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ACV8 S21 6286-6306
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6286. Verses 17-20. And Joseph saw that his father put his right hand, upon the head of Ephraim, and it was evil in his eyes; and he laid hold of the hand of his father to remove it from upon Ephraim’s head upon Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know, my son, I know; he also shall be for a people, and he also shall become great; and nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall be the fullness of the nations. And he blessed them in this day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God set thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh; and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
“And Joseph saw that his father put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim,” signifies a perception that he accounted truth as being in the first place; “and it was evil in his eyes,” signifies displeasure; “and he laid hold of the hand of his father,” signifies influx into the power of his obscure perception; “to remove it from upon Ephraim’s head upon Manasseh’s head,” signifies to turn him away from error; “and Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn” signifies perceptible influx with respect to good that it has priority; “put thy right hand upon his head,” signifies that thus it should be in the first place; “and his father refused,” signifies no consent; “and said, I know, my son, I know,” signifies that so it is, but that it appears otherwise; “he also shall be for a people, and he also shall become great,” signifies that truth from good also shall be increased, thus the celestial man; “and nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he,” signifies that good from truth shall receive more increase, thus the spiritual man; “and his seed shall be the fullness of the nations,” signifies that the truth of faith shall reign; “and he blessed them in this day,” signifies foresight and providence eternally; “saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God set thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh,” signifies that his own spiritual may be in the truth of the intellectual and in the good of the will; “and he set Ephraim before Manasseh,” signifies that he accounted truth as being in the first place, because he was spiritual.
6287. And Joseph saw that his father put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim. That this signifies a perception that he accounted truth as being in the first place, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being to understand and perceive (see n. 2150, 2807, 3764, 4567, 4723, 5400); from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal celestial (n. 5869, 5877, 6224); from the representation of Israel, who here is the “father,” as being spiritual good from the natural; from the signification of “putting the right hand on the head,” as being to account in the first place (n. 6269); and from the representation of Ephraim, as being the truth of the intellectual in the natural (n. 6234, 6238, 6267). From this it is plain that by “Joseph saw that his father put his right hand on the head of Ephraim,” is signified a perception of the internal celestial that spiritual good from the natural accounted truth as being in the first place. (See what was said and shown above, n. 6256, 6269, 6272, 6273.)
6288. And it was evil in his eyes. That this signifies displeasure, is evident without explication. The reason why it displeased Joseph was that by him is represented the internal celestial, which is above the spiritual good that is represented by Israel. What is higher can perceive how the case is with what is done in what is lower, thus also whether it is truth that is being thought there, or not. For as what is higher sees from the light of heaven, it sees the things that are below; thus the internal celestial which is “Joseph,” saw that the spiritual good from the natural which is “Israel,” was in error, and therefore it displeased him.
6289. And he laid hold of the hand of his father. That this signifies influx into the power of his obscure perception, is evident from the signification of “laying hold of the hand,” as being influx into the power of perception; for when the internal desires by means of influx to compel the external to think and will something, it as it were takes hold of it, here of the power of perception that is signified by the “hand.” (That the “hand” is power may be seen above, n. 878, 3387, 4931-4937.) That the perception is called obscure, is because relatively to the celestial, who are represented by Joseph, the spiritual, who are represented by Israel, are in obscurity. (That the spiritual are relatively in obscurity, may be seen above, n. 2708, 2715, 2716, 2718, 2831, 2849, 2935, 2937, 3833, 4402.) That the spiritual are in obscurity, is very evident from the fact that before they have been regenerated they are altogether in thick darkness with respect to truth and good, and that while they are being regenerated, it is such truth as is in the doctrine of their church that they acknowledge, and in which truth they have faith, whether it is true or not. Nevertheless it is this truth that becomes good with them when it becomes of the will and thence of the life, and then it is that good which is called the good of truth, and also the good of faith, and likewise spiritual good, or the good of the spiritual church. The quality of the good that is from such an origin may be known to everyone who considers the matter. Nevertheless the good from such truth, even with the Gentiles, is accepted by the Lord, provided it has for a principle or starting point charity toward the neighbor, and that in this charity there is innocence.
6290. To remove it from upon Ephraim’s head upon Manasseh’s head. That this signifies to turn him away from error, is evident from the signification of “removing,” as being to turn away; and from the signification of “from upon Ephraim’s head upon Manasseh’s head,” as being from error; for it was an error for him to account truth as being in the first place and good in the second, as has been shown above.
6291. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn. That this signifies perceptible influx with respect to good, that it has the priority, is evident from the signification of “saying,” when predicated of the internal celestial, which here is “Joseph,” as being influx (see n. 6152); here perceptible influx, because he not only took hold of his hand, but also said, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn.”
6292. Put thy right hand upon his head. That this signifies that thus it should be in the first place, is evident from the signification of “putting the right hand on the head,” as being to account in the first place (see n. 6269, 6287). That when he was blessing, Israel placed his hand on the head, was from a ritual received from the ancients; for in the head are the very intellectual and will of man, but in the body are acts according thereto, and compliance; thus putting the hand on the head was a representative that a blessing was being communicated to the intellectual and the will, thus to the man himself. From that ancient time the same ritual remains even to this day, and is in use in inaugurations, and also in the act of blessing.
