Deuteronomy 22:30 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 22:30 Commentary: Step-Mother and Family Honor
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does 'uncover his father's skirt' mean? This law against a son taking his stepmother protects the father's honor and family boundaries.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A son may not marry or have sexual relations with his stepmother; it is a violation of his father’s honor.
- Key words: ‘Take’ implies marriage; ‘uncover his father’s skirt’ is an idiom for sexual violation and shame.
- Main debate: Whether ‘father’s wife’ includes only a stepmother or also one’s biological mother (the latter is already covered elsewhere).
- Theological theme: Honoring the father through maintaining proper family boundaries.
- Best use: As a reminder that God’s law upholds the dignity of marriage and the order of the household.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
A man is not to marry his father’s wife, so that he will not dishonor his father’s marriage bed.
WEB World English Bible 2000
A man shall not take his father’s wife, and shall not uncover his father’s skirt.
KJV King James Version 1769
A man shall not take his father’s wife, nor discover his father’s skirt.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
A man shall not take his father’s wife, and shall not uncover his father’s skirt.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`A man doth not take his father's wife, nor uncover his father's skirt.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
A man shall not take his father's wife, nor uncover his father's skirt.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
No man shall take his father's wife, nor remove his covering.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
No tomará alguno la mujer de su padre, ni descubrirá el regazo de su padre.
Não tomará alguém a mulher de seu pai, nem descobrirá o colo de seu pai.
Nul ne prendra la femme de son père, et ne soulèvera la couverture de son père.
[23:1] Niemand soll seines Vaters Weib nehmen und nicht aufdecken seines Vaters Decke.
Een man zal zijns vaders vrouw niet nemen, en hij zal zijns vaders slippe niet ontdekken.
Nessuno prenderà la moglie di suo padre ne solleverà il lembo della coperta di suo padre.
Nie pojmie nikt żony ojca swego, i nie odkryje podołka ojca swego.
Никто не должен брать жены отца своего и открывать край одежды отца своего.
「人 不可 娶 繼母為妻；不可 掀開 他父親 的衣襟。」
A man may not take his father's wife or have sex relations with a woman who is his father's.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse forbids a man from marrying or having sexual relations with his father’s wife, understood as a stepmother. Adam Clarke explains that this addresses a specific situation: a father in old age marries a young woman, and upon his death the son might desire to espouse her, this law prohibits it. John Calvin notes that Moses singles out the stepmother case as a representative prohibition, and that ‘uncover his father’s skirt’ means exposing the father to shame, possibly alluding to Ham’s sin (Genesis 9:22). Matthew Henry and Gill interpret the phrase as a short memorandum urging observance of all the incest laws given in Leviticus 18. Keil and Delitzsch observe that the verse serves as a fitting close to the laws of chastity, renewing the first provision of the earlier code. Across traditions, the shared point is clear: this law protects the father’s honor and the integrity of the family unit.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal prohibition of stepmother incest: The plain reading: a man shall not take his father’s wife. This view is supported by Clarke, Gill, and the majority of commentators.
- Principle of family honor: Calvin connects the phrase ‘uncover his father’s skirt’ to the shame of exposing a parent’s nakedness, as in Ham’s sin. The law protects the father’s dignity.
- Structural role as a coda: Keil and Delitzsch argue the verse closes the laws of chastity; others see it as a transition. The different form (no ‘if’) supports this emphasis.
