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5303. Verses 37-40. And the word was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Shall we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the spirit of God? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath caused thee to know all this, there is no one so intelligent and wise as thou; thou shalt be over my house, and upon thy mouth shall all my people kiss; only in the throne will I be greater than thou. "And the word was good in the eyes of Pharaoh," signifies what is very pleasing to the natural; "and in the eyes of all his servants," signifies what is very pleasing to all things in the natural; "and Pharaoh said unto his servants," signifies the perception of the natural together with all things therein; "Shall we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the spirit of God," signifies about the influx of truth in which is good from the interior, thus the celestial of the spiritual; "and Pharaoh said unto Joseph," signifies the perception of the natural from the celestial of the spiritual; "Forasmuch as God hath caused thee to know all this," signifies because it has foresight and providence; "there is no one so intelligent and wise as thou," signifies that this is the only source of truth and good; "thou shalt be over my house," signifies that the natural mind shall be subordinate and submissive thereto; "and upon thy mouth shall all my people kiss," signifies that everything therein shall be in obedience to him; "only in the throne will I be greater than thou," signifies that nevertheless it will appear as if from the natural, because from the celestial of the spiritual through the natural.

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5304. And the word was good in the eyes of Pharaoh. That this signifies what is very pleasing to the natural, is evident from the signification of the "word being good," as being to please; it is said "in the eyes" from a customary form of speech, because the "eye" signifies the interior sight, thus understanding, perception, attention, and other things belonging to this sight (see n. 2701, 2789, 2829, 3198, 3202, 3820, 4083, 4086, 4339, 4403-4421, 4523, 4534), and therefore by the "word being good in his eyes" is signified what is very pleasing; and from the representation of Pharaoh, as being the natural, as often shown before.

5305. And in the eyes of all his servants. That this signifies what is very pleasing to all things in the natural, is evident from the signification of the "word being good in their eyes," as being what is very pleasing (of which just above, n. 5304); and from the signification of "servants," as being the things in the natural, especially in the exterior natural. A "servant" is occasionally mentioned in the Word, and thereby in the internal sense is meant that which is of service to something else, and in general all that which is below relatively to what is above; for it is in accordance with order that the lower should be of service to the higher, and insofar as it is of service it is called a "servant." In the present case it is the things in the natural that are called "servants;" for the natural in general is represented by Pharaoh, and the general itself is that to which the particulars are to be of service, as to the common good in kingdoms. (That "Pharaoh" is the natural in general, may be seen above, n. 5160.)

5306. And Pharaoh said unto his servants. That this signifies the perception of the natural together with all things therein, is evident from the signification of "saying," in the historicals of the Word, as being to perceive (see n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2061, 2080, 2238, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509); and from the representation of Pharaoh, as being the natural (see n. 5079, 5080, 5095, 5160); and from the signification of "his servants," as being all things in the natural (of which just above, n. 5305).

5307.