5891. Verses 6-8 For this [is the situation] - there have been two years of famine in the midst of the land, and there are still five years, in which there will be no ploughing and harvest. And God sent me before you to establish for you a remnant on the earth, and for the bestowal of life on you for a great escape. And now, you did not send me here, but God; add He has established me as father to Pharaoh, and as Lord for all his house; and I have dominion in all the land of Egypt.

'For this' means that this is the situation 'There have been two years of famine in the midst of the land' means a state when there is a lack of good in the natural mind. 'And there are still five years' means the duration of that state until remnants shine forth. 'In which there will be no ploughing and harvest' means that in the meanwhile no good will be seen nor any truth derived from good. 'And God sent me before you' means as ordained by Divine Providence. 'To establish for you a remnant on the earth' means the middle and inmost part of the Church. 'And for the bestowal of life on you' means the spiritual life from there that is bestowed on the truths in the natural. 'For a great escape' means deliverance from damnation. 'And now, you did not send me here' means that they had not handed him over to factual knowledge in the natural. 'But God' means that the Divine had done so. 'And He has established me as father to Pharaoh' means that now the natural was dependent on him 'And as lord for all his house' means that everything in the natural was dependent on him. 'And I have dominion in all the land of Egypt' means that he sets in order the factual knowledge there.