Exodus 20:5

KJV1611 – Modern English

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 upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּחְוֶ֥֣ה לָהֶ֖ם֮ וְלֹ֣א תָעָבְדֵ֑ם֒ כִּ֣י אֽ͏ָנֹכִ֞י יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אֵ֣ל קַנָּ֔א פֹּ֠קֵד עֲוֺ֨ן אָבֹ֧ת עַל־בָּנִ֛ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֥ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִ֖ים לְשֹׂנְאָֽ֑י׃

Transliteration

lōʾ-ṯishtaḥăweh lāhem wə-lōʾ ṯāʿāḇəḏēm kî ʾānōḵî YHWH ʾĕlōheḵā ʾēl qannāʾ pōqēḏ ʿăwōn ʾāḇōṯ ʿal-bānîm ʿal-shillēshîm wə-ʿal-ribēʿîm lə-śōnəʾāy

Grammar Details

• *lōʾ-ṯishtaḥăweh*: negative particle + hishtaphel imperfect, 2nd masculine singular - you shall not bow down
• *lāhem*: preposition with 3rd masculine plural suffix - to them
• *wə-lōʾ ṯāʿāḇəḏēm*: conjunction + negative particle + qal imperfect, 2nd masculine singular with 3rd masculine plural suffix - and you shall not serve them
• *kî*: conjunction - for/because
• *ʾānōḵî*: 1st person singular pronoun - I
• *YHWH*: proper name - LORD/YHWH
• *ʾĕlōheḵā*: masculine plural noun construct with 2nd masculine singular suffix - your God
• *ʾēl qannāʾ*: masculine singular noun + adjective - jealous God
• *pōqēḏ*: qal participle, masculine singular - visiting/punishing
• *ʿăwōn*: masculine singular construct - iniquity of
• *ʾāḇōṯ*: masculine plural noun - fathers
• *ʿal-bānîm*: preposition + masculine plural noun - upon children
• *ʿal-shillēshîm*: preposition + masculine plural ordinal - upon third [generation]
• *wə-ʿal-ribēʿîm*: conjunction + preposition + masculine plural ordinal - and upon fourth [generation]
• *lə-śōnəʾāy*: preposition + qal participle plural construct with 1st singular suffix - to those hating me

Word Meanings

• *ṯishtaḥăweh*: bow down/prostrate yourself/worship
• *ṯāʿāḇəḏēm*: serve them/worship them/be enslaved to them
• *ʾēl qannāʾ*: jealous God/zealous God/passionate God
• *pōqēḏ*: visiting/punishing/attending to
• *ʿăwōn*: iniquity/guilt/punishment
• *lə-śōnəʾāy*: to those who hate me/to my enemies

Other Translations

• 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, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to 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} 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 to 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)

  Se that thou nether bowe thy sylf vnto them nether serue them: for I the Lorde thy God, am a gelouse God, and viset the synne of the fathers vppon the childern vnto the third and fourth generacion of the that hate me:

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Worshipe them not, and serue them not: for I the LORDE thy God am a gelouse God, vysitinge ye synne of the fathers vpon the children, vnto ye thirde and fourth generacion, of them that hate me:

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Thou shalt not bowe downe to them, neither serue them: for I am the Lord thy God, a ielous God, visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children, vpon the third generation and vpon the fourth of them that hate me:

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Thou shalt not bowe downe to them, neyther serue them: for I the Lord thy God, am a gelous God, and visite the sinne of the fathers vpon the chyldren, vnto the thirde and fourth generation of them that hate me:

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to 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 yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh 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,

• 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 sons, on the third `generation', and on the fourth, of 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, 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, 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 yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh 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,

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children to the third and fourth generations of those who reject me,

