Deuteronomy 5:9

Hebrew Bible

8 “You must not make for yourself an image of anything in heaven above, on earth below, or in the waters beneath. 9 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, 10 but I show covenant faithfulness to the thousands who choose me and keep my commandments.

Ezekiel 18:2

Hebrew Bible

2 “What do you mean by quoting this proverb concerning the land of Israel: “‘The fathers eat sour grapes, And the children’s teeth become numb?’ 3As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will not quote this proverb in Israel anymore! 4 Indeed! All lives are mine—the life of the father as well as the life of the son is mine. The one who sins will die.

 Notes and References
"... Ezekiel 18 ... sees Judah facing the probability of national disaster, but the prophet offers a temporary intervention plan. He was among the upper class of the society in Judah, who were deported to Babylon 587BCE. Prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 597 BCE, they were called to redress; until reality dawned. The prophet gave hope saying “the soul that sins shall die”, and 18:2 “fathers ate sour grapes and children’s teeth were on edge”. Ezekiel explains that this proverb is no longer valid. He quoted the proverb saying, “No longer ...” proposing individual responsibility and challenging corporate responsibility as a justice system. Ezekiel 18:4 says anyone who sins will be punished for his or her wrongs; no longer will anyone suffer for another’s sin; no more transgenerational punishment or corporate punishment. What is being invoked is a change in ethos by Ezekiel. Children will be spared from inherited sin/punishment, meaning there is to be no more transfer of sin across generations ..."

Takore, Zachariah Bulus "Sin of the Fathers upon the Children to the Third and Fourth Generation": An Appraisal of Exodus 20:5 and Deuteronomy 5:9 in Relation to an African Theological Understanding of Original Sin (p. 168) Stellenbosch University, 2017

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