Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 42:35-38
[2] From this it is plainly evident how the case is with those who are in the loves of self and of the world, and how with those who are in love to God and toward the neighbor. with those who are in the loves of self and of the world, such things as favor these loves are in the midst, and such as slightly favor them are in the circumferences; and the things which are contrary to them, as those which relate to love to God and love toward the neighbor, are thrown out. In such a state are the infernals. And this order sometimes causes a lucidity to appear about them; but within this lucidity, where they themselves are, all is dusky, monstrous, and horrible. But with the angels there is a flaming radiance in the midst from the good of celestial and spiritual love, and from this there is a light or brightness round about. They who so appear are likenesses of the Lord; for the Lord Himself, when He showed His divine to Peter, James, and John, "shone in the face as the sun, and His raiment became as the light" (Matt. 17:2). That the angels who are likenesses appear in flaming radiance and hence in white is plain from the angel who descended from heaven and rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre: "His appearance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow" (Matt. 28:3).
. Was in his sack. That this signifies in the receptacle of each, is evident from the signification of a "sack," as being a receptacle (n. 5489, 5494, 5529). What is here meant by a receptacle may be briefly told. Man‘s natural is divided into receptacles; and in each receptacle is some general thing, in which things less general or relatively particular are set in order, and in these single things. Each such general thing, together with its particulars and singulars, has its own receptacle, within which it can operate, or vary its forms and change its states. With the man who has been regenerated these receptacles are as many in number as there are general truths in’ him, and each receptacle corresponds to some society in heaven. Such is the setting in order with the man who is in the good of love and thence in the truth of faith. From this it will to some extent be plain what is meant by the receptacle of each, when predicated of the general truths in the natural, represented by the ten sons of Jacob. . And they saw the bundles of their silver. That this signifies perception that it was so, namely that the settings in order of truths were bestowed gratis, is evident from what was unfolded just above (n. 5530). . They and their father. That this signifies from truths and the good of truth in the natural, is evident from the representation of the sons of Jacob, who here are "they," as being truths in the natural (n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512); and from the representation of Jacob, who is here "their father," as being the good of truth also in the natural (n. 3659, 3669, 3677, 3775, 4234, 4273, 4538). What is meant by perception from truths and from the good of truth in the natural, may indeed be unfolded, but not so as to fall into the apprehension, except very obscurely. But in very deed this falls into the understanding of spirits as in clear day, being to them one of the more easy things. Thus it may in some measure be seen what a difference there is between the intelligence of man while he is in the world and its light, and when he is in heaven and the light there. . And they were afraid. That this signifies what is holy, is evident from the signification of "being afraid" when such things happen as are of Divine providence here that truths were bestowed gratis, signified by "every man‘s bundle of silver being in his sack." The holy which then flows in also induces something of fear together with holy reverence. . And Jacob their father said unto them. That this signifies perception in them from the good of truth, is evident from the signification of "saying" in the historicals of the Word, as being perception; and from the representation of Jacob, as being the good of truth (n. 5533). . Me have ye bereaved. That this signifies that thus the church was no more, is evident from the representation of Jacob, who says this of himself, as being the good of truth (n. 3659, 3669, 3677, 3775, 4234, 4273, 4538); and because it is the good of truth, it is also the church, for good is the essential of the church; and therefore it is the same whether we say the good of truth, or the church, for with the man with whom is the good of truth, there is the church. "Jacob" is the church, (n. 4286, 4520); and hence also his sons represent the truths of the church, (n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512); and from the signification of "bereaving," as being to deprive the church of its truths and goods, as here of those which are represented by Joseph, Benjamin, and Simeon.[2] That "to bereave" denotes to deprive the church of its truths, is because the church is compared to a marriage, its good to the husband, and its truth to the wife, and the truths born of this marriage to sons, and the goods to daughters, and so on. When therefore "bereavement," or "bereaving" is spoken of, it signifies that the church is deprived of its truths, and that thereby it becomes no church. In this sense the terms "bereavement," or "bereaving," are occasionally used elsewhere in the Word, as in Ezekiel:--
I will send upon you famine and evil beast, and will make thee bereaved (Ezek. 5:17).
