8582. And thou shalt smite the rock. That this signifies that they should be urgent in entreating the Lord, is evident from the signification of "smiting," as being to be urgent in entreating, but from a humble heart. That "to smite the rock" denotes to entreat urgently from a humble heart, can be seen from the fact that because Moses smote the rock from a hard heart, and in this way expostulated, therefore it was intimated to him that he should not bring the people into the land of Canaan, as he himself relates in the book of Numbers:
Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said to them, Hear I pray ye rebels; shall we bring you forth waters out of this rock? and Moses lifted up his hand, and smote the rock with his rod twice. Nevertheless many waters came out. Then Jehovah said unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye have not believed in Me, and sanctified Me in the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them (Num. 20:10-12).