Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 43:29-34
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AC 5683. Verses 29-34. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. And Joseph made haste, for his compassions were moved toward his brother; and he sought to weep, and he came to the bed-chamber, and wept there. And he washed his faces, and went out, and he restrained himself and said, Set on bread. And they set on for him alone, and for them alone, and for the Egyptians, who did eat with him, alone; because the Egyptian cannot eat bread with the Hebrews; because this is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men were amazed, everyone at his companion. And he brought out portions from his faces unto them; and he multiplied Benjamin‘s portion above the portions of them all, five measures. And they drank and drank largely with him. "And be lifted up his eyes," signifies reflection; "and saw Benjamin," signifies a noticing of the intermediate "his brother, his mother’s son," signifies the internal from the natural, as from a mother; "and said," signifies perception; "Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spake unto me?" signifies the one born after all, as was also known to them; "and he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son," signifies that the Divine is also with the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediate, because it proceeds from the celestial of the spiritual, which is truth from the Divine; "and Joseph made haste," signifies from the inmost; "for his compassions were moved," signifies mercy from love; "toward his brother," signifies toward the internal from itself; "and he sought to weep," signifies the effect of mercy from love; "and he came to the bed-chamber, and wept there," signifies in itself, not apparently; "and he washed his faces," signifies that it is so arranged; "and went out," signifies by removal; "and he restrained himself," signifies by concealment; "and said, Set on bread," signifies perception of conjunction through the intermediate with truths in the natural; "and they set on for him alone, and for them alone," signifies outward appearance that the internal was as if separated from them; "and for the Egyptians, who did eat with him, alone," signifies separation of the memory-knowledges that are in inverted order; "because the Egyptians cannot eat bread with the Hebrews," signifies that they could not possibly be conjoined with the truth and good of the church; "because this is an abomination to the Egyptians," signifies that they are in opposition; "and they sat before him," signifies that they were set in order by his presence "the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth," signifies according to the order of truths under good; "and the men were amazed, everyone at his companion," signifies a change of state of each one among them; "and he brought out portions from his faces unto them," signifies goods applied to each one from mercy; "and he multiplied Benjamin‘s portion above the portions of them all," signifies good for the intermediate above the goods for the truths in the natural; "five measures," signifies much increased; "and they drank," signifies the application of truths under good; "and drank largely with him," signifies abundantly.

AC 5684. And he lifted up his eyes. That this signifies reflection, is evident from the signification of "lifting up the eyes," as being thought and attention (n. 2789, 2829, 4339), and also observation (n. 4086). Thus it denotes reflection; for to reflect is to concentrate the intellectual sight, and to observe whether a thing is so, and then that it is so.

AC 5685. And saw Benjamin. That this signifies a noticing of the intermediate, is evident from the signification of "seeing," as being to understand and notice (n. 2150, 2325, 3764, 3863, 4403-4421, 4567, 4723, 5400); and from the representation of Benjamin, as being the intermediate (n. 5411, 5413, 5443, 5639).

AC 5686. His brother, his mother’s son. That this signifies the internal from the natural as from a mother, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, who is here the "brother" and "mother‘s son," as being the internal (n. 5469); and as he is the intermediate he therefore comes forth from the celestial of the spiritual, which is "Joseph," as from a father, and from the natural as from a mother; for he must partake of both in order to serve as an intermediate. This then is what is meant by the internal from the natural as from a mother. And because the celestial of the spiritual, which is "Joseph," in like manner came forth from the natural as a mother, but from the Divine as a father, Benjamin is therefore called his "brother, the son of his mother," as indeed he was by birth. And presently he is called also his "son." The Lord, who is meant here by "Joseph" in the supreme sense, calls everyone a "brother" who has anything of the good of charity from the Lord. He is also called the "son of His mother," but then by "mother" is meant the church.

AC 5687. And said. That this signifies perception, is evident from the signification of "saying" in the historicals of the Word, as being perception. That "saying" is perceiving, is because in heaven the very thoughts from which the speech comes are perceived, otherwise than is the case in the world. Hence it is that "perceiving" in the spiritual sense is "speaking" or "saying" in the literal, or what is the same, the natural sense.

