Scientists believe that one of the most crucial developments in the evolution of humans was bipedalism – walking on two legs. That left our hands free to carry things, use tools, fight, work and touch each other. Having hands made intelligence important, leading to larger brains and, at some point, true humanity through spiritual existence.
We’ve been using our hands the same way ever since; they are the primary way we can put our thoughts and intentions into action. That was true in centuries past, as farmers, warriors, craftsmen and artists were all dependent on their hands. And while it might be slightly less true thanks to technology today, we still use primarily our hands to interface with machines through instruments and keyboards.
It makes sense, then, that according to Swedenborg hands in the Bible represent power, the force with which things are put into action. To be specific, they represent the power of spiritual good – which is the love of others and serving others – expressed through spiritual truth – which is an understanding and knowledge of what it is to love and serve others. This is in contrast to the feet, which represent power on the natural level, and a “rod,” which represents the power of the hand passed down into external or natural ideas.
In a few cases in the Bible, hands also represent communication and a drawing together. This is true when people lift their hands to heaven or to Jehovah, and also when Jesus touches children or touches people to heal them.
Passages from Swedenborg
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 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. Isa. 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* of his hands. Isa. 15:11.
‘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,** they were dismayed and filled with shame. Isa. 37:27.
‘Shorn of power’** 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? Isa. 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. Ezek. 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. Zech. 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. Isa. 26:11. ‘Hand’ stands for Divine power. In the same prophet,
Jehovah stretches out*** His hand, they are all destroyed. Isa. 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. Isa. 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. Isa. 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? Isa. 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. Jer. 32. 17, 21.
‘Power’ in verse 17 and ‘hand’ in verse 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. Ezek. 20:5, 6, 23.
In Moses,
Israel saw the great work**** which Jehovah did on the Egyptians. Exod. 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. Exod. 9:22, 23.
Moses stretched out his hand and there was darkness. Exod. 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. Exod. 14:11, 27.*****
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. Josh. 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. Exod. 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, Num. 8:9, 10, 12, and as Moses did to Joshua when the latter was to succeed him, Num. 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 Sam. 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****** of Jehovah your God, that my hand may be restored to me. And the man of God entreated the face****** 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.
* lit. with the cataracts or the floodgates
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 1745
- That ‘I have lifted up my hand to Jehovah’ means the Lord’s frame of mind is clear from the meaning of ‘lifting up the hand’. Lifting up the hand to Jehovah, as is well known, is an action of the body corresponding to an affection of the mind. In the sense of the letter things that are interior, or belonging to the mind, are expressed by means of external things that correspond, but in the internal sense it is the internal things that are meant. Here therefore ‘lifting up the hand’ is the mind or affection of the mind.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 3091
- ‘And she hastened and lowered her pitcher on to her hand’ means the submission of the recipients which was accomplished by power. This is clear from the meaning of ‘lowering’ as an act of submission, from the meaning of ‘a pitcher’ as a recipient, dealt with in 3068, 3079, and from the meaning of ‘the hand’ as power, dealt with in 878. By the description ‘the submission of the recipients which was accomplished by power’ one means that matters of doctrine, cognitions, and facts, which are recipients, 3068, 3079, place themselves ready to receive, for a chain of subordination exists and so a readiness to receive, and consequently a submission, from the Prime Source of life, which is the Lord. Things in a lower position in it must be submissive because they ought to be of service to what is higher. Without their submission no joining together takes place. The power referred to here is received from truth. Truth is what submits those things that are beneath. It is to truth especially that power is attributed in the Word, and so it is truth to which the hands, the arms, and also the shoulders have reference – by which in the internal sense powers are meant, 878, 1085. Though it seems to be received from truth, power itself is in fact received from good by way of truth.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 3387
[4] The fact that the Word speaks according to appearances involving space is clear from almost every single part of it, as in Matthew,
Jesus said, How is it that David says, The Lord [said] to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool? Matt. 22:43, 44.
