What Does the Bible Say About Incest?
"Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen."— Deuteronomy 27:22 Deuteronomy 27:22
This verse is part of a series of public covenant curses delivered by Moses to the people of Israel on Mount Ebal. The communal response — "Amen" — signals that these prohibitions carried collective moral and spiritual weight for the entire community Deuteronomy 27:22. The curse isn't merely legal; it's covenantal, meaning violation ruptures one's standing before God and community.
Deuteronomy 27:23 extends the prohibition further:
"Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen."Deuteronomy 27:23 This shows that the biblical concern isn't limited to blood relations alone — it encompasses the broader family structure created through marriage. Together, these passages establish that incest, in its various forms, is treated as a grave transgression in the Hebrew scriptures.
Protestant View on Incest
"Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen."
Protestant Christianity has historically grounded its sexual ethics firmly in Old Testament law as interpreted through the lens of the New Testament's moral continuity. The explicit curses in Deuteronomy 27 are understood not merely as ceremonial or civil laws unique to ancient Israel, but as expressions of God's enduring moral order Deuteronomy 27:22Deuteronomy 27:23.
Deuteronomy 27:22 names the specific sin of lying with a sister — whether she is the daughter of one's father or one's mother — and declares it cursed before the entire assembly Deuteronomy 27:22. Protestant theologians like John Calvin and Matthew Henry understood these curses as reflecting natural law written on the conscience, meaning incest isn't just culturally prohibited but morally disordered at its root.
Protestant ethics also situates incest within the broader category of sexual immorality condemned throughout Scripture. While Deuteronomy 5:18 addresses adultery — "Neither shalt thou commit adultery" Deuteronomy 5:18 — Protestant interpreters have consistently read the Seventh Commandment as encompassing all unlawful sexual unions, including incestuous ones. The family unit is seen as a divinely ordered institution, and incest is viewed as a fundamental violation of that order Deuteronomy 27:23.
Key takeaways
- Deuteronomy 27:22 explicitly curses sexual relations with a sister — whether the daughter of one's father or mother — with the entire community affirming 'Amen.' Deuteronomy 27:22
- Deuteronomy 27:23 extends the biblical prohibition to include sexual relations with a mother-in-law, showing the concern covers both blood and marriage-based family ties. Deuteronomy 27:23
- The Bible's condemnation of incest is covenantal and communal, not merely private — violations were considered offenses against God and the entire community. Deuteronomy 27:22
- Protestant Christianity reads the Seventh Commandment's prohibition of adultery (Deuteronomy 5:18) as part of a broader sexual ethic that encompasses incest. Deuteronomy 5:18
- Proverbs 6:32 warns that sexual immorality destroys one's soul, a principle Protestant interpreters apply to incestuous relationships as among the gravest violations. Proverbs 6:32
Discussion
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