195、上古之人不是将人里面的一切事物比作牲畜和飞鸟，而是实际如此称呼它们。这是他们惯常的说话方式，这种说话方式仍存留在大洪水后的古教会中，并保存在先知书当中。他们将人的感官能力称为“蛇”，因为正如蛇贴近地面，感官能力贴近肉体。因此，他们还将基于感官证据的关于信之秘密的推理称为“蛇毒”，将推理者本人称为“蛇”。由于这些人将推理大量建立在感官证据，也就是可见事物的基础上，而这些事物都是尘世、肉体、世俗和属世的，所以经上说：“蛇比田野一切的野兽更狡猾”。
所以在大卫诗篇，论到那些通过推理误导人的人，经上说：
他们使舌头尖利如蛇；他们的嘴唇之下有角蝰之毒。（诗篇140:3）
又：
他们从子宫里就走错路，说谎话。他们的毒气，好像蛇的毒气，他们好像塞耳的聋蝰蛇，不听耳语，就是属迷人群体的智者之声。（诗篇58:3-5）
具有这种性质，就是人们甚至不听智者的话，或智者之声的推理，在此被称为“蛇的毒气”。这就是古人当中关于“塞耳之蛇”的谚语的来源。阿摩司书：
好像人进房屋以手靠墙，蛇咬了他。耶和华的日子，不是黑暗没有光明吗？不是幽暗毫无光辉在里头吗？（阿摩司书5:19-20）
“靠墙的手”表示人自己的能力和对感官事物的信靠，这导致此处所描述的盲目。
耶利米书：
埃及的声音好像蛇行一样，敌人要成队而来，如伐木人拿斧子向她而来。耶和华说，他们要砍伐它的森林，因它不能寻察；他们多于蝗虫，不可胜数。埃及的女儿蒙羞，必交在北方人的手中。（耶利米书46:20，22-24）
“埃及”表示基于感官事物和记忆知识对神性事物的推理。这些推理被称为“蛇的声音”，由此造成的盲目被称为“北方人”。约伯记：
他必吸吮角蝰的毒液；毒蛇的舌头也必杀他。他必不得见溪流，就是流蜂蜜与奶油之河。（约伯记20:16-17）
“流蜂蜜与奶油之河”是指属灵和属天的事物，纯推理者看不见这些事物；这些推理被称为“角蝰的毒液”和“毒蛇的舌头”。关于蛇，详情可参看下文（3:14-15）。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]195. The earliest people did not compare various human traits to animals and birds but called them such. That was their manner of speaking. This practice persisted in the ancient church, which came after the Flood, and the [Old Testament] prophets perpetuated it.
Snakes was their word for a person's sensory abilities. This was because sense impressions rise directly out of the body, just as snakes lie directly on the ground. Those people referred to false logic concerning the mysteries of faith, when it sprang from sense impressions, as snake venom, and they called the logicians themselves snakes. People who employ this kind of logic spend much time constructing arguments based on things they can sense and specifically on things they can see — things of the earth, their body, the world, and nature — and that is why the snake was described as being crafty above every wild animal of the field.
[2] David uses similar words:
They sharpen their tongue like a snake; the venom of an asp is on their lips. (Psalms 140:3, 4, 5)
This speaks of people who beguile others with their false reasoning. In the same author:
They go astray from the womb, speaking a lie; they have venom like the venom of a snake. Like a deaf poison asp, they stop up their ear so as not to hear the voice of those who murmur, of a sage who associates in societies.{*1} (Psalms 58:3, 4, 5)
The snake venom refers to specious arguments, which tend to prevent people from even listening to anything wise — the "voice of a sage." That is the source of a customary saying among the ancients that a snake would stop up its ear.{*2} In Amos:
... as if you come into the house and lean your hand on the wall and a snake bites you. Is the day of Jehovah not shadow and lack of light? And is there not darkness and lack of radiance on it? (Amos 5:19-20)
The hand on the wall stands for our independent powers and for confidence in the evidence of our senses. These cause blindness, as described.
[3] In Jeremiah:
The sound of Egypt will travel like a snake, because they will travel in strength and come with axes against her, as if they were woodcutters. "Let them cut down her forest," says Jehovah, "because it will not be explored. For they have become more numerous than locusts and there is no counting them. The daughter of Egypt has been shamed; she will be delivered into the hand of the people of the north." (Jeremiah 46:20, 22-23, 24)
Egypt stands for sophistry about divine subjects based on physical sensation and factual knowledge. Sophistic arguments are called the sound of a snake, and the blindness that results is symbolized by the people of the north. In Job:
They will suck the venom of asps; the tongue of a viper will kill them. They will not see torrents, streaming rivers of honey and butter. (Job 20:16-17)
Rivers of honey and butter are spiritual and heavenly qualities, which reasoners "will not see." Their arguments are called the venom of asps and the tongue of a viper. For more on the meaning of a snake, see below at verses 14-15 [242-251, 254, 257-259].
