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ἐσκλήρυνεν δὲ κύριος τὴν καρδίαν φαραω καὶ οὐκ ἐβουλήθη ἐξαποστεῖλαι αὐτούς
Arcana Coelestia # 4936
4936. Several times spirits have been seen who had rods, and who were said to be magicians. They are in front, far away to the right, deep in caverns; and those who have been more malign magicians are hidden away still deeper. They seem to themselves to have rods, and they also by phantasies make many kinds of rods, and believe that they can perform miracles with them; for they suppose potency to be in the rods, and this because they are what support the right hand and arm, which by correspondence are strength and power. From this it was plain to me why men of old attributed rods to magicians; for the ancient Gentiles had this from the ancient representative church, in which rods, like hands, signified power (see n. 4876). And because they signified power, Moses was commanded, when miracles were wrought, to stretch out his rod, or his hand (Exodus 4:17, 20; 8:1-11, 16-18; 9:23; 10:3-21; 14:2, 21, 26-27; 17:5-6, 11-12; Numbers 20:7-11).
Numbers 20:7-11
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Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
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"Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it give forth its water; and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink."
9
Moses took the rod from before Yahweh, as he commanded him.
10
Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels; shall we bring you water out of this rock for you?"
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Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice: and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.