Here the expression ‘sitting at the right hand’ is derived from the concept of place and so according to the appearance – when in fact it is a state of the Lord’s Divine power which is described by that expression. In the same gospel,
Jesus said, Hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Matt. 26:64.
Here similarly ‘sitting at the right hand’ and also ‘coming on clouds’ are expressions derived from men’s concept of place, whereas the concept angels have is one of the state of the Lord’s power. In Mark,
The sons of Zebedee said to Jesus, Grant us to sit in Your glory, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left. Jesus replied, To sit at My right hand and at My left is not Mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared. Mark 10:37, 40.
From this it is evident what kind of concept the disciples had of the Lord’s kingdom, that is to say, one that involved sitting on the right hand and on the left. Such being the concept they had of it the Lord also replied to them in a way they could understand and so by an appearance that could be seen by them.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 3563
- ‘And said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, and the hands Esau’s hands’ means that the understanding consists in this case of truth existing inwardly, while the will consists in this case of good existing outwardly, so that an inversion of order exists with them. This is clear from the use of ‘voice’ to refer to truth and of ‘hand’ to refer to good. For ‘voice’ is used in reference to truth, as is evident from the places introduced in Volume One, in 219, 220, and from the fact that the actual words used are ‘the voice is Jacob’s voice’, Jacob representing natural truth, as shown in various places above. And the reason why ‘hand’ is used in reference to good is that ‘the hand’ means power and ability, 878, 3541, the source of which is nothing other than good. All the power and ability that truth possesses comes from good, even though it seems to come from truth. This likewise is evident from the fact that the actual words used are ‘the hands are Esau’s hands’, Esau representing natural good, as also shown above. The consequent existence of an inversion of order with them is evident from the consideration that proper order requires good, which belongs to the will, to exist inwardly, and truth, which belongs to the understanding, to exist outwardly.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 4876
- ‘And your rod which is in your hand’ means through the power of this, that is, of this truth. This is clear from the meaning of ‘a rod’ as power, dealt with below; and from the meaning of ‘the hand’ too as power, dealt with in 876, 3091, 3387, 3563. The phrase ‘which is in your hand’ is used because the power of that truth, namely lowest truth, is meant, like that present with the semblance of religion among the Jewish nation, meant here by ‘Judah’. Regarding the attribution of power to truth, see 3091, 3563. Frequent mention is made in the Word of ‘a rod’, yet surprisingly few at the present day know that something in the spiritual world was represented by it, as for instance when Moses was commanded, every time a miracle was performed, to lift up his rod and so it was accomplished. The existence of such knowledge even among gentiles may be recognized from their myths in which rods are assigned to magicians. The reason ‘a rod’ means power is that it is a support, for it gives support to the hand and arm, and through these to the whole body. This being so, a rod takes on the meaning of the part to which it immediately gives support, namely that of the hand and the arm, both of which mean in the Word the power of truth.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 4932
- The ones who in the Grand Man correspond to the hands and arms, and also the shoulders, are those with power received through the truth of faith grounded in good. For those who have received the truth of faith grounded in good have received power from the Lord. They attribute all their power to Him and none to themselves; and the more they attribute no power to themselves, doing so not with their lips but in their hearts, the greater power they have. This is why angels are called powers and authorities.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 4933
- The reason why the hands, arms, and shoulders correspond to power in the Grand Man is that the strength and powers of the whole body and of all its internal organs are linked to them, in that the body employs the arms and hands to exercise its strength and powers. This also is the reason why in the Word powers are meant by ‘the hands’, ‘the arms’, and ‘the shoulders’. As regards ‘the hands’ having this meaning, see 878, 3387, and as regards ‘the arms’ meaning the same, this is evident from many places, such as the following,
Be their arm every morning. Isa. 33:2.
The Lord Jehovih is coming with might, and His arm will exercise dominion for Him. Isa. 40:10.
He works it by means of His arm of strength. Isa. 44:12.
My arms will judge the peoples. Isa. 51:5.