And again:--
When I make the evil beast to pass through the land, and it shall bereave it, so that it become a desolation, that no man may pass through because of the wild beast (Ezek. 45:15).
In Leviticus:--
I will send against you the wild beast of the field, which shall bereave you, and cut off your beast, and lessen you, that your ways shall be laid waste (Lev. 26:22).
[3] In these passages "famine" denotes a lack of the knowledges of good and truth, and hence desolation; an "evil beast," falsities from evils; the "land," the church; "sending a famine and an evil beast to bereave the land" denotes to destroy the church by falsities from evils, thus to completely deprive it of truths. In Jeremiah:--
I will winnow them with a fan in the gates of the land, I will bereave, I will destroy My people (Jer. 15:7);
where also "bereaving" denotes to deprive of truths, In the same:--
Give their sons to the famine, and make them flow away by the hand of the sword; that their wives may become bereaved and widows (Jer. 18:21);
where "their wives becoming bereaved and widows" denotes being without truths and good.
[4] In Hosea:--
Of Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the belly, and from conception; because if they have brought up their sons, then will I make them bereaved of man (Hosea 9:11, 12);
with a similar meaning. In Ezekiel:--
I will make man, My people, walk over you, who shall possess thee by inheritance, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more add to bereave them. Thus hath said the Lord Jehovah, Because they say to you, Thou art a consumer of man, and hast been a bereaver of thy peoples (Ezek. 36:12, 13);
where also "bereaving" is to deprive of truths,
[5] In Isaiah:--
Now hear this, O delicate one, sitting securely, saying in thine heart, I and none besides like me, I shall not sit a widow, neither shall I know bereavement; surely these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, bereavement and widowhood (Isa. 47:8, 9);
said of the daughter of Babylon and of Chaldea, that is, of those who are in a holy external and a profane internal, and by virtue of this holy external call themselves the church. "Bereavement and widowhood" denote the deprivation of good and truth. Again:--
Lift up thine eyes round about, and see; all they gather themselves together, they come to thee. The sons of thy bereavement shall yet say in thine ears, The place is strait for me; go from me that I may dwell. But thou shalt say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I am bereaved and lonely, banished and far away? who therefore hath brought up these? I was left alone; these, where were they? (Isa. 49:18, 20, 21);
said of Zion or the celestial church, and of its fruitfulness after vastation; the "sons of bereavement" denoting the truths of which she had been deprived in vastation, restored and vastly increased.
. Joseph is not. That this signifies that there is no internal, is evident from the representation of Joseph, which, being the celestial of the spiritual, is the internal of the church (n. 5469, 5471). . And Simeon is not. That this signifies that neither in the will is there faith, is evident from the representation of Simeon, as being faith in the will (n. 3869-3872, 4497, 4502, 4503, 5482). . And ye will take Benjamin. That this signifies if the intermediate also be taken away, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, as being what is intermediate (n. 5411, 5413, 5443). . All these things will be upon me. That this signifies that thus what is of the church will be destroyed, is evident from the representation of Jacob, who says this of himself, as being the church (n. 5536). When in the church there is no internal, represented by Joseph, and no faith in the will, represented by Simeon, if the conjoining intermediate represented by Benjamin is taken away, everything of the church is destroyed. This is what is signified by "all these things will be upon me." . And Reuben spake unto his father. That this signifies the things of faith in the understanding perceived from the good of truth, is evident from the signification of "saying" in the historicals of the Word, as being to perceive; and from the representation of Reuben, as being faith in doctrine and in the understanding (n. 3861, 3866, 5472), consequently the things of this faith; and from the representation of Jacob, who is here the "father" to whom Reuben spoke, as being the good of truth (n. 3659, 3669, 3677, 3775, 4234, 4273, 4538, 5533). From this it is plain that by "Reuben’s speaking to his father" are signified the things of faith in the understanding perceived from the good of truth. The reason why Reuben speaks here, is that the church is treated of, in which faith in doctrine and in‘ the understanding apparently takes the first place, and also teaches, here what must be done lest the things of the church be destroyed. . Saying, Slay my two sons. That this signifies that neither kind of faith will live, is evident from the signification of the "two sons" of Reuben, as being both kinds of faith; for by Reuben is represented faith in doctrine and in the understanding, and his "sons" are the two doctrines of