Exodus 20:12

“Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long on the land that YHWH your Elohim is giving you.”
Exodus 20:12 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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The commandment about father and mother, with a promise of long daysParents and Children

With the Hebrew beneath

Honorכַּבֵּדyour fatherאֶת אָבִיךָand your mother,וְאֶת אִמֶּךָso thatלְמַעַןyour daysיָמֶיךָmay be longיַאֲרִכוּןon the landעַל הָאֲדָמָהthatאֲשֶׁרYHWHיְהוָהyour Elohimאֱלֹהֶיךָis givingנֹתֵןyou.לָךְ

Quotation · Matthew 15:4

Go to Matthew 15:4

Jesus quotes the commandment to honor one’s parents without the promise that accompanies it, and joins it to Exodus 21:17.

Formula: ὁ γὰρ θεὸς εἶπεν “for God said” (Matthew 15:4)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ὁ γὰρ θεὸς εἶπεν Τίμα τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα καί Ὁ κακολογῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα θανάτῳ τελευτάτω

Hebrew (Masoretic text): כַּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיךָ וְאֶת אִמֶּךָ לְמַעַן יַאֲרִכוּן יָמֶיךָ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ

This passage could not be located with certainty in the transcription of the Septuagint we use, so it is not compared.

Quotation · Luke 18:20

Go to Luke 18:20

Jesus quotes five commandments in a different order: adultery first and, at the end, honoring one’s parents.

Formula: τὰς ἐντολὰς οἶδας “you know the commandments” (Luke 18:20)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: τὰς ἐντολὰς οἶδας Μὴ μοιχεύσῃς Μὴ φονεύσῃς Μὴ κλέψῃς Μὴ ψευδομαρτυρήσῃς Τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα

Hebrew (Masoretic text): כַּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיךָ וְאֶת אִמֶּךָ לְמַעַן יַאֲרִכוּן יָמֶיךָ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ לֹא תִּרְצָח לֹא תִּנְאָף לֹא תִּגְנֹב לֹא תַעֲנֶה בְרֵעֲךָ עֵד שָׁקֶר

Septuagint (Exodus 20:12 in the Septuagint numbering): Τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα, ἴνα εὖ σοι γένηται, καὶ ἵνα μακροχρόνιος γένῃ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τῆς ἀγαθῆς ἧς κύριος ὁ θεός σου δίδωσίν σοι.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 7 consecutive words: “Τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · Ephesians 6:2-3

Go to Ephesians 6:2-3

Paul quotes the commandment and its promise. “So that it may go well with you” is in the form of Deuteronomy 5:16, not in Exodus 20:12.

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα ἥτις ἐστὶν ἐντολὴ πρώτη ἐν ἐπαγγελίᾳ ἵνα εὖ σοι γένηται καὶ ἔσῃ μακροχρόνιος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 7 consecutive words: “τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · Mark 7:10

Go to Mark 7:10

Jesus quotes the commandment to honor one’s parents without the promise that accompanies it, and joins it to Exodus 21:17.

Formula: Μωϋσῆς γὰρ εἶπεν “for Moses said” (Mark 7:10)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: Μωϋσῆς γὰρ εἶπεν Τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου καί Ὁ κακολογῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα θανάτῳ τελευτάτω

This passage could not be located with certainty in the transcription of the Septuagint we use, so it is not compared.

Quotation · Matthew 19:18-19

Go to Matthew 19:18-19

Jesus quotes five commandments and adds Leviticus 19:18.

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: λέγει αὐτῷ Ποίας ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν Τὸ Οὐ φονεύσεις Οὐ μοιχεύσεις Οὐ κλέψεις Οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις Τίμα τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, at most 3 consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · Mark 10:19

Go to Mark 10:19

Jesus quotes five commandments and adds “do not defraud,” which is not among the ten.

Formula: τὰς ἐντολὰς οἶδας “you know the commandments” (Mark 10:19)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: τὰς ἐντολὰς οἶδας Μὴ φονεύσῃς Μὴ μοιχεύσῃς Μὴ κλέψῃς Μὴ ψευδομαρτυρήσῃς Μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς Τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 7 consecutive words: “Τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Exodus 20:12, word by word

Honorכַּבֵּדkabed

honor

Literally "give weight": to hold someone in high regard.

Where else “kabed” appears

your fatherאָבִיavi

father

The man who begets a child and heads his household.

Where else “avi” appears

and your motherאִמֶּime

mother

The woman who gives birth to and raises her children, and who is owed honor.

Where else “ime” appears

your daysיָמֶיyame

time

Literally "the days": a period, an age, or the span of someone's life.

Where else “yame” appears

may be longיַאֲרִכוּyaarichu

be long, prolong

Be long, last long; prolong.

Where else “yaarichu” appears

on the landאֲדָמָהadama

land

A territory with its inhabitants, or the whole surface of the world.

Where else “adama” appears

YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears

your Elohimאֱלֹהֶיelohe

Elohim

The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.

Where else “elohe” appears

is givingנֹתֵןnoten

give

To hand something over to someone: a gift, a payment, a charge or a land.

Where else “noten” appears

Translation note

Paul quotes this commandment in Ephesians 6:2-3.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Matthew 15:4

Jesus quotes the commandment to honor one’s parents without the promise that accompanies it, and joins it to Exodus 21:17.

See them side by side

Exodus 20:12

¹²Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long on the land that YHWH your Elohim is giving you.

Matthew 15:4

⁴For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’

Quotation · Luke 18:20

Jesus quotes five commandments in a different order: adultery first and, at the end, honoring one’s parents.

See them side by side

Exodus 20:12

¹²Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long on the land that YHWH your Elohim is giving you.

Luke 18:20

²⁰You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’”

Quotation · Ephesians 6:2-3

Paul quotes the commandment and its promise. “So that it may go well with you” is in the form of Deuteronomy 5:16, not in Exodus 20:12.

See them side by side

Exodus 20:12

¹²Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long on the land that YHWH your Elohim is giving you.

Ephesians 6:2-3

²Honor your father and your mother —which is the first commandment with a promise—

Quotation · Mark 7:10

Jesus quotes the commandment to honor one’s parents without the promise that accompanies it, and joins it to Exodus 21:17.

See them side by side

Exodus 20:12

¹²Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long on the land that YHWH your Elohim is giving you.

Mark 7:10

¹⁰For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’

Quotation · Matthew 19:18-19

Jesus quotes five commandments and adds Leviticus 19:18.

See them side by side

Exodus 20:12

¹²Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long on the land that YHWH your Elohim is giving you.

Matthew 19:18-19

¹⁸He says to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “ ‘You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness;

Quotation · Mark 10:19

Jesus quotes five commandments and adds “do not defraud,” which is not among the ten.

See them side by side

Exodus 20:12

¹²Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long on the land that YHWH your Elohim is giving you.

Mark 10:19

¹⁹You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”

The context

11For in six days YHWH made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; that is why YHWH blessed the day of the Sabbath and made it holy.

12 · This verse (above)

13You shall not murder.

Read all of Exodus 20

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