Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 50:1-3
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AC 6498. Verses 1-3. And Joseph fell upon the faces of his father, and wept upon him, and kissed him. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel. And forty days were fulfilled for him, for so are fulfilled the days of the embalmed; and the Egyptians wept for him seventy days. "And Joseph fell upon the faces of his father," signifies the influx of the internal into the affection of good; "and wept upon him," signifies sorrow; "and kissed him," signifies the first conjunction; "and Joseph commanded his servants the physicians," signifies preservation from the evils which hindered; "to embalm his father," signifies lest it should be infected with any contagion; "and the physicians embalmed Israel," signifies what was done for the preservation of the good which is from truth; "and forty days were fulfilled for him," signifies states of preparation by means of temptations; "for so are fulfilled the days of the embalmed," signifies that these are states of preservation; "and the Egyptians wept for him," signifies the sadness of the memory-knowledges of the church; "seventy days," signifies a full state.

AC 6499. And Joseph fell upon the faces of his father. That this signifies the influx of the internal into the affection of good, is evident from the signification of "falling upon the faces" of anyone, as being influx; from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal (n. 5805, 5826, 5827, 5869, 5877, 6177, 6224); from the signification of the "face," as being affection (n. 4796, 4797, 5102); and from the representation of Israel, who is here the "father," as being spiritual good, or the good of truth (n. 3654, 4598, 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833). Hence it is evident that by "Joseph fell upon the faces of his father" is signified the influx of the internal into the affection of spiritual good. That the influx of the internal into the affection of spiritual good is signified, is because in the internal sense the subject treated of is the spiritual church, that it was instituted by the Lord; for by "Israel" is signified the good of truth, or spiritual good, and this good makes the spiritual church, wherefore also by "Israel" this church is signified (n. 4286, 6426). In order that this good may come into existence, there must be influx from the internal celestial, which is represented by Joseph; for without influx from this, spiritual good is not good, because it is of no affection. In what follows in the internal sense the institution of this church is continued (n. 6497). That this church is described by Israel now dead and presently to be buried, is because in the internal sense by "death" is not signified death, nor by "burial" burial, but by "death" is signified new life (n. 3498, 3505, 4618, 4621, 6036), and by "burial" regeneration (n. 2916, 2917, 5551).

AC 6500. And wept upon him. That this signifies sorrow, is evident without explication. By the sorrow here signified by "weeping" is not meant in the internal sense sorrow for death as it is in the external, but for the good of the spiritual church, that it cannot be elevated above what is natural; for the Lord flowing in through the internal continually wills to perfect this good, and to draw it toward Himself, but still it cannot be elevated to the first degree of the good that belongs to the celestial church. For the man of the spiritual church is comparatively in obscurity, and reasons about truths as to whether they are truths, or confirms what is called doctrine, and this without perception whether what he confirms is true or not; and when he has confirmed it with himself, he fully believes that it is true, even though it is false; for there is nothing that cannot be confirmed, this being the work of ingenuity, not of intelligence, still less of wisdom; and what is false may be confirmed more readily than what is true, because it favors the cupidities, and agrees with the fallacies of the senses. Such being the nature of the man of the spiritual church, he cannot possibly be elevated above what is natural; and this is the source of the sorrow which is signified by "Joseph wept upon him."

AC 6501. And kissed him. That this signifies the first conjunction, is evident from the signification of "kissing," as being conjunction from affection (n. 3573, 3574, 4215, 4353, 5929, 6260); in this case the first conjunction, because a closer conjunction is treated of in what follows.

AC 6502. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians. That this signifies preservation from the evils which hindered conjunction, is evident from the signification of" commanding," as being to flow in (n. 5732); from the representation of Joseph, as being the internal, of which above (n. 6499); and from the signification of the "physicians," as being preservation from evils. That it denotes from the evils which hindered conjunction (n. 6501), is apparent from the connection. Hence it is evident that by "Joseph commanded his servants the physicians" is signified influx from the internal with respect to preservation from the evils which hindered conjunction. That "physicians" signify preservation from evils is because in the spiritual world diseases are evils and falsities, spiritual diseases being nothing else; for evils and falsities take away health from the internal man, and induce sicknesses on the mind, and at last pains; nor is anything else signified in the Word by "diseases."

[2] That "physicians," the "medical art," and "medicines" in the Word signify preservations from evils and falsities, is evident from the passages where they are named; as in Moses:--

"Jehovah the Physician" denotes the preserver from evils, for these are signified by the "diseases put upon the Egyptians." That the "diseases put upon the Egyptians" signify evils and falsities originating in reasonings from memory-knowledges and fallacies concerning the arcana of faith, will of the Lord‘s Divine mercy be shown when these diseases are treated of; that spiritual things are signified, is evident from the fact that it is said "if they would hear the voice of God, would do good, would give ear to the commandments, and would keep the statutes, then these diseases should not be upon them."

[3] In the same sense also the Lord calls Himself a "physician" in Luke:--

here also a "physician" denotes a preserver from evils, for by the "whole" are meant the righteous, and by the "sick," sinners. In Jeremiah:--

a "physician" denotes preservation from falsities in the church, for the "health of the daughter of My people" denotes the truth of doctrine there.

