Incest* — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

Prohibitions against incest are prominent in Leviticus 18. Leviticus 20 also addresses the matter and attaches the death penalty to certain kinds of incest. The assignment of severe penalty and the judgments of dishonor and perversion clearly mark incest as a grave offense.

Actual cases in the Bible show incest to be the fruit of a flawed character. Lot’s daughters slept with their drunken father and both became pregnant (Gn 19:30-38). And in 2 Samuel 13:1-22, the deceitful Amnon showed no shame in forcing himself upon his half sister Tamar. Paul’s strong rebuke in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 demonstrates that neither the act nor its wickedness is limited to OT times.

Show passage in OET: GEN 19:30–38

OET-RV GEN 19:30

30 Then Lot and his two daughters left Tsoar and settled up in the hills, because he was afraid to stay in Tsoar. So he lived in a cave up there with his two daughters.

OET-RV GEN 19:31

31 Then the older girl said to the younger, “Dad’s old and there isn’t a single man up here to marry us like happens to other women in the world.

OET-RV GEN 19:32

32 So let’s get Dad drunk and then we can lie with him, so that at least we can have some descendants through our father.”

OET-RV GEN 19:33

33 So then, they got their father to drink wine that evening, and the oldest daughter went and lay with her father, but he wasn’t aware of her coming or going.

OET-RV GEN 19:34

34 Then the next day, the older girl said to the younger, Listen, last night I lay with my father. Let’s get him drunk again tonight then you go lie with him so that we’ll give life to descendants through our father.”

OET-RV GEN 19:35

35 So that next evening also, they got their father to drink wine and the younger girl went and lay with him, but again he wasn’t aware of her coming or going.

OET-RV GEN 19:36

36 In that way, both of Lot’s daughters got themselves pregnant through their father.

OET-RV GEN 19:37

37 Then the eldest daughter gave birth to a son and she named him Moav (Moab) (which means ‘from my father’). (He’s the ancestor of the Moavim to this day.)

OET-RV GEN 19:38

38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son and she named him Ben -Ami (which means ‘son of my people’). (He’s the ancestor of Amonim to this day.)

OET-LV GEN 19:30

30 And_ Lōţ _he/it _ascended from_Tsoˊar and_he/it _sat _down//remained//lived in_country and_the _two _of daughters _of_his with_him/it if/because he _was _afraid to_dwell in_Tsoˊar and_he/it _sat _down//remained//lived in_cave he and_the _two _of daughters _of_his.

OET-LV GEN 19:31

31 And_ the_firstborn _she/it _said to the_young father _of_our he _is _old and_a _man there_is_not on _the_earth to_go on_us according_to _the _way _of all _of the_earth/land.

OET-LV GEN 19:32

32 Come let _us _make _drink DOM father _of_our wine so_that _we _may _lie with_him/it and_so _that _we _may _preserve _alive from_father _of_our offspring.

OET-LV GEN 19:33

33 And_they _made _drink DOM father _of_their wine in_night that and_ the_firstborn _she _came and_she _lay with father _of_her and_not he _knew when_she_lay _down and_when_arose_she.

OET-LV GEN 19:34

34 And_he/it _was from_the_next _day and_ the_firstborn _she/it _said to the_young HERE I _lay last _night with father _of_my let_us _make _him _drink wine also the_night and_go lie with_him/it so_that _we _may _preserve _alive from_father _of_our offspring.

OET-LV GEN 19:35

35 And_they _made _drink also in_night (the)_that DOM father _of_their wine and_ the_young _she/it _arose and_she _lay with_him/it and_not he _knew when_she_lay _down and_when_arose_she.

OET-LV GEN 19:36

36 And_ the _two _of the _daughters _of Lōţ _they _conceived from_father _of_their.

OET-LV GEN 19:37

37 And_ the_firstborn _she/it _gave _birth a _son and_she/it _called/named his/its_name Mōʼāⱱ he is_the _ancestor _of Mōʼāⱱ until the_day.

OET-LV GEN 19:38

38 And_the_young also she she _bore a _son and_she/it _called/named his/its_name Ben- Ammi he is_the _ancestor _of the _people _of ˊAmmōn until the_day.

Show passage in OET: CO1 5:1–5

OET-RV CO1 5:1

5 Actually, we’ve been hearing that there’s sexual immorality there among you all, and so bad that even non-believers don’t do it: a man is sleeping with his step-mother!

OET-RV CO1 5:2

2 Then instead of being upset, you all seem proud of it. This man should have been expelled out of your group,

OET-RV CO1 5:3

3 because even though I’m not there physically, I am present in the spirit, and I’ve already made my judgement about the man who’s doing this, as if I were present.

