5700. And for the Egyptians, who did eat with him, alone. That this signifies the separation of the memory-knowledges which are in inverted order, is evident from the representation of the Egyptians, as being memory-knowledges that are in inverted order (of which hereafter); and from the signification of “who did eat with him alone,” as being separation (as just above, n. 5699). By the Egyptians “who did eat with him” are meant the Egyptians who ate at Joseph’s house; that they did not eat with Joseph is plain, because they ate alone. By “Egypt” or the “Egyptians” in a good sense are signified the memory-knowledges of the church (see n. 1462, 4749, 4964, 4966); but in the opposite sense are signified the memory-knowledges which are in inverted order, thus which are contrary to the truths of the church (n. 1164, 1165, 1186). In this sense “Egypt” is mentioned in many passages of the Word. That “Egypt” signifies these memory-knowledges, is because the memory-knowledges of the Ancient Church, which were representative and significative of celestial and spiritual things, and which were cultivated among the Egyptians more than among others, were turned by them into magic; whereby they completely inverted the memory-knowledges of the representative church.

[2] Memory-knowledges are said to be in inverted order when men abuse heavenly order to do evil; for heavenly order is that good be done to all. Hence it comes to pass that when they have thus inverted heavenly order, they at last deny Divine things, the things of heaven, and consequently those of charity and faith. They who become such know how to reason acutely and skillfully from memory-knowledges, because they reason from the senses, and to reason from these is to reason from such things as are external, that is, from such as are of the body and the world, which take direct hold of man’s senses and feelings. Unless such things have been illumined by the light of heaven, and thereby arranged in an entirely different order, they put the man in so great an obscurity as to heavenly things that he not only comprehends none of them, but even wholly denies, and at last rejects them, and then as far as he may, blasphemes them. When memory-knowledges are in order, they are arranged by the Lord in the form of heaven; but when they are in inverted order, they are arranged in the form of hell, and then things most false are in the midst, and those which confirm them are at the sides, while truths are without, and because they are without they can have no communication with heaven where truths reign; and therefore interior things are closed to such persons; for heaven is open by means of things interior.

4976. And he ministered unto him. That this signifies that the memory-knowledge was appropriated to its good, is evident from the signification of “ministering,” as being to be of service by supplying that which another needs, here to be appropriated, because the subject treated of is natural good to which memory-knowledge was to be appropriated. Moreover, “to minister” is predicated of memory-knowledges; for in the Word by a “minister” and by a “servant” is signified memory-knowledge or natural truth, because this is subordinate to good, as to its lord. Memory-knowledge relatively to the delight of the natural man, or what is the same thing, natural truth relatively to its good, is circumstanced exactly as is water to bread, or drink to food. Water or drink causes bread and food to be diluted, so that they may be conveyed into the blood, and thence into all parts of the body, to nourish them; for without water or drink, bread or food is not resolved into its minute particles, nor is it distributed for use.

[2] The same is true of memory-knowledge relatively to delight, or of truth relatively to good; and therefore good has an appetite for and desires truth, and this for the sake of its use in ministering to and being of service to itself. Moreover, they correspond in a similar way, for in the other life man is not nourished by any natural food and drink, but by spiritual food and drink. Spiritual food is good, and spiritual drink is truth; and therefore when “bread” or “food” is mentioned in the Word, the angels understand spiritual bread or food, that is, the good of love and of charity; and when “water” or “drink” is mentioned, they understand spiritual water or drink, that is, the truth of faith. From this we can see what the truth of faith is without the good of charity, and also in what way the former without the latter can nourish the internal man, that is to say in the same way as water or drink alone can nourish without bread and food, for it is known that the result of this is emaciation and death.