6293. And his father refused. That this signifies no consent, is evident without explication.
6294. And said, I know, my son, I know. That this signifies that so it is, but that it appears otherwise, is evident from the signification of “knowing,” as here being to know that it is so, but that it appears otherwise. That spiritual good which is “Israel” now perceived this, was from the influx of the internal celestial, which is “Joseph” (which influx has been treated of above, n. 6289, 6291). When spiritual good is in enlightenment from such an influx, it perceives that it is so, that is, that good is in the prior place, and truth in the posterior, and also that it appears otherwise; but at this time it makes the priority consist in the fact that truth should reign over good (as said below), and for this reason he retains the right hand on the head of the younger son, and the left on the head of the firstborn.
6295. He also shall be for a people, and he also shall become great. That this signifies that truth from good also shall be increased, thus the celestial man, is evident from the signification of “people,” as being truth (see n. 1259, 1260, 3581, 4619); from the signification of “becoming great,” as being to be increased; and from the representation of Manasseh, of whom this is said, as being the good of the will in the natural, born from the internal (see n. 6234, 6238, 6267). That truth from good is of the celestial man, is evident from what has already been frequently said and shown with respect to the celestial man, namely, that the celestial man is one who is in good from the will, and from this in truth; and that he is distinguished from the spiritual man by the fact that the latter is in truth from the intellectual, and from this in good. And because “Manasseh” is the good of the will, therefore by him is represented the celestial man, but the external celestial man, or the man of the external celestial church; for “Manasseh” is the good of the will in the natural, thus in the external man; whereas “Joseph” is the man of the internal celestial church, because he is the good of the will in the rational, thus in the internal man.
[2] In a few words something must be said of the truth of good which is of the celestial man. This truth is indeed called truth, but it is good. With the celestial man there is the good of love to the Lord and the good of love toward the neighbor. The good of love to the Lord is his internal, and the good of love toward the neighbor is his external. Therefore as regards the men who are of the celestial church, those are in the internal of this church who are in love to the Lord, and those are in its external who are in love toward the neighbor. The good of this love, namely, of love toward the neighbor with the celestial man, is what is here called the “truth of good,” and is represented by Manasseh. For the celestial man is such that he does not reason from truth, nor about truth, because he has perception from good (that is, through good from the Lord) that a thing is so or is not so (see n. 202, 337, 2715, 3246, 4448); and yet the good of charity with him is what is called truth, but celestial truth.
6296. And nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he. That this signifies that good from truth shall receive more increase, thus the spiritual man, is evident from the representation of Ephraim, here the “younger brother,” as being the truth of the intellectual in the natural born from the internal (see n. 6234, 6238, 6267), but here “Ephraim” is good from truth (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “becoming greater” than another; as being to receive more increase. That here “Ephraim” is good from truth, is because he represents the man of the spiritual church, but the man of the external spiritual church, as Manasseh represents the man of the external celestial church (n. 6295). Good from truth constitutes this man, that is, the man of the spiritual church. The internal of this church is what is represented by Israel, but the external by Ephraim. The man of the spiritual church differs from the man of the celestial church in this, that the good of the spiritual church is implanted in the intellectual part, but the good of the celestial church in the will part (see n. 863, 875, 895, 927, 928, 1023, 1043, 1044, 2256, 4328, 4493, 5113); therefore Ephraim represents the spiritual man, and Manasseh the celestial.
[2] That good from truth, or the spiritual man, receives more increase than the good from which is truth, or the celestial man, is because the will of man has continually been depraved, and at last so that evil has taken entire possession of it, insomuch that nothing sound (integer) has remained there. Therefore lest man should perish, the Lord provided that he might be regenerated as to the intellectual part, and thus be saved. Hence then it is that there are few with whom there is anything sound left in the will part, thus few who can become celestial men, but many who can become spiritual men; thus that the latter receive more increase than the former. This is what is signified by his “younger brother becoming greater than he.”
6297. And his seed shall be the fullness of the nations. That this signifies that the truth which is of faith shall reign, is evident from the signification of “seed,” as being faith and charity (see n. 1025, 1447, 1610, 1940, 2848, 3187, 3310, 3373, 3671), here faith, because predicated of Ephraim; and from the signification of the “fullness of the nations,” as being abundance, thus that the truth of faith shall reign. “Fullness” in the Word signifies all, and where it does not signify all, it signifies abundant, and is predicated both of truth and of good; for “multitude” is predicated of truth, but “magnitude” of good, thus “fullness of both,” as in Jeremiah:
Behold waters rise up out of the north, which shall become an overflowing stream, and shall overflow the land and the fullness thereof, the city and them that dwell therein (Jer. 47:2);
“the land and the fullness” denote all, both truth and good, that is of the church. For this reason it is added, “the city and them that dwell therein;” for by “city” are signified truths, and by “them that dwell therein,” goods (n. 2268, 2451, 2712).
[2] In Ezekiel:
They shall eat their bread with solicitude, and drink their waters with amazement, that the land thereof may be devastated from its fullness (Ezek. 12:19);
the “land” denotes the church, and the “fullness” the good and truth there. That both are signified is evident from what precedes, that “they should eat bread with solicitude, and drink waters with amazement;” for by “bread” is signified the good of love, and by “waters” the truth of faith, which are called the “fullness of the earth.”
[3] In like manner in Amos:
The pride of Jacob, and his palaces, I hate, therefore will I shut up the city and the fullness thereof (Amos 6:8).
In David:
The heavens are Thine, the earth also is Thine; the world and the fullness thereof Thou hast founded (Ps. 89:11).
