Exodus 20:5
ESV
You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,
NIV
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
NASB
You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, inflicting the punishment of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,
CSB
Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ iniquity, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me,
NLT
You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected — even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.
KJV
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to 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;
NKJV
you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
What does Exodus 20:5 mean?
Idolatry generally means taking the worship owed to God and giving it to something else. The target of this improper reverence is an "idol." This sin is prohibited by the second commandment (Exodus 20:4). In many religions, especially in the ancient world, these were literal objects: the "carved images" mentioned in the prior verse (Exodus 20:4). biblical references to idolatry can refer to worship of physical objects (Genesis 31:19; Judges 17:4) or to the imaginary deities of false religions (Isaiah 45:5; 1 Chronicles 16:26).This prohibition leaves no exception for worship which is claimed to be directed at the Lord. Statues, pictures, relics, and all other objects or images are not to be the target of prayers or veneration. The requirement to worship God and God alone is absolute—no created thing can be inserted in that relationship.
The emotion of "jealousy" is a powerful sense of ownership and intolerance of rivals to that status. The term is usually used negatively. Yet the feeling is not entirely wrong. A "jealous husband" is concerned about his wife's faithfulness. That's reasonable when he dislikes her giving affection or intimacy to other men. It's unreasonable when he treats her as an inanimate object to be controlled. In God's case, jealousy is to be expected: He alone is the Lord (Exodus 20:1–3). Unlike fallible people, He has the right to expect every bit of our praise and honor. Worshipping images or imaginary gods are both serious sins.
This verse is often misinterpreted to suggest that God punishes people for sins which their ancestors committed, but they themselves did not. Yet the Bible is clear that God holds each person accountable for their own sin (Deuteronomy 24:16; Ezekiel 18:30–32). The point made here is that tradition and customs do not excuse immorality. Blame cannot be shifted by appealing to one's culture (1 Kings 15:3; 22:52). If a child participates in the same sins as their father, they will suffer the same judgment (Jeremiah 14:20).
