4876. And thy staff that is in thy hand. That this signifies by means of its power, that is, of that truth, is evident from the signification of a “staff,” as being power, of which presently; and from the signification of a “hand,” as being also power (n. 878, 3091, 3387, 3563). It is said “that is in thy hand,” because the power of that lowest truth is signified such as belonged to the religiosity of the Jewish nation, which here is “Judah.” That power is predicated of truth may be seen above (n. 3091, 3563). A “staff” is frequently mentioned in the Word, and it is surprising that scarcely anyone at this day knows that anything in the spiritual world was represented by it, as where Moses was commanded that whenever miracles were wrought, he was to lift up his staff, and thereby they were wrought. This was known among Gentiles also, as is evident from their fabulous tales in which staffs are ascribed to magicians. That a “staff” signifies power, is because it is a support; for it supports the hand and arm, and through them the whole body; wherefore a staff takes on the signification of the part which it immediately supports, that is, the hand and arm, by both of which in the Word is signified the power of truth. Moreover, it will be seen at the end of the chapters that in the Grand Man the hand and arm correspond to this power.

[2] That by a staff was represented power, appears, as just said, from what is related of Moses, in that he was commanded to take a staff (or rod), with which he was to do miracles; and that he took the rod of God in his hand (Exodus 4:17, 20); that when smitten by the rod, the waters in Egypt became blood (Exodus 7:15, 19-20); that when the rod was stretched out over the streams, frogs came up (Exodus 8:1-11); that when the dust was smitten by the rod, it became lice (Exodus 8:16-20); that when the rod was stretched out toward heaven, there was hail (Exodus 9:23); and that when the rod was stretched out over the land, locusts came up (Exodus 10:3-21). As the hand is the principal, by which power is signified, and a rod is the instrumental, therefore miracles were also wrought when his hand was stretched forth (Exodus 10:12-13); when his hand was stretched forth toward heaven, there was thick darkness over the land of Egypt (Exodus 10:21-22); and when his hand was stretched forth over the sea Suph, by an east wind the sea was made dry land; and on again stretching forth his hand, the waters returned (Exodus 14:21, 26-27).

[3] Moreover, when the rock of Horeb was smitten with the rod, waters flowed out (Exodus 17:5-6; Numbers 20:7-10). When Joshua fought against Amalek, “Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed” (Exodus 17:9, 11). From these passages it is very evident that a rod or staff, like the hand, represented power, and in the supreme sense the Divine omnipotence of the Lord; and it is also evident that at that time representatives constituted the externals of the church; and that the internals, which are spiritual and celestial things such as are in heaven, corresponded to them; and that from this came their efficacy. From this it is also plain how irrational those are who believe that there was any power infused into the staff or the hand of Moses.

[4] That in the spiritual sense, a “staff” is power, appears also from many passages in the prophets, as in Isaiah: Behold the Lord Jehovah Zebaoth doth take away from Jerusalem staff and stay, the whole staff of bread, and the whole staff of water (Isaiah 3:1); the “staff of bread” denotes support and power from the good of love, and the “staff of water,” support and power from the truth of faith. That “bread” is the good of love may be seen above (n. 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735); and that “water” is the truth of faith (n. 28, 680, 739, 2702, 3058, 3424). The “staff of bread” is mentioned in like manner in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 4:16; 5:16; 14:13; and Psalms 105:16).

[5] Again in Isaiah:

Thus said the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth, O My people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of Asshur, who shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff upon thee, in the way of Egypt. Jehovah shall stir up against him a scourge, as in the plague of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and his staff shall be over the sea, and he shall lift it up in the way of Egypt (Isaiah 10:24, 26); where “staff” denotes power from reasoning and memory-knowledge, such as is the power of those who reason from memory-knowledges against the truths of faith, and either pervert them or make them of no account. This is signified by the “rod” with which Asshur shall smite, and by the “staff” which he shall lift up in the way of Egypt. That by “Asshur” is meant reasoning may be seen above (n. 1186); and that by “Egypt” is meant memory-knowledge (n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462).

[6] In like manner in Zechariah:

The pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the staff of Egypt shall depart away (Zech. 10:11).

In Isaiah:

Thou hast trusted on the staff of a bruised reed, even upon Egypt; whereon if a man lean it will go into his hand and pierce it (Isaiah 36:6);

“Egypt” denotes memory-knowledges, as above; power from them in spiritual things is the “staff of a bruised reed;” the “hand” which it goes into and pierces, is power from the Word. Again:

Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of the rulers (Isaiah 14:5); where “staff” and “rod” manifestly denote power.

