Cursed is he who sleeps with his mother-in-law.' And let all the people say, 'Amen!' Cursed is heThe word "cursed" in Hebrew is "אָרוּר" (arur), which signifies being under a divine curse or ban. In the context of Deuteronomy, curses are pronounced as part of the covenantal blessings and curses that the Israelites are to affirm upon entering the Promised Land. This reflects the seriousness with which God views the covenant and the moral and ethical standards He sets for His people. The use of "cursed" underscores the gravity of the offense and the divine disapproval it incurs. who sleeps with
The phrase "sleeps with" is a euphemism for engaging in sexual relations. In Hebrew, the verb used is "שָׁכַב" (shakab), which is often used in the context of illicit or inappropriate sexual relations. This highlights the moral boundaries established by God for His people, emphasizing the sanctity of sexual relations within the bounds of marriage as defined by Scripture. his mother-in-law
The term "mother-in-law" in Hebrew is "חֲמוֹתוֹ" (chamato). This relationship is significant in the context of ancient Israelite society, where family structures and relationships were governed by strict codes of conduct. The prohibition against sexual relations with a mother-in-law is rooted in the broader Levitical laws that define prohibited degrees of kinship for marriage and sexual relations (Leviticus 18:8, 20:11). This reflects the importance of maintaining family integrity and the sanctity of familial roles. And let all the people say, Amen!
The word "Amen" is derived from the Hebrew "אָמֵן" (amen), meaning "truly" or "so be it." In this context, it serves as a communal affirmation of the curse, indicating collective agreement and acceptance of the covenantal stipulations. The response of "Amen" by the people signifies their acknowledgment of the law's authority and their commitment to uphold it. This communal aspect underscores the collective responsibility of the Israelite community to maintain holiness and obedience to God's commands. Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe leader of the Israelites who delivered God's laws and commands, including the blessings and curses in Deuteronomy. 2. The IsraelitesThe chosen people of God, receiving the law as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. 3. Mount Ebal and Mount GerizimThe locations where the blessings and curses were to be proclaimed to the Israelites. 4. The LevitesThe tribe responsible for proclaiming the curses to the people. 5. The CovenantThe agreement between God and the Israelites, which includes adherence to His laws. Teaching Points The Sanctity of Family BoundariesGod's laws protect the integrity and sanctity of family relationships. Violating these boundaries leads to societal and spiritual decay. The Seriousness of Sexual SinSexual immorality is not just a personal sin but affects the community and one's relationship with God. It is crucial to uphold purity and holiness. The Role of Community in Upholding God's StandardsThe communal response of "Amen" signifies collective agreement and responsibility in maintaining God's laws. The community plays a role in accountability. The Importance of Obedience to God's CommandsObedience to God's laws is a sign of faithfulness and commitment to the covenant relationship with Him. Disobedience brings curses, while obedience brings blessings. Repentance and RestorationWhile the curse highlights the severity of sin, God's grace offers a path to repentance and restoration through Christ. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the command in Deuteronomy 27:23 reflect God's design for family relationships, and why is it important to uphold these boundaries today? 2. In what ways can the church today act as a community that upholds God's standards, similar to the Israelites' communal response of "Amen"? 3. How do the consequences of sexual immorality, as seen in Deuteronomy 27:23 and other scriptures, impact both individuals and communities? 4. What steps can we take to ensure that we are living in obedience to God's commands, particularly in the area of sexual purity? 5. How can we apply the principles of repentance and restoration in our lives when we or others fall short of God's standards? Connections to Other Scriptures Leviticus 18:8This verse also addresses unlawful sexual relations, emphasizing the sanctity of family boundaries. 1 Corinthians 5:1Paul addresses a similar issue in the Corinthian church, highlighting the continuity of moral standards in both the Old and New Testaments. Genesis 2:24Establishes the sanctity of marriage, which is violated by the act described in Deuteronomy 27:23. Proverbs 6:32Discusses the consequences of adultery, reinforcing the destructive nature of such sins. Hebrews 13:4Affirms the honor of marriage and the judgment against sexual immorality. People Asher, Benjamin, Dan, Gad, Issachar, Joseph, Levi, Levites, Moses, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, ZebulunPlaces Beth-baal-peor, Jordan River, Mount Ebal, Mount GerizimTopics Amen, Cursed, Law, Lies, Lieth, Lying, Mother-in-law, Relations, Sex, SleepsDictionary of Bible Themes Deuteronomy 27:23 5719 mothers, responsibilities Deuteronomy 27:1-26 7797 teaching Deuteronomy 27:9-26 5827 curse Deuteronomy 27:15-26 1461 truth, nature of
5783 agreement Deuteronomy 27:20-23 5681 family, nature of Library Obedience
Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the Lord thy God, and do his commandments.' Deut 27: 9, 10. What is the duty which God requireth of man? Obedience to his revealed will. It is not enough to hear God's voice, but we must obey. Obedience is a part of the honour we owe to God. If then I be a Father, where is my honour?' Mal 1: 6. Obedience carries in it the life-blood of religion. Obey the voice of the Lord …
Thomas Watson—The Ten CommandmentsIn Judæa and through Samaria - a Sketch of Samaritan History and Theology - Jews and Samaritans.
