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,
You must not bow down to these idols or worship them, because I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God. I will punish the children and grandchildren for the sins of parents who hate me, even to the third and fourth generation.
God is saying He won't tolerate worship of false gods and warns that rebellion against Him has consequences that affect families for generations.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of the Ten Commandments that Moses was repeating to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land. The people had just spent 40 years in the wilderness after witnessing God's power in Egypt, yet they had repeatedly turned to idol worship. In ancient times, families and tribes were viewed as unified entities, so the consequences of a leader's choices naturally affected their descendants.
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