Put on strength, O arm of Jehovah. Isa. 51:9.
I looked around, and there was no helper, therefore My own arm brought salvation to Me. Isa. 63:5.
Cursed is he who trusts in man (homo) and makes flesh his arm. Jer. 17:5.
I have made the earth, man, and beast, by My great strength and by My outstretched arm. Jer. 27:5; 32:17.
The horn of Moab has been cut off and his arm broken. Jer. 48:25.
I am breaking the arms of the king of Egypt, but I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babel. Ezek. 30:22, 24, 25.
O Jehovah, break the arm of the wicked. Ps. 10:15.
According to the greatness of Your arm preserve those who are appointed to die.* Ps. 79:11.
They were brought out of Egypt by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Deut. 7:19; 11:2, 3; 26:8; Jer. 32:21; Ps. 136:12.
From these places it may also be recognized that by the right hand in the Word superior power is meant, and by ‘sitting on the right hand of Jehovah’ almighty power, Matt. 26:63, 64; Luke 22:69; Mark 14:61, 62; 16:19.
* lit. cause the sons of death to remain
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 5328
- ‘Or his foot’ means all power in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of ‘foot’ as the natural, dealt with in 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4931-4952. Here power within the natural is meant because ‘lifting up the foot’, like ‘lifting up the hand’, means power, though ‘lifting up the hand’ means power in the spiritual, whereas ‘lifting up the foot’ means power in the natural; for the parts within the body that are above the feet correspond to spiritual things. This is especially evident from the Grand Man or the three heavens.
[2] Whenever the whole of heaven is displayed visually as one human being, the inmost or third heaven presents itself as the head, the middle or second heaven presents itself as the body, and the lowest or first as the feet. The reason the inmost or third heaven presents itself as the head is that it is celestial; the reason the middle or second heaven presents itself as the body is that it is spiritual; and the reason the lowest or first presents itself as the feet is that it is natural. By ‘the neck’ therefore, since this is an intermediate part, is meant the inflow and communication of celestial things with spiritual ones; and by ‘the knees’, since these are likewise intermediate, is meant the inflow and communication of spiritual things with natural ones. From this it is evident that ‘lifting up the hand’ means power within the spiritual, while ‘lifting up the foot’ means power within the natural, and therefore that the power meant by ‘the hand’ has regard to the spiritual, namely to truth grounded in good, 3091, 3567, 4932. By the spiritual is meant that within the natural which belongs to the light of heaven, and by the natural that within the natural which belongs to the light of the world; for everything belonging to the light of heaven is called spiritual, and everything belonging to the light of the world is called natural.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 6947
- ‘What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod’ means the power of the Lord’s Divine Human. This is clear from the meaning of ‘hand’ as power, dealt with in 878, 3387, 4971-4937, 5327, 5328, 5544; and from the meaning of ‘a rod’ too as power, dealt with in 4013, 4876, 4936. The reason why it is the power of the Lord’s Divine Human is that ‘Moses’ represents the Lord in respect of the law of God, which is the Word, and this is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord’s Divine Human, 6752. The power meant by ‘hand’ is the power emanating from the Lord’s Divine Rational, whereas the power meant by ‘the rod’ is the power emanating from the Lord’s Divine Natural. The reason why ‘a rod’ is the power emanating from the Lord’s Divine Natural is that a rod is like a foot in that it supports the body, and by ‘the foot’ is meant the natural, 2161, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952; and ‘lifting up the hand’ is power in the spiritual, while ‘lifting up the foot’ is power in the natural, see 5727, 5328. And since ‘hand’ and ‘rod’ have these meanings, then depending on how high the things described in the internal sense rise Moses was sometimes told, when he was to work miracles, to lift up his hand, at other times his rod.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 7568
