408. (Verse 15) And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men. That this signifies all internal goods and truths, and all external goods and truths, by means of which there are wisdom and intelligence, is clear from the signification of kings, as denoting truths from good in their whole extent (concerning which see above, n. 31); from the signification of great men, and rich men, as denoting internal goods and truths, concerning which we shall speak presently; from the signification of chief captains, and mighty men, as denoting external goods and truths; the chief captains denoting such goods, and the mighty men such truths, concerning which also we shall speak presently. It is said also, by which there are wisdom and intelligence, because from internal goods and truths, which are spiritual goods and truths, there is wisdom, and from external goods and truths, which are natural goods and truths from spiritual, there is intelligence. Wisdom is distinguished from intelligence in this, that wisdom is from the light of heaven, and intelligence from the light of the world enlightened by the light of heaven. Hence it is that wisdom is said of spiritual goods and truths, and intelligence of natural goods and truths; for spiritual goods and truths are from the light of heaven, because the spiritual mind, or the internal mind, is in the light of heaven; and natural goods and truths are from the light of the world, because the natural and external mind is in the light of the world; but in proportion as this mind receives the light of heaven through the spiritual mind, in the same proportion it is in intelligence. He who supposes that intelligence is from the light of the world only, which is called natural light, is much deceived. To see goods and truths from themselves, whether they be civil, moral, or spiritual, is understood by intelligence; but to see them from another, is not intelligence but knowledge. But that it may be known how these things are to be understood, see what is said in the preceding article (n. 406), namely, that man has two minds, the one spiritual or internal, the other natural or external, and that the spiritual or internal mind is opened with those who apply the goods and truths of the Word to the life, but that it is not opened with those who do not apply the goods and truths of the Word to the life, but only the natural or external mind; hence the latter are called natural men, but the former spiritual; to which it must be added, that in proportion as the spiritual or internal mind is opened, in the same proportion spiritual light, which is the light of heaven, flows in thereby from the Lord into the natural or external mind, and enlightens it and imparts intelligence. The goods and truths that make the spiritual or internal mind are meant by the great men, and the rich men; goods by the great men, and truths by the rich men; and the goods and truths which make the natural or external mind are meant by the chief captains, and the mighty men; such goods by the chief captains, and such truths by the mighty men. Hence it is clear that these words, in the internal sense, include all things with man; for the extinction of all things is treated of in what follows. All things in man have reference to good and truth, as also all things in the universe, man having all wisdom and intelligence from and according to these.

[2] He who considers the sense of the letter only, cannot see otherwise than that kings, and the chief men in their kingdoms, are meant, and that so many are mentioned in order that the sense may be exalted. But no word in the Word is without meaning, because it is Divine in everything therein; therefore by them are meant things Divine pertaining to heaven and the church, which in general speech are called things celestial and spiritual, from which the Word is Divine, celestial, and spiritual. The Word also was given, that by its means there may be a conjunction of heaven with the church, or of the angels of heaven with the men of the church (as may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 303-310); and such conjunction cannot exist if nothing else were meant by these words but what appears in the sense of the letter, namely, that the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the chief captains, and the mighty men, also every bondman and every freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, these things also being natural; but when thereby spiritual things are at the same time meant, then there is conjunction. For otherwise the angels could not be conjoined with men, since the angels are spiritual, because [they are] in the spiritual world, and hence think spiritually and also speak spiritually; but men are natural, because in the natural world, and hence think naturally and speak naturally. These observations are made in order that it may be known that by the kings of the earth, great men, rich men, chief captains, and mighty men are also signified spiritual things. That spiritual things are meant; namely, by great men and rich men, internal goods and truths, and by the chief captains and the mighty men, external goods and truths, is evident from their signification where they are mentioned in the Word.

