English Standard Version
Exodus 20:12
12"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Exodus 20:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
- New International Version (NIV)“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Context of Exodus 20:12
10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 13"You shall not murder. 14"You shall not commit adultery.
Read all of Exodus 20Exodus 20:12 word by word
כַּבֵּ֥ד אֶת־אָבִ֖יךָ וְאֶת־אִמֶּ֑ךָ לְמַ֙עַן֙ יַאֲרִכ֣וּן יָמֶ֔יךָ עַ֚ל הָאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Honourכָּבֵדkâbad kâbêd · to honor: honourH3513
- thy fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- and thy motherאֵם'êm · motherH517
- that thy daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- may be longאָרַךְ'ârak · to prolongH748
- upon the landאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
- which the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- givethנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
Cross-references for Exodus 20:12
- Exodus 21:15"Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.
- Leviticus 19:3Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.
- 1 Kings 2:19So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king's mother, and she sat on his right.
- 2 Kings 2:12And Elisha saw it and he cried, "My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And he saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
- Proverbs 1:8Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching,
- Proverbs 15:5A fool despises his father's instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.
- Proverbs 20:20If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
- Proverbs 23:22Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
- Proverbs 28:24Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, "That is no transgression," is a companion to a man who destroys.
- Proverbs 30:11There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
- Malachi 1:6"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, 'How have we despised your name?'
- Matthew 15:4For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.'
- Luke 18:20You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.'"
- Ephesians 5:21submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
- Ephesians 6:1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
- Colossians 3:20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
Commentaries on Exodus 20:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Honor thy father and thy mother - There is a degree of affectionate respect which is owing to parents, that no person else can properly claim. For a considerable time parents stand as it were in the place of God to their children, and therefore rebellion against their lawful commands has been considered as rebellion against God. This precept therefore prohibits, not only all injurious acts, irreverent and unkind speeches to parents, but enjoins all…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-17Verses 1-17 The Hebrew name which is rendered in our King James Version as the ten commandments occurs in Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13; Deuteronomy 10:4. It literally means “the Ten Words.” The Ten Commandments are also called the law, even the commandment Exodus 24:12, the words of the covenant Exodus 34:28, the tables of the covenant Deuteronomy 9:9, the covenant Deuteronomy 4:13, the two tables Deuteronomy 9:10, Deuteronomy 9:17, and, most…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 The laws of the SECOND table, that is, the last six of the ten commandments, state our duty to ourselves and to one another, and explain the great commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, Lu 10:27. Godliness and honesty must go together. The fifth commandment concerns the duties we owe to our relations. Honour thy father and thy mother, includes esteem of them, shown in our conduct; obedience to their lawful commands; come when…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12honor your father and mother: This means acknowledging that you rely on others. This is an important step toward humility. Arrogance might make you famous, but humility and gratitude lead to a long, fulfilling life. Both Jesus and the apostle Paul refer to this command (see Matthew 15:4; Mark 7:10; Ephesians 6:1–3).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-261. And God spake all these words--The Divine Being Himself was the speaker (De 5:12, 32, 33), in tones so loud as to be heard--so distinct as to be intelligible by the whole multitude standing in the valleys below, amid the most appalling phenomena of agitated nature. Had He been simply addressing rational and intelligent creatures, He would have spoken with the still small voice of persuasion and love. But He was speaking to those who were at the same…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 20:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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Commentaries