Numbers 14:18

God's love Patience Forgiveness Grace

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:

‘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.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: ‘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.’
KJV: The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
WEB: ‘The LORD is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.’
ASV: Jehovah is slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; and that will by no means clear [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.
DARBY: Jehovah is slow to anger, and abundant in goodness, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but by no means clearing [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and fourth [generation].
BLB: ‘YHWH is slow to anger, and abundant in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and He aquits by no means, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the sons on the thirds and on the fourths.’

ÅB: Herren er langmodig og rik på miskunnhet, han tilgir misgjerning og overtredelse; men han lar ikke den skyldige ustraffet, han hjemsøker fedres misgjerning på barn, på dem i tredje og på dem i fjerde ledd.
OTB: ‘Herren er sen til vrede, rik på kjærlighet og tilgir synd og opprør. Likevel lar Han ikke den skyldige være ustraffet; Han holder barna ansvarlige for foreldrenes synd til tredje og fjerde generasjon.’
B1930: Herren er langmodig og rik på miskunnhet, han forlater misgjerning og overtredelse; men han lar ikke den skyldige ustraffet, han hjemsøker fedres misgjerning på barn, på dem i tredje og på dem i fjerde ledd.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Exodus 34:6–7
Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,
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Psalms 145:8
The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion.
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Exodus 20:5
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
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Jonah 4:2
So he prayed to the LORD, saying, “O LORD, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I was so quick to flee toward Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion—One who relents from sending disaster.
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Nahum 1:2–3
The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and full of wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on His foes and reserves wrath for His enemies.
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Psalms 103:8
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion.
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Micah 7:18
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance— who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?
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Deuteronomy 5:9
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
Read in context