Visiting the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children

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Exodus 20:4-5(KJV)

[4]Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

[5]Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.

In the Hebraic Lexicon, apart from just implying taking measurements or census, that word "visiting" (pâqad) is used both positively (like Genesis 21:1, when the Lord visited Sarah and she conceived) and negatively, as in meting out a punishment for an offence.

This case is apparently in the negative.

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.

So is this talking about ancestral curses? Is this saying the innocent children suffer the consequences of the sins of their parents just because of the bloodline?

I beg to differ.

First, I believe it is apparent that this visitation has to do with punishment.

Psalms 89:32(KJV)

Then will I visit their transgression WITH THE ROD, and their iniquity WITH STRIPES.

Proverbs 19:23(KJV)

The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be VISITED WITH EVIL.

That cleared, it is important to note that the visiting of iniquity of the fathers upon the children is not referring to an automatically inherited punishment for the sins of the pedigree. See the words of same Moses' in the laws he gave:

Deuteronomy 24:16(KJV)

The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: EVERY MAN SHALL BE PUT TO DEATH FOR HIS OWN SIN.

So how does this fit with Exodus 20? Like John Piper said in one of his articles related to this, this matters for the sake of defending the Bible's coherence.

See Exodus 20 again.

Exodus 20:5-6(KJV)

[5]Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation OF THEM THAT HATE ME;

[6]And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

“...of them that hate me...”

So this explains that the punishment meted is duely deserved. Why? Not because of an automatic generational migration of sins, but because they continue in their fathers' sins, and so are punished alike. They sinned like their fathers and therefore were punished like their fathers. That's it.

Leviticus 26:39(ESV)

And those of you who are left shall rot away in your enemies' lands because of THEIR iniquity, and also because of the iniquities of THEIR FATHERS they shall rot away LIKE THEM.

See Jeremiah the Prophet,

Jeremiah 14:10(KJV)

Thus saith the LORD unto this people, THUS HAVE THEY LOVED TO WANDER, THEY HAVE NOT REFRAINED THEIR FEET, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.

And the people acknowledged this a couple of verses after.

Jeremiah 14:20(KJV)

We acknowledge, O LORD, OUR wickedness, AND THE INIQUITY OF OUR FATHERS: for WE have sinned against thee.

So we conclude that the visiting of the iniquity of the fathers upon the children implied in Exodus 20 refers to the punishment meted on the children that chose to walk in the sins of their fathers.

This does not refer to an automatic migration of punishment, though some folks in that testament fell victims to that, but it came to an end.

However, more important to note is the truth about God which cannot be nullified by this. God does not punish us according to our sins, else no one would survive. God is a God of love, and evil is not found in him. This truth was revealed in Jesus; prophesied beforehand by some, like David:

Psalms 130:3-8(KJV)

[3]If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, WHO SHALL STAND?

[4]BUT THERE IS FORGIVENESS WITH THEE, that thou mayest be feared.

[5]I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

[6]My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

[7]Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is MERCY, and with him is PLENTEOUS REDEMPTION.

[8]AND HE SHALL REDEEM ISRAEL FROM ALL HIS INIQUITIES.

Amen.

Victor Ibosiola © 2020