5584. Saying, Protesting the man did protest unto us. That this signifies that the spiritual from the internal was averse to them, is evident from the signification of “protesting to protest,” as being to be averse; for he protested that they should not see his faces unless their brother were with them; such protesting is of aversion, for by not seeing his faces is signified that there will be no compassion (of which in what presently follows); and from the representation of Joseph, as being the Divine spiritual, or what is the same, truth from the Divine (n. 3969), who here, being called “the man,” is the spiritual, or truth flowing in from the internal.