The earth is Jehovah’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For He hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the streams (Ps. 24:1, 2);
where also the “fullness” denotes truth and good; the “earth,” the church in a specific, and the “world,” the church in a universal sense. That “Jehovah founded the world upon the seas” denotes upon the things that are of memory-knowledge (n. 28); and that “He established it upon the streams” denotes upon the things that are of intelligence (n. 3051). Who cannot see that it is not meant that Jehovah founded the world upon the seas, and established it upon the streams, for the world is not founded and established thereon; and therefore he who reflects can see that by “seas” and by “streams” something else is signified, and that this something else is the spiritual or internal of the Word.
6298. And he blessed them in this day. That this signifies foresight and providence eternally, is evident from the signification of “blessing,” as being prediction (see n. 6230, 6254), but in the supreme sense the Lord’s foresight; and because foresight, it is also Providence, for the one is impossible without the other; for evil is foreseen and good is provided, and the evil which is foreseen is by providence bent into good. That here “to bless” denotes foresight and providence, is because Israel, who here blesses, in the supreme sense is the Lord (n. 4286). That eternally is meant, is evident from the signification of “this day,” or “today,” as being what is eternal (n. 2838, 3998, 4304, 6165).
6299. Saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God set thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh. That this signifies that his own spiritual may be in the truth of the intellectual and the good of the will, is evident from the representation of Israel, as being spiritual good (see n. 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833); and from the representation of Ephraim, as being the truth of the intellectual, and of Manasseh, as being the good of the will (of which above). That the spiritual, which is “Israel,” may be in them, is signified by the words, “in thee shall Israel bless, and God set thee.”
[2] As regards the spiritual represented by Israel being in the truth of the intellectual and the good of the will, which are “Ephraim and Manasseh,” the case is this. The spiritual good which is represented by Israel is the spiritual of the internal church; whereas the truth and good represented by Ephraim and Manasseh are of the external church (see n. 6296). In order for an internal to be an internal of the church, it must needs be in the external of the church, for the external holds the place of the foundation on which the internal stands, and is the receptacle into which the internal flows. Hence it is that the natural, which is external, must needs be regenerated; for unless it is regenerated, the internal has neither foundation nor receptacle; and if it has no foundation nor receptacle, it utterly perishes. This then is what is meant by his own spiritual being in the truth of the intellectual and the good of the will.
[3] As an illustration of this matter take this example. The very affection of charity which a man feels within himself as a quietude and bliss in benefiting the neighbor without regard to any recompense, is the internal of the church; but to will this good and to do it from truth, that is, because it has been so commanded in the Word, is the external of the church. If the natural, which is the external, is not in agreement, that is, does not will nor do this good, because it sees in it no recompense, thus nothing of self (for in the natural or external man there is such a disposition both from what is hereditary and from what is actual), then the internal has no foundation, nor corresponding receptacle, except such as either rejects, or perverts, or extinguishes the influx; and therefore the internal perishes, that is, is closed and stopped up, so that nothing from heaven can pass into the natural through the internal, except some light of a general nature that passes through the chinks everywhere round about, in order that there may be a faculty of thinking, of willing, and of speaking, but according to that which is in the natural, thus in favor of evil and falsity against good and truth, to which purpose it makes subservient that amount of spiritual light which in a general manner flows in through the chinks everywhere round about.
6300. And he set Ephraim before Manasseh. That this signifies that he accounted truth as being in the first place, because he was spiritual, is evident from what has been unfolded above (verses 13, 14, 17-19).
6301. Verses 21, 22. And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die; and God shall be with you, and shall bring you back unto the land of your fathers. And I give thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow. “And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die,” signifies the perception of spiritual good from the internal celestial about new life, and about the end of the representation; “and God shall be with you” signifies the Divine providence of the Lord; “and shall bring you back unto the land of your fathers,” signifies to the state of both Ancient Churches; “and I give thee one portion above thy brethren,” signifies that the truth of the intellectual and the good of the will would have more there; “which I took out of the hand of the Amorite,” signifies by victory over evil; “with my sword,” signifies by means of truth combating; “and with my bow,” signifies from doctrine.
6302. And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die. That this signifies the perception of spiritual good from the internal celestial about new life, and about the end of the representation, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being perception (see n. 6220); from the representation of Israel, as being spiritual good (of which also above, n. 6225); from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal celestial (n. 5869, 5877); and from the signification of “dying,” as being resurrection into life (n. 3498, 3505, 4618, 4621, 6036, 6221), and also as being the end of the former representation (n. 3253, 3259, 3276); which end is also here signified by “dying.” For when one dies who had represented anything of the church, another succeeds who continues the representation in its order. Thus after Abraham died, the representative was continued in its order in Isaac, and afterward in Jacob, and after him in his sons; and so when Moses died, the representative succeeded in Joshua, and afterward in the judges in order, even to the kings, and so on.
6303. And God shall be with you. That this signifies the Divine providence of the Lord, is evident from the signification of “God shall be with you,” as being the Divine providence of the Lord; for when the Lord is with anyone, He leads him, and provides that all things which happen, whether sad or joyful, befall him for good: this is the Divine providence. The reason why it is called the providence “of the Lord” is that it is said, “God shall be with you,” and by “God” and by “Jehovah” in the Word is meant the Lord, for there is no other God besides Him; for He is the very Father and He is the very Son, for they are one; the Father is in Him, and He in the Father, as He Himself teaches in John 14:9-11 (see n. 1343, 1736, 2921, 3035, 5663).