AC 5688. Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spake unto me? That this signifies the one born after all, as was also known to them, is evident from the signification of the "youngest brother," as being the one born after all; and from the signification of the words "of whom ye spake unto me,"as being what was perceived by them. "To speak" denotes what is perceived, thus what is known, (n. 5687). That Benjamin is here called, as he was, their "youngest brother," that is, the one born after all or the youngest in birth, is because it is similar in the spiritual sense with the intermediate which Benjamin represents for the intermediate is born in man last of all, because when a man is born spiritually, that is, when he is reborn, his rational, which is the internal human, is first regenerated by the Lord, and afterward his natural (n. 3286, 3288, 3321, 3493, 4612); and as the intermediate partakes of both (of the rational made spiritual, or made new, and also of the natural), and as it cannot take anything from the natural unless this also is made new, therefore the intermediate cannot be born till afterward, and indeed according to the degree in which the natural is being regenerated.

[2] All things that are related in the Word of Jacob’s sons had so come to pass of Providence, in order that the Word might be written about them and their descendants, and might contain within it heavenly things, and in the supreme sense Divine things, which they would represent in actual life. So also was it with Benjamin, who being born last, would therefore represent the intermediate between the internal and the external, or between the celestial of the spiritual which the Lord had in the world, and the natural which the Lord also had and was to make Divine.

[3] All that is related of Joseph and his brethren represents in the supreme sense the glorifying of the Lord‘s Human, that is, how the Lord made the Human in Him Divine. The reason for this being represented in the inmost sense is that the Word might be most holy in its inmost sense, and also that it might contain in every part of it what would enter into the wisdom of the angels; for it is known that angelic wisdom so far surpasses human intelligence that scarcely any. thing of it can be apprehended by man. It is also the happiness itself of the angels that every detail of the Word has reference to the Lord; for they are in the Lord. Furthermore, the glorifying of the Lord’s Human is the pattern of man‘s regeneration, and hence man’s regeneration also is presented in the internal sense of the Word at the same time with the glorification of the Lord. Man‘s regeneration together with its innumerable mysteries also enters into the angels’ wisdom, and affords them happiness according as they apply it to its uses, which are for man‘s reformation.

AC 5689. And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. That this signifies that the Divine was also with the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediate, because it proceeds from the celestial of the spiritual, which is truth from the Divine, is evident from the signification of "God be gracious," when it is said by the celestial of the spiritual which is "Joseph," to the spiritual of the celestial which is "Benjamin," and when the latter is also called his "son," which means that the Divine is also with the spiritual of the celestial, which is an intermediate because it proceeds from the celestial of the spiritual which is truth from the Divine. "Benjamin" is the spiritual of the celestial, (n. 3969, 4592); and also this is an intermediate, (n. 5411, 5413, 5443, 5639),

[2] As in the supreme sense, as before said, the Lord’s internal human was the celestial of the spiritual, and this was truth from the Divine, or the first clothing of the Divine Itself in the Lord, and as the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediate, proceeded therefrom, it follows that the Divine was also with this. That which proceeds from anything derives its essence from that from which it proceeds; but it is clothed with such things as serve for communication, thus for use in a lower sphere. The things with which it is clothed are taken from such as are in the lower sphere, to the end that the internal from which it proceeds may act in the lower sphere by such means as are there.

[3] That which gives the essence is as the father, for the essence is the soul; and that which gives the clothing is the mother, for the clothing is the body of this soul. This is the reason why it was said above that the intermediate must draw from both in order to be an intermediate; what it has from the internal being as its father, and what it has from the external being as its mother.

AC 5690. And Joseph made haste. That this signifies from the inmost, is evident from the signification of "making haste," as here being what bursts forth from the inmost; because there follows, "for his compassions were moved," by which is signified mercy from love. When this bursts forth, it bursts forth from the inmost, and this at the first glance of the eye or at the first instant of thought; wherefore by "making haste" here nothing else is signified than from the inmost.

AC 5691. For his compassions were moved. That this signifies mercy from love, is evident from the signification of the "compassions being moved," as being mercy from love; it is said "mercy," because he was not yet acknowledged by him, and "from love," because as an intermediate he had proceeded from him. In the original language "compassions" is expressed by a word which signifies the inmost and tenderest love.

AC 5692. Toward his brother. That this signifies toward the internal from itself, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, who is here the "brother," as being the intermediate, thus also the internal (n. 5649); and as both the intermediate and the internal proceed from the celestial of the spiritual, which is "Joseph," it is therefore called the internal from itself. Whoever receives anything of the Divine from the Lord, who here is "Joseph" in the supreme sense, as he who receives any of the good of charity, is called by the Lord a "brother," and also a "son."

AC 5693. And he sought to weep. That this signifies the emotion of mercy from love, is evident from the signification of "weeping," as being the effect of mercy from love (n. 3801, 5480).

