Numbers 14 18

Numbers 14:18 kjv

The LORD is long-suffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

Numbers 14:18 nkjv

'The LORD is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.'

Numbers 14:18 niv

'The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.'

Numbers 14:18 esv

'The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.'

Numbers 14:18 nlt

'The LORD is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected ? even children in the third and fourth generations.'

Numbers 14 verses

Numbers 14 18 Meaning

Numbers 14:18 succinctly declares the two fundamental, yet seemingly contrasting, aspects of God's character: His boundless mercy and His unwavering justice. It reveals Him as One who is incredibly patient and compassionate, slow to wrath, abounding in steadfast love, and eager to forgive rebellion and transgression. Simultaneously, it affirms that God is perfectly just and will never leave the guilty unpunished, indicating that the consequences of persistent wickedness, especially rebellion against His ways, can extend to subsequent generations who continue in those same patterns of sin.

Numbers 14 18 Context

Numbers 14:18 appears in a pivotal moment in Israel's wilderness journey, immediately following their collective rebellion and refusal to enter the promised land due to the frightening report of the ten unfaithful spies (Num 13). The people succumbed to fear, expressed their desire to return to Egypt, and even spoke of stoning Moses and Aaron (Num 14:1-10). God's immediate response was one of wrath, threatening to strike them with a plague and disinherit them. In this dire situation, Moses intercedes on behalf of the sinful nation, appealing to God's previously revealed character and reputation among the nations (Num 14:13-17). Moses strategically quotes God's own words from His self-revelation to Moses at Mount Sinai (Exod 34:6-7), reminding the Lord of His covenant attributes as a merciful, gracious, yet just God. The historical context highlights the severity of the sin – unbelief, rebellion, and rejection of God's promise – which profoundly tested the covenant relationship between God and His people.

Numbers 14 18 Word analysis

• "The Lord": The Hebrew word is יְהוָה (YHWH), the sacred covenant name of God, revealing His personal, unchanging, and self-existent nature. Moses invokes God's very essence.

• "is slow to anger": Hebrew אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם (’erekh ’appayim), literally "long of nostrils" or "long of face." This vivid idiom refers to God's great patience and forbearance, not quick to punish despite provocation. His wrath is not a sudden outburst but a deliberate and just response after long suffering. This contrasts sharply with human impatience and short tempers.

• "abounding in steadfast love": Hebrew רַב־חֶסֶד (rav-ḥesed). Rav means "abundant" or "great." Ḥesed is a cornerstone theological term, denoting loyal, unwavering, and persistent love and kindness within a covenant relationship. It encompasses mercy, goodness, and faithfulness. This attribute is paramount in His dealings with His people, signifying His commitment to His promises even when they falter.

• "and forgiving": Hebrew וְנֹשֵׂא (venōśē’), literally "and lifting" or "carrying away." This implies bearing the burden of sin and removing it, signifying active forgiveness where the penalty or consequence is absorbed or remitted. It underscores God's initiative in reconciliation.

• "iniquity": Hebrew עָוֹן (‘āwōn), refers to crookedness, perversity, or guilt incurred by sin. It emphasizes the inherent bent or corruption that results from sin.

• "and transgression": Hebrew וָפֶשַׁע (wāphesha‘), signifies rebellion or revolt against legitimate authority. It is a more overt, willful breaking of covenant or law, a crossing of a boundary. God's forgiveness extends to both the moral stain and the rebellious act.

• "but he will by no means clear the guilty": Hebrew וְנַקֵּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה (venaqqeh lō’ yenaqqeh), an emphatic double negative: "and clearing, He will not clear." This powerful statement underscores God's absolute justice and holiness. Guilt, when unrepented and unpaid, cannot simply be overlooked. There is a moral order to the universe that requires sin to be addressed. This ensures His moral integrity.

• "visiting": Hebrew פֹּקֵד (poqed), means to visit, attend to, appoint, or call to account. In this context, it implies accountability and judgment, not just casual observation. It indicates active intervention.

