God’s Word Translation
Exodus 20:6
6But I show mercy to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my commandments.
Exodus 20:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
- New International Version (NIV)but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
- English Standard Version (ESV)but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
- New King James Version (NKJV)but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Context of Exodus 20:6
4Never make your own carved idols or statues that represent any creature in the sky, on the earth, or in the water. 5Never worship them or serve them, because I, the Lord your God, am a God who does not tolerate rivals. I punish children for their parents’ sins to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me. But I show mercy to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my commandments. 7“Never use the name of the Lord your God carelessly. The Lord will make sure that anyone who carelessly uses his name will be punished. 8“Remember the day of rest by observing it as a holy day.
Read all of Exodus 20Exodus 20:6 word by word
וְעֹ֥֤שֶׂה חֶ֖֙סֶד֙ לַאֲלָפִ֑֔ים לְאֹהֲבַ֖י וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מִצְוֹתָֽי׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Exodus 20:6
- Deuteronomy 4:37Because he loved your ancestors and chose their descendants, he was with you as he brought you out of Egypt by his great power.
- Deuteronomy 5:29If only they would fear me and obey all my commandments as long as they live! Then things would go well for them and their children forever.
- Deuteronomy 7:9Keep in mind that the Lord your God is ⌞the only⌟ God. He is a faithful God, who keeps his promise and is merciful to thousands of generations of those who love him and obey his commands.
- Jeremiah 32:39I will give them the same attitude and the same purpose so that they will fear me as long as they live. This will be for their own good and for the good of their children.
- Acts 2:39This promise belongs to you and to your children and to everyone who is far away. It belongs to everyone who worships the Lord our God.”
- Romans 11:28The Good News made the Jewish people enemies because of you. But by God’s choice they are loved because of their ancestors.
- John 14:15“If you love me, you will obey my commandments.
- 1 John 4:19We love because God loved us first.
- 1 John 5:3To love God means that we obey his commandments. Obeying his commandments isn’t difficult
- 2 John 1:6Love means that we live by doing what he commands. We were commanded to live in love, and you have heard this from the beginning.
Commentaries on Exodus 20:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6And showing mercy unto thousands - Mark; even those who love God and keep his commandments merit nothing from him, and therefore the salvation and blessedness which these enjoy come from the mercy of God: Showing mercy, etc. What a disproportion between the works of justice and mercy! Justice works to the third or fourth, mercy to thousands of generations! The heathen had maxims like these. Theocritus also teaches that the children of the good shall be…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-17Verses 1-17 The Hebrew name which is rendered in our King James Version as the ten commandments occurs in Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13; Deuteronomy 10:4. It literally means “the Ten Words.” The Ten Commandments are also called the law, even the commandment Exodus 24:12, the words of the covenant Exodus 34:28, the tables of the covenant Deuteronomy 9:9, the covenant Deuteronomy 4:13, the two tables Deuteronomy 9:10, Deuteronomy 9:17, and, most…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-11Verses 3-11 The first four of the ten commandments, commonly called the FIRST table, tell our duty to God. It was fit that those should be put first, because man had a Maker to love, before he had a neighbour to love. It cannot be expected that he should be true to his brother, who is false to his God. The first commandment concerns the object of worship, JEHOVAH, and him only. The worship of creatures is here forbidden. Whatever comes short of perfect…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-6jealous God: When Scripture calls God a jealous God, it means he strongly opposes his people turning to false gods. He does not want them to give their loyalty to other gods (see Joshua 24:19–20). God’s jealousy is not selfish. It shows his deep love and his desire for his people to remain faithful to him. to the third and fourth generations … a thousand generations: We must understand both parts of this statement together. God does not punish children…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-118. Remember the sabbath day--implying it was already known, and recognized as a season of sacred rest. The first four commandments [Ex 20:3-11] comprise our duties to God--the other six [Ex 20:12-17] our duties to our fellow men; and as interpreted by Christ, they reach to the government of the heart as well as the lip (Mt 5:17). "If a man do them he shall live in them" [Le 18:5; Ne 9:29]. But, ah! what an if for frail and fallen man. Whoever rests his…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 20:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries