Exodus 34:7

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Keeping lovingkindness to a thousand generations, Forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, Though he leave not, utterly unpunished, Visiting the iniquity of fathers, Upon sons, And upon sons' sons, Unto a third and unto a fourth generation.

Parallel Translations

Geneva Bible (1587)
Reseruing mercy for thousands, forgiuing iniquitie, and transgression and sinne, and not making the wicked innocent, visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon ye children, & vpon childrens children, vnto the third and fourth generation.

George Lamsa Translation
Keeping mercy for thousands of generations, forgiving sins and transgressions, who by no means justifies the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the childrens children, to the third and fourth generation.

Hebrew Names Version
keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and disobedience and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children's children, on the third and on the fourth generation."

Easy-to-Read Version
He shows his faithful love to thousands of people. He forgives people for the wrong things they do, but he does not forget to punish guilty people. Not only will he punish the guilty people, but their children, their grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren will also suffer for the bad things these people do."

English Standard Version
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."

American Standard Version
keeping lovingkindness 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, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.

Bible in Basic English
Having mercy on thousands, overlooking evil and wrongdoing and sin; he will not let wrongdoers go free, but will send punishment on children for the sins of their fathers, and on their children's children to the third and fourth generation.

Contemporary English Version
I keep my promises to my people forever, but I also punish anyone who sins. When people sin, I punish them and their children, and also their grandchildren and great-grandchildren."

Complete Jewish Bible
showing grace to the thousandth generation, forgiving offenses, crimes and sins; yet not exonerating the guilty, but causing the negative effects of the parents' offenses to be experienced by their children and grandchildren, and even by the third and fourth generations."

JPS Old Testament (1917)
keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation, 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 unto the fourth generation.'

King James Version (1611)
Keeping mercie for thousands, forgiuing iniquitie and transgression and sinne, and that will by no meanes cleere the guiltie, visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children, and vpon the childrens children, vnto the third and to the fourth generation.

Amplified Bible
keeping mercy and lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; but He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers upon the children and the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers]."

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and keeping justice and mercy for thousands, taking away iniquity, and unrighteousness, and sins; and he will not clear the guilty; bringing the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and to the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.

English Revised Version
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, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.

Berean Standard Bible
maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means excuse the guilty; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."

Lexham English Bible
keeping loyal love to the thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and he does not leave utterly unpunished, punishing the guilt of fathers on sons and on sons of sons on third and fourth generations."

Literal Translation
keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and not leaving entirely unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on sons, and on sons of sons, to the third and to the fourth generation.

New Century Version
and is kind to thousands of people. The Lord forgives people for evil, for sin, and for turning against him, but he does not forget to punish guilty people. He will punish not only the guilty people, but also their children, their grandchildren, their great-grandchildren, and their great-great-grandchildren."

New English Translation
keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children and children's children, to the third and fourth generation."

New King James Version
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."

New Living Translation
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."

New Life Bible
keeping loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving wrong-doing and sin. But He will not let the guilty go without being punished. He brings the sin of fathers down upon the children, even the great-grandchildren."

Douay-Rheims Bible
Who keepest mercy unto thousands: who takest away iniquity, and wickedness, and sin, and no man of himself is innocent before thee. Who renderest the iniquity of the fathers to the children, and to the grandchildren unto the third and fourth generation.

Revised Standard Version
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 upon the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation."

Good News Translation
I keep my promise for thousands of generations and forgive evil and sin; but I will not fail to punish children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation for the sins of their parents."

King James Version
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.

Darby Translation
keeping mercy unto thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but by no means clearing [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, upon the third and upon the fourth [generation].

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
which kepist couenaunt and mercy in to `a thousande, which doist awey wickidnesse, and trespassis, and synnes, and noon bi hym silf is innocent anentis thee, which yeldist the wickidnesse of fadris to sones and to sones of sones, into the thridde and fourthe generacioun.

Young's Literal Translation
keeping kindness for thousands, taking away iniquity, and transgression, and sin, and not entirely acquitting, charging iniquity of fathers on children, and on children's children, on a third [generation], and on a fourth.'

