8238. And Israel saw the great hand which Jehovah wrought on the Egyptians. That this signifies the acknowledgment of the omnipotence of the Lord, is evident from the signification of “to see,” as being to understand, to acknowledge, and to have faith (see n. 897, 2150, 2325, 2807, 3796, 3863, 3869, 4403-4421, 5400, 6805); from the signification of “a hand great,” “strong,” “firm,” “high,” when said of Jehovah, that is, of the Lord, as being omnipotence (n. 878, 7188, 7189, 7518, 8050, 8069, 8153); and from the representation of the Egyptians, as being those who are in damnation; now, those who are in hell.

5328. Or his foot. That this signifies that thence too is everything of power in the natural, is evident from the signification of the “foot,” as being the natural (see n. 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952); here power in the natural, because by “lifting up the foot,” as by “lifting up the hand,” is signified power; but by “lifting up the hand” power in the spiritual, and by “lifting up the foot” power in the natural; for the parts of the body above the feet bear relation to spiritual things. This is very evident from the Grand Man, or three heavens. When the whole heaven is presented before the sight as one man, the inmost or third heaven answers to the head, the middle or second heaven to the body, and the lowest or first to the feet. The inmost or third heaven answers to the head because it is celestial, and the middle or second answers to the body because it is spiritual, and the lowest or first answers to the feet because it is natural. Therefore by the “neck,” because it is intermediate, is signified the influx and communication of what is celestial with what is spiritual; and by the “knees,” because they also are intermediate, is signified the influx and communication of what is spiritual with what is natural. From this it is plain that by “lifting up the hand” is signified power in the spiritual, by “lifting up the foot” power in the natural; and therefore the power signified by the “hand” is predicated of the spiritual, namely, of truth from good (see n. 3091, 3563, 4931). By “the spiritual” is meant that in the natural which is of the light of heaven, and by “the natural” that in the natural which is of the light of the world; for all the former is called “spiritual,” and all the latter “natural.”