Numbers 14:18

14:18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in loyal love, ¹  forgiving iniquity and transgression, ²  but by no means clearing ³  the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children until the third and fourth generations.’ ⁴ 

Numbers 36:1

Women and Land Inheritance

36:1 Then the heads of the family groups ⁵  of the Gileadites, the descendant of Machir, the descendant of Manasseh, who were from the Josephite families, approached and spoke before Moses ⁶  and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families. ⁷ 

[14:18]  ¹ tn The expression is רַב־חֶסֶד (rav khesed) means “much of loyal love,” or “faithful love.” Some have it “totally faithful,” but that omits the aspect of his love.

[14:18]  ² tn Or “rebellion.”

[14:18]  ³ tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the verbal activity of the imperfect tense, which here serves as a habitual imperfect. Negated it states what God does not do; and the infinitive makes that certain.

[14:18]  ⁴ sn The Decalogue adds “to those who hate me.” The point of the line is that the effects of sin, if not the sinful traits themselves, are passed on to the next generation.

[36:1]  ⁵ tn The expression is “the heads of the fathers by the family of the Gileadites.”

[36:1]  ⁶ tn The Greek and the Syriac add “and before Eleazar the priest.”

[36:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “heads of the fathers.”