3143. And there is room for the camels. That this signifies a state for all things that would be serviceable to Him, is evident from the signification of “room,” as being state (see above, n. 1273-1277, 1376-1381, 2625); and from the signification of “camels,” as being general memory-knowledges (see n. 3048, 3071). That these are things for service may be seen above (n. 1486, 3019, 3020); for all things that belong to the natural man are for no other use than to serve the spiritual; wherefore also menservants, maidservants, camels, and asses, in the internal sense chiefly signify the things which belong to the natural man.

5906. 'Make haste and go up to my father' means to spiritual good. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good from the natural, dealt with in 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833. The reason why spiritual good is the father of the internal celestial - even though spiritual good, because it comes from the natural, is external when considered in relation to the internal celestial - is that a person must be external before his internal man can develop. For progress is made in order, from exterior things to interior ones, for example, from factual knowledge to intellectual concepts, after which the exterior things must serve as the foundation on which the interior ones rest. This progression, or birth of one from another, is the reason for calling the external 'the father' of the internal, consequently the reason why spiritual good from the natural, which is 'Israel', should be the father of the internal celestial, which is 'Joseph'.