1 So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his Father, Isaac.
Beer-sheba here represents spiritual inspiration (wells of water, reservoir) within man's consciousness that he has received and is acting on. The amazing activity and success of the imagination has opened up a larger substance source in body, and the whole thought family (Jacob's) is moving in and taking conscious possession of it.
2 And Gods spoke to Israel in visions of the night, and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here an I."
3 Then he said, "I am the God, God of your Father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt; for I will there make of you a great nation.
4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again; and Joseph's shall put his hand upon thine eyes."
"And Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes" means that through the faculty of imagination the perception of the other faculties is quickened and increased.
5 Then Jacob set out from Beer-sheba; and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
6 They also took their cattle and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him,
7 his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters; all his offspring he brought with him into Egypt.
YHVH spoke to Jacob and told him not to fear to go down into Egypt, because He (YHVH) would go with him and bring him out again after he had become a great nation. The descent into the land of Egypt of Jacob and his sons, together with the possessions that they had accumulated in Canaan, their wives, children, goods, flocks, and herds, symbolizes to us the unification of the Divine Mind with all the faculties of the mind and of the life energy and substance of the whole man with the body. This happy result is brought about by the action of the faculty of imagination (all dwelt together "in the land of Goshen," which signifies unity). This new state of mind becomes a part of the permanent consciousness in the new land.
8 Now these are the names of the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, Jacob's first-born,
9 and the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
Hanoch ("instructed," "dedicated") represents entrance into a higher consciousness than has been known and experienced before.
Pallu ("marvelous," "extraordinary") represents the great general uplift that comes to the consciousness that has begun to awaken out of the purely animal phase of thought to a higher and truer conception of God and of Life.
Hezron ("enclosed," "green pasture") represents thoughts that belong to the perceiving faculty (Reuben) and the praise of life in its activity (Judah). These thoughts are not yet free in their expression in the consciousness and the organism. They are "enclosed" by the subconscious limiting error belief of man that all his faculties and powers are material and transient instead of spiritual and abiding. (There were two men named Hezron, one the son of Reuben and the other the grandson of Judah.)
Carmi ("fruitful," "generous") symbolizes a vital, prosperous, and fruitful attitude of mind.
10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanitish woman.
The name Simeon means "one who listens and obeys." Simeon represents the spiritually receptive and obedient attitude in man.
Jemuel ("God is light," "day of God") represents the stage of individual development when the light of Truth is accepted into consciousness and realized.
Jamin ("right hand," "right place") represents thoughts pertaining to divine order. The name Ohad means "one," "unity." Ohad was the son of Simeon. Ohad symbolizes unity with God and the conscious increase of the Divine attributes that is the result of this union between the divine and the individual.
Jachin ("whom He [God] makes firm") represents the firmness, steadfastness, and strength of character that result from the establishment of the consciousness in Truth.
Zohar ("whiteness," "nobility") represents thoughts of a pure, lofty, discriminating character.
Shaul is a form of the name Saul, and its meaning is the same as that of Saul ("desired," "demanded").
Shaul represents the personal will in individual consciousness. He was the son of a Canaanitish woman (body consciousness).
11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Gershon was a son of Levi. The name means "expulsion," "exile." The natural law of love is to express itself, but there are conditions under which the love thought (Gershon) is exiled from its native element and for a time retarded or unexpressed.
Kohath ("called together," "assembly") represents the attracting, unifying element in love, and the power of love.
Merari ("galling," "rebellious") symbolizes love directed by the ignorance and selfishness of the personal man.
12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan); and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
Er ("awake," "watchful") represents observant, attentive, vigilant thoughts.
Onan ("able-bodied," "strong") represents thoughts pertaining to strength and vigor yet with a tendency toward materiality.
Shelah ("security," "rest," "peace") represents a sense of peace, harmony, and security that has come about through prayer.
Perez ("breached," "torn asunder") represents victory gained through praise or by making one's way out of apparent limitation and error by means of prayer and praise.
The name Zerah means "rising of light." Zerah represents the rise of new light, new understanding, in the consciousness.
The name Hamul means "spared," "gentleness," "compassion"; it also signifies "forgiveness." The attitudes of mind thus implied are Godlike, and they have to do with the salvation of the individual who entertains them.
13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron.
The name Tola means "crimson," "scarlet," "coccus worm." Tola represents life activity on a seemingly low plane but in process of awakening to higher and greater expressions.
