Dictionary Article

To the ancient world, the concept of honor was frequently linked to one’s tangible possessions. The honor of Odysseus was bound up with the restoration of his material goods; Achilles’ honor was dependent upon the gifts given him. Later, the word acquired the strong ethical nature we now associate with it. Plato was among the earliest to establish the personal moral element of honor, what he called “inward honor.” The distinctions accorded a man by the world—“outward honors”—were not of the same value as a virtuous person’s inner worth. The Romans as well as the Greeks placed great emphasis on the indispensable role of honor in an individual’s life.

Only in the Bible, however, do we gain a true perspective on honor. The OT required children to honor their parents (Ex 20:12), a command that reappears in the ethic of the NT (Eph 6:1-2). Undergirding such action is an even more basic obligation: the giving of honor to God, who worthily merits our devoted obedience (Rv 4:11). Proverbs 3:9 presents the law’s requirement that one should honor the Lord with his gifts and with the firstfruits of his entire harvest. Honoring God, then, is expressed in the commitment of both life and possessions to the Lord’s service.

Show passage in OET: EXO 20:12

OET-RV EXO 20:12

• 12 Honour your father and your mother, so that you’ll have a long life on the land that your god Yahweh is about to give you.

OET-LV EXO 20:12

12 Honour DOM father _of_your and_DOM mother _of_your so _that they_may _be _long days _of_your on the_soil which YHWH god _of_your is_about _to _give to/for_you(fs).

Show passage in OET: EPH 6:1–2

OET-RV EPH 6:1

6 ⇔It’s right for children following Yahweh to obey your parents.

OET-RV EPH 6:2

2 Honour your father and mother (that’s the first command that’s followed by a promise)

OET-LV EPH 6:1

6 The Children, be _submitting to _the parents of _you _all in the_master, because/for this is right.

OET-LV EPH 6:2

2 Be _honouring the father of _you and the mother (which is the_first command with a_promise),

Show passage in OET: REV 4:11

OET-RV REV 4:11

11 “You, our God and master, are worthy to receive praise and honour and power,
⇔ because you created everything.
⇔ Everything exists just as you determined to create it.”

OET-LV REV 4:11

11 Worthy you _are, the master and the god of _us, to _receive the glory and the honour and the power, because you created the things all, and for the will of _you they _were, and they _were _created.

Show passage in OET: PRO 3:9

OET-RV PRO 3:9

9 Honour Yahweh from your wealth
⇔ ≈ and from the first of everything you harvest,

OET-LV PRO 3:9

9 Honour DOM YHWH from_wealth _of_your and_from_the _first _of all _of produce _of_your.

Jump to OET EXO 20:12 section.

Jump to OET EPH 6:1–2 section.

Jump to OET REV 4:11 section.

Jump to OET PRO 3:9 section.

That people do not honor God as they should is a lamentable truth of Scripture. In all of history only Jesus Christ truly honored the Father by submitting himself totally to the divine will. His submission led him to the cross, the means whereby Christ is now extremely exalted (Is 52:13–53:12 OET ISA 52:13–15 · OET ISA 53:1–12). God the Father raised Christ to his permanent position as our great High Priest, an honor of incalculable significance (Heb 5:4-5). Jesus taught that the one who serves him would also be honored by his Father (Jn 12:26); conversely, those who reject him also reject God the Father (15:23).

Show passage in OET: HEB 5:4–5

OET-RV HEB 5:4

4 No one takes that honour onto themself, but they’re called by God like just Aharon (Aaron) was.

OET-RV HEB 5:5

5 Similarly the messiah didn’t take the honour of being chief priest onto himself, but the one who spoke to him said:
⇔ ‘You’re my son;
⇔ today I have given birth to you.’

OET-LV HEB 5:4

4 And not on _himself anyone is _taking the honour, but being _called by the god, just _as also Aʼarōn/(ʼAhₐron).

OET-LV HEB 5:5

5 Thus also the chosen _one /messiah not himself glorified to _be _become a_chief _priest, but the one having _spoken to him:
son of _me are you, I today have _bore you.

Show passage in OET: JHN 12:26

OET-RV JHN 12:26

26 Anyone who wants to serve me needs to follow after me, so that wherever I am, my servant will also be there. Anyone who serves me will be honoured by the father.

OET-LV JHN 12:26

26 If anyone may _be _serving unto _me, him _let _be _following after _me, and where am I, there also the the my servant will _be.
If anyone may _be _serving unto _me, the father will _be _honouring him.

Show passage in OET: JHN 15:23

OET-RV JHN 15:23

23 Anyone who hates me, also hates my father.

OET-LV JHN 15:23

23 The one hating me, is_ also _hating the father of _me.

Jump to OET HEB 5:4–5 section.

Jump to OET JHN 12:26 section.

Jump to OET JHN 15:23 section.

Christians are called upon to honor one another—that is, each is to consider his fellow believer more worthy of esteem than himself (Rom 12:10). This orientation receives impetus from the affirmation of 1 Peter 1:7, where Christians are said to possess honor. Showing honor to others should affect one’s entire lifestyle. Husbands are to give honor to their wives by showing loving regard for them (1 Pt 3:7). Christian servants are expected to show honor to their masters so as to affirm the cause of Christ (1 Tm 6:1). Beyond the immediate community of the redeemed, too, honor must be appropriately displayed by all those who revere the teaching of Scripture (Rom 13:7; 1 Pt 2:17).

Show passage in OET: ROM 12:10

OET-RV ROM 12:10

10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love, preferring to honour one another above yourselves.

OET-LV ROM 12:10

10 with _the brotherly _love toward one _another dearly _devoted be, the in _honour one _another preferring,

Show passage in OET: PE1 1:7

OET-RV PE1 1:7

7 in order that your faith will be purified by fire, like gold, but even more precious, because gold corrodes. Then your faith will lead to praise and glory and honour when Yeshua the messiah is revealed,

OET-LV PE1 1:7

7 in _order _that the proving the faith of _you _all more _preciously than gold which is perishing, by but fire being _approved, may _be _found to praise, and glory, and honour, in the_revelation of_Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa) chosen _one /messiah.

Show passage in OET: PE1 3:7

OET-RV PE1 3:7

7 Similarly, men should live with their wives with understanding, like how you’d handle something more fragile. They should display honour to their fellow recipients of life-giving grace so that their prayers won’t be hindered.

OET-LV PE1 3:7