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.

1543. That 'Abram went up out of Egypt' means away from facts which went away from the Lord is clear from the meaning of 'Abram' as one who represents the Lord, then from the meaning of 'Egypt' as knowledge, and also from the meaning of 'going up', for 'going up' is used when a rising up takes place from the lower things that are factual to the higher ones that are celestial. Consequently in the Word 'going up from Egypt into the land of Canaan', an expression that occurs frequently, embodies similar ideas.