8579. 'And your rod with which you struck the river' means the Divine power by means of which falsities were dispelled. This is clear from the meaning of 'rod' as power, dealt with in 4013, 4015, 4876, 4936, 6947, 7011, 7026, at this point Divine power because 'Moses', whose rod it was, represents the Lord in respect of Divine Truth; and from the meaning of 'the river', in this instance the river of Egypt, as falsity, dealt with in 6693. The words 'with which you struck the river' are used in order to mean the dispelling of falsity; for the Divine power by which truth is supplied is also the means by which falsities are dispelled. The truth which is supplied is meant by 'the water from the rock in Horeb'.

6947. 'What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod' means the power of the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the meaning of 'hand' as power, dealt with in 878, 3387, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328, 5544; and from the meaning of 'a rod' too as power, dealt with in 4013, 4876, 4936. The reason why it is the power of the Lord's Divine Human is that 'Moses' represents the Lord in respect of the law of God, which is the Word, and this is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Human, 6752. The power meant by 'hand' is the power emanating from the Lord's Divine Rational, whereas the power meant by 'the rod' is the power emanating from the Lord's Divine Natural. The reason why 'a rod' is the power emanating from the Lord's Divine Natural is that a rod is like a foot in that it supports the body, and by 'the foot' is meant the natural, 2161, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952; and 'lifting up the hand' is power in the spiritual, while 'lifting up the foot' is power in the natural, see 5727, 5328. And since 'hand' and 'rod' have these meanings, then depending on how high the things described in the internal sense rise Moses was sometimes told, when he was to work miracles, to lift up his hand, at other times his rod.