Arcana Coelestia volume 7 - Swedenborg Foundation

ARCANA COELESTIA 3573When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son outof Egypt (Hos. 11:1);that these words were spoken of the Lord can be seen in Matthew2:15.4965. And Potiphar bought him, Pharaoh’s chamberlain. That thissignifies that it was among the interior things of memoryknowledgesis evident from the signification of “Pharaoh’schamberlain” as being the interior things of memory-knowledges(see n. 4789); his “buying” signifies that he ascribed these things tohimself (n. 4397, 4487). The interior things of memoryknowledgesare those which approach more nearly to spiritualthings, and are applications of memory-knowledges to heavenlythings; for these are what the internal man sees, when the externalonly sees the memory-knowledges in the outward form.4966. Prince of the guards. That this signifies those which areprimary for interpretation is evident from the signification of“prince of the guards,” as being things primary for interpretation(n. 4790): things primary for interpretation are those whichprimarily conduce to the interpretation of the Word, and thus tothe understanding of the doctrinal things of love to God and ofcharity toward the neighbor, which are from the Word. Be itknown that the memory-knowledges of the ancients werealtogether different from those of the present day. As before saidthe memory-knowledges of the ancients treated of thecorrespondence of things in the natural world with things in thespiritual world. The memory-knowledges which are now calledphilosophy, such as that of Aristotle and others like him, wereunknown to them. This is evident also from the books of theancient writers, most of which were written in language thatsignified, represented, and corresponded to interior things, as isevident from the following instances, not to mention others.[2] They located Helicon on a mountain, and by it they meantheaven; they gave to Parnassus a place below on a hill, by whichthey meant memory-knowledges, where they said that a flying