4679. 'His brothers saw' means things that are matters of faith, and in the proximate sense, the descendants of Jacob. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as recognizing and understanding, dealt with in 2150, 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, and from the representation of 'Joseph's brothers' as things that are matters of faith. For in the present chapter 'Joseph' represents the Lord's Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth, while 'his brothers' represents the Church which turns aside from charity to faith, then to faith separated from charity, and after that to falsities, see above in 4665, 4671. From this it is clear that by 'Joseph's brothers' here are meant things that are matters of faith; and because the descendants of Jacob were by nature such, these are meant in the proximate sense.

4671. 'Was pasturing the flock with his brothers' means its presence among those governed by faith who were teachers. This is clear from the meaning of 'pasturing the flock' as teaching those within the Church, in particular from matters of doctrine. For one who pastures the flock, or a shepherd, means one who teaches, see 343, 3772, 3795. In this case the meaning is presence among those who taught, because the words 'pasturing the flock with his brothers' are used - Joseph's brothers in this chapter representing the Church which turned aside from charity to faith, and at length to faith separated from charity and so to falsities, as will be evident in what follows below.