Deuteronomy 22:30

(Heb. ch. Deuteronomy 23:1.) Against Intercourse with a Father's Wife, cp. Deuteronomy 27:20, and H, Leviticus 18:8; Leviticus 20:11, where the prohibition is extended to other female relatives. Either D's law is earlier than H's or D did not know of H's. Its limitation to this special case is explained by the fact that such intercourse had been regarded as proof of succession to the father's property (2 Samuel 3:7; 2 Samuel 16:22; 1 Kings 2:22) and was become frequent (Ezekiel 22:10); probably the survival of a practice general in early times (but condemned by J, Genesis 35:22; Genesis 49:4).

Thus among the ancient Arabs a man succeeded to his father's wives along with other heritable property, but this was forbidden by the Korân, iv. 26. For instances in Syria see W. R. Smith, Kinship, etc., 86 90, OTJC2, 369 f. By § 158 of Ḫammurabi a man caught after his father's death with a step-mother who has borne children, is cut off from his father's house; by § 157 incest is punished by burning. Cp. H, Leviticus 18:7.

uncover, etc.] Deuteronomy 27:20, for the sense see Ruth 3:9; Ezekiel 16:8, and cp. the Ar. parallel quoted through W. R. Smith in Driver's Deut.259, n. 1.