- ‘Stretch out your hand towards heaven’ means attention drawn to heaven, which would then come nearer. This is clear from the meaning of ‘stretching out the hand’ as drawing attention to something, for an outstretched hand is used to draw attention to something and point it out; and from the meaning of ‘heaven’ as the angelic heaven. And since, when a person’s attention is drawn to heaven and it is pointed out to him, he also turns his gaze and thought in that direction, its coming nearer is also meant; for in the spiritual world things are brought nearer by focusing thought on them. The nature of these matters has, it is true, been discussed already in 7519. Even so, since they are the kinds of things that are unknown in the world, let a little more be said to illustrate them. When any change of state needs to take place with the evil undergoing vastation, such as happens to those who are the subject in the present chapters, the change is brought about by a more immediate inflow of goodness and truth from heaven. For the closer heaven comes to them, the more internal are the evils and falsities which are activated with them. Goodness and truth from heaven reach in towards the interiors; and the nearer heaven gets, the further in they reach. This explains why those from hell do not dare to move towards any heavenly community but get away as far as they can, see 4225, 4226, 4299, 4533, 4674, 5057, 5058, 7519. From all this one now may see what one is to understand by attention drawn to heaven, which would then come nearer, meant when it says that Moses should stretch out his hand towards heaven. A new state is being described now, that is to say, a state in which falsities arising from evils are destructive of all the Church’s forms of good and its truths residing with those who molest. And since this state is brought about by a more immediate inflow of truth from God and at the same time by heaven’s drawing closer, Moses is therefore told to stretch out his hand towards heaven.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 10019
- ‘And you shall fill the hand of Aaron and the hand of his sons’ means consecration to represent the Lord’s Divine Power exercised through Divine Truth springing from Divine Good*. This is clear from the meaning of ‘filling the hand’ as being consecrated to represent the Lord in respect of Divine Truth springing from Divine Good, consequently to represent His power. Two practices existed through which consecration to the priesthood was effected, anointing and filling the hand. Through anointing consecration to represent the Lord in respect of His Divine Good was effected, for the oil used in anointing was a sign of the good of love, 10011; and through filling the hand consecration to represent the Lord in respect of Divine Truth springing from Divine Good, and so to represent His power, was effected, since ‘the hand’ means power, 878, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328, 6947, 7011, 7188, 7189, 7518, 7673, 8050, 8069, 8153, and ‘hand’ is used in reference to truth that springs from good, 3091, 3563, 4931, 8281, 9025. Because all power belongs to truth springing from good, 5623, 6344, 6423, 6948, 8200, 8304, 9327, 9410, 9639, 9643, and since the head and whole body exercise their power through the hands, and this power is the capacity to act that a human life possesses, ‘the hand’ also means whatever resides with a person, thus the entire person’s capacity to act, 9133. From all this it may be seen what ‘filling the hand’ means. All power belongs to the Lord alone, and none whatever exists with any angel, spirit, or man other than that derived from Him, see 8200, 8281, 9327, 9410, 9639. The reason why consecration to the priesthood was effected through the two practices of anointing and filling the hand was that all things without exception that exist or come into existence in heaven and on earth have connection with good and with truth.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 10023
- ‘And Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the young bull’ means a representative sign of the reception of goodness and truth in the natural or external man. This is clear from the meaning of ‘laying hands on’ as transmitting what is one’s own to another, the reason why reception too is meant being that what is transmitted is received by another; from the meaning of ‘the head’ as the whole, dealt with in 10011; and from the meaning of ‘the young bull’ as the good of innocence and charity in the external or natural man, dealt with in 9391, 10021. The reason why ‘laying the hand on’ means transmission and reception is that by ‘the hands’ is meant power and since this power is the capacity to act, whatever resides with a person, thus the entire person engaged in action, is also meant by ‘the hands’, see the places referred to in 10019; and by ‘laying on’ is meant transmission on the part of the one who lays them on and reception on the part of the person on whom or thing on which they are laid. From this it is evident what ‘laying the hand on’ meant among the ancients, namely the transmission and transference of whatever thing it was that they had in mind, and also the reception of it by another, whether it was power, obedience, blessing, or testimony.
