560# “尾巴上有毒刺”表示通过它们欺骗的狡猾。这从“毒刺”的含义清楚可知，“毒刺”是指在代表虚假说服上的狡猾和精明；由此可知，它们有伤害人的能力在里面，因为一个狡猾、精明地欺骗之人尤其有害。毒刺在它们的“尾巴上”，因为他们通过从感官上所感知到的知识或科学欺骗，包括来自圣言的知识或科学，以及来自世界、构成人类学问的知识或科学。他们通过照字面，而不是照内义解释来自圣言的知识或科学来欺骗；他们通过来自世界的知识或科学、利用它们来确认而欺骗。要知道，感官人比其他人更狡猾和精明，因而处于敏锐或精明的欺骗之中。事实上，感官人怎样拥有聪明和谨慎，那些感官化、处于虚假的人就怎样拥有恶毒和狡猾，因为一切恶毒都居于邪恶，正如一切聪明都居于良善。
世人以为，那些狡猾、精明的人也是谨慎和聪明的；但狡猾和恶毒不是谨慎和聪明，就本身而言是疯狂和愚蠢。因为这些人把自己从永恒的幸福中剪除，并把自己扔进永恒的痛苦中，这不是谨慎和聪明的一部分，而是疯狂和愚蠢的一部分。此外，对这些人来说，属于天堂和天使智慧的一切事物都处于浓密的黑暗，这智慧在哪里是幽暗，哪里就有愚蠢。感官人既狡猾又精明，这一点可从地狱里的人身上清楚看出来，在那里，所有人都是纯属世和感官的；几乎没有人相信这些人拥有多少狡猾和精明；对此，可参看《天堂与地狱》(576–581节)，那里论述了地狱灵的狡猾和邪恶的伎俩。
“毒刺”表示狡猾，这是显而易见的，无需从圣言来确认，因为在通用话语中，言语中骗人的狡猾手段被称为毒刺，而交谈本身被称为尖锐。但“毒刺”尤表内层虚假，内层虚假是这样：它们无法被驱散，因为它们是由感官的知识或科学和谬误产生的。“毒刺”(或尖锐物)表示这些虚假，这一点可从灵界的代表明显看出来。在那里，内层虚假以各种方式由具有尖锐性质的事物来代表，如剑尖、箭头，以及各种形式的尖锐物，这一切都是在他们意图伤害的时候。因此，那里也禁止将这些东西展示出来观看，因为灵人一看见它们，就变得愤怒，想要造成伤害。
阿摩司书中的尖锐器具就表示这些虚假：
看哪，日子快要临到你们，人必用钩子把你们拉出来，用鱼钩将你们的后裔拉出来。(阿摩司书4:2)
“用钩子把你们拉出来”表示通过被错误应用的来自圣言和世界的知识或科学来引离真理；“用鱼钩拉出来”表示通过感官谬误引离真理，感官人基于这些谬误进行推理。
摩西五经：
倘若你们不把那地的居民从你们面前赶出去，那留下的居民就必成为你们眼中的刺，肋下的荆棘。(民数记33:55)
他们要赶出去的“那地的居民”表示宗教和教义的邪恶和虚假；因为迦南地的各民族在抽象意义上表示这些邪恶和虚假。因此，“他们必成为你们眼中的刺”表示恶毒、有害的虚假将要向教会真理造成的伤害，“肋下的荆棘”表示恶毒、有害的虚假将要向教会良善造成的伤害。在圣言中，“眼睛”表示对真理的理解，“肋”表示仁爱的事物，因而表示良善。
560. And there were stings in their tails.- That this signifies the craftiness of deceiving by means of them, is evident from the signification of stings, as denoting their craftiness and shrewdness in persuasion on behalf of falsities, therefore it follows, that there was in them the power of hurting men, for he who deceives by craft and shrewdness is specially injurious. Stings were in their tails, because they deceive by means of scientifics sensually perceived, both by means of scientifics from the Word, and scientifics (scientifica) from the world on which human erudition is based. They deceive by means of scientifics from the Word, by explaining it sensually according to the letter, and not according to its interior sense; and by means of scientifics from the world, by using them for confirmation. It must be observed, that sensual men are more crafty and shrewd than others, and consequently in shrewdly deceiving. For as spiritual men are intelligent and prudent, so those who are sensual and in falsities are cunning and crafty, because in evil resides all cunning, and in good, all intelligence.