the church, the doctrine of truth and the doctrine of good, or the doctrine of faith and the doctrine of charity. That neither of these things of faith or of the church will live unless the intermediate represented by Benjamin is conjoined, is signified by "Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee." By these words Reuben gives confirmation that it will be all over with the church, unless there be an intermediate. Unless there were this internal sense in these words, Reuben would not have told his father to slay his two sons if he brought not Benjamin back; for he would thereby have proposed to put an end to one family more, which being contrary to all right, would have been infamous. But the internal sense teaches us why this was said. . If I bring him not to thee. That this signifies unless an intermediate be conjoined, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, who is here meant by "him whom he would bring," as being what is intermediate (n. 5411, 5413, 5443, 5539); and from the signification of "bringing," as being to conjoined. . Give him upon my hand. That this signifies so far as was in its power, is evident from the signification of the "hand," as being power (n. 878, 3387, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328). "To give him upon his hand" is in the strict sense to intrust him to him; but as faith in the understanding, which is represented by Reuben, has little strength to be trusted to, for the truth which is of faith has its power from the good which is of charity, (n. 3563), therefore by "Give him upon my hand," is signified so far as was in its power. . And I will bring him unto thee again. That this signifies that it shall be restored, is evident without explication. . And he said, My son shall not go down with you. That this signifies that it will not let itself down toward lower things, is evident from the signification of "going down," as being predicated of going toward lower things (n. 5406), here of going to the truths of memory-knowledge in the exterior natural (n. 5492, 5495, 5497, 5500), which are represented by the sons of Jacob. . For his brother is dead. That this signifies because the internal is not present, is evident from the representation of Joseph, who is here the "brother," as being the celestial of the spiritual, or truth from the Divine, consequently the internal of the church (n. 5469); and from the signification of "being dead," as here being not to be present; for he was living, but was not present. . And he only is left. That this signifies that it is now in place of the internal, is evident from the fact that as the internal which is "Joseph" was not present, and Benjamin was the only other child of Joseph’s mother, he was now as Joseph. Moreover both Joseph and Benjamin represent the internal, and the other ten sons of Jacob represent the external (n. 5469). . And mischief will befall him in the way wherein ye shall go. That this signifies that with truths alone in the natural, separated from the internal, it would perish, is evident from what was unfolded above (n. 5413), where similar words occur. . And ye will make my gray hairs go down. That this signifies that this will be the last of the church, is evident from the signification of "gray hairs," when the subject treated of is the church, as being the last of it. The last of it is signified by "gray hairs" also in Isaiah:--Attend unto Me O house of Jacob, and all the remains of the house of Israel, who have been borne from the womb, who have been carried from the matrix; and even to old age I am the same; and even to gray hairs will I carry you (Isa. 46:3, 4);
the "house of Jacob" denotes the external church; the "house of Israel," the internal church; "from the womb and the matrix" denotes from the beginning of it; "to old age and gray hairs" denotes to the last of it. And in David:--
They that are planted in the house of Jehovah shall sprout in the courts of our God. They shall still have increase in gray hairs (Ps. 92:13, 14);
"in gray hairs" denotes in the last stage.
. In sorrow to the grave. That this signifies without hope of resuscitation, is evident from the signification of "sorrow" here, as being without hope, for when there is no longer any hope there is sorrow; and from the signification of the "grave," as being resurrection and regeneration (n. 2916, 2917, 3256, 4621), thus the resuscitation of the church; for if in the church there is neither an internal which is" Joseph," nor an intermediate which is "Benjamin," nor faith in the will, or charity, which is "Simeon," there is no longer any hope of its resuscitation. It appears strange that the "grave" should denote resuscitation, but this is because of man‘s idea concerning it; for he does not separate the grave from death, nor even from the dead body in the grave. Yet the angels in heaven cannot have such an idea of the grave, but one entirely different from man’s, namely, an idea of resurrection or resuscitation. For when man‘s dead body is committed to the grave he is resuscitated into the other life; and therefore the idea angels have about the grave is not an idea of death, but of life, consequently of resuscitation.