[2] The fact that ‘laying the hand on’ meant power is clear from the following places in Moses,
Jehovah told Moses to lay his hand on Joshua and to set him before Eleazar the priest in front of the whole congregation, and thereby place some of his glory on him, that all the congregation might be obedient to him. Num. 27:18-20.
‘Laying his hand on’ here, it is evident, means a transmission and transference of power that Moses had, and the reception of it by Joshua. Therefore it says that he would thereby put some of his glory on him.
[3] In the same author,
It was commanded, when the Levites were to be purified and the priestly function under Aaron was to be assigned to them, that two young bulls together with a minchah should be brought forward, and that Aaron should bring the Levites before Jehovah. And the children of Israel were to lay their hands on the Levites, and the Levites were to lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls, one of which was to be offered as a sacrifice, the other as a burnt offering. And in this way were they to separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites would be Jehovah’s. Num. 8:7-14.
The laying of hands on the Levites by the children of Israel was a sign of the transference of power to the Levites to minister on their behalf, and a sign of the reception of that power by the Levites, thus a sign of the separation of the Levites. And the laying of hands on the heads of the young bulls by the Levites was a sign of the transference of that power to Jehovah, that is, the Lord. This is why it says that in that way were they to be separated from among the children of Israel and were to be Jehovah’s.
[4] In the same author,
After the children of Israel had confessed their sins Aaron was to lay both his hands on the head of the live he-goat Asasel, and he was to confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their sins; and he was to put them on the goat’s head, and send it into the wilderness. Lev. 16:21.
Laying hands on the he-goat, it is self-evident, meant the transmission and transference of all the iniquities and sins of the children of Israel onto that goat, and its reception of them, ‘the wilderness’ into which the goat was sent being hell. Lev. 24:14 required that the witnesses and all who had heard should lay their hands on him who was to be stoned. This action was a sign that the witness borne by them had been transmitted and transferred to him, and once it was received he was delivered up to death.
[5] In the same author,
A person who brings from the herd or from the flock a burnt offering as a gift to Jehovah shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering; then it will be received with pleasure from him, to make expiation for him. Lev. 1:2-4.
The hand had in like manner to be laid on the head of a gift offered as a sacrifice, Lev. 3:1, 2, 8, 13. A priest was required to do the same thing if he had sinned, and so were the elders, or the whole congregation, and also a leader if he had sinned; and any ordinary person* was required to do the same thing if he had sinned, Lev. 4:4, 15, 24, 29. Laying their hands on the burnt offering or on the sacrifice was a sign of all the worship of the one presenting the offering. That is to say, it was a sign of the acknowledgement of sins, confession, and consequent purification, and a sign of the implantation of goodness and truth, thus of being joined to the Lord, all of which was brought about by transmission, transference, and reception. By transference and reception that which is meant by ‘bearing iniquities’, dealt with in 9937, 9938, should be understood.
[6] Since the laying-on of hands was a sign of transmission, transference, and reception, one may recognize what the laying-on of hands means in Matthew,
A ruler came to Jesus and said, My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live. Jesus went in, took her hand, and the girl arose. Matt. 9:18, 19, 25.
In Mark,
Jesus laid hands on the blind man’s eyes, and he was restored. Mark 8:25.
In the same gospel,
They brought a deaf man to Jesus, that He might lay His hand on him. Taking him aside from the people He put His finger into his ears and touched his tongue, and his powers of hearing were opened. Mark 7:32, 33, 35.
In Luke,
There was a woman bent right over owing to a spirit of infirmity. Jesus laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight**. Luke 13:11, 13.
In Mark,
Jesus laid hands on the weak and healed them. Mark 6:5.
[7] In these places it is evident that when the Lord laid His hand on people, and also when He touched them, the meaning was the transmission and reception of Divine power. The fact that these things are meant is perfectly clear in Mark,
A certain woman came behind and touched Jesus’ garment, saying, If I touch merely His garment I shall be healed. And immediately she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus perceived within Himself that power had gone out of Him. Mark 5:27-30.