6304. And shall bring you back unto the land of your fathers. That this signifies to the state of both Ancient Churches, is evident from the signification of “land,” as being the church (see n. 566, 662, 1066, 1067, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4535, 4447, 5577); and from the signification of “fathers,” as being the men of the Ancient and Most Ancient Churches (n. 6075). It is said “to the state of both Ancient Churches,” because the sons of Israel and their descendants, like those who belonged to the Ancient Churches, in every particular represented the Lord’s kingdom, celestial and spiritual. The representative itself was also instituted; with the Jewish nation that of the celestial kingdom, and with the Israelitish that of the spiritual kingdom; but with that generation nothing but a mere representative could be instituted, and not anything of the church or kingdom of the Lord; for they desired to see and acknowledge in the representatives absolutely nothing but what was external, and not anything internal. Nevertheless in order that there might exist a representative, and thereby some communication with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord, they were kept in externals; and it was then provided by the Lord that communication should exist by means of a mere external representative without an internal. This was the state to which the descendants of Jacob could be brought back; nevertheless in their external representatives there lay inwardly hidden Divine things; in the highest sense such as regarded the Lord’s Divine Human; and in the relative sense such as regarded the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens, and the church. This state of both Ancient Churches is signified by the words, “God shall bring you back unto the land of your fathers.”
6305. And I give thee one portion above thy brethren. That this signifies that the truth of the intellectual and the good of the will should have more there, is evident from the representation of Ephraim and Manasseh, who here are “Joseph” (as above, n. 6275), as being the truth of the intellectual and the good of the will (of which often above); and from the signification of “giving one portion above the brethren,” as being to have more there, namely, in the church, which is signified by “land” (see n. 6304). The reason why the good of the will and the truth of the intellectual would have more there, is that these are the two essentials of the church; and therefore the birthright also was given to the sons of Joseph (1 Chron. 5:1).
6306. Which I took out of the hand of the Amorite. That this signifies by victory over evil, is evident from the representation of the Amorite, as being evil (see n. 1857); and from the signification of “taking out of the hand,” as being to acquire through victory. As regards the Amorites, be it known that by them is signified evil, and also by the Canaanites; and by the rest of the nations in that land which are mentioned in the Word are signified various kinds of evil and also of falsity. Such things were represented by the nations when the sons of Israel came into possession of the land of Canaan, for the reason that, while the sons of Israel represented heavenly things, those nations represented infernal things, and in this way the land of Canaan represented every state of the other life; and because the nations represented infernal things, they were given to the curse, and it was forbidden to enter into a covenant with those which remained.
[2] That the sons of Israel seized and inhabited the land of those who represented the hells was a representative that about the time of the Lord’s coming the infernals would have occupied a large part of heaven; and that by coming into the world and making the Human in Himself Divine the Lord would expel them and cast them down into the hells, and thus deliver heaven from them, and give it for an inheritance to those who would be of His spiritual kingdom.
[3] That by the Amorite nation was represented evil in general, is plain from the passages where it is mentioned, as in Ezekiel:
Jerusalem, thy tradings and thy generations were from the land of the Canaanite; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite (Ezek. 16:3, 45);
as in the internal sense “father” signifies the good of the church, but in the opposite sense evil; and “mother” signifies the truth of the church, but in the opposite sense falsity, therefore it is said “thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite.”
[4] And in Amos:
I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was sturdy as the oak. I led you in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite (Amos 2:9, 10);
here also the “Amorite” denotes evil, for the evil of the love of self is described by the “height of the cedars and the sturdiness of the oak.” That the “Amorite” is evil in general, is because the whole land of Canaan was called “the land of the Amorite;” for it is said, “I led you in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.” Again in the second book of Kings:
Manasseh king of Judah hath done evil above all the evil that the Amorites did, who were before him (2 Kings 21:11).
[5] That “with my sword” signifies by means of truth combating, is evident from the signification of “sword,” as being truth combating (see n. 2799, 4499). And that “with my bow” signifies by means of doctrine, is evident from the signification of “bow,” as being doctrine (n. 2686, 2709).
[6] That the words “the portion which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow” were spoken by Israel on account of the internal sense, is very manifest, because Jacob did not take that portion from the Amorite with his sword nor with his bow, but bought it of the sons of Hamor, as is plain from the words in Genesis:
Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came thither from Paddan-aram; and encamped before the city. And he bought the portion of the field, where he had spread his tent, from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred kesitah (Gen. 33:18, 19).
That this field was the portion which he gave to Joseph, is evident from these words in Joshua:
The bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in the portion of the field which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred kesitah; and they were for an inheritance to the sons of Joseph (Josh. 24:32).
From this it is plain that that portion was bought, and that it was what was given to Joseph.
[7] That the city of Shechem was not meant, which was near there, where Simeon and Levi slew every male, and which they took with the sword (Gen. 34), may be seen from the fact that Jacob abhorred that deed, and on that account cursed Simeon and Levi, and utterly put away from himself that deed, saying:
Let not my soul come into their secret; in their assembly let not my glory be united; for in their anger they slew a man, and in their good pleasure they unstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it was vehement; and their wrath, for it was hard: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel” (Gen. 49:5-7).
From all this it is now evident that these words, “one portion which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow,” were said by him when he was in the prophetic spirit, for the sake of the internal sense.
