◄ Deuteronomy 22:30 ►
A man is not to marry his father's wife, so that he will not dishonor his father's marriage bed.
Study Bible
A man is not to marry
This phrase sets a clear prohibition, emphasizing the sanctity and boundaries of familial relationships. The Hebrew root for "marry" here is "laqach," which means to take or to seize. This indicates not just a legal union but an act of taking possession, which in this context is forbidden. The command underscores the importance of respecting family structures and the divine order established by God. Historically, this prohibition would have been crucial in maintaining the integrity and purity of the Israelite community, preventing confusion and conflict within family lines.

his father’s wife
This phrase refers specifically to a stepmother, not the man's biological mother. The Hebrew term "’ishah" is used for "wife," which can denote a woman or a wife, depending on the context. The specificity here is crucial, as it delineates the boundaries of sexual morality and respect within the family. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, such relationships were often fraught with power dynamics and inheritance issues. By prohibiting this union, the law protects the dignity of the father and the sanctity of the family unit.

so that he will not dishonor
The word "dishonor" comes from the Hebrew "galah," which means to uncover or expose. This term is often used in the context of shame or disgrace. The act of marrying a father's wife would bring shame not only to the individuals involved but also to the family and community. It reflects a deep understanding of honor and shame cultures prevalent in ancient Israel, where family reputation was paramount.

his father’s marriage bed
The "marriage bed" is a euphemism for the intimate relationship between a husband and wife. The Hebrew "mishkav" is used here, which can mean a bed or a place of lying down. This phrase highlights the sacredness of the marital relationship, which is not to be violated or disrespected. In the broader scriptural context, the marriage bed is often seen as a symbol of covenantal faithfulness and purity. By protecting this space, the law upholds the sanctity of marriage as ordained by God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The author of Deuteronomy, delivering God's laws to the Israelites.

2. Israelites
The audience receiving the laws, preparing to enter the Promised Land.

3. Canaan
The land where the Israelites are headed, known for its different cultural practices.

4. Father's Wife
Refers to a stepmother, highlighting the family dynamics and respect for parental relationships.

5. Marriage Bed
Symbolizes the sanctity and exclusivity of the marital relationship.
Teaching Points
Respect for Family Boundaries
The commandment underscores the importance of respecting family relationships and boundaries. It teaches us to honor the sanctity of marriage and the roles within a family.

Cultural Distinction
The Israelites were called to be distinct from the surrounding nations. This law served as a boundary marker, setting them apart in their moral and ethical conduct.

Holiness and Purity
The prohibition reflects God's call for His people to live holy lives, avoiding practices that defile and dishonor relationships.

Consequences of Disobedience
Violating this commandment would bring dishonor and potential chaos to family structures, highlighting the broader impact of personal sin.

Application in Modern Context
While the specific cultural context may differ, the principle of honoring family relationships and maintaining purity remains relevant today.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does this commandment reflect the broader theme of honoring one's parents found throughout Scripture?

2. In what ways can we apply the principle of respecting family boundaries in our modern context?

3. How does the prohibition in Deuteronomy 22:30 relate to the New Testament teachings on sexual morality?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to uphold the sanctity of marriage in our communities?

5. How can understanding the cultural context of ancient Israel help us interpret and apply this commandment today?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 18:8
This verse also prohibits sexual relations with a father's wife, emphasizing the importance of maintaining family honor and boundaries.

1 Corinthians 5:1
Paul addresses a similar issue in the Corinthian church, showing that such prohibitions are relevant in both Old and New Testament contexts.

Genesis 9:22-23
The account of Ham and Noah illustrates the consequences of dishonoring one's father, reinforcing the importance of respect within the family.
Sermons
ChastityJ. Orr Deuteronomy 22:13-30
Expedients to Secure PurityR.M. Edgar Deuteronomy 22:13-30
Various Penalties for UnchastityD. Davies Deuteronomy 22:22-30
People
Hen, Moses
Places
Beth-baal-peor
Topics
Bed, Discover, Dishonor, Father's, Relations, Sex, Skirt, Uncover, Wife
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Deuteronomy 22:30

     5229   bed

Deuteronomy 22:13-30

     6206   offence

Deuteronomy 22:28-30

     5711   marriage, restrictions

Library
Spiritual Farming. --No. 2 Ploughing.
There have been during the last few years great improvements in the construction of the plough, but no one dreams of any substitute for it. Ploughing is as necessary as sowing; that is to say, the land must be stirred and prepared for the seed. In heavenly husbandry there are some well-meaning folk who would dispense with the plough, and preach faith without repentance, but only to find that the birds of the air get most of the seed! If there is to be an abiding work there must be conviction of …
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread

If any Woman, under Pretence of Asceticism, Shall Change Her Apparel And...
If any woman, under pretence of asceticism, shall change her apparel and, instead of a woman's accustomed clothing, shall put on that of a man, let her be anathema. Notes. Ancient Epitome of Canon XIII. Whatever women wear men's clothes, anathema to them. Hefele. The synodal letter in its sixth article also speaks of this. Exchange of dress, or the adoption by one sex of the dress of the other, was forbidden in the Pentateuch (Deut. xxii. 5), and was therefore most strictly interdicted by the whole …
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils

Excursus on the Word Theotokos .
There have been some who have tried to reduce all the great theological controversies on the Trinity and on the Incarnation to mere logomachies, and have jeered at those who could waste their time and energies over such trivialities. For example, it has been said that the real difference between Arius and Athanasius was nothing more nor less than an iota, and that even Athanasius himself, in his more placid, and therefore presumably more rational moods, was willing to hold communion with those who …
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils

