6398.“但必作道上的蛇”表他们推理真理，因为良善尚未引导他们。这从“但”的代表，以及“蛇”和“道”的含义清楚可知：“但”是指那些处于真理，尚未处于良善的人（参看6396节）；“蛇”是指基于感官经验的推理，如下文所述；“道”（way或road）是指真理（627，2333节）。因此，“但必作道上的蛇”表示他们推理真理，因为良善尚未引导他们。该推理的性质和由此推理所产生的真理的性质将在下文予以阐述。
“蛇”之所以表示基于感官经验的推理，是因为在天堂，人的内层通过各种动物来代表；故在圣言中，相似的动物表示相似的事物。人的感官能力由蛇来代表，是因为它们是人里面最低级的东西，相对来说是地上的，可以说是在地上爬的；这也可从感官印象在进入时所采取的形式看出来；对此，蒙主的神性怜悯，我们将在别处予以论述。这解释了为何这些感官能力由蛇来代表，甚至连主的神性感官觉知也由旷野中的铜蛇来代表（4211e节）。
在马太福音中，“蛇”表示外在上的真正精明和谨慎：
你们要灵巧像蛇，驯良像鸽子。（马太福音10:16）
但当一个人被感官主导，远离内在之物时，如那些处于真理，尚未处于良善，并照感官所告诉他的说话之人，“蛇”表示错误推理。所以这就是为何此处，就是论述但的地方，表示推理真理，因为良善尚未引导他。在其它情况下，“蛇”表示恶意、诡诈和欺骗；但在这些地方，它们是毒蛇，如“蝰蛇”之类的，其推理就是他们的毒药。“蛇”是指基于感官经验的推理（参看195-197节）；“蛇”是指总体上的全部邪恶，这些邪恶通过不同种类的蛇来区分（251，254，257节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 6398
6398. Dan shall be a serpent upon the way. That this signifies their reasoning about truth because good does not as yet lead, is evident from the representation of Dan, as being those who are in truth and not yet in good (see n. 6396); from the signification of a "serpent," as being reasoning from what is sensuous (of which in what follows); and from the signification of "way," as being truth (n. 627, 2333). Thus by "Dan being a serpent upon the way" is signified their reasoning about truth, because good does not yet lead. The quality of this reasoning and of the consequent truth, will be told in what follows. [2] That a "serpent" denotes reasoning from what is sensuous, is because the interiors of man are represented in heaven by animals of various kinds, and hence in the Word the like are signified by the same animals. The sensuous things of man were represented by serpents because sensuous things are the lowest things in man, and are relatively earthly, and as it were creeping; as may also be seen from the forms through which sensuous things flow, concerning which, of the Lord's Divine mercy elsewhere. Hence these sensuous things were represented by serpents, and even the Lord's Divine sensuous was represented by the brazen serpent in the wilderness (n. 4211); and prudence and circumspection, in externals, is signified by "serpents" in Matthew:
Be ye wise as serpents, and harmless as doves (Matt. 10:16). But when a man is in what is sensuous, remote from what is internal, as are those who are in truth and not yet in good and speaks from what is sensuous, then by the "serpent" is signified reasoning; here therefore, where Dan is treated of, is signified reasoning about truth, because good does not yet lead. In other cases malice, cunning, and deceit, are signified by "serpents," but by poisonous serpents, as by "vipers" and the like, the reasoning of which is poison. (That the "serpent" denotes reasoning from what is sensuous may be seen above, n. 195-197; also that the "serpent" denotes all evil in general; and that evils are distinguished by different kinds of serpents n. 251, 254, 257.)
Elliott(1983-1999) 6398
6398. 'Dan will be a serpent on the road' means their reasoning regarding truth, since good does not as yet lead them. This is clear from the representation of 'Dan' as those guided by truth but not as yet by good, dealt with above in 6396; from the meaning of 'a serpent' as reasoning based on sensory evidence, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the road' as truth, dealt with in 627, 2733. Thus 'Dan is a serpent on the road' means their reasoning regarding truth, since good does not as yet lead them. The nature of that reasoning and the nature of the truth resulting from it will be stated below.
