9015. And he that smiteth his father and his mother. That this signifies the blaspheming of the Lord and of His kingdom, is evident from the signification of “smiting,” as being to injure by means of falsities (see n. 7136, 7146, 9007), and when predicated of the Lord and of His kingdom, as being to blaspheme; and from the signification of “father,” as being the Lord; and of “mother,” as being His kingdom. See n. 8897, where the fourth commandment of the Decalogue was unfolded, and it was shown what is meant in the internal sense by “honoring father and mother,” namely, to love the Lord and His Kingdom, and therefore in the relative sense, to love good and truth. So also “to smite father and mother,” in the relative sense denotes to blaspheme the good and truth of the church.