Are Generational Curses Real? What the Bible Has to Say

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Breaking generational curses the biblical way
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The thought of being punished for the sins of your ancestors is a scary prospect. This fear is the driving force behind a generational curse—the idea that your great-great-great grandchildren will be doomed to suffer the same spiritual consequences you did. Or perhaps even worse: that you are the last generation to experience the aftershocks of the curse, and there’s no way to escape them. The Bible details a number of generational curses, but how much is really true? Keep reading to find out what you need to do in order to break a generational curse, bolstered by advice from expert psychic and medium Mari Cartagenova.

Scriptures on Generational Curses

There are a few generational curses mentioned in the Bible. One of the most famous is from Exodus, describing how God would visit “the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and fourth generations.” Other mentions of generational curses can be found in Genesis 9:18-29, Genesis 3:16, and Leviticus 26:39.

Section 1 of 5:

The “Sins of the Father” Generational Curse in the Bible

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  1. This passage is the most famous example of a generational curse in the Bible, and it’s often referred to in modern English as the “sins of one’s father.” The passage reads: "Keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children 's children, to the third and the fourth generation." [1]
    • A similar passage from Exodus 20:5 states: “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing loving kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
    • Interpretations: These are the main passages in the Bible that explicitly curse future generations. In Exodus 20:5, God is speaking the Ten Commandments to Moses, presenting himself as “jealous” in his demand that no other idols be worshipped before him. The consequence? A generational curse on your family.
    • However, the final two lines of Exodus 20:5 reveal that this only happens to those who “hate” God and do not repent, leaving room for forgiveness for those who do atone for their ancestors’ sins. [2]
    • Exodus 34–7 echoes this earlier sentiment later in the Bible, most likely referring to those who placed other idols before God and lacked faith.
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Section 2 of 5:

Other Generational Curses Verses in the Bible

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  1. 1
    Genesis 9:18-29, Old Testament: “When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked. When Noah awoke from his drunken stupor, he learned what his youngest son had done to him. So he said, 'Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves he will be to his brothers.'”
    • Interpretation: This is a highly controversial passage from the Bible as it hints at a deviant sexual act perpetrated by Ham. Modern interpretations believe this excerpt was meant to dissuade the spread of gossip and protect those we love and trust even when they’re demonstrating weakness. [3]
    • The curse Noah inflicts upon Canaan is meant to affect him and his descendants, clearly denoting a generational curse.
  2. 2
    Genesis 3:16, Old Testament: “And to Adam, he said, 'Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain, you shall eat of it all the days of your life.”
    • Interpretation: This passage directly points to Adam’s disobedience after he ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden at the behest of Eve. [4] God cursed the “ground” and Adam as a result by making rigorous physical labor a requirement for growing and harvesting food, therefore inflicting eternal, necessary pain on him and all men who followed.
    • This is often referred to as the first generational curse and the original sin.
    • An earlier passage curses Eve with the pain of "childbearing” and can be extended to symbolize the difficulties of womanhood in general.
    • Both Adam and Eve were cursed with pain and hardship while having to perform the required labors of life. As their Biblical descendants, modern humans still toil away painfully to do these tasks, confirming to some that this generational curse is real and endures.
  3. 3
    Leviticus 26:39, Old Testament: “Those who remain will waste away in the lands of their enemies due to their sins and the sins of their ancestors.”
    • Interpretation : This passage alludes to God’s warnings to his people. He required that they lived authentically according to his teachings. He promoted obedience as the path to prosperity, both external and internal. [5]
    • If they did not heed his warning, they would be “cursed” for generations. This phrasing doesn’t necessarily refer to a real curse inflicted on them by God, but more of a curse of consequence.
    • Qualities like lack of discipline and laziness would lead to poor agricultural achievements, social unrest, and bloodshed. These would ultimately be the curses that would affect a generation.
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Section 3 of 5:

What is a generational curse?

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  1. These patterns can be related to illness, addictive behaviors, and external events. [6] Some people believe these curses originate in the Bible, such as the one found in Exodus 20:5–6: “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me.”
    • Some Christians may take this passage to literally mean that God is able to curse four generations at a time, resulting in sinful repercussions for the family.
    • Christians believe that certain sins, like idolatry and violence, can be responsible for cursing a family’s future generations.
    • Secular beliefs focus more on the concept of generational trauma as an explanation for these recurring misfortunes among past and present family members.
    • A key difference between generational curses and generational trauma is that the former tends to create a feeling of helplessness since it has been pre-ordained by God. Generational trauma, however, can be broken, and harmony can be restored to a family line.
    EXPERT TIP

    Mari Cartagenova

    Spiritual Teacher & Medium
    Mari Cartagenova is a Spiritual Teacher & Medium based in Westford, Massachusetts. Mari has been seeing and speaking to Spirits since she was a child, and she loves to share her psychic gifts and abilities to help others. She specializes in mediumship, intuitive psychic guidance, past life or soul reading, and animal communication. Mari is the 2019 Award-Winning Best American Psychic and a Certified Advanced Spirit Worker.
    Mari Cartagenova
    Spiritual Teacher & Medium

    Some people might feel like they're cursed, but's usually a result of trauma. And so if there's a history of abuse, neglect or anything like that, this goes through the generations, many times if it's not healed, then it does continue through the generation.

