Ephesians 6:1 · Bible study
Ephesians 6:1 Commentary: Study, Obedience 'in the Lord'
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Paul's command for children to obey parents, the meaning of 'in the Lord', and how it applies in Christian families.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Children are called to ongoing obedience to their parents, rooted in the Lord and affirmed as morally right by creation and revelation.
- Key words: hupakouō (obey), en kuriō (in the Lord), dikaion (right).
- Main debate: Whether “in the Lord” limits obedience to things consistent with God's will or simply describes the Christian context of the command.
- Theological theme: The family as a school of discipleship; submission to Christ shapes all human relationships.
- Best use: Teaching the nature of Christian obedience as free, willing, and bounded by loyalty to Christ.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
KJV King James Version 1769
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
The children! obey your parents in the Lord, for this is righteous;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Children, obey your parents in [the] Lord, for this is just.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is just.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
HIJOS, obedeced en el Señor á vuestros padres; porque esto es justo.
Filhos, sede obedientes aos vossos pais no Senhor, porque isso é justo.
Enfants, obéissez à vos parents, selon le Seigneur, car cela est juste.
Ihr Kinder, seid gehorsam euren Eltern in dem HERRN, denn das ist billig.
Gij kinderen, zijt uw ouderen gehoorzaam in den Heere; want dat is recht.
Figliuoli, ubbidite nel Signore ai vostri genitori, poiché ciò è giusto.
Dziatki! bądźcie posłuszne rodzicom waszym w Panu; boć to jest sprawiedliwa.
Дети, повинуйтесь своим родителям в Господе, ибо сего требует справедливость.
你們 作兒女的，要在主 裡 聽從 父母， 這 是 理所當然的。
Children, do what is ordered by your fathers and mothers in the Lord: for this is right.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Ephesians 6:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Paul grounds children's obedience in the moral order itself. The Greek verb hupakouete (present imperative) commands ongoing, habitual obedience, not a single act but a posture. The word dikaion (“right”) is key: it means that this command fits the very structure of God's creation. As Vincent notes, it belongs “essentially to the very nature of the relation.” Barnes argues that the God of nature indicates this duty, and Gill points out that it is “right by the light of nature.” The phrase “in the Lord” is where interpreters divide, but all affirm that obedience to parents is never an excuse to disobey God. Wesley sums it up: “in all things lawful.”
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- 'In the Lord' as limitation: Calvin, Clarke, Matthew Henry: obedience is only valid so far as it does not conflict with God's will (Acts 5:29, 'We must obey God rather than men').
- 'In the Lord' as Christian context: Cambridge, Lange: the phrase defines the sphere and motive of obedience, not primarily its limits. Children obey because they are in Christ.
What is clear: Children are to obey their parents, and this obedience is morally right (dikaion) according to God's revealed order.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'in the Lord' | All traditions agree that obedience to parents must never lead to disobedience to God. | Calvin, Clarke, and Matthew Henry read it as a limitation: only obey insofar as the parent's command aligns with God's will. Cambridge, Lange, and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown see it as the Christian sphere of obedience: children obey because they are in Christ. |
| Applicability to non-Christian parents | Children are to obey their parents regardless of the parents' faith. | Cambridge assumes the context of Christian parents but does not limit the precept to them. Others (e.g., Barnes) treat it as a universal moral duty. The phrase 'in the Lord' is taken by some to imply Christian parents, though the stronger textual case is that the children are to obey 'in the Lord' irrespective of the parents' status. |
| The foundation of 'right' | The command is 'right' because it aligns with God's law and the created order. | Gill and Vincent emphasize natural law (the light of nature). Calvin stresses that it is right because God commanded it. Both see it as objective moral truth, but one roots it more in creation, the other in divine command. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul writes within the framework of the Greco-Roman household, where the father held near-absolute legal authority (patria potestas) over children and slaves. Into this structure Paul injects a Christian corrective: children obey “in the Lord,” and immediately after, fathers are told not to provoke their children (v.4). This is not a reinforcement of Roman power but a transformation of the family under Christ. In the Jewish tradition, the fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12) already honored parents, and Paul quotes it in verses 2-3. The presence of children in the letter (Lange notes they are “regarded as belonging to the Church”) shows that Paul expects them to hear and respond. The household codes in Ephesians 5:21-6:9 reorder all relationships around mutual submission “in the fear of Christ.” Children, like wives and slaves, are called to a new kind of obedience, one shaped by allegiance to Jesus, not by social convention. The early church frequently taught that the family was the first school of discipleship, where children learned to obey God through obeying parents (cf. Luke 2:51). This context makes clear that the command is not about control but about formation in Christ.
Textual Notes
Reception History
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Command: Obey Your Parents. Paul uses the present imperative hupakouete, calling for ongoing, willing obedience. This is stronger than the word for “submit” used of wives (Cambridge). It includes both inward reverence and outward acts (Matthew Henry).
