5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the
Lord thy God
am a jealous God, hvisiting the iniquity of the fathers
upon the children unto the third and fourth
generation of them that hate me;
Not
only inward reverence is forbidden, but also all outward gestures that naturally
or customarily express reverence, whether
bowing down the body, as here; or
bending the knee, as 1 Kings 19:18; or
kissing the idol, or one’s hand towards it, as Job 31:27; Hos. 13:2;
one gesture being by a synecdoche named for all.
To them, nor before them; for
to bow to them, and to bow before them,
are expressions in Scripture of the same extent and use, as appears by comparing
this place with Lev. 26:1; 2 Chron. 25:14; and 2 Sam. 7:22, with 1 Chron. 17:25;
and Matt. 4:9, with Luke 4:7. Nor serve
them; or, worship them, either
inwardly in thy mind, or outwardly by any sensible mean or sign of worship given
to them, as incense or sacrifice, vowing to them, or swearing by them, or the
like. A jealous God, i.e. impatient of
any partner in thy love and worship, and full of wrath against them that give my
glory to images, Isa. 42:8; as jealousy is the rage of a man (Prov. 6:34) against the defiler of
his marriage-bed. God is pleased to call and account himself the Husband of his
church and people, Jer. 2:2; Hos. 2:19; and therefore idolatry is called
adultery, Deut. 31:16; Jer. 3:3, 10;
and God’s anger against idolaters’
jealousy. The word el properly
signifies the strong God, and shows God’s ability to avenge himself, as the word
jealous notes his readiness and
resolution to do it. Visiting, i.e.
remembering, inquiring into, or punishing, (as that word is commonly used, as
hath been noted before,) the iniquity of
the fathers upon the children. Quest. How can this be just?
Answ. 1. All are born sinners, and are
children of wrath, and therefore justly punishable for their own sins.
Answ. 2. He speaks not here of eternal
damnation, but of temporal punishments, in which there is no shadow of
injustice; as appears, 1. Because the sins of parents are oft punished in their
children, even in human courts, as is manifest in traitors, which practice being
acknowledged to be just, it cannot with any sense be accounted unjust in God. 2.
Because such external punishments have more good than evil in them, and are in
many, and may be so in others, if themselves do not hinder it, instruments of
the greatest good, exercises of their virtues and graces, and means of their
eternal happiness. 3. Because children are a part and the possession of their
parents, and therefore it is not unjust if they suffer with them, and for them.
Answ. 3. This is to be understood with
an exception of repentance, and penitent children, as appears from Ezek. 18. And
if any such be temporally punished for their fathers’ sins, God will abundantly
recompense it to them some other way. But if children tread in their fathers’
sinful steps, it is but just that they should partake of their plagues.
Unto the third and fourth generation;
and further too, as appears in the ten tribes, and afterwards in the two tribes,
upon whom the iniquity of their fathers hath been visited now for many
generations. But he mentions them in particular, partly, because a parent may
live so long, and see the dreadful effects of his sin in his children’s
children; partly, because so far the memory of a father may extend, and be
matter of imitation to his children; and partly, to show the difference between
his exercise of justice and mercy, as appears by comparing the next verse.
Them that hate me. This word is
opposed to the conceit that idolaters, at least many of them, have of
themselves, that they love God more than others do, because they love, and
honour, and worship the creatures for his sake, and for those excellencies that
he hath wrought in them; but this will no more excuse their idolatry, than it
will excuse him that commits adultery with his friend’s wife, that he did it for
his friend’s sake, and from the love he had to his friend, and for his
relations.[1]
[1]
Poole, M. (1853).
Annotations upon the Holy Bible (Vol. 1, pp. 158–159).
New York: Robert Carter and Brothers.