Exodus 34:7 kjv
Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
Exodus 34:7 nkjv
keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation."
Exodus 34:7 niv
maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation."
Exodus 34:7 esv
keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation."
Exodus 34:7 nlt
I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.
I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.
But I do not excuse the guilty.
I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren;
the entire family is affected ?
even children in the third and fourth generations."
Exodus 34 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 20:5-6 | You shall not bow down to them or serve them... for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. | Echoes the generational consequences and abounding love from the Decalogue. |
| Num 14:18 | ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and fourth generation.’ | Directly quotes Exod 34:6-7, highlighting God's justice amidst Moses' intercession for Israel. |
| Deut 5:9-10 | You shall not bow down to them... for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. | Another reaffirmation of the Ten Commandments principle. |
| Ps 103:8-11 | The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him... | Emphasizes God's mercy and steadfast love (ḥesed) as being greater than our sins. |
| Ps 86:5 | For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. | Reiterates God's nature as good, forgiving, and abounding in ḥesed. |
| Neh 9:17 | They refused to obey... but you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love... | Israel's remembrance of God's enduring character despite their disobedience. |
| Joel 2:13 | Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love... | A call to repentance based on God's character. |
| Jonah 4:2 | ...for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love... | Jonah's knowledge of God's forgiving nature as his reason for fleeing. |
| Mic 7:18-19 | Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression...? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. | Beautiful description of God's abundant forgiveness. |
| Ezek 18:20 | The soul who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. | Crucial clarification regarding individual accountability, showing Exod 34:7 is not about individual condemnation for ancestral sin. |
| Jer 31:29-30 | “In those days they shall no longer say: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.’ But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his own teeth shall be set on edge.” | Prophetic declaration emphasizing individual responsibility in the New Covenant. |
| Nah 1:3 | The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm... | Reaffirms the unyielding nature of God's justice. |
| Rom 3:23-26 | ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift... God put him forward as a propitiation by his blood... This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins... It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. | Explains how God remains just ("will by no means clear the guilty") while justifying sinners through Christ's atonement. |
| Rom 5:8 | but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. | Illustrates God's "steadfast love" poured out through Christ. |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | Connects the consequence of sin with God's ultimate justice and His gift of grace. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. | Explains the mechanism by which God's justice is satisfied while sinners are forgiven through Christ. |
| Eph 1:7 | In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace... | Highlights forgiveness rooted in God's abounding grace through Christ. |
| Heb 9:22 | Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. | Explains the requirement for sin to be dealt with, underscoring God's just requirement. |
| 1 John 1:9 | If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. | Connects confession with God's justice and faithfulness in granting forgiveness. |
| Rev 20:12 | And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened... and the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. | Depicts ultimate justice and accountability before God. |
Exodus 34 verses
Exodus 34 7 Meaning
Exodus 34:7 is a profound declaration of God's character, balancing His infinite mercy with His unwavering justice. It reveals God as abounding in loyal love, extending forgiveness to those who turn to Him from their iniquity, transgression, and sin. Simultaneously, it states that God is righteous and will never leave the guilty unpunished, and that the consequences of unrepented sin can impact future generations, though this influence is limited compared to His overflowing steadfast love.
Exodus 34 7 Context
Exodus 34:7 is part of a crucial divine self-revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai, often referred to as the "Creed of YHWH" or the "Thirteen Attributes of God." This moment occurs after the catastrophic Golden Calf incident (Exod 32), where Israel betrayed the newly established covenant, prompting God's just anger. Moses courageously interceded for the people, pleading for God's mercy and presence (Exod 33). In response, God commanded Moses to prepare new stone tablets, indicating a willingness to renew the broken covenant. Chapters 33-34 represent God's gracious reaffirmation of His covenant relationship, despite Israel's failure. As Moses waited on the mountain, God passed before him and proclaimed His name and character, a summary of His very essence, beginning with His abundant grace in Exod 34:6 and continuing with His balanced nature of mercy and justice in 34:7. This profound theological statement defines the nature of God for Israel and all believers.
Exodus 34 7 Word analysis
- keeping steadfast love: Hebrew: nōṣēr ḥesed (נֹצֵר חֶסֶד). Nōṣēr (keeping/preserving) implies active preservation, continuation, or extending. Ḥesed (חֶסֶד) is a profound covenantal term meaning loyal love, unwavering faithfulness, enduring mercy, or compassionate kindness. It is a commitment-driven love that God shows His people.
- for thousands: Hebrew: lāʾălāfîm (לָאֲלָפִים). Refers to an innumerable multitude of generations, emphasizing the immense, boundless, and overwhelming nature of God's grace and covenant love. This quantity dwarfs the judgment that extends to only a few generations, highlighting the superabundance of mercy over wrath.
