Ephesians 6:1-4

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise:

“that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

obey (v.1) = lit. “to hear under” (authority) — to listen to a command and to submit — the tense indicates a habitual, constant action

in the Lord (v.1) — connected with “obey” — it defines the sphere in which the obedience occurs

right (v.1) = righteous, required by law — In the parallel passage (Colossians 3:20), the motivation is that obedience is “well pleasing to the Lord.”

honor (v.2) = to estimate, fix the value — to evaluate another accurately and honestly and treat him with the deference, respect, reverence, kindness and obedience his station in life and character demands

The argument in verse 3 is not that obedient children are assured of long life on the earth but that God, in promising such physical blessing to Israel, showed the exceptional importance of this commandment. — Williams, page 927

provoke (v.4) = rouse to wrath, exasperate, anger — referring to injustice or undue severity or other actions which will make them indisposed to obey and honor

bring … up (v.4) = nourish to maturity, nurture

training (v.4) = training by act or discipline — the whole education and training related to cultivation of mind and morals

admonition (v.4) = training by word — exhortation, including encouragement and remonstrance or reproof

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