Exodus 34:7
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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 grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
God having in the foregoing chapter intimated to Moses his reconciliation to Israel, here gives proofs of it, proceeding to settle his covenant and communion with them. Four instances of the return of his favour we have in this chapter: - I. The orders he gives to Moses to come up to the mount, the next morning, and bring two tables of stone with him (Exo 34:1-4). II. His meeting him there, and the proclamation of his name (Exo 34:5-9). III. The instructions he gave him there, and his converse with him for forty days together, without intermission (v. 10-28). IV. The honour he put upon him when he sent him down with his face shining (Exo 34:29-35). In all this God dealt with Moses as a public person, and mediator between him and Israel, and a type of the great Mediator.
Open source ↗34:7 God’s unfailing love and his generous desire to forgive are not weakness or indecisiveness, nor are they reason to sin. Sin will have its effects, because God created a world of cause and effect. The murderer may repent, be forgiven, and lead a new life, but the effects of previous choices will continue to play out. We should not sin just because we know that God will forgive (see study note on 20:5-6). • a thousand generations: See Deut 7:9-11. • I lay the sins of the parents: Our sins affect future generations of descendants, but God restricts the natural effect of those sins to three or four generations. See also Exod 20:5-6.
Open source ↗Cross-references
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He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases,
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
You 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,
But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be feared.
To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, even though we have rebelled against Him
If I sinned, You would take note, and would not acquit me of my iniquity.
Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.
But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.
“For our God is a consuming fire.”