Exodus 20 · a question people ask
Does God punish children for their parents' sins?
The LORD calls himself "a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me" (20:5), and goes straight on, "and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments" (20:6). The same pairing comes back when the LORD proclaims his name (34:6-7). The law also says, "The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers" (Deuteronomy 24:16), and Ezekiel says, "The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father" (Ezekiel 18:20). Christians read 20:5 beside these verses in two main ways. All agree that the verse sets the third and fourth generation beside thousands (20:5-6).
How Christians read it
Where Christians differ, Favor sets out the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.
Children who go on hating him
Those who hold this view take "of those who hate me" (20:5) to describe the children too: the iniquity is visited on generations who keep hating God. They point to Ezekiel's son who "sees all his father’s sins which he has done, and fears, and doesn’t do likewise" (Ezekiel 18:14); "he shall not die for the iniquity of his father" (Ezekiel 18:17).
Exodus 20:5 · Ezekiel 18:14-17 · Ezekiel 18:20
Consequences that reach a family
Those who hold this view read "visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children" (20:5) as the harm a parent's sin brings on those who come after, not guilt passed down. They point to the wilderness, where the LORD told Israel, "Your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your prostitution" (Numbers 14:33), while promising, "But I will bring in your little ones" (Numbers 14:31).
Exodus 20:5 · Numbers 14:31 · Numbers 14:33 · Deuteronomy 24:16
The verses
“you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
“The LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, “The LORD! The LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth, keeping loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and disobedience and sin; and who 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.””
“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.”
“The soul who sins, he shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.”