How does Proverbs 23:25 connect with the Fifth Commandment about honoring parents? Verse at a Glance “May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice!” (Proverbs 23:25) Echoes of the Fifth Commandment • Exodus 20:12 commands, “Honor your father and your mother.” • Proverbs 23:25 pictures the result of that honor: parents filled with gladness and joy. • What the Commandment states as duty, the Proverb describes as delight; obedience blossoms into family joy. • Both texts view the parent–child relationship as covenantal, woven into God’s design for stable, blessed households (cf. Deuteronomy 5:16). Honor Made Visible Proverbs 23:22–24 sets the context: • “Listen to your father… do not despise your mother…” (v. 22) • “The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice” (v. 24) Therefore, verse 25 assumes concrete actions that cause rejoicing: • Attentive listening and teachability • Moral integrity that reflects well on the family name • Public respect—speech that esteems parents, never belittles them • Provision and care in their old age (cf. Mark 7:9–13; 1 Timothy 5:4) Blessings That Mirror the Commandment • Exodus 20:12 links honor with “long life.” Proverbs 23:25 shows the parallel blessing of relational fullness—parents who “rejoice.” • Joy in the home often leads to longevity and well-being for every member; God’s promised blessing is both spiritual and practical. • Ephesians 6:2-3 reaffirms the same promise under the New Covenant, tying obedience to parental joy and personal welfare. A Christ-Centered Lens • Jesus upheld the Fifth Commandment, rebuking any tradition that weakened it (Matthew 15:3-6). • By honoring His earthly parents (Luke 2:51; John 19:26-27), He modeled the righteousness Proverbs celebrates. • In Christ, believers receive both the power to honor parents and the grace that turns duty into heartfelt delight, fulfilling Proverbs 23:25. |
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