[2] It is believed in the world, that the crafty and shrewd, are also prudent and intelligent; but craftiness and cunning are not prudence and intelligence, but, in themselves, are insanity and folly. For such persons cut themselves off from eternal happiness, and cast themselves into eternal unhappiness, which is an evidence not of prudence and intelligence, but of insanity and folly. Moreover, all things pertaining to heavenly and angelic wisdom are with such in dense darkness, and where that wisdom is thick darkness, there is folly. That sensual men are crafty and shrewd, is evident from those who are in hell, where all are merely natural and sensual; in these there is so much craftiness and shrewdness as can scarcely be believed by any one; as may be seen in Heaven and Hell 576-581), where the cunning and wicked arts of the infernal spirits are treated of.
[3] That stings signify craftiness, is evident without confirmation from the Word, for in common discourse the crafty devices in speech by which men are deceived are called stings, and the discourse itself is called keen. But stings specifically signify interior falsities, which are such that they cannot be shaken off, because they arise from the scientifics and fallacies of the senses. That these falsities are signified by stings is evident from representatives in the spiritual world. Interior falsities are there represented in various ways by things of a sharp nature, as by the sharp points of swords, by darts, and by pointed things in various forms, and this when the intention is to hurt. For this reason also it is there forbidden to exhibit such things to view, for spirits, at the sight of such things, become furious with a desire of hurting.
[4] These falsities are also signified by stings in Amos:
"Behold the days shall come upon you, in which they will draw you out with stings, and your posterity with fishhooks" (4:2).
By drawing them out with stings is signified to lead them away from truths by scientifics from the Word and the world falsely applied; and to draw away their posterity with fishhooks signifies to do the same thing, by means of the fallacies of the senses, from which the sensual man reasons.
[5] And in Moses:
"If ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, those which ye let remain of them shall be thorns in your eyes, and stings in your sides" (Num. 33:55).
The inhabitants of the land whom they were to expel, signify the evils and falsities of religion, and of doctrine, for these were signified in the abstract sense by the nations of the land of Canaan. Therefore by their being thorns in their eyes, is signified the injury that would be done to the truths of the church by pernicious falsities, and by their being stings in their sides, is signified the injury that would be done by pernicious falsities to the goods of the church. Eyes in the Word, signify the understanding of truth, and sides the things of charity, consequently goods.
560. And stings were in their tails, signifies craftiness in deceiving by means of them. This is evident from the signification of "stings," as being craftiness and shrewdness in persuading as to falsities; it follows therefore that they had in them the power to hurt men, for one who deceives craftily and shrewdly is especially harmful. The stings were "in their tails," because they deceive by means of knowledges [scientifica] sensually perceived, knowledges both from the Word and from the world, which are what human learning consists of; they deceive by knowledges from the Word by explaining it sensually according to the letter, and not according to its interior sense; they deceive by knowledges from the world by using them for confirmation. It is to be known that sensual men are more crafty and shrewd than others, and thus in acutely deceiving; for as spiritual men possess intelligence and prudence, so those who are sensual and in falsities possess malice and craftiness, for all malice has its seat in evil, as all intelligence has its seat in good.
[2] It is believed in the world that those who are crafty and shrewd are also prudent and intelligent; but craftiness and malice are not prudence and intelligence, but viewed in themselves are insanity and folly; for such remove themselves from eternal happiness and cast themselves into eternal misery, and this is not the part of the prudent and intelligent but of the insane and foolish. Moreover, with such all things of heavenly and angelic wisdom are in dense darkness, and where that wisdom is thick darkness there is folly. That sensual men are crafty and shrewd can be seen from those who are in the hells, where all are merely natural and sensual; it can hardly be believed by anyone how much craftiness and shrewdness these possess (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 576-581, where the malice and wicked devices of the infernal spirits are treated of).
[3] That "stings" signify craftiness can be seen without confirmation from the Word, for in common discourse the craftiness in speech by which men are deceived are called sharp points, and the talk itself is called sharp. But "stings" signify particularly interior falsities, which are such as cannot be dispelled, because they are from the knowledges and fallacies of the senses. That such falsities are signified by "stings" (or sharp points) can be seen from representatives in the spiritual world, where interior falsities are represented in various ways by sharp things, like the points of swords, the points of arrows, and things pointed in various forms, and this when they are intended to hurt; for this reason it is also forbidden there to exhibit such things to view, for spirits when they see them become furious to inflict injury.
[4] These falsities are signified by "sharp instruments" in Amos:
Behold the days will come upon you in which they will draw you out with barbs, and your posterity with fishhooks (Amos 4:2).
