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<< Genesis 45: Jacob and his Family in Egypt >>
 WE must look again at the map and see the way by which Jacob and all his family came from Canaan into Egypt. Many were walking, leading the flocks and driving herds of cattle. The feeble ones and little children were riding in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent.
They left their home in Hebron, and stopped in passing at Beersheba in the South Country. When they came to the strip of green which reached from the meadows of the Nile towards the east, they were in the rich pastures of Egypt. And Pharaoh commanded that this very district should be their home, where there was such good pasture for their flocks and herds.
You cannot fix the boundaries of the land of Goshen exactly, but it was on the eastern border of the rich meadow land. You ride through it to-day if you go by the railroad from Cairo to Ismailia on the Suez Canal. "The land of Barneses" was another name which included Goshen and probably more.
And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him: His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt. ...
And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive. And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have. And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen. And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.They said morever unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen. And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee: The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle. And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou? And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh. And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families. And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen;and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years. And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt: But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said. And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head. ---Genesis XLVI. 1-7, 28-34; XLVII. 1-12, 27-31.
Author: William L. Worcester 1904
Spiritual Correspondences
Spiritual Meaning
GENESIS XLVI
1. And Israel journeyed, and all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and sacrificed sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
"And Israel journeyed, and all that he had," signifies the beginning of conjunction; "and came to Beersheba," signifies charity and faith; "and sacrificed sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac," signifies worship therefrom, and influx from the Divine intellectual.
2-4. And God said to Israel in the visions of the night, and He said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Behold me. And He said, I am God, the God of thy father; fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will there make of thee a great nation. I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will cause thee to go up, even in going up; and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.
"And God said to Israel in the visions of the night," signifies obscure revelation; "and He said, Jacob, Jacob," signifies to natural truth; "and he said, Behold me," signifies notice; "and he said, I am God, the God of thy father," signifies the Divine intellectual from which is the influx; "fear not to go down into Egypt," signifies that natural truth with all things appertaining to it must be initiated into the memory-knowledges of the church; "for I will there make of thee a great nation," signifies that truths shall become good; "I will go down with thee into Egypt," signifies the presence of the Lord in that state; "and I will cause thee to go up, even in going up," signifies elevation afterward; "and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes," signifies that the internal celestial shall vivify.
5-7. And Jacob rose up from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their babes, and their women, in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. And they took their cattle, and their acquisition which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him: his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed, brought he with him into Egypt.
"And Jacob rose up," signifies the enlightening of natural truth; "from Beersheba," signifies from the doctrine of charity and faith; "and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father," signifies that truths which are spiritual caused natural truth to advance; "and their babes," signifies together with those things which are of innocence; "and their women," signifies and those things which are of charity; "in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him," signifies doctrinals from the memory-knowledges of the church; "and they took their cattle," signifies the goods of truth; "and their acquisition which they had acquired in the land of Canaan," signifies truths procured from prior truths which are of the church; "and came into Egypt," signifies initiation into the memory-knowledges of the church; "Jacob, and all his seed with him," signifies of natural truth and of all things of faith appertaining thereto; "his sons, and his sons' sons with him," signifies truths in order; "his daughters, and his sons' daughters," signifies goods in order; "and all his seed" signifies everything of faith and of charity; "brought he with him into Egypt," signifies that they were brought into the memory-knowledges which are of the church.
28-30. And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to show before him unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. And Joseph harnessed his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen; and he was seen of him, and fell upon his necks, and wept upon his necks a long while. And Israel said unto Joseph, Let me die this time, after that I have seen thy faces, that thou art yet alive.
"And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph," signifies the communication of the good of the church with the internal celestial; "to show before him unto Goshen," signifies with respect to the midst in the natural; "and they came into the land of Goshen," signifies the residence of life there; "and Joseph harnessed his chariot," signifies doctrine from the internal; "and went up to meet Israel his father," signifies influx; "to Goshen," signifies into the midst in the natural; "and he was seen of him," signifies perception; "and fell upon his necks," signifies conjunction; "and wept upon his necks a long while," signifies mercy; "and Israel said unto Joseph," signifies the perception of spiritual good; "Let me die this time," signifies new life; "after that I have seen thy faces," signifies after the noticing of mercy; "that thou art yet alive," signifies the noticing of the consequent life in himself.
