THEOSISJerome of Stridon
If a man has a son who is a violent transgressor, one who spills blood and engages in various wicked acts—who strays from the righteous path of his father—if he partakes of food on the high hills, desecrates his neighbor's wife, oppresses the destitute, steals with force, refuses to return what he has pledged, and turns his gaze toward idols, committing abominations and increasing in wickedness—he cannot expect to live. For his vile actions will lead to death; his guilt will rest upon him. The term used for robber in Hebrew translates as "sinner" in Aquila’s second edition, "criminal" in Simmachus, and is rendered "contagious" by the LXX and Theodotion. Just as contagion brings illness and ruins wherever it spreads, so does this wicked individual wreak havoc.
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It is important to understand, from a historical perspective, that the sins of the father do not carry over to the children. A righteous man who adheres to the instructions given will certainly live. However, if he fathers a son who abandons the service of God, changing his father’s virtues into vices, engaging in actions contrary to those of his father: can such a son truly expect to live? The truth is, he shall not live; he will bear the weight of his own guilt.
In a spiritual context, if a member of the Church faithfully preaches the Gospel, but his son or disciple is led astray into heresy, he becomes an infector. It is similarly noted in Psalm 1: “nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” Additionally, in Proverbs, the presumptuous and proud are referred to as infectors. These individuals shed the blood of the deceived, compounding their own sins as they ride on the mountains of arrogance, desecrating their neighbor's community, oppressing the vulnerable, and creating obstacles for the needy and poor in understanding Scripture. They forcibly take away those they have separated from the Church and fail to uphold the teachings that instruct, “You shall not receive; you shall not give” (Matt. 10:8). They turn their gaze toward idols and fabricate false idols from their own desires, committing numerous abominations, and financially supporting the delusions of their teachers through the efforts of their disciples, all while extracting more from others than they themselves have given. Truly, these actions lead to death, and they will perish in their own blood.