- The Sphere: In the Lord. This phrase qualifies both the motive and the limit. Calvin insists that obedience is only “so far as is consistent with piety to God.” The Cambridge Bible adds that it defines the Christian element in which obedience takes place.
- The Ground: For This Is Right. The word dikaion means just, according to God’s law. It is not merely good advice; it is built into creation. As Gill says, “it appears to be right by the light of nature.” Children obey because the universe is ordered that way.
Five-point outline
- Who is addressed: “Children” (tekna), all who are under the care of parents, including those in extended family (Gill).
- The action: “obey” (hupakouete), a continuous, active obedience.
- The recipients: “your parents”, both father and mother, as the next verse makes clear.
- The qualification: “in the Lord”, Christ is the context and the limit (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown).
- The motivation: “for this is right”, it aligns with God’s moral order and is confirmed by the fifth commandment.
Illustration hooks
- A child learning to trust. Just as a child trusts a parent's wisdom in crossing the street, obedience trains us to trust God's commands we don't yet fully understand.
- The limit of obedience. Consider a teen whose parent asks them to lie. The phrase “in the Lord” sets a boundary, obedience to God comes first. This is not rebellion but discernment.
Questions your congregation is asking
- What if my parents are not Christians? Does this verse still apply?
- How do I balance honoring my parents with setting healthy boundaries as an adult?
- What does “in the Lord” mean for a child whose parent is abusive?
Leading a Discussion
Paul's instruction to children is short but packed. It reorients obedience not as mere rule-following but as a way of living “in the Lord.” As you discuss, consider how this command shapes your view of family and discipleship.
Discussion questions
- What does the phrase “in the Lord” add to the command to obey? (Observation)
- Why does Paul say “for this is right” rather than “because it works” or “because it’s good for you”? (Interpretation)
- How do the surrounding verses (Eph 5:21-6:9) shape your understanding of this command? (Observation)
- In what ways might “in the Lord” limit or define the obedience children give? (Interpretation)
- How does Jesus' example of obedience in Luke 2:51 help us understand the heart of this command? (Application)
- What does this verse teach us about God's design for authority and submission in the home? (Application)
- How can we support children who struggle to obey their parents? (Application)
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 28:7 | and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddan Aram. |
| Genesis 37:13 | Israel said to Joseph, “Aren’t your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” He said to him, “Here I am.” |
| Leviticus 19:3 | “‘Each one of you shall respect his mother and his father. You shall keep my Sabbaths. I am Yahweh your God. |
| Deuteronomy 21:18 | If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and though they chasten him, will not listen to them, |
| I Samuel 17:20 | David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper, and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the place of the wagons as the army which was going out to the fight shouted for the battle. |
| Nehemiah 9:13 | “You also came down on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments, |
| Esther 2:20 | Esther had not yet made known her relatives nor her people, as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai, like she did when she was brought up by him. |
| Job 33:27 | He sings before men, and says, ‘I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it didn’t profit me. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke stresses that obedience to parents is a duty God strictly commands, yet he carefully qualifies it. He argues that "in the Lord" means children obey only when parents' commands align with Gods will and word. No child is obligated to follow unreasonable or unscriptural orders from a parent.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes presents children’s obedience to parents as a divinely designed training ground for obedience to God. The family government mirrors God’s government, and a child who learns submission at home is being prepared to submit to God. He adds that this obedience has limits: parents may not command what God forbids.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin focuses on why Paul says "obey" rather than "honor" when addressing children. He argues that obedience is the real proof of honor and is harder to practice, so it gets special emphasis. He also stresses that obedience to parents must always remain secondary to obedience to God.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that Paul uses a different Greek word for children’s obedience than for a wife’s submission. This suggests that children and servants render an obedience that is not tempered by the equality that marks the marriage relationship. The phrase “in the Lord” locates the child’s duty within union with Christ, not solely within Christian families.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill expands the command beyond biological parents to include guardians, stepparents, and older relatives. He also stresses that obedience has moral limits: children must obey only in things that are lawful and not contrary to God’s word. This careful balance defines his reading.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that children's obedience must
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that the command for children to obey their parents is qualified by the phrase "in the Lord": obedience to earthly parents must never override the higher duty to the heavenly Father. Parental authority is real but always subordinate to God's prior and superior claim.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent emphasizes that "in the Lord" means children are shaped by religious duty alongside natural affection. He also notes that the word "right" points to something that belongs to the very essence of the parent-child relationship itself.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses that children's obedience to parents has a clear limit: it applies only to lawful commands, and it must be done for the Lord's sake. The parent's will carries authority, but the child's ultimate loyalty belongs to God, making such obedience both just and reasonable.