Verses 11, 12. - It should be noted that intercourse with a stepmother or daughter-in-law are put, by the punishment inflicted upon them, on the same level with adultery and unnatural crimes (verses 10, 13, 15, 16).
20:10-27 These verses repeat what had been said before, but it was needful there should be line upon line. What praises we owe to God that he has taught the evil of sin, and the sure way of deliverance from it! May we have grace to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things; may we have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness, but reprove them.
And the man that lieth with his father's wife,.... Whether she be his mother, or another woman, as the Targum of Jonathan; that is, whether she is his own mother, or a stepmother, or whether he did this in the lifetime of his father, or after his death, or whether she was betrothed or married, it mattered not; according to the Jewish tradition (d), this is a breach of the law, Leviticus 18:8; and a man guilty of this
hath uncovered his father's nakedness; and which is a foul and shameful piece of wickedness; the penalty follows:
both of them shall be put to death; by casting stones on them, as the Targum of Jonathan adds; for, as before observed, wherever the following phrase:
their blood shall be upon them, is used, stoning is meant; and so, according to the Misnah (e), all those were to be stoned, after mentioned, of whom this phrase is used.
(d) Misn. ut supra, (Sanhedrin, c. 7.) sect. 4. (e) lbid.
hath uncovered his father's nakedness; and which is a foul and shameful piece of wickedness; the penalty follows:
both of them shall be put to death; by casting stones on them, as the Targum of Jonathan adds; for, as before observed, wherever the following phrase:
their blood shall be upon them, is used, stoning is meant; and so, according to the Misnah (e), all those were to be stoned, after mentioned, of whom this phrase is used.
(d) Misn. ut supra, (Sanhedrin, c. 7.) sect. 4. (e) lbid.