Exodus 34:7

“Keeping mercy for thousands, etc.] 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, (<198928>Psalm 89:28) and they are many who are ordained to eternal life, for whom Christ gave his life a ransom, and for whom his blood was shed for the remission of their sins; and whom he justifies by his knowledge, and at last brings to glory as the great Captain of their salvation; these are even a number which no man can number. All the Targums render it to a thousand generations; and Jarchi interprets of two thousand generations. The first letter in the word, rendered “keeping”, is longer than is usual, in the…”

“This was the second revelation of the name of the God of Israel to Moses. The first revelation was of Yahweh as the self-existent One, who purposed to deliver His people with a mighty hand Exodus 3:14; this was of the same Yahweh as a loving Saviour who was now forgiving their sins. The two ideas that mark these revelations are found combined, apart from their historical development, in the second commandment, where the divine unity is shown on its practical side, in its relation to human obligations (compare Exodus 34:14; Exodus 20:4). Both in the commandment and in this passage, the divine love is associated with the divine justice; but in the former there is a transposition to serve the…”

“34:7 God’s unfailing love and his generous desire to forgive are not weakness or indecisiveness, nor are they reason to sin. Sin will have its effects, because God created a world of cause and effect. The murderer may repent, be forgiven, and lead a new life, but the effects of previous choices will continue to play out. We should not sin just because we know that God will forgive (see study note on 20:5-6). • a thousand generations: See Deut 7:9-11. • I lay the sins of the parents: Our sins affect future generations of descendants, but God restricts the natural effect of those sins to three or four generations. See also Exod 20:5-6.”

“Keeping: Exo 20:6; Deu 5:10; Neh 1:5, Neh 9:32; Psa 86:15; Jer 32:18; Dan 9:4 forgiving: Psa 103:3, Psa 130:4; Dan 9:9; Mic 7:18; Mat 6:14, Mat 6:15, Mat 12:31, Mat 18:32-35; Luk 7:42, Luk 7:48; Act 5:31, Act 13:38; Rom 4:7, Rom 4:8; Eph 1:7, Eph 4:32; Jo1 1:9 that will by no means clear the guilty: The Hebrew nakkeh lo yenakkeh, has been rendered "Acquitting him who is not innocent." Nothing can more strongly express the goodness of God to frail mortals than this declaration, "which has been misunderstood and misinterpreted by all our translators." Exo 23:7, Exo 23:21; Num 14:18-23; Deu 32:35; Jos 24:19; Job 10:14; Psa 9:16, Psa 9:17; Psa 11:5, Psa 11:6, Psa 58:10, Psa 58:11, Psa 136:10,…”