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以弗所书 6:3
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from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Deuteronomy 4:40, Deuteronomy 5:16, Deuteronomy 6:3, Deuteronomy 6:18, Deuteronomy 12:25, Deuteronomy 12:28, Deuteronomy 22:7, Ruth 3:1, Psalms 128:1, Psalms 128:2, Isaiah 3:10, Jeremiah 42:6
Reciprocal: Genesis 28:7 - General Deuteronomy 5:29 - that it might Deuteronomy 25:15 - that thy days Ruth 1:8 - the dead Jeremiah 35:6 - Ye shall Romans 13:7 - honour to
Gill's Notes on the Bible
That it may be well with thee,.... In this world, and that which is to come; see Deuteronomy 5:16. The Jews z say,
"there are four things, which if a man does, he eats the fruit of them in this world, and the capital part remains for him in the world to come; and they are these, אב ואם
כיבוד; "honouring father and mother", doing acts of beneficence, making peace between a man and his neighbour, and learning of the law, which answers to them all.''
And thou mayest live long on the earth: length of days is in itself a blessing; and though men's days cannot be lengthened beyond God's purpose and decree; and though obedient children do not always live long; yet disobedience to parents often brings the judgments of God on children, so that they die not a common death, 2 Samuel 18:14. On those words in Deuteronomy 32:47, the Jews a have this paraphrase;
"because it is your life, זה כיבוד אב ואם, "this is honouring father and mother; and through this thing ye shall prolong your days", this is beneficence.''
It may be observed, that the words in this promissory part are not the same as in the decalogue, where they stand thus, "that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee",
Exodus 20:12, referring to the land of Canaan; for the law in the form of it, in which it was delivered by Moses, only concerned the people of the Jews; wherefore to suit this law, and the promise of it, to others, the apostle alters the language of it.
z Misna Peah, c. 1. sect. 1. T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 127. 1, & Kiddushin, fol. 40. 1. a T. Hieros. Peah, fol. 15. 4.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
That it may be well with thee - This is found in the fifth commandment as recorded in Deuteronomy 5:16. The whole commandment as there recorded is, “Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” The meaning here is, that they would be more happy, useful, and virtuous if they obeyed their parents than if they disobeyed them.
And thou mayest live long on the earth - In the commandment as recorded in Exodus 20:12, the promise is, “that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” This referred to the promised land - the land of Canaan. The meaning doubtless, is, that there would be a special providence, securing to those who were obedient to parents length of days. Long life was regarded as a great blessing; and this blessing was promised. The apostle here gives to the promise a more general form, and says that obedience to parents was connected at all times with long life. We may remark here:
(1) That long life is a blessing. It affords a longer space to prepare for eternity; it enables a man to be more useful; and it furnishes a longer opportunity to study the works of God on earth. It is not improper to desire it; and we should make use of all the means in our power to lengthen out our days, and to preserve and protect our lives.
(2) It is still true that obedience to parents is conducive to length of life, and that those who are most obedient in early life, other things being equal, have the best prospect of living long. This occurs because:
(a) obedient children are saved from the vices and crimes which shorten life. No parent will command his child to be a drunkard, a gambler, a spendthrift, a pirate, or a murderer. But these vices and crimes, resulting in most cases from disobedience to parents, all shorten life; and they who early commit them are certain of on early grave. No child who disobeys a parent can have any “security” that he will not fall a victim to such vices and crimes.
(b) Obedience to parents is connected with virtuous habits that are conducive to long life. It will make a child industrious, temperate, sober; it will lead him to restrain and govern his wild passions; it will lead him to form habits of self-government which will in future life save him from the snares of vice and temptation.
(c) Many a life is lost early by disobeying a parent. A child disobeys a father and goes into a dramshop; or he goes to sea; or he becomes the companion of the wicked - and he may be wrecked at sea, or his character on land may be wrecked forever. Of disobedient children there is perhaps not one in a hundred that ever reaches an honored old age.
(d) We may still believe that God, in his providence, will watch over those who are obedient to a father and mother. If he regards a falling sparrow Matthew 10:29, he will not be unmindful of an obedient child; if he numbers the hairs of the head Matthew 10:30, he will not be regardless of the little boy that honors him by obeying a father and mother.