And he put them in the troughs, where the water was poured out; that when the flocks should come to drink, they might have the rods before their eyes, and in the sight of them might conceive.
וַיַּצֵּ֗ג אֶת־הַמַּקְלוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר פִּצֵּ֔ל בָּרֳהָטִ֖ים בְּשִֽׁקֲת֣וֹת הַמָּ֑יִם אֲשֶׁר֩ תָּבֹ֨אןָ הַצֹּ֤אן לִשְׁתּוֹת֙ לְנֹ֣כַח הַצֹּ֔אן וַיֵּחַ֖מְנָה בְּבֹאָ֥ן לִשְׁתּֽוֹת׃
2 Church Fathers comment on this verse
The just individual did not behave in this manner out of his own volition; rather, divine grace motivated his thoughts, for the events unfolding were beyond the usual course of nature, filled with extraordinary wonders that surpassed the natural order.
Where did Jacob place the rods? In the watering troughs. These troughs are symbolic of the divine teachings, particularly the writings of Moses and the prophetic messages that deliver the Word from above, directly from God. As it is written, ‘And in joy you shall draw water from the springs of salvation’ (Isaiah 12:3). In these teachings, we encounter Immanuel, the rod of strength, who experienced death on our behalf, and is ‘the firstborn from the dead’ (Col. 1:18). He rose in glory and empowers those who believe, as previously mentioned. The entirety of the writings of the holy prophets and of Moses directs us towards the profound mystery of Christ. Thus, the wise Apostle Paul states, ‘the end of the law and of the prophets is Christ’ (Rom. 10:4), as affirmed in (Matt. 5:17) and (Luke 24:27).
THEOSIS