What is clear: The law forbids a man from having sexual relations with his father’s wife, thereby protecting the father’s marriage and the family’s honor.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the woman | The law forbids a man from taking his father’s wife, understood as a stepmother. | Some readers, such as Gill, include the biological mother, while most commentators (Calvin, Clarke) focus on the stepmother because the mother is prohibited elsewhere. |
| Meaning of 'uncover his father’s skirt' | It refers to sexual relations with the father’s wife and brings shame on the father. | Calvin emphasizes the exposure of the father to shame (alluding to Ham), while others (Gill, Keil) see it as a general idiom for any incestuous act. |
| Placement in Deuteronomy 22 | This verse concludes a series of laws on unchastity (Deuteronomy 22:13, 30). | Keil and Delitzsch consider it a fitting close to the sexual laws; the Cambridge Bible notes it may also serve as a transition to laws on entering the congregation. |
| New Testament relevance | Paul treats a similar case in 1 Corinthians 5 as a serious sin requiring church discipline. | Some traditions apply the civil penalty directly, while others see the principle of purity but not the exact punishment as binding. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse stands at the end of a block of sexual laws in Deuteronomy 22, beginning at verse 13. The first five laws each open with ‘If’ and give specific procedures for cases of unchastity, a husband’s charges against his bride, adultery with a married woman, seduction of a betrothed virgin (with and without consent), and violation of an unbetrothed virgin. The sixth law, our verse, changes form: it does not start with ‘if’ but is a direct prohibition. This shift suggests it serves as a summary warning, a close to the series, or indeed a transition to the rules about entering the assembly in chapter 23. Keil and Delitzsch argue for the former; the Cambridge Bible notes the structural difference.
The phrase ‘uncover his father’s skirt’ draws on ancient marriage imagery. In Ruth 3:9, Ruth asks Boaz to ‘spread the corner of your garment over your servant,’ a request for marital protection. Ezekiel 16:8 describes God spreading His garment over Israel in a covenant of marriage. The ‘skirt’ or ‘covering’ symbolized the husband’s authority and care. To ‘uncover’ that covering by taking his father’s wife was to strip away the father’s honor and to violate the marriage bond even after death. Calvin compared the act to Ham’s disrespect in exposing his father Noah’s nakedness (Genesis 9:22). In ancient Israel’s patriarchal society, such an action would bring deep shame and disrupt family lineage.
The law’s moral force extended beyond the Old Testament. Paul cites a case of ‘one has his father’s wife’ in 1 Corinthians 5:1 as sexual immorality so grave that even pagans would not tolerate it. This shows that early Christians read Deuteronomy 22:30 as a permanent ethical standard, not a temporary civil statute.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries and translations note no significant textual variants for Deuteronomy 22:30. The Hebrew text is stable across the major traditions, and the verse appears consistently as a distinct prohibition at the close of the chapter.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, this verse has always been read as part of the incest prohibitions given at Sinai, reinforcing the holiness of the family. Early Christian authors saw it as upholding natural law and the order of creation; Paul’s reference in 1 Corinthians 5 testifies to its ongoing authority in the early church. Reformation-era commentators like Calvin and Matthew Henry used the verse to teach the commandment to honor parents, stressing that even after a parent’s death the marriage bond deserves respect. In modern application, the verse is often cited in discussions of family boundaries and the ethics of step-relationships. Across eras, Christians have understood this law not as an obsolete civil statute but as a witness to God’s design for marital fidelity and the protection of vulnerable family members.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Protecting the father’s marriage bed. This law safeguards the sanctity of the marital bond, even after one spouse dies. It reinforces the commandment to honor father and mother (Exodus 20:12) by forbidding a son from stepping into his father’s place with his stepmother. The curse in Deuteronomy 27:20 makes clear how seriously God regards this sin.
- The gravity of incest within the household. The prohibition goes beyond legal detail, it guards boundaries God set to preserve family trust. When a son takes his father’s wife, he shatters that trust and brings shame on the entire family. Leviticus 18:8 and 20:11 reinforce the same principle with severe penalties.
- A lasting ethic for God’s people. Paul’s confrontation with the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 5:1, 13) shows this law still carries weight in the New Covenant. The church is to ‘put away the wicked man’, not from harshness, but to protect the community’s holiness and the individual’s restoration.
Five-point outline
- The prohibition: a son may not take his father’s wife as his own.
- The idiom: ‘uncover his father’s skirt’ means to dishonor the father by violating his marriage.
- The context: this law closes a series of sexual regulations in Deuteronomy 22.
- The New Testament application: 1 Corinthians 5 treats a similar case as church discipline.
- The principle: God’s design for family honor and sexual purity crosses covenant eras.
Illustration hooks
- Blended family tensions. A step-relative relationship in a modern family where boundaries become confused, this law reminds us that clear boundaries are not coldness but protection.
