4013. And Jacob took him a fresh rod of poplar. That this signifies the power proper to natural good, is evident from the signification of a “rod,” as being power; and from the signification of “poplar,” as being the good of the natural (concerning which below). A “rod” is frequently mentioned in the Word, and everywhere signifies power, both from its being used by shepherds for exercising power over their flocks, and from its serving for the support of the body, and as it were for the right hand; for by the “hand” is signified power (n. 878, 3387). And as this was the signification of a “rod,” rods were in ancient times used by kings, and hence the royal badge was a short staff, and also a scepter. Nor were rods used by kings only, but also by priests and prophets, that they also might by their rods signify the power that belonged to them, as for instance did Aaron and Moses. This was the reason why Moses was so frequently commanded to stretch out his rod, and at other times his hand, when miracles were being performed; for Divine power was signified by the “rod;” and by the “hand.” It was because a “rod” signifies power that the Egyptian magi made use of it when they performed their magical miracles; and it is from this that magicians are now represented with rods in their hands. All this shows that “rods” signify power.

[2] But in the original language the rods used by shepherds, and also by kings, as well as those of priests and prophets, are expressed by another word; here, by a word that denotes a traveler’s staff, and also a shepherd’s rod, as may be seen from other passages (Genesis 32:10; Exodus 12:11; 1 Samuel 17:40, 43; Zech. 11:7, 10). In the present case the rod is not spoken of as supporting the hand, but as a stick cut from a tree, namely, from a poplar, a hazel, and a plane-tree, to set in the watering-troughs before the faces of the flock; but still it has the same signification, for by it is described in the internal sense the power of natural good, and derivatively of natural truths.

[3] As regards the poplar, of which the rod was made, be it known that trees in general signify perceptions and knowledges, perceptions when predicated of the celestial man, but knowledges when predicated of the spiritual man (see n. 103, 2163, 2682, 2722, 2972). Hence trees specifically signify goods and truths, for these pertain to perceptions and knowledges. Some kinds of trees, such as olives and vines, signify the interior goods and truths that are of the spiritual man; and some kinds, such as the poplar, hazel, and plane, signify the exterior goods and truths that are of the natural man. And as in ancient times each tree signified some particular kind of good and truth, the worship held in groves was in accordance with the kinds of trees (n. 2722). The poplar here mentioned is the white poplar, so called from its whiteness from which comes its name. For this reason the “poplar” signified the good that is from truth; or what is the same, the good of truth; as also in Hosea 4:13; but there falsified.

878. And he put forth his hand and took her, and brought her in unto him into the ark. That this signifies his own power, and that he did what was good and thought what was true from himself, is evident from the signification of “hand” as being power, and thus here his own power from which he did these things. For to “put forth his hand and take the dove and bring her in to himself” is to apply and attribute to himself the truth meant by the “dove.” That by “hand” is signified power, also authority [potestas], and the derivative self-confidence, is evident from many passages in the Word, as in Isaiah:

I will visit upon the fruit of the greatness of heart of the king of Assyria, because he hath said, By the strength of my hand I have done it and by my wisdom, for I am intelligent (Isaiah 10:12-13),where “hand” manifestly denotes his own strength to which he attributed what he did, and this was the cause of the visitation upon him. Again:

Moab shall spread forth his hands in the midst of him, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim, and he shall lay low his pride together with the cataracts of his hands (Isaiah 25:11); where “hands” denote man’s own power, from regarding himself as above others, thus from pride.

[2] Again:

Their inhabitants were short of hand, they were dismayed and put to shame (Isaiah 37:27);

“short of hand” meaning of no power. Again:

Shall the clay say to the potter, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? (Isaiah 45:9).

Here “he hath no hands” means that he has no power.

In Ezekiel:

The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with stupefaction, and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled (Ezekiel 7:27),

where “hands” denote power.

In Micah:

Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds; when the morning is light they practice it, because their hand is their god (Micah 2:1),

where “hand” denotes their own power in which they trust as their god.

In Zechariah:

Woe to the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock; the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye; his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened (Zechariah 11:17).

[3] Because “hands” signify powers, man’s evils and falsities are continually called in the Word “the works of his hands.” Evils are from the Own of man’s will, falsities are from the Own of his understanding. That this is the source of evils and falsities is evident enough from the nature of man’s Own, which is nothing but evil and falsity (as may be seen above, n. 39, 41, 141, 150, 154, 210, 215). As “hands” in general signify power, “hands” are many times in the Word attributed to Jehovah, or the Lord, and then by “hands” is understood in the internal sense Omnipotence, as in Isaiah:

Jehovah, Thy hand is lifted up (Isaiah 26:11),

denoting the Divine power. Again:

Jehovah stretched out His hand, all are consumed (Isaiah 31:3),

Concerning the work of My hands command ye Me; My hands have stretched out the heavens and all their army have I commanded (Isaiah 45:11-12),

denoting the Divine power. The regenerate are often called in the Word “the work of the hands of Jehovah.” In the same

Mine hand hath laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand hath measured the heavens with the palm (Isaiah 48:13), where “hand” and “right hand” denote omnipotence.

