4757. 'And they drew Joseph out and caused him to come up out of the pit' means the help provided by these so that [Divine Truth] is no longer among falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'drawing out and causing to come up' as delivering and therefore as providing help, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'the pit' as falsities, dealt with in 4728, and so as its being no longer among falsities. The reason 'drawing out and causing to come up' here means providing help is that truth is what brings help to good. For truth has power attributed to it because good exercises its power by means of truth, 3091, 3563. Furthermore truth is the means by which falsity is recognized, and so by which help is provided so that it is no longer among falsities. This is the reason why it was the Midianites who drew Joseph out and caused him to come up out of the pit, but why it was the Ishmaelites who bought him.

3091. 'And she hastened and lowered her pitcher on to her hand' means the submission of the recipients which was accomplished by power. This is clear from the meaning of 'lowering' as an act of submission, from the meaning of 'a pitcher' as a recipient, dealt with in 3068, 3079, and from the meaning of 'the hand' as power, dealt with in 878. By the description 'the submission of the recipients which was accomplished by power' one means that matters of doctrine, cognitions, and facts, which are recipients, 3068, 3079, place themselves ready to receive, for a chain of subordination exists and so a readiness to receive, and consequently a submission, from the Prime Source of life, which is the Lord. Things in a lower position in it must be submissive because they ought to be of service to what is higher. Without their submission no joining together takes place. The power referred to here is received from truth. Truth is what submits those things that are beneath. It is to truth especially that power is attributed in the Word, and so it is truth to which the hands, the arms, and also the shoulders have reference - by which in the internal sense powers are meant, 878, 1085. Though it seems to be received from truth, power itself is in fact received from good by way of truth.