In Luke,
The woman, touching Jesus’ garment, was healed. Jesus said, Someone touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me. Luke 8:44, 46.
And in the same gospel,
The entire crowd sought to touch Jesus, because power went out from Him and healed them all. Luke 6:19.
[8] From this it is evident what ‘touching with the hand’ and ‘touching with the finger’ mean, and also what the following words in the same gospel mean,
Jesus came and touched the coffin in which the dead man was; and the bearers stood still. Then He said, Young man, I say to you, Arise. And the dead man sat up and began to speak. Luke 7:14, 15.
It is also evident what laying His hands on children and young children means. Laying them on children is described in Matthew,
Children were brought to Jesus that He might lay His hands on them. Jesus said, Let the children be and do not forbid them to come to Me; of such is the kingdom of heaven. And He laid His hands on them. Matt. 19:13-15.
And laying His hands on young children is spoken of in Mark,
Jesus took the young children up in His arms, and put His hands on them, and blessed them. Mark 10:16.
This laying of His hand on children and on young children likewise means the transmission and reception of Divine power, enabling a person’s interiors to be healed, which is salvation.
[9] The meaning of touch by the use of the hands has its origin in representatives in the next life. People there whose states of life are dissimilar appear far removed from one another, whereas those whose states of life are similar appear living in association with one another; and those who touch one another there transmit their state of life to another. If this is done by the use of the hands the whole of their life is transmitted, for as stated above, by the hands, by virtue of their correspondence, is meant power, which is a human being’s capacity to act, thus whatever resides with a person. Such representatives occur in the world of spirits, but they do so as a result of influx from heaven, where only the ties associating people as to affections for goodness and truth are perceived.
* lit. every soul
** The Latin means He healed [her], but the Greek, also what appears in Sw.’s rough draft, means she was made straight.
Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 10241
- Their hands and their feet. That this signifies the interiors and exteriors of man, is evident from the signification of “hands,” as being the interiors of man (of which below); and from the signification of “feet,” as being the exteriors of man, thus his natural things, for these are exterior. (That the “feet” denote what is natural, thus the exteriors of man, see n. 2162, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952, 9406.) But that the “hands” denote the interiors is because the higher things of the body extend into the hands, and there terminate, consequently by the “hands” is signified whatever pertains to man, and also his power (see the places cited in n. 10019). But when both the “hands” and the “feet” are mentioned, then there is signified whatever is in the internal and also in the external man, or both spiritual and natural things. For this reason by “lifting up the hand” is signified power in the spiritual; and by “lifting up the foot,” power in the natural (see n. 5327, 5328); moreover, by the extremes of man are signified all that pertains to him (n. 10044), and the extremes are the hands and feet. From all this it can be seen why Aaron and his sons were to wash the hands and feet when they entered into the Tent of meeting, or came near to the altar to minister.
Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 55
- But He laid His right hand on me. This symbolizes life then infused from the Lord.
The Lord laid His right hand on him because a communication is effected through the touch of the hands. That is because the life of the mind and so of the body projects itself into the arms and through them into the hands. It is on this account that the Lord touched with His hand the people He brought back to life and healed (Mark 1:31, 41, 7:32, 33, 8:22-26, 10:13, 16; Luke 5:12, 13, 7:14, 18:15, 22:51); and that He likewise touched His disciples after they saw Jesus transfigured and fell on their faces (Matthew 17:6, 7).
The fundamental reason for this is that the Lord’s presence in a person is an adjunction, thus a conjunction by contiguity, and this contiguity becomes closer and fuller in the measure that the person loves the Lord, which is to say, as he keeps His commandments.
From these few observations it can be seen that the Lord’s laying His right hand on John means, symbolically, that He infused His life into him.
Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 457
- Still did not repent of the works of their hands. This symbolically means, nor did they refrain from their native proclivities, which are evils of every kind, as being sins.
