6952.“伸出手来捉住它的尾巴”表从感官层的最末部分提升某种事物的能力。这从“手”和“蛇的尾巴”的含义清楚可知：“手”是指能力，如前所述（6947节）；“蛇的尾巴”是指感官层的最低部分，“蛇”是指感官层（参看6949），因此“蛇的尾巴”是指感官层的最末或最低部分。“伸出并捉住”表示提升或提升某种事物，因为伸出手来捉住地上的某种爬行生物的人便将它提起。由于“蛇”表示分离的感官层和由此而来的基于感官幻觉或谬误对信之真理的推理，故“蛇的尾巴”表示虚假本身，因为这邪恶构成最末和最低的部分。陷入虚假，因而陷入最末和最低之物的人完全向下、向外看，也就是注视世界和地，而不是向上、向内看，也就是注视天堂和主。
“蛇的尾巴”表示这类事物，这一事实清楚可见于启示录：
蝗虫有尾巴像蝎子，尾巴上有毒钩，有能力伤人。（启示录9:10）
“像蝎子的尾巴”和“尾巴上的毒钩”是指基于虚假的狡猾推理，他们利用这些推理说服人，从而害人；这就是为何经上说“它们有能力伤人”。
又：
这马的尾巴像蛇，并且有头用以害人。（启示录9:19）
此处“像蛇的尾巴”表示基于虚假的推理，他们利用这些推理造成伤害，尤其是经上说，这种尾巴是马的尾巴，并且有头。因为“马”和“头”表示心智中的理解力区域，故此处“尾巴”表示基于幻觉或谬误和由此衍生的虚假、反对真理的更狡猾的那类推理；这些推理是最低级的，因为反对真理的推理越狡猾，就越低级。
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”同样表示基于虚假的推理；“天上星辰”表示对良善与真理的认知；“把它们摔在地上”表示摧毁它们。这龙就是那利用基于虚假的推理迷惑人，并在伊甸园利用知识树，也就是利用基于感官事物、因而基于幻觉或谬误的记忆知识迷惑“众生之母”或夏娃的蛇。这一点也清楚可见于启示录：
大龙被摔下来，就是那古蛇，名叫魔鬼和撒旦，是迷惑全世界的。（启示录12:9）
“尾巴”一般是指分离的心智感官层，只向下看，不向上看，因而只注视大地，不仰望天堂，故也表示虚假；这一点清楚可见于以赛亚书：
耶和华必从以色列中剪除头与尾，棕枝与芦苇；长老和尊贵人就是头，以谎言教人的先知就是尾。（以赛亚书9:14-15）
此处“尾巴”明显表示虚假，在圣言中，虚假被称为“谎言”。又：
无论是头与尾、棕枝与芦苇，都不能为埃及做工。（以赛亚书19:15）
“芦苇”表示最低级的事物。摩西五经：
你若听从你神的诫命，耶和华就必使你作首不作尾，只居上不居下。（申命记28:13-14）
“尾巴”表示最低级的部分，它向下或向外看，也就是注视世界和大地，而不仰望天堂和主。因为当人处于信与仁之良善时，人类心智的内层，连同感官层就被主向上提升。但是，如果他陷入邪恶与虚假，那么这内层连同感官层都向下看，因而只注视世上的事物。结果，他脱去人性，披上兽性，因为野兽就向下看，或只注视地上的事物。凡向下看的人都意愿邪恶、思想虚假；而凡被主向上提升的人都意愿良善、思想真理。主的这种提升是实实在在发生的，由此脱离邪恶与虚假也是实实在在发生的。天使能明显感觉被提升；它就像朝向重心的趋向力，这重心就是主在祂的太阳里面的所在之处。天使的头都朝这个方向被提升，而地狱之人的脚都朝这个方向被提升，以致天使都向上看，而地狱里的人都向下看（参看3641，3643节）。又：
在你中间寄居的，必上升高过你，高而又高；你必下降，低而又低；他必作首，你必作尾。（申命记28:43-44）
此处意思也一样。以赛亚书：
对他说，你要谨慎安静，不要害怕，不要因亚兰王利汛，并利玛利儿子的烈怒，这两条冒烟的火把尾巴而心里胆怯。（以赛亚书7:4）
“亚兰王利汛”表示对邪恶的认知或知识，“亚兰”（Syria或叙利亚）表示对良善的认知（参看1232，1234，3680节）；因此，在反面意义上表示对邪恶的认知；“撒玛利亚王利玛利的儿子”表示对虚假的认知或知识。对邪恶的认知和对虚假的认知就是“尾巴”，因为它们是最低级的事物。“冒烟的火把”表示烈怒。
Potts(1905-1910) 6952
6952. Put forth thy hand and take hold of its tail. That this signifies the power of uplifting from the ultimate sensuous, is evident from the signification of "hand," as being power (of which above, n. 6947); and from the signification of the "tail of the serpent," as being the ultimate of the sensuous. That a "serpent" denotes the sensuous may be seen above (n. 6949), thus its "tail" is the ultimate or lowest of the sensuous. Uplifting is signified by "putting forth and taking hold of," for he who puts forth the hand and takes hold of any creeping thing of the earth, lifts it up. As by the "serpent" is signified the sensuous separated, and hence reasoning from the fallacies of the senses about the truths of faith, by the "tail of the serpent" is signified falsity itself, for this is the ultimate or lowest, and he who is in falsity, thus in the ultimate and lowest, looks wholly downward, or outward, that is, into the world and to the earth; but not upward or inward, that is, into heaven and to the Lord. [2] That such things are signified by the "tail of the serpent," is evident in John:
The locusts had tails like unto scorpions, and stings were in their tails; and their power was to do harm to men (Rev. 9:10);
where "tails like unto scorpions, and stings in the tails," denote cunning reasonings from falsities, by which they persuade, and thus do harm, wherefore it is said that "their power is to do harm to men." [3] Again:
The tails of the horses were like unto serpents, having heads, and by them they do harm (Rev. 9:19);
