9089. 'And the dead [animal] shall be his' means that the evil or falsity will remain with him. This is clear from the meaning of 'the dead' - when the words refer to good or truth in the natural, which is meant by 'an ox or an ass' - as evil or falsity, for when good dies evil replaces it, and when truth dies falsity replaces it (since 'the dead' means evil and falsity, those who will what is evil and believe what is false are called 'the dead', 7494); and from the meaning of 'being his' as remaining with him. The situation in all this is that if anyone uses falsity to destroy good or truth present with himself or with others he does so from evil, thus from the will by means of the understanding, for all evil belongs to the will and all falsity to the understanding. What is done through both parts of the mind remains, since it permeates the whole of the person's life. It is different if the evil comes from the will and not at the same time from the understanding, 9009. All this shows why it was stipulated that 'the dead [animal] shall be his'.