Ephesians 6:2 · Bible study
Ephesians 6:2 Commentary: 'First with Promise'
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why Paul calls the fifth commandment 'the first with promise' when the second also has a promise. Commentators explain the distinction.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Paul quotes the fifth commandment to ground children's obedience in God's law, noting it carries a specific promise.
- Key words: τίμα (honor, active reverence); πρώτη ἐν ἐπαγγελία (first in/with promise).
- Main debate: Why 'first with promise' when the second commandment also promises mercy, resolved by viewing the second as a general statement, the fifth as a specific promise.
- Theological theme: The continuity of the Decalogue in Christian ethics; God's design for family as a sphere of blessing.
- Best use: Preaching on the goodness of the law, parenting/home life, or the connection between obedience and reward.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
“Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise),
WEB World English Bible 2000
“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with a promise:
KJV King James Version 1769
Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise),
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
honour thy father and mother,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Honour thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with a promise,
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Honour thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with a promise:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Honra á tu padre y á tu madre, que es el primer mandamiento con promesa,
Honra teu pai, e tua mãe (que é o primeiro mandamento com promessa);
Honore ton père et ta mère ( c’ est le premier commandement avec une promesse),
“ Ehre Vater und Mutter,” das ist das erste Gebot, das Verheißung hat:
Eert uw vader en moeder (hetwelk het eerste gebod is met een belofte),
Onora tuo padre e tua madre (è questo il primo comandamento con promessa)
Czcij ojca twego i matkę (toć jest pierwsze przykazanie z obietnicą).
Почитай отца твоего и мать, это первая заповедь с обетованием:
「要孝敬 父 母，使 你 得 福， 在 世 長壽。」這 是 第一 條帶 應許 的誡命。
Give honour to your father and mother (which is the first rule having a reward),
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Ephesians 6:2
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 quotes the fifth commandment from the Decalogue (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16) to ground his household ethics in divine law. The puzzle is his phrase 'first commandment with a promise.' Calvin, Barnes, and the Cambridge Bible all note that the second commandment also states that God shows mercy to thousands who love Him (Exodus 20:5-6). Yet Paul singles out this one. The consensus is that the fifth commandment carries a specific promise, long life in the land, while the second commandment's promise is a general declaration about the outcome of obeying all God's commands. As Calvin puts it, the second commandment's promise is 'universal, applying indiscriminately to the whole law.' Barnes adds that the fifth commandment is 'distinguished by a promise' in a way the others are not. The Greek preposition en ('in') in the phrase 'first in promise' (πρώτη ἐν ἐπαγγελία) suggests that this commandment is conceived or clothed in promise, making obedience especially joyful.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Paul cites the fifth commandment as authoritative for Christian households and notes that it carries a specific promise from God.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'first' in 'first with promise' | All traditions agree Paul is referring to the Decalogue and that this commandment has a distinctive promise attached. | Some commentators argue 'first' means first in order (chronologically the first with a promise; Calvin, Barnes, Cambridge Bible). Others see it as 'first in rank' or most important (Lange notes Koppe and Hodge held this view, but calls it incorrect). A third position understands 'first' as 'first in point of promise' (Vincent). |
| Status of the second commandment's promise | All agree that Exodus 20:5-6 contains some form of promise (mercy to thousands). | Calvin, Barnes, and Wesley argue that promise is universal and applies to the whole law, not just the second commandment. Others, like the Catholic and Lutheran traditions, traditionally list the second commandment separately (removing images) and may see it as its own promise, but the majority Protestant view is that Paul's statement stands because the fifth is uniquely specific. |
| Scope of 'honor', children only or all ages? | All agree that children are the primary audience, as the context shows (obey, then fathers). | Some Reformed commentators (Henry, Gill) emphasize that 'honor' includes material support for aging parents, which implies the commandment continues beyond childhood. Others stress the immediate application to young children in a household. Both sides agree the command is lifelong in principle. |
| Is the promise temporal or spiritual? | All agree the original promise involved long life in the land of Canaan. | Many (Matthew Henry, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) see it as applicable to believers spiritually: God blesses those who honor parents, sometimes with long life, always with well-being. Some traditions (e.g., the more literal interpretation) expect it to be fulfilled in this life; others see it as ultimately pointing to eternal life (Poole in the supplied background notes). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul writes to a church in Ephesus where household hierarchies were ingrained in Greco-Roman culture, but he grounds the duty of children in Israel's covenant charter, the Ten Commandments. In Jewish tradition, the fifth commandment was seen as the 'weightiest of the weighty commands' (Gill cites Rabbinic sources). It formed the bridge between the first table (duties toward God) and the second table (duties toward neighbors), since parents were God's representatives in the family. The promise attached to it, 'that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you' (Exodus 20:12), had immediate force for Israel: a society that honored parents would thrive in Canaan. By Paul's time, 'the land' had been reinterpreted in Diaspora and Christian settings; the Greek Old Testament (LXX) rendered it generically 'on the earth,' as Paul quotes in verse 3. The household code of Ephesians 5:21-6:9 reflects a broader ethical tradition in the ancient world, but Paul uniquely appeals to the written Torah rather than simply natural law. Vincent notes that Aeschylus and Euripides also extolled honoring parents, but Paul grounds it in a specific divine command with a reward.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries and lexicons note no significant textual variants in Ephesians 6:2. The Greek text is stable across witnesses. The quotation from the Decalogue matches the LXX (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16) closely.
Reception History
From the early church through the Reformation, this verse was central to catechesis on the Decalogue and household ethics. Church fathers like Irenaeus and Augustine cited it to show that the Old Testament law remained valid for Christians when properly understood. In the medieval period, it anchored the virtue of filial piety and appeared in moral treatises on the Fourth Commandment (by the Catholic numbering). Reformation catechisms, Luther's Small Catechism, the Heidelberg, and Westminster, all use this verse to teach that honoring parents is a divine command with a reward, and that believers should obey God's commands joyfully because of His promises. In modern times, it has been a touchstone for Christian parenting resources and for discussions about caring for elderly parents.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The command, 'Honor your father and mother' includes love, respect, obedience, and material support (Gill, Calvin).
- The distinction, This is 'the first commandment with promise,' set apart by a specific, tangible blessing attached to it.
- The promise, Well-being and long life on the earth, a blessing that points to God's desire to reward the obedience that reflects His own fatherly care.
Five-point outline
- Paul quotes the Decalogue to show that Christian family life is not a new invention but rooted in God's revelation.
- 'Honor' (τιμάω) means more than emotion; it is active reverence, provision, and obedience, as demonstrated in Jesus' critique of those who neglected parents for religious traditions (Matthew 15:4-6).
- The phrase 'first with promise' highlights that this command is uniquely sealed with a reward, making obedience not only a duty but an invitation to blessing.
- The promise echoes the original Exodus context, a people entering a land where family stability ensured national flourishing.
- For believers, earthly longevity is not guaranteed, but the principle of honor leading to well-being stands, and the ultimate promise is eternal life in the new creation.
Illustration hooks
- A teenager who respects curfew and helps with chores without being asked, small acts that build family peace and reflect the 'honor' Paul means.
- An adult child making time and financial sacrifices to care for an aging parent, especially when the parent's health is failing. That concrete honor carries the same weight as the biblical command.
- The experience of gratitude when a parent acknowledges that a child's respect has brought them joy and security, an echo of the promise coming true.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does 'honor' mean I have to obey my parents even when I'm an adult and living on my own?
- Why does Paul say this is the first commandment with a promise? What about the second commandment?
- What do I do if my parents were abusive or neglectful? How can I honor them without damaging myself?
Leading a Discussion
Paul's quotation of the fifth commandment in his letter to the Ephesians reminds us that family relationships are shaped by God's Word, not only by culture. The phrase 'first with promise' invites us to consider why God rewards this obedience so specifically. As you discuss, pay attention to the connection between honoring parents and receiving blessing, and how that plays out in real life, including when family dynamics are broken.
Discussion questions
- Read Exodus 20:12 and Ephesians 6:1-3. What does 'honor' look like in daily actions? List some specific examples.
- Paul calls this the 'first commandment with promise.' Look at Exodus 20:5-6. Does the second commandment contain a promise? How is it different from the promise in the fifth? (Consider the commentaries: is it universal or specific?)
- Why do you think God attached a promise of long life and well-being to the command to honor parents? What does that tell us about His priorities?
- In Matthew 15:4-6, Jesus rebukes people who avoid caring for their parents by claiming religious duties. How does that expand our understanding of 'honor'?
- Does the promise of long life apply to every Christian who honors their parents? Or does it mean something deeper? (Reference Hebrews 6:12, patience and faith inherit the promises.)
- What is the hardest part of honoring your parents, or your in-laws, or stepparents? How does the promise encourage you in that struggle?
- The next verses (Eph 6:4) command fathers not to provoke children. How does balancing command and promise on both sides shape a healthy family?
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)
| Exodus 20:12 | “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. |
| Deuteronomy 27:16 | ‘Cursed is he who dishonors his father or his mother.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ |
| Proverbs 20:20 | Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness. |
| Jeremiah 35:18 | Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according to all that he commanded you,’ |
| Ezekiel 22:7 | In you have they treated father and mother with contempt. Among you they have oppressed the foreigner. In you they have wronged the fatherless and the widow. |
| Malachi 1:6 | “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, then where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says Yahweh of Armies to you priests who despise my name. “You say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ |
| Matthew 15:4 | For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’ |
| Matthew 15:6 | he shall not honor his father or mother.’ You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition. |
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
Honor thy father - See the notes on Exo 20:12 , etc., where this subject, together with the promises and threatenings connected with it, is particularly considered, and the reasons of the duty laid down at large.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that the fifth commandment is unique because it carries a specific, attached promise. He distinguishes this from the second commandment's general declaration of blessing for all who love God. The promise here is a particular assurance tied directly to honoring parents, not a general reward for keeping every commandment.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin explains that Paul singles out the commandment about honoring parents because it is uniquely accompanied by a specific promise. The second commandment’s promise about mercy is general to the whole law, not attached to that one command. So this remains the only commandment God sealed with a particular, explicit promise.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary stresses that the honour commanded is active obedience, not merely good feelings. It also notes this is the only commandment in the Decalogue that carries a definite promise, and the Greek phrase suggests the promise surrounds it completely.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note points out that this commandment stands out because it is the first one that comes with a promise attached. This special feature sets it apart from the other commandments, giving added weight to the duty of honoring parents.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that honouring parents means more than respect and reverence; it includes practical care such as providing food, clothing, and assistance when they are elderly and in need. He draws on Jewish tradition to show that this material support is the core meaning of the command, which is singled out as the first one with a promise attached.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that obedience to this commandment rests first on God's will, not on the attached promise. The promise simply marks the command as uniquely important. He adds that children receive more instruction than parents because love flows downward, and the verse itself proves the Old Testament law still stands.
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 draws a distinction between honor and obedience: honor is the inner attitude, the frame of mind, from which outward obedience naturally proceeds. He also observes that this commandment is first among those that carry a specific promise attached to it.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley defines honour as love, reverence, obedience, and assistance in all matters. He notes the mother is specifically named because she is more likely to be disregarded. He adds that this is the first commandment with a promise, since the promise attached to the second commandment applies to the whole law, not just that command.