Exodus 34:7

Keeping mercy for thousands,.... In his own heart, in his purposes and decrees, in his counsels and covenant, in his Son, with whom he keeps it for ever, and for all in him, Psalms 89:28 and they are

Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's

For thousands; the Chaldee and some others render it, for a thousand generations. Iniquity, and transgression, and sin; sins of all sorts and sizes, secret or open, infirmities or presumptions, against God or men, as the heap of various words here put together signifies. That will by no means clear the guilty: this is commonly esteemed a title of justice or vengeance, which is here added by way of correction lest men should mistake or abuse God’ s mercy. God is most gracious indeed, but so as he is also just, and will not pity nor spare impudent and impenitent transgressors, but will severely punish them. And the Jewish doctors hereupon observe, that the mercy of God doth far exceed his justice; here being, as they number them, thirteen attributes of mercy, and but one of justice. But this translation and interpretation is rejected by some late learned interpreters, who make this an attribute of God’ s goodness or clemency, and render the words thus, In destroying he will not utterly destroy, though visiting, &c.: q.d. He is so gracious, that though he will severely punish the iniquity of the fathers, and especially their idolatry, upon themselves, and upon their children, &c., as he hath said, , yet in judgment he will remember mercy, and will not utterly destroy his people for their sins. There are many things which favour this interpretation. 1. This suits most with Moses’ s solicitude and prayer for the people of Israel, which was that God would not utterly destroy them, as he threatened to do. 2. This sense best agrees with God’ s promise, , I will make all my goodness pass before thee; which general promise is particularly explained and performed in these two verses. 3. This place doth not speak of God’ s disposition and carriage towards his enemies, against whom he proceeds with great severity, and commands the Israelites to do so in the verses here following; but towards his people, whose cause Moses is all along pleading with God. See ,31,32 33:13,15 Exodus 34:9. 4. The Hebrew verb here used frequently signifies to make empty or desolate, to empty men of their goods, or places of men. See . So here, he will not utterly empty or destroy: though he will leave the marks of his vengeance for this sin upon thy people, even to their third and fourth generation; or, if it may be, further; yet he will not utterly root them out, which is the great thing thou fearest and labourest to prevent. And this very phrase, here used, we have in , and repeated , where, though interpreters generally render it, I will not leave thee altogether unpunished, which may make a good sense, yet it seems much better to be rendered, I will not utterly destroy thee, (1.) Because hereby these words exactly answer to the foregoing clause, yet will I not make a full end of thee, and so the same thing is elegantly repeated in other words, which is very frequent in Scripture.

Exodus 34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’ s children, unto the third and to the fourth [generation].Ver. 7. Forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,] i.e., All sorts of sin. It is natural to him as here. None like him for this. It is the comfort of saints, that they have to do with a forgiving God, that can multiply pardons, as they multiply sins. Keeping mercy for thousands.] The Hebrew word here rendered Keeping, is written with a greater letter than ordinary, to note the extraordinary greatness of God’ s promise to his people and their posterity. God is here said to keep mercy, to forgive sins of all sorts: as if his mercy were kept on purpose for pardoning poor sinners. Clear the guilty.] This last letter in God’ s name must still be remembered. So must all the rest: since there is enough in this sweetest text to answer all our objections. It is said of Leonard Lessius, that, a little before his death, he finished his treatise concerning the fifty names or attributes of God: and that he oft affirmed, that he found more spiritual light and delight in that last little work of his - at such time as he was grievously tortured with the stone, whereof also he died - than in all his large Commentaries upon Thomas Aquinas’ s Sums. Nun rabbath Masor.

MOSES ALLOWED TO SEE GOD’S GLORY.(5-8) The present ascent of Moses to the top of Sinai had two objects:—(1) The repair of the loss occasioned by his breaking the first tables; and (2) the accomplishment of the promise made to him that (under certain restrictions) he should “see God’s glory.” Combined with this promise were two minor ones—that God would make His “goodness” pass before him, and that He would reveal to him afresh His name. The revelation of the name is recorded in Exodus 34:6-7, the manifestation of the glory in Exodus 34:5. How Moses was enabled to see God’s goodness pass before him is not stated. (Comp. Note on Exodus 33:19.)

Verse 7. That will by no means clear the guilty] This last clause is rather difficult; literally translated it signifies, in clearing he will not clear. But the Samaritan, reading לו lo, to him, instead of the negative lo, not, renders the clause thus: With whom the innocent shall be innocent; i.e., an innocent or holy person shall never be treated as if he were a transgressor, by this just and holy God. The Arabic version has it, He justifies and is not justified; and the Septuagint is nearly as our English text, καιουκαθαριειτονενοχον, and he doth not purify the guilty. The Alexandrian copy of the Septuagint, edited by Dr. Grabe, has καιτονενοχονκαθαρισμῳουκαθαριει, and the guilty he will not cleanse with a purification-offering. The Coptic is to the same purpose. The Vulgate is a paraphrase: nullusque apud te per se innocens est, "and no person is innocent by or of himself before thee." This gives a sound theologic sense, stating a great truth, That no man can make an atonement for his own sins, or purify his own heart; and that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

7. keeping mercy, &c.] hence, with ‘doing’ for ‘keeping,’ Exodus 20:6. forgiving iniquity, &c.] Cf. Micah 7:18. will by no means clear the guilty] so Numbers 14:18, Nahum 1:3 a, Jeremiah 30:11 = Jeremiah 46:28 (EVV., here, ‘will in no wise leave unpunished’). The verb is the one rendered hold guiltless in Exodus 20:7 : see the note there. visiting the iniquity, &c.] See on Exodus 20:5.

6, 7. Proclaimed — This appears to have been a supernatural communication, in an audible voice, proceeding out of the theophany, as the ten commandments had been spoken out of the midst of the fires of Sinai. Deuteronomy 5:4.