10071.“和尾巴”表那里的一切真理。这从“公绵羊的尾巴”的含义清楚可知，“公绵羊的尾巴”是指真理。“尾巴”之所以表示真理，是因为它是末后的事物，而真理就存在于末后或最低的事物中（参看6952节）。此外，尾巴也是大小脑的最后部位，因为这些（译注：大小脑）延伸到脊髓，这脊髓也终止于尾巴；因此，尾巴是这三者末端的附件。因此，经上说，在献祭时，尾巴要在靠近脊骨处取处（利未记3:9）。“尾巴”表示在末后或最低事物中的真理，在反面意义上表示虚假，这一点从下列经文明显看出来。以赛亚书：
耶和华必从以色列中剪除头与尾。长老和体面人乃是头，以谎言教人的先知就是尾。（以赛亚书9:14，15）
就灵义而言，“剪除头与尾”表示剪除良善与真理，因为所论述的主题是教会，当教会荒废时，“头”就表示邪恶，“尾”表示虚假。“头”表示良善（参看4938，4939，5328，9913，9914节）；“长老或老人”也是（6524，9404节）；“先知”表示教导真理的人，因而在抽象意义上表示真理本身（2534，7269节）。因此，就反面意义而言，“头”表示邪恶，为头的“长老”和“体面人”也是；而“尾”表示虚假，“先知”也是，他因此被称为“谎言的先知”，因为“谎言”表示虚假。同一先知书：
头尾所能做的任何工都不是为埃及。（以赛亚书19:15）
“埃及”表示那些因渴望进入信之真理和良善而利用基于记忆知识，而非基于已揭示的真理，因而不是基于对这些真理的信仰的推理之人（1164，1165，1186节）；缺乏“头尾所能做的任何工”表示这一事实：他们既没有良善，也没有真理。“尾”表示在末后或最低事物中的真理，这一点从它在反面意义上的含义明显看出来，“尾巴”在反面意义上表示虚假。启示录：
蝗虫有尾巴像蝎子，尾巴上有毒钩，有能力伤人。（启示录9:10）
“尾巴像蝎子，尾巴上有毒钩”是指基于虚假的狡猾推理，他们利用这些推理说服并由此伤害某人，这就是为何经上说他们“有能力伤人”。此外，“蝗虫”还表示在最外在事物中的虚假（参看7643节）。启示录：
这马的尾巴像蛇，并且有头用以害人。（启示录9:19）
“尾巴像蛇”在此也表示基于虚假的推理，这些推理被用来造成伤害。又：
龙的尾巴拖拉着天上星辰的三分之一，把它们摔在地上。（启示录12:4）
“龙的尾巴”表示已经被歪曲，尤其通过用于邪恶而被歪曲的真理；“星辰”是指关于已经被歪曲的真理与良善的认知或知识；“摔在地上”表示摧毁它们。
Potts(1905-1910) 10071
10071. And the tail. That this signifies all truth there, is evident from the signification of "the tail of the ram," as being truth. That "the tail" denotes truth is because it is the ultimate thing, and truth is in the ultimates (see n. 6952). Moreover, the tail is the ultimate of the cerebrum and cerebellum, for these are continued into the spinal marrow, and this also terminates in the tail, which thus is their ultimate appendix. Therefore it is said that in the sacrifices the tail was to be removed hard by the backbone (Lev. 3:9). That "the tail" signifies truth in ultimates, and in the opposite sense falsity, is evident from the following passages. In Isaiah:
Jehovah shall cut off from Israel head and tail. The old man and the honored is the head, and the prophet, the teacher of a lie, is the tail (Isa. 9:13, 14);
in the spiritual sense to "cut off the head and the tail" denotes to cut off good and truth, for the subject treated of is the church, on the devastation of which, the "head" signifies evil, and the "tail" falsity. (That the "head" denotes good, see n. 4938, 4939, 5328, 9913, 9914; in like manner an "old man," n. 6524, 9404; that a "prophet" denotes one who teaches truth, thus abstractedly truth, n. 2534, 7269.) In the opposite sense therefore the "head" denotes evil, in like manner the "old man" and the "honored" who do this; and the "tail" denotes falsity, in like manner the "prophet," whence he is called "the prophet of a lie," for a "lie" denotes falsity. In the same:
There shall not be work for Egypt, which may make head and tail (Isa. 19:15);
"Egypt" denotes those who by reasonings from memory-knowledges wish to enter into the truths and goods of faith, and not from what is revealed, thus not from faith in what is revealed (n. 1164, 1165, 1186); that there is "no work which makes the head and the tail," denotes that they have neither good nor truth. That the "tail" denotes truth in ultimates is plain from its signification in the opposite sense, in which the "tail" denotes falsity, as in John:
The locusts had tails like unto scorpions, and stings were in their tails, and their power was to hurt men (Rev. 9:10);
"tails like scorpions, and stings in the tails," denote cunning reasonings from falsities by which they persuade, and thereby do injury, and therefore it is said that "their power is to hurt men" (that a "locust" also denotes falsity in the extremes, see n. 7643). In the same:
The tails of the horses were like serpents, having heads, and with them they do hurt (Rev. 9:19);
"tails like serpents" here also denote reasonings from falsities, whereby injury is done. In the same:
The tail of the dragon drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth (Rev. 12:4);
"the tail of the dragon" denotes truths falsified, especially by application to evils; the "stars" denote the knowledges of truth and good falsified; "to cast to the earth" denotes to destroy.