- forgiving iniquity: Hebrew: nōśēʾ ʿāwōn (נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן). Nōśēʾ means to bear, carry, take away, or forgive. ʿāwōn (עָוֹן) means "iniquity," often denoting the distortion or twisting of right, the inner perversity or guilt associated with sin.
- and transgression: Hebrew: wāp̄ešaʿ (וָפֶשַׁע). Pešaʿ (פֶּשַׁע) means "transgression," specifically highlighting rebellion, revolt, or a breaking away from established authority or covenant. It denotes a deliberate act against God's law.
- and sin: Hebrew: wəḥaṭṭāʾt (וְחַטָּאת). Ḥaṭṭāʾt (חַטָּאת) is the most general term for "sin," meaning to "miss the mark," implying failure, shortcoming, or falling short of God's standards. Together, these three terms cover the full spectrum of human wrongdoing against God – internal guilt, outward rebellion, and general failure.
- but who will by no means clear the guilty: Hebrew: wənaqqēh lōʾ yənaqqeh (וְנַקֵּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה). This uses an emphatic verbal construction (infinitive absolute + imperfect verb) to signify "most certainly not," "absolutely not," or "by no means will he clear." Naqqēh is related to being clean, innocent, or guiltless. This phrase asserts God's unwavering commitment to justice; He does not simply overlook or excuse sin. There are consequences.
- visiting the iniquity: Hebrew: pōqēd ʿāwōn (פֹּקֵד עָוֹן). Pōqēd (פָּקַד) means to attend to, inspect, appoint, or visit, but in this context it carries the sense of bringing to account or visiting with consequences/punishment. It signifies God's active response to persistent unrighteousness.
- of the fathers on the children: This refers to the negative societal, spiritual, or temporal consequences of unrepentant sin patterns passed down. It does not imply that children are held individually guilty for their parents' sins. Rather, it means that the effects or patterns of sin can cascade through generations, affecting the well-being and circumstances of a family or community. This could be seen in cycles of idolatry, injustice, or spiritual decline.
- and the children's children: Further emphasizes the familial and communal ripple effect of entrenched sinful practices.
- to the third and the fourth generation: This limits the scope of the "visitation" of iniquity, demonstrating that divine judgment on a generational scale has an end. It stands in stark contrast to His mercy which extends "to thousands," reinforcing that God's grace overwhelmingly exceeds His judgment. This often implies communal and earthly consequences rather than eternal damnation for future individuals based on prior generations' sin (Ezek 18).
Exodus 34 7 Bonus section
The juxtaposition of "thousands" of generations for God's mercy and "third and fourth" generations for the consequences of iniquity profoundly communicates the overwhelming dominance of God's grace and forgiveness over His judgment. This numerical contrast is key to understanding the heart of this divine declaration. It underscores that while God is holy and will not condone sin, His nature is fundamentally bent towards grace and redemption for those who respond to Him. This foundational declaration of God's character is echoed and cited extensively throughout the Old Testament and finds its ultimate fulfillment in the Person and work of Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodies both God's relentless love in His sacrifice and God's righteous justice in bearing the penalty for sin. This verse also implicitly stands in polemic opposition to pagan deities, who were often capricious or limited in their attributes. YHWH's character is shown to be consistent, ethical, and universally applicable, holding all accountable while simultaneously offering vast, encompassing grace.
Exodus 34 7 Commentary
Exodus 34:7 articulates the paradoxical yet perfect unity of God's attributes: limitless grace and steadfast justice. It begins with an affirmation of God's enduring and abundant loyal love (ḥesed), which is so vast that it covers thousands of generations, emphasizing His readiness to forgive sin (iniquity, transgression, and sin, covering all forms of wrongdoing). However, this mercy is never at the expense of justice. God "will by no means clear the guilty," meaning unrepentant sin is never overlooked. Sin demands a just response. This is resolved perfectly in Christ, who, by bearing sin, satisfied divine justice, allowing God to be both just and the justifier of those who believe. The "visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation" speaks to the observable, often painful, societal, spiritual, and temporal consequences that fester in a family or community due to generations of unaddressed sinful choices or patterns (e.g., idolatry, injustice, or moral decay), rather than individuals being eternally condemned for their ancestors' actions. It serves as a stark warning about the long-term impact of sin, urging immediate repentance to break these cycles, while simultaneously highlighting that God's inclination to mercy far outweighs His readiness to judge. For example, patterns of addiction, neglect, or spiritual rebellion can ripple through generations, yet repentance and seeking God's face can halt and reverse these effects, bringing God's abundant steadfast love and new life.