Deuteronomy 27:23
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Deuteronomy 27:23
23 Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Chapter Context
Deuteronomy 27 is a sermonic and legal chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of redemption, salvation, love. Written during the end of the wilderness wandering (c. 1406 BCE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Moses delivered these speeches as Israel prepared to enter a land filled with different Canaanite city-states.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-26: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it provides guidance for worship and spiritual devotion. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Deuteronomy and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Deuteronomy 27:23
23 Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Analysis
Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law—Leviticus 18:17 and 20:14 prohibit this as zimmah (זִמָּה, wickedness/depravity), requiring execution by burning. The severity reflects how such violation destroys family structure God ordained for human flourishing. The mother-in-law relationship created through marriage covenant makes this union a perversion of sacred kinship bonds.
The continuing refrain And all the people shall say, Amen reinforced communal accountability. Each 'Amen' was a corporate covenant renewal declaring, 'We agree with God's standards and will uphold them.' The New Testament similarly commands believers to have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them (Ephesians 5:11).
Historical Context
In the ancient Near East, marriage created extensive kinship obligations and protections. A man's relationship to his wife's mother was legally and morally defined—she was family, not a potential sexual partner. The public proclamation of these curses at Mount Ebal made clear that Israel's covenant community would not tolerate the sexual chaos common among Canaanite cultures, where temple prostitution and cultic sexual rituals were normalized.
Reflection
- How does God's design for family boundaries protect human dignity and relational flourishing?
- What modern 'redefinitions' of family and sexuality parallel the ancient violations these curses condemned?
Cross-References
- Parallel theme: Leviticus 18:17, 20:14