Through their sin, they cut themselves – and man – off from God. When Adam and Eve sinned, the penalty imposed on them affected all mankind. The innocent child will be brought back to life by God at a time of peace and happiness, when prejudice and the hatred towards illegitimate children (compare Judges 11:1-2), who did nothing to deserve their fate, will be a thing of the past. It should be pointed out here, however, that God did not consider David’s child to be guilty in any way and worthy of punishment. We note that because of Lot’s righteous conduct, God saved his daughters, while David’s adultery caused the death of his child (2 Samuel 12:13-14, 19-23). If both parents leave the Church, their children’s access to God is no longer guaranteed and may in time totally disappear. Soncino explains that the “effects of the penalty imposed upon a sinner are felt up to and including the fourth generation.” The New Commentary of Holy Scripture, S.P.C.K., 1951, comments, “It is an everlasting law of human society that children suffer by reason of the sins of their fathers.” This shows, then, how parents must consider the consequences of their actions – not just for their own sakes, but also for the sakes of their children, grandchildren, and future generations (A wrong lifestyle might very well affect the parents’ offspring – even in physical ways).įor instance, as long as even one parent is in the church, his or her children are sanctified (1 Corinthians 7:14), that is, they can and do have access to God. The sins of the fathers do affect future generations - and so does the penalty for sin, which is oftentimes automatic. At the same time, the conduct of the parents may have a lot to do with the fact whether their children or grandchildren love or hate God. Those who love God will receive His mercy. Note, though, it does not necessarily say that they will die. Those who hate God will be “visited” by God. Soncino comments, too, that the punishment will be brought upon the children, “when they retain the evil deeds of their fathers.” God will punish the children if they hate Him. Note that Exodus 20:5 speaks of those “who hate Me.” Soncino points out that the phrase, “of those that hate Me,” applies to the children, i.e. The Companion Bible comments to Ezekiel 18: 4, 20: “Descendants were not punished for the sins of their ancestors unless they persevered in their ancestors’ sins.” The same thought is expressed in Exodus 20. Notice how some commentaries explain the passages in Exodus 20 and in Ezekiel 18: The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son.” (Compare, too, Exodus 32:31-33.)Īll these passages don’t contradict each other rather, they compliment each other.
Also, Ezekiel 18:4, 17, 19-20 tells us, “(4) Behold, all souls are Mine The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son are Mine The soul who sins shall die…(17) shall not die for the iniquity of his father He shall surely live…(19) Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of his father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. In addition, passages like Deuteronomy 24:16 state that children are not to be put to death for the sins of their fathers. Similar statements can be found in Exodus 34:6-7 Numbers 14:18 and Deuteronomy 5:8-10.
For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, (6) but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” “(4) You shall not make for yourself a carved image… (5) you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. To fully understand what God is saying in Exodus 20:5, let us read the entire passage in context, beginning with verse 4: Q: What does it mean that God will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Him (compare Exodus 20:5)?ĭoesn’t this contradict Scriptures such as Deuteronomy 24:16, stating that children are not to be put to death for their fathers, but that a person “shall be put to death for his own sin.”?Ī: This question has puzzled many over the years.