Puvah is the same name as Puah, which means "mouth," "blast," "utterance." Puvah symbolizes the giving of one's true thoughts, one's zeal, to establishing the activity of Truth throughout the consciousness so that it may be declared aloud and expressed.
Shimron ("watch," "careful keeping") represents a watchful, observant, attentive attitude, which raises to a high plane the faculties of mind represented by Issachar (Zeal) and Zebulun (Order).
14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jah'leel
Sered ("fear," "trembling," "flight," "escape") represents fearfulness, extreme unrest, in the order faculty in the individual consciousness.
Elon ("strong man," "an oak") represents thoughts of strength and power.
The name Jahleel means "waiting on God," "hoping in God." Jahleel represents waiting, in silence, upon God in an expectant attitude of mind.
15 (these are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, together with his daughter Dinah; altogether his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three).
Dinah ("judged," "justified") symbolizes the soul or feminine side of the judgment faculty, which may be called intuition, the intuition of the natural man.
16 The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
Ziphion is the same name as Zephon, which means "watchman," "observer," "keeper of the high watch." Ziphion represents the realization of power (Gad symbolizes power) that is the result of a desire for and a seeking after power. This suggests prayer and an earnest desire for and expectation of something higher and better than the purely mental and physical aspects of power and might.
The name Haggi means "feast," "rejoicing," "festival." Haggi symbolizes a realization of good as taking the place of seeming evil.
Shuni ("rest," "quiet," "calm," "peace") represents a tranquil, poised, peaceful state of thought.
Ezbon ("hastening to understand," "splendor," "bright") represents thoughts that come into the light, into the brightness and glory of Truth, because they are concerned with the things of Spirit.
Eri ("my watcher," "worshiping Jah") represents an unfolding of the power faculty.
Arodi is the same name as Arod and means "fleeing," "a wild ass." Arod and his descendants represent those traits of the animal nature in man which are characteristic of the ass: meekness, stubbornness, persistence, and endurance. These qualities are good when directed by the true Divine Mind but are destructive when given over to sense rule.
Areli ("lion-like," "valiant," "heroic") represents the courage to abide by that which one believes to be right and best; also boldness and fearlessness in applying one's ideas practically.
17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, with Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel
Imnah ("good fortune," "prosperity") represents a strong belief in and realization of prosperity as being man's inheritance and the Father's will for him.
Ishvah means "equality," "even," "smooth," "resembling (another)," "self-answering." On the highest plane Ishvah represents that true poise, peace, and equableness that come from within man's own true spiritual self when he realizes that he is made in the likeness of God and is certain that he will manifest this in the outer in due time. The thought of "self-satisfying" is also brought out in this name. This suggests the truth that as we become conscious of the source of all understanding within us, namely Spirit, we find within ourselves the answer to all our questionings, the satisfaction of all our desires.
Beriah, means "evil," "calamity," "misfortune," indicating a negative tendency to evil that sometimes runs parallel with the good in human consciousness. However the good tendencies are so much in the ascendant that they overcome the weaker evil thoughts that belittle man and cause him to develop an inferiority complex.
Serah ("extension," "abundance," "poured forth," "diffused") represents a rich, broad, extensive group of soul qualities, but there is also a strong suggestion of waste of substance; lack of conservation.
The name Heber means "a passing over" from the purely materialistic, physical, earthly thought to a higher conception of religious Truth.
Malchiel ("rule of God," "God is king") symbolizes man's acknowledgment of the supremacy of divine power and sovereignty; in other words, the exalting of God in consciousness, giving Him dominion; bowing to and obeying Truth.
18 (these are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob--sixteen persons).
19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin.
20 And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, bore to him.
Manasseh ("who makes to forget") represents understanding; understanding here denoting denial, the negative activity of mind.
Ephraim ("doubly fruitful") symbolizes the Will, which is the positive or affirmative quality of mind.
The name Asenath means "dedicated to Neith," "favorite of Neith." Asenath represents the feminine or love side of the natural man.
The name Potiphera means "belonging to Ra." Potiphera represents a natural religious tendency in the individual that gives the force of its influence to the worship and building up of that for which On stands.
The name On means "city of the sun." In its purity, On is a symbol of Spirit and of true spiritual understanding, substance, and power. As it appears in our Bible, however, it represents the worship of the outer sun, and the truth behind the symbol has been lost sight of to a great degree.
21 And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard
The name Bela means "swallow up," "destroy." Bela, the eldest son of Benjamin, represents the destroying or letting go of error by denial, an absorption (swallowing up) of error by Truth.
