Deuteronomy 22:30 kjv
A man shall not take his father's wife, nor discover his father's skirt.
Deuteronomy 22:30 nkjv
"A man shall not take his father's wife, nor uncover his father's bed.
Deuteronomy 22:30 niv
A man is not to marry his father's wife; he must not dishonor his father's bed.
Deuteronomy 22:30 esv
"A man shall not take his father's wife, so that he does not uncover his father's nakedness.
Deuteronomy 22:30 nlt
"A man must not marry his father's former wife, for this would violate his father.
Deuteronomy 22 30 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:8 | "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife..." | Direct prohibition of stepmother union. |
| Lev 20:11 | "The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness..." | Declares it a capital offense, defiling act. |
| Gen 49:4 | Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, defiled his father's couch. | Illustrates ancient violation and consequences. |
| 1 Cor 5:1 | "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you... a man has his father’s wife." | NT reaffirmation of the prohibition. |
| Lev 18:6 | "None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness..." | General principle of incest prohibition. |
| Lev 18:7 | "The nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother, you shall not uncover..." | Prohibits relations with parents. |
| Lev 18:12 | "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister..." | Extends to aunts, reinforcing family lines. |
| Lev 18:24 | "Do not defile yourselves by any of these things, for by all these the nations whom I am driving out before you are defiled." | Highlights the holiness standard for Israel. |
| Lev 20:14 | "If a man takes a woman and her mother also, it is wickedness..." | Illustrates other serious family-related sexual sins. |
| Eze 22:10 | "In you men uncover their fathers' nakedness..." | Prophetic indictment against Judah for incest. |
| Dt 27:20 | "Cursed be anyone who lies with his father’s wife..." | Public declaration of curse for this sin. |
| Heb 13:4 | "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous." | New Testament emphasis on marital purity. |
| 1 Thes 4:3-5 | "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality... not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles..." | Call to sexual purity and holiness in Christ. |
| Eph 5:3 | "But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints." | Ethical conduct for believers. |
| Mt 5:28 | "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." | Broadens sexual purity to thought life. |
| Ex 20:14 | "You shall not commit adultery." | Broader commandment against sexual sin. |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | "but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" | Call to holiness mirroring God's character. |
| Ps 101:3 | "I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless." | General principle of avoiding defiling things. |
| Job 31:11-12 | "For that would be a heinous crime; that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges; for it is a fire that consumes to Abaddon, and it would uproot all my increase." | Speaks of adultery as a grave, destructive sin. |
| Jer 3:2 | "Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see! Where have you not been ravished?..." | Idolatry often likened to spiritual adultery/promiscuity. |
Deuteronomy 22 verses
Deuteronomy 22 30 Meaning
Deuteronomy 22:30 (often numbered as Deuteronomy 23:1 in Hebrew and some English Bibles) strictly prohibits a man from having sexual relations or marrying his stepmother. This applies even if his father is deceased or has divorced her. The verse is a strong directive to prevent incest, ensure family purity, and uphold the sanctity of familial bonds and the father's honor within the community of Israel.
Deuteronomy 22 30 Context
Deuteronomy 22:30 concludes a section of laws (22:13-30) that addresses various forms of sexual misconduct and marital impropriety within Israelite society, including adultery, premarital sexual relations, and rape. These laws underscore the importance of sexual purity, the sanctity of marriage, and the prevention of social chaos. Within the broader context of Deuteronomy, these regulations are part of Moses' reiteration of the covenant and God's laws to the new generation of Israelites on the plains of Moab, before their entry into the Promised Land. The purpose is to establish Israel as a holy nation, distinct from the defiling practices of the surrounding Canaanite cultures, where certain forms of incestuous relationships were more common.
Deuteronomy 22 30 Word analysis
- A man (אִישׁ, 'ish): Refers generally to any male Israelite, highlighting the universal application of this law within the community. It places individual responsibility for upholding this sacred boundary.
- shall not take (לֹא־יִקַּח, lo'-yiqqach): A strong, definite prohibition. Lo' is "not," and yiqqach is the imperfect form of laqach ("to take," "to receive," "to acquire," "to marry"). Here, it implies taking for himself in marriage or for sexual relations, emphatically forbidding such an act.
- his father's wife (אֵשֶׁת אָבִיו, 'eshet 'aviv): Specifically denotes the stepmother. Eshet is "wife of," and aviv is "his father." This precise phrasing includes any woman to whom the father was married, regardless of whether the father is still alive or deceased, emphasizing that her prior marital status with the father created a perpetual kinship barrier for the son. This prevented social ambiguity and disrespect for the father's former bond.
- nor (וְלֹא, v'lo'): A strong conjunction meaning "and not" or "neither," adding a second, perhaps more emphatic or explanatory, part to the prohibition. It serves to elaborate on the nature of "taking."
- discover (יְגַלֶּה, y'galleh): The verb galeh means "to uncover," "to reveal," "to expose." In the biblical context, especially with terms of kinship and nakedness, "uncovering nakedness" is a common euphemism for sexual intercourse or sexual access (e.g., Lev 18, 20). Here, it implies illicit sexual relations, explicitly naming the prohibited action.
- his father's skirt (כְּנַף אָבִיו, k'nap 'aviv): A powerful idiom. Kenaf literally means "wing," "corner," "hem," or "skirt/cloak." In this context, the "skirt" (often of a cloak) symbolized personal protection, ownership, and conjugal right. To "spread one's skirt over" another often signified an act of marriage or protection (e.g., Ruth 3:9, Eze 16:8). Therefore, to "uncover his father's skirt" is to invade, disrespect, and defile his father's marital and intimate domain or claim. This goes beyond mere physical proximity; it speaks of a profound violation of his father's marital status and the honor due to him, making the sin not only a sexual offense but an offense against family structure and authority. This specific phrase likely refers to disrespecting the marital bed or sphere associated with the father, reinforcing that the relationship to the "father's wife" is inviolable for the son.
Deuteronomy 22 30 Bonus section
- The placement of this law at the end of a section dealing with sexual misconduct reinforces its gravity as a particularly egregious sin against family order and purity.
- The reason for "uncovering his father's skirt" being prohibited even if the father is deceased stems from the enduring nature of kinship ties and marital respect within ancient Israelite culture. Once a woman was joined to the father, a permanent barrier was created between her and his son. This was distinct from levirate marriage where a brother might marry a deceased brother's wife to raise up offspring, but a son never married his father's wife.
- The consequence for violating this command was severe, potentially even death as indicated by parallel laws in Leviticus, signifying the seriousness of defiling the "nakedness" (sexual sphere) of a near relative.
- This law, along with others in Deuteronomy, demonstrates God's desire to build a morally robust society for His people, where family structures are respected, and intimate relationships are governed by divine standards rather than human desires or cultural norms.
Deuteronomy 22 30 Commentary
Deuteronomy 22:30 is a concise yet weighty prohibition that prohibits incest with one's stepmother. It stands as a bedrock principle for maintaining familial purity and societal order within Israel. This law reflects God's design for human sexuality and family structure, clearly delineating boundaries for proper relationships. Such prohibitions distinguished Israel from the pagan nations where familial intermingling, including father-son shared partners, was not uncommon. The violation of this law (as seen in Reuben's case with Bilhah in Genesis or the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 5:1) was seen as a profound defilement, bringing a curse upon the individual and the community. This underscores the theological truth that true holiness extends to the most intimate aspects of human life, safeguarding not just individual purity but the collective sanctity of God's chosen people. This verse forms part of God's holistic instruction for Israel to be a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation."