6
And the maidservants drew near, they and their children, and they bowed.
4357. 'And saw the women and their sons' means, of the affections for truth and of the truths which belong to those affections. This is clear from the meaning of 'the women', who in this case are Leah and Rachel's servant-girls, as affections for truth, dealt with in 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819, 4344, and from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, dealt with in 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373, in this case the truths which belong to those affections.
As with many common verbs, the meaning of “to say” in the Bible is highly dependent on context. Who is speaking? Who is hearing? What is it about? Is it a command, a message, an apology, instruction? All these things enter into the meaning of “say.” In general, though, “saying” has to do with sharing truth at various levels -- from the most exalted power people can have to perceive the Lord's desires directly to the most basic of orders issued to people at their lowest.