Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 5633

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5633. Verses 15-17 And the men took this gift, and took the double amount of silver in their hand, and Benjamin; and they rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. And Joseph saw Benjamin with them, and he said to the one who was over his house, Bring the men to the house, and slaughter and prepare [an animal]; for the men will eat with me at midday. And the man did as Joseph said, and the man brought the men to Joseph's house.

'And the men took [this] gift' means that the truths had with them the means to obtain favour. 'And took the double amount of silver in their hand' means also truth received by the power. 'And Benjamin' means the intermediary also. 'And they rose up, and went down to Egypt' means a raising up so as to acquire life from the interior areas of factual knowledge. 'And stood before Joseph' means the presence there of the celestial of the spiritual. 'And Joseph saw Benjamin with them' means the discernment by the celestial of the spiritual that the spiritual intermediary was present with the truths. 'And he said to the one who was over his house' means that which belongs to the external Church. 'Bring the men to the house' means that the truths in the natural were to be introduced into it. 'And slaughter and prepare [an animal]' means through the forms of good belonging to the exterior natural. 'For the men will eat with me at midday' means that they will be joined together when accompanied by the intermediary. 'And the man did as Joseph said' means a putting into effect. 'And the man brought the men to Joseph's house' means the first introduction into good coming from the celestial of the spiritual.


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