8281. Thy right hand, O Jehovah, is magnified in strength. That this signifies that the Lord’s omnipotence has been shown, is evident from the signification of the “right hand of Jehovah,” as being omnipotence, of which below; and from the signification of “is magnified in strength,” as being shown, for Divine power is shown by the strength by which it is magnified. That the “right hand of Jehovah” denotes omnipotence, is because by “hand” in the Word is signified power, and thus by “right hand” eminent power; consequently when the “hand” or “right hand” is said of Jehovah, it denotes Divine power, or omnipotence. (That “hand” and “right hand” denote power, see n. 878, 4931-4937, 6292, 6947, 7188, 7189, 7518; and when predicated of Jehovah, omnipotence, n. 3387, 7518, 7673, 8050, 8069, 8153)

[2] That the “right hand of Jehovah” denotes Divine power, or omnipotence, is also evident from the following passages in the Word, in Matthew:

Jesus said, Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming upon the clouds of heaven (Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62).

From henceforth shall the Son of man be sitting at the right hand of the power of God (Luke 22:69).

The saying of Jehovah unto my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make thine enemies a footstool for thy feet; thou art a priest forever after the manner of Melchizedek, the Lord at thy right hand hath smitten kings in the day of anger (Psalms 110:1, 4-5; Matthew 22:44).

He who does not know that the “right hand,” when said of Jehovah, signifies omnipotence, cannot receive any other idea from these words of the Lord, than that the Lord will sit at the right hand of His Father, and have dominion like one who sits at the right hand of a king on earth. But the internal sense teaches what is meant in these passages by “sitting at the right hand,” namely, the Divine omnipotence; consequently it is also said, “to sit at the right hand of power,” and “at the right hand of the power of God.”

[3] That it is the Lord who has omnipotence, is manifest; for this is said of the Lord, and by “the Lord” in David is meant the Lord in respect to Divine truth, and also by the “Son of man” in the Evangelists; for Divine truth is that which has omnipotence from Divine good. (That Divine truth has omnipotence, see n. 6948, 8200; in general that power belongs to truth from good, n. 3091, 3563, 4231, 6344, 6493; and that consequently “hand” is predicated of truth, n. 3091, 4931; and that the “Son of man” denotes the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, n. 2159, 2803, 2813, 3704)

[4] Divine power or omnipotence is also signified by the “right hand” in the following passages in David:

Now know I that Jehovah saveth His anointed; they will answer Him in heaven through the powers of the salvation of His right hand (Psalms 20:6).

O Jehovah, look from the heavens, and see, and visit this vine; and the shoot which Thy right hand hath planted, upon the son Thou hadst made strong for Thyself (Psalms 80:14-15, 80:17).

Thou hast an arm with might; strong is Thy hand, exalted shall be Thy right hand (Psalms 89:13).

My strength and song is Jah, He is become my salvation; the voice of shouting and of salvation is in the tents of the righteous, the right hand of Jehovah hath done valiantly, the right hand of Jehovah is exalted, the right hand of Jehovah hath done valiantly (Psalms 118:14-16).

[5] In these passages the “right hand of Jehovah” denotes omnipotence; and in the supreme sense the Lord as to Divine truth. This is more evident elsewhere in David:

Let Thy hand, O Jehovah, be for the man of Thy right hand, for the son of man Thou hast made strong for Thyself (Psalms 80:17); where “the man of the right hand of Jehovah,” and “the son of man,” denote the Lord as to Divine truth. In the same:

Thou hast driven out the nations with Thy hand, not by their sword have they possessed the land, and their arm hath not saved them, but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy faces (Psalms 44:2-3); where “the light of the faces of Jehovah” denotes Divine truth from Divine good; so also “the right hand,” and “the arm.” And in Isaiah:

God hath sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength (62:8);

here also the “right hand of God,” and the “arm of His strength” denote the Lord as to Divine truth; for Jehovah or the Lord does not swear by any other than Himself (n. 2842), thus by the Divine truth, for this is Himself, because from Himself.

[6] Hence it is that in the Word throughout the Lord is called not only the “right hand” and “arm” of Jehovah, but also “the strength by which He breaks in pieces enemies,” and likewise “the hammer,” as in Jeremiah 51:20-21, seq . Moreover the Lord came into the world, and there became Divine truth, and afterward Divine good from which is Divine truth, in order that He might shut up all evils and falsities in the hells, and gather together goods and truths into the heavens, and there dispose them into Divine order. From all this it is now evident that by “the right hand of Jehovah” in the Word is signified the omnipotence which the Divine has by means of Divine truth. That “the right hand” denotes eminent power, derives its origin from the fact that they who in the Grand Man or heaven have relation to the shoulders, the arms, and the hands, are they who are powerful from the truth which is from good; that is, from the faith which is from love (n. 4931-4937, 7518).

