OET interlinear EXO 34:7

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

נֹצֵ֥ר חֶ֨סֶד֙ לָ⁠אֲלָפִ֔ים

keeping steadfast_love to_the,thousands

See how you translated covenant faithfulnessin the previous verse. Alternate translation: “faithfully loving thousands of generations” or “faithful to his covenant with thousands of generations”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole

לָ⁠אֲלָפִ֔ים

to_the,thousands

This large number is used to mean “forever” or “to all descendants forever.” It is deliberately contrasted with third and fourth later in the verse to emphasize how much longer God’s covenant faithfulness is than his anger. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language that conveys a very long time. Alternate translation: “for every generation”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

לָ⁠אֲלָפִ֔ים

to_the,thousands

The word thousands is a metonym for a number too many to count. Alternate translation: “to innumerable people”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / litany

עָוֺ֛ן וָ⁠פֶ֖שַׁע וְ⁠חַטָּאָ֑ה

iniquity and,transgression and,sin

This list is meant to convey the idea of every kind of wrong. If a list like this would be misunderstood in your language you may need to use other terms or forms to make this point. Alternate translation: “every kind of sin”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

עָוֺ֛ן וָ⁠פֶ֖שַׁע וְ⁠חַטָּאָ֑ה & עֲוֺ֣ן

iniquity and,transgression and,sin & iniquity

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of iniquity, transgression, and sin, you can express the same ideas in another way., as modeled in the UST.

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

וְ⁠נַקֵּה֙ לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֔ה

and,to_leave_unpunished not clearing_the_guilty

Yahweh is speaking about himself. If this is confusing in your language, you may use the first person. Alternate translation: “But I will certainly not acquit”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וְ⁠נַקֵּה֙ לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֔ה

and,to_leave_unpunished not clearing_the_guilty

Whom Yahweh will not acquit is not stated. If it would be helpful in your language, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translations: “But he will certainly not clear the guilty” or “But he will certainly not say that the guilty are innocent” or “But he will certainly not free guilty people”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

עֲוֺ֣ן

iniquity

Here, iniquity refers to the consequences or the punishment for iniquity. Alternate translation: “the punishment for the iniquity of”

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

פֹּקֵ֣ד׀ עֲוֺ֣ן אָב֗וֹת עַל־בָּנִים֙ וְ⁠עַל־בְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֔ים

visiting iniquity fathers on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in sons and,on sons_of children

The iniquity of the fathers is spoken of as if it were something capable of visiting people. This means that Yahweh makes the consequences of people’s sins affect their descendants. If your readers would not understand what this image means in this context, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “punishing the sons and the sons of the sons for the iniquity of the fathers”

Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

עַל־בָּנִים֙ וְ⁠עַל־בְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֔ים

on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in sons and,on sons_of children

The references to sons and sons of the sons represents descendants. Alternate translation: “on their descendants”

Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֖ים וְ⁠עַל־רִבֵּעִֽים

on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in third and,to fourth

Here, “generation” is implied after third and fourth. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly.

Note 12 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֖ים וְ⁠עַל־רִבֵּעִֽים

on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in third and,to fourth

Here, third and fourth means “several.” If this would not be understood and your language has a way of referring to an unspecified (but approximately 3–4) number, you may have to use it here. Alternate translation: “on a few generations”