9133. 'If the theft is certainly found in his hand' means if any truth or good is left by means of which restoration can be made. This is clear from the meaning of 'certainly being found' - when it refers to good or truth that has been taken away, meant by 'the theft' - as being left; from the meaning of 'in his hand' as in his power ('hand' means power, see 878, 3387, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328, 5544, 6947, 7011, 7188, 7189, 7518, 7673, 8050, 8153, 8281; and the fact that 'in his hand' also means what resides with him will be seen below); and from the meaning of 'the theft' as the good or truth that has been taken away, dealt with in 9125. From all this it is evident that 'if the theft is certainly found in his hand' means if any good or truth is left. The reason why by means of which restoration can be made is also meant is that restoration for the good or truth that has been taken away is the subject in the present verse. The situation is that when a general affection for good remains there is always something left by means of which restoration can be made to replace some particular form of good that has been taken away; for it is on the general form of good that particular forms of it and particular truths depend, see

920, 1040, 1316, 4269, 4325 (end), 4329, 4345, 4383, 5208, 6115, 7131. The reason why 'in his hand' is whatever resides with him is that 'the hand' means power, and whatever is within a person's power resides with him, and what is not in his power does not reside with him. This also is the reason why 'hand', especially 'right hand', is used to mean the person himself. From all this one may see what is meant by 'sitting on the right hand of the Father' when said of the Lord, that He is everything residing with the Father, and so is the Father Himself. The same thing is meant in the Lord's teaching in John 14:8-11; 17:10-11, about His being in the Father, and the Father in Him, and about all things that are His being the Father's, and all that are the Father's being His.

7131. 'To gather stubble for straw' means to find some true factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'stubble for straw' as true factual knowledge; for 'stubble' means the kind of truth that is suited to factual knowledge, meant by 'straw'. 'Stubble' means truth such as this because stubble is the stalk, the tip of which contains the seed; and truths and forms of good are meant in the Word by 'seeds'. Thus the stalk underneath the seeds means a general vessel containing truth, and so means true factual knowledge. For stems of factual knowledge about faith and charity are indeed truths; but they are general truths and so are vessels for receiving particular and specific truths, as anyone is also able to recognize. For example, the general truth that charity towards the neighbour is the essential element of the Church is a stem of true factual knowledge. Another stem is the general truth that faith cannot exist except where there is charity; and yet another is the general truth that truth and good can be joined together, but not truth and evil or good and falsity. And there are many more besides these which are examples of true factual knowledge. Such knowledge can be enriched endlessly with details of truth, as may be recognized from the consideration that volumes can be written about them, even though specific truths - the more internal truths of faith - are completely beyond description, since they can be seen only in the light of heaven and cannot find expression in earthly language. Those truths are like charity, which is a spiritual level of affection, in that for the most part words are incapable of expressing any but the most general aspects of it. That is to say, words can express only those aspects that take on a natural appearance and can be likened to things such as exist in the world. All this has been mentioned in order that people may know what is meant by general factual knowledge.