5421. 'And Joseph saw his brothers, and recognized them' means perception and recognition by the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as perception, dealt with in 2150, 3764, 4567, 4723; from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, dealt with above in 5417; from the meaning of 'his brothers' as general truths known to the Church, also dealt with above, in 5419; and from the meaning of 'recognizing' as recognition resulting from perception. Regarding this recognition on Joseph's side and the non-recognition on his brother's side, see below in 5422, 5427, 5428.

4567. 'God was seen by Jacob again, when he was coming from Paddan Aram; and He blessed him' means interior natural perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'God was seen' as interior perception. 'Seeing' means understanding and perceiving, see 2150, 2807, 3764, 3863, 4403-4421, and therefore the words 'God was seen' used in reference to the Lord mean perception from the Divine, which is the same as interior perception. The possession by the natural of this perception is meant by 'God was seen by Jacob', for 'Jacob' represents the Lord's natural, as has been shown many times. 'Again, when he was coming from Paddan Aram' means after He had absorbed cognitions of good and truth, which, being meant by 'Paddan Aram', are dealt with in 3664, 3680, 4112. 'He blessed him' means progress towards the more interior aspects of the natural, and the joining together there of good and truth. For 'blessing' is used to refer to all the good which anyone has conferred on him by the Divine, 1420, 1422, 2846, 3017, 3406; in particular the expression refers to the joining together of good and truth, 3504, 3514, 3530, 3565, 3584.