9021. 'And anyone cursing his father and his mother' means complete rejection of the Lord and of His kingdom by those belonging to the Church, and so profanation of the Church's goodness and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'cursing' as turning away and separating from, dealt with in 245, 379, 1423, 3530, 3584, 5071, and therefore also complete rejection, since one who turns away and separates from the Lord rejects Him in his heart; and from the meaning of 'father and mother' as the Lord and His kingdom, or in a relative sense goodness and truth that come from the Lord, dealt with in 8897, 9015. The reason why it is a rejection by those within the Church is that the commandments, judgements, and statutes which were declared by the Lord from Mount Sinai were intended specifically for the children of Israel, among whom a representative of the Church was at that time established, and who therefore served to mean the Church, 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223, 7957, 8234, 8805. So it is too that 'cursing father and mother' means profanation; for those within the Church who completely reject the Lord and the things of His kingdom and Church profane them. The fact that those within the Church can profane holy things, but not those outside the Church, see 1008, 1010, 1059, 2051, 3398, 3399, 3898, 4289, 4601, 6348, 6959, 6963, 6971, 8882. Consequently rejection of the Lord is not profanation among those who are outside the Church; it is not such among gentiles, Muslims, or Jews.

5902. 'And He has established me as father to Pharaoh' means that now the natural was dependent on him. This is clear from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural in general, dealt with in 5160, 5799. Dependence on him is meant by the words 'established as father', for sons are dependent on their father. In the proper sense 'father' means good, 2803, 3703, 3704, 5581; and since everything both in the internal man and in the external is dependent on good, God's establishing him as father to Pharaoh accordingly means that the natural was dependent on him, on good. For 'Joseph' represents the internal celestial, which is internal good, 5805, 5826, 5827, 5869, 5877. This good flows in and brings order to all things in the natural, and at length causes the natural to be dependent on it.