5967. 'Joseph is still alive' means that the internal has not been cast away. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as internal good, dealt with in 5805, 5826, 5827, 5869, 5877; and from the meaning of 'being alive' as still in being and so not cast away. The reason 'being alive' means not having been cast away is that the sons of Jacob had at first cast away the internal, which is represented by 'Joseph' and their father had believed that evils and falsities had destroyed him, 5828. Consequently 'being alive' at this point means that this was not true.