Complete Bible Study Guide
What Does the Bible Say About Generational Curses?
17 Scripture references with full text and commentary
Understanding Generational Curses in the Bible
Discover 18 powerful Bible verses about generational curses. Study what Scripture teaches about this essential sin & temptation topic.
Top 10 Verses About Generational Curses
- 1Genesis 12:3
“And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
KJV - 2Exodus 20:5
“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;”
KJV - 3Exodus 34:6
“And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering , and abundant in goodness and truth,”
KJV - 4Exodus 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.”
KJV - 5Leviticus 26:39
“And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.”
KJV - 6Numbers 14:18
“The LORD is longsuffering , and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.”
KJV - 7Deuteronomy 5:9
“Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,”
KJV - 8Deuteronomy 24:16
“The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.”
KJV - 9Deuteronomy 28:1
“And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:”
KJV - 10
Subtopics of Generational Curses
Old Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Generational Curses? (12 Verses)
“And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;”
“And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering , and abundant in goodness and truth,”
“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.”
“And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.”
“The LORD is longsuffering , and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.”
“Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,”
“The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.”
“And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:”
“The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,”
“Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.”
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”
New Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Generational Curses? (5 Verses)
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.”
“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.”
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”
How to Study What the Bible Says About Generational Curses
- 1
Begin by reading through every verse listed on this page, noting which ones speak most directly to your current season of life. Write them down and revisit them throughout the week.
- 2
Use a concordance or the search tools on this site to find additional passages about generational curses. Look for patterns across both the Old and New Testaments to gain a complete picture of what God reveals on this subject.
- 3
Study the context of each verse. Read the surrounding chapter to understand who was speaking, who the audience was, and what circumstances prompted the passage. Context prevents misapplication.
- 4
Memorise at least one key verse about generational curses and meditate on it daily. Scripture memory transforms thinking and equips you to apply God's Word in real-time situations.
Practical Application
Studying what the Bible says about generational curses is only the beginning. Scripture is meant to be lived out in daily obedience and faith. Here are practical steps to apply these truths:
Identify one area of your life where the biblical teaching on generational curses needs to be applied more consistently. Write a specific, actionable step you can take this week.
Share what you have learned about generational curses with a fellow believer or in a small group setting. Teaching others solidifies your own understanding and encourages mutual growth.
Pray through the key verses about generational curses, asking God to reveal how His Word applies to your relationships, decisions, and daily habits.
How Well Do You Know What the Bible Says About Generational Curses?
You have studied 17 verses about generational curses. Now test your knowledge with chapter-by-chapter quizzes covering the books where these verses appear.