Do the sons bear the sins of the fathers or not?

Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 5:9 and Deuteronomy 24:16; Ezekiel 18:20

1. Yes they do
   
   1. (Exodus 20:5) - "You shall not worship them or 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 the fourth generations of those who hate Me,"
   2. (Deuteronomy 5:9) - "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,"
   3. (Exodus 34:6-7) - "Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7who 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."
   4. (1 Cor. 15:22) - "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive."
   
   
2. No they don't
   
   1. (Deuteronomy 24:16) - "Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin."
   2. (Ezekiel 18:20) - "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself."
   
   

Exodus 20:5 is, of course, among the ten commandments. The Ten Commandments are arranged in covenant form. The Suzerain-Vassal treaty pattern of the ancient near east is followed in the Ten Commandments. This arrangement included an introduction of who was making the covenant (Exodus 20:2), what the covenant maker had done (20:2), laws (20:3-17), rewards (20:6,12), and punishments (20:5,7).

Covenantally, when a father misleads his family, the effects of that misleading are often felt for generations. This is because the father is being covenantally unfaithful and God has stipulated that there are punishments to breaking the covenant with God. That is the case with these verses that deal with the sins visited upon the children. If a father rejects the covenant of God and takes his family into sin and rejects God, the children will suffer the consequences, often for several generations. Whether or not this is fair is not the issue. Sin is in the world, consequences of sin affected many generations.

On the other hand, Deuteronomy 24:16 is dealing with legal matters as the context 24:6-19 shows. Ezekiel 18:20 is merely recounting the Law of the Pentateuch. Therefore, the context of the second set of verses is dealing with the legality aspect within the Jewish court system. The previous set of verses deal with God visiting upon the descendents of the rebellious the consequences of the rebellious fathers' sins.

As a further note on this issue, there is a concept in the Bible called Federal Headship. This means that the male, the father, represents the family. We see this in the garden of Adam and Eve. She was the first one to eat of the fruit; she was the first one to sin. However, the Bible states that sin entered the world through Adam (Rom. 5), not Eve. This is because Adam was the Federal Head of all mankind. Furthermore we see in the Hebrews 7:7-10 the following:

"But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. 9And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, 10for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him."

In the verses in Hebrews we see that Levi, who was a descendant of Abraham, paid tithes to Melchizedek while still in the loins, "seed," of his father Abraham, even though Levi was not yet alive. In other words, Abraham, the father, represented his descendants. As Abraham paid tithes, so also did Levi. Therefore, we can see the concept of Federal Headship represented in the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. We can conclude that God will visit the iniquities of the fathers upon the descendants because the fathers have failed to be covenantally faithful. Yet, we see in the other verses a declaration of legality in dealing with people. There is no contradiction.

Article: carm.org

Very enlightening article! Thanks Chad.

I would add that we very much see these principles today. A touchy subject, but an abused child is more than proportionately likely to be an abusing adult.

Do we put the child in prison for being abused? No, we deal with the father. If, as the child grows, he himself does become an abuser, then he is punished. But the beginnings of that was with his father.

I am often amazed how science, with its general consensus of not believing in faith, so often proves the Bible. Genetic beliefs indicate that certain predispositions (usually sin or sickness related) can be inherited. Hmm, Moses could have told them that!

One important point that does need to be stressed, though, is that although the stronghold of generational sin can be great, IN CHRIST IT CAN BE BROKEN! HE has won the victory and brought us into His New Covenant.

Mark.

If the father`s sin is loked at by God upon the child,which would be the next generation and that child comes to Christ, dose the curse stop there, and is never more?

yort

Great discussion and I have to agree that the acorn doesn't fall too far from the tree!

But saying that, I strongly agree with Mark's last statement; we live in the New Testament now.

Furthermore, to reach back to the Old Testament and somehow indicate that its theology of laws and legalism have a bearing on the way we should conduct our lives today is a mistake. It sets up a false premise that we are still under some aspects of the Old Testament, when God himself said it was not faultless and that he even abolished it.
The New Covenant, the law of Grace can instanly break the bondage a Man, with anything, through the recieving of the Holy Spirit, which was not possible before the cross.
The cross took away sin and gave forgiveness, the resurrection gives life and saves!

Thank you Mark, Yort and Joe for reminding us that we are not under the law of the Old Testament, but under the grace of the New Testament in Christ Jesus.

All curses and bondages have been broken in Him.

are not those texts addressing Isreal and not the gentiles?

i do think that the sins pass from one generation to the next. look at the things now that are socially acceptable, what's going to be considered 'ok' when my children are my age. because as a whole society lets it be ok, especially here in the u.s. i shudder to think of it. sin is just growing, morals are out the door. sin grows from one generation to the next

but Jesus has overcome so i'm not too worried

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

1Co 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
1Co 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
1Co 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.


Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.


The earth and all in it still suffer the effects of sin and that is evident in that everything physically dies. In this manner we still suffer from Adam's sin groaning and Yet spiritually we have a new Father in heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord and in Him we have eternal life.

There is no "Curse" passed on from father to child. There is nothing in the bible that states that.

God said I will visit the inequity of the father to the children.

Translation: The child will receive the same treatment that the father did who sinned against God. There is nothing spiritual going on here.

Don't confuse inherited traits children pick up from parents with "Curse" Curse simply means not blessed, or empowered by God.
Remember the scripture. "Without hope, without God in this world."

are not those texts addressing Isreal and not the gentiles?

Everything God has said apply s to you!!! Don't pick and choose. God is not a respecter of persons.

All scripture is given for reproof and doctrine. All means all. Not just the ones you choose.

This is one of the reasons people think half of what God said has passed away, and don't apply today.

Jesus Is Lord.

It depends on how you look at it I suppose:
Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Adam sinned and all after him were doomed to death via the sin he passed on.
God cursed the very ground on which we all have to live (inherited curse):
Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
I suppose if we could say that we would not die then there would be no curse nor any results from that curse.