AC 5694. And he came to the bed-chamber, and wept there. That this signifies in itself, not apparently, is evident from the signification of "coming to the bed-chamber," as being in one‘s self, so as not to appear. It was customary with the ancients to speak of "entering into the chamber," and also of then "shutting the door," when they meant the doing of anything that was not to appear. This form of speaking was derived from the significatives in the Ancient Church; for by "house" in the spiritual sense they understood man (n. 3128), and by the "rooms" and "bed-chambers" they understood man’s interiors. Therefore "coming or entering into the chamber" signified to be in one‘s self, consequently so as not to appear; and because "entering the chamber" was significative, it is therefore frequently mentioned in the Word, us in Isaiah:--

that "entering into the bed-chambers" does not here mean to do so literally, but to keep one’s self in concealment, and in one‘s self, is very evident.

[2] In Ezekiel:--

where "to do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his image" denotes inwardly within themselves, in the thoughts. The interior things of their thought and affection were represented to the prophet by chambers, and were called "chambers of the image."

[3] In Moses:--

where the "sword" denotes the vastation of truth and the punishment of falsity (n. 2799); "terror out of the chambers" denotes out of man’s interiors. That the "chambers" here are not the chambers that are meant is evident.

[4] In David:--

"to water the mountains" in the spiritual sense is to bless those who are in love to the Lord, and in love toward the neighbor. A "mountain" is the celestial of love, (n. 795, 1430, 4210); hence "from His chambers" is from the interiors of heaven. In Luke:--

where also "bed-chambers" denote the interiors of man, namely, what he has thought, what he has purposed, and what he has endeavored to do. In Matthew:--

"to enter into the bed-chamber and pray" means not in the outward appearance; for this was said representatively.

AC 5695. And he washed his faces. That this signifies that it so arranged, is evident from the signification of "washing the faces," as here being to arrange so as not to appear; for the face was washed that no trace of tears might appear, consequently it was arranged in this way. How the case is with these things will of the Lord‘s Divine mercy be told in the following pages. Here something must be said about the correspondence of the face with the interiors. The face is the external representative of the interiors, for the face is so formed that the interiors may appear in it as in a representative mirror, and that another may know from it of what mind the person is toward him; so that when he speaks he shows his feelings by his face as well as by his words. The most ancient people, who were of the celestial church, had a face like this; and all the angels have it, for they have no desire to conceal from others what they think, because they think well and only well toward the neighbor, nor have they any lurking thought of wishing well to the neighbor for the sake of themselves. But the infernals, when not seen in the light of heaven, have a different face from that which corresponds to their interiors. The reason is that in the life of the body their faces had shown charity toward the neighbor, merely for the sake of their own honor and gain, and yet they had never wished well to the neighbor except in so far as he favored them. The result is that the make up of their faces is so much out of agreement with their interiors that sometimes enmities, hatreds, revenges, and murderous feeling are within, while their faces are made up so as to beam with love toward the neighbor. This shows how great at the present day is the disagreement between the interiors and the exteriors, resulting in the cultivation of such arts.

AC 5696. And went out. That this signifies by removal, is evident from the signification of "going out," as here being removal; for one who removes himself goes out or withdraws from another. The case in the internal sense is this. By Joseph in the supreme sense is represented the Lord; by the ten sons of Israel are represented the truths and goods in the natural with those who are being regenerated; and by Benjamin is represented the intermediate. There is mercy from love toward the intermediate because thereby the things beneath are regenerated. But the Lord’s love and mercy do not appear until conjunction through the intermediate has been effected. It is also so arranged that they do not appear; for should they appear, regeneration could not be effected. This arrangement is made by removal and concealment-- not that the Lord ever removes or conceals mercy; but when one who is being regenerated is let into his evils, it appears to him as if the Lord were remote and hidden. It is the evils that interpose and have this effect, just as dense clouds interpose between us and the sun, and make it seem distant and hide it. This is the concealment and removal that are meant.

AC 5697. And he restrained himself. That this signifies concealment, is evident from the signification of "restraining one‘s self," as being to conceal; for he who restrains himself conceals what he inwardly wills. What is here meant by concealment may be seen just above (n. 5696).

AC 5698. And said, Set on bread. That this signifies perception of conjunction through the intermediate with truths in the natural, is evident from the signification of "saying," as being perception; and from the signification of "setting on bread," as being conjunction through the intermediate with truths in the natural. By the setting on of bread is meant the banquet itself, and by banquets and feasts is signified conjunction, specifically initiation to conjunction (n. 3596, 3832, 5161). That it is a conjunction through the intermediate with truths in the natural, follows from the series, for "Benjamin" is the intermediate, and the ten sons of Jacob are truths in the natural, as has already been shown; and because the conjunction is through the intermediate, on seeing Benjamin Joseph commanded that they should eat with him--"and when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to him that was over his house, Bring the men to the house, and slaying slay, and make ready; for the men shall eat with me at noon" (verse 16).

AC 5699. And they set on for him alone, and for them alone. That this signifies an outward appearance that the internal was as if separated from them, is evident from the signification of "setting on for him alone, and for them alone," as being separation; and as the internal is represented by Joseph, and the external by Israel’s ten sons (n. 5469), therefore by these words is signified the separation of the internal from the external, but only in appearance, because he gave them food from his own table, sending portions to each.

AC 5700. And for the Egyptians, who did eat with him, alone. That this signifies the separation of the memory-knowledges which are in inverted order, is evident from the representation of the Egyptians, as being memory-knowledges that are in inverted order; and from the signification of "who did eat with him alone," as being separation (n. 5699). By the Egyptians "who did eat with him" are meant the Egyptians who ate at Joseph‘s house; that they did not eat with Joseph is plain, because they ate alone. By "Egypt" or the "Egyptians" in a good sense are signified the memory-knowledges of the church (n. 1462, 4749, 4964, 4966); but in the opposite sense are signified the memory-knowledges which are in inverted order, thus which are contrary to the truths of the church (n. 1164, 1165, 1186). In this sense "Egypt" is mentioned in many passages of the Word. That "Egypt" signifies these memory-knowledges, is because the memory-knowledges of the Ancient Church, which were representative and significative of celestial and spiritual things, and which were cultivated among the Egyptians more than among others, were turned by them into magic; whereby they completely inverted the memory-knowledges of the representative church.

[2] Memory-knowledges are said to be in inverted order when men abuse heavenly order to do evil; for heavenly order is that good be done to all. Hence it comes to pass that when they have thus inverted heavenly order, they at last deny Divine things, the things of heaven, and consequently those of charity and faith. They who become such know how to reason acutely and skillfully from memory-knowledges, because they reason from the senses, and to reason from these is to reason from such things as are external, that is, from such as are of the body and the world, which take direct hold of man’s senses and feelings. Unless such things have been illumined by the light of heaven, and thereby arranged in an entirely different order, they put the man in so great an obscurity as to heavenly things that he not only comprehends none of them, but even wholly denies, and at last rejects them, and then as far as he may, blasphemes them. When memory-knowledges are in order, they are arranged by the Lord in the form of heaven; but when they are in inverted order, they are arranged in the form of hell, and then things most false are in the midst, and those which confirm them are at the sides, while truths are without, and because they are without they can have no communication with heaven where truths reign; and therefore interior things are closed to such persons; for heaven is open by means of things interior.

AC 5701. Because the Egyptians cannot eat bread with the Hebrews. That this signifies that they could not possibly be conjoined with the truth and good of the church, is evident from the representation of the Egyptians, as being those who are in inverted order, thus in evil and falsity (n. 5700); from the signification of "eating bread," as being to be conjoined (n. 5698); and from the representation of the Hebrews, as being those who are in genuine order, thus in the truth and good of the church. By the "land of the Hebrews" is signified the church, (n. 5136, 5236), and this because the Hebrew Church was the second Ancient Church, (n. 1238, 1241, 1343). "Eating bread" is mentioned here, and above "setting on bread," because by "bread" is signified all food in general (n. 2165), thus the banquet. The reason why by "bread" is signified all food and the banquet itself, is that in the spiritual sense "bread" is celestial love, and celestial love contains within it all things of good and truth, thus all things of spiritual food. "Bread" is celestial love, (n. 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 2187, 3464, 3478, 3735, 4211, 4217 4735, 4976),

AC 5702. Because this is an abomination to the Egyptians. That this signifies that they are in opposition, is evident from the representation of the Egyptians, as being those who are in inverted order (n. 5700); and from the representation of the Hebrews, to eat with whom was an abomination to the Egyptians, as being those who are in genuine order (n. 5701); thus they are in opposition to each other, whence comes aversion, and at last abomination. In regard to this abomination be it known that those who are in inverted order, that is, in evil and the derivative falsity, become at last so averse to the good and truth of the church that when they hear them, and especially when they hear the interior things of them, they so greatly abominate them that they feel as it were a nausea and vomiting. This has been told and shown me, when I have wondered why the Christian world does not receive these interior things of the Word. There appeared spirits from the Christian world who, on being compelled to hear the interiors of the Word, were seized with so great a nausea that they said they felt as if they were going to vomit; and I was told that such is the Christian world at this day almost everywhere. The reason of its being so is that they are in no affection of truth for truth‘s sake, still less in the affection of good from good. Their thinking and speaking anything from the Word or from their doctrine is from habit acquired from early childhood, and from the established form; thus it is an external without an internal.