where in like manner "tails like serpents" denote reasonings from falsities, by which harm is done; and especially because it is said that "such were the tails of the horses, and that they had heads;" for by "horses" is signified the intellectual, and also by "head." Hence by "tails" are here signified more cunning reasonings from fallacies and the derivative falsities against truths, which reasonings are lowest, for the more cunning any reasonings are against truths, the lower they are. [4] Again:
The tail of the dragon drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them into the earth (Rev. 12:4);
where the "tail of the dragon" in like manner denotes reasonings from falsities; the "stars of heaven," the knowledges of good and truth; "to cast them to the earth" denotes to destroy them. That the "dragon" is the "serpent," which seduces by reasonings from falsities, and which seduced the mother of the living, or Eve, in paradise, by means of the tree of knowledge, that is, by means of memory-knowledges from the sensuous, thus from fallacies, is clear also in John:
The great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, which is called the Devil and Satan, which seduceth the whole world (Rev. 12:9). [5] That the "tail" in general denotes the sensuous separated, which looks not up but down, thus not to heaven, but to earth, and consequently denotes falsity, is evident in these passages:
Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush; the old man and the honorable, he is the head; and the prophet, the teacher of a lie, he is the tail (Isa. 9:14-15);
where the "tail" manifestly denotes falsity, which in the Word is called a "lie." Again:
There shall not be for Egypt any work, which shall make head and tail, branch and rush (Isa. 19:15);
where "rush" denotes what is lowest. In Moses:
Thus Jehovah shall make thee the head, and not the tail; that thou mayest be upward only, and not downward, when thou shalt obey the commandments of thy God (Deut. 28:13). [6] The "tail" denotes the lowest, which looks downward or outward, that is, into the world and to the earth, but not to heaven and to the Lord. For the interiors of man together with his sensuous things are lifted upward by the Lord when the man is in the good of faith and of charity; but if he is in evil and falsity, then his interiors together with his sensuous things look downward, thus only to the things that are in the world, whereby he puts off the human nature, and puts on the bestial; for wild beasts look downward, or only to those things which are on the earth. He who looks downward, wills what is evil and thinks what is false, but he who is lifted upward by the Lord, wills what is good and thinks what is true; the uplifting by the Lord takes place actually, and from this a removal from evils and falsities, which the angels perceive by the very sense. This is like the tendency to the center of gravity; the center is where the Lord is in His sun. Toward this the heads of the angels are lifted up; but the feet of the infernals. Thus the former look upward, and the latter downward (see n. 3641, 3643). [7] Again:
The stranger that is in the midst of thee shall ascend above thee upward more and more; but thou shalt descend downward more and more; he shall be for the head, and thou shalt be for the tail (Deut. 28:43-44);
where the sense is similar. In Isaiah:
Say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither let thy heart soften, because of the two tails of these smoking firebrands, on account of the wrath of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah (Isa. 7:4);