[3] That great men in the Word signify internal goods, which are the goods of the internal or spiritual man, is because great and greatness, in the Word, are said of good, and many and multitude, of truth (as may be seen above, n. 336, 337). That internal goods are signified by great men, is, that by these four, namely, great men, rich men, chief captains, and mighty men, are signified all the goods and truths in man, thus both the goods and truths of the internal or spiritual man, and of the external or natural man. By the great men and the rich men [are meant] the goods and truths of the internal or spiritual man; and by the chief captains and the mighty men, the goods and truths of the external and natural man; therefore it is also added, every bondman and every freeman, the bondman signifying the external of man, which is called the natural man, and the freeman, the internal of man, which is called the spiritual man. Similar things are also signified by great men elsewhere in the Word (namely, in Jeremiah 5:5; in Nahum 3:9; and in Jonah 3:7). That rich men signify internal truths, which are spiritual truths, or those who are in such truths, is plain from what has been shown above (n. 118, 236). That chief captains signify external goods, which are goods of the natural man, was also shown above (n. 336); wherefore it is unnecessary to adduce more concerning them. But that the mighty men signify external truths, or truths of the natural man, is plain from many passages in the Word, where mighty men, and strong men, also power and strength, are mentioned; the reason is, that all power belongs to truths from good, and indeed to the truths that are in the natural man. That all power belongs to truths from good, is, because good does not act of itself, but by means of truths, for good forms itself into truths, and clothes itself with them, as the soul with the body, and so acts; the reason why it acts by means of truths in the natural man, is, that all interior things are together therein, and in their fulness. That all power pertains to truths from good, or to good by truths, may be seen above (n. 209, 333; and in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 231, 232, 539); and that all power is in ultimates, because the Divine is therein in its fulness, above (n. 346; and in the Arcana Coelestia 9836, 10044). From these things it is evident that by mighty men are meant external truths, or the truths of the natural man.

878. 'He put out his hand' means his own power. 'And he took hold of it, and brought it in to himself into the ark' means that self was the source of the good he did and of the truth he thought. This is clear from the meaning of 'the hand' as power. Here therefore his own power from which he acts is meant. Indeed 'putting out his hand and taking hold of the dove and bringing it in to himself' is attaching and attributing to himself the truth meant by the dove. That 'the hand' means power, and also the exercise of power, and resulting self-confidence, is clear from many places in the Word, as in Isaiah,

I will visit upon the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Asshur, for he has said, By the power of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding. Isaiah 10:12-13.

Here 'hand' clearly stands for his own power to which he attributed what he had done, on account of which visitation was made on him.

[2] In the same prophet,

Moab will stretch out his hands in the midst of him as swimmer does to swim, but He will lay low his pride together with the powerfulness ¹ of his hands. Isaiah 25:11.

'Hands' stands for his own power resulting from projection of self above others, and so from pride. In the same prophet,

Their inhabitants were shorn of power, ² they were dismayed and filled with shame. Isaiah 37:27.

'Shorn of power' ² stands for having no power. In the same prophet,

Will the clay say to its potter, What are you making? or your work [say], He has no hands? Isaiah 45:9.

'He has no hands' stands for no power to it. In Ezekiel,

The king will mourn, and the prince will be wrapped in stupidity, and the hands of the people of the land will be all atremble. Ezekiel 7:17.

Here 'the hands' stands for power. In Micah,

Woe to those devising iniquity and working out evil upon their beds, which they carry out at morning light, and because they make their own hand their god! Micah 2:1.

'Hand' stands for their own power which they trust in as their god. In Zechariah,

Woe to the worthless shepherd deserting the flock! The sword will fall upon his arm and upon his right eye. His arm will be wholly withered, and his right eye utterly darkened. Zechariah 11:17.

[3] Since 'hands' means powers, men's evils and falsities are throughout the Word therefore called 'the works of their hands'. Evils come from the will side of man's proprium, falsities from the understanding side. The fact that this is the source of evils and falsities becomes quite clear from the nature of the human proprium, that it is nothing but evil and falsity. That this is the nature of the proprium see what has been stated already in 39, 41, 141, 150, 154, 210, 215. Because 'the hands' in general means power, the Word therefore frequently attributes hands to Jehovah, or the Lord. And in those contexts 'hands' in the internal sense means omnipotence, as in Isaiah, Jehovah, Your hand has been lifted up. Isaiah 26:11. 'Hand' stands for Divine power. In the same prophet,

Jehovah stretches out ³ His hand, they are all destroyed. Isaiah 31:3.

'Hand' stands for Divine power. In the same prophet,

Over the work of My hands command Me. My hands stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host. Isaiah 45:11-12.

'Hands' stands for Divine power. In the Word regenerate people are often called 'the work of Jehovah's hands'. In the same prophet,

My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand measured out the heavens. Isaiah 48:13.

'Hand' and 'right hand' stand for omnipotence.

[4] In the same prophet,

Has My hand been shortened, that it cannot redeem? Is there no power in Me to deliver? Isaiah 50:2.