World English Bible
keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and disobedience and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children's children, on the third and on the fourth generation."

Update Bible Version
keeping loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means leave unpunished [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the sons, and on the sons of the sons, on the third and on the fourth generation.

Webster's Bible Translation
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, to the third and to the fourth [generation].

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And kepyng mercy in store for thousandes, forgeuing wickednes, vngodlynes and sinne, and not leauing one innocent, visiting the wickednes of the fathers vpon the chyldren, and vpon the chyldrens chyldren, [euen] vnto the third and fourth generation.

Christian Standard Bible®
maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
thou that kepest mercy in stoare for thousandes, and forgeuest wickednes, trespace and synne (before whom there is no man innocent) thou that visitest the wickednesse of the fathers vpon ye children and childers children, vnto the thirde and fourth generacion.

New American Standard Bible
who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, inflicting the punishment of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."

New Revised Standard
keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by no means clearing the guilty, but visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."

Legacy Standard Bible
who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."

Contextual Overview

⁵ And Yahweh descended in the cloud, and took his station with him there, - and proclaimed himself by the name Yahweh. ⁶ So Yahweh passed before him, and proclaimed, - Yahweh, Yahweh, A God of compassion and favour, - Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and faithfulness: ⁷ Keeping lovingkindness to a thousand generations, Forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, Though he leave not, utterly unpunished, Visiting the iniquity of fathers, Upon sons, And upon sons' sons, Unto a third and unto a fourth generation. ⁸ Then Moses made haste, - and bent his head towards the earth and bowed himself down; ⁹ and said - If, I pray thee, I have found favour in thine eyes, O My Lord, I pray thee let My Lord go on in our midst, - although a stiff-necked people, it is, so wilt thou pardon our iniquity and our sin and take us as thine own.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Keeping: Exodus 20:6, Deuteronomy 5:10, Nehemiah 1:5, Nehemiah 9:32, Psalms 86:15, Jeremiah 32:18, Daniel 9:4

forgiving: Psalms 103:3, Psalms 130:4, Daniel 9:9, Micah 7:18, Matthew 6:14, Matthew 6:15, Matthew 12:31, Matthew 18:32-35, Luke 7:42, Luke 7:48, Acts 5:31, Acts 13:38, Romans 4:7, Romans 4:8, Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 4:32, 1 John 1:9

that will by no means clear the guilty: The Hebrew nakkeh lo yenakkeh, has been rendered "Acquitting him who is not innocent." Nothing can more strongly express the goodness of God to frail mortals than this declaration, "which has been misunderstood and misinterpreted by all our translators." Exodus 23:7, Exodus 23:21, Numbers 14:18-23, Deuteronomy 32:35, Joshua 24:19, Job 10:14, Psalms 9:16, Psalms 9:17, Psalms 11:5, Psalms 11:6, Psalms 58:10, Psalms 58:11, Psalms 136:10, Psalms 136:15, Isaiah 45:21, Micah 6:11, Nahum 1:2, Nahum 1:3, Nahum 1:6, Romans 2:4-9, Romans 3:19-26, Romans 9:22, Romans 9:23, Hebrews 12:29, Revelation 20:15, Revelation 21:8

visiting: Exodus 20:5, Exodus 20:6

Reciprocal: Genesis 18:32 - I will not Leviticus 6:7 - make Leviticus 26:39 - and also Deuteronomy 4:31 - the Lord Deuteronomy 5:9 - visiting Deuteronomy 7:9 - the faithful 2 Samuel 24:14 - for his 1 Kings 8:32 - condemning 2 Kings 13:23 - the Lord 1 Chronicles 17:26 - thou art God 1 Chronicles 21:13 - great 2 Chronicles 30:9 - the Lord Ezra 10:2 - yet now there is hope Nehemiah 9:17 - gracious Nehemiah 9:31 - gracious Job 33:24 - Then Psalms 4:1 - have mercy upon me Psalms 51:1 - O God Psalms 62:12 - mercy Psalms 75:1 - for that Psalms 85:10 - Mercy Psalms 100:5 - and his truth Psalms 103:8 - merciful Psalms 111:4 - gracious Psalms 116:5 - Gracious Psalms 119:68 - good Psalms 143:2 - in thy sight Psalms 145:8 - Lord is gracious Isaiah 55:7 - for Isaiah 63:7 - according to his Ezekiel 18:23 - not that Joel 2:13 - for Jonah 4:2 - thou art Matthew 6:12 - forgive Matthew 7:11 - how Luke 1:50 - General Luke 5:21 - Who can Luke 7:47 - Her Romans 9:15 - I will have Ephesians 2:4 - who 1 Peter 5:10 - the God 1 John 4:8 - God is

