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 of those who love Him and keep His commandments. His mercy far outweighs His judgment.
Overview
In contrast to the limited reach of judgment, God's covenant love extends to thousands of generations, revealing a God abounding in mercy. Love for God and obedience belong together. This faithful love finds its fullest expression in Christ, through whom God lavishes everlasting kindness on His people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Deut 7:9Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.
- John 14:21Whoever 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.”
- 1 Jn 5:3For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome,
- Jer 32:39–40I will give them one heart and one way, so that they will always fear Me for their own good and for the good of their children after them.
- Deut 5:29If only they had such a heart to fear Me and keep all My commandments always, so that it might be well with them and with their children forever.
- Acts 2:39This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
- Rom 11:28–29Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs.
- John 14:15If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
- Deut 4:37Because He loved your fathers, He chose their descendants after them and brought you out of Egypt by His presence and great power,
- 1 Jn 4:19We love because He first loved us.
- 2 Jn 1:6And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the very commandment you have heard from the beginning, that you must walk in love.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 20:6 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
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