4704. Verses 12-17. And his brethren went to feed the flock of their father in Shechem. And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Behold me! And he said to him, Go I pray see the peace of thy brethren, and the peace of the flock, and bring me word again. And he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. And a man found him, and behold he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? And he said, I seek my brethren, tell me I pray where they are feeding the flock. And the man said, They are departed hence, for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. "And his brethren went to feed the flock," signifies those who teach from faith; "of their father," signifies of the Ancient and of the Primitive Church; "in Shechem," signifies the first rudiments; "and Israel said unto Joseph," signifies perception from the Divine spiritual; "Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem?" signifies that they are teaching; "come, and I will send thee unto them" signifies that it should teach Divine spiritual goods; "and he said to him, Behold me," signifies affirmation; "and he said to him, Go I pray see the peace of thy brethren," signifies every coming of the Lord, and perception how it was with those who taught; "and the peace of the flock," signifies how it was with those who were learning, or the church; "and bring me word again," signifies knowledge; "and he sent him out of the valley of Hebron," signifies from the natural and sensuous Divine; "and he came to Shechem," signifies the knowledge of general doctrinals; "and a man found him, and behold he was wandering in the field," signifies that they were fallen away from the general truth of the church; "and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?" signifies foresight; "and he said, I seek my brethren, tell me I pray where they are feeding the flock," signifies the knowledge of how the case was, and in what state they were; "and the man said, They are departed hence, for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan," signifies that they betook themselves from generals to special things of doctrine; "and Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan," signifies that they were in the special things of false principles.