Exodus 34 · a question people ask
Does God punish children for their parents' sins?
The LORD proclaims that he is "visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children’s children, on the third and on the fourth generation" (34:7). In the Ten Commandments a shorter form of these words ends "of those who hate me" (20:5). 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. Every man shall be put to death for his own sin" (Deuteronomy 24:16), and through Ezekiel the LORD says, "The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father" (Ezekiel 18:20). Christians read these together in two main ways. Both agree that all these verses are true, and that the same verse keeps loving kindness "for thousands" (34:7).
How Christians read it
Where Christians differ, Favor sets out the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.
Children who carry on their fathers' sin
Those who hold this view read 34:7 alongside 20:5, where the visiting falls on the generations "of those who hate me" (20:5; also Deuteronomy 5:9). Leviticus speaks of later generations who "also in the iniquities of their fathers they shall pine away with them" (Leviticus 26:39), and then of their confessing "their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers" (Leviticus 26:40). On this view the iniquity is visited on children who go on in the same sin, while the son who "sees all his father’s sins which he has done, and fears, and doesn’t do likewise" (Ezekiel 18:14) "shall not die for the iniquity of his father" (Ezekiel 18:17).
Exodus 20:5 · Deuteronomy 5:9 · Leviticus 26:39-40 · Ezekiel 18:14-17
The results of sin reach the children
Those who hold this view read 34:7 as the results of one generation's sin reaching the generations after it, without making the children guilty of it. When Israel refused to go into the land, Moses prayed words from 34:6-7 back to the LORD (Numbers 14:18). The LORD then said, "Your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your prostitution" (Numbers 14:33), and also, "I will bring in your little ones" (Numbers 14:31). On this view the children share the results, while each person answers for his own sin (Deuteronomy 24:16; Ezekiel 18:20).
Numbers 14:18 · Numbers 14:31-33 · Deuteronomy 24:16 · Ezekiel 18:20
The verses
“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.””
“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 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.”