Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 41:9-13
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AC 5226. Verses 9-13. And spake the prince of the butlers unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my sins this day. Pharaoh was wroth upon his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the prince of the guards, me and the prince of the bakers: and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each one according to the interpretation of his dream. And there was with us there a Hebrew boy, servant to the prince of the guards; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each one according to his dream he did interpret. And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he brought back upon my station, and him he hanged. "And spake the prince of the butlers unto Pharaoh," signifies thought from the sensuous subject to the intellectual part; "saying," signifies perception therefrom; "I do remember my sins this day," signifies about a state of disjunction; "Pharaoh was wroth upon his servants," signifies when the natural turned itself away; "and put me in custody in the house of the prince of the guards," signifies rejection by the things that are primary for interpretation; "me and the prince of the bakers," signifies both sensuous parts; "and we dreamed a dream in one night," signifies what was foreseen in obscurity; "I and he," signifies concerning both sensuous parts; "we dreamed each one according to the interpretation of his dream," signifies what would be the event to both; "and there was with us there a Hebrew boy," signifies that because of temptation the guiltlessness of the church was rejected thither; "servant to the prince of the guards," signifies wherein was truth that might serve primarily for interpretation; "and we told him," signifies that there was perception therefrom; "and he interpreted to us our dreams," signifies what was in the things foreseen in obscurity; "to each one according to his dream he did interpret," signifies from truth; "and it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was," signifies that such was the event; "me he brought back upon my station," signifies that the sensuous of the intellectual part was received; "and him he hanged," signifies that the sensuous of the will part was rejected.

AC 5227. And spake the prince of the butlers unto Pharaoh. That this signifies thought from the sensuous subject to the intellectual part, is evident from the signification of "speaking," as being to think (n. 2271, 2287, 2619); and from the representation of the prince of the butlers, as being the sensuous subject to the intellectual part (n. 5077, 5082). What thought from the sensuous is, may be seen above (n. 5141).

AC 5228. Saying. That this signifies perception therefrom, is evident from the signification of "saying," as being to perceive (n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509). What perception "therefrom" is, or perception from thought, cannot be unfolded so as to be understood, because at this day it is wholly unknown what spiritual perception is; and what is unknown does not enter into the apprehension however it may be described; for perception is nothing else than the speech or thought of the angels who are with man. When this speech or thought flows in, it becomes the perception that a thing is so, or is not so, but only with those who are in the good of love and of charity, for it flows in through good. With these this perception produces thoughts, for to them what is perceptive is the general of thought. Yet perception from thought is not actually given, but only apparently. But no more can be said regarding this mystery, because, as already said, it is unknown at this day what perception is.

AC 5229. I do remember my sins this day. That this signifies about a state of disjunction, is evident from the signification of "sins," as being what is of inverted order (n. 5076); and from the signification of "remembering," as being conjunction (n. 5169). Thus "to remember sins" is to be conjoined with what is of inverted order, and consequently to be disjoined from the natural which is represented by Pharaoh; for whatever is conjoined with what is in inverted older, is disjoined from what is in order. The reason why "to remember" is conjunction, is that the remembering of anyone in the other life conjoins; for as soon as any spirit calls another to mind he appears present, and so present that they speak together. It is for this reason that angels and spirits can meet all persons whom they have known or have heard of, can see them present and speak with them, when the Lord allows them to call them to mind (n. 1114).

AC 5230. Pharaoh was wroth upon his servants. That this signifies when the natural averted itself, is evident from what was unfolded above (n. 5080, 5081), where similar words occur.

AC 5231. And put me in custody in the house of the prince of the guards. That this signifies rejection by the things which are primary for interpretation, is also evident from what was unfolded above (n. 5083, 5084), where similar words occur.

AC 5232. Me and the prince of the bakers. That this signifies both sensuous parts, is evident from the representation of the prince of the butlers, who is here meant by "me," as being the sensuous subject to the intellectual part in general (n. 5077, 5082); and from the representation of the prince of the bakers, as being the sensuous subject to the will part in general (n. 5078, 5082); thus by "me and the prince of the bakers" both sensuous parts are signified. We say "both" sensuous parts because there are two faculties in man which constitute his life, the will and the understanding, to which each and all things in him have reference. That there are two faculties in man which constitute his life, is because there are two things which make life in heaven--good and truth--good having reference to the will, and truth to the understanding. From this it is plain that there are two things which make man spiritual, and consequently make him blessed in the other life, namely, charity and faith; for charity is good and faith is truth, and charity has reference to the will and faith to the understanding.

[2] To these two-- good and truth--each and all things in nature bear reference, and from this they come into existence and subsist. That they bear reference to these two things, is very evident from heat and light, of which heat has reference to good and light to truth, and therefore spiritual heat is the good of love, and spiritual light is the truth of faith. As each and all things in universal nature bear reference to these other two, good and truth, and as good is represented in heat, and faith in light, everyone may judge of what quality a man is from faith alone without charity, or what is the same thing, from merely understanding truth without willing good. Is it not like the state of winter, when the light is brilliant, and yet everything is torpid, because without heat? Such is the state of the man who is in faith alone, and not in the good of love. He is in cold and in darkness, in cold because he is opposed to good, in darkness because thereby he is opposed to truth; for one who is opposed to good is also opposed to truth, however he may seem to himself not to be so; for the one draws the other to its side. Such becomes his state after death.

