לָכֵ֗ן נְאֻם־יְהוָה֮ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ אָמ֣וֹר אָמַ֔רְתִּי בֵּֽיתְךָ֙ וּבֵ֣ית אָבִ֔יךָ יִתְהַלְּכ֥וּ לְפָנַ֖י עַד־עוֹלָ֑ם וְעַתָּ֤ה נְאֻם־יְהוָה֙ חָלִ֣ילָה לִּ֔י כִּֽי־מְכַבְּדַ֥י אֲכַבֵּ֖ד וּבֹזַ֥י יֵקָֽלּוּ׃
Sebab itu, demikianlah firman Yang Mahakekal, Allah Israel: Sesungguhnya Aku telah berfirman bahwa keluargamu dan keluarga leluhurmu akan melayani di hadapan-Ku untuk selama-lamanya; tetapi sekarang, demikianlah firman Yang Mahakekal: Jauhlah hal itu dari-Ku! Sebab siapa yang menghormati Aku, akan Kuhormati, dan siapa yang menghina Aku, akan menjadi hina.
English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
Who is he that is honored? He who honors his fellow human beings as it is said: “For I honor those that honor Me, but those who spurn Me shall be dishonored” (I Samuel 2:30). One who honors others is really bringing honor to himself. Note that the prooftext from I Samuel is said by God, and not by a human being. However, one could argue that all the more so this is true with regard to humans. If God honors those who honor Him, even though we were only created to honor Him, all the more so will humans honor those who honor them.
Rabbeinu Yonah
as it says, "For those who honor Me, I will honor; and those who despise Me will be held in little esteem" (I Samuel 2:30): And the proof of this verse is from an a fortiori argument (kal vechomer): If [with] the Holy One, blessed be He, that all of His creatures were only created for His glory, as it is stated (Isaiah 43:7), "that I have created for My honor" - and it would not be justified to owe them good for this, since they were not created for anything else and this is their work, and they have no right to do anything else - nonetheless, it stated, "For those who honor Me, I will honor"; all the more so and all the more so [with regard] to his fellows who a person is not (concerned) [obligated] to honor, [that] if he honors him, he will honor him [back], and raise him on his palms. And also with this trait there is no toil, and it is fitting and accepted.
Bartenura
"'and those who despise Me will be held in little esteem'": We learn [from here] the humility of the Holy One, blessed be He: He did not say, "and those who despise Me I will curse," but rather "will be held in little esteem" - automatically. And with the honor of the righteous ones He was more exacting, as it says (Genesis 12), "and those that curse you, I will malign."