1343. That “Eber” was a nation called, from Eber as its father, the Hebrew nation, and that thereby is signified the worship in general of the Second Ancient Church, is evident from those historical parts of the Word wherein it is spoken of. From that nation, because the new worship commenced there, all were called Hebrews who had a similar worship. Their worship was of the kind that was afterwards restored among the descendants of Jacob; and its chief characteristic consisted in their calling their God “Jehovah,” and in their having sacrifices. The Most Ancient Church with unanimity acknowledged the Lord, and called Him Jehovah, as is evident from the first chapters of Genesis, and elsewhere in the Word. The Ancient Church, that is, the church after the flood, also acknowledged the Lord, and called Him Jehovah, especially those who had internal worship, and were called “sons of Shem.” The others, who were in external worship, also acknowledged Jehovah, and worshiped Him. But when internal worship became external, and still more when it became idolatrous, and when each nation began to have its own god whom it worshiped, the Hebrew nation retained the name Jehovah, and called their God Jehovah; and hereby were distinguished from the other nations.

[2] Together with their external worship, the descendants of Jacob in Egypt lost this also-that they called their God Jehovah; nay, Moses himself did so; and therefore they were instructed first of all that Jehovah was the God of the Hebrews, and the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob; as may be seen from these words in Moses:

Jehovah said unto Moses, Thou shalt come in, thou and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, Jehovah the God of the Hebrews hath met with us; and now let us go, we pray thee, a three days’ journey into the wilderness, and we will sacrifice to Jehovah our God (Exodus 3:18). Again:

Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto His voice to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go. And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us; let us go, we pray thee, a three days’ journey into the wilderness, and we will sacrifice to Jehovah our God (Exodus 5:2-3).

[3] That together with the worship the descendants of Jacob in Egypt lost also the name of Jehovah, may be seen from these words in Moses:

Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the sons of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you, and they shall say to me, What is His name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM WHO I AM. And He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the sons of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the sons of Israel, Jehovah the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you; this is My name to eternity (Exodus 3:13-15).

[4] From these words it is evident that even Moses did not know Jehovah; and that they were distinguished from others by the name of Jehovah the God of the Hebrews. Hence in other places also Jehovah is called the God of the Hebrews:

Thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Jehovah the God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee (Exodus 7:16).

Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith Jehovah the God of the Hebrews (Exodus 9:1, 13).

And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah the God of the Hebrews (Exodus 10:3).

And in Jonah:

I am a Hebrew; and I fear Jehovah the God of the heavens (Jonah 1:9).

And also in Samuel:

The Philistines heard the voice of the shouting, and said, What meaneth the voice of this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews? And they knew that the ark of Jehovah was come into the camp. And the Philistines said, Woe unto us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these august gods? These are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness. Be like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews (1 Samuel 4:6, 8-9).

Here also it is evident that the nations were distinguished by the gods on whose name they called, and the Hebrew nation by Jehovah.

[5] That the second essential of the worship of the Hebrew nation consisted in sacrifices, is also evident from passages cited above (Exodus 3:18; 5:2-3); as well as from the fact that the Egyptians abominated the Hebrew nation on account of this worship, as is evident from these words in Moses:

Moses said, It is not right so to do, for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to Jehovah our God; lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us? (Exodus 8:26).

For this reason the Egyptians so abominated the Hebrew nation that they would not eat bread with them (Genesis 43:32). It is also evident from all this that the posterity of Jacob was not the only Hebrew nation, but all who had such worship; and therefore in Joseph’s time the land of Canaan was called the land of the Hebrews:

Joseph said, I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews (Genesis 40:15).

[6] That there were sacrifices among the idolaters in the land of Canaan, may be seen from many passages, for they sacrificed to their gods-to the Baals and others; and moreover Balaam, who was from Syria where Eber dwelt and whence the Hebrew nation came, not only offered sacrifices before the descendants of Jacob came into the land of Canaan, but also called Jehovah his God. That Balaam was from Syria, whence came the Hebrew nation, see Numbers 23:7; that he offered sacrifices, Numbers 22:39-40; 23:1-3, 14, 29; that he called Jehovah his God, Numbers 22:18, and throughout the chapter. What is said of Noah (Genesis 8:20), that he offered burnt-offerings to Jehovah, is not true history, but is history so made up, because by burnt-offerings there is signified the holy of worship, as may there be seen. From all this it is now evident what is signified by “Ber,” or by the Hebrew nation.