[2] The reason why 'a serpent' means reasoning based on sensory evidence is that the interiors of a person are represented in heaven by living creatures of various kinds, and therefore in the Word similar things are meant by those same creatures. A person's sensory powers have come to be represented by serpents because they are the lowest of his mental powers. Compared with other mental powers those of the senses are on the ground so to speak, crawling around there, as may also be recognized from the forms that sensory impressions adopt when they enter in, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with elsewhere. This explains why those sensory powers have come to be represented by 'serpents', so much so that the Lord's Divine sensory perception was represented by the bronze serpent in the wilderness, 4211 (end).
[3] True shrewdness and circumspection - qualities that reveal themselves in external affairs - were also meant by 'serpents', in Matthew,
Be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. Matt 10:16.
But in the case of a person who is governed by his senses and is far removed from what is internal - as those people are who are guided by truth but not as yet by good - and who speaks as his senses tell him, 'a serpent' means false reasoning. This therefore is why here, where Dan is the subject, reasoning regarding truth because good does not as yet lead him is meant. In other contexts ill-will, deceitfulness, and trickery are also meant by 'serpents', though in those places they are poisonous serpents - such as vipers and the like - whose reasoning is their poison.
'A serpent' is reasoning based on sensory evidence, see 195-197.
'A serpent' is all evil in general, and evils are distinguished from one another by different kinds of serpents, 251, 254, 257.
Latin(1748-1756) 6398
6398. `(x)Erit Dan serpens super via': quod significet ratiocinationem eorum de vero quia non adhuc bonum ducit, constat ex repraesentatione `Danis' quod sint qui in vero et nondum in bono, de qua supra n. 6396; ex significatione `serpentis' quod sit ratiocinatio ex sensuali, de qua sequitur; et ex significatione `viae' quod sit verum, de qua n. 627, 2333; ita per `Dan serpens super via' significatur ratiocinatio eorum de vero, quia non adhuc bonum ducit; qualis illa ratiocinatio sit, et quale inde verum, in sequentibus dicetur. [2] Quod `serpens' sit ratiocinatio ex sensuali, est quia interiora hominis repraesentantur in caelo per animalia varii generis, ac inde in Verbo similia per eadem significantur; sensualia hominis repraesentata fuerunt per serpentes ex causa quia sensualia (t)sunt infima apud hominem, et sicut terrestria respective, (c)ac quasi repunt, ut quoque constare potest (c)ex formis per quas fluunt sensualia, de quibus, ex Divina Domini misericordia, {1}alibi; inde sensualia illa repraesentata sunt per `serpentes', usque adeo ut Divinum sensuale Domini repraesentatum sit per `serpentem aeneum in deserto', n. 4211 fin.; [3] (c)ac ipsa prudentia et circumspectio, quae {2}existit in externis, significata sit per serpentes, apud Matthaeum, Estote prudentes sicut serpentes, et simplices sicut columbae, x 16;cum autem homo est in sensuali, remotus {3} ab interno ut sunt illi qui in vero et nondum in bono, et ex sensuali loquitur, tunc per `{4}serpentem' significatur ratiocinatio; hic itaque ubi de Dane agitur, ratiocinatio de vero quia non adhuc bonum ducit; alioquin etiam malitia, astutia et dolus significantur per `serpentes', sed per serpentes venenatos, ut per viperas, et similes; horum ratiocinatio est venenum. Quod `serpens' sit ratiocinatio et sensuali, videatur n. 195-197; et quod `serpens' sit omne malum in genere, et quod mala per serpentum genera distinguantur, n. 251, 254, 257. @1 (see n. 6949, 7293. -Ed.)$ @2 apparet$ @3 i est$ @4 serpentes$