We have no means of determining how long Jesus may have tarried in Jerusalem after the events recorded in the previous two chapters. The Evangelic narrative [1850] only marks an indefinite period of time, which, as we judge from internal probability, cannot have been protracted. From the city He retired with His disciples to the country,' which formed the province of Judæa. There He taught and His disciples baptized. [1851] [1852] From what had been so lately witnessed in Jerusalem, as well …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah How Christ is Made Use of for Justification as a Way.
What Christ hath done to purchase, procure, and bring about our justification before God, is mentioned already, viz. That he stood in the room of sinners, engaging for them as their cautioner, undertaking, and at length paying down the ransom; becoming sin, or a sacrifice for sin, and a curse for them, and so laying down his life a ransom to satisfy divine justice; and this he hath made known in the gospel, calling sinners to an accepting of him as their only Mediator, and to a resting upon him for …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life Gilgal, in Deuteronomy 11:30 what the Place Was.
That which is said by Moses, that "Gerizim and Ebal were over-against Gilgal," Deuteronomy 11:30, is so obscure, that it is rendered into contrary significations by interpreters. Some take it in that sense, as if it were near to Gilgal: some far off from Gilgal: the Targumists read, "before Gilgal": while, as I think, they do not touch the difficulty; which lies not so much in the signification of the word Mul, as in the ambiguity of the word Gilgal. These do all seem to understand that Gilgal which …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica In Galilee at the Time of Our Lord
"If any one wishes to be rich, let him go north; if he wants to be wise, let him come south." Such was the saying, by which Rabbinical pride distinguished between the material wealth of Galilee and the supremacy in traditional lore claimed for the academies of Judaea proper. Alas, it was not long before Judaea lost even this doubtful distinction, and its colleges wandered northwards, ending at last by the Lake of Gennesaret, and in that very city of Tiberias which at one time had been reputed unclean! …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Meditations of the Misery of a Man not Reconciled to God in Christ.
O wretched Man! where shall I begin to describe thine endless misery, who art condemned as soon as conceived; and adjudged to eternal death, before thou wast born to a temporal life? A beginning indeed, I find, but no end of thy miseries. For when Adam and Eve, being created after God's own image, and placed in Paradise, that they and their posterity might live in a blessed state of life immortal, having dominion over all earthly creatures, and only restrained from the fruit of one tree, as a sign …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXIII. 1-39; ^B Mark XII. 38-40; ^C Luke XX. 45-47. ^a 1 Then spake Jesus ^b 38 And in his teaching ^c in the hearing of all the people he said unto ^a the multitudes, and to his disciples [he spoke in the most public manner], 2 saying, ^c 46 Beware of the scribes, ^a The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: 3 all things whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Differences in Judgment About Water Baptism, no Bar to Communion: Or, to Communicate with Saints, as Saints, Proved Lawful.
IN ANSWER TO A BOOK WRITTEN BY THE BAPTISTS, AND PUBLISHED BY MR. T. PAUL AND MR. W. KIFFIN, ENTITLED, 'SOME SERIOUS REFLECTIONS ON THAT PART OF MR BUNYAN'S CONFESSION OF FAITH, TOUCHING CHURCH COMMUNION WITH UNBAPTIZED BELIEVERS.' WHEREIN THEIR OBJECTIONS AND ARGUMENTS ARE ANSWERED, AND THE DOCTRINE OF COMMUNION STILL ASSERTED AND VINDICATED. HERE IS ALSO MR. HENRY JESSE'S JUDGMENT IN THE CASE, FULLY DECLARING THE DOCTRINE I HAVE ASSERTED. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'Should not the multitude of words be answered? …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 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 Links Deuteronomy 27:23 NIVDeuteronomy 27:23 NLTDeuteronomy 27:23 ESVDeuteronomy 27:23 NASBDeuteronomy 27:23 KJV
Deuteronomy 27:23 Commentaries
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