Deuteronomy 27:20 kjv
Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife; because he uncovereth his father's skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Deuteronomy 27:20 nkjv
'Cursed is the one who lies with his father's wife, because he has uncovered his father's bed.' "And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'
Deuteronomy 27:20 niv
"Cursed is anyone who sleeps with his father's wife, for he dishonors his father's bed." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"
Deuteronomy 27:20 esv
"'Cursed be anyone who lies with his father's wife, because he has uncovered his father's nakedness.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'
Deuteronomy 27:20 nlt
'Cursed is anyone who has sexual intercourse with one of his father's wives, for he has violated his father.' And all the people will reply, 'Amen.'
Deuteronomy 27 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:8 | You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife... | Direct prohibition of this act. |
| Lev 20:11 | If a man lies with his father's wife, he has uncovered his father's nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death... | Specified death penalty for this transgression. |
| Gen 35:22 | ...Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine... | Biblical example of this specific sin. |
| 2 Sam 16:21-22 | ...Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. | Act of violating father's honor and authority. |
| 1 Cor 5:1 | It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. | New Testament condemnation of this specific incest. |
| Dt 27:15-26 | The entire list of curses read from Mount Ebal, revealing sins judged by God. | Context of the general list of curses. |
| Dt 28:15 | But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God... then all these curses shall come upon you... | Consequences for covenant disobedience. |
| Gal 3:10 | For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” | General principle of being under the law's curse. |
| Gal 3:13 | Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us... | Redemption from the curse through Christ. |
| Ex 20:12 | Honor your father and your mother... | This sin directly violates the Fifth Commandment. |
| Dt 5:16 | Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you... | Reiterates the commandment for parental honor. |
| Eph 6:1-2 | Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother...” | New Testament emphasis on honoring parents. |
| Lev 19:2 | You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. | General call to holiness for Israel. |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | ...as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct... | New Testament call for holy living. |
| 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. | God's judgment on sexual immorality. |
| 1 Thes 4:3-5 | For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality... | Call to sexual purity. |
| 1 Cor 6:18 | Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body... | Fleeing sexual sin. |
| Ps 90:8 | You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. | God sees and judges hidden sins. |
| Eccl 12:14 | For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. | God judges all secret deeds. |
| Rom 2:16 | ...on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. | New Testament truth of God judging secret actions. |
| Ruth 3:9 | ...spread your cloak [k'naf] over your servant, for you are a redeemer. | Contrast: "skirt/cloak" symbolizing protective union. |
| Ezek 16:8 | ...I spread the corner of my garment [k'naf] over you and covered your nakedness; indeed, I swore to you and entered into a covenant with you... | Contrast: "skirt/cloak" symbolizing covenant and protection. |
Deuteronomy 27 verses
Deuteronomy 27 20 Meaning
Deuteronomy 27:20 pronounces a divine curse upon any man who engages in sexual relations with his father's wife, which typically refers to his stepmother. The severity of the act is emphasized by the concluding phrase, "because he has uncovered his father's skirt," signifying a profound violation of the father's honor, authority, and the sanctity of the family unit.
Deuteronomy 27 20 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 27 describes a significant covenant renewal ceremony at the threshold of the Promised Land. The people of Israel are commanded to assemble between Mount Gerizim (the mountain of blessing) and Mount Ebal (the mountain of curse). On Mount Ebal, large stones covered with plaster are to be set up, and the Law of God is to be written on them. Subsequently, the Levites proclaim twelve curses, each beginning with "Cursed be he who...", and the entire assembly responds with a solemn "Amen."
This specific verse, Deuteronomy 27:20, is one of these curses. Unlike many sins that are publicly visible, the actions detailed in this series of curses (like making idols in secret, dishonoring parents, moving a boundary marker, misleading the blind, perverting justice, or this incestuous act) are often hidden. The inclusion of such a sin here highlights that even deeds committed in secret, outside the view of human judges, do not escape the righteous judgment of God. This curse reinforces the holiness expected of God's people and served to clearly distinguish Israelite moral standards from the pervasive sexual licentiousness and disregard for family purity common among the surrounding Canaanite nations. It underscores that purity within the family was paramount for the purity of the entire covenant community.