[4] That "healings," "cures," "remedies," and "medicines" are not spoken of in the Word in a natural but in a spiritual sense, is plain in Jeremiah:--

Again:--

Again:--

Again:--

[5] In Ezekiel:--

the subject here treated of in the prophet is the new house of God, or the new temple, by which is signified a new church, and in an interior sense the Lord’s spiritual kingdom; and therefore the "river upon whose bank cometh up every tree of food" signifies things that belong to intelligence and wisdom (n. 108, 109, 2702, 3051); "trees" signify the perceptions and knowledges of good and truth (n. 103, 2163, 2682, 2722, 2972, 4552); "food," the goods and truths themselves (n. 680, 4459, 5147, 5293, 5576, 5915) "waters going forth from the sanctuary," the truths which make intelligence (n. 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668); the "sanctuary," celestial love, in the supreme sense the Divine Human of the Lord, from whom is this love; the "fruits which are for food," the goods of love (n. 913, 983, 2846, 2847, 3146); the "leaf which is for medicine," the truth of faith (n. 885). From this it is plain what "medicine" signifies, namely, that which preserves from falsities and evils; for when the truth of faith leads to the good of life, it preserves, because it withdraws from evils.

AC 6503. To embalm his father. That this signifies lest it should be infected with any contagion, is evident from the signification of "embalming," as being a means of preserving from contagion; and from the representation of Israel, as being the good of the spiritual church (n. 6499). Hence it is evident that by "embalming his father" is signified a means of preservation lest the good that belongs to the spiritual church should be infected with any contagion. The reason why "to embalm" signifies a means of preservation from contagion, is that the purpose of embalming bodies was to preserve them from putrefying. The means of the preservation of spiritual good from contagion is treated of in what now follows.

AC 6504. And the physicians embalmed Israel. That this signifies what was done for the preservation of the good which is from truth, is evident from the signification of "embalming," as being a means of preservation from contagion (n. 6503), here what was done for preservation, because it is said "they embalmed;" from the signification of "physicians," as being preservation from evils (n. 6502); and from the representation of Israel, as being spiritual good, which is the same as the good which is from truth (n. 6499).

AC 6505. And forty days were fulfilled for him. That this signifies states of preparation by means of temptations, is evident from the signification of the number "forty," as being temptations (n. 730, 862, 2272, 2273); and from the signification of "days," as being states (n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850). That they are states of preparation is signified by these "days being fulfilled for him;" for by fulfilling these days preparation was made that the bodies might be preserved from putrefying, in the spiritual sense that souls might be preserved from the contagion of evil. That by means of temptations evils and falsities are removed, and that man is thereby prepared to receive truths and goods, (n. 868, 1692, 1717, 1740, 2272, 3318, 4341, 4572, 5036, 5356, 6144).

AC 6506. For so are fulfilled the days of the embalmed. That this signifies that these are states of preservation, is evident from the signification of "days," as being states (n. 6505); and from the signification of "being embalmed," as being a means of preservation (n. 6503).

AC 6507. And the Egyptians wept for him. That this signifies the sadness of the memory-knowledges of the church, is evident from the signification of "weeping," as being the height of sadness, and a representative of internal mourning (n. 3801, 4786); and from the representation of the Egyptians, as being the memory-knowledges of the church (n. 4749, 4964, 4966). The sadness of the memory-knowledges of the church, which is signified by the "Egyptians weeping for Israel," does not mean sadness on account of his death, for this is the sense of the letter; but their sadness here means sadness because the good of the church, which is represented by Israel, had left the memory-knowledges, which are the externals of the church, when it ascended from them to the internal of the church, which is the good of truth; for in this case it no longer regards memory-knowledges as being with itself, as before, but beneath itself. For when the truth of the spiritual church becomes good, a revolution takes place, and the man no longer looks at truths from truths, but from good, which revolution has already been several times described. From this comes the sadness, and it also comes from the fact that a different order is effected among the memory-knowledges, which is not effected without pain.

AC 6508. Seventy days. That this signifies a full state, is evident from the signification of "seventy;" for this number involves the like as "seven," and "seven" signifies an entire period from beginning to end, thus a full state (n. 728, 2044, 3845). Numbers in the Word signify things, (n. 1963, 1988, 2075, 2252, 3252, 4264, 4495, 4670, 5265, 6175); and numbers multiplied signify the like with the simple numbers from which they are compounded, (n. 5291, 5335, 5708); thus "seventy" the like with "seven."

[2] That "seventy" denotes an entire period, thus a full state, is evident also from the following passages:--

"Tyre" denotes the knowledges of good and truth of the church (n. 1201), which should be forgotten; "seventy years," an entire period from beginning to end; "according to the days of one king," the state of truth within the church, for "days" denote states (n. 6505), and "king," truth (n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 5044, 5068, 6148). Everyone who considers the matter can see that by "Tyre" in this passage is not meant Tyre, and that without the internal sense it cannot be apprehended what is meant by "Tyre being forgotten seventy years," nor what is meant by this being "according to the days of one king;" and so on.

[3] And in Jeremiah:--

"seventy years" denote a full state of desolation and devastation, and this was signified by the captivity of seventy years which the Jewish people endured.

[4] In Daniel:--

where "seventy" manifestly denotes a full state, thus an entire period, before the Lord was to come; whence it is said of Him, that He came "in the fulness of time." That "seventy weeks" denotes a full state, is plain from the particulars in this verse, namely, that so many weeks were "decreed to consummate the transgression," also to "expiate iniquity," and to "bring in the righteousness of the ages," to "seal up vision and prophet," to "anoint the holy of holies," each particular involving fulness. The like is involved in what follows in the same chapter:--

where "seven" denotes a full state. "Seven" as well as "seventy" signifies a full state. "Jerusalem" in this passage manifestly denotes a new church, for Jerusalem was not then built, but was destroyed.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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