5259.“法老告诉约瑟”表由属世层来表达，但属于属灵层的属天层的思维。这从前面所述（5251节）清楚可知，那里有同样的话，只是在那里，经上说的是“法老对约瑟说”，而此处经上说“法老告诉约瑟”；因为“说”（saying）表示觉知，而“告诉”（speaking）表示思维（参看2271，2287，2619节）。“法老告诉约瑟”之所以表示由属世层来表达，但属于属灵层的属天层的思维，而不是反过来，是因为当思维在外层事物中运转时，这种思维的源头其实并不在那里，而是在内层事物中；或也可说，当思维在低层事物中运转时，其源头无非是高层事物。即便如此，当属于内层事物或高层事物的思维在外层事物或低层事物中运转时，外层或低层本身看上去似乎是在它里面运转的思维的源头。然而，这是一个错觉。这就像一个人看见镜子里的某个物体，却不知道有一面镜子在那里，反以为物体就在它如此出现的地方；而事实上，它并不在那里。
由于属灵层的属天层是内层或高层，而属世层是外层或低层，所以“法老告诉约瑟”在内义上表示由属世层来表达，但属于属灵层的属天层的思维。简言之，在下面的事物凭自己什么也做不了，它所拥有的能力皆来自高层事物；由此明显可知，一切事物皆来自至高者，也就是神性；或也可说，至高者，即神性是一切事物的源头。因此，从人的理解力发出的思维，以及从他的意愿发出的活动，其源头就是至高者，或神性。然而，他思想谬念、行为邪恶是由于他烙印在自己身上的形式；他思想正念、行为良善则由于他从主所接受的形式。因为众所周知，同一种力量和能量照着居间和最外在部分的结构而产生不同的运动；因此，在人里面，来自神性的生命照着存在于那里的形式产生不同的思维和行为。
Potts(1905-1910) 5259
5259. And Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph. That this signifies the thought of the celestial of the spiritual from the natural, is evident from what was said above (n. 5251), where similar words are used, save only that it is there written that "Pharaoh said unto Joseph," while here it is said that he "spoke unto him;" for "saying" signifies perception, but "speaking" thought (see n. 2271, 2287, 2619). That by "Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph" is signified the thought of the celestial of the spiritual from the natural, and not the converse, is because what is exterior never thinks from itself, but from what is interior, or what is the same thing, what is lower does not think except from what is higher; although while the interior or higher is thinking in the exterior or lower, it appears as if the exterior or lower thought from itself, which, however, is a fallacy. It is like one who sees something in a mirror, and not knowing that a mirror is there, imagines that the object is where it appears to be, when yet it is not there. [2] Now because the celestial of the spiritual is interior or higher, and the natural is exterior or lower, the thought of the celestial of the spiritual from the natural is signified in the internal sense by "Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph." In a word, nothing that is beneath can do anything of itself; but that which it can do, it has from what is higher; and because this is so, it evidently follows that everything is from the Most High, that is, from the Divine. Consequently man's thinking from the understanding and acting from the will, he has from the Most High or from the Divine. But his thinking falsely and acting evilly comes from the form he has impressed upon himself; and his thinking truly and acting well is from the form he has received from the Lord; for it is known that one and the same power and energy produces different motions according to the configurations in the mediates and the extremes; thus in man, life from the Divine produces diverse thoughts and actions, according to the forms.
Elliott(1983-1999) 5259
5259. 'And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph' means thought expressed by the natural but belonging to the celestial of the spiritual. This is clear from what has been stated above in 5151. Where the same words occur, except that there it says that Pharaoh said to Joseph, here that he spoke to him; for 'said' means perception, whereas 'spoke' means thought, 2271, 2287, 2619. The reason 'Pharaoh spoke to Joseph' means thought which is expressed by the natural but belongs to the celestial of the spiritual, and not the other way round, is that when thought is going on in what is exterior, the source of such thought does not lie there but in what is interior. Or what amounts to the same, when thought is going on in what is lower, nothing else than what is higher is the source of it. Even so, while the thought belonging to what is interior or higher is going on in what is exterior or lower, it does seem as though the exterior or lower is itself the source of the thought going on in it. But that is an illusion. It is like a person who sees some object in a mirror but does not know that the mirror is there. He supposes that the object exists where it appears to do so, but in reality it does not exist there.
[2] Now because the celestial of the spiritual is interior or higher, and the natural is exterior or lower, 'Pharaoh spoke to Joseph' therefore means in the internal sense thought expressed by the natural but belonging to the celestial of the spiritual. In short, nothing in a lower position possesses anything self-derived whatsoever. Any ability it possesses comes from what is higher, which being so it plainly follows that the Highest one of all, that is, the Divine, is the source of everything. Consequently the source of a person's thought proceeding from his understanding and of his activity proceeding from his will is the Highest one or the Divine. If however a person thinks false ideas and acts in evil ways, this is due to the form he has stamped on his own character; but if he thinks right ideas and acts in ways that are good, it is due to the form he has received from the Lord. For it is well known that one and the same power and force produces differing movements which are determined by the ways in which the intermediate and outermost parts are structured, so that in the human being life from the Divine produces differing thoughts and actions, determined by the forms existing there.
Latin(1748-1756) 5259
5259. `Et locutus Pharaoh ad Josephum': quod significet cogitationem caelestis spiritualis e naturali, constat ex illis quae supra n. 5251 dicta sunt, ubi similia, praeter solum quod ibi {1}dicatur, `dixit Pharaot ad Josephum', hic autem {2}`locutus ad illum', `dixit' enim significah perceptionem, `locutus' autem cogitationem, n. 2271, 2287, 2619. Quod per `locutus Pharaoh ad Josephum' significetur cogitatio caelestis spiritualis e naturali, et non vicissim, est quia id quod exterius est, nusquam cogitat ex se, sed ex interiore, seu quod idem, id quod inferius est, non nisi quam a superiore, tametsi dum interius seu superius cogitat in exteriore seu inferiore, apparet sicut exterius seu inferius ex se cogitaret, sed est fallacia; (m t)se habet hoc sicut qui videt aliquid in speculo et non scit quod ibi speculum sit, {3}is putat quod ibi sit ubi apparet, cum tamen non ibi sit; [2] quia nunc caeleste spiritualis est interius seu superius, et naturale est exterius seu inferius, inde per `locutus Pharaoh ad Josephum' in sensu interno significatur cogitatio caelestis spiritualis e naturali.(n) Verbo, nihil quod infra est, potest quicquam ex se, sed quod potest, hoc habet a superiore, et quia ita, sequitur evidenter quod a Supremo sit omne, hoc est, a Divino; consequenter quod homo ex intellectu cogitet, et ex voluntate agat, id a Supremo seu a Divino habeat, {4}at quod false cogitet et male agat, est ex forma quam sibi ipsi impressit; {5}sed quod vere cogitet et bene agat, est ex forma quam receperat a Domino; notum enim est quod una eademque potentia et vis (t)producat motus diversos secundum constructiones in mediis et extremis, ita in homine vita ex Divino diversas cogitationes et diversas actiones, secundum formas. @1 dicitur quod,$ @2 i quod$ @3 tunc$ @4 sed$ @5 at$