31-34. And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, I will go up, and will tell Pharaoh, and will say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; and the men are shepherds of the flock, for they are men of cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have. And it may be that Pharaoh will call you, and will say, What are your works? And ye shall say, Thy servants have been men of cattle from their youth even until now, both we, and our fathers; in order that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd of the flock is an abomination of the Egyptians.
"And Joseph said unto his brethren," signifies the perception of truths in the natural; "and unto his father's house" signifies of goods there; "I will go up and will tell Pharaoh" signifies communication with the natural where are the memory-knowledges of the church; "and will say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me," signifies in respect to the truths and the goods of the church, that they are to be initiated; "and the men are shepherds of the flock," signifies that they lead to good; "for they are men of cattle," signifies that they have good from truths; "and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have," signifies that good interior and exterior, and whatever is thence, is present; "and it may be that Pharaoh will call you," signifies if the natural in which are the memory-knowledges of the church wills to be conjoined; "and will say, What are your works?" signifies and to know your goods; "and ye shall say, Thy servants have been men of cattle from their youth even until now," signifies that from the beginning and as yet they have truths from which is good; "both we, and our fathers" signifies that it was so from the first goods; "in order that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen," signifies so shall your residence be in the midst of the natural where are the memory-knowledges of the church; "for every shepherd of the flock is an abomination of the Egyptians," signifies separation thus from perverted memory-knowledges which are opposed to the memory-knowledges of the church.
GENESIS XLVII
1. And Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold they are in the land of Goshen.
"And Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said," signifies the presence of the internal celestial in the natural where memory-knowledges are, and the consequent influx and perception; "My father and my brethren," signifies spiritual good in the natural and the truths of the church there; "and their flocks, and their herds," signifies the interior and exterior goods of truth; "and all that they have," signifies whatever is thence derived; "have come out of the land of Canaan," signifies that they are from the church; "and behold they are in the land of Goshen," signifies that they are in the midst of the natural where are memory-knowledges.
2-6. And from among his brethren he took five men, and set them before Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What are your works? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are a shepherd of the flock, both we and our fathers. And they said unto Pharaoh, To sojourn in the land have we come; for there is no pasture for thy servants' flock; for the famine is grievous in the land of Canaan; and now I pray let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren have come unto thee; the land of Egypt before thee is it; in the best of the land make thy father and thy brethren dwell; let them dwell in the land of Goshen; and if thou knowest, and there be among them, men of activity, then set them as princes over my cattle.
"And from among his brethren he took five men," signifies from the truths of the church some; "and set them before Pharaoh," signifies insinuation into memory-knowledges; "and Pharaoh said unto his brethren," signifies a perception about the truths of the church in the natural; "What are your works?" signifies about services and uses; "and they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are a shepherd of the flock," signifies that they lead to good; "both we and our fathers," signifies that this is so from the ancients; "and they said unto Pharaoh," signifies continuance of perception; "To sojourn in the land have we come," signifies to seek life in memory-knowledges; "for there is no pasture for thy servants' flock," signifies that memory-knowledges are wanting in which are goods of truth; "for the famine is grievous in the land of Canaan," signifies that there is a lack of such things in the church; "and now I pray let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen," signifies that they may live in the midst of them; "and Pharaoh said unto Joseph, saying," signifies perception in the natural where memory-knowledges are; "Thy father and thy brethren have come unto thee," signifies with respect to the influx of the internal celestial into spiritual good from the natural, and into the truths of the church there; "the land of Egypt before thee is it," signifies that the memory-knowledges of the natural mind are under the auspices of the internal celestial; "in the best of the land make thy father and thy brethren dwell," signifies that they should live in the inmost of these; "let them dwell in the land of Goshen," signifies where is the midst; "and if thou knowest, and there be among them, men of activity," signifies the more excellent things in doctrine; "then set them as princes over my cattle," signifies that they may be the primary things of memory-knowledges.
