4013.“雅各拿杨树的嫩枝”表适合属世良善的能力。这从“枝”和“杨树”的含义清楚可知：“枝”（rod，即杖或棍）是指能力；“杨树”是指属世层的良善，如下文所述。“枝”（rod，即杖或棍）在圣言中经常被提及，均表示能力，既因为它是牧人用来管理羊群的，还因为它可用来支撑身体，可以说是为了右手而存在的；而“手”表示能力（878，3387节）。“枝”（rod，即杖或棍）因具有这种含义，故在古时为国王所用；王室的象征就是一根短杖，以及一根权杖。不仅国王持杖，祭司和先知也持杖，以便能通过这杖来表示他们所拥有的权柄或能力，如亚伦和摩西。这解释了为何摩西如此频繁地被吩咐伸杖，有时也伸手，这时就会有神迹发生；因为“杖”和“手”表示神性大能。正因“杖”表示能力，所以埃及术士在行法术时，也是用杖。也正因如此，如今的魔术师在表演时手里会拿着一根棍。所有这一切表明“杖”表示能力。
但在原文，牧人、国王，以及祭司和先知所持的杖是用另一个词来表述的；不同于用于雅各所拿之杖的词。雅各所拿的杖用的是一个表示旅行者的拐杖，以及牧人之杖的词来表述的，这一点从其它经文可以看出来（如创世记32:10；出埃及记12:11；撒母耳记上17:40，43；撒迦利亚书11:7，10）。诚然，本节所提到的杖不是手持的那种杖，只是从树上，也就是从杨树、榛树和梧桐树上的砍下来的枝子而已，被插在正对着羊群的水槽里。然而，这个词具有同样的含义，因为就内义而言，它描述了属世良善的能力，以及由这良善所赋予属世真理的能力。
至于这枝子所出自的杨树，要知道，树一般表示觉察和认知，当论及属天之人时，表示觉察；但当论及属灵之人时，则表示认知（参看103，2163，2682，2722，2972节）。既如此，树尤表良善与真理，因为这些就属于觉察和认知。有些树种表示属于属灵人的内在良善与真理，如橄榄树和葡萄树；有些树种则表示属于属世人的外在良善与真理，如杨树、榛树和梧桐树。由于在古时，每种树表示某种良善或真理，故在树林中所举行的敬拜与那里的树种是一致的（2722节）。此处所提到的杨树是指白杨树，因其白而被如此称呼，也因其白而得名（白杨树）。因此，“杨树”表示出自真理的良善；或也可说，真理之良善；在何西阿书（4:13）也是；只是在那里这良善被歪曲了。
Potts(1905-1910) 4013
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 (Gen. 32:10; Exod. 12:11; 1 Sam. 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.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4013
4013. 'Jacob took for himself fresh rods of poplar' means the power proper to natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a rod' as power, and from the meaning of 'poplar' as the good of the natural, dealt with below. 'A rod' is referred to in various places in the Word, and in every case it means power, for one reason because of its use by shepherds in the exercise of power over their flocks, and for another because it served to support the body, and existed so to speak for the sake of the right hand - for 'the hand' means power, 878, 3387. And because it had that meaning a rod was also used in ancient times by a king; and the royal emblem was a short rod and also a sceptre. And not only a king used a rod, but also a priest and a prophet did so, in order that he too might denote by means of his rod the power which he possessed, as Aaron and Moses did. This explains why Moses was commanded so many times to stretch out his rod, and on other occasions his hand, when miracles were performed, the reason being that 'a rod' and 'the hand' means Divine power. And it is because 'a rod' means power that the magicians of Egypt likewise used one when performing magical miracles. It is also the reason why at the present day a magician is represented with a rod in his hand.
[2] From all these considerations it may be seen that power is meant by 'rods'. But in the original language the word used for the rod that a shepherd, or else a king, or else a priest or a prophet possessed, is different from that used for the rods which Jacob took. The latter were used by wayfarers and so also by shepherds, as becomes clear from other places, such as Gen 32:10; Exod 12:11; 1 Sam 17:40, 43; Zech 11:7, 10. In the present verse, it is true, the rod is not referred to as one supporting the hand but as a stick cut out from a tree, that is to say, from the poplar, hazel, or plane, to be placed in the troughs in front of the flock. Nevertheless the word has the same meaning, for in the internal sense it describes the power of natural good and from that the good that empowers natural truths.
