4705. 'His brothers went to pasture the flock' means those teaching from faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'Joseph's brothers' as those in the Church who are governed by faith, dealt with above in 4665, 4671, 4679, 4690, and from the meaning of 'pasturing the flock' as teaching, dealt with in 343, 3767, 3768, 3772, 3783.

4679. 'His brothers saw' means things that are matters of faith, and in the proximate sense, the descendants of Jacob. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as recognizing and understanding, dealt with in 2150, 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, and from the representation of 'Joseph's brothers' as things that are matters of faith. For in the present chapter 'Joseph' represents the Lord's Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth, while 'his brothers' represents the Church which turns aside from charity to faith, then to faith separated from charity, and after that to falsities, see above in 4665, 4671. From this it is clear that by 'Joseph's brothers' here are meant things that are matters of faith; and because the descendants of Jacob were by nature such, these are meant in the proximate sense.