9133. 'If the theft is certainly found in his hand' means if any truth or good is left by means of which restoration can be made. This is clear from the meaning of 'certainly being found' - when it refers to good or truth that has been taken away, meant by 'the theft' - as being left; from the meaning of 'in his hand' as in his power ('hand' means power, see 878, 3387, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328, 5544, 6947, 7011, 7188, 7189, 7518, 7673, 8050, 8153, 8281; and the fact that 'in his hand' also means what resides with him will be seen below); and from the meaning of 'the theft' as the good or truth that has been taken away, dealt with in 9125. From all this it is evident that 'if the theft is certainly found in his hand' means if any good or truth is left. The reason why by means of which restoration can be made is also meant is that restoration for the good or truth that has been taken away is the subject in the present verse. The situation is that when a general affection for good remains there is always something left by means of which restoration can be made to replace some particular form of good that has been taken away; for it is on the general form of good that particular forms of it and particular truths depend, see

920, 1040, 1316, 4269, 4325 (end), 4329, 4345, 4383, 5208, 6115, 7131. The reason why 'in his hand' is whatever resides with him is that 'the hand' means power, and whatever is within a person's power resides with him, and what is not in his power does not reside with him. This also is the reason why 'hand', especially 'right hand', is used to mean the person himself. From all this one may see what is meant by 'sitting on the right hand of the Father' when said of the Lord, that He is everything residing with the Father, and so is the Father Himself. The same thing is meant in the Lord's teaching in John 14:8-11; 17:10-11, about His being in the Father, and the Father in Him, and about all things that are His being the Father's, and all that are the Father's being His.

7189. 'And with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land' means that with all their strength and power they will make them flee from their proximity. This is clear from the meaning of 'with a strong hand' as with all their strength and power, dealt with immediately above in 7188; from the meaning of 'driving them out' as making them flee; and from the meaning of 'his land' as proximity. The land where those who belong to the spiritual Church are molested by falsities is in close proximity to the hells that molest them and is called the lower earth, see 7090. Therefore 'out of his land' means from their proximity.