"Rezin king of Syria" denotes knowledges of evil. That "Syria" denotes knowledges of good, may be seen above, (n. 1232, 1234, 3680); thus in the opposite sense, knowledges of evil. The "son of Remaliah the king of Samaria" denotes knowledges of falsity. Knowledges of evil and knowledges of falsity are "tails," because they are lowest things. "Smoking firebrands" denote wrath.
Elliott(1983-1999) 6952
6952. 'Put out your hand and take hold of the tail' means the power of raising something from the last part of the sensory level. This is clear from the meaning of 'hand' as power, dealt with above in 6947; and from the meaning of 'the serpent's tail' as the lowest part of the sensory level - 'a serpent' is the sensory level, see above in 6949, so that 'its tail' is the last or lowest part of it. Raising something is meant by 'putting out and taking hold', for a person who puts out his hand and takes hold of some creature crawling on the ground raises it up. Since 'a serpent' means the separated sensory level and the resulting reasoning based on the illusions of the senses regarding the truths of faith, 'the serpent's tail' means falsity itself, for this falsity constitutes the last and lowest part. A person ruled by falsity, thus by what is last and lowest, looks altogether downwards and outwards, that is, in a worldly and earthly direction, not upwards and inwards, that is, to heaven and the Lord.
[2] The fact that these kinds of things are meant by 'the serpent's tail' is clear in John,
The locusts had tails like scorpions, and stings were in their tails, and their power, in order that they might do people harm. Rev 9:10.
'Tails like scorpions' and 'stings in the tails' are artful reasonings based on falsities by means of which they can convince and thereby damage people; and this is why it says that the power they have is 'to do people harm'.
[3] In the same author,
The horses' tails were like serpents, having heads; and by means of them they do harm. Rev 9:19.
Here likewise 'tails like serpents' stands for reasonings based on falsities by means of which they cause harm, especially as it is said that such tails were those of horses and had heads. For 'horses' and also 'head' mean the area of understanding in the mind, and therefore 'tails' here means the more artful kinds of reasonings against truths that are based on illusions and consequent falsities. These reasonings are the lowest, for the more artful the reasonings against truths are, the lower they are.
[4] In the same author,
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 in a similar way for reasonings based on falsities. 'The stars of heaven' stands for cognitions of goodness and truth, 'casting them down to the earth' for destroying them. The dragon is the serpent which uses reasonings based on falsities to lead people astray and which led astray in paradise 'the mother of living ones', who was Eve, because of the tree of knowledge, that is, by means of factual knowledge based on sensory evidence, thus on illusions. This is also made plain in John,
The great dragon was cast out, the serpent of old, who is called the devil and satan, who leads the whole world astray. Rev 12:9.
[5] The fact that 'the tail' in general is the separated sensory level of the mind which does not look upwards but downwards, thus not in a heavenly but an earthly direction, and that consequently it means falsity is clear in Isaiah,
Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail, the branch and the bulrush. 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.
