In the Hebrew text this verse is 23.1, which means that the verse numbers of chapter 23 in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation are one ahead of the numbers in the Hebrew text. The Hebrew chapter and verse numbers will be written within square brackets as a reminder to those who need to use this system.

For this case see 27.20; Lev 18.7-8; 20.11.

His father’s wife: not his mother, but his stepmother, most likely one of his father’s several wives.

Uncover her who is his father’s: this translates the Hebrew “uncover his father’s skirt,” meaning to invade the privacy of the father’s marriage. “To cover with the skirt” means to get married (Ruth 3.9; Ezek 16.8). This is not in addition to the first rule, as Revised Standard Version nor suggests; rather it is an explanation of it, as Good News Translation renders it. See also New Revised Standard Version: “A man shall not marry his father’s wife, thereby violating his father’s rights.” Good News Translation is a good alternative model for the verse.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .