5467. Verses 21-24. And they said a man to his brother, We are surely guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come unto us. And Reuben answered them, saying, Spoke I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hearken? And moreover behold his blood is searched for. And they knew not that Joseph heard them; for there was an interpreter between them. And he turned about from upon them and wept; and he returned to them, and spoke unto them, and took Simeon from them, and bound him before their eyes. "And they said a man to his brother," signifies perception concerning the cause; "We are surely guilty concerning our brother," signifies that they are to blame because they have alienated the internal by non-reception of good; "in that we saw the distress of his soul," signifies the state of the internal in regard to good when it was alienated; "when he besought us, and we would not hear," signifies its continual entreaty without reception; "and Reuben answered them, saying," signifies perception still from faith in doctrine and in the understanding; "Spoke I not unto you, saying," signifies the degree of perception thence; "Do not sin against the child," signifies that they should not be disjoined; "and ye would not hearken," signifies non-reception; "and moreover behold his blood is searched for," signifies the stings of conscience thence; "and they knew not that Joseph heard them," signifies that from the natural light in which those truths are, it is not believed that all things appear from spiritual light; "for there was an interpreter between them," signifies that then spiritual things are apprehended quite differently; "and he turned about from upon them," signifies somewhat of drawing back; "and wept," signifies mercy; "and he returned to them, and spoke to them," signifies influx; "and took Simeon from them," signifies faith in the will; "and bound him," signifies separation; "before their eyes," signifies to the perception.
