6949.“它就变作蛇”表与内在分离的人心智的感官和肉体层，或与内在分离的感官和肉体人。这从“蛇”的含义清楚可知，“蛇”是指基于感官事物进行推理的人（参看195-197，6398，6399节），因而是指人心智的感官层。“蛇”表示感官层，故也表示肉体层，因为感官层从身体感官获得自己的知觉。由于就本身而言，感官层如刚才（6948节）所描述的样子，故“蛇”，也就是感官层，还表示总体上的一切邪恶（251，254，257节）。“蛇”在此表示与内在或理性层分离的人心智的感官和肉体层，或说感官和肉体人，这一点从以下事实明显看出来：摩西从它面前逃开，以此表示它所造成的恐惧；还有这一事实：这个神迹描述了那些属于属灵教会的人若没有信，将是何状态；因为在这种情况下，他们的内层会关闭，除了能足够使他们在分离的感官层上进行思考，并由此在该层说话的天堂之光外，再没有更多天堂之光流入了。凡扞卫虚假反对真理，扞卫邪恶反对良善的人都出于与内在分离的感官层进行思考；简言之，凡在生活中追求邪恶，由此缺乏任何信仰的人，都因生活邪恶而什么也不信。这种人在进行推理，说服别人，尤其简单人方面，能力胜过其他人，因为他们在说话时会利用感官幻觉或谬误和世上的表象。他们还知道如何毁坏真理，或通过幻觉、谬误遮蔽它们；“蛇”也因此表示诡诈和欺骗。但当感官层与内在联结，或正确地从属于理性层时，“蛇”就表示灵巧和谨慎（参看197，4211，6398节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 6949
6949. And it became a serpent. That this signifies the sensuous and corporeal man separate from the internal, is evident from the signification of a "serpent," as being a man who reasons from things sensuous (see n. 195-197, 6398, 6399), thus the sensuous of man; and as by "serpent" is signified the sensuous, it signifies also the corporeal, for what the sensuous has, it has from the senses of the body. And because, regarded in itself, the sensuous is such as has been described just above (n. 6948), the "serpent" also (which is the sensuous), signifies all evil in general (n. 251, 254, 257). That by the "serpent" is here meant the sensuous and corporeal man separated from the internal or rational, is evident from the fact that Moses fled from before it, whereby is signified horror of it; and also from the fact that by this sign is described the state of those of the spiritual church, if they did not have faith; for then their internal would be closed, nor would more of the light of heaven flow in, than to enable them to think, and from this to speak, from the sensuous separated. All those think from the sensuous separated who defend falsities against truths, and evils against goods; in a word, all who are in evil of life, and thence in no faith, for he who lives evilly, believes nothing. Such persons excel others in the gift of reasoning, and also of persuading, especially the simple, for the reason that they speak from the fallacies of the senses, and from appearances in the world. They also know how to extinguish or veil truths by fallacies, whence also by "serpents" are signified cunning and craftiness. But when the sensuous has been conjoined with the internal, or rightly subordinated to the rational, then by a "serpent" is signified prudence and circumspection (see n. 197, 4211, 6398).
Elliott(1983-1999) 6949
6949. 'And it was made into a serpent' means the sensory and bodily level of a person's mind separated from the internal. This is clear from the meaning of 'a serpent' as a person who engages in reasoning based on sensory evidence, dealt with in 195-197, 6398, 6399, thus the sensory level of a person's mind. And since 'a serpent' means the sensory level it means the bodily also, for the sensory level acquires its perceptions from the bodily senses. And since the sensory level regarded in itself is such as is described immediately above in 6948, 'a serpent', which is the sensory level, also means all evil in general, 251, 254, 257. The use of 'a serpent' here to mean the sensory and bodily level of a person's mind separated from the internal or rational level is evident from the fact that Moses fled from before it, meaning a feeling of horror caused by it, as well as from the fact that this sign describes the state of those who belonged to the spiritual Church if they were not in possession of faith; for in that case their internal would be closed and no more of the light of heaven would flow in than would be sufficient to enable them to think on that separated sensory level and therefore speak on that level. This level, separated [from the internal], is the one on which all people think who defend falsities in opposition to truths, and evils in opposition to forms of good, in short all who in life pursue what is evil and who are consequently devoid of any faith since those who lead an evil life have no belief at all. People like this have greater ability than others to engage in reasoning and to convince others, especially the simple, because when they speak they draw on the illusions of the senses and worldly appearances. They also know how to demolish truths or hide them from view by means of illusions, on account of which cunning and deceitfulness are also meant by 'serpents'. When however the sensory level has become joined to the internal or has been made properly subordinate to the rational, 'a serpent' means shrewdness and circumspection, 197, 4111, 6398.
Latin(1748-1756) 6949
6949. `Et factus in serpentem': quod significet sensualem et corporeum hominem separatum ab interno, constat ex significatione `serpentis' quod sit homo qui ratiocinatur ex sensualibus, de qua n. 195-197, 6398, 6399, ita sensuale hominis; et quia per `serpentem' significatur sensuale, etiam {1}significatur corporeum, nam sensuale habet sua (c)a sensibus corporis; et quia sensuale in se spectatum tale est, ut mox supra n. 6948 descriptum, etiam `serpens,' qui est sensuale, significat omne malum in genere, n. 251, 254, 257. Quod hic per `serpentem' intelligatur sensualis et corporeus homo separatus ab interno seu rationali, patet ex eo quod `Moscheh fugerit a coram illo,' per quod significatur horror pro illo; et quoque ex eo quod per hoc signum describatur status illorum qui ab Ecclesia spirituali si non fidem haberent, tunc enim internum (c)eorum clauderetur, nec plus lucis caeli influeret quam ut ex sensuali separato cogitare {2}possent et inde loqui. Ex sensuali separato cogitant omnes illi qui falsa defendunt contra vera, et mala contra bona, verbo, omnes qui in malo vitae sunt et inde in nulla fide; nam qui male vivit, is nihil credit; illi qui tales sunt dote ratiocinandi {3}prae aliis pollent et quoque persuadendi, imprimis simplicibus, ex causa quia ex fallaciis sensuum et apparentiis in mundo loquuntur; sciunt etiam exstinguere vel obvelare vera per fallacia, inde etiam per `serpentes' significatur calliditas et astutia; {4}cum autem (m)sensuale conjunctum est cum interno, seu rite subordinatum rationali, tunc per `serpentem' significatur prudentia et circumspectio, n. 197, 4211, 6398.(n) @1 est$ @2 possint but possent intended.$ @3 After pollent$ @4 si vero$