Lehi promises his grandchildren that they will not suffer in the eyes of God because of the failures of their parents. In Deuteronomy 24:16, a very important principle of Jewish law was established, and it was recognized in the days of Lehi, that prohibited vicarious punishments: "The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin." This was not the case in most ancient Near Eastern laws. Under the Code of Hammurabi, for example, if a physician committed malpractice and killed the son of a freeman, then the son of the doctor was to be killed. In his blessing to Laman’s and Lemuel’s children, Lehi assured them that they will not be punished for their parents’ wrongdoings.