• "the iniquity of the fathers on the children": This does not imply hereditary guilt (i.e., innocent children are deemed guilty for their parents' sins, as explicitly clarified later in passages like Ezekiel 18). Rather, it points to the social, spiritual, and communal consequences that can persist through generations when a community continues to follow sinful patterns of disobedience and rebellion, thereby inheriting the outcomes of those sinful choices and attitudes. For example, a father's idol worship may lead to the children growing up in a pagan culture, perpetuating sin. It reflects the solidarity of families and communities in sin.

• "to the third and fourth generation": This phrase places a specific limit on the extension of consequences, indicating that while there are real and serious societal implications for generational sin, it does not last indefinitely. This stands in stark contrast to the divine steadfast love, which is declared to extend to "thousands of generations" (Exod 34:7), showing God's mercy vastly outstrips His judgment in scope.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and forgiving iniquity and transgression": This first clause highlights God's attributes of mercy, patience, and readiness to forgive. This tripartite description, derived directly from God's own self-revelation at Sinai, forms the foundational understanding of His character for Israel and is the basis for Moses' powerful appeal. It emphasizes divine compassion over strict judgment.
  • "but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and fourth generation.": This second clause asserts God's absolute justice and holiness. It balances the first part, clarifying that His mercy does not negate His righteousness. It addresses the consequence of persistent and unrepentant sin, emphasizing that while His grace abounds, He will not tolerate rebellion without accountability. The generational consequence pertains to continued patterns of sin within families or communities.

Numbers 14 18 Bonus section

The profound significance of Numbers 14:18 lies in its re-articulation of the very foundation of God’s covenant character. By reminding YHWH of His own self-description, Moses grounds his plea for mercy in God’s faithfulness to Himself. This act of intercession teaches that prayer is not about convincing God to change His mind, but about appealing to His established nature and promises. This verse has been formative in Jewish and Christian theology, providing a framework for understanding both divine justice and restorative grace. Its dual nature highlights the necessity of atonement – if God "will by no means clear the guilty," then a perfect sacrifice is required to reconcile His justice with His desire to forgive. This sets the stage for the Gospel, where Jesus Christ takes upon Himself the penalty for sin, satisfying the demands of divine justice so that God can indeed forgive the guilty. The temporary, communal consequence described for the 'third and fourth generation' in Numbers is fundamentally transformed through Christ, where individual belief allows direct access to the abundant love that spans 'thousands of generations'.

Numbers 14 18 Commentary

Numbers 14:18 serves as a theological anchor for understanding God's complex character, reconciling His profound compassion with His unyielding righteousness. Moses’ strategic quotation of Exodus 34:6-7 reminded God of His self-declared attributes at a moment when Israel's profound sin deserved complete annihilation. The verse establishes that God’s forgiveness is not arbitrary leniency; it stems from His active grace, but it does not diminish the gravity of sin or nullify justice for the unrepentant. The phrase "he will by no means clear the guilty" unequivocally asserts divine accountability. This implies that while God forgives those who repent, those who persistently rebel will face the consequences of their actions.

The seemingly challenging concept of "visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation" is crucial. It does not imply that innocent children bear the guilt of their parents’ sins; prophetic texts like Ezekiel 18 explicitly clarify individual accountability. Rather, it speaks to the consequences and patterns of sin that can be perpetuated within families, communities, and nations. For example, a parent's idolatry, unbelief, or hardened heart might create an environment where children are exposed to or conditioned into similar sinful practices, inheriting the resulting spiritual, social, and moral degradation, effectively following in the footsteps of their parents' transgressions. God's patience allows time for repentance across generations, but His justice ensures that persistent rejection of Him has real and lasting ramifications, primarily for those who choose to continue the pattern of sin. This statement also starkly contrasts the limited scope of judgment (to three or four generations) with the boundless extent of His steadfast love (to thousands), powerfully illustrating the supremacy of His mercy over His wrath.