^6:1Children,¹ obey your parents in the Lord² for this is right. ^6:2“Honor your father and mother,”³ which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise, namely, ^6:3“that it may go⁴ well with you and that you will live⁵ a long time on the earth.”⁶

Read in Logos

Ephesians 6:2–3: “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

Footnotes

1 The use of the article τά (ta) with τέκνα (tekna) functions in a generic way to distinguish this group from husbands, wives, fathers and slaves and is left, therefore, untranslated. The generic article is used with γύναῖκες (gunaikes) in 5:22, ἄνδρες (andres) in 5:25, δοῦλοι (douloi) in 6:5, and κύριοι (kurioi) in 6:9.
2 B D* F G as well as a few versional and patristic representatives lack “in the Lord” (ἐν κυρίῳ, en kuriō), while the phrase is well represented in 𝔓46 א A D1 Ivid Ψ 0278 0285 33 1739 1881 𝔐 sy co. Scribes may have thought that the phrase could be regarded a qualifier on the kind of parents a child should obey (, only Christian parents), and would thus be tempted to delete the phrase to counter such an interpretation. It is unlikely that the phrase would have been added, since the form used to express such sentiment in this Haustafel is ὡς τῷ κυρίῳ/Χριστῷ (hōs tō kuriō/Christō, “as to the Lord/Christ”; see 5:22; 6:5). Even though the witnesses for the omission are impressive, it is more likely that the phrase was deleted than added by scribal activity.
3 A quotation from Exod 20:12 and Deut 5:16.
4 Grk “be.”
5 Grk “will be.”
6 A quotation from Deut 5:16.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—“so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land.

NLTNew Living Translation

Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), “in order that it may be well with you, and you may live a long time on the earth.”

KJV 1900King James Version

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

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