[2] That all things of the Hebrew Church that was afterward instituted among Jacob’s descendants were an abomination to the Egyptians, is plain not only from their being unwilling even to eat with them, but also from the sacrifices which the Hebrew Church regarded as the chief part of its worship being an abomination to them, as is evident in Moses:--

The pasturing of flocks, and a shepherd also, were an abomination to them, as is plain in Moses:--

Thus the Egyptians abominated everything that belonged to that church. The reason was that at first the Egyptians had been among those who constituted the Ancient representative Church (n. 1238, 2385); but in course of time they rejected the God of the Ancient Church, that is, Jehovah or the Lord, and served idols, especially calves; and they also turned into magic the very representatives and significatives of the celestial and spiritual things of the Ancient Church, which they had learned when they belonged to that church. Hence order was inverted with them, and consequently all things of the church were an abomination to them.

AC 5703. And they sat before him. That this signifies that they were set in order by his presence, is evident from the signification of "sitting," as here being to be set in order, for they were placed in order by Joseph, as appears from what follows (for they were amazed that the firstborn should sit according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth); and from the signification of "before him," as being by his presence. The case herein is this. In the supreme sense by Joseph is represented the Lord, and by Israel‘s sons, the goods and truths in the natural; when the Lord is present, then all things are set in order by His very presence. The Lord is order itself; and therefore where He is present there is order, and where there is order He is present. The order itself is described in the pages that now follow, which is that truths be rightly set in order under good.

AC 5704. The firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth. That this signifies according to the order of truths under good, is evident from the signification of "sitting according to birthright and according to youth," as being according to the order of truths under good; for the sons of Israel represent the truths of the church in their order. (See the explication of the twenty-ninth and thirtieth chapters of Genesis). Therefore to sit "according to their birth" is according to the order of truths. But the truths of the church which the sons of Israel represent do not come into any order except through Christian good, that is, through the good of charity toward the neighbor and of love to the Lord; for in good there is the Lord, and hence in good there is heaven; consequently in good there is life, thus living active force; but never in truth without good. That good sets truths in order after its own likeness is very manifest from every love, even from the loves of self and of the world, thus from the love of revenge, of hatred, and of the like evils. They who are in these evils call evil good, because to them evil is delightful. This so-called good of theirs sets in order the falsities which to them are truths, so that they may favor it, and at last sets all these falsities which they call truths in such an order as to effect persuasion. But this order is such as is the order in hell; whereas the order of truths under the good of celestial love is such as is the order in the heavens; and from this the man who has such order within him, that is, who has been regenerated, is called a little heaven, and moreover is a heaven in the least form, for his interiors correspond to the heavens.

[2] That it is good which sets truths in order is evident from the order in the heavens. There all the societies are set in order according to the truths under good which are from the Lord; for the Lord is nothing but Divine good; Divine truth is not in the Lord, but proceeds from Him; and according to this Divine truth under Divine good are all the societies in the heavens set in order. That the Lord is nothing but Divine good, and that Divine truth is not in Him, but proceeds from Him, may be illustrated by comparison with the sun of the world. The sun is nothing but fire, and light is not in it, but proceeds from it; and likewise the things that are of light in the world, such as vegetable forms, are set in order by the heat which proceeds from the sun’s fire and is in its light, as is evident in the time of spring and summer. As universal nature is a theater representative of the Lord‘s kingdom, so also is this universal. The sun represents the Lord, the fire of it His Divine love, and the heat from it the good which flows therefrom, and the light the truths which are of faith; and because they are representative, therefore in the Word in the spiritual sense by the "sun" is meant the Lord (n. 1053, 1521, 1529-1531, 3636, 3643, 4321, 5097, 5377), and by "fire" love (n. 934, 4906, 5071, 5215); thus the sun’s fire is representatively the Divine love, and the heat from it is good from the Divine love. Light represents truth, (n. 2776, 3138, 3190, 3195, 3222, 3339, 3636, 3643, 3862, 3993, 4302, 4409, 4413, 4415, 4526, 5219, 5400).