[4] Again:

Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? (Isaiah 1:2),

denoting the Divine power.

In Jeremiah:

Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and by Thy stretched out arm; and didst bring forth Thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched-out arm (Jeremiah 32:17, 21),

denoting the Divine power; “power” being named in the seventeenth verse [Genesis 8:17], and “hand” in the twenty-first. That Israel was brought out of Egypt with “a strong hand and with a “stretched-out arm” is often said.

In Ezekiel:

Thus saith the Lord Jehovih, In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up Mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made My self known unto them in the land of Egypt; I lifted up Mine hand unto them, to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt (Ezekiel 20:5-6, 23).

In Moses: Israel saw the great hand which Jehovah executed upon the Egyptians (Exodus 14:31).

[5] That by “hand” is signified power is now plainly manifest from these passages. Indeed “hand” was so significant of power that it became also its representative, as is evident from the miracles that were done in Egypt, when Moses was commanded to stretch forth his rod, or hand, and so they were done; as in Exodus:

Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven, and Jehovah rained hail upon the land of Egypt (Exodus 9:22-23);

Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven, and there was a thick darkness (Exodus 10:21-22);

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Jehovah made the sea dry land; and Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned (Exodus 14:21, 27).

No one with mental capacity for right thinking can believe that there was any such power in the hand or rod of Moses, but because the lifting up and stretching forth of the hand signified the Divine power, it became a representative in the Jewish Church.

[6] It was similar when Joshua stretched out his javelin, as in Joshua:

And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand; and Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city, and they entered into the city and took it for Joshua drew not back his hand, wherewith he stretched out the javelin, until he had devoted all the inhabitants of Ai (Joshua 8:18, 26).From this it is also evident how the case is with the representatives that were the externals of the Jewish Church; and also how it is with the Word: that the things in its external sense do not appear to be representative of the Lord and His kingdom, as here the stretching forth of the hand, and likewise all the other things, which bear no appearance of being representative while the mind is fixed only on the historic details of the letter. It is evident also how far the Jews had fallen away from a true understanding of the Word and of the rites of the church, while making all worship consist in externals only, even to the extent of attributing power to the rod of Moses and the javelin of Joshua, when yet there was no more power in them than in wood. But because the omnipotence of the Lord was signified, and this was understood in heaven when they stretched forth their hand or rod, the signs and miracles followed.

[7] So too it was when Moses on the top of the hill held up his hands, and Joshua prevailed; and when he let down his hands, and Joshua was overcome; and therefore they stayed up his hands (Exodus 17:9-13). Thus it was that hands were laid upon those who were being consecrated, as on the Levites by the people (Numbers 8:9-10, 12), and on Joshua by Moses, when he was substituted in his place (Numbers 27:18, 23), in order that power might so be given. Hence also come the rites still observed of inauguration and benediction by the laying on of hands. To what extent the hand signified and represented power, is evident from what is said in the Word concerning Uzzah and Jeroboam. Concerning Uzzah it is said that he put forth (his hand) to the ark of God, and took hold of it, and therefore he died (2 Samuel 6:6-7). The “ark” represented the Lord, thus all that is holy and celestial. Uzzah’s putting forth (his hand) to the ark, represented man’s own power, or what is his own; and as this is profane, the word “hand” is understood, but is not expressed in the original, lest it should be perceived by the angels that such a profane thing had touched what is holy.

[8] And because Uzzah put it forth, he died. Concerning Jeroboam it is said: And it came to pass, when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar, that Jeroboam put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him; and his hand which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back again to him; and he said unto the man of God, Intreat now the faces of Jehovah thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again; and the man of God intreated the faces of Jehovah, and the king’s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before (1 Kings 13:4-6).

Here in like manner by “putting forth the hand” is signified man’s own power, or his Own, which is profane, and that it wished to violate what is holy by putting forth the hand against the man of God; wherefore the hand was dried up; but as Jeroboam was an idolater and therefore could not commit profanation, his hand was restored. That the “hand” signifies and represents power, is evident from the representatives in the world of spirits, where a naked arm sometimes comes into view, in which there is strength enough to crush one’s bones and squeeze their inmost marrow to nothing, causing such terror as to melt the heart; and in fact this strength is actually in it.