5417. And Joseph he was the governor over the land. That this signifies that the celestial of the spiritual, or truth from the Divine, reigned in the natural where memory-knowledges were, is evident from the representation of Joseph, as being the celestial of the spiritual (see n. 4286, 4963, 5249, 5307, 5331, 5332; that the celestial of the spiritual is truth from the Divine will be seen below); from the signification of a “governor,” as being one who reigns; and from the signification of “land,” here the land of Egypt, as being the natural mind, thus the natural (n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301). (That the celestial of the spiritual reigned in the natural where memory-knowledges were, may be seen above, n. 5313; and also that “Egypt” in the internal sense is memory-knowledge, n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 4749, 4964, 4966.) That the celestial of the spiritual is truth from the Divine, is because the Lord’s internal Human, before it was fully glorified, being the receptacle of the Divine Itself, was the celestial of the spiritual, which must be so called because it cannot be expressed in any other words or forms of thought. This receptacle or recipient of the Divine is the same as truth from the Divine (that “Joseph” is this truth may be seen above, n. 4723, 4727).

5278. And all the abundance of produce shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt. That this signifies the removal of truth and the apparent privation of it in both naturals, is evident from the signification of “forgetting,” or “being forgotten,” as being removal and hence apparent privation; and from the signification of “abundance of produce,” as being the multiplication of truth, or truth multiplied (of which just above, n. 5276); and from the signification of the “land of Egypt,” as being the natural mind or the natural of man, here both naturals (as just above, n. 5276). That “forgetting,” or “being forgotten,” denotes removal and apparent privation, is because such is the case with the memory and hence with the thought. What a man thinks about is directly under his view, and things related thereto present themselves around in order, even to those unrelated, which are most remote, and thus forgotten. Things opposite are separated from the rest and hang down, and present themselves underneath, and balance those above. This setting in order is effected by means of the good that flows in, and such is the case with all man’s thinking. That such is the case appears from thoughts in the other life; for in the light of heaven thoughts there are wont to be sometimes presented to view, and then such a form of their arrangement is seen. From this it is evident that “forgotten,” in the internal sense, is nothing else than removal and apparent privation.