Commentary on the Torah

by Richard Elliott Friedman

34:7. on fourth generations. The list covers five generations: from parents to the fourth generation of their offspring (great-great-grandchildren). Why? First, five generations constitutes the likely maximum of living acquaintance. People occasionally live to see their great-great-grandchildren, but great-great-great is practically unheard of. Second, Israelite rock-cut tombs prior to the seventh century were multi chambered, with room for at least four generations of offspring. The ancestral bond was thus thought to go at least that far back. Third, psychologically one can observe traits persevering through that many generations. I have personally observed ongoing dynamics within my family through four generations. This does not mean that an individual’s bad deed will be duplicated by his or her children and grandchildren. But it may recognize that such deeds have consequences, for better or worse (pride or embarrassment, stigmas, reactions, conscious or unconscious imitation), that persist through generations.