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6286. Verses 17-20. And Joseph saw that his father put his right hand, upon the head of Ephraim, and it was evil in his eyes; and he laid hold of the hand of his father to remove it from upon Ephraim’s head upon Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know, my son, I know; he also shall be for a people, and he also shall become great; and nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall be the fullness of the nations. And he blessed them in this day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God set thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh; and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
“And Joseph saw that his father put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim,” signifies a perception that he accounted truth as being in the first place; “and it was evil in his eyes,” signifies displeasure; “and he laid hold of the hand of his father,” signifies influx into the power of his obscure perception; “to remove it from upon Ephraim’s head upon Manasseh’s head,” signifies to turn him away from error; “and Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn” signifies perceptible influx with respect to good that it has priority; “put thy right hand upon his head,” signifies that thus it should be in the first place; “and his father refused,” signifies no consent; “and said, I know, my son, I know,” signifies that so it is, but that it appears otherwise; “he also shall be for a people, and he also shall become great,” signifies that truth from good also shall be increased, thus the celestial man; “and nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he,” signifies that good from truth shall receive more increase, thus the spiritual man; “and his seed shall be the fullness of the nations,” signifies that the truth of faith shall reign; “and he blessed them in this day,” signifies foresight and providence eternally; “saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God set thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh,” signifies that his own spiritual may be in the truth of the intellectual and in the good of the will; “and he set Ephraim before Manasseh,” signifies that he accounted truth as being in the first place, because he was spiritual.
6287. And Joseph saw that his father put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim. That this signifies a perception that he accounted truth as being in the first place, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being to understand and perceive (see n. 2150, 2807, 3764, 4567, 4723, 5400); from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal celestial (n. 5869, 5877, 6224); from the representation of Israel, who here is the “father,” as being spiritual good from the natural; from the signification of “putting the right hand on the head,” as being to account in the first place (n. 6269); and from the representation of Ephraim, as being the truth of the intellectual in the natural (n. 6234, 6238, 6267). From this it is plain that by “Joseph saw that his father put his right hand on the head of Ephraim,” is signified a perception of the internal celestial that spiritual good from the natural accounted truth as being in the first place. (See what was said and shown above, n. 6256, 6269, 6272, 6273.)
6288. And it was evil in his eyes. That this signifies displeasure, is evident without explication. The reason why it displeased Joseph was that by him is represented the internal celestial, which is above the spiritual good that is represented by Israel. What is higher can perceive how the case is with what is done in what is lower, thus also whether it is truth that is being thought there, or not. For as what is higher sees from the light of heaven, it sees the things that are below; thus the internal celestial which is “Joseph,” saw that the spiritual good from the natural which is “Israel,” was in error, and therefore it displeased him.
6289. And he laid hold of the hand of his father. That this signifies influx into the power of his obscure perception, is evident from the signification of “laying hold of the hand,” as being influx into the power of perception; for when the internal desires by means of influx to compel the external to think and will something, it as it were takes hold of it, here of the power of perception that is signified by the “hand.” (That the “hand” is power may be seen above, n. 878, 3387, 4931-4937.) That the perception is called obscure, is because relatively to the celestial, who are represented by Joseph, the spiritual, who are represented by Israel, are in obscurity. (That the spiritual are relatively in obscurity, may be seen above, n. 2708, 2715, 2716, 2718, 2831, 2849, 2935, 2937, 3833, 4402.) That the spiritual are in obscurity, is very evident from the fact that before they have been regenerated they are altogether in thick darkness with respect to truth and good, and that while they are being regenerated, it is such truth as is in the doctrine of their church that they acknowledge, and in which truth they have faith, whether it is true or not. Nevertheless it is this truth that becomes good with them when it becomes of the will and thence of the life, and then it is that good which is called the good of truth, and also the good of faith, and likewise spiritual good, or the good of the spiritual church. The quality of the good that is from such an origin may be known to everyone who considers the matter. Nevertheless the good from such truth, even with the Gentiles, is accepted by the Lord, provided it has for a principle or starting point charity toward the neighbor, and that in this charity there is innocence.
6290. To remove it from upon Ephraim’s head upon Manasseh’s head. That this signifies to turn him away from error, is evident from the signification of “removing,” as being to turn away; and from the signification of “from upon Ephraim’s head upon Manasseh’s head,” as being from error; for it was an error for him to account truth as being in the first place and good in the second, as has been shown above.
6291. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn. That this signifies perceptible influx with respect to good, that it has the priority, is evident from the signification of “saying,” when predicated of the internal celestial, which here is “Joseph,” as being influx (see n. 6152); here perceptible influx, because he not only took hold of his hand, but also said, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn.”
6292. Put thy right hand upon his head. That this signifies that thus it should be in the first place, is evident from the signification of “putting the right hand on the head,” as being to account in the first place (see n. 6269, 6287). That when he was blessing, Israel placed his hand on the head, was from a ritual received from the ancients; for in the head are the very intellectual and will of man, but in the body are acts according thereto, and compliance; thus putting the hand on the head was a representative that a blessing was being communicated to the intellectual and the will, thus to the man himself. From that ancient time the same ritual remains even to this day, and is in use in inaugurations, and also in the act of blessing.
