THEOSISJerome of Stridon
If a son is born to a man who is a plunderer and sheds blood, engaging in various sinful acts—such as not following in the righteous footsteps of his father by committing transgressions, indulging in feasts on the mountains, violating his neighbor’s spouse, oppressing the needy and the poor, stealing with violence, failing to return what was pledged, and turning his gaze toward idols, thereby committing detestable acts and profiting from them—will he truly be allowed to live? Because he engages in such vile practices, he will face death; his own blood will be upon him.
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In the Hebrew, the term for robber is written as "рharus," which Aquila translated in his second edition as "sinner," while Simmachus termed it "criminal," and the LXX and Theodotion used the word "contagious." Just as contagions spread disease and wreak havoc wherever they find themselves, so too does the person afflicted by such contagion bring destruction upon everything.
From a historical perspective, it is essential to understand that the sins of the fathers do not fall upon the children. If a righteous individual acts in accordance with the guidelines previously discussed, he will find life. However, if he raises a son who turns away from following God, transforming his father's virtues into vices—performing actions his father never did while neglecting his father's ways—can he truly expect to live? No, he shall not live; he will bear the guilt of his own blood.
In a spiritual context, if someone within the Church proclaims the truth of the Gospel, yet his son or disciple is led astray into heretical beliefs, this individual will be known as an infector. It is also recorded in Psalm 1: "and on the seat of the contentious he shall not sit." Furthermore, the presumptuous, arrogant, and proud are also labeled as infectors in the Book of Proverbs. Such a person sheds the blood of the deceived, weighs down upon himself all manner of sin, exalting himself on lofty mountains while defiling his neighbor’s sanctum, burdening and oppressing the knowledge of Scripture in those who are needy and poor. He forcibly seizes those who have distanced themselves from the Church, unwilling to return the entrusted teachings as commanded—"Thou shalt not receive, thou shalt not give" (Matt. 10:8)—while fixating his gaze on idols, even those created in his own heart, engaging in all abominable acts and financially supporting the false teachings of the deceiver at the expense of his disciples, demanding more from those to whom he has given. Surely, he cannot expect to live but will die in his own iniquity.