Genesis 15:16

15:16 In the fourth generation ¹  your descendants ²  will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.” ³ 

Ezekiel 2:3

2:3 He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the house ⁴  of Israel, to rebellious nations ⁵  who have rebelled against me; both they and their fathers have revolted ⁶  against me to this very day.

Daniel 9:16

9:16 O Lord, according to all your justice, ⁷  please turn your raging anger ⁸  away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. For due to our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people are mocked by all our neighbors.

Matthew 23:32-36

23:32 Fill up then the measure of your ancestors! 23:33 You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? ⁹ 

23:34 “For this reason I ¹⁰  am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law, ¹¹  some of whom you will kill and crucify, ¹²  and some you will flog ¹³  in your synagogues ¹⁴  and pursue from town to town, 23:35 so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, ¹⁵  whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 23:36 I tell you the truth, ¹⁶  this generation will be held responsible for all these things! ¹⁷ 

¹ sn The term generation is being used here in its widest sense to refer to a full life span. When the chronological factors are considered and the genealogies tabulated, there are four hundred years of bondage. This suggests that in this context a generation is equivalent to one hundred years.

² tn Heb “they”; the referent (“your descendants”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

³ tn Heb “is not yet complete.”

⁴ tc The Hebrew reads “sons of,” while the LXX reads “house,” implying the more common phrase in Ezekiel. Either could be abbreviated with the first letter ב (bet). In preparation for the characterization “house of rebellion,” in vv. 5, 6, and 8, “house” is preferred (L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 1:10 and W. Zimmerli, Ezekiel [Hermeneia], 2:564-65).

⁵ tc Heb “to the rebellious nations.” The phrase “to the rebellious nations” is omitted in the LXX. Elsewhere in Ezekiel the singular word “nation” is used for Israel (36:13-15; 37:22). Here “nations” may have the meaning of “tribes” or refer to the two nations of Israel and Judah.

⁶ tc This word is omitted from the LXX.

⁷ tn Or “righteousness.”

⁸ tn Heb “your anger and your rage.” The synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of God’s anger. This is best expressed in English by making one of the terms adjectival (cf. NLT “your furious anger”; CEV “terribly angry”).

¹⁰ tn Grk “the judgment of Gehenna.”

¹³ tn Grk “behold I am sending.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

¹⁴ tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

¹⁵ sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.

¹⁶ tn BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; s. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss ’33) w. acc. of pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34.”

¹⁷ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

¹⁶ sn Spelling of this name (Βαραχίου, Baraciou) varies among the English versions: “Barachiah” (RSV, NRSV); “Berechiah” (NASB); “Berachiah” (NIV).

¹⁹ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

²⁰ tn Grk “all these things will come on this generation.”