6282. 'May he bless the boys' means, May he make it possible for them to have truth and goodness. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessing' as endowing with truth and goodness, for in the spiritual sense 'a blessing' does not imply anything else, 1420, 1422, 4981; and from the representation of Ephraim and Manasseh, to whom 'the boys' refers here, as the Church's understanding and the Church's will, to which truth and good were to be imparted, truth to its understanding and good to its will.

5876. Verses 3-5 And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph. Is my father still alive? And his brothers could not answer him, for they were filled with dismay at his presence. And Joseph said to his brothers, Draw near to me, I beg you. And they drew near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. And now, do not be grieved, and do not have any anger in your eyes, that you sold me here; for God sent me before you for the bestowal of life.

'And Joseph said to his brothers' means that the internal celestial imparted a power of perception to the truths in the natural. 'I am Joseph' means a revelation. 'Is my father still alive?' means the presence of spiritual good from the natural. 'And his brothers could not answer him' means that the truths in the natural were not yet in a state of being able to talk. 'For they were filled with dismay at his presence' means turmoil among them. 'And Joseph said to his brothers' means the perception by a new natural. 'Draw near to me, I beg you' means a more internal communication. 'And they drew near' means the effect. 'And he said, I am Joseph your brother' means a revelation made by means of influx. 'Whom you sold into Egypt' means the internal which they had alienated. 'And now, do not be grieved' means anxiety in the heart or will. 'And do not have any anger in your eyes' means sadness in the spirit or understanding. 'That you sold me here' means that they had alienated [it by banishing it] to the lowest parts. 'For God sent me before you for the bestowal of life' means the spiritual life they received as ordained by Providence.