Deuteronomy 27:22 is a curse pronounced on anyone who has sexual relations with a sister, whether she is a full sister or a half-sister through the father or the mother. In the ancient covenant ceremony, the people of Israel answered each curse with a shared “Amen,” agreeing that such conduct breaks the covenant and brings judgment on the one who commits it. Moses speaks these words to the whole nation of Israel as they prepare to enter the Promised Land.
‘Cursed is he who lies with his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Deuteronomy 27:22 (WEB)
What Deuteronomy 27:22 Means
The verse begins with the word “cursed,” which in this setting means under the covenant judgment of God, set apart as one who has broken faith with him. The phrase “lies with” is a common Hebrew idiom for sexual relations, and the verse names the specific relationship: a sister, whether she shares the same father, the same mother, or is a half-sibling on either side. Because the curse is announced publicly, the community itself takes responsibility for upholding the moral boundary.
What the verse does not do is offer a detailed legal penalty or describe the circumstances of a particular case. It states a principle of holiness and family order that the whole community is called to recognize and affirm. Its purpose is to make the boundary clear and the consequence serious, not to provide every answer about how it was applied in daily life.
The Context of Deuteronomy 27:22
Deuteronomy is presented as Moses’s farewell addresses to Israel before they cross the Jordan River. Traditionally Moses is regarded as its author, though many scholars recognize that the book took its final shape over a longer period. Its audience is the second generation of Israelites, who will soon live as a nation in the land God promised to their ancestors, and who need to understand the covenant terms that will govern their common life there.
The verse sits within a sequence of curses in Deuteronomy 27:19 through 27:25, each pronounced over a different category of wrongdoing. Just before it, the curse on a man who lies with his father’s wife addresses a similar family boundary, and just after it, the curse on relations with a mother-in-law continues the theme. Read in this line, the verse shows that God’s concern for justice and purity extends from the household to the wider community, and that these boundaries protect the dignity of every member of the family.
Key Phrases in Deuteronomy 27:22
Leviticus 18:9
“‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home, or born abroad.
(WEB)
This verse expands on the family boundaries in Deuteronomy 27, naming the sister relationship alongside other close kin and stating that such conduct is a serious violation of holiness. Reading it alongside Deuteronomy 27:22 helps show the consistency of God’s law across the books of Moses.
Genesis 2:24
Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.
(WEB)
This verse describes the original design of marriage and the leaving and cleaving that establishes a new family. It helps us understand why God draws clear lines around sexual relationships, since they belong within the covenant bond and the家 structure he created from the beginning.
A Short Prayer From Deuteronomy 27:22
Lord, you are holy, and your law reaches into our families, our homes, and the closest places of our hearts. Thank you for the clear boundaries you have given to protect dignity and to keep our relationships whole. Where we have strayed, or where we are tempted to excuse what you have forbidden, give us honesty and courage to turn back to you. Help us to honor the people closest to us with purity and respect, and to speak truth in love when others are at risk. Keep our families under your watchful care, and let our lives reflect your faithfulness. Amen.
