Generational Curses and the Old Testament: An Exegetical Study of Key Biblical Texts

The teaching of generational curses has spread its wings globally, especially in Pentecostal-Charismatic churches. This teaching holds that children, including genuine Christians, suffer demonic curses because of the sins of their ancestors, including the dead ones going back many generations, and the way to be free from them is to break them in Jesus’s name. Recurring sinful behavior, sickness, and misfortune in a family line are identified as generational curses. Accordingly, many deliverance ministers are active in breaking the alleged generational curses from Christians’ lives. Some Christians readily accept the teaching because Bible verses are cited to support it, whereas others are confused because they thought they were freed from all curses when they invited Christ into their lives.

Although there is a plethora of popular material (e.g., books and videos) on this teaching, scholarly engagement with the subject is scarce. The little scholarly engagement is mostly influenced by particular cultural contexts. However, the main problem with this teaching is the interpretation of some biblical texts. This study fills this gap. Through an exegetical study of major texts related to the teaching of generational curses, this research argues that this teaching is erroneous, having been based on faulty interpretations of some biblical texts. Hence, the church must abandon this teaching and the corresponding practice of breaking the supposed curses from Christians’ lives. The holistic salvation in Christ includes the forgiveness of sins and the removal of curses. Moreover, people must be taught to take responsibility for their actions and choices and to change their behavior rather than blame their ancestors for their predicament. If sinful behavior, sickness, or misfortune persists in a family line, then dealing with them requires repentance, intercession, and discipleship rather than breaking curses.