9081. If the ox shall strike with the horn a manservant, or a maidservant. That this signifies if the affection of evil shall destroy truth or good in the natural, is evident from the signification of “manservant,” as being truth in the natural (see n. 3019, 3020, 5305, 7998); and from the signification of “maidservant,” as being the affection of truth therein (n. 1895, 2567, 3835, 3849, 8993, 8994); and from the signification of “striking with the horn,” as being to destroy. “To strike with the horn” is said in the Word of the destruction of falsity by the power of truth; and in the opposite sense, of the destruction of truth by the power of falsity, and this for the reason that by “a horn” is signified the power of truth from good, and the power of falsity from evil (see n. 2832); as in Ezekiel:

Ye thrust with side and with shoulder, and with your horns ye strike all the weak ones (Ezekiel 34:21);

speaking of those who with all their force and power destroy the truths and goods of the church by means of fallacious reasonings from things of sense; “to thrust with side and with shoulder” denotes with all force and power (n. 1085, 4931-4937). From this it is plain why “striking with the horn” is spoken of in Moses:

To the firstborn of his ox, honor is his; and his horns are the horns of the unicorn; with them he shall strike the peoples together unto the ends of the earth (Deuteronomy 33:17).

These words are in the prophecy of Moses about Joseph, where by “Joseph” in the internal sense is meant the Lord as to the Divine spiritual, and in the representative sense His spiritual kingdom; “the horns of the unicorn” denote the things which belong to power from the good and the truth of faith; to “strike the peoples” denotes to destroy falsities by means of truths; “unto the ends of the earth” denotes on all sides where the church is.

In David:

Thou art my very king, O God, through Thee will we strike with the horn our enemies (Psalms 44:4-5).

“To strike with the horn our enemies” here also denotes to destroy falsities through the power of the truth and good of faith. Who cannot see that in these passages no mention would have been made of “striking with the horn” as done by men, except from the signification of “horn,” as being power?