Referenced Verses

• Num 14:18 : 18 The LORD is longsuffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation.
• Exod 34:14 : 14 For you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
• Nah 1:2 : 2 God is jealous, and the LORD avenges; the LORD avenges and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserves wrath for his enemies.
• Jer 32:18 : 18 You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name,
• Deut 4:24 : 24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
• Deut 5:9 : 9 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,
• Deut 6:15 : 15 (For the LORD your God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and destroy you from the face of the earth.
• Josh 23:7 : 7 That you do not come among these nations, those that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves down to them:
• Exod 23:24 : 24 You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars.
• Num 14:33 : 33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your faithlessness, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness.
• Josh 24:19 : 19 And Joshua said to the people, You cannot serve the LORD: for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.
• Ps 79:8 : 8 O do not remember against us former iniquities; let Your tender mercies swiftly come to us, for we are brought very low.
• Ps 109:14 : 14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be wiped out.
• Isa 65:6-7 : 6 See, it is written before me: I will not keep silent, but will repay, yes, I will repay into their lap, 7 Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, says the LORD, who have burned incense on the mountains and blasphemed me on the hills; therefore I will measure their former work into their lap.
• Jer 2:9 : 9 Therefore I will yet plead with you, says the LORD, and with your children's children will I plead.
• John 7:7 : 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I testify of it that its works are evil.
• John 15:18 : 18 If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you.
• John 15:23-24 : 23 He who hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no other man did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father.
• Rom 1:30 : 30 Backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
• Lev 26:39-40 : 39 And those who are left of you shall waste away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they waste away with them. 40 If they shall confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary to me;
• Jas 4:4 : 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
• Isa 14:20-21 : 20 You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, and slain your people: the seed of evildoers will never be renowned. 21 Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.
• Isa 44:15 : 15 Then it shall be for a man to burn: for he will take of it, and warm himself; yes, he kindles it, and bakes bread; yes, he makes a god, and worships it; he makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
• Isa 44:19 : 19 And none considers in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yes, also I have baked bread on the coals of it; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the rest of it an abomination? shall I fall down to the stump of a tree?
• Ps 81:15 : 15 The haters of the LORD would have submitted themselves to him; but their time would have endured forever.
• Job 5:4 : 4 His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, and there is none to deliver them.
• 2 Kgs 23:26 : 26 Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, with which His anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him.
• 2 Sam 21:1 : 1 In the days of David, there was a famine for three years, year after year, and David sought the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is because of Saul and his bloody house, because he killed the Gibeonites.
• 2 Sam 21:6 : 6 Let seven of his descendants be delivered to us, and we will hang them before the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD chose. And the king said, I will give them.
• 1 Kgs 21:29 : 29 Do you see how Ahab humbles himself before me? Because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.
• 2 Kgs 17:35 : 35 The LORD made a covenant with them, and commanded them, saying, You shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them.
• Lev 26:1 : 1 You shall make no idols nor carved image, neither set up a standing image, nor shall you set up any image of stone in your land to bow down to it: for I am the LORD your God.
• Deut 32:21 : 21 They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their idols: and I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
• Deut 32:41 : 41 If I sharpen my glittering sword, and my hand takes hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to my enemies, and will reward those who hate me.
• Josh 23:16 : 16 When you have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you.
• Deut 7:10 : 10 And repays those who hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him who hates him, he will repay him to his face.
• Lev 26:29 : 29 And you shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall you eat.
• Exod 34:6-7 : 6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in goodness and truth," 7 "Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and by no means clearing the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation."
• Lev 20:5 : 5 Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.
• 2 Kgs 17:41 : 41 These nations feared the LORD, yet served their carved images. Their children and their children's children have continued doing as their fathers did, to this day.
• 2 Chr 25:14 : 14 Now it came to pass, after Amaziah came from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense to them.
• Judg 2:19 : 19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and to bow down to them; they did not cease from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
• 1 Sam 15:2-3 : 2 Thus says the LORD of hosts, I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him on the way, when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.
• Job 21:19 : 19 God lays up iniquity for his children; He rewards him, and he shall know it.
• Ps 78:58 : 58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their carved images.
• Prov 6:34-35 : 34 For jealousy is a husband's fury: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he be content, though you give many gifts.
• Prov 8:36 : 36 But whoever sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those who hate me love death.
• Matt 4:9 : 9 And said to him, All these things will I give you, if you will fall down and worship me.
• Matt 23:34-36 : 34 Therefore, indeed, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city: 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation.
• Rom 8:7 : 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
• 1 Cor 10:22 : 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?
• Ezek 8:3 : 3 And he stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that faces toward the north, where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy.
• Dan 1:2 : 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with part of the vessels of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.