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Deuteronomy 5:9

in Deuteronomy 5

You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I, Jehovah, thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me;

KJV

Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto 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,

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This verse in Deuteronomy 5

Commentary

2 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

You shall not make for yourself an idol

on Deuteronomy 5:8-11

The second word forbids making an idol and bowing to it, and verse 9 names God "a jealous God" as the reason. The "third and fourth generations" stand against "a thousand generations," so mercy far outreaches the visiting of iniquity.

This site's exposition

visiting the iniquity of the fathers

The prohibition names two acts, bowing down and worshipping, so the second word reaches the posture of the body as well as the heart. The visiting of iniquity is bounded by its closing words, of those who hate Me.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

and performs kindliness for thousands [of generations] for those who love Me and for those who guard My commandments.
Targum · Onkelos Deuteronomy 5:10, via Sefaria, Metsudah Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009 [with Onkelos translation]

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

21 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • לֹא־not

    lo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥֣הyou must bow down

    tishtachavehH7812 →172 times

  • לָהֶ֖ם֮to them

    lahem

  • וְלֹ֣אand not

    velo'H3808 →5168 times

  • תָעָבְדֵ֑ם֒you must be enticed to serve them

    taavedemH5647 →288 times

  • כִּ֣יfor

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • אָנֹכִ֞יI

    ʾanokhiH595 →359 times

  • יְהוָ֤הYahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙God your

    ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times

  • אֵ֣ל[am] a God

    ʾelH410 →241 times

  • קַנָּ֔אjealous

    kana'H7067 →6 times

  • פֹּ֠קֵד[who] visits

    pokedH6485 →

  • עֲוֹ֨ן[the] iniquity of

    ʾavonH5771 →

  • אָב֧וֹתparents

    ʾavotH1 →1212 times

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • בָּנִ֛יםchildren

    banimH1121 →4930 times

  • וְעַל־and on

    veal-H5921 →5755 times

  • שִׁלֵּשִׁ֥יםa third generation

    shileshimH8029 →

  • וְעַל־and on

    veal-H5921 →5755 times

  • רִבֵּעִ֖יםa fourth generation

    ribeimH7256 →

  • לְשֹׂנְאָֽ֑י׃of [those who] hate me

    lesoneaiH8130 →146 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Exodus 20:4–6You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.40 worksExodus 20:5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,37 worksExodus 34:7maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”13 worksDaniel 9:4–9And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed, “O, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments,8 worksNumbers 14:18‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’8 worksMatthew 23:35–36And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.6 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Exodus 34:14For you must not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.6 worksJeremiah 32:18You show loving devotion to thousands but lay the iniquity of the fathers into the laps of their children after them, O great and mighty God whose name is the LORD of Hosts,5 worksDeuteronomy 4:24For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.5 worksJohn 15:24If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father.4 worksEzekiel 8:3He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes jealousy was seated.4 worksEzekiel 18:19Yet you may ask, ‘Why shouldn’t the son bear the iniquity of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right, carefully observing all My statutes, he will surely live.4 worksJudges 2:12Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger,3 worksDeuteronomy 28:18The fruit of your womb will be cursed, as well as the produce of your land, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks.3 works2 Chronicles 19:2Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to confront him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you.3 worksEzekiel 16:45You are the daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and children. You are the sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.2 worksDeuteronomy 32:16They provoked His jealousy with foreign gods; they enraged Him with abominations.2 worksDeuteronomy 32:41when I sharpen My flashing sword, and My hand grasps it in judgment, I will take vengeance on My adversaries and repay those who hate Me.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Exodus 34:7

    maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and…

    it leads to

    • Exodus 20:5–6

      You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth…

    • Psalms 103:3

      He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases,

    • Deuteronomy 5:9–10

      You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth…

    • Ephesians 1:7

      In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

    • 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.

  • Through

    Numbers 14:18

    ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon…

    it leads to

    • Exodus 34:6–7

      Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,

    • Psalms 145:8

      The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion.

    • Exodus 20:5

      You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth…

Where this verse is studied

About Deuteronomy

Moses Viewing the Promised Land, Frederic Edwin Church, 1846. Public domain.
Moses Viewing the Promised Land, Frederic Edwin Church, 1846. Public domain.
Deuteronomy: the study guide →Read Deuteronomy 5 →

This page draws on John Calvin, Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch.

Read on in Deuteronomy 5 →