What Does Ephesians 6:2 Mean in the King James?

Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

Ephesians 6:2 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

The word translated “honour” carries the sense of assigning worth, and this command joins that recognition to a promise.

THE MEANING

This command gives your father and mother a place of recognized worth in your life, and it carries a promise with it. The following line names that promise as life going well and length of days.

THE ROOT

τιμάω

timaō

GROWS FROM

τιμ-

tim-

Worth, value, or price.

“Honour” in this verse is timaō. The Greek word for honor grows from a word for value or worth. Its family includes words for what is precious, so the command carries a recognition of your parents’ worth alongside the respect their role receives.

ALSO GROWS

timē: Value, worth, price, or honor.

τιμή

This noun makes clear that honoring involves recognizing worth, not only using a respectful title.

timios: Precious, valuable, or held in honor.

τίμιος

This branch describes what is treated as precious, bringing the command’s language of honor close to the language of value.

THE PATTERN

Honor takes form as recognizing due worth across relationships and roles.

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 · KJVThe command to honor parents is paired with a promise about the shape and length of life.

Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

1 Peter 2:17 · KJVHonor extends from parents to all people and to those who govern.

Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

1 Timothy 5:17 · KJVHonor is given in proportion to the worth and labor recognized in a relationship.

THE THREAD

Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

Romans 13:7 · KJV

Here ⁨τιμή⁩ (timē, value or honor) appears again in the phrase “honour to whom honour.” The shared root opens honor as recognition of what is due, extending the command about parents into a wider way of seeing human worth.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us