Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Jim West <jwest AT highland.net>]

Of course, though, the problem is twofold:
1) there is no evidence that this punishment was ever carried out.
2) that ezekiel revokes it means that, at the very least, his 
contemporaries found it inapplicable and theologically inappropriate.

Primitive ideas, even in the Deuteronomistic history, were superceded by 
later legislation and praxis.

tladatsi AT charter.net wrote:

> Jim et al.,
>
> The original querry was were there any examples of children 
> being punished for the sins of the fathers.  I cited 
> several examples where the OT gives commands that the 
> children and grand-children of sinners should be punished 
> (and two where the punishment extended for 10 generations 
> and beyond).  That Ez 18:20 contradicts these commands at a 
> later date does not change the fact that the commands were 
> given at an earlier date.  
>
> The US constitution originally allowed slavery, indeed it 
> was built around slavery.  Later it was ammended to outlaw 
> slavery.  The 13th & 14th ammendments do not prove that the 
> US constitution never allowed slavery, it merely proves 
> that slavery was legal before their passage.
>
> Having said that, the citations I gave were conditional 
> commands, IF a man committed certain sins, THEN his 
> children and grandchildren would be punished.  They are not 
> actual examples.  Other correspondents cite Jos 7.  I think 
> the clearest example is 2 Sam 21 1-14.  Here two of Saul's 
> sons and five of his grandchildren are all killed for 
> Saul's crimes against the Gibeonites. 
Actually they were killed because David was bloodthirsty and wanted to 
make sure no heir could claim the throne.

> It is as unambiguous 
> an example of the 2nd & 3rd generation being punished for 
> the sins of the father, 
Hardly- it's more nearly an example of davidic tyranny theologized and 
hence "legitimized".  Kind of the way US politicians today are dragging 
God onto their side in the Iraq war.  Like the Nazi's did with their 
belt buckles- "Gott mit Uns".  In every generation people co-opt God for 
their own purposes- but that does not mean God told them to do what they do.

> as it is an unpleasent story.  
> Likewise in 1 Sam 15 the Amalekites are exterminated 
> because, accroding to the text,  of something their 
> ancestors had done perhaps a few hundreds years eariler. 
>  
Another theologized example attempting to legitimize their own behavior.

> (this depends on how one reads the chronology from Moses to 
> Saul).  
>
> That Ezikiel would later denouce this practice does not 
> mean it did not occur or that it was not commanded to 
> occur.
>  

Commanded by whom?

Best

Jim

--
Jim West

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