7716. 'No man could see his brother' means that they could not perceive the truth of any good. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as understanding and perceiving, dealt with in 2150, 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, 4407-4421, 4567, 4723, 5400; from the meaning of 'man' as truth, dealt with in 3134; and from the meaning of 'brother' as good, dealt with in 2360, 3303, 3803, 3815, 4121, 5409, 5686, 5692, 6756, and a man linked to his brother as the good of truth, 3459. From these meanings it is evident that 'no man could see his brother' means that they could not perceive the truth of any good.

5692. 'Towards his brother' means towards the internal going forth from himself. This is clear from the representation of Benjamin, to whom 'brother' refers here, as the intermediary, and so also the internal, dealt with in 5469; and because he goes forth, as the intermediary and the internal, from the celestial of the spiritual, which is 'Joseph', the words of explanation are 'towards the internal going forth from himself'. Anyone who receives anything of a Divine nature from the Lord, whom 'Joseph' represents here in the highest sense - for example, someone who receives any good of charity from Him - is called 'brother' by the Lord as well as 'son'.