"To draw out with barbs" signifies to lead away from truths by knowledges [scientifica] from the Word and from the world falsely applied; and "to draw out with fishhooks" signifies to lead away from truths by the fallacies of the senses, from which the sensual man reasons.
[5] And in Moses:
If ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those whom ye let remain of them shall be thorns in your eyes and pricks in your sides (Numbers 33:55).
The "inhabitants of the land whom they were to drive out," signify the evils and falsities of religion and of doctrine; for these were signified in an abstract sense by the nations of the land of Canaan. Therefore "they shall be thorns in your eyes" signifies the harm that will be done by malignant falsities to the truths of the church, and "pricks in your sides" signify the harm that will be done by malignant falsities to the goods of the church, "eyes" signifying in the Word the understanding of truth, and "sides" the things of charity, consequently goods.
560. "Et aculei erant in caudis illarum." - Quod significet astutias fallendi per illa, constat ex significatione "aculeorum", quod sint astutiae et calliditates ad persuadendum falsa; quare sequitur quod inesset eis potestas laedendi homines, qui enim astute et callide fallit, is maxime laedit: quod essent "in caudis", est quia sunt scientifica sensualiter percepta, per quae fallunt, tam per scientifica ex Verbo, quam per scientifica e mundo, ex quibus eruditio humana; per scientifica e Verbo, per quod id secundum litteram sensualiter explicant, et non secundum sensum ejus interiorem; per scientifica e mundo, per quod per illa confirmant. Sciendum est quod sensuales homines astuti et callidi sint prae aliis, proinde ad acute fallendum; nam sicut intelligentia et prudentia est illis qui spirituales homines sunt, ita malitia et astutia est illis qui sensuales et in falsis sunt; causa est, quia in malo residet omnis malitia, et in bono residet omnis intelligentia.
[2] Creditur in mundo quod illi qui astuti et callidi sunt, etiam prudentes et intelligentes sint; sed astutia et malitia non est prudentia et intelligentia, verum in se spectata est insania et stultitia: removent enim se a felicitate aeterna, et se conjiciunt in infelicitatem aeternam, quod non prudentis et intelligentis est, sed insani et stulti. Praeterea omnia quae sunt sapientiae caelestis et angelicae, in densa caligine apud illos sunt; et ubi illa sapientia est caligo, ibi est stultitia. Quod sensuales homines astuti et callidi sint, constare potest ex illis qui in inferno sunt, ubi omnes mere naturales et sensuales sunt; quibus tanta astutia et calliditas est ut vix ab aliquo possit credi; de qua re videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno (n. 576-581), ubi actum est de malitia et artibus nefandis spirituum infernalium.
[3] Quod "aculei" significent astutias, constare potest absque confirmatione e Verbo, quoniam in communi sermone astutiae in loquelis, quibus alios fallunt, vocantur "aculei", et ipse sermo dicitur "acutus." In specie autem per "aculeos" significantur falsa interiora, quae sunt quae non discuti possunt, quia ex scientificis et fallaciis sensuum: quod illa falsa per "aculeos" significentur, constare potest ex repraesentativis in mundo spirituali; ibi falsa interiora repraesentantur variis modis per acuta, sicut per mucrones ensium, per spicula, et per aculeata in variis formis, et hoc quando intendunt laedere; ex qua causa etiam vetitum est talia ibi sistere in conspectum, nam spiritus ex illis visis in furorem laedendi veniunt.
[4] Haec falsa etiam per "aculeos" significantur apud Amos,
"Ecce dies venient super vos, quibus extrahent vos aculeis, et posteritatem vestram hamis piscationis" (4:2):
"extrahere aculeis" significat abducere a veris per scientifica ex Verbo et e mundo false applicata; et "extrahere hamis piscationis" significat per fallacias sensuum, ex quibus homo sensualis. ratiocinatur.
[5] Et apud Mosen,
"Si non expuleritis habitatores terrae coram vobis, erunt, quos residuos feceritis, in spinas in oculis vestris, et in aculeos lateribus vestris" (Numeri 33:55):
per "habitatores terrae", quos expellerent, significantur mala et falsa religionis et doctrinae; gentes enim terrae Canaanis in sensu abstracto illa significabant; inde quod "futuri in spinas in oculis vestris" significat quod maligna falsa damnum illatura sint veris ecclesiae; "in aculeos lateribus vestris" significat quod maligna falsa damnum illatura sint bonis ecclesiae; per "oculos" in Verbo significatur intellectus veri, et per "latera" significantur illa quae charitatis sunt, ita bona.