6251. 'And Joseph said to his father' means a response coming from what exists more internally. This becomes clear without explanation, since 'Joseph' means what is internal, 6177. For what happens when a person perceives something is that he asks himself what he knows about the matter and also responds to what he asks from what exists more internally in him. I have also noticed that when spirits have asked me what I knew about something they received a response by merely looking into my thought.

5301. 'Which there will be in the land of Egypt' means which will exist in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural mind, dealt with in 5276, 5278, 5279, 5288. The expression 'the natural' is used here and in other places, and by it the natural mind is meant. For the human being has two minds, the rational mind and the natural mind. The rational mind belongs to the internal man, whereas the natural mind belongs to the external man; and it is the natural mind or external man that is meant when simply 'the natural' is used. The mind is a person's true self, as will be seen in what is spoken about next.