On his deathbed, he commended his children to the care of his most trusted friend.

commended 是动词 commend 的过去式，commend 由前缀 com-（表示"共同、加强"）和词根 mend（源自拉丁语 mandare，意为"委托"）组成，意思是"正式托付、委托"。在句中表示"将某人郑重托付给他人照顾"的意思。