438. [verse 20] 'And they had tails like scorpions' signifies the falsified truths of the Word by means of which they induce stupefaction. By 'a tail' is signified the ultimate of the head, because the brain is continued into the tail through the back-bone, and therefore head and tail make a one as first and last. When, therefore, faith alone justifying and saving is signified by the 'head', by the 'tail' are signified all the confirmations thereof as a whole, and these, being out of the Word, are thus truths of the Word falsified. Everyone who takes up a principle of religion derived from his own intelligence and establishes it as the head, also takes confirmations out of the Word and establishes these as the tail. In this manner he induces stupefaction upon others, and so hurts them. It is therefore said that 'they had tails like scorpions', and soon after, that 'there were stings in their tails, and their power was to hurt the men'; for by 'a scorpion' is signified a persuasiveness inducing stupefaction of the understanding (n. 425). That the tail is a continuation of the brain through the back-bone to its ultimate, ask an anatomist and he will tell you; or look at a dog or other wild animal having a tail and encourage and coax it, and you will see the ridge of its back soften and the tail move correspondingly, and on the other hand you will see the ridge stiffen if you provoke it. [2] The first thing of the understanding, which it takes up as a principle, is signified by 'head', and the last thing thereof by 'tail' in these places also:-