Footnotes:
{*1} The Latin phrase here translated "of a sage who associates in societies," sociantis sodalitia sapientis, may aim to retain the hypnotic effect of both the alliteration and the obscurity of the Hebrew original: חוֹבֵר חֲבָרִים מְחֻכָּם (ḥôḇēr ḥăḇārîm mǝḥukkām). On the asp stopping its ear, see note 2 in 195. [LHC]
{*2} The idea that snakes can be charmed and pacified by certain types of speech, song, or instrumental music dates back to ancient times. Snakes were said to make themselves resistant to being thus charmed by stopping up their ears. See, for example, the statement in a commentary of church father Augustine (354-430) on Psalms 57:5 in the Vulgate Latin Bible (Psalms 58:6 in English Bibles), the same passage Swedenborg addresses here. In Augustine's report of the attempts of one of the Marsi (the ancient magicians and snake-charmers of central Italy) to charm a snake out of its cave, he notes: "It is said that when the snake is unwilling to come out, it presses one ear to the ground and stops the other ear with its tail in order not to hear the words by which it feels itself being compelled" (Augustine Enarrationes in Psalmos 57.7; translation by JSR). On the general notion that some serpents are able to resist being charmed, see Jeremiah 8:17. [JSR, SS]
Potts(1905-1910) 195
195. The most ancient people did not compare all things in man to beasts and birds, but so denominated them; and this their customary manner of speaking remained even in the Ancient Church after the flood, and was preserved among the prophets. The sensuous things in man they called "serpents" because as serpents live close to the earth, so sensuous things are those next the body. Hence also reasonings concerning the mysteries of faith, founded on the evidence of the senses, were called by them the "poison of a serpent" and the reasoners themselves "serpents;" and because such persons reason much from sensuous, that is, from visible things (such as are things terrestrial, corporeal, mundane, and natural), it is said that "the serpent was more subtle than any wild animal of the field." [2] And so in David, speaking of those who seduce man by reasonings:
They sharpen their tongue like a serpent; the poison of the asp is under their lips (Ps. 140:3). And again:
They go astray from the womb, speaking a lie. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent, like the deaf poisonous asp that stoppeth her ear, that she may not hear the voice of the mutterers, of a wise one that charmeth charms [sociantis sodalitia]* (Ps. 58:3-6). Reasonings that are of such a character that the men will not even hear what a wise one says, or the voice of the wise, are here called the "poison of a serpent." Hence it became a proverb among the ancients, that "The serpent stoppeth the ear." In Amos:
As if a man came into a house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of Jehovah be darkness and not light? even thick darkness, and no brightness in it? (Amos 5:19-20). The "hand on the wall" means self-derived power, and trust in sensuous things, whence comes the blindness which is here described. [3] In Jeremiah:
The voice of Egypt shall go like a serpent, for they shall go in strength, and shall come to her with axes as hewers of wood. They shall cut down her forest, saith Jehovah, because it will not be searched; for they are multiplied more than the locust, and are innumerable. The daughter of Egypt is put to shame; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north (Jer. 46:22-24). "Egypt" denotes reasoning about Divine things from sensuous things and memory-knowledges [scientifica]. Such reasonings are called the "voice of a serpent;" and the blindness thereby occasioned, the "people of the north." In Job:
He shall suck the poison of asps; the viper's tongue shall slay him. He shall not see the brooks, the flowing rivers of honey and butter (Job 20:16-17). "Rivers of honey and butter" are things spiritual and celestial, which cannot be seen by mere reasoners; reasonings are called the "poison of the asp" and the "viper's tongue." See more respecting the serpent below, at verses 14 and 15. * In the Apocalypse Revealed (n. 462e), instead of sociatis sodalitia, there is incantatoris incantationum. [Reviser.]
Elliott(1983-1999) 195
195. The most ancient people did not compare all things in man to beasts and birds but actually called them such. This was their manner of speaking, which also remained throughout in the Ancient Church after the Flood; and a similar manner of speaking was preserved among the Prophets. Man's sensory powers they called serpents, for just as serpents are next to the ground so do the sensory powers come next to the body. Consequently reasonings based on sensory evidence concerning mysteries of faith they called serpent-poisons, and those who reasoned in that way they called serpents. And it is their basing reasonings so much on sensory evidence - that is, on visual, as is the evidence of earthly, bodily, worldly, and natural objects - that is the reason for the statement 'the serpent was subtle, more than every wild animal of the field'.
