251. The reason why the “serpent” means all evil in general, and specifically the love of self, is that all evil has had its rise from that sensuous part of the mind, and also from that memory-knowledge [scientifico], which at first were signified by the “serpent;” and therefore it here denotes evil of every kind, and specifically the love of self, or hatred against the neighbor and the Lord, which is the same thing. As this evil or hatred was various, consisting of numerous genera and still more numerous species, it is described in the Word by various kinds of serpents, as “snakes” “cockatrices” “asps” “adders” “fiery serpents” “serpents that fly” and “that creep” and “vipers” according to the differences of the poison, which is hatred. Thus we read in Isaiah:

Rejoice not thou, whole Philistia, because the rod which smiteth thee is broken, for out of the serpent’s root shall go forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a flying fire-serpent (Isaiah 14:29).The “serpent’s root” denotes that part of the mind, or that principle, which is connected with the senses and with memory-knowledge [est sensuale et scientificum]; the “cockatrice” denotes evil originating in the falsity thence derived; and the “flying fire-serpent” the cupidity that comes from the love of self. By the same Prophet also similar things are elsewhere thus described:

They hatch cockatrice’s eggs, and weave the spider’s web; he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and when it is crushed there cometh out a viper (Isaiah 59:5).

The serpent described here in Genesis is called in the Revelation the “great and red dragon” and the “old serpent” and also the “devil and satan” that “deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:3, 9; 20:2), where, and also in other places, by the “devil” is not meant any particular devil who is prince over the others, but the whole crew of evil spirits, and evil itself.

359. And he went forth conquering and that He might conquer, signifies the removal of evils and of falsities thence to the end of life, and afterwards to eternity. This is evident from the signification of "to conquer" in the Word as being to conquer spiritually, which is to subjugate evils and falsities; but as these are not conquered otherwise than that they are taken away by the Lord, "to conquer" signifies the removal of evils and falsities. (That evils and falsities are removed, and not wiped out, or that man is withheld from them, and kept in good and truth by the Lord, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 166; and Arcana Coelestia 865, 868, 887, 894, 929, 1581, 2116, 2406, 4564, 8206, 8393, 8988, 9014, 9333-9338, 9446-9448, 9451, 10057, 10060.) It is said "he went forth conquering and that He might conquer," and "He went forth conquering" signifies the removal of evils and of falsities thence to the end of life; "and that He might conquer" signifies their removal afterwards to eternity; for he who fights against evils and falsities and conquers them, in the world even to the end of life, conquers them to eternity; for such as man is at the end of his life in consequence of his past life, such he remains to eternity. "To conquer" signifies to conquer spiritually, because the Word is in its bosom spiritual, that is, in its bosom it treats of spiritual things, and not of earthly things; the earthly things that are in the sense of its letter merely serve its spiritual sense as a basis, into which spiritual things close and in which they are. "To conquer [or to overcome]" has a like signification in the following passages.

[2] In Revelation:

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7).

He that overcometh shall not be hurt by the second death (Revelation 2:11).

He that overcometh and keepeth My works unto the end, I will give him power over the nations (Revelation 2:26).

He that overcometh I will make him a pillar in the temple of God (Revelation 3:12).

He that overcometh I will give to him to sit with Me in My throne (Revelation 3:21).

They overcame the dragon through the blood of the Lamb, and through the word of the testimony (Revelation 12:11).

He that overcometh shall possess all things, and I will be to him God, and he shall be to Me a son (Revelation 21:7).

And in John:

Jesus [said] to the disciples, These things I have spoken unto you that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but confide, I have overcome the world (John 16:33).

The Lord's "overcoming the world" means that He subjugated all the hells; for "the world" here signifies all evils and falsities, which are from hell (as also in John 8:23; 12:31; 14:17, 19, 30; 15:18, 19; 16:8, 11; 17:9, 14, 16).

[3] "To conquer" has a like signification when predicated of the Lord in Isaiah:

Who is this that cometh from Edom, His garments sprinkled from Bozrah? I have trodden the wine-press alone, and of the people not a man was with Me; therefore have I trodden them in Mine anger, and trampled them in My wrath; wherefore their victory is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all My raiment. But I have made their victory to descend to the earth (Isaiah 63:1, 3, 6).

This treats of the Lord, and His combats against the hells and their subjugation. He Himself in respect to His Divine Human is here meant by Edom, His garments sprinkled from Bozrah," "His garments" signifying the Word in the letter, for "garments" signify truths investing, and in reference to the Lord they signify Divine truths, consequently the Word, since in it are all Divine truths (See above, n. 195). The Word in the sense of the letter is also meant here by "garments," because it contains investing truths, for the sense of the letter serves as a garment to the spiritual sense. And as the Word, in respect to that sense, was torn asunder by the Jewish people, and Divine truth was thereby adulterated, it is said, "His garments sprinkled from Bozrah, their victory is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all My raiment," "garments from Bozrah" signify the ultimate of the Word which is the sense of the letter, "their victory upon My garments" signifies the wrong interpretation and application of the truth by those who wrest the sense of the letter to favor their own loves, and the principles thence assumed, as was done by the Jews, and is done also at this day by many; this is meant by "their victory upon My garments."

That the Lord fought alone is signified by "I have trodden the wine-press alone, and of the people not a man was with Me," "wine-press" signifying combat from Divine truths against falsities, because in wine-presses the wine is pressed out from grapes, and "wine" signifies Divine truth; therefore "to tread it alone, and of the people not a man was with Me," signifies alone, with no aid from anyone. That the Lord subjugated the hells is signified by, "I have trodden them in Mine anger, and trampled them in My wrath;" it is said, "I have trodden" and "I have trampled," because of the reference to the wine-press, and because destruction is signified; it is said, "anger" and "wrath" because the hells are destroyed; and in the sense of the letter this is attributed to the Lord, when nevertheless nothing of anger or wrath pertains to Him, but only to those who are against Him; it is according to appearance that it is so said here and in very many places elsewhere. That such were subjugated and condemned to hell is signified by, "I have made their victory to descend to the earth," "to the earth" meaning into damnation, thus into hell. (That "earth" also signifies damnation, see above, n. 304)