3583. 'And your mother's sons will bow down to you' means over all other affections for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons' also as truths, dealt with in 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373, and from the meaning of 'mother' as the affection for spiritual truth - therefore as the Church, for the Church exists from truth and the affection for this, and is given the name 'mother', dealt with in 289, 2691, 2717.

2717. 'And his mother took for him' means the affection for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'mother' as the Church, dealt with in 289. And because the spiritual Church which is represented here is governed by the affection for truth, and it is this affection which makes it a Church, 'mother' here therefore means that affection.