4965. And Potiphar bought him, Pharaoh’s chamberlain. That this signifies that it was among the interior things of memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of “Pharaoh’s chamberlain,” as being the interior things of memory-knowledges (see n. 4789); his “buying” signifies that he ascribed these things to himself (n. 4397, 4487). The interior things of memory-knowledges are those which approach more nearly to spiritual things, and are applications of memory-knowledges to heavenly things; for these are what the internal man sees, when the external only sees the memory-knowledges in the outward form.

4789. Unto Potiphar, Pharaoh’s chamberlain. That this signifies interior memory-knowledges is evident from the signification of a “chamberlain,” as being what is interior, of which presently; and from the representation of Pharaoh as being memory-knowledges; for by “Egypt” are signified memory-knowledges in general, as shown above (n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462), and in like manner by “Pharaoh;” for that which in the Word is signified by a land or a nation, is signified also by its king, he being the head of the nation. That interior memory-knowledges are what are signified by “Pharaoh’s chamberlain,” is because chamberlains were connected with the internal affairs of a king; for they were his more intimate courtiers and his more eminent officers, as is manifest also from the signification of this word in the original tongue.