Parents were not to be punished for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents, because God established the principle of individual responsibility and justice. Each person was to bear the consequences of their own actions.
“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:16)
This command protected against unjust punishment and upheld the value of personal accountability. It prevented guilt by association and made clear that judgment was to be based on one’s own conduct, not that of a family member.
While the effects of sin may impact others, God’s standard of justice never allows for the innocent to be punished in place of the guilty. This principle is affirmed throughout Scripture, including in Ezekiel 18, where God states that the soul who sins shall die, and each person is accountable before Him.
In a broader sense, this law also pointed forward to the justice of God in salvation. Christ bore the penalty for sin, not as a guilty party, but as a voluntary substitute for those who believe. Even then, it is individual faith that determines one’s standing before God.
This law reinforced fairness, discouraged retaliation across generations, and taught Israel to practice justice as God defines it.