Here 'tail' plainly stands for falsity, which the Word calls 'a lie'. In the same prophet,
There will not be for Egypt [any] work which the head and tail, branch and bulrush, may do. Isa 19:15.
'Bulrush' stands for that which is lowest. In Moses,
So Jehovah will give you to be the head, and not to be the tail, in order that you may be tending only upwards, but not be tending downwards, when you obey the commandments of your God. Deut 18:13.
[6] 'The tail' stands for the lowest part which looks downwards or outwards, that is, in a worldly and earthly direction and not towards heaven and the Lord. For the interior parts of the human mind together with sensory levels are raised upwards by the Lord when a person is governed by the good of faith and charity. But if he is governed by evil and falsity, then the interior parts together with the sensory levels look downwards and so solely to things in the world. As a consequence he sheds his human nature and assumes a beast-like nature, for wild beasts look downwards or solely to things on earth. The person who looks downwards wills what is evil and thinks what is false, but one whom the Lord raises upwards wills what is good and thinks what is true. A raising by the Lord does in actual fact take place and therefore a removal from evils and falsities. Angels have the actual feeling of being raised up; it is like the force drawing things towards the centre of attraction, the centre being where the Lord is within His Sun. Angels have their heads raised in this direction, but those in hell their feet, so that the angels look upwards but those in hell downwards, 3641, 3643. In the same book,
The foreigner who is in the midst of you will rise above you, upwards more and more, but you will go down, downwards more and more; he will be the head, but you will be the tail. Deut 28:43, 44.
Here the meaning is similar. In Isaiah,
Say to him, Beware, and be quiet; do not fear, and do not let your heart become soft on account of the two tails of these smoking firebrands, on account of the blazing anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah. Isa 7:4.
'Rezin king of Syria' stands for cognitions or knowledge of what is evil, 'Syria' meaning cognitions of what is good, see 1232, 1234, 3680, and so in the contrary sense cognitions of what is evil; and 'the son of Remaliah king of Samaria' stands for knowledge or cognitions of what is false. The latter and the former kinds of cognitions are 'tails' because they constitute what is lowest. 'Smoking firebrands' stands for blazing anger.
Latin(1748-1756) 6952
6952. `Mitte manum tuam, et prehende caudam': quod significet potentiam elevandi a sensualis ultimo, constat ex significatione `manus' quod sit potentia, de qua supra n. 6947; et ex significatione `caudae serpentis' quod sit sensualis ultimum; quod `serpens' sit sensuale, videatur supra n. 6949, ita `cauda ejus' est ultimum seu infimum ibi; elevatio significatur per `mittere et prehendere,' nam qui mittit manum {1}et prehendit quoddam repens super terra, {2} is elevat id. Quia per `serpentem' significatur sensuale separatum, et inde ratiocinatio ex fallaciis sensuum de veris fidei, per `caudam serpentis' significatur ipsum falsum, nam hoc ultimum seu infimum est, et qui in falso ita in ultimo et (x)infimo est, is prorsus spectat deorsum seu extrorsum, hoc est, in mundum et ad terram, {3}non autem sursum seu introrsum, hoc est, {2}in caelum et ad Dominum. 2 Quod per `caudam {4}serpentis' talia significentur, constat apud Johannem, Locustae caudas habebant similes scorpiis, et stimuli erant in caudis illarum, et potestas illarum, ut damno afficerent 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': apud eundem, 3 Caudae equorum similes erant serpentibus, habentes capita, et per illas damno afficiunt, Apoc. ix 19;
