Deuteronomy 5:16
in Deuteronomy 5Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Honor thy father and thy mother, as Jehovah thy God commanded thee; that thy days may be long, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee.
KJV
Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 5
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Honor your father and your mother
This commandment carries two promises here, "so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you," where Exodus 20:12 gives long life alone. Paul calls it "the first commandment with a promise" at Ephesians 6:2 and quotes both promises at 6:3, the fuller Deuteronomy form. The added "as the LORD your God has commanded you" matches verse 12.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Have ye that are servants done all things as unto Christ? Not with eye-service, but in singleness of heart? Have ye who are masters, behaved as parents to your servants, with all gentleness and affection?
Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
כאשר צוך [HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER] AS THE LORD THY GOD HATH COMMANDED THEE — Also regarding honouring parents they received command at Marah, as it is said, (Exodus:25) “There He appointed for them a statute and a judgement” (cf. Rashi on that passage and Note p. 243) (Sanhedrin 56b).
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
The meaning thereof is that He commanded you to do so [give rest to the servant] on the Sabbath-day. So did Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explain it.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כַּבֵּ֤ד | kabed | honor | H3513 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אָבִ֙יךָ֙ | ʾavikha | father your | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אִמֶּ֔ךָ | ʾimekha | mother your | H517 → | 220 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוְּךָ֖ | tzivekha | he has commanded you | H6680 → | 494 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לְמַ֣עַן׀ | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| יַאֲרִיכֻ֣ן | yaarikhun | they may be long ! | H748 → | 34 times |
| יָמֶ֗יךָ | yameikha | days your | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| וּלְמַ֙עַן֙ | ulemaan | and so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| יִ֣יטַב | yitav | it may go well | H3190 → | 117 times |
| לָ֔ךְ | lakh | for you | ||
| עַ֚ל | ʾal | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה | haadamah | the land | H127 → | 225 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| נֹתֵ֥ן | noten | [is] about to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָֽךְ׃ ס | lakh | to you |
כַּבֵּ֤דhonor
kabedH3513 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אָבִ֙יךָ֙father your
ʾavikhaH1 →1212 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
אִמֶּ֔ךָmother your
ʾimekhaH517 →220 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֥רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
צִוְּךָ֖he has commanded you
tzivekhaH6680 →494 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
לְמַ֣עַן׀so that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
יַאֲרִיכֻ֣ןthey may be long !
yaarikhunH748 →34 times
יָמֶ֗יךָdays your
yameikhaH3117 →2304 times
וּלְמַ֙עַן֙and so that
ulemaanH4616 →272 times
יִ֣יטַבit may go well
yitavH3190 →117 times
לָ֔ךְfor you
lakh
עַ֚לon
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
הָֽאֲדָמָ֔הthe land
haadamahH127 →225 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יְהוָ֥הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
נֹתֵ֥ן[is] about to give
notenH5414 →2011 times
לָֽךְ׃ סto you
lakh
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 20:12Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
it leads to
- Ephesians 6:1–3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
- Leviticus 19:3
Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must keep My Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 7:10
For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
- Proverbs 23:22–25
Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
- Ephesians 6:1–3
Through
Colossians 3:20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
it leads to
- Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 6:20
My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
- Exodus 20:12
Through
Deuteronomy 4:40Keep His statutes and commandments, which I am giving you today, so that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may live long in the land that the LORD your…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 6:3
Hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe them, so that you may prosper and multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers,…
- Deuteronomy 6:3
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.