7-10. And Joseph brought Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How many are the days of the years of thy life? And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my sojournings are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojournings. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
"And Joseph brought Jacob his father," signifies the presence of general truth from the internal; "and set him before Pharaoh," signifies insinuation into what is general of memory-knowledges; "and Jacob blessed Pharaoh," signifies a devout wish for conjunction, and the consequent fructification; "and Pharaoh said unto Jacob," signifies perception in the natural where memory-knowledges are, concerning the general truth of the church; "How many are the days of the years of thy life?" signifies concerning the state of life of the natural from the spiritual; "and Jacob said unto Pharaoh," signifies the answer; "The days of the years of my sojournings," signifies concerning what is successive of life; "are a hundred and thirty years," signifies the state and quality; "few and evil have been the days of the years of my life," signifies that the state of life of the natural has been full of temptations; "and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers," signifies that it has not been uplifted to the state of life of those who were before; "in the days of their sojournings," signifies in respect to the state of their life; "and Jacob blessed Pharaoh," signifies as before, a devout wish for conjunction and the consequent fructification; "and he went out from before Pharaoh," signifies separation in respect to time.
11, 12. And Joseph made his father and his brethren dwell, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph sustained his father, and his brethren, and all his father's house, with bread, according to the mouth of the babe.
"And Joseph made his father and his brethren dwell," signifies the life of spiritual good and of the truths of the church from the internal celestial; "and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land," signifies in the inmost of the natural mind where memory-knowledges are; "in the land of Rameses," signifies the inmost of the mind and its quality; "as Pharaoh had commanded," signifies with the consent of the natural where memory-knowledges are; "and Joseph sustained his father, and his brethren, and all his father's house, with bread," signifies that from the internal celestial there was a continuous influx of good into spiritual good and the truths of the church in the natural, whence was their life; "according to the mouth of the babe," signifies each according to the quality of the good of innocence.
27-31. And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they had a possession therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; and the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were seven years, and a hundred and forty years. And the days of Israel drew near to die; and he called his son Joseph, and said to him, If I pray I have found grace in thine eyes, put I pray thy hand under my thigh, and do mercy and truth with me; bury me not I pray in Egypt; and I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their sepulcher. And he said, I will do according to thy word. And he said, Swear to me; and he sware to him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.
"And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt," signifies that spiritual good lived among the memory-knowledges which are of the church; "in the land of Goshen," signifies in the midst of them; "and they had a possession therein," signifies given and set in order in this way by the internal; "and were fruitful and multiplied exceedingly," signifies the derivative goods of charity and truths of faith; "and Jacob lived in the land of Egypt," signifies that the truth of the natural was in memory-knowledges; "seventeen years," signifies the state therein; "and the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were seven years, and a hundred and forty years," signifies the general state and its quality; "and the days of Israel drew near to die," signifies the state immediately before regeneration; "and he called his son Joseph," signifies the presence of the internal; "and said to him, If I pray I have found grace in thine eyes," signifies longing; "put I pray thy hand under my thigh," signifies a sacred binding; "and do mercy and truth with me," signifies humiliation; "bury me not I pray in Egypt," signifies regeneration not in memory-knowledges; "and I will lie with my fathers," signifies life such as the ancients had; "and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt," signifies that there may be elevation out of memory-knowledges; "and bury me in their sepulcher," signifies such regeneration; "and he said, I will do according to thy word," signifies that so it shall be done of providence by the Divine; "and he said, Swear to me," signifies that it may be irrevocable; "and he sware to him," signifies that it was irrevocable; "and Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head," signifies that he turned to those things which are of the interior natural. [AC 5995-6188]
Author: Emanuel Swedenborg
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