[7] In Jeremiah:

Grieve, all ye circuits of Moab, and say, How is the staff of strength broken, the staff of beauty (Jeremiah 48:17).

The “staff of strength” denotes power from good, and the “staff of beauty” power from truth.

[8] In Hosea:

My people interrogate their wood, and their staff will answer them; for the spirit of whoredom hath led them astray (Hos. 4:12);

“interrogating wood” means consulting evils; the “staff answering” means that falsity is thence, which has power from the evil which they confirm; the “spirit of whoredom” denotes a life of falsity from evil.

In David:

Yea, when I walk in the valley of shadow, I will fear not evil to me; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me (Psalms 23:4);

“Thy rod and Thy staff” denote the Divine truth and good, which have power. Again:

The staff of wickedness shall not rest upon the lot of the just (Psalms 125:3).

[9] Again:

Thou shalt crush them with a rod of iron; thou shalt scatter them like a potter’s vessels (Psalms 2:9);

a “rod of iron” denotes the power of spiritual truth in natural, for all natural truth in which there is spiritual truth has power; “iron” is natural truth (n. 425, 426). So also in Revelation:

He that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations; that he may pasture them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers (Revelation 2:26-27; and also 12:5; 19:15).

[10] Because a staff represented the power of truth, that is, the power of good through truth, therefore kings had scepters, which were made like short staffs; for by kings the Lord is represented as to truth, the Divine truth being the royalty itself (n. 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3670, 4581). The scepter signifies the power belonging to them, not by dignity, but by the truth which should rule, and no other truth than that which is from good; thus principally the Divine truth, and with Christians the Lord, from whom is all Divine truth.

3670. And He will give thee the blessing of Abraham. That this signifies the conjunction of the Divine Itself with the good and truth of the natural, is evident from the signification of a “blessing,” as being conjunction (n. 3660, 3667); and from the representation of Abraham, as being the Lord’s Divine Itself which is called the “Father” (concerning which see n. 2011, 3251, 3439). And inasmuch as these words are spoken to Jacob, by whom there would be represented the Lord’s Divine natural as to the Divine good and truth therein, therefore the conjunction of the Divine Itself with the good and truth of the natural is what is signified, in the internal sense, by “He will give thee the blessing of Abraham.” In the sense of the letter, it is the possession of the land of Canaan that is meant by the “blessing of Abraham,” and also by the words which follow: “to cause thee to inherit the land of thy sojournings, which God gave unto Abraham;” and according to this sense do all apprehend the words who believe that the historicals of the Word do not contain within them things more heavenly and secret: and especially so do the Jewish nation, who on the strength of these words claim for themselves privileges above every other nation and people. Their fathers understood the words in the same manner, and especially were they so understood by Jacob, whose quality is evident from what was said just above (n. 3667), in that he would not have known Jehovah, nor have been willing to acknowledge Him, unless He had given him corporeal and worldly blessings. But that neither Abraham, nor Isaac, nor Jacob was meant, and that by Jacob is represented the Lord as to the natural which He would make Divine, is abundantly manifest from the explications given above. That it is immaterial what is the quality of the man who represents, as to whether he is evil or good, and that evil men equally with good men can represent and have represented the Lord’s Divine, may be seen above (n. 665, 1097, 1361).

[2] The same may be seen from the representatives which exist even to this day; for all kings, whoever they may be, and of whatever quality, by the royalty itself that appertains to them represent the Lord; in like manner all priests, whoever and of whatever quality they may be, by the priestly office itself. The royal and the priestly office itself is holy, whatever be the quality of him who ministers therein; and this is the reason why the Word taught by an evil man is equally holy, and also the sacrament of baptism and the Holy Supper, and other such things. And from this it is also evident that no king can possibly claim for himself anything of the sanctity that belongs to his royalty; nor any priest anything of the sanctity that belongs to his priesthood. Insofar as either claims anything thereof to himself, or attributes it to himself, so far he brands himself with the character of a spiritual thief, or with the mark of spiritual theft; and also insofar as he does evil, that is, acts contrary to what is just and equitable, and contrary to what is good and true, so far a king puts off the representative of holy royalty, and a priest the representative of holy priesthood, and represents the opposite. For this reason in the representative Jewish Church there were so many laws enjoined concerning the holiness in which priests especially should be during their ministration-on which subject, of the Lord’s Divine mercy, more will be said in what follows.