5402. That there was produce in Egypt. That this signifies a disposition to procure truths by means of memory-knowledges which are “Egypt,” is evident from the signification of “produce,” as being the truths of the church, or the truths which are of faith (that “abundance of produce” denotes the multiplication of truth may be seen above, n. 5276, 5280, 5292); and from the signification of “Egypt,” as being memory-knowledges (n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462), and in the genuine sense the memory-knowledges of the church (see n. 4749, 4964, 4966). That a disposition to procure these things is involved, is plain from what presently follows. By the memory-knowledges of the church, which here are “Egypt,” are meant all knowledges of truth and good, before they have been conjoined with the interior man, or through the interior man with heaven, and thus through heaven with the Lord. The doctrinals of the church and its rituals, as also the knowledges of what spiritual things these represent and how, and the like, are nothing but memory-knowledges until the man has seen from the Word whether they are true, and in this way has made them his own.

[2] There are two ways of procuring the truths which are of faith-by means of doctrinal things, and by means of the Word. When man procures them only by doctrinal things, he then has faith in those who have drawn them from the Word, and he confirms them in himself to be true because others have said so; thus he does not believe them from his own faith, but from that of others. But when he procures them for himself from the Word, and thereby confirms them in himself to be true, he then believes them because they are from the Divine, and thus believes them from faith given from the Divine. Everyone who is within the church first procures the truths which are of faith from doctrinal things, and also must so procure them, because he has not yet sufficient strength of judgment to enable him to see them himself from the Word; but in this case these truths are to him nothing but memory-knowledges. But when he is able to view them from his own judgment, if he then does not consult the Word in order to see from it whether they are true, they remain in him as memory-knowledges; while if he does consult the Word from the affection and end of knowing truths, he then, when he has found them, procures for himself the things of faith from the genuine fountain, and they are appropriated to him from the Divine. These and other like things are what are here treated of in the internal sense; for “Egypt” denotes these memory-knowledges, and “Joseph” is truth from the Divine, thus truth from the Word.

3939. And she called his name Asher. That this signifies its quality, is evident from the signification of “calling a name,” as being quality-as above. The quality itself is that which Asher represents. “Asher” in the original language means “blessedness;” but the name involves all that is signified by the words of his mother Leah—“in my blessedness; for the daughters will call me blessed,” namely, the delight of the affections which corresponds to the happiness of eternal life. This is the fourth general principle that conjoins the external man with the internal; for when a man perceives this corresponding delight within himself, his external man is then beginning to be conjoined with his internal man. It is the delights of the affections of truth and good that conjoin them; for without the delights of the affections nothing is conjoined, because the man’s life is in them. (That all conjunction is through the affections, see n. 3024, 3066, 3336, 3849, 3909.) By the “daughters who call her blessed” are signified churches. (That in the internal sense of the Word “daughters” signify churches see n. 2362.) This was said by Leah because by the births from the handmaids are signified the general truths which are the means that are of service for conjunction, to the intent that the church may come forth in the man. For when a man perceives this delight or affection, he is beginning to become a church; and this being the case this is said of the fourth or last son of the handmaids.

[2] “Asher” is often named in the Word, but by him, as well as by the other sons, is signified the quality then treated of, that is, the quality of those in that state which is the subject there treated of; and the quality is also according to the order in which the sons are named, being of one kind when the order begins with “Reuben” or faith, of another when it begins with “Judah” or celestial love, and of another when with “Joseph” or spiritual love; for the essence and quality of that which is first is derived and passes on into the things which follow. This is the ground of their varying significations in the places where they are named. Here, where their birth is treated of, the general principles of the church are signified by them; and consequently all things of faith and love that make the church; and this for the reason that in what goes before, the regeneration of man is treated of, or man’s states before he becomes a church; and in the supreme sense the Lord—how He made His Human Divine; and thus the ascent of the ladder which was seen by Jacob in Bethel, even to Jehovah.