'Hand' and 'power' stand for Divine power. In Jeremiah,

You did bring Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm. Jeremiah 32:17, 21.

'Power' in verse Jeremiah 32:17 and 'hand' in verse Jeremiah 32:21 stand for Divine power. It is quite often stated that 'they were brought out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm': in Ezekiel,

Thus said the Lord Jehovih, On the day I chose Israel and lifted up My hand to the seed of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I lifted up My hand to them, to lead them out of the land of Egypt. Ezekiel 20:5-6, 23.

In Moses,

Israel saw the great work ⁴ which Jehovah did on the Egyptians. Exodus 14:31.

[5] All these quotations plainly show that 'the hand' means power. Indeed so much was the hand the symbol of power that it also became its representative, as is clear from the miracles performed in Egypt, when Moses was commanded to stretch out his rod or his hand and they were accomplished -

Moses stretched out his hand and there was hail all over Egypt. Exodus 9:22-23.

Moses stretched out his hand and there was darkness. Exodus 10:21-22.

Moses stretched out his hand and rod over the Sea Suph and it was dried up, and he stretched out his hand and it returned. Exodus 14:11, 27. ⁵

No mentally normal person can believe that any power resided in Moses' hand or rod. Rather, because the lifting up and stretching out of the hand symbolized Divine power, that action also became its representative in the Jewish Church.

[6] The same applies to Joshua's stretching out his javelin, described as follows,

Jehovah said, Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand towards Ai, for I will give it into your hand. When Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand, they entered the city and took it. And Joshua did not draw back the hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. Joshua 8:18-19, 26.

This also makes clear the nature of the representatives which comprised the external features of the Jewish Church. Consequently the Word is such that details recorded in its external sense do not give the appearance of being representatives of the Lord and His kingdom, such as the reference in these quotations to Moses or Joshua stretching out his hand, and all other details recorded there. In these it is never evident that such things are being represented as long as the mind is fixed solely on the historical details of the letter. From this it is also evident how far the Jews had receded from a true understanding of the Word and of the religious practices of their Church by focusing the whole of their worship purely on things of an external nature, even to the extent of attributing power to Moses' rod and to Joshua's javelin, when in fact these had no more power in them than a piece of wood. Yet because they did symbolize the Lord's omnipotence, which was at the time understood in heaven, signs and miracles were accomplished when by command they stretched out their hand or rod. Something similar happened when Moses on the hilltop held up his hands. When he did so Joshua was winning, but when he dropped them he was losing. So they held his hands up for him. Exodus 17:9-13.

[7] It was similar with the laying on of hands when men were being consecrated, as the people did to the Levites, Numbers 8:9-10, 12, and as Moses did to Joshua when the latter was to succeed him, Numbers 27:18, 23 - the purpose being to confer power. And this is why in our own times the ceremonies of ordination and of blessing are accompanied by the laying on of hands. To what extent the hand meant and represented power becomes clear from the following references in the Word to Uzzah and Jeroboam,

Of Uzzah it says that he reached out (his hand) to the Ark of God and took hold of it, and as a consequence died. 2 Samuel 6:6-7.

'The Ark' represented the Lord, and so everything holy and heavenly. 'Uzzah reached out to the Ark' represented man's own power, which is his proprium. And because the proprium is unholy the word 'hand' is left out but nevertheless understood. It is left out to prevent angels perceiving anything so profane as his touching with his hand that which was holy. And because he 'reached out' he died.

[8] In reference to Jeroboam,

It happened, when he heard the saying of the man of God which he cried out against the altar, that Jeroboam reached out his hand from above the altar saying, Lay hold of him. And his hand which he reached out against him dried up, and he could not draw it back to himself. He said to the man of God, Entreat now the face ⁶ of Jehovah your God, that my hand may be restored to me. And the man of God entreated the face ⁶ of Jehovah and his hand was restored to him, and became as it was before. 1 Kings 13:4-6.

Here similarly 'reaching out his hand' means man's own power, or proprium, which is unholy. He was willing to violate what was holy by stretching out his hand against the man of God, as a consequence of which his hand was dried up. Yet because he was an idolater and therefore not able to profane, as stated already, his hand was restored. The fact that 'the hand' means and represents power becomes clear from representatives in the world of spirits. In that world a bare arm sometimes comes into sight possessing so much strength that it can break bones to bits and crush their inner marrow to nothing at all. It consequently strikes so much terror as to cause heart-failure. It really does possess such strength.

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