5422. 'And he acted as a stranger to them' means that in the absence of the intermediary no joining together took place. This is clear from the meaning of 'acting as a stranger' here as the fact that no joining together takes place because the intermediary is absent. For one who is not joined reciprocally to others because no intermediary is present seems to be a stranger, which is how internal truth, or truth coming directly from the Divine, is seen by people who are interested solely in external truths. This now explains why Joseph at this point acted as a stranger to his brothers. Not that he was really alienated from them; rather, he loved them, for verse 24 says that he turned away from them and wept. The alienation existed on their side, for the reason that they were not joined to him; and this was represented by his acting in the way he did. Let an exemplification of this be seen in those places in the Word which say that Jehovah or the Lord acts as a stranger towards people, sets Himself against them, casts them away, condemns them, sends them to hell, punishes them, and is delighted when such things are done. When these things are said of Him the meaning in the internal sense is that those people act as strangers towards Jehovah or the Lord, set themselves against Him, are subject to evils which cast these people away from His presence, condemn them, send them to hell, and punish them, and that Jehovah or the Lord is by no means at all the source from which such deeds spring. But the Word speaks as though He is since that is the appearance; for to the simple He does appear to do those very things.

[2] Something similar is the case with internal truths. Looked at from the point of view of external truths that are not joined to them through an intermediary, those internal truths appear totally alien to them; indeed they are sometimes seen to be set in opposition to them. But there is no opposition on the part of the internal truths; rather it exists with the external ones. For when these have no intermediary to join them to internal truths they inevitably view the internal ones by the light of the world separated from the light of heaven, and consequently see them as strangers alienated from them. But more will be said about this further on.