Cross-References

Genesis 20:9
Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, What hast thou done to us? and wherein had I sinned against thee, that thou shouldst have brought in over me and over my kingdom, a sin so great? Deeds, which should not be done, hast thou done with me.

Genesis 34:5
Now, Jacob, had heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter, but, his sons, happened to be with his cattle in the field, - so Jacob kept quiet until they came in.

Genesis 34:6
Then came forth Hamor, father of Shechem, unto Jacob, - to speak with him.

Genesis 34:12
Heap on me, exceedingly, dowry and gift, and I will give, just as ye may say unto me, - but give me the young woman, to wife.

Genesis 34:13
And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and spake (because he had defiled Dinah their sister) -

Genesis 34:22
Only herein, will the men consent to us, to dwell with us, to become one people, - If we circumcise to us every male, even as they are circumcised.

Genesis 34:25
And it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took each man his sword, and came in upon the city, boldly, - and slew every, male;

Genesis 46:7
his sons, and his son's sons with him, his daughters, and his sons daughters, and all his seed, brought he with him into Egypt.

Leviticus 4:2
Speak thou unto the sons of Israel, saying - When any person, shall sin by mistake, departing from any of the commandments of Yahweh, as to things which should not be done, and shall do any one of them, -

Leviticus 4:13
And, if the whole assembly of Israel, shall make a mistake, and a matter be hidden from the eyes of the convocation, - and so they do something, whereby they depart from any of the commandments of Yahweh as to things which should not be done, and become guilty;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Keeping mercy for thousands,.... In his own heart, in his purposes and decrees, in his counsels and covenant, in his Son, with whom he keeps it for ever, and for all in him, Psalms 89:28 and they are many who are ordained to eternal life, for whom Christ gave his life a ransom, and for whom his blood was shed for the remission of their sins; and whom he justifies by his knowledge, and at last brings to glory as the great Captain of their salvation; these are even a number which no man can number. All the Targums render it to a thousand generations; and Jarchi interprets of two thousand generations. The first letter in the word, rendered "keeping", is longer than is usual, in the Hebrew text; which, according to the Jews h, denotes the largeness of the grace of God, its great extent and long continuance:

forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin; the word used signifies a lifting it up, and taking it away: thus Jehovah has taken it from the sinner, and put it on his Son, who has borne it, and made satisfaction for it; and in so doing has taken it quite away, so as to be seen no more; and, through the application of his blood to the conscience of a sinner, it is taken away from thence, and removed as far as the east is from the west; from whence it appears, that it is in Christ, and for his sake, that God forgives sin, even through his blood, righteousness, sacrifice, and satisfaction; and this forgiveness is of all sin, of all sorts of sin, original or actual, greater or lesser, public or private, open or secret, of omission or commission, of heart, lip, and life. The Jews sometimes distinguish these three words; "iniquity", they say, signifies sins through pride and presumption; "transgression" intends rebellions against God; and "sin", what is committed through error and mistake i; and much to this sense is Jarchi's interpretation of these words; they no doubt include all manner of sin, which God for Christ's sake forgives:

and will by no means clear [the guilty]; without a full and proper satisfaction to justice; which is provided in Christ, whom God has set forth to be the propitiation for sin, to declare his righteousness, that he might appear to be just, while he justifies and pardons those that believe in Jesus; otherwise all the world are guilty before God, and none would be cleared; but those for whom satisfaction is made, and a righteousness wrought out, they are cleared, acquitted, and discharged, and they only: or "though he will by no means let it go unpunished" k; that is, sin, expressed by the several words preceding; and so to this purpose is this phrase translated in

