9028. 'If he rises up and walks outside on his staff' means strength of life in that truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'rising up' as implying some kind of raising up, at this point of spiritual truth to agreement with factual truth; from the meaning of 'walking' as living, dealt with in 519, 1794, 8417, 8420; and from the meaning of 'staff' as strength. For 'rod' means the power that truth possesses, and so means strength, 4876, 4936, 6947, 7011, 7026; and 'staff' has a similar meaning, though it is used in reference to those who are not strong and well. The word is also used in this way in David,

They confronted me on the day of my ruin, but Jehovah was my staff and brought me out into a broad place. Psalms 18:18-19.

'The day of ruin' stands for a state when the belief in truth is weak; 'Jehovah was a staff' stands for power then; and 'bringing out into a broad place' stands for leading into the truths of faith, for which meaning of 'bringing out into a broad place', see 4482. In Isaiah also,

The Lord Jehovah Zebaoth is taking away from Jerusalem and Judah rod and staff, the whole rod of bread, and the whole rod of water. Isaiah 3:1.

'Taking away rod and staff' stands for removing the power and strength of life received from truth and good, 'the rod of bread' standing for the power received from good, and 'the rod of water' for the power received from truth. In the original language the noun 'staff' is derived from a verb meaning to lean on and be supported by, which is done in the spiritual world by means of truth and good.

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.