5736. 'And you are to put my cup, the cup made of silver, in the mouth of the pouch of the youngest' means interior truth granted to the intermediary. This is clear from the meaning of 'the cup made of silver' as the truth of faith which flows from the good of charity, dealt with in 5120 - which 'cup', since it is said to be 'mine', that is, Joseph's, means interior truth (since 'Benjamin' represents the intermediary - including its truth - he represents interior truth, 5600, 5631, thus spiritual truth, 5639); from the meaning of 'the mouth of the pouch', when used in reference to Benjamin, the intermediary, as the place where it is joined on to the natural (for to be an intermediary the intermediary must communicate with the external and with the internal, 5411, 5413, 5586, the exterior of it being the natural here); and from the representation of Benjamin, to whom 'the youngest' refers here, as the intermediary, dealt with in 5411, 5413, 5443, 5688. All this shows what is meant by Joseph's putting his cup made of silver in Benjamin's pouch.

213. 'Knowing that they were naked' means knowing and acknowledging that they did not dwell in innocence, as they had done previously, but were under the influence of evil. This is clear from the final verse of the previous chapter, where it is said, 'And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed'. There it may be seen that being naked and not ashamed means being innocent. The contrary is meant when they are ashamed, as in this chapter which says that they sewed fig leaves together and hid themselves. Indeed when innocence is lacking nakedness arouses feelings of shame and disgrace because people are made aware of their own evil thoughts. Consequently nakedness in the Word stands for evil and shame and has reference to a corrupted Church, as in Ezekiel,

She was naked and bare, and was downtrodden in her own blood. Ezekiel 16:7, 11.

In the same prophet,

Let them leave her naked and bare, and let her nakedness be uncovered. Ezekiel 23:29.

In John,

I counsel you to buy white garments to clothe you, and let not the shame of your nakedness be manifested. Revelation 3:18.

And in reference to Judgement Day,

Blessed is he who is awake and keeps his garments, so that he may not walk naked, and men see his shame. Revelation 16:15.

In Deuteronomy,

If a man has found in his wife some nakedness, let him write her a bill of divorce. Deuteronomy 24:1.

This also was why Aaron and his sons were commanded to have linen breeches to cover their naked flesh when they approached the altar to serve, lest they should bring iniquity upon themselves and die, Exodus 28:42-43.