The works of a person’s hands symbolize a person’s native proclivities, which are evils and their attendant falsities, because the hands symbolize in summary the things that emanate from a person; for the forces of the mind and consequently of the body are directed into the hands and terminate there. Consequently the hands in the Word symbolize power. For the same reason the works of a person’s hands symbolize his native proclivities, which are evils and falsities of every kind. Evils are the native proclivities of his will, and the attendant falsities the native proclivities of his intellect.
We are told regarding the people who are the subject here that they did not repent, because people who make faith alone the totality of religion say to themselves, “What need do I have of repentance, when through faith alone our sins are forgiven and we are saved? What do our works contribute to this? I know that I was born in sin and that I am a sinner. If I confess this and pray that my faults not be imputed to me, then I have repented. What need do I have of anything more?”
Thus the person then gives no thought to sin, even to the point of not knowing what sins are. Consequently the delight and gratification they afford continually carry him along in them and into them, the way a favorable wind and current carry a ship onto rocks when both captain and crew are asleep.
[2] In the natural sense of the Word, the works of a person’s hands mean carved images, cast images, and idols; but in its spiritual sense, they symbolize evils and falsities of every kind, which are a person’s native proclivities. As, for example, in the following passages:
…do not provoke Me to anger by the work of your hands…; (if you were) to provoke Me to anger by the work of your hands to your own hurt…, I will repay them according to their work and according to the deeds of their hands. (Jeremiah 25:6, 7, 14)
…the children of Israel have provoked Me…to anger by the work of their hands…. (Jeremiah 32:30, cf. 44:8)
I will utter My judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, because they…bowed themselves to the works of their hands. (Jeremiah 1:16)
In that day…people’s eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel, and…not to the altars, the work of their hands, and…what their fingers have made…. (Isaiah 17:7, 8, cf. 31:7, 37:19, Jeremiah 10:9)
[3] The work of a person’s hands is his own doing, thus evil and falsity, and this can be clearly seen from the fact that it was for this reason that the Israelites were forbidden to built an altar or temple out of hewn stones, or to use an iron tool on those stones; for they symbolized the work of a person’s hands:
If you make Me an altar of stones, you shall not build it of hewn stones; for if you use your chisel on it, you will profane it. (Exodus 20:25)
Joshua built…an altar of…stones, on which he did not use an iron tool. (Joshua 8:30, 31)
The temple (at Jerusalem)…was built of whole stone, and no hammer or axe or any iron tool was heard…while it was being built. (1 Kings 6:7)
[4] Everything that the Lord does is likewise called the work of His hands, and these are His inherent attributes, which in themselves are goods and truths. As, for example, in the following places:
The works of (Jehovah’s) hands are truth and judgment. (Psalm 111:7)
Your mercy, O Jehovah, endures forever; do not cease the works of Your hands. (Psalm 138:8)
Thus said Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: “Seek from Me signs concerning My children; concerning the work of My hands, command Me.” (Isaiah 45:11)
Your people are all just…, the offshoot of My planting, the work of My hands…. (Isaiah 60:21)
…O Jehovah, You are our Father, we are the clay, and You our potter, and all we the work of Your hands. (Isaiah 64:8)
Conjugial Love (Rogers) n. 396
[3] We have already shown several times before that communications of love and its delights between married partners are occasioned through the sense of touch. Communications of the mind are also occasioned by it, for the reason that the hands are the terminal elements of a person, and his first elements are present together in the terminal ones. This is also what holds all things of the body and all things of the mind that are intermediate in an unbroken connection. So it is that Jesus touched little children (Matthew 19:13,15, Mark 10:13,16); and also that He healed the sick by touching them,** and those were healed who touched Him.{#} That, too, is why inaugurations into the priesthood today are performed by the laying on of hands.
It is apparent from this that the innocence of parents and the innocence of little children meet through the instrumentality of touch, especially through that of the hands, and thus join themselves as though by kisses.