6293. And his father refused. That this signifies no consent, is evident without explication.
6294. And said, I know, my son, I know. That this signifies that so it is, but that it appears otherwise, is evident from the signification of “knowing,” as here being to know that it is so, but that it appears otherwise. That spiritual good which is “Israel” now perceived this, was from the influx of the internal celestial, which is “Joseph” (which influx has been treated of above, n. 6289, 6291). When spiritual good is in enlightenment from such an influx, it perceives that it is so, that is, that good is in the prior place, and truth in the posterior, and also that it appears otherwise; but at this time it makes the priority consist in the fact that truth should reign over good (as said below), and for this reason he retains the right hand on the head of the younger son, and the left on the head of the firstborn.
6295. He also shall be for a people, and he also shall become great. That this signifies that truth from good also shall be increased, thus the celestial man, is evident from the signification of “people,” as being truth (see n. 1259, 1260, 3581, 4619); from the signification of “becoming great,” as being to be increased; and from the representation of Manasseh, of whom this is said, as being the good of the will in the natural, born from the internal (see n. 6234, 6238, 6267). That truth from good is of the celestial man, is evident from what has already been frequently said and shown with respect to the celestial man, namely, that the celestial man is one who is in good from the will, and from this in truth; and that he is distinguished from the spiritual man by the fact that the latter is in truth from the intellectual, and from this in good. And because “Manasseh” is the good of the will, therefore by him is represented the celestial man, but the external celestial man, or the man of the external celestial church; for “Manasseh” is the good of the will in the natural, thus in the external man; whereas “Joseph” is the man of the internal celestial church, because he is the good of the will in the rational, thus in the internal man.
[2] In a few words something must be said of the truth of good which is of the celestial man. This truth is indeed called truth, but it is good. With the celestial man there is the good of love to the Lord and the good of love toward the neighbor. The good of love to the Lord is his internal, and the good of love toward the neighbor is his external. Therefore as regards the men who are of the celestial church, those are in the internal of this church who are in love to the Lord, and those are in its external who are in love toward the neighbor. The good of this love, namely, of love toward the neighbor with the celestial man, is what is here called the “truth of good,” and is represented by Manasseh. For the celestial man is such that he does not reason from truth, nor about truth, because he has perception from good (that is, through good from the Lord) that a thing is so or is not so (see n. 202, 337, 2715, 3246, 4448); and yet the good of charity with him is what is called truth, but celestial truth.
6296. And nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he. That this signifies that good from truth shall receive more increase, thus the spiritual man, is evident from the representation of Ephraim, here the “younger brother,” as being the truth of the intellectual in the natural born from the internal (see n. 6234, 6238, 6267), but here “Ephraim” is good from truth (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “becoming greater” than another; as being to receive more increase. That here “Ephraim” is good from truth, is because he represents the man of the spiritual church, but the man of the external spiritual church, as Manasseh represents the man of the external celestial church (n. 6295). Good from truth constitutes this man, that is, the man of the spiritual church. The internal of this church is what is represented by Israel, but the external by Ephraim. The man of the spiritual church differs from the man of the celestial church in this, that the good of the spiritual church is implanted in the intellectual part, but the good of the celestial church in the will part (see n. 863, 875, 895, 927, 928, 1023, 1043, 1044, 2256, 4328, 4493, 5113); therefore Ephraim represents the spiritual man, and Manasseh the celestial.
[2] That good from truth, or the spiritual man, receives more increase than the good from which is truth, or the celestial man, is because the will of man has continually been depraved, and at last so that evil has taken entire possession of it, insomuch that nothing sound (integer) has remained there. Therefore lest man should perish, the Lord provided that he might be regenerated as to the intellectual part, and thus be saved. Hence then it is that there are few with whom there is anything sound left in the will part, thus few who can become celestial men, but many who can become spiritual men; thus that the latter receive more increase than the former. This is what is signified by his “younger brother becoming greater than he.”
6297. And his seed shall be the fullness of the nations. That this signifies that the truth which is of faith shall reign, is evident from the signification of “seed,” as being faith and charity (see n. 1025, 1447, 1610, 1940, 2848, 3187, 3310, 3373, 3671), here faith, because predicated of Ephraim; and from the signification of the “fullness of the nations,” as being abundance, thus that the truth of faith shall reign. “Fullness” in the Word signifies all, and where it does not signify all, it signifies abundant, and is predicated both of truth and of good; for “multitude” is predicated of truth, but “magnitude” of good, thus “fullness of both,” as in Jeremiah:
Behold waters rise up out of the north, which shall become an overflowing stream, and shall overflow the land and the fullness thereof, the city and them that dwell therein (Jer. 47:2);
“the land and the fullness” denote all, both truth and good, that is of the church. For this reason it is added, “the city and them that dwell therein;” for by “city” are signified truths, and by “them that dwell therein,” goods (n. 2268, 2451, 2712).
[2] In Ezekiel:
They shall eat their bread with solicitude, and drink their waters with amazement, that the land thereof may be devastated from its fullness (Ezek. 12:19);
the “land” denotes the church, and the “fullness” the good and truth there. That both are signified is evident from what precedes, that “they should eat bread with solicitude, and drink waters with amazement;” for by “bread” is signified the good of love, and by “waters” the truth of faith, which are called the “fullness of the earth.”
[3] In like manner in Amos:
The pride of Jacob, and his palaces, I hate, therefore will I shut up the city and the fullness thereof (Amos 6:8).
In David:
The heavens are Thine, the earth also is Thine; the world and the fullness thereof Thou hast founded (Ps. 89:11).
