Exodus 20:12 Explained

"Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." — Exodus 20:12 (KJV)

The fifth commandment, and the only one of the ten that comes with a reason attached.

Read it in context: Exodus 20 · The Book of Exodus. Also gathered under verses about family.

Exodus 20:12 in context

What does Exodus 20:12 mean?

'Honour' is a word for weight: to treat as heavy, to give someone their proper gravity. It is not a command to feel affection or to obey indefinitely, which matters for adults whose parents were not good. The promise attached is corporate as much as personal — a society that does not carry its old does not last on its land.

What is the context of Exodus 20:12?

Given at Sinai to a people just out of slavery, in a document structured like a treaty. It sits at the hinge of the ten — after the commands about God, first among those about people — which is where the tradition has always noticed it.

How do I pray Exodus 20:12?

If your parents were kind, pray it as thanks and name one specific thing. If they were not, pray it for what it actually asks — weight, not warmth — and ask what honouring can mean at a distance you need to keep. The commandment does not require pretending, and reading it as though it did has done a great deal of harm.

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