Section 4 of 5:

Are generational curses real according to the Bible?

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  1. The Bible offers contradictory information about generational curses. Although some passages in the Bible suggest the existence of generational curses, others completely debunk that possibility:
    • Ezekiel 18:20, Old Testament: “The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child.” [7]
      • This clearly states that future generations will not be blamed for the sins of their ancestors, presenting proof of God’s sense of justice. However, these sinful traits could be inherited, therefore passing on a kind of generational curse.
    • Deuteronomy 21:23, Old Testament: “You must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that same day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse. You must not desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.”
      • This passage highlights a sin against God: leaving bodies hanging on poles. People were instructed to immediately bury bodies instead of leaving them visibly hanging, as this would desecrate the holy land. [8]
      • This excerpt states that being crucified, or otherwise killed on a pole, constitutes a curse on the person, but not the generations that follow.
    • Galatians 3:13, New Testament: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.’”
      • This passage represents Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for humanity by dying on the cross. [9] Through his crucifixion, wherein he was “hung on a pole,” he absorbed the curse that would befall sinners, taking it all upon himself.
      • This excerpt illuminates Jesus’ righteousness but negates the idea of generational curses as Jesus has taken on the curse on our behalf.
    • Why is there conflicting information about generational curses in the Bible? God is sometimes viewed as a mosaic, which may explain the conflicting passages. The God depicted in the Old Testament can be perceived as mercurial, violent, and “jealous,” while the God of the New Testament provides a more peaceful, more loving presence.
      • Although this is a controversial opinion, some people view God as a mosaic, with the Bible revealing bits and pieces of his whole character. [10] This may explain the conflicting ideas about generational curses, as certain passages popularize them and others reject them.
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Section 5 of 5:

Breaking Generational Curses

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  1. Although Exodus 20:5 threatens generational curses, it only does so for people and families who lack faith or refuse to repent, highlighting God's mercy and willingness to forgive. Leading a righteous life, with repentance and guidance from spiritual leaders, is thought to be one way to break a generational curse .
    • It’s also important, according to followers of the Bible, to recognize your own sins, recognize the sins of your ancestors, and accept that Jesus died for the sins of all. This idea is one of the main ideas presented by the Bible: Jesus is God's son, and he died on the cross in order to absorb our sins and keep us from eternal damnation.
    • This concept alone may negate the concept of a generational curse, as Jesus' forgiveness is believed to absolve us.
    • According to some, as long as we continue doing the Lord's work—making good choices, healing, forgiving those who wrong us as well as ourselves—all generational curses can be broken.
  2. If certain misfortunes continue repeating in your life or the lives of your family members, there may be unresolved ancestral issues. However, the concept of generational curses is better understood these days as generational trauma , which can be addressed through therapy, communication, and other reflective methods.
    • In regards to the cycle of generational curses or traumas, Cartagenova advises that “the way to break that cycle is to recognize what trauma or abuse you’re dealing with—and everybody knows it on some level.”
    • “Maybe not consciously,” continues Cartagenova, “but if there are things that keep going wrong—like you can’t keep a stable relationship, or you keep losing your job, or there are some addictions—there’s something wrong.”
    • Cartagenova suggests therapy, in order to trace your recurring issues back to the root of why these things keep happening over and over again.
    • Cartagenova also recommends speaking openly with your family about it. Try probing them a bit, asking questions along the lines of, “I know that we have this issue in our family, did you have that with your mom or with dad?”
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.liberty.edu/champion/2023/02/context-or-pretext-examining-exodus-346-7/
      2. ↑ https://www.str.org/w/does-god-visit-the-iniquities-of-the-fathers-on-the-third-fourth-generations-
      3. ↑ https://godrunning.com/2011/02/26/drunk-and-naked-love-covers-a-multitude-of-sins-genesis-9/
      4. ↑ https://thebiblesays.com/en/commentary/gen+3:16
      5. ↑ https://bible.art/meaning/leviticus-26%3A39
      6. ↑ https://www.tweenyrandall.com/2024/06/04/are-generational-curses-a-real-thing/
      7. ↑ https://seekingscripture.com/ezekiel-18-20/
      8. ↑ https://thebiblesays.com/en/commentary/deu+21:22
      9. ↑ https://www.bibleref.com/Galatians/3/Galatians-3-13.html
      1. ↑ https://creation.com/is-god-inconsistent

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