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EXODUS | 20:12 honor — EXOD428 Philo, a first-century Jewish thinker, su...

EXOD428 Philo, a first-century Jewish thinker, suggested another lesson based on the placement of the fifth commandment within the structure of the ten. The Ten Commandments are commonly divided into two, the first five referring to the relationships between human beings and God, and the second group referring to strictly human relationships. That is because within the first group, the phrase "the Lord your God" is used five times, whereas the second group includes no mention of God. Furthermore, the first group features duties unique to the People Israel, but the second group seems to apply to all people; indeed, the laws of many other peoples of the ancient world specify parallel prohibitions, although it is only in the Torah that they are presented as divine commandments rather than the fruit of human wisdom. Finally, it is striking that the document opens with "the Lord your God" and closes with "your neighbor." This division into two groups of five, then, makes the command to honor parents the last of the Commandments governing our relationship with God, just before those relating to the human community exclusively. Noting this, Philo suggested that the command to honor parents is placed in that position so that it acts as a bridge between God and human beings, for it is our parents who teach us both how to behave in human society and we are to think and act toward God.

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Source KeyDORFFLOV
Verse20:12
Keyword(s)honor
Source Page(s)128-9
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