Deuteronomy 27 20 Word analysis
- Cursed (אָרוּר, arur): This word signifies a state of being cut off from divine blessing and protection, placed under divine disfavor and judgment. It implies a pronouncement of ill consequences by a higher power, specifically God, due to a serious violation of His covenant.
- be he who lies with (יִשְׁכַּב אֶת, yishkav et): The verb shakhav (לָשְׁכַּב) means "to lie down," commonly used as a euphemism for sexual intercourse. The phrase indicates the specific physical act that constitutes the transgression.
- his father's wife (אֵשֶׁת אָבִיו, eshet aviv): This refers to a man's stepmother, i.e., any woman married to his father, whether she is his biological mother or not. The prohibition, particularly regarding stepmothers, was explicit in Israelite law (Leviticus 18:8, 20:11) and vital for maintaining moral boundaries and familial honor within the patriarchal structure.
- because (כִּי, ki): This conjunction introduces the reason or justification for the preceding curse, explaining the inherent wrongness and offense of the act.
- he has uncovered (גִּלָּה, gillah): From the verb galah, meaning "to uncover," "to reveal," or "to lay bare." In a sexual context, it is a euphemism for illicit sexual intercourse, often implying a violation of privacy and dignity, specifically "uncovering nakedness" as forbidden throughout Leviticus 18.
- his father's skirt (כְּנַף אָבִיו, k'naf aviv): This is a significant idiomatic expression.
- k'naf (כָּנָף) literally means "wing," "edge," or "corner," and figuratively can refer to a garment's skirt or cloak. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, "spreading one's skirt over" another (e.g., Ruth 3:9, Ezekiel 16:8) symbolized an act of protective covering, espousal, or entering into a covenant of care and marriage.
- Therefore, "uncovering his father's skirt" goes beyond merely stating sexual relations; it denotes an act of extreme dishonor, shame, and symbolic violation against the father. It implies an invasion of the father's most sacred intimate sphere and potentially a symbolic usurpation of his authority and place within the family, desecrating his marital bond and bringing deep shame upon the family's head.
Deuteronomy 27 20 Bonus section
The communal "Amen" uttered by all the people after each curse in Deuteronomy 27 indicates their full acceptance and agreement to the covenant's terms. It means, "So let it be" or "May this curse befall me if I commit this sin," signifying a self-imprecation and collective commitment to upholding these foundational moral boundaries. The unique formulation of "uncovering his father's skirt" links this sexual transgression to a powerful visual metaphor of deep shame and dishonor directed specifically at the father, signifying a direct assault on the man's domain, family honor, and perhaps even his generational legacy. It symbolizes not just physical union, but a breach of sacred trust and familial hierarchy.
Deuteronomy 27 20 Commentary
Deuteronomy 27:20 addresses a profound sexual sin that strikes at the core of family integrity and societal order. Incest with a stepmother was an abhorrent transgression in Israelite law, viewed as a direct attack on the patriarchal structure and honor system. This specific curse highlights that God's judgment extends beyond overtly public sins to hidden acts of moral defilement that undermine the fabric of a holy community. The phrase "uncovering his father's skirt" conveys the deep dishonor involved; it is not just a sexual act but a deliberate trampling of filial respect and the sacred bonds of marriage, assaulting the very identity and authority of the father. The inclusion of this particular sin among the foundational curses demonstrates its severity in God's eyes and Israel's covenant with Him. It served as a stark boundary against the morally compromised practices of surrounding cultures, reaffirming Israel's call to purity and distinctiveness. The act violated the very essence of what it meant to honor one's father and mother.