Elliott(1983-1999) 10071
10071. 'And the tail' means all truth there. This is clear from the meaning of 'the ram's tail' as truth. 'The tail' means truth because it comes last, and truth resides in last or lowest things, 9959a. The tail is also the last part of the cerebrum and cerebellum, for these extend into the spinal cord, and this also terminates in the tail, which is for that reason the appendage at the end of all three. Therefore Lev.3:9 says that in sacrifices the tail should be removed next to the backbone. The fact that 'the tail' means truth in last or lowest things, and in the contrary sense falsity, is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail. The old and the honourable [in face] is the head, but the prophet, the teacher of a lie, is the tail. Isa 9:14,15.
In the spiritual sense 'cutting off head and tail' means severing good and truth; for the subject is the Church, and when this has been laid waste 'the head' means evil and 'the tail' falsity. 'The head' means good, see 4938, 4939, 5328, 9913, 9914, as does 'the old', 6524, 9404; and 'the prophet' means a teacher of truth, and so in the abstract sense [without reference to persons] truth itself, 2534, 7269. In the contrary sense therefore 'the head' means evil, as do 'the old' and 'the honourable' who will perform it, while 'the tail' means falsity, as does 'the prophet', who is for that reason called 'the prophet of a lie'; for 'a lie' means falsity. In the same prophet,
There will not be for Egypt [any] work which the head and tail may do. Isa 19:15.
'Egypt' stands for those who, desiring to enter into the truths and forms of the good of faith, use reasonings based on factual knowledge, and not on revealed truths, thus not on belief in these, 1164, 1165, 1186. The lack of 'work which the head and tail may do' stands for the fact that they have neither good nor truth. The fact that 'the tail' means truth in last or lowest things is evident from its meaning in the contrary sense, in which 'the tail' means falsity. In John,
The locusts had tails like scorpions, and stings were in their tails, and they had power to harm people. Rev 9:10.
'Tails like scorpions, and stings in their tails' are cunning reasonings based on falsities which they use to convince and thereby damage someone, which is why it says that they had power to harm people. Furthermore falsity in outermost things is meant by 'locust', see 7643. In the same book,
The horses' tails were like serpents, having heads; and by means of them they do harm. Rev 9:19.
'Tails like serpents' here also stands for reasonings based on falsities which are used to cause harm. In the same book,
The dragon's tail drew a third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them down to the earth. Rev 12:4.
'The dragon's tail' stands for truths that have been falsified, in particular through the application of them to evils; 'the stars' are cognitions or knowledge of truth and good which has been falsified; and 'casting them down to the earth' means destroying them.
Latin(1748-1756) 10071
10071. `Et caudam': quod significet verum ibi omne, constat ex significatione `caudae arietis' quod sit verum; quod `cauda' sit verum, est quia est ultimum, ac in ultimis est verum,' n. (x)9656; cauda etiam est ultimum cerebri et cerebelli, haec enim continuantur in medullam spinae, quae etiam terminatur in caudam, quae sic est ultima appendix eorum; (m)ideo dicitur quod in sacrificiis cauda removeretur juxta spinam dorsi, Lev. iii (x)9.(n) Quod `cauda' significet verum in ultimis, et in opposito sensu falsum, constat ex his locis: apud Esaiam, Exscindet Jehovah ex Israele caput et caudam, senex et honoratus caput est, propheta autem doctor mendacii cauda est, ix 13, 14 [A.V. 14, 15];`exscindere caput et caudam' (o)in spirituali sensu est bonum et verum, agitur enim de Ecclesia, qua devastata {1} (t)`caput' significat malum, et `cauda' falsum; quod `caput' sit bonum, videatur n. (x)4938, 4939, 5328, 9913, 9914, similiter `senex,' n. (x)6524, 9404; (d)quod propheta (o)sit qui docet verum, ita abstracte verum, n. 2534, 7269; in opposito igitur {2} sensu `caput' est malum, similiter `senex et honoratus' qui facient illud; et `cauda' est falsum, similiter `propheta,' unde `propheta mendacii' dicitur, `mendacium' (o)enim est falsum: apud eundem, Non erit Aegypto opus, quod faciat caput et caudam, xix 15;
`Aegyptus' pro illis qui per ratiocinia ex scientificis intrare volunt in vera et bona fidei, et non ex revelatis, (o)ita non ex fide horum, n. 1164, 1165, 1186, `non opus quod facit caput et caudam' pro quod illis nec bonum nec verum; quod `cauda' sit verum (o)in ultimis, patet ex significatione ejus in sensu opposito, in quo `cauda' est falsum: apud Johannem, Locustae caudas habebant similes scorpiis, et stimuli erant in caudis (c)earum, et potestas illarum ut damno afficerent (x)homines, Apoc. ix 10;
`caudae similes scorpiis, et stimuli in caudis' sunt ratiocinia callida ex falsis per quae persuadent, et sic nocent, quare dicitur quod potestas illarum sit damno afficere homines; (o)quod etiam locusta sit falsum in extremis, videatur n. 7643: apud eundem, Caudae equorum similes erant serpentibus, habentes capita, et per illas damno afficiunt, Apoc. ix 19;
`caudae similes serpentibus' etiam hic pro ratiociniis ex falsis, per quae damnum infertur: apud eundem, (x)Cauda draconis traxit tertiam partem stellarum caeli, et projecit in terram, Apoc. xii (x)4;
`cauda draconis' {3} pro veris falsificatis {4}, imprimis per applicationem ad mala; `stellae' sunt cognitiones veri et boni quae falsificantur {5}, `projicere in terram' est destruere. @1 quibus devastatis$ @2 autem$ @3 i etiam$ @4 i literae$ @5 pervertuntur$