----中文待译----
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.