OET-RV CO1 5:4

4 When you assemble together in the name of our master Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus), my spirit is there along with the master Yeshua’s power,

OET-RV CO1 5:5

5 then you should hand this man over to Satan to punish his body, so that his spirit can be saved for when the master returns.

OET-LV CO1 5:1

5 Actually is _being _heard among you _all sexual _immorality, and such sexual _immorality which is not _even among the pagans, so _as the_wife someone of _his father to _be _having.

OET-LV CO1 5:2

2 And you _all having _been _arrogant are, and not rather you _all _mourned, in _order _that may _be _taken _away out _of midst of _you _all the one, the work this having _done.

OET-LV CO1 5:3

3 I for on _one _hand being _absent the in _body, on _the _other _hand being _present the in _spirit, already have _judged as being _present, the one thus this having _produced.

OET-LV CO1 5:4

4 In the name of _the master of _us, Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa) having _been _gathered _together you _all and which of _mine in _spirit, with the power of _the master of _us Yaʸsous,

OET-LV CO1 5:5

5 to _give _over the such one to_ the _Satan/(Sāţān) for the_destruction of _his flesh, in _order _that his spirit may _be _saved in the day of _the of_master.

Jump to OET GEN 19:30–38 section.

Jump to OET CO1 5:1–5 section.

Blood relationship, or consanguinity, is one ground for declaring sexual contact unlawful. This applies, for example, to brothers and sisters, parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, as well as some aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.

The relationships denounced in Leviticus 18 are not, however, all based upon blood kinship. A number of them are matters of kinship through marriage, matters of affinity. In this connection, sexual relations with in-laws and certain aunts and uncles are declared incestuous. It should be noted that the in-law rule could be relaxed in ancient Israel when a widowed sister-in-law was left without a son (Dt 25:5-10).

Show passage in OET: DEU 25:5–10

OET-RV DEU 25:5

5 If some brothers live on the same property and one of them dies without leaving a son, then the widow mustn’t marry outside of the family. Her brother-in-law must take her as a wife for himself and perform the duty of a brother-in-law.

OET-RV DEU 25:6

6 If she gives birth to a son in due course, he’ll be considered as the son of the brother who died, so that his family name won’t disappear from Yisrael (Israel).

OET-RV DEU 25:7

7 But if the dead man’s brother doesn’t want to marry the widow, she must go to the elders at the city gate and explain that her brother-in-law is refusing to do his duty to preserve the dead brother’s family name in Yisrael.

OET-RV DEU 25:8

8 Then those elders must summon the brother and talk to him. However, if he really doesn’t want to marry her,

OET-RV DEU 25:9

9 then his late brother’s wife must go up to him in front of those elders, and take his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. Then she must say, ‘That’s what happens to a man who won’t strengthen his brother’s family.’

OET-RV DEU 25:10

10 After that, the brother will be known in Yisrael as the man who had his sandal taken off.

OET-LV DEU 25:5

5 If/because brothers they _will _dwell together and_ one from_them _he _will _die and_a _son there_belongs_not to_him/it not the _wife _of the _dead_man she _will _belong to_the_outside to_a _man strange brother _of_her _husband’s he _will _go on/upon_it(f) and_he_will _take _her to_him/it to/for_(a)_woman and_he_will _act _as _a _husband’s _brother _for _her.

OET-LV DEU 25:6

6 And_it _was the_firstborn whom she _will _bear he _will _stand on the _name _of his/its_brother (the)_dead and_not his/its_name it _will _be _wiped _out from_Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel).

OET-LV DEU 25:7

7 And_if not the_man he _will _desire to_take/accept/receive DOM wife _of_his _brother’s and_ wife _of_his _brother’s _she _will _go _up to_the_gate to the_elders and_she _will _say brother _of_my _husband’s he _has _refused to_establish for_brother _of_his a _name in_Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) not he _was _willing to_act _as _a _husband’s _brother _for _me.

OET-LV DEU 25:8

8 And_they _will _summon to_him/it the _elders _of his _city _of_his and_they _will _speak to_him/it and_he _will _stand _firm and_saying(ms) not I _desire to_take_her.

OET-LV DEU 25:9

9 And_ wife _of_his _brother’s _she _will _draw _near to_him/it to_the _eyes _of the _elders and_she _will _draw _off sandal _of_his from_under foot _of_his and_she _will _spit in_face _of_his and_she _will _answer and_she _will _say thus let _it _be _done to_man who not he _will _build DOM the _house _of his/its_brother

OET-LV DEU 25:10

10 and_ his/its_name _it _will _be _called in_Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) the _house _of the_one_drawn _off _of the _sandal.

Jump to OET DEU 25:5–10 section.

While there are good genetic reasons to shun incest among blood relations, the fundamental problem with incest is that it strikes at the soundness of the family. And since the family is central to God’s purposes and work on earth, his judgment on this practice is fierce. Families simply cannot survive sexual intrigue among their members.