A Verse to Remember
“ . . . reckoning the crime of fathers with sons and sons with sons, to the third generation and the fourth.” Exodus 34:7 Alter
This was supposed to go out on October 8, but the server missed the schedule.
Reckoning – Robert Alter’s attempt to render the Hebrew pāqad avoids the totally misdirected implication behind the typical English translation “visiting.” No, God does not “visit” the sins of the father onto the children. That egregious choice depends on the meaning of “to visit” from 16th century English. Today we should translate the word as “oversee,” or “examine” without the implication of transferring guilt. But scholars have known this for a long time. “It has been said of this verb, which occurs more than three hundred times in the ot; “There is probably no other Hebrew verb that has caused translators as much trouble as pqd” (Speiser, BASOR 149:21).”[1]
Speiser considers the root meaning to be “attend to with care” or “take note.” It is impossible to prove whether this is the actual origin, but the fact that at least half of the occurrences involve positive action by a superior in relation to his subordinates strongly suggests that such action is a vital part of the meaning of the word, an idea that is supported by the fact that the LXX most frequently translates it by episkeptō or a similar word.[2]
So, Alter’s choice falls within the range of pāqad while steering clear of the “generational sin” nonsense. Still, “reckoning” has overtones I don’t like. Reckoning might imply some kind of calculation, some numerical conclusion (accounting), or it might suggest that God is dealing with the situation in a particular way. The latter seems acceptable while the former could lead us to assume a transfer of debt. No, what’s needed here is a word that expresses God’s careful and watchful consideration of the relationship between the sins of the fathers and the consequences to the children. It’s not about guilt. It’s about epigenetics.
“The pioneering cell biologist Bruce Lipton demonstrates that our DNA can be affected by both negative and positive thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. . . According to Lipton, ‘The mother’s emotions, such as fear, anger, love, hope among others can biochemically alter the genetic expression of her offspring.’ . . In a sense, a child who has experienced a stressful in utero environment can become reactive in a similarly stressful situation.”[3] But here’s the radical biblical idea. It’s not just the mothers who affect the DNA of the children. It’s also the fathers—God sees to it.
Parenting is a lot scarier than we imagined.
Topical Index: pāqad, visiting, reckoning, overseeing, epigenetics, Exodus 34:7
BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research
[1] Harris, R. L., Archer, G. L., Jr., & Waltke, B. K. (Eds.). (1999). Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 731). Chicago: Moody Press.
LXX The Septuagint Version of the Old Testament in Greek
[2] Harris, R. L., Archer, G. L., Jr., & Waltke, B. K. (Eds.). (1999). Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 731). Chicago: Moody Press.
[3] Mark Wolynn, It Didn’t Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are And How To End The Cycle (Penguin Books, 2016), pp 26-27.
