The Ten Commandments, Today's Verse is Ex 20:12

We continue our look at The Ten Commandments with an in-depth look at Ex 20:12 

 

You can find the posts on a few of the Scripture passages that precede The Ten Commandments at the following links:

The observational overview of Ex 19:3-11 can be found HERE

And the in depth look at Ex 19:3-6 can be found HERE.

The in depth look at Ex 19:7-11 can be found HERE.

The concluding thoughts on Ex 19:3-11 can be found HERE. 

 

The initial overview of Ex 20:1-17 can be found HERE.   

 

The in-depth look at Ex 20:1 can be found HERE. 

 

 The in-depth look at Ex 20:2-6 can be found HERE.

 

The in-depth look at Ex 20:7 can be found HERE. 

 

The in-depth look at Ex 20:8-11 can be found HERE.

 

I do encourage everyone to look at all the prior posts in this series as the preceding context helps us to a deeper understanding of the Ten Commandments.

 

You can hover your pointer over (most) any verse reference to read the corresponding verse(s).  (Scriptural cross-references are THE most important resource!)

 

 

 

 

 Exodus 20:12 (NASB)  

 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you."

Grammatical Considerations

• "that you..."   This commandment has an effect attached to it.  If we honor our father and mother it will cause our days to be prolonged!  Days which the LORD has given us.

My Questions

• Why does this commandment have the effect attached to it?

Verse Cross References

• Ex 20:12 -- Lev 19:3 Mt 15:3-9 Mk 7:9-13 Lk 18:20 Eph 6:1-3  Dt 27:16 Mt 19:19 Dt 5:16 Dt 5:33 Dt 11:8-9 Ex 21:15 Ex 21:17 Lev 19:32 Pro 1:8-9 Pro 15:5 Pro 20:20 Pro 23:22-25 Pro 28:24 Pro 30:11 Pro 30:17 Mal 1:6 Col 3:20 Dt 4:40 Isa 45:10 1Tim 5:3-4 
• Thoughts -- There are plenty of instances where this command is repeated as both a command from God and as just wise living (as in Proverbs) God wants us to honor our mother and father.  And yet how does that reconcile with Lk 14:26 ??  Well the quick answer to Lk 14:26 can be found in Mat 10:37 

Important terms

Honor:

• Definition -- to weigh heavily

father:

• Definition -- father, head of a household, appears first in Gen 2:24

mother:

• Definition -- a mother, a women with children, also appears first in Gen 2:24

days:

• WORDSearch concordance search -- Ge 1:14 Gen 3:14 Gen 5:4 Gen 26:15 
• Thoughts -- Often used as a general marking of time for someones life:  Gen 5:5  Gen 5:8 etc. etc.
• Definition -- The basic conception of time in the Old Testament. Could be a year, a span of life etc. etc.

prolonged:

• WORDSearch concordance search -- Dt 5:16 Dt 6:2 Dt 25:15 Isa 13:22 Dt 5:33 Dt 17:20 
• Thoughts -- a word that is not used that often.
• Definition -- draw out or postpone.  In most instances it refers to the element of time.

gives:

• Definition -- to give , to place.

Further Information From Study Helps

Bible Background Commentary:

• The home was (and probably still SHOULD be) see as an important link to convent instruction to each successive generation.  By not heeding parental authority the covenant could be in jeopardy.

Answering My Questions:

• Why does this commandment have the effect attached to it? -- The answer is: God has His reasons and He decided to attach the end statement to this commandment.  (also see comments from commentaries below)

Summarizing

• This commandment summarizes itself.  I do find the commentary listed below (and above) regarding the family unit to be very interesting and illuminating regarding this verse.  A good indication of why commentaries should be consulted after we have done our own initial studies!

 

Commentaries

Wycliffe Bible Commentary:

• States (in connection with "that your days may be prolonged...") that could be understood as referring both to Israel's time in the land of promise and also to the life of an individual.  Also states that the destruction of the home marks the beginning of the end in nations and in individual lives.

Topics for further study

• Luke 14:26 
• Mt 12:47-50

Bibliography

 

• Baker, Warren, ed. – The Complete Word Study Old Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG, 1994. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Baker, Warren and Eugene Carpenter. The Complete Word Study Dictionary – Old Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Brand, Chad, Charles Draper, Archie England, ed. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Fleming, Don. Concise Bible Commentary. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1994. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• God's Word: Today's Bible Translation That Means What It Says Holiday, FL: Green Key Books, n.d.. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• God's Word Application Index. Holiday, FL: Green Key Books, n.d.. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• – Holman Christian Standard Bible Nashville: Holman Bible, 1999. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Holy Bible, New American Standard La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Pfeiffer, Charles F. and Everett F. Harrison, ed. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Chicago: Moody Bible Institute, 1990. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Thompson, Frank Charles. Thompson Chain Reference Bible. Indianapolis, IN: B. B. Kirkbride Bible Co., 1997. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Torrey, R. A. The New Topical Textbook. New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1897. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Vine, William E. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1940. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Walton, John H., Victor H. Matthews, Mark W. Chavalas. The IVP Bible Background Commentary – Old Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. 

We will continue next time with a look at Ex 20:13-16