but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Parallel translations
- WEB and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
- KJV And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
- NKJV but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
- NASB but showing favor to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
- NLT But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God shows steadfast love to thousands who love him and keep his commandments. His mercy vastly outweighs his judgment.
Overview
In deliberate contrast to the few generations of judgment, God promises lovingkindness to thousands. This reveals that mercy, not wrath, is God's overflowing disposition toward those who love him. This abounding covenant love is poured out fully in Christ, in whom God lavishes grace on all who believe (Ephesians 1:7-8).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Rom 8:28And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
- 1 Jn 1:7But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
- Jer 32:18You show loving devotion to thousands but lay the iniquity of the fathers into the laps of their children after them, O great and mighty God whose name is the LORD of Hosts,
- John 15:14You are My friends if you do what I command you.
- Deut 6:5–6And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
- Dan 9:4And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed, “O, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments,
- Gal 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.
- Jas 1:25But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.
- Matt 7:21–27Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
- Deut 10:12–13And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
- John 14:21–23Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”
- Isa 1:16–19Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!
- John 14:15If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
- 1 Jn 5:2–3By this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep His commandments.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 5:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.