AC 5705. And the men were amazed, everyone at his companion. That this signifies a change of state of each one among them, is evident from the signification of "to be amazed," as being an unexpected and sudden change of state in the thoughts, which being the cause of the amazement is signified in the internal sense; and from the signification of "everyone at his companion," as being of each one among them; for the subject treated of is the order of truths under good caused by the presence of the internal (n. 5703, 5704), and as the order is new, there is therefore a change of state of each one among them, which is signified by "the men being amazed, everyone at his companion."

AC 5706. And he brought out portions from his faces unto them. That this signifies goods applied to everyone from mercy, is evident from the signification of "portions," namely of food, as being goods (for all kinds of food signify goods, and drink of every kind signifies truths). That these are applied to everyone is plain from what follows, and is signified by "he brought out to them;" and from the signification of "faces," when predicated of the Lord, who is represented by Joseph, as being mercy (n. 222, 223, 5585).

AC 5707. And he multiplied Benjamin‘s portion above the portions of them all. That this signifies good for the intermediate above the goods for the truths in the natural, is evident from the signification of "portions," as being goods (n. 5706); from the representation of Benjamin, as being the intermediate (n. 5411, 5413, 5427, 5428, 5443, 5586, 5612); and from the representation of Jacob’s ten sons, above the portions of whom he made Benjamin‘s portion, as being truths in the natural (n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512).

[2] From this it is plain that by his "multiplying Benjamin’s portion above the portions of them all" is signified good for the intermediate above the goods for the truths in the nature. The reason why there was good for the intermediate above the goods for the truths in the natural, is that the intermediate is interior, and what is interior abounds with goods more than that which is exterior. Few know how this is, namely, that the interior abounds with goods and truths more than the exteriors. The reason is that few, if any, have hitherto known that the interior is distinct from the exterior, and indeed so distinct that they can be separated, and that when separated the interior lives and the exterior dies, but that so long as they are conjoined, the exterior lives from the interior. If this had first been known, it might then have been known what the interior is as compared with the exterior--that in the interior there are thousands of things which in the exterior appear as one; for the interior is in a purer sphere, and the exterior in a grosser, and that which is in a purer sphere is capable of receiving distinctly thousands of things more than that which is in a grosser sphere. Hence it is that when the man who has led a life of good comes after death into heaven, he can receive thousands of thousands more things of intelligence and wisdom and happiness than when he lived in the world; for in heaven he is in a purer sphere, and is in his interiors, and has put off the grosser things of the body. From all this it is now plain what is meant by good for the intermediate above the goods for the truths in the natural, which is signified by his "multiplying Benjamin‘s portion above the portions of them all."

AC 5708. Five measures. That this signifies much increased, is evident from the signification of "five," as being much; and from the signification of "measures," as being states of truth from good (n. 3104). As regards "five," it is a number that signifies a little, likewise some, and also much. Its signification depends upon its relation to the number of which it is a part (n. 5291): as a part of "ten" it involves the same as ten, but in a less degree, because it is half of the number ten; for as numbers formed by multiplication signify the like with their simple numbers (n. 5291, 5335), so numbers produced by division signify the like as their multiples--for instance "five" the same as "ten," and as "twenty," and also as "one hundred" and "one thousand," and so on. "Ten" denotes what is full, (n. 3107, 4638). Five more measures were given to Benjamin than to the rest of his brethren because of the signification of the matter in the internal sense; ten measures could not have been given, for they would have been far too much. By traditions from the Most Ancient Church the ancients knew what some numbers signified, and therefore they made use of these numbers when anything occurred which they might serve to signify, as here the number "five;" and in other cases they applied several other numbers, as "three" to signify what is full from beginning to end; "seven" to signify what is holy; "twelve" to signify all things in their complex.

AC 5709. And they drank. That this signifies the application of truths under good, is evident from the signification of "drinking," as being the communication and appropriation of truth (n. 3168, 3772, 4017, 4018), hence also its application. It is "under good," because all the application of truth is effected under good (n. 5704).

AC 5710. And drank largely with him. That this signifies abundantly, is evident from the signification of "drinking," as being to apply truths under good (n. 5709); hence "to drink largely" denotes abundantly. From the things unfolded in this chapter it is evident that the subject treated of is initiation to the conjunction of the natural with the celestial of the spiritual, and in a subsequent chapter the first conjunction is treated of; for the first conjunction is represented by Joseph’s manifesting himself to his brethren; the second by his going to meet his father and brethren, and bringing them down into Egypt.