Exodus 20:5 (WEB)
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,
Catechism · 1
The word "Decalogue" means literally "ten words." God revealed these "ten words" to his people
Fathers and councils · 19
Origen
“…anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters under the earth; thou shalt not bow down to them, nor serve them,” worship nothing else than the Supreme God, who made the heavens, and all things besides.” — editor's note: Cf. Ex. xx. 3, 4, 5.
Read the whole comment- Origen, Against Celsus VIII.40Book VIII
“…them,” corresponds with that passage, “Who visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me,” let him learn from Ezekiel that this language is not to be taken literally; for he reproves those who say, “Our fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the…” — editor's note: Ex. xx. 5.
Read the whole comment - Origen, De Principiis IV.1Book IV
“…kindled in Mine anger;” and that “I the Lord am a jealous (God), visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation;” and that “it repenteth Me that I anointed Saul to be king;” and, “I am the Lord, who make peace and create evil;” and again, “There is not evil in a city which…” — editor's note: Cf. Ex. xx. 5.
Read the whole comment - Origen, De Principiis IV.2Book IV
“…been kindled in Mine anger;” and this, “I am a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation;” and this, “I repent of having anointed Saul to be king;” and this, “I am a God that maketh peace, and createth evil;” and, among others, this, “There is not…” — editor's note: Cf. Ex. xx. 5.
Read the whole comment
Irenaeus of Lyons
“On her thus departing, he imagined he was the only being in existence; and on this account declared, “I am a jealous God, and besides me there is no one.”” — editor's note: Ex. xx. 5; Isa. xlv. 5, 6.
Read the whole comment
Eusebius of Caesarea
“For concerning them the declaration which God spoke was plain, ‘Visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.’” — editor's note: Ex. xx. 5.
Read the whole comment
John Cassian
- John Cassian, Conferences I–X VIII.23Conference VIII
“…“Thou shalt do no murder; Thou shalt not commit adultery; Thou shalt not steal; Thou shalt not bear false witness; Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife,” and many other things besides, in which they anticipated the commands not only of the law but even of the gospel?” — editor's note: Exod. xx. 4–17.
Read the whole comment
Augustine of Hippo
“That people received the Law, they received commandments just and good.” — editor's note: Exod. xx. 1–17.
Read the whole comment“…ceased to be the child of the wicked, by not having imitated their conduct. …And to these words, “I will visit the sins of the fathers upon the children,” is added, “who hate Me;” that is, hate Me as their fathers hated Me: so that as the effect of imitating the good is that even their own sins are blotted out,…” — editor's note: Exod. xx. 5.
Read the whole comment“…the spiritual creature, whereby to signify that which indeed is not so, but must needs so be said: as, for instance, “I the Lord thy God am a jealous God;” and, “It repenteth me that I have made man.”” — editor's note: Ex. xx. 5
Read the whole comment“For that divine judgment, “I shall visit the iniquities of the fathers upon the children,” certainly applies to them before they come under the new covenant by regeneration.” — editor's note: Ex. xx. 5; Deut. v. 9
Read the whole comment“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.”” — editor's note: Ex. xx. 3–17.
Read the whole comment
John Chrysostom
“And this is what God saith elsewhere, “Requiting the sins of fathers upon children for the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.”” — editor's note: Exod. xx. 5. [The LXX. reads ἕω, which is here altered to ἐπ. The rendering above is not literal: “upon children, upon a third and fourth generation to them…
Read the whole comment
Jerome
“Or if the old doctrine holds good that the sins of the fathers must be visited upon the children, an old man’s countless sins cannot fairly be avenged upon a harmless infant.” — editor's note: Ex. xx. 5.
Read the whole comment“It is thus that he visits the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation; not punishing those who sin immediately but pardoning their first offences and only passing sentence on them for their last.” — editor's note: Ex. xx. 5.
Read the whole comment
Tertullian
“For God is “jealous,” and is One who is not contemptuously derided—derided, namely, by such as flatter His goodness—and who, albeit “patient,” yet threatens, through Isaiah, an end of (His) patience.” — editor's note: Comp. Ex. xx. 5; xxxiv. 14; Deut. iv. 24; v. 9; vi. 15; Josh. xxiv. 19; Nahum i. 2.
Read the whole comment“…that ancient benediction, “Grow and multiply,” had still to run its course; secondly, because the sins of the fathers used to be exacted even from the sons; thirdly, because eunuchs and barren persons used to be regarded as ignominious.” — editor's note: See Ex. xx. 5; and therefore there must be sons begotten from whom to exact them.
Read the whole comment
Catena Aurea on Matthew
- Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
“Thus his sin descended on his posterity as it had been written, “I will visit the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.” [Ex 20:5] Thus see how dangerous it is to marry with the seed of the ungodly.” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment
Clement of Alexandria
“This is He “that visits the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, to them that hate Him, and shows mercy to those that love Him.”” — editor's note: Ex. xx. 5, 6.
Read the whole comment
Cross-references · 25
Parallel passages
Exodus 20:5 and Numbers 14:18 share the same wording (17 words).
Exodus 20:5 and Deuteronomy 5:9 share the same wording (42 words).
Cited together with
Cited together in Against Celsus V.6.
Cited together in The Enchiridion Chapter 46.
Cited together in Against Celsus VIII.40.
Cited together in On the Holy Trinity I.1.
Cited together in Against Heresies I.29.
Cited together in Against Heresies I.29.
Cited together in Church History VII.10.
Cited together in Church History VII.10.
Cited together in Against Celsus VIII.40.
Cited together in Church History VII.10.
Cited together in Against Celsus VIII.40 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Against Celsus VIII.40.
Cited together in Against Celsus VIII.40.
Cited together in Against Celsus VIII.40.
Cited together in Pseudo-Chrysostom on Matthew 1:8–11 (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Pseudo-Chrysostom on Matthew 1:8–11 (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Pseudo-Chrysostom on Matthew 1:8–11 (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Pseudo-Chrysostom on Matthew 1:8–11 (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in On the Holy Trinity I.1.
Cited together in On the Holy Trinity I.1.
Cited together in Church History VII.10.
Cited together in On the Holy Trinity I.1.
Cited together in On the Holy Trinity I.1.