The earth is Jehovah’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For He hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the streams (Ps. 24:1, 2);
where also the “fullness” denotes truth and good; the “earth,” the church in a specific, and the “world,” the church in a universal sense. That “Jehovah founded the world upon the seas” denotes upon the things that are of memory-knowledge (n. 28); and that “He established it upon the streams” denotes upon the things that are of intelligence (n. 3051). Who cannot see that it is not meant that Jehovah founded the world upon the seas, and established it upon the streams, for the world is not founded and established thereon; and therefore he who reflects can see that by “seas” and by “streams” something else is signified, and that this something else is the spiritual or internal of the Word.
6298. And he blessed them in this day. That this signifies foresight and providence eternally, is evident from the signification of “blessing,” as being prediction (see n. 6230, 6254), but in the supreme sense the Lord’s foresight; and because foresight, it is also Providence, for the one is impossible without the other; for evil is foreseen and good is provided, and the evil which is foreseen is by providence bent into good. That here “to bless” denotes foresight and providence, is because Israel, who here blesses, in the supreme sense is the Lord (n. 4286). That eternally is meant, is evident from the signification of “this day,” or “today,” as being what is eternal (n. 2838, 3998, 4304, 6165).
6299. Saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God set thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh. That this signifies that his own spiritual may be in the truth of the intellectual and the good of the will, is evident from the representation of Israel, as being spiritual good (see n. 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833); and from the representation of Ephraim, as being the truth of the intellectual, and of Manasseh, as being the good of the will (of which above). That the spiritual, which is “Israel,” may be in them, is signified by the words, “in thee shall Israel bless, and God set thee.”
[2] As regards the spiritual represented by Israel being in the truth of the intellectual and the good of the will, which are “Ephraim and Manasseh,” the case is this. The spiritual good which is represented by Israel is the spiritual of the internal church; whereas the truth and good represented by Ephraim and Manasseh are of the external church (see n. 6296). In order for an internal to be an internal of the church, it must needs be in the external of the church, for the external holds the place of the foundation on which the internal stands, and is the receptacle into which the internal flows. Hence it is that the natural, which is external, must needs be regenerated; for unless it is regenerated, the internal has neither foundation nor receptacle; and if it has no foundation nor receptacle, it utterly perishes. This then is what is meant by his own spiritual being in the truth of the intellectual and the good of the will.
[3] As an illustration of this matter take this example. The very affection of charity which a man feels within himself as a quietude and bliss in benefiting the neighbor without regard to any recompense, is the internal of the church; but to will this good and to do it from truth, that is, because it has been so commanded in the Word, is the external of the church. If the natural, which is the external, is not in agreement, that is, does not will nor do this good, because it sees in it no recompense, thus nothing of self (for in the natural or external man there is such a disposition both from what is hereditary and from what is actual), then the internal has no foundation, nor corresponding receptacle, except such as either rejects, or perverts, or extinguishes the influx; and therefore the internal perishes, that is, is closed and stopped up, so that nothing from heaven can pass into the natural through the internal, except some light of a general nature that passes through the chinks everywhere round about, in order that there may be a faculty of thinking, of willing, and of speaking, but according to that which is in the natural, thus in favor of evil and falsity against good and truth, to which purpose it makes subservient that amount of spiritual light which in a general manner flows in through the chinks everywhere round about.
6300. And he set Ephraim before Manasseh. That this signifies that he accounted truth as being in the first place, because he was spiritual, is evident from what has been unfolded above (verses 13, 14, 17-19).
6301. Verses 21, 22. And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die; and God shall be with you, and shall bring you back unto the land of your fathers. And I give thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow. “And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die,” signifies the perception of spiritual good from the internal celestial about new life, and about the end of the representation; “and God shall be with you” signifies the Divine providence of the Lord; “and shall bring you back unto the land of your fathers,” signifies to the state of both Ancient Churches; “and I give thee one portion above thy brethren,” signifies that the truth of the intellectual and the good of the will would have more there; “which I took out of the hand of the Amorite,” signifies by victory over evil; “with my sword,” signifies by means of truth combating; “and with my bow,” signifies from doctrine.
6302. And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die. That this signifies the perception of spiritual good from the internal celestial about new life, and about the end of the representation, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being perception (see n. 6220); from the representation of Israel, as being spiritual good (of which also above, n. 6225); from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal celestial (n. 5869, 5877); and from the signification of “dying,” as being resurrection into life (n. 3498, 3505, 4618, 4621, 6036, 6221), and also as being the end of the former representation (n. 3253, 3259, 3276); which end is also here signified by “dying.” For when one dies who had represented anything of the church, another succeeds who continues the representation in its order. Thus after Abraham died, the representative was continued in its order in Isaac, and afterward in Jacob, and after him in his sons; and so when Moses died, the representative succeeded in Joshua, and afterward in the judges in order, even to the kings, and so on.
6303. And God shall be with you. That this signifies the Divine providence of the Lord, is evident from the signification of “God shall be with you,” as being the Divine providence of the Lord; for when the Lord is with anyone, He leads him, and provides that all things which happen, whether sad or joyful, befall him for good: this is the Divine providence. The reason why it is called the providence “of the Lord” is that it is said, “God shall be with you,” and by “God” and by “Jehovah” in the Word is meant the Lord, for there is no other God besides Him; for He is the very Father and He is the very Son, for they are one; the Father is in Him, and He in the Father, as He Himself teaches in John 14:9-11 (see n. 1343, 1736, 2921, 3035, 5663).
