4777. 'Joseph has been torn to pieces' means that falsities render that truth entirely non-existent. This is clear from the meaning of 'being torn to pieces' as being scattered by falsities, or what amounts to the same, falsities rendering it entirely non-existent. They are falsities arising from evils, that is, from evil desires, that are meant here, 4770. Regarding these desires, see what has been stated immediately above in 4776.

4770. 'And dipped the tunic in the blood' means that they defiled those appearances with falsities arising from evils. This is clear from the meaning of 'dipping in blood' as defiling with falsities, for in the contrary sense 'blood' means truth that has been falsified, 4735. Because it was the blood of 'a he-goat, which means external truths derived from delights such as adherents to faith separated from charity enjoy, it is plain that falsities arising from evils are meant. This is also evident from what follows below where Jacob says, 'An evil wild animal has devoured him; Joseph has been torn to pieces'; for these words mean that desires for evil annihilated [truth possessed by the Church], thus that falsities rendered this entirely non-existent. For falsity arises from three different sources - the teaching of the Church, the illusions of the senses, and the life of evil desires, the last of the three being the worst kind of falsity, see 4729.