further back, and Rachel and Joseph even further back' means an ordering beginning with general things in which all else is included. 'And he himself passed over in front of them' means that which is universal, and so means all things. 'And bowed to the ground seven times' means the submission of all things. 'Until he came right up to his brother' means a joining on the part of good that develops from truth, meant by 'Jacob'.

Joseph in his highest meaning represents the life of Jesus. He also represents the state of knowing truths and using them to do good. This is phrased in many of the attached references as the celestial of the spiritual, or the good of truth, which is the good that is done because we know truths that are our guides to life.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 3969, 4607, 4669, 4682, 4741, 4988, 5036, 5094, 5249, 5316, 5876, 5890, 5974, 5975, 6275, Genesis 30, 30:24, 30:25)