5964. And they went up out of Egypt. That this signifies a receding from the memory-knowledges of the church, is evident from the signification of “going up” thence, as being to recede (mention is made of “going up out of Egypt into the land of Canaan,” and of “coming down from that land into Egypt,” for a reason several times stated above: here by “going up” is signified departing); and from the signification of “Egypt,” which in the proper sense denotes the memory-knowledges of the church (see n. 4749, 4964, 4966). That these memory-knowledges are here signified is because they were in them when in Egypt with Joseph (n. 5958). Removal from those things which are of good and of truth, thus from those things which are of the church, is here treated of down to the last verse of this chapter, which removal is meant by the concealment mentioned above (n. 5962), and here by receding. In the Word this state is signified by “evening.” When men are in this state, they recede from things heavenly and spiritual, and accede to such as contain nothing spiritual and heavenly. But this concealment or receding does not come to pass by the Lord’s concealing Himself or receding, but by they themselves doing so; for they can no longer be withheld from their own, because to do so is not fitting; and therefore this state arrives when they are left to themselves or their own; and insofar as they are thus left, or are immersed therein, so far they recede from those things which are of heaven, and so far good becomes imperceptible to them, and truth obscure. From this it is evident that the Lord does not conceal Himself, but that the man, spirit, or angel conceals himself.

4964. Was brought down to Egypt. That this signifies to the memory-knowledges [scientifica] of the church, is evident from the signification of “Egypt” as being memory-knowledge (that is, memory-knowledge in general), treated of inn. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462; but what the nature of that memory-knowledge was which is properly signified by “Egypt,” has not as yet been explained. In the Ancient Church there were doctrinal things and there were memory-knowledges. The doctrinal things treated of love to God and of charity toward the neighbor; but the memory-knowledges treated of the correspondences of the natural world with the spiritual world, and of the representatives of spiritual and celestial things in things natural and earthly. Such were the memory-knowledges of those who were in the Ancient Church.

[2] Egypt was one of those countries and kingdoms where the Ancient Church was (1238, 2385); but as in Egypt it was chiefly memory-knowledges that were handed down to posterity, therefore such knowledge in general is signified by “Egypt;” and it is for this reason also that Egypt is so often treated of in the prophetic Word, and by it such knowledge is specifically meant. The very magic of the Egyptians also had its origin thence; for they were acquainted with the correspondences of the natural world with the spiritual, and afterward, when the church among them was at an end, these correspondences were abused by being turned to magical things. Now because they had such knowledges (that taught correspondences, and also representatives and significatives) and as these knowledges were of service to the doctrinal things of the church, especially to the understanding of those things which were said in their Word (that the Ancient Church had a Word both prophetic and historic, similar to the present Word, but yet a different one, can be seen in n. 2686); therefore by “being brought down to Egypt” is signified to the memory-knowledges of the church.

[3] As the Lord is represented by Joseph, its being here said that Joseph was “brought down to Egypt,” signifies that when the Lord glorified His internal man, that is made it Divine, He was first imbued with the memory-knowledges of the church, and from and by them advanced to things more and more interior, and at last even to those which are Divine. For it pleased Him to glorify Himself, that is, to make Himself Divine, according to the same order as that in which He regenerates man, that is, makes him spiritual (n. 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490, 4402), namely, from external things, which are memory-knowledges and the truths of faith, successively to internal things, which are of charity toward the neighbor and of love to Him. From this it is plain what is signified by the following words in Hosea:

When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called My son out of Egypt (Hos. 11:1).

That these words were spoken of the Lord can be seen in Matthew 2:15.