Deuteronomy 24:18

18 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, and the sons shall not be put to death for the fathers; every one shall be put to death for his own sin.

Deuteronomy 24:18 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 24:18

But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt,
&c.] The remembrance of which may cause sympathy with persons in distress; particularly the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow:

and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence;
the Targum of Jonathan,

``the Word of the Lord thy God;''

which, as it was an act of great kindness and mercy in God to them, taught them, and laid them under obligation to show favour to their fellow creatures in distress:

therefore I command thee to do this thing:
not to pervert the judgment of the stranger and fatherless, nor take a widow's raiment for a pledge; and it may be carried further into the context, and respect the laws about the pledge of the poor man, and giving the hired servant his wages in due time.

Deuteronomy 24:18 In-Context

16 Thou shalt not unjustly withhold the wages of the poor and needy of thy brethren, or of the strangers who are in thy cities.

17 Thou shalt pay him his wages the same day, the sun shall not go down upon it, because he is poor and he trusts in it; and he shall cry against thee to the Lord, and it shall be sin in thee.

18 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, and the sons shall not be put to death for the fathers; every one shall be put to death for his own sin.

19 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of the stranger and the fatherless, and widow; thou shalt not take the widow's garment for a pledge.

20 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee from thence; therefore I charge thee to do this thing.

Footnotes

• [a]. die in his own sin.