5th Commandment: Honor Your Father and Mother
5/11/202657 min
The 10 Commandments E8 — The first four commandments focus on relating to God, and the last five focus on relating to other humans. Right in the middle, we find the 5th Commandment, which acts like a hinge between these two sections: “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged in the land which Yahweh your Elohim gives you.” It’s the only commandment that comes with a promise and invokes both humans and God. So what is this special connection between parents and God? In this episode, Jon and Tim look at this unique command, exploring what it meant for ancient Israel and how followers of Jesus can practice it today.
FULL SHOW NOTES
For chapter-by-chapter summaries, biblical words, referenced Scriptures, and reflection questions, check out the full show notes for this episode.
CHAPTERS
- Recap and Setup for the Fifth Command (0:00-8:33)
- The Unique Role of Parents Compared to Yahweh (8:33-21:26)
- The Meaning of “Honor” (21:26-39:45)
- An Expansive View of Honoring the Elderly (39:45-56:58)
OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
View this episode’s official transcript.
THE 10 COMMANDMENTS BIBLEPROJECT TRANSLATION
View our full translation of the 10 Commandments.
REFERENCED RESOURCES
- Find the related animated video for this episode here.
- The Gospel of Matthew (New International Commentary on the New Testament) by R. T. France
- The Firstborn: The Last Will Be First podcast series
- The Last Will Be First video
- Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books.
SHOW MUSIC
- “Forever Yours ft. Cassidy Godwin” by Lofi Sunday
- “Eden Dreaming ft. sxxnt” by Lofi Sunday
- “Sunrise ft. Jk Beatbook” by Lofi Sunday
- BibleProject theme song by TENTS
SHOW CREDITS
Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey and Aaron Olsen edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJon Collins· Host0:00
[upbeat music] The Ten Commandments, or the 10 words as they're called in the Bible, are a pathway to life. They're not just a list of rules to check off, they're a collection of wisdom that invites us to reframe how we think and relate to everything. The first four commands tell us about how to relate to God. No other gods, no idols, carry the name of Yahweh, and keep the Sabbath. And then the last five commands become all about how we relate to other humans. Don't kill, don't commit adultery or steal or lie or covet. But right in the middle is command number five, and it acts like a hinge between how we relate to God and how we relate to other humans. In particular, two humans.
Tim Mackie· Guest0:47
Honor your father and your mother.
Jon Collins· Host0:48
And this is the only command that comes with a promise.
Tim Mackie· Guest0:51
So that your days may be prolonged in the land which Yahweh, your Elohim, gives you.
Jon Collins· Host0:58
So it seems that honoring your parents is connected to receiving life from God. But there's a lot of people we could honor. Why focus on these two humans?
Tim Mackie· Guest1:07
Your father and your mother are the ones who gave you life, and your Elohim is the one who gives you and your father and mother a land where you can have life. How I relate to somebody who generated and sustained my existence, that's a unique relationship and that needs to be treated in a special way, and that special way is