8710. 'Men of vigour fearing God' means to which the good from God could be joined. This is clear from the meaning of 'men of vigour' as those who are strong in truths which emanate from good; for 'man' means truth, 3134, 5502, and 'vigour' the strength it gives. In the original language also strength is meant by the same word as that used for 'vigour' here. The reason why those strong in truths which emanate from good are meant is that they are also called men 'fearing God', and by those 'fearing God' are meant people governed by good that comes from the Divine. For 'the fear of God' is worship springing from the good of faith and from the good of love, 2826, 5459.

5459. 'Do this and you will live, [for] I fear God' means that so it will be if they have life from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'do this' as so it will be; from the meaning of 'you will live' as that they - the truths meant here by 'the sons of Jacob - will have life; and from the meaning of 'I fear God' as from the Divine. For 'Joseph' represents the Lord as regards truth from the Divine, which is the same as the celestial of the spiritual, and therefore 'I' here, in the highest sense, means truth from the Divine, while 'God' is the Divine itself that is present within the celestial of the spiritual or that is present within truth. In the highest sense, when it is used in reference to the Lord, 'fearing' does not mean fear but love. Also. 'the fear of God' mentioned in various places in the Word means a love that is felt for God, the exact nature of that love being determined by wherever it exists. Among those whose worship is external, devoid of anything internal, that love becomes fear; and among those whose worship is spiritual it becomes holy fear. But among those whose worship is celestial it becomes love that holds the feeling of sacred awe. Within the Lord however it was not fear at all but pure love. From this it may be seen that 'I fear God', when this has reference to the Lord, means Divine Love, and so the Divine.