- Honoring a parent’s legacy. When a parent dies, their spouse is not simply available for a new relationship. Respect for the deceased parent’s memory and marriage has its own weight.
- The covering in Ruth. The image of a garment spread as a pledge of protection helps explain why ‘uncovering’ it is such a deep dishonor.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this law apply to step-relationships today, or was it only for ancient Israel?
- How do we honor parents in the complex family situations of modern life, especially after divorce or death?
- What does this verse teach about the seriousness with which God views sexual sin within the family?
Leading a Discussion
This short but powerful verse sits at the end of a series of sexual laws in Deuteronomy 22. It ties together themes of family loyalty, marriage honor, and community purity. As you discuss, keep in mind that God gave these laws to shape a people set apart for holiness.
Discussion questions
- Read Deuteronomy 22:13, 30 as a group. What patterns do you notice in how these laws are structured? Why might the final law (verse 30) be phrased differently?
- What does the phrase ‘uncover his father’s skirt’ suggest about the way marriage was understood in ancient Israel? Consider Ruth 3:9 and Ezekiel 16:8.
- Why do you think the law singles out the stepmother case rather than listing every possible incestuous relationship?
- Calvin connects this prohibition to Ham’s sin in Genesis 9:22. How does that comparison deepen your understanding of the offense?
- Read 1 Corinthians 5:1, 13. How does Paul apply the principle of Deuteronomy 22:30 in the church? What does his response reveal about the seriousness of this sin?
- In what ways does this law point to the importance of honoring parents and respecting marriage boundaries, even after death or divorce?
- How can we as a church family uphold the values of this text, honoring marriage, protecting the vulnerable, and maintaining healthy boundaries, without legalism?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Leviticus 18:8 | “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife. It is your father’s nakedness. |
| Leviticus 20:11 | “‘The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness. Both of them shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon themselves. |
| Deuteronomy 27:20 | ‘Cursed is he who lies with his father’s wife, because he dishonors his father’s bed.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ |
| Ruth 3:9 | He said, “Who are you?” She answered, “I am Ruth your servant. Therefore spread the corner of your garment over your servant; for you are a near kinsman.” |
| Ezekiel 16:8 | “‘“Now when I passed by you, and looked at you, behold, your time was the time of love; and I spread my garment over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I pledged myself to you and entered into a covenant with you,” says the Lord Yahweh, “and you became mine. |
| I Corinthians 5:1 | It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that one has his father’s wife. |
| I Corinthians 5:13 | But those who are outside, God judges. “Put away the wicked man from among yourselves.” |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke specifies that the prohibition against taking a father's wife refers specifically to a stepmother. He explains that the law prevented a son from marrying his father's young widow, and he connects this directly to Solomon putting Adonijah to death for requesting his father's concubine.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that this single prohibition against marrying a stepmother does not open the door to other incestuous unions. He interprets the phrase about uncovering a father's skirt as exposing the father to shame, comparing it to Ham's sin when he dishonored Noah's nakedness.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary defends the laws on unchastity as a genuine advance in social ethics for their time, despite their plain language. It argues that the strict religious sanctions were necessary then to combat debasing practices, and only ignorance or ingratitude would dismiss their spirit or form today.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The note explains that the command forbids not only marrying a stepmother but also any sexual relationship with her, using "uncovering the father's skirt" as a euphemism for violating the father's honor. The prohibition is absolute and covers both the formal union and the act itself.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill points out that the command not to take a father's wife covers both a man's own mother and a stepmother. He notes that Jewish interpreters extended it even further, but his key insight is that this single prohibition serves as a short summary or sample of all the incest laws that follow.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that this verse, restating the prohibition of incest, works much better as the closing line of the marriage and chastity laws than as an opening to the following rules about who may belong to the congregation. The placement seems to them structurally out of place.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the careful judicial process God prescribed to defend a woman falsely accused
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley points out that the word "take" in this context means taking someone as a wife, establishing the marriage state. The following phrase then addresses the physical act of marriage separately, distinguishing the legal bond from the consummation.