18
וּבִתְחַפְנְחֵס חָשַׂךְ הַיֹּום בְּשִׁבְרִי־שָׁם אֶת־מֹטֹות מִצְרַיִם וְנִשְׁבַּת־בָּהּ גְּאֹון עֻזָּהּ הִיא עָןָן יְכַסֶּנָּה וּבְנֹותֶיהָ בַּשְּׁבִי תֵלַכְנָה׃
18
וּבִתְחַפְנְחֵס חָשַׂךְ הַיֹּום בְּשִׁבְרִי־שָׁם אֶת־מֹטֹות מִצְרַיִם וְנִשְׁבַּת־בָּהּ גְּאֹון עֻזָּהּ הִיא עָןָן יְכַסֶּנָּה וּבְנֹותֶיהָ בַּשְּׁבִי תֵלַכְנָה׃
1165. In the Word 'Mizraim' or Egypt means knowledge, that is, various facts, by which people wish to probe into the arcana of faith and so confirm the false assumptions acquired in that way. 'Mizraim' also means simply knowledge, and so knowledge that is useful. This is clear not only from the places just quoted but also from very many others which would fill up page after page if they were all included. See Isaiah 19:1-end; Isaiah 30:1-3; 31:1-3; Jeremiah 2:18, 36; Jeremiah 42:14-end; Jeremiah 46:1-end; Ezekiel 16:26; 23:3; Ezekiel 29:1-end; Ezekiel 30:1-end; Hosea 7:11; 9:3, 6; 11:1, 5, 11; Micah 7:12 [NCBS: 7:15]; Zechariah 10:10-11; Psalms 80:8 and following verses.
5799. 'For as you are, so is Pharaoh' means that he has control over the natural. This is clear from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the natural in general, dealt with in 5160; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal, dealt with previously. The control exercised by the internal over the natural is represented by Joseph's being placed in charge over all the land of Egypt as well as over the whole of Pharaoh's house, Genesis 41:40-41.