The Story of the Adulteress.
(Jerusalem.) ^D John VII. 53-VIII. 11. [This section is wanting in nearly all older manuscripts, but Jerome (a.d. 346-420) says that in his time it was contained in "many Greek and Latin manuscripts," and these must have been as good or better than the best manuscripts we now possess. But whether we regard it as part of John's narrative or not, scholars very generally accept it as a genuine piece of history.] ^d 53 And they went every man unto his own house [confused by the question of Nicodemus, …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

List of Abbreviations Used in Reference to Rabbinic Writings Quoted in this Work.
THE Mishnah is always quoted according to Tractate, Chapter (Pereq) and Paragraph (Mishnah), the Chapter being marked in Roman, the paragraph in ordinary Numerals. Thus Ber. ii. 4 means the Mishnic Tractate Berakhoth, second Chapter, fourth Paragraph. The Jerusalem Talmud is distinguished by the abbreviation Jer. before the name of the Tractate. Thus, Jer. Ber. is the Jer. Gemara, or Talmud, of the Tractate Berakhoth. The edition, from which quotations are made, is that commonly used, Krotoschin, …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Whether There is to be a Resurrection of the Body?
Objection 1: It would seem that there is not to be a resurrection of the body: for it is written (Job 14:12): "Man, when he is fallen asleep, shall not rise again till the heavens be broken." But the heavens shall never be broken, since the earth, to which seemingly this is still less applicable, "standeth for ever" (Eccles. 1:4). Therefore the man that is dead shall never rise again. Objection 2: Further, Our Lord proves the resurrection by quoting the words: "I am the God of Abraham, and the God …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Annunciation to Joseph of the Birth of Jesus.
(at Nazareth, b.c. 5.) ^A Matt. I. 18-25. ^a 18 Now the birth [The birth of Jesus is to handled with reverential awe. We are not to probe into its mysteries with presumptuous curiosity. The birth of common persons is mysterious enough (Eccl. ix. 5; Ps. cxxxix. 13-16), and we do not well, therefore, if we seek to be wise above what is written as to the birth of the Son of God] of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed [The Jews were usually betrothed ten or twelve months …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Parable of the Good Samaritan.
(Probably Judæa.) ^C Luke X. 25-37. ^c 25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial of him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? [For the term lawyer see pp. 313, 314, The lawyer wished to make trial of the skill of Jesus in solving the intricate and difficult question as to how to obtain salvation. Jesus was probably teaching in some house or courtyard, and his habit of giving local color to his parables suggests that he was probably in or near Bethany, through …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Healing of the Woman - Christ's Personal Appearance - the Raising of Jairus' Daughter
THERE seems remarkable correspondence between the two miracles which Jesus had wrought on leaving Capernaum and those which He did on His return. In one sense they are complementary to each other. The stilling of the storm and the healing of the demonised were manifestations of the absolute power inherent in Christ; the recovery of the woman and the raising of Jairus' daughter, evidence of the absolute efficacy of faith. The unlikeliness of dominion over the storm, and of command over a legion of …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Among the People, and with the Pharisees
It would have been difficult to proceed far either in Galilee or in Judaea without coming into contact with an altogether peculiar and striking individuality, differing from all around, and which would at once arrest attention. This was the Pharisee. Courted or feared, shunned or flattered, reverently looked up to or laughed at, he was equally a power everywhere, both ecclesiastically and politically, as belonging to the most influential, the most zealous, and the most closely-connected religions …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Barren Fig-Tree. Temple Cleansed.
(Road from Bethany and Jerusalem. Monday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXI. 18, 19, 12, 13; ^B Mark XI. 12-18; ^C Luke XIX. 45-48. ^b 12 And ^a 18 Now ^b on the morrow [on the Monday following the triumphal entry], ^a in the morning ^b when they were come out from Bethany, ^a as he returned to the city [Jerusalem], he hungered. [Breakfast with the Jews came late in the forenoon, and these closing days of our Lord's ministry were full of activity that did not have time to tarry at Bethany for it. Our …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Mothers, Daughters, and Wives in Israel
In order accurately to understand the position of woman in Israel, it is only necessary carefully to peruse the New Testament. The picture of social life there presented gives a full view of the place which she held in private and in public life. Here we do not find that separation, so common among Orientals at all times, but a woman mingles freely with others both at home and abroad. So far from suffering under social inferiority, she takes influential and often leading part in all movements, specially …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

How Does it Come?
How does the Filling of the Spirit come? "Does it come once for all? or is it always coming, as it were?" was a question addressed to me once by a young candidate for the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. There are many asking the same question. We have considered how the Fullness is obtained, but now we proceed to consider, How does the Fullness come? In speaking of the blessing of being filled with the Spirit, the New Testament writers use three tenses in the Greek--the Aorist, the Imperfect, and the …
John MacNeil—The Spirit-Filled Life

The Development of the Earlier Old Testament Laws
[Sidenote: First the principle, and then the detailed laws] If the canon of the New Testament had remained open as long as did that of the Old, there is little doubt that it also would have contained many laws, legal precedents, and ecclesiastical histories. From the writings of the Church Fathers and the records of the Catholic Church it is possible to conjecture what these in general would have been. The early history of Christianity illustrates the universal fact that the broad principles are …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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