428. And their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. This symbolically means that this was owing to their persuasiveness.

This follows from what we said in no. 427 just above; for the torment symbolizes a mental numbness, which the persuasiveness of those meant by the locusts induces in the intellect, like the numbness a scorpion induces in the body by its sting. A scorpion symbolizes that persuasiveness (no. 425).

In the spiritual world one finds a persuasiveness which takes away an understanding of truth, and which induces a mental numbness and thus an anguish of heart. But this power of persuasion is unknown in the natural world.