`{5}pariter hic `caudae similes serpentibus' pro ratiociniis ex falsis per quae damnum infertur; et magis quia dicitur `quod tales caudae essent equorum, et quod haberent capita'; per `equos' enim significatur intellectuale, et quoque per `caput,' inde per `caudas' ibi significantur ratiocinia {6}callidiora ex fallaciis et inde falsis contra vera, quae ratiocinia infima sunt, nam quo ratiocinia contra {7}vera callidiora sunt, eo {8} inferiora: apud eundem, 4 Cauda draconis traxit tertiam partem stellarum caeli, et projecit in terram, Apoc. xii (x)4;
`cauda draconis' similiter pro ratiociniis ex falsis; `stellae caeli' pro cognitionibus boni et veri; `projicere illas in terram' pro destruere; (m)quod draco sit `serpens' qui per ratiocinia ex falsis seducit, et qui seduxit matrem viventium seu Evam in paradiso ex arbore scientiae, hoc est, per scientifica quae ex sensuali, ita ex fallaciis, liquet etiam apud Johannem, Conjectus est draco magnus, serpens antiquus, qui vocatur diabolus et satanas, qui seducit orbem terrarum totum, [Apoc.] xii 9.(n) 5 Quod `cauda' in genere sit sensuale separatum, quod non spectat sursum sed deorsum, ita non ad caelum sed ad terram, consequenter falsum, constat apud Esaiam, Exscindet Jehovah ex Israele caput et caudam, ramum et juncum; senex et honoratus caput est, propheta autem doctor mendacii cauda est, ix 13, 14 [A.V. 14, 15];
ibi `cauda' manifeste pro falso, quod in Verbo vocatur mendacium: apud eundem, Non erit Aegypto opus, quod faciat caput et caudam, ramum et juncum, xix 15;
`juncus' pro infimo: apud Mosen, Ita dabit te Jehovah in caput, et non in caudam, ut sis tantum sursum, non autem sis deorsum, quando oboediveris praeceptis Dei tui, Deut. xxviii 13;
`cauda' pro infimo quod spectat deorsum seu extrorsum, hoc est, 6 in mundum et ad terram, non autem ad caelum et ad Dominum; interiora enim hominis cum sensualibus sursum elevantur a Domino cum homo est in bono {9}fidei et charitatis; si autem est in malo et falso, tunc {10}interiora ejus cum sensualibus spectant deorsum, ita solum ad illa quae in mundo sunt; inde exuit naturam humanam, et induit ferinam, nam ferae spectant deorsum seu solum ad illa quae super terra sunt; (m)qui spectat deorsum, is vult malum et cogitat falsum; qui autem a Domino elevatur sursum, is vult bonum et cogitat verum; elevatio a Domino actualiter fit et inde remotio a malis et falsis; angeli {11} ipso sensu id percipiunt; est sicut nisus ad centrum gravium, centrum {12} est ubi Dominus in Suo sole, huc capita angelorum elevantur, {13}at illuc pedes infernalium, ita illi spectant sursum et hi deorsum, n. 3641, 3643:(n) apud eundem, Peregrinus qui in medio tui, ascendet supra te sursum magis magisque; tu vero descendes deorsum magis magisque, ille erit in caput, tu autem eris in caudam, [Deut.] xxviii 43, 44;
similiter: apud Esaiam, Dic ad eum, Cave tibi, et quietus esto; ne time, et cor tuum [ne] mollescat propter duas caudas titionum fumantium istorum, propter excandescentiam Rezini et Syriae, ac filii Remaliae, vii 4;
`Rezinus rex Syriae' pro cognitionibus mali; quod `Syria' sint cognitiones boni, videatur n. 1232, 1234, 3680, ita in opposito sensu cognitiones mali; `filius Remaliae rex Samariae' pro cognitionibus falsi; hae et illae sunt `caudae' quia infima; `titiones fumantes' pro excandescentia. @1 ad$ @2 i et prehendit illud,$ @3 d non i nec$ @4 serpentum$ @5 similiter$ @6 callida$ @7 verum$ @8 i sunt$ @9 charitatis et fidei$ @2 sensualia$ @3 i hoc$ @4 i hoc$ @5 et$