[3] As regards 'the poplar' from which a rod was made, it should be recognized that trees in general mean perceptions and cognitions - perceptions when they have reference to the celestial man, but cognitions when they have reference to the spiritual man, see 103, 2163, 2682, 2722, 2972. This being so, trees specifically mean goods and truths, for it is these that are involved in perceptions and cognitions. Some kinds of trees mean the interior goods and truths which belong to the spiritual man, such as olives and vines, other kinds mean the exterior goods and truths which belong to the natural man, such as the poplar, the hazel, and the plane. And because in ancient times each tree meant some kind of good or truth, the worship which took place in groves accorded with the kinds of trees there, 2722. The poplar referred to here is the white poplar, so called from the whiteness from which it gets its name. Consequently 'poplar' means good which was a product of truth, or what amounts to the same, the good of truth, as also in Hosea 4:13, though in this instance the good has been falsified.
Latin(1748-1756) 4013
4013. `Accepit sibi Jacob baculum populi recentem': quod significet propriam potentiam naturalis boni, constat a significatione `baculi' quod sit potentia; et a significatione `populi' quod sit bonum naturalis, de qua sequitur: `baculus' passim nominatur in Verbo, et ubivis significat potentiam, tam ex eo quod pastores illo usi sint, potentiae exercendae causa super greges, quam quoque quia inserviebat sustentationi corporis, et quasi pro manu dextra; per `manum' enim significatur potentia, n. 878, 3387; et quia illa significatio baculi fuit, etiam reges antiquitus illo usi sunt, inde insigne regium curtus baculus et quoque sceptrum; nec solum reges illo usi sunt, sed etiam sacerdotes {1}et prophetae, ut quoque illi (t)per baculum significarent' potentiam quae illis, sicut Aharon et Moses; quare Mosi toties mandatum est ut extenderet baculum suum, et alibi ut manum, cum miracula fiebant; et hoc quia per `baculum' et per `manum' Divina potentia significabatur; ex significatione `baculi' quod sit potentia, etiam magi Aegyptii illo usi sunt cum magica miracula facerent; inde hodie magi repraesentantur per baculos in manu. [2] Ex {1}his constare potest quod per `baculos' significetur potentia: sed in lingua originali, baculi qui pastoribus, et qui regibus, tum qui sacerdotibus et prophetis, alia {3}voce exprimuntur; hic voce qua exprimitur baculus viatorum, tum quoque pastorum, ut constare potest ex locis alibi, ut Gen. xxxii 11; Exod. xii 11; 1 Sam. xvii 40, 43; Zach. xi, 7, 10; hic quidem baculus non nominatur sicut sustentans manum, sed sicut virga excisa ab arbore, nempe `a populo, corylo, et platano,' ad ponendum in potatoriis ante facies gregis, sed usque {4}ejusdem significationis est; per illum enim in sensu interno potentia naturalis boni, et inde naturalium veritatum, describitur. [3] Quod `populum' attinet, ex qua baculus factus, sciendum quod arbores in genere significent perceptiones et cognitiones, perceptiones cum praedicantur de caelesti homine, at cognitiones cum de spirituali, videatur n. 103, 2163, 2682, 2722, 2972; inde arbores in specie significant bona et vera, nam haec sunt perceptionum et cognitionum; quaedam species arborum bona et vera interiora quae sunt spiritualis hominis, ut olivae et vites, quaedam species bona et vera exteriora quae sunt naturalis hominis, ut `populus, corylus, {5}platanus'; et quia antiquitus unaquaevis arbor aliquam speciem boni et veri significabat, inde in lucis cultus fuit secundum arborum species, n. 2722 {6}populus, quae hic nominatur, est populus alba, ita dicta ab {7}albedine, e qua derivatio; inde erat quod per `populum' significatum fuerit bonum quod ex vero, seu quod idem, bonum veri, ut quoque apud Hosheam iv 13, sed hic falsificatum. @1 i ut$ @2 quibus$ @3 baculus here (Gen. xxx 37-41) translates Heb maqqel. Moses' rod is matteh, sceptre is shebet, the staff for bearing temple furniture is bad, staff as a support is misheneth.$ @4 quis eadem vox$ @5 i et$ @6 Heb. libneh$ @7 Heb. libnah$