[2] A similar usage occurs in David,
They make their tongue sharp, like a serpent. Under their lips is the poison of an asp. Ps 140:3-5.
This refers to people who mislead a person by means of reasonings. In the same author,
They go astray even from the womb, in uttering what is untrue; their poison is like serpent's poison; they are like the poisonous deaf-adder which stops up its ear to the sound of those whispering[to it], of the wise one who belongs to the fraternity [of charmers]. Ps 58:3-5.
Reasonings whose nature is such that those who resort to them do not even hear that which is wise, that is, do not hear 'the sound of the wise one', are here called 'serpent's poison'. This was the origin of the popular saying with the ancients about 'the serpent stopping its ear'. In Amos,
As if someone went into the house and leaned with his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him. Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light, and thick darkness, and no brightness in it? Amos 5:19, 20.'His hand against the wall' stands for power that is one's own and trust in sensory evidence, which results in the benightedness described here.
[3] In Jeremiah,
The sound of Egypt will go forth like a serpent, for [her enemies] will go forth in force, and they will come to her with axes, like woodcutters. Let them cut down her forest, says Jehovah, for it will not be explored; they are more numerous than locusts, they are without number. The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame; she will be given into the hand of a people from the north. Jer 46:20, 22-24.
'Egypt' stands for reasoning about Divine matters that is based on sensory evidence and factual knowledge. Reasonings are called 'the sound of a serpent', and the benightedness that results is meant by 'a people from the north'. In Job,
He will suck the poison of asps, the tongue of a viper will kill him; he will not see the brooks, the streams flowing with honey and butter. Job 20:16, 17.
'Streams of honey and butter' are spiritual and celestial things, which reasoners will not see. Reasonings are called 'the poison of asps and 'the tongue of a viper'. For more concerning the serpent, see at verses 14, 15, below.
Latin(1748-1756) 195
195. Antiquissimi non compararunt omnia quae erant in homine, bestiis et avibus, sed vocarunt; talis erat loquela eorum; talis etiam permansit in Antiqua Ecclesia post diluvium, et similis conservata apud Prophetas: sensualia hominis vocabant 'serpentes'; quia, sicut serpentes proximi sunt terrae, etiam sensualia proxima corpori; inde ratiocinia ex sensualibus de mysteriis fidei vocabant 'venena serpentis'; et ipsos ratiocinatores 'serpentes'; qui quia ex sensualibus, seu visibilibus, ut sunt terrestria, corporea, mundana et naturalia, multum ratiocinantur, dictum, quod 'serpens fuit astutus prae omni fera agri.' Apud Davidem similiter, Exacuunt linguam suam, sicut serpens, venenum aspidis sub labiis eorum, Ps. cxl 4-6 [A.V. 3-5]; ubi de iis qui per ratiocinia seducunt hominem, agitur: apud eundem, Aberrant ab utero loquentes mendacium; venenum iis instar veneni serpentis; sicut aspis venenata surda obturat aurem suam, ut non audiat vocem mussitantium, {1} sociantis sodalitia sapientis, Ps. lviii 4-6 [A.V. 3-5];ratiocinia hic vocantur 'venenum serpentis,' quae sunt talia ut ne quidem audiant quod sapiens, seu vocem sapientis; inde formula apud antiquos quod 'serpens obturet aurem:' apud Amosum, Sicut quis veniat in domum, nitaturque manu sua super parietem, et mordeat eum serpens; nonne tenebrae dies Jehovae, et non lux, et caligo, et non splendor ei? v 19, 20;
'manus super parietem' pro potentia propria et fiducia sensualium, inde occaecatio quae describitur: apud Jeremiam, Vox Aegypti quasi serpens ibit, quia in robore ibunt, et cum securibus venient ei, tanquam caesores lignorum: excidant silvam ejus, dictum Jehovae, quia non investigabitur, nam multiplicati sunt prae locusta, et nullus eis numerus; pudefacta est filia Aegypti, dabitur in manum populi septentrionis, xlvi 20, 22-24;
'Aegyptus' pro ratiocinatione de Divinis ex sensualibus et scientificis; ratiocinia vocantur 'vox serpentis,' et occaecatio inde significatur per 'populum septentrionis:' apud Hiobum, Venenum aspidum suget, occidet eum lingua viperae; non videbit rivos, flumina fluviorum mellis et butyri, xx 16, 17;
'fluvii mellis et butyri' sunt spiritualia et caelestia, quae non visuri ratiocinatores; ratiocinia vocantur 'venenum aspidum, et lingua viperae.' Plura de serpente videas infra ad vers. 14 @ 1 In A.R. 462 this is rendered incantatoris incantationum. The Hebrew seems to allow of both renderings.$