What Does The Bible Say About Incest?

Incest is sexual intercourse or relationship between persons so closely related that the law forbids them to marry.

Many people hold different views about this subject. Some refer to a few characters in the Bible who purportedly practiced it.

As true as it may seem that God once “allowed” incest during the early age of humanity, we have to understand the state of the world at the time, why God allowed but later forbade them, occurrences before the Law was given, during the period of the Law, and the post-Law era.

Note: Bible quotations are from the NIV, unless otherwise indicated

Contents

1 What Does The Bible Say About Incest?
2 What Does The Bible Say About Incest KJV?
3 Was There Incest In The Bible?
4 Consequences Of Incest In The Bible
5 Can Cousins Marry Each Other According To The Bible?

What Does The Bible Say About Incest?

The Bible is full of different characters with different backstories, many of them sweet, and many others sour.

Incest is one of the issues that, although the Biblical standard should be taken as is, it is still a controversial topic today.

The first recorded instance of an incestuous relationship in the Bible was that between the children of our first parents, Adam and Eve, which started with Cain marrying his sister.

Then we also would later find Abraham marry his half-sister, Sarah. Moses’ father was married to his aunt.

David’s son, Amnon, would rape his half-sister, Tamar. He would later be murdered by a spiteful Absalom over the issue.

From the Bible, we find out that God never spoke anything against marrying a sibling or close relation (there are a few good reasons for this) before the Law of Moses. However, when God gave Moses the Law, He outrightly commanded an end to the practice, forbidding everyone to never engage in it no more.

“No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD.” Leviticus 18:6

What Does The Bible Say About Incest KJV?

Let us look into the Bible according to the KJV and find what God says about it.

“None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD. The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. The nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness. The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover. The nakedness of thy son’s daughter, or of thy daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness. The nakedness of thy father’s wife’s daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s sister: she is thy father’s near kinswoman. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister: for she is thy mother’s near kinswoman. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son’s wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness. Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time. (KJV)” Leviticus 18:6-18

Was There Incest In The Bible?

Yes, there was incest in the Bible across different time. We can categorize the period as pre-Law, Law, and Post-Law era respectively.

Let’s look at some of the instances of incest in the Bible:

Cain marrying his sister (apparently because they were the only ones on earth at the time)

“Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.” Genesis 4:17

Abraham marrying his half-sister, Sarah

“Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife.” Genesis 20:11-12

Lot’s two daughters impregnated by their father

“Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to give us children—as is the custom all over the earth. Let’s get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line through our father.” That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and slept with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Last night I slept with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and sleep with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went in and slept with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab[g]; he is the father of the Moabites of today. The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today.” Genesis 19:30-38

Moses’ father marrying his own aunt

“Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.” Exodus 6:20

God commanded against it

“No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD.” Leviticus 18:6

The unnamed man who had an affair with his father’s wife

“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife.” 1Corinthians 5:1

Consequences Of Incest In The Bible

Incest in the Bible, after the Law was given by God did not go without consequences. Also, one instance of incest that turned out badly was before the Law was the case of Lot and his two daughters. The children they would give birth to would not only become enemies of God’s people. They would also be known as a cursed tribe, the Ammonites and the Moabites.

Here are a few biblical consequences of incest that took place:

It was a violation of one’s own self and one’s family

“Do not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; that would dishonor your father. “‘Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere. “‘Do not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter; that would dishonor you.” Leviticus 18:8-10

It attracted a curse

“Cursed is anyone who sleeps with his father’s wife, for he dishonors his father’s bed.” Then all the people shall say, “Amen!” Deuteronomy 27:20

It was deserving of death

“If a man has sexual relations with his father’s wife, he has dishonored his father. Both the man and the woman are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.Leviticus 20:11

Can Cousins Marry Each Other According To The Bible?

The Bible does not specifically state anything regarding cousins. However, uncles and aunts, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, uncles’ or aunties’ spouses, half-siblings, and so, are mentioned.

The face that cousins are not mentioned may not mean they could marry, because God then says “close relative” specifically so that there is no reason or excuse to engage in this practice.

No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD.”Leviticus 18:6

As long as God lives and we are willing to continue to obey His word, let us see what He says is sin that way, without looking for ways around it. And if He says incest is sin, no matter who they are, as long as they qualify within the category of a close relative, we are not to engage in a sexual relationship with them.