In Jewish tradition, what is the Hebrew word for the commandment to honor parents?

Kibbud av va'em is the Hebrew term for the commandment to honor one’s father and mother.

The phrase literally means “honoring father and mother.” It refers to the fifth commandment in the traditional Jewish enumeration of the Ten Commandments, where honoring parents is connected with a promise of long life in the land.

Rabbinic Jewish sources discuss practical expressions of this duty, including respectful speech, assistance, and concern for parents’ needs. The commandment is about honor rather than unquestioning obedience, and Jewish legal discussions address situations in which a parent asks a child to violate religious law.

The Hebrew phrase may be transliterated in several ways, including kibbud av va-em and kibbud av va’em. The spelling varies because Hebrew sounds are represented differently in English.