Deuteronomy 5:9

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the iniquity of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לֹא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥֣ה לָהֶ֖ם֮ וְלֹ֣א תָעָבְדֵ֑ם֒ כִּ֣י אָנֹכִ֞י יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אֵ֣ל קַנָּ֔א פֹּ֠קֵד עֲוֺ֨ן אָב֧וֹת עַל־בָּנִ֛ים וְעַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֥ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִ֖ים לְשֹׂנְאָֽ֑י

Transliteration

Not-tištaḥăweh to-them and-not tāʿobdēm kî ʾānōkî YHWH ʾĕlōhêkā ʾēl qannāʾ pōqēd ʿăwōn ʾābôt upon-bānîm and-upon-šillēšîm and-upon-ribbēʿîm to-śōnəʾāy

Grammar Details

• *tištaḥăweh*: Hishtaphel imperfect 2ms - you shall bow down
• *tāʿobdēm*: Qal imperfect 2ms + 3mp suffix - you shall serve them
• *kî*: conjunction - for/because
• *ʾānōkî*: personal pronoun 1cs - I
• *YHWH*: proper noun, divine name
• *ʾĕlōhêkā*: common noun, masculine plural construct + 2ms suffix - your God
• *ʾēl*: common noun, masculine singular - God/deity
• *qannāʾ*: adjective masculine singular - jealous
• *pōqēd*: Qal participle masculine singular - visiting
• *ʿăwōn*: common noun, masculine singular construct - iniquity of
• *ʾābôt*: common noun, masculine plural - fathers
• *bānîm*: common noun, masculine plural - children/sons
• *šillēšîm*: common noun, masculine plural - third generation
• *ribbēʿîm*: common noun, masculine plural - fourth generation
• *śōnəʾāy*: Qal participle masculine plural construct + 1cs suffix - those hating me

Word Meanings

• *tištaḥăweh*: you shall bow down/you shall prostrate yourself/you shall worship
• *tāʿobdēm*: you shall serve them/you shall worship them/you shall be enslaved to them
• *ʾēl*: God/deity/divine being
• *qannāʾ*: jealous/zealous/passionate
• *pōqēd*: visiting/punishing/attending to
• *ʿăwōn*: iniquity/guilt/punishment
• *śōnəʾāy*: those hating me/my enemies/those rejecting me

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  You shall not bow down to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  thou shalt not bow down{H7812} thyself unto them, nor serve{H5647} them; for I, Jehovah,{H3068} thy God,{H430} am a jealous{H7067} God,{H430} visiting{H6485} the iniquity{H5771} of the fathers{H1} upon the children,{H1121} and upon the third{H8029} and upon the fourth{H7256} generation of them that hate{H8130} me;

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Thou shalt not bow down{H7812}{(H8691)} thyself unto them, nor serve{H5647}{(H8714)} them: for I the LORD{H3068} thy God{H430} am a jealous{H7067} God{H410}, visiting{H6485}{(H8802)} the iniquity{H5771} of the fathers{H1} upon the children{H1121} unto the third{H8029} and fourth{H7256} generation of them that hate{H8130}{(H8802)} me,

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  Thou shalt nether bowe thy self vnto them nor serue them, for I the Lorde thy God, am a gelouse God, visettinge the wikednesse of the fathers vppon the childern, euen in the thyrde and the fourth generacion, amonge them that hate me:

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Thou shalt not honor them, ner serue the. For I ye LORDE yi God am a gelous God, vysitinge the synne of the fathers vpo the children, vnto the thirde and fourth generacion, of the yt hate me:

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Thou shalt neither bowe thy selfe vnto them, nor serue them: for I the Lord thy God am a ielous God, visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children, euen vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me:

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Thou shalt neither bowe thy selfe vnto them, nor serue them: for I the Lord thy God, am a ielouse God, visityng the wickednesse of the fathers vpon the children, euen vnto the third and fourth generation among them that hate me:

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me,

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  you shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them; for I, Yahweh, your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me;

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  thou dost not bow thyself to them nor serve them, for I Jehovah thy God `am' a zealous God, charging iniquity of fathers on children, and on a third `generation', and on a fourth, to those hating Me;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I, Jehovah, thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I, Jehovah, thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me;

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  You may not go down on your faces before them or give them worship: for I, the Lord your God, am a God who will not give his honour to another; and I will send punishment on the children for the wrongdoing of their fathers, to the third and fourth generation of my haters;

• World English Bible (2000)

  you shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them; for I, Yahweh, your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me;

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  You must not worship or serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God. I punish the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me,

Referenced Verses

• Exod 34:7 : 7 Maintaining steadfast love to thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, but not leaving the guilty unpunished. He punishes the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."
• Exod 34:14 : 14 For you must not worship any other god, because the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
• Num 14:18 : 18 'The LORD is slow to anger, abundant in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and rebellion; yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers' iniquity upon the children to the third and fourth generation.'
• Jer 32:18 : 18 You show steadfast love to thousands, but You repay the iniquity of the fathers into the laps of their children after them. You are the great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD of Hosts.
• Dan 9:4-9 : 4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: 'O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from Your commandments and judgments. 6 We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our rulers, our ancestors, and to all the people of the land. 7 Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but shame covers our faces today—to the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where You have driven them because of their unfaithfulness to You. 8 O LORD, shame covers us—our kings, our rulers, and our ancestors—because we have sinned against You. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him.
• Matt 23:35-36 : 35 so that upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly, I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
• Rom 11:28-29 : 28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and His calling are irrevocable.
• Exod 20:4-6 : 4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or on the earth below, or in the waters under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.