Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 5683

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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, whom you said [something about] to me? And he said, God be gracious to you, my son. And Joseph hastened, because feelings of compassion were being roused in him towards his brother, and he sought [somewhere] to weep; and he went to his bedchamber and wept there. And he washed his face and went out; and he contained himself and said, Set on bread. And they set for him by himself, and for them by themselves and for the Egyptians eating with him by themselves; for the Egyptians cannot eat bread with the Hebrews, since that is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat in front of him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men were astonished [and looked] each at his companion. And he took portions from before his face to them, and he multiplied Benjamin's portion above the portions of all theirs - five measures more. And they drank, and drank plentifully with him.

'And he lifted up his eyes' means reflection. 'And saw Benjamin' means a discernment of the intermediary. 'His brother, his mother's son' means the internal born from the natural as its mother. 'And said' means perception. 'Is this your youngest brother, whom you said [something about] to me?' means born after all of them, as they well knew. 'And he said, God be gracious to you, my son means that the Divine was also present with the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediary, because it goes forth from the celestial of the spiritual, which is truth from the Divine. 'And Joseph hastened' means from what is inmost. 'Because feelings of compassion were being roused in him' means mercy springing out of love. 'Towards his brother' means towards the internal going forth from himself. 'And he sought [somewhere] to weep' means an expression of mercy springing out of love. 'And he went to his bedchamber and wept there' means within itself, in an unseen manner. 'And he washed his face' means that it took steps to ensure this. 'And went out' means by means of a removal. 'And he contained himself' means a concealment. 'And said, Set on bread' means a perception of a joining, through the intermediary, to the truths in the natural. 'And they set for him by himself, and for them by themselves' means the outward appearance that the internal was seemingly separated from them. 'And for the Egyptians eating with him by themselves' means the separation of factual knowledge existing in an inverted state of order. 'For the Egyptians cannot eat bread with the Hebrews' means that these could not by any means be joined to the truth and good of the Church. 'Since that is an abomination to the Egyptians' means that they are in a contrary position. 'And they took their seats in front of him' means that they were ranged in order, as determined by his presence. 'The firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth' means in conformity with the order truths take beneath good. 'And the men were astonished [and looked] each at his companion' means a change of state that took place in each one among them. 'And he took portions from before his face to them' means forms of good applied with mercy to each one. 'And he multiplied Benjamin's portion above the portions of all theirs' means the good imparted to the intermediary exceeded the forms of good imparted to the truths in the natural. 'Five measures more' means that it was much increased. 'And they drank' means the application of the truths beneath good. 'And drank plentifully' means in abundance.


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