Jeremiah 30:11 and the meaning is, that though God pardons sin, all manner of sin, and so displays his grace and mercy, yet he takes care of the honour of his justice, and never suffers any sin to go unpunished, either on the sinner, or on the surety. Pardon of sin always proceeds upon the redemption that is through the blood of Christ, and is a branch of it, see Romans 3:24. Some understand these words as relating not to the justice, but to the mercy and goodness of God; and render the words, either "in extirpating he will not extirpate", as Maimonides l; and as Jonathan translates the same phrase in Jeremiah 30:11 "in destroying I will not destroy"; and so De Dieu here, "in emptying he will not empty", or destroy; and this sense is thought to be most agreeable to the prayer of Moses, and the promise of God, that his goodness and glory should pass before him, to which the other sense seems contrary; but the justice of God is as much his glory, and in it lies his goodness, as well as his grace and mercy; besides, the following words cannot be thought to be so expressive of the grace, and mercy, and goodness of God, but of his punitive justice, and so the objection would still remain:

visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the childrens' children, unto the third and to the fourth [generation]; Jeremiah 30:11- :.

h Vid. Buxtorf. Tiberiad. c. 14. p. 38. i Maimon. Bartenora in Misn. Yoma, c. 4. sect. 2. k ונקה לא ינקה "et impunita minime dimittens", Tigurine version "et non exercens impunitatem", Coccei Lexic. in voce נקה. l Moreh Nevochim, par. 1. c. 54.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This was the second revelation of the name of the God of Israel to Moses. The first revelation was of Yahweh as the self-existent One, who purposed to deliver His people with a mighty hand Exodus 3:14; this was of the same Yahweh as a loving Saviour who was now forgiving their sins. The two ideas that mark these revelations are found combined, apart from their historical development, in the second commandment, where the divine unity is shown on its practical side, in its relation to human obligations (compare Exodus 34:14; Exodus 20:4). Both in the commandment and in this passage, the divine love is associated with the divine justice; but in the former there is a transposition to serve the proper purpose of the commandments, and the justice stands before the love. This is strictly the legal arrangement, brought out in the completed system of the ceremonial law, in which the sin-offering, in acknowledgment of the sentence of justice against sin, was offered before the burnt-offering and the peace-offering. But in this place the truth appears in its essential order; the retributive justice of Yahweh is subordinated to, rather it is made a part of, His forgiving Love (see Exodus 32:14 note). The visitation of God, whatever form it may wear, is in all ages the working out purposes of Love toward His children. The diverse aspects of the divine nature, to separate which is the tendency of the unregenerate mind of man and of all paganism, are united in perfect harmony in the Lord Yahweh, of whom the saying is true in all its length and breadth, “God is love” 1 John 4:8. It was the sense of this, in the degree to which it was now revealed to him, that caused Moses to bow his head and worship Exodus 34:8. But the perfect revelation of the harmony was reserved for the fulness of time when “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” Revelation 13:8 was made known to us in the flesh as both our Saviour and our Judge.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 34:7. That will by no means clear the guilty — This last clause is rather difficult; literally translated it signifies, in clearing he will not clear. But the Samaritan, reading לו lo, to him, instead of the negative lo, not, renders the clause thus: With whom the innocent shall be innocent; i.e., an innocent or holy person shall never be treated as if he were a transgressor, by this just and holy God. The Arabic version has it, He justifies and is not justified; and the Septuagint is nearly as our English text, και ου καθαριει τον ενοχον, and he doth not purify the guilty. The Alexandrian copy of the Septuagint, edited by Dr. Grabe, has και τον ενοχον καθαρισμῳ ου καθαριει, and the guilty he will not cleanse with a purification-offering. The Coptic is to the same purpose. The Vulgate is a paraphrase: nullusque apud te per se innocens est, "and no person is innocent by or of himself before thee." This gives a sound theologic sense, stating a great truth, That no man can make an atonement for his own sins, or purify his own heart; and that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.