3066. 'And the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water' means affections for truth, and instruction acquired through those affections. This is clear from the meaning of 'daughters' as affections, dealt with in 489-491, 2362; from the meaning of 'the men of the city' as truths, for in the Word the residents of a city are sometimes called 'the men of the city', sometimes 'the inhabitants of the city', truths being meant when they are called 'the men of the city', goods when they are called 'the inhabitants' - what 'men' means, see 265, 749, 915, 1007, 2517, what 'inhabitants' means, 2268, 2451, 2712, and what 'a city' means, 402, 2449, 2943; and from the meaning of 'drawing water' as receiving instruction, dealt with above in 3058. From all this it is evident that 'the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water' means affections for truth, and instruction acquired through those affections.

[2] No one is ever instructed through truths but through the affections for truth. For when truths are devoid of affection they do indeed flow as sounds into the ear but they do not pass into the memory. What causes them to pass into the memory and stay there is affection. For good that is the object of affection is like the soil into which truths are sown as seeds. But the quality of the soil, that is, the essential nature of the affection, determines the nature of that which is produced from the seed sown there. The end in view or the use dictates the essential nature of the ground - that is, of the affection - and so dictates the nature of that which is produced from the seed sown there. Or if you prefer, the love itself is what decides it, for love is to all things the end in view and the use. Nothing is considered to be an end in view and a use except that which is loved.

Hands in the Bible represent power, the force with which things are put into action. To be specific, they represent the power of spiritual good -- which is the love of others and serving others -- expressed through spiritual truth -- which is an understanding and knowledge of what it is to love and serve others. This is in contrast to the feet, which represent power on the natural level, and a “rod,” which represents the power of the hand passed down into external or natural ideas. In a few cases in the Bible, hands also represent communication and a drawing together. This is true when people lift their hands to heaven or to Jehovah, and also when the Lord touches children or touches people to heal them.