Albert Barnes Commentary Ephesians 6:2

"Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise)," — Ephesians 6:2 (ASV)

Honour your father and mother.Exodus 20:12. (see Barnes).

Which is the first commandment with promise. With a promise annexed to it. The promise was that their days would be long in the land which the Lord their God would give them. It is not to be supposed that the observance of the first four commandments would not be attended with a blessing, but no particular blessing is promised.

It is true, indeed, that a general declaration is annexed to the second commandment: that God would show mercy to thousands of generations of those who loved him and kept his commandments. But that is a declaration in regard to all the commands of God rather than a promise annexed to that specific commandment.

It is an assurance that obedience to the law of God would be followed with blessings for a thousand generations, and it is given in view of the first and second commandments together, because they related particularly to the honour that was due to God. But the promise in the fifth commandment is a special promise. It does not relate to obedience to God in general, but it is a particular assurance that those who honour their parents shall have a particular blessing as the result of that obedience.