Numbers 14:18

18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, ^[a] forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’

Numbers 14:18 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 14:18

The Lord [is] longsuffering
Towards all men, and especially towards his own people:

and of great mercy,
being abundant in goodness, and keeping mercy for thousands:

forgiving iniquity and transgression,
all sorts of sin:

and by no means clearing [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation];
which may seem to make against the plea of Moses for mercy and forgiveness; but the reason of these words being expressed seems to be, because they go along with the others in the passage referred to, and are no contradiction to the forgiving mercy of God in a way of justice; nor did Moses request to have the guilty cleared from punishment altogether, but that God would show mercy, at least to such a degree as not to cut off the whole nation, and leave no posterity to inherit the land; which is supposed in visiting the sin of the fathers to the third or fourth generation.

Numbers 14:18 In-Context

16 ‘Because the LORD was unable to bring this people into the land He swore to give them, He has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’

17 So now I pray, may the power of my Lord be magnified, just as You have declared:

18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’

19 Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of Your loving devotion, just as You have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”

20 “I have pardoned them as you requested,” the LORD replied.

Footnotes

• [a]. Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion; the range of meaning includes love, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and mercy, as well as loyalty to a covenant.