Arcana Coelestia # 7673
7673. 'Stretch out your hand' means an exercising of power. This is clear from the meaning of 'stretching out' as that which is connected with the exercising of control, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'hand' as power, dealt with in 878, 3387, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328, 5544, 6292, 6947, 7011, 7188, 7189, 7518. The reason why 'stretching out the hand' means the exercising of power is that there is power in the hand or arm when it is stretched out. When therefore Jehovah is said to stretch out His hand or arm, boundless or infinite power in action is meant. This explains why Jehovah told Moses on so many occasions, when miracles were to be performed, to stretch out his hand or his rod; for example,
Stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, and they will be blood. Exodus 7:19.
Stretch out your hand over the rivers, and cause frogs to rise up. Exodus 8:1-2. 1
Stretch out your rod and strike the dust of the land, and it will then be lice. Exodus 8:11, 12. 2
Stretch out your hand towards heaven, and there will be hail. Exodus 9:22-23.
Such words would never have been used but for the meaning of 'stretching out the hand' in the highest sense as Jehovah's almighty power.
[2] The same thing is meant by Joshua's being told to stretch out his javelin, described in his book as follows,
Jehovah said to Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand towards Ai. When therefore Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand towards Ai, the ambush rose up quickly out of their place and ran, as soon as he stretched out his hand, and came to the city and took it. Joshua did not withdraw his hand which he had stretched out together with the javelin until all the inhabitants of Ai had been utterly destroyed. Joshua 8:18-19, 26.
Being representative of God's almighty power, this too, like all other representative actions when they were commanded in those times, had force.
[3] There are a number of other places in which almighty power is described when it says that Jehovah 'stretches out His hand', or else His 'outstretched hand' or His 'outstretched arm' is spoken of. It is described by Jehovah stretching out His hand in Isaiah,
The anger [of Jehovah] has been roused against His people, and He has stretched out His hand over them and struck them, and the mountains were shaken. Isaiah 5:25.
In Ezekiel,
I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him. Ezekiel 14:9, 13.
In the same prophet,
I will stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations. Ezekiel 25:7.
I will stretch out My hand over Edom, and cut off from it man and beast. I will stretch out My hand over the philistines, and cut off . . . Ezekiel 25:13, 16.
Other places like these are Ezekiel 35:3; Isaiah 31:3; Zephaniah 1:4; 2:13. The use of 'outstretched hand' to describe almighty power occurs in Isaiah,
Jehovah's outstretched hand is over all the nations; who will turn it back? Isaiah 14:26, 27.
In Jeremiah,
I will fight with you with an outstretched hand and a strong arm, and in anger and in fury. Jeremiah 21:5.
In Isaiah,
Still His hand is outstretched. Isaiah 9:12, 17; 10:4.
The use of 'outstretched arm' occurs in Jeremiah,
I have made the earth, man, and beast by My great strength and by My outstretched arm. Jeremiah 27:5.
In the same prophet,
You have made heaven and earth by Your great power and Your outstretched arm; there is no matter 3 that is too impossible for You. Jeremiah 32:17.
Here it is self-evident that 'outstretched arm' means almighty power. The same applies to many other places in which the expression 'by a strong hand and an outstretched arm' is used, such as Deuteronomy 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 9:29; 11:2; 26:8; 1 Kings 8:42; 2 Kings 17:36; Jeremiah 32:21; Ezekiel 20:33, 34.
[4] There are places too in which Jehovah is said to 'stretch out the heavens', and in these places also 'stretching out' means almighty power; that is to say, He expands the limits of heaven and fills those who are there with life and wisdom, as in Isaiah,
Jehovah is He who stretches out the heavens like a thin veil, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. Isaiah 40:22.
In the same prophet,
Jehovah is He who stretches out the heavens, spreads out the earth, gives breath 4 to His people upon it, and spirit to those who walk on it. Isaiah 42:5.
In Jeremiah,
. . . He who makes the earth by His power, prepares the world by His wisdom, and stretches out the heavens by His intelligence. Jeremiah 51:15.
In Zechariah,
Jehovah is He who stretches out the heavens, and founds the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him. Zechariah 12:1.
There are still more places besides these, such as Isaiah 44:24; 45:12; Psalms 104:2.
From all this one may now see why Moses was commanded to stretch out his hand and rod, that miracles were performed when he did so, and that 'stretching out the hand' for that reason means the exercising of power, and in the highest sense almighty power.
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2 Kings 17
1
In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
2
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
3
Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.
4
And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
5
Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
6
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
7
For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,
8
And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel which they had made.
9
And the children of Israel did secretly things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.
10
And they set up for themselves images and groves on every high hill, and under every green tree:
11
And there they burnt incense on all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:
12
For they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, Ye shall not do this thing.
13
Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.
14
Notwithstanding, they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.
15
And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.
16
And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for themselves molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
17
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
18
Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
19
Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.
20
And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.
21
For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.
22
For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;
23
Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria to this day.
24
And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in its cities.
25
And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.
26
Wherefore they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.
27
Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.
28
Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Beth-el, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.
29
Yet, every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities in which they dwelt.
30
And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
31
And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
32
So they feared the LORD, and made to themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
33
They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.
34
To this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;
35
With whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:
36
But the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and an out-stretched arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice.
37
And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.
38
And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.
39
But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
40
Yet they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.
41
So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they to this day.
