4767. Verses 31-35. And they took Joseph's tunic, and killed a he-goat of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood; and they sent the tunic of various colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, This have we found; know now whether it be thy son's tunic or not. And he knew it, and said, It is my son's tunic; an evil wild beast hath devoured him; Joseph is surely torn in pieces. And Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned over his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to comfort himself and he said, For I shall go down to the grave to my son mourning. And his father wept for him. "And they took Joseph's tunic," signifies appearances; "and killed a he-goat of the goats" signifies external truths from delights; "and dipped the tunic in the blood," signifies that they defiled it with falsities from evils; "and they sent the tunic of various colors" signifies appearances thus defiled; "and they brought it to their father," signifies comparison with the goods and truths of the Ancient and the Primitive Church; "and said, "This have we found," signifies that it so appears to them; "know I pray whether it be thy son's tunic or not," signifies whether there was a likeness; "and he knew it," signifies that indeed it was; "and said, It is my son's tunic," signifies that it was the truth of the church; "an evil wild beast hath devoured him," signifies that the cupidities of evil had extinguished it; "Joseph is surely torn in pieces," signifies that it is such from falsities as to be not at all; "and Jacob rent his garments," signifies mourning for truth destroyed; "and put sackcloth upon his loins," signifies mourning for goods destroyed; "and mourned over his son many days," signifies the state; "and all his sons," signifies those who are in falsities; "and all his daughters, rose up," signifies those who are in evils; "to comfort him," signifies to interpret from the sense of the letter of the Word; "and he refused to comfort himself," signifies that this could not be; "and he said, For I shall go down to the grave to my son mourning," signifies that the Ancient Church would perish; "and his father wept for him," signifies interior mourning.