AC 5233. And we dreamed a dream in one night. That this signifies what was foreseen in obscurity, is evident from the signification of a "dream," as being what is foreseen (n. 3698, 5091); and from the signification of "night," as being a state of shade (n. 1712), thus obscurity.

AC 5234. I and he. That this signifies concerning both sensuous parts, is evident from the representation of the butler, who here is "I," as being one sensuous, and from the representation of the baker, who here is "he," as being the other sensuous (n. 5232).

AC 5235. He dreamed each one according to the interpretation of his dream. That this signifies what would he the result to both, is evident from the signification of "interpretation," as being what it would have in it, and what would happen (n. 5093, 5105, 5107, 5141), thus what would be the event of that which was foreseen, which is signified by the "dream" (n. 5233).

AC 5236. And there was with us there a Hebrew boy. That this signifies that because of temptation the guiltlessness of the church was rejected thither, is evident from the signification of a "boy," as being what is guiltless; and from the signification of "Hebrew," as being one who is of the church (n. 5136), thus that which is of the church. Its being rejected thither because of temptation, is signified by his being there, namely, in custody, for by the "custody" into which Joseph was put is signified a state of temptation (n. 5036, 5037, 5039, 5044, 5045); which state has been treated of in chapters 39 and 40.

[2] The reason why a "boy" denotes guiltlessness, is that in the internal sense a "little child" denotes what is innocent; for in the Word we read of "sucklings," "little children," and "boys" (or "children"); and by them are signified three degrees of innocence, the first degree by a "suckling," the second by a "little child," and the third by a "child." But as with the "child" innocence begins to be put off, therefore by him is signified that degree of innocence called guiltlessness." As by these three are signified three degrees of innocence, three degrees of love and charity are also signified by the same, for the reason that celestial and spiritual love, that is, love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor, cannot exist except in innocence. But be it known that the innocence of sucklings, little children, and children is only external and that internal innocence is not possible in man till after he has been born anew, that is, becomes again as it were a suckling, a little child, and a child. It is these states that are signified in the Word by these three; for in the internal sense of the Word nothing but what is spiritual is understood; consequently none but spiritual birth, which is called rebirth and also regeneration.

[3] That the innocent quality which is called "guiltlessness" is signified by a "boy" or "child," is evident in Luke:--

"to receive the kingdom of God as a child" is to receive charity and faith from innocence. In Mark:--

by a "child" here is represented innocence; and one who receives this, receives the Lord, because He is the source of all innocence. Everyone can see that "to receive a child in the Lord’s name" is not literally to receive a child, thus that something heavenly must be represented thereby.

[4] In Matthew:--

the children‘s crying "Hosanna to the son of David" was to represent that only innocence acknowledges and receives the Lord, that is, they in whom there is innocence. By "out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise" is signified that praise can come to the Lord by no other way than through innocence; for by this alone is effected all communication and all influx, and consequently access. It is for this reason that the Lord says:--

[5] In the following passages also by a "boy" or "child" is signified innocence. In Zechariah:--

speaking of the new Jerusalem, or the Lord’s kingdom. In David:--

Again:--

In Joel:--

In Jeremiah:--

In Isaiah:--

AC 5237. Servant to the prince of the guards. That this signifies wherein was truth that might serve primarily for interpretation, is evident from "servant" being predicated of truth (n. 2567, 3409); and from the signification of the "prince of the guards," as being things primary for interpretation (n. 4790, 4966, 5084); and because truth is of service for the interpretation of the Word, the truth thus serving is signified here by "servant to the prince of the guards."

AC 5238. And we told him. That this signifies that there was perception therefrom, is evident from the signification of "telling," as being perception (n. 3209).

AC 5239. And he interpreted to us our dreams. That this signifies what was in the things foreseen in obscurity, is evident from the signification of "interpreting," as being what was therein (n. 5093, 5105, 5107); and from the signification of "dreams," as being things foreseen in obscurity (n. 5233).

AC 5240. To each one according to his dream he did interpret, signifies from truth; and it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was, signifies that such was the event, as may be seen from the fact that by these words is signified the event of the matter, which in truth was such as he had foretold.

AC 5241. Me he brought back upon my station. That this signifies that the sensuous of the intellectual part was received, is evident from the signification of the "butler," who is here meant by "me," as being the sensuous of the intellectual part; and from the signification of "bringing back upon the station," as being to reduce into order and make subordinate (n. 5125, 5165), thus also to receive.

AC 5242. And him he hanged. That this signifies that the sensuous of the will part was rejected, is evident from the signification of the "baker," who is here meant by "him," as being the sensuous of the will part; and from the signification of "hanging," as being to reject (n. 5156, 5167). There is no need to unfold these things any further, because they have been unfolded before, and are here repeated for the sake of the series.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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