305. 第四誡 當孝敬父母, 使你的日子在耶和華你上帝賜給你的地上得以長久
這條誡命出自出埃及記20:12以及申命記5:16。"當孝敬父母"的屬世之義(也就是文字意義), 是指我們當敬重父母, 順從他們, 關懷他們, 對他們的慈愛行為表達感激。因為父母供養子女吃穿, 把他們帶向社會, 讓子女過文明和體面的生活; 通過對子女信仰的教導, 引導子女向天國。通過這些方式, 既提供給子女現世的幸福又有永恆的喜樂。父母如此行都是因著從主而來的仁愛, 他們站在主的位置行出來。在一些情形下, 當父母不在時, 敬重父母也指敬重看顧自己的監護人。
這條誡命更廣泛的意義是指當敬重君王和當權者, 因為他們在總體上提供人們生活的保障, 具體化看待如同父母之行為。再擴充一點的意思是人當熱愛自己的國家, 因為國家養育和保護人們; 所以稱之為祖國(fatherland或motherland)。實際上, 是父母自己當敬重國家以及為國服務之人, 並將這些的習性播在兒女心中。
305. The Fourth Commandment
Honor Your Father and Your Mother
So That Your Days Will Be Prolonged
and It Will Be Well with You on Earth
This commandment reads this way in Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16. Honoring your father and your mother in the earthly meaning, which is the literal meaning, includes honoring our parents, obeying them, being devoted to them, and thanking them for the benefits they have given us - for feeding and clothing us, introducing us into the world so that we may become civil and moral people within it, and introducing us into heaven through religious instruction. In this way our parents have cared for our prosperity in time and our happiness to eternity. They do all these things from a love they have from the Lord, whose role they have played. In a comparable sense, it also means that wards whose parents have died are to honor their guardians.
In a broader sense, this commandment means honoring our monarch and government officials because on everyone's behalf they provide in a general way the necessities that parents provide in an individual way. In the broadest sense, this commandment means loving our country because it nurtures and protects us - it is called our "fatherland" from the word "father. " In fact, it is the parents themselves who need to give honor to the country and those who serve it, and to sow this habit in their children.
305. THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT
Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long and you may prosper upon earth.
This commandment is found in Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16. Honouring your father and mother means in the natural or literal sense honouring one's parents, obeying them, being attached to them, and showing gratitude for the kindnesses they do. These include feeding and clothing their children, and bringing them into the world, so that there they may live civilised and respectable lives; also bringing them into heaven by teaching them the rules of religion. In this way they provide for their temporal prosperity as well as their eternal happiness. They do all this because of the love they have from the Lord, in whose place they act. It also means, in appropriate cases, the honouring of guardians by their wards, if the parents are dead.
In a wider sense this commandment means that one should honour one's king and magistrates, since these provide all with the necessities of life in general, just as parents do in particular cases. In the widest sense the commandment means that one should love one's country, since it feeds and protects one; hence it is called one's fatherland. Honour should be shown by parents to both one's country and its rulers, and they should implant this idea in their children.
305. THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.
HONOR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER, THAT THY DAYS MAY BE PROLONGED, AND THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH THEE UPON THE EARTH.
So reads this commandment in Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16. In the natural sense, which is that of the letter, "to honor thy father and thy mother" means to honor parents, to be obedient to them, to be devoted to them, and to return thanks to them for the benefits they confer, which are that they provide food and clothing for their children, and so introduce them into the world that they may act in it as civil and moral persons; and introduce them also into heaven by means of the precepts of religion, thus providing both for their temporal prosperity and their eternal happiness. All this parents do from a love which they have from the Lord, in whose stead they act. In a relative sense it means that if parents are dead, guardians should be honored by their wards. In a broader sense, to honor the king and magistrates, is meant by this commandment, since these provide for all in general the necessities which parents provide in particular. In the broadest sense this commandment means that men should love their country, since it supports and protects them, therefore it is called fatherland from father. But to country, king, and magistrates honor must be rendered by parents and by them be implanted in their children.
305. THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT
HONOR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER, ONLY THAT THY DAYS MAY BE PROLONGED, AND THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH THEE IN THE LAND.
So reads this commandment is Exodus 20:12, and in Deuteronomy 5:16. By 'honoring thy father and thy mother' in the natural sense, which is the sense of the Letter, is meant honoring parents, being obedient and attentive to them, and showing gratitude to them for benefits. For they feed and clothe their children, and introduce them into the world, where they may play their part as public-spirited and moral persons; and they also lead them to heaven, by the precepts of religion. Thus parents provide not only for the temporal well-being of their children, but also for their eternal happiness; and all these things they do from the love implanted in them by the Lord, in whose stead they act. In a limited sense this commandment means the honoring of guardians by their wards whose parents are dead. In a wider sense, it means honoring the king and magistrates, since they provide what is necessary for the whole community in general, as parents do for their families in particular. In the widest sense, it means that men should love their country, since it nourishes and protects them; and therefore their country is called their Father-land from the word father: but parents also must pay honor to their country, and to their king and magistrates, and teach their children to do the same.
305. QUARTUM PRAECEPTUM.
Honora Patrem tuum et Matrem tuam, ut prolongentur dies tui, et ut bene tibi sit super terra.
Hoc Praeceptum legitur ita Exodus 20:12, et Deuteronomius 5:16. Per honorare Patrem tuum et Matrem tuam in SENSU NATURALI, qui est Sensus 1 literae, intelligitur honorare Parentes, obedire illis, applicare se illis, et gratias agere illis pro benefactis, quae sunt, quod alant et vestiant illos, ac introducant in Mundum, ut in illo civiles et morales Personas agant; et quoque in Coelum per praecepta religionis, ita consulunt illorum prosperitati temporariae, et quoque felicitati aeternae; et haec omnia faciunt ex amore, in quo sunt a Domino, Cujus vice funguntur. In Sensu respectivo intelligitur honor Tutorum a pupillis, si parentes mortui sunt. In latiori Sensu per hoc Praeceptum intelligitur honorare Regem et Magistratus; quoniam hi prospiciunt omnibus necessitates in communi, quas Parentes in particulari. In latissimo sensu per hoc praeceptum intelligitur amare Patriam, quia haec nutrit illos, et tutatur illos, quare Patria vocatur a Patre: sed huic et illis honores praestandi sunt a Parentibus, et ab his implantandi liberis.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Sensu.