The name Becher means "early," "first fruits," "first-born." Becher represents the first-born or first fruits of faith, or the first bringing forth of positive, constructive thoughts. (Benjamin represents Faith.)
The name Ashbel means "reproof of God," "man of Baal," "judgment of God." Ashbel denotes the admonition of Spirit ("reproof of God") in consciousness against man's looking upon as real the material thought about formed things ("man of Baal"). The inharmonious result of looking upon the outer world as real and as the source of life, understanding, and existence, instead of seeing formless Spirit (Divine Mind) as the true God and as the one reality standing behind all manifestation--this is what is suggested in the phrase "judgment of God."
Gera ("grain," "kernel") symbolizes faith's taking on of, or working in, substance.
Naaman ("sweet," "pleasant," "good") denotes the joy, and pleasant, agreeable, harmonious, unifying result that ensues in consciousness when one's faith and will act in accord with one's highest Truth ideals.
Ehi is the name of a son of Benjamin also called Aharah, which means "brother." Ehi represents that in man's spiritually awakening consciousness which follows after lofty, kindly, brotherly, constructive ideals. The name Ehi also carries with it the thought of unity.
The name Rosh means "inclination," "Will," "head." Rosh represents the Will. Since Rosh was a son of Benjamin (Faith) the significance is that the Will, having been given first place in the consciousness of the individual, is acting through faith or in conjunction with it.
The name Muppim means "serpents," "obscurities." Muppim represents human or sense knowledge that is very subtle but that is unsteady and unsettled in its reasoning and deductions. Muppim represents that knowledge which does not reveal the true light, and therefore it does not lead the individual into spiritual understanding.
The name Huppim is the same as that of Hupham, which means "coastman," "seashore," "bank." In all likelihood a coast-man is a fisherman. Huppim thus symbolizes a gatherer of ideas, especially ideas of increase.
The name Ard means "fugitive," "to flee," "wild ass." The thought that Ard represents belongs to the outer or animal phase of consciousness, where fear enters and one runs away from seeming evil or resists it wildly and stubbornly, as the case may be, because one fears it. In this phase of consciousness one does not understand that evil is unreal and has no power of itself. When one realizes the truth about seeming evil, one no longer fears it, and it is dissolved from one's world.
22 (these are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob--fourteen persons in all).
23 The sons of Dan: Hushim.
The name Hushim means "people of haste," "vehement people." Hushim represents an acceleration of activity in connection with thoughts of judgment in man (one Hushim was the son of Dan, who represents judgment) and in connection with thoughts of active faith (another Hushim was a Benjamite).
24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem
Jahzeel, the name of a son of Naphtali (strength), means "whom God apportions." Jahzeel represents the realization that strength is from God and that one receives it according to one's need or to the extent that one makes use of it.
The name Guni means "colored," "tinted," "painted," which suggests the taking on of some foreign idea or substance. In this case Naphtali (strength) and Gad (power) are involved. These qualities represented by Naphtali and Gad are inherently spiritual, divine, but in coming into expression in the outer, physical, materialistic man they become tinged with and colored by material ideas.
Jezer ("forming") represents the formative faculty of mind, the imagination, established in strength (Naphtali).
The name Shillem means "restoration," "salvation," "peace." Shillem represents the thought that restoration, salvation, peace, and perfection are the result of sowing to Spirit. This restorative, peace-giving thought force is particularly active in connection with strength and thus gives its substance to the working out of the law of cause and effect in consciousness.
25 (these are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob--seven persons in all).
26 All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own offspring, not including Jacob's sons' wives, were sixty-six persons in all;
The Israelites represent radiant or unformed substance and life.
27 and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were seventy.
The Egyptians represent conservators of formed substance.
28 He sent Judah before him to Joseph, to appear before him in Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.
Jacob (Divine Mind) sent Judah (Praise) before him unto Joseph (Imagination) so that the Israelites might be guided to Goshen, thus forming a perfect union of Life (Israel) and substance (Egypt).
29 Then Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen; and he presented himself to him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
30 Israel said to Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive."
31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and will say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me;
32 and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.'
The sheep represent the uncontaminated animal or life forces that are to be expressed more fully through union with physicality (the Egyptians).
33 When Pharaoh calls you, and says, 'What is your occupation?'
34 you shall say, 'Your servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,' in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians."
The Materialists (Egyptians), conservators of formed substance, have no appreciation of this life.