4276. 'And he saw that he did not prevail against him' means that in temptations He conquered. This is clear without explanation.

6265. 'And Joseph brought them away from his thighs' means that the good belonging to the will and the truth belonging to the understanding were brought away from an affection originating in love on the part of spiritual good. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal celestial, dealt with in 5869, 5877; from the representation of Manasseh and Ephraim, the ones here whom 'Joseph brought away', as the good belonging to the will and the truth belonging to the understanding, dealt with in 5354, 6222; from the meaning of 'the thighs' as an affection originating in love, dealt with in 3021, 4277, 4280, 4575, 5050-5062; and on the part of spiritual good is meant because they were brought away from Israel, who represents spiritual good, 6253. The words used here mean that the internal celestial took good belonging to the will and truth belonging to the understanding away from spiritual good, that is, away from the affection arising from its love; they have this meaning because 'Israel', who represents spiritual good, had made that goodness and truth draw near him. Besides this they had to be brought to him by Joseph, who represents the internal celestial; for that reason they were brought away and after that, as described in what follows, were brought to him again by Joseph.

[2] The explanation for all this is that the inflow of love came to that goodness and truth from the internal celestial by way of spiritual good - in keeping with true order. That external procedure had therefore to be strictly adhered to when they were going to be blessed; for they were being presented to the Lord, the Source of the foretelling meant here by the blessing, 6254. This now explains why Joseph brought his sons away from his father's thighs, and why he himself after that brought them to him again.

5951. 'And the sons of Israel did so' means a putting into effect by the spiritual truths within the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'they did' as a putting into effect; and from the representation of 'the sons of Israel' as the spiritual truths within the natural, dealt with in 5414, 5879. What spiritual truths within the natural are must be stated: The truths of faith if separate from man, spirit, or angel are not in fact the truths of faith, for they are not attached to a recipient in whom they become such truths. But when they are attached to man, spirit, or angel as their recipient they then become the truths of faith, yet varyingly so according to each individual's state of life. With those who are just beginning to learn them they are no more than factual knowledge. If after that those people truly revere them they go on from being factual knowledge to become the truths of the Church. When however they have an affection for those truths and lead lives in keeping with them, they become spiritual truths; for the good of love and charity, which has its origin solely in the spiritual world, then enters in and brings life to them. For having an affection for them and leading a life in keeping with them stem from that good.

[2] What truths, called the truths of faith, are like with those who lead lives in keeping with them, and with those who do not, has been shown to me. With people who do not lead lives in keeping with them those truths have manifested themselves as white threads; and with people who knew those truths yet did nothing good at all they were fragile ones. But with people who do lead lives in keeping with them those truths have manifested themselves as fibres extending from the brain, which were filled with spirituous fluid and were soft. Thus these latter truths had life in them, the former did not. From all this one may recognize that the nature of the truths present with people depends on the individual's state of life. The truths which 'the sons of Jacob' represent are not as yet spiritual truths because they have not as yet been made matters of life. But the truths represented by those men as 'the sons of Israel' are spiritual ones because, having been made matters of life, the good of love and charity has entered them. Such truths are meant here because now the subject is the initial stage in the joining of the truths within the natural, which are 'the sons of Jacob', to internal good, which is 'Joseph', through the intermediary, which is 'Benjamin', and also through spiritual good, which is 'Israel'.