6304. And shall bring you back unto the land of your fathers. That this signifies to the state of both Ancient Churches, is evident from the signification of “land,” as being the church (see n. 566, 662, 1066, 1067, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4535, 4447, 5577); and from the signification of “fathers,” as being the men of the Ancient and Most Ancient Churches (n. 6075). It is said “to the state of both Ancient Churches,” because the sons of Israel and their descendants, like those who belonged to the Ancient Churches, in every particular represented the Lord’s kingdom, celestial and spiritual. The representative itself was also instituted; with the Jewish nation that of the celestial kingdom, and with the Israelitish that of the spiritual kingdom; but with that generation nothing but a mere representative could be instituted, and not anything of the church or kingdom of the Lord; for they desired to see and acknowledge in the representatives absolutely nothing but what was external, and not anything internal. Nevertheless in order that there might exist a representative, and thereby some communication with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord, they were kept in externals; and it was then provided by the Lord that communication should exist by means of a mere external representative without an internal. This was the state to which the descendants of Jacob could be brought back; nevertheless in their external representatives there lay inwardly hidden Divine things; in the highest sense such as regarded the Lord’s Divine Human; and in the relative sense such as regarded the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens, and the church. This state of both Ancient Churches is signified by the words, “God shall bring you back unto the land of your fathers.”
6305. And I give thee one portion above thy brethren. That this signifies that the truth of the intellectual and the good of the will should have more there, is evident from the representation of Ephraim and Manasseh, who here are “Joseph” (as above, n. 6275), as being the truth of the intellectual and the good of the will (of which often above); and from the signification of “giving one portion above the brethren,” as being to have more there, namely, in the church, which is signified by “land” (see n. 6304). The reason why the good of the will and the truth of the intellectual would have more there, is that these are the two essentials of the church; and therefore the birthright also was given to the sons of Joseph (1 Chron. 5:1).
6306. Which I took out of the hand of the Amorite. That this signifies by victory over evil, is evident from the representation of the Amorite, as being evil (see n. 1857); and from the signification of “taking out of the hand,” as being to acquire through victory. As regards the Amorites, be it known that by them is signified evil, and also by the Canaanites; and by the rest of the nations in that land which are mentioned in the Word are signified various kinds of evil and also of falsity. Such things were represented by the nations when the sons of Israel came into possession of the land of Canaan, for the reason that, while the sons of Israel represented heavenly things, those nations represented infernal things, and in this way the land of Canaan represented every state of the other life; and because the nations represented infernal things, they were given to the curse, and it was forbidden to enter into a covenant with those which remained.
[2] That the sons of Israel seized and inhabited the land of those who represented the hells was a representative that about the time of the Lord’s coming the infernals would have occupied a large part of heaven; and that by coming into the world and making the Human in Himself Divine the Lord would expel them and cast them down into the hells, and thus deliver heaven from them, and give it for an inheritance to those who would be of His spiritual kingdom.
[3] That by the Amorite nation was represented evil in general, is plain from the passages where it is mentioned, as in Ezekiel:
Jerusalem, thy tradings and thy generations were from the land of the Canaanite; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite (Ezek. 16:3, 45);
as in the internal sense “father” signifies the good of the church, but in the opposite sense evil; and “mother” signifies the truth of the church, but in the opposite sense falsity, therefore it is said “thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite.”
[4] And in Amos:
I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was sturdy as the oak. I led you in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite (Amos 2:9, 10);
here also the “Amorite” denotes evil, for the evil of the love of self is described by the “height of the cedars and the sturdiness of the oak.” That the “Amorite” is evil in general, is because the whole land of Canaan was called “the land of the Amorite;” for it is said, “I led you in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.” Again in the second book of Kings:
Manasseh king of Judah hath done evil above all the evil that the Amorites did, who were before him (2 Kings 21:11).
[5] That “with my sword” signifies by means of truth combating, is evident from the signification of “sword,” as being truth combating (see n. 2799, 4499). And that “with my bow” signifies by means of doctrine, is evident from the signification of “bow,” as being doctrine (n. 2686, 2709).
[6] That the words “the portion which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow” were spoken by Israel on account of the internal sense, is very manifest, because Jacob did not take that portion from the Amorite with his sword nor with his bow, but bought it of the sons of Hamor, as is plain from the words in Genesis:
Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came thither from Paddan-aram; and encamped before the city. And he bought the portion of the field, where he had spread his tent, from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred kesitah (Gen. 33:18, 19).
That this field was the portion which he gave to Joseph, is evident from these words in Joshua:
The bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in the portion of the field which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred kesitah; and they were for an inheritance to the sons of Joseph (Josh. 24:32).
From this it is plain that that portion was bought, and that it was what was given to Joseph.
[7] That the city of Shechem was not meant, which was near there, where Simeon and Levi slew every male, and which they took with the sword (Gen. 34), may be seen from the fact that Jacob abhorred that deed, and on that account cursed Simeon and Levi, and utterly put away from himself that deed, saying:
Let not my soul come into their secret; in their assembly let not my glory be united; for in their anger they slew a man, and in their good pleasure they unstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it was vehement; and their wrath, for it was hard: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel” (Gen. 49:5-7).
From all this it is now evident that these words, “one portion which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow,” were said by him when he was in the prophetic spirit, for the sake of the internal sense.