Marrying your cousin isn’t a bad idea. In fact, it was very common in the Bible and in many cultures around the world. The Bible doesn’t say anything specifically against marrying your cousin but there are some warnings you should heed when considering it.
The Bible has many verses about marrying close family members, and some of them may seem strange to us. But remember, in the Old Testament times cousins were seen as a common way to keep a family line pure. Caring for the poor and helping people was also very important in those days, just like it is today.
Do well to browse through our catalog right here on Churchgists for prompt information on who were cousins in the bible, who married their cousin in the bible, and so much more. You don’t want to miss this!
Bible Verses About Marrying Your Cousin
Bible Verses About Marrying Your Cousin: The Bible has a lot to say about marriage, but it can be hard to find specific verses on a specific subject. what does the bible say about marrying your second cousin? Check out the forbidden marriages in the bible.
When it comes to marrying your cousin, there are several relevant passages that make it clear that this is something God wants us to do. Here are some of the best ones:
“Thou shalt not marry thy near kin; thou shalt not give thy daughter unto his son, nor take his daughter for thy son.” – Deuteronomy 7:3
“A man should not take his brother’s wife, that is detestable.” – Leviticus 20:21
“Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.” – Deuteronomy 7:3-4
What Does The Bible Say About Marrying Your Second Cousin
This is a piece of content written to persuade the reader that marrying cousins is indeed good and there are several bible verses to prove it.
And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me? (Genesis 27:46)
“I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?”
- Genesis 27:46
Rebekah was concerned that if Jacob married one of these Hittite women, she would not be able to bear it. Her life would have no purpose. After all, Rebekah had been chosen by God to be Isaac’s wife and give birth to Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:19). But now she was being asked to let her son marry someone else! What should she do?
Isaac knew what his answer would have been if Rebekah had asked him this question directly instead of through an intermediary—he’d tell her that they must allow Jacob to choose who he wants as his wife regardless of their family history or bloodline (Genesis 28:5). But Isaac didn’t want Rebekah worrying about what might happen; he wanted her mind at ease so that she could focus on other things in life besides worrying about how marriage might affect them both emotionally and spiritually. So rather than tell her outright how much he supported this decision for their son’s future happiness and well-being (and perhaps hers), he simply assured her that everything would work out just fine no matter who Jacob chooses as his spouse—and then proceeded onward with his plan for their son’s wedding day without ever having verbally communicated those sentiments again until after everything had happened exactly as predicted when Joseph came back from Egypt many years later…
And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him: (Genesis 7:7)
The Bible clearly states that Noah and his family were the only people on earth. This means that Noah’s wife was part of his family, as was each of their wives. All of them were related in some way, which makes for an interesting situation if you take a look at Genesis 7:7:
And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him: (Genesis 7:7)
That verse uses the word “wives” to refer to all four women in Noah’s life—his mom Lamech, who passed away before the Flood; Ham’s own wife; Japheth’s own wife; Shem’s own wife—even though they weren’t technically married yet because there wasn’t anyone else around! So when looking at this verse it might be good to be aware that some translations use “wife(s)” while others use “wife.” But either way what matters most is that not only were these women all related by blood but they also shared this connection through marriage. And because they did share such a close bond with each other after spending more than 500 years together surviving on their ark during a worldwide flood event without any other human beings around except for themselves as well as their husbands’ children from previous marriages (which brings us back around again), it makes sense why God would allow these couples to marry each other even today!
1 John 1:7 ESV / 14 helpful votes
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
John 1:1 ESV / 14 helpful votes
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Hebrews 10:26 ESV / 13 helpful votes
For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
Ephesians 4:22 ESV / 12 helpful votes
To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
Psalm 150:1-6 ESV / 12 helpful votes
Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! …
2 Peter 3:9 ESV / 11 helpful votes
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
1 Peter 5:7 ESV / 11 helpful votes
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Galatians 1:10 ESV / 10 helpful votes
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Leviticus 20:1-27 ESV / 10 helpful votes
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. I myself will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make my sanctuary unclean and to profane my holy name. And if the people of the land do at all close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death, then I will set my face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people, him and all who follow him in whoring after Molech. …
Revelation 14:12 ESV / 9 helpful votes
Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
1 Timothy 2:11-15 ESV / 9 helpful votes
Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
Ephesians 5:25 ESV / 9 helpful votes
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
Galatians 3:28 ESV / 9 helpful votes
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV / 9 helpful votes
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
John 15:12 ESV / 9 helpful votes
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
John 14:6 ESV / 9 helpful votes
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Proverbs 31:10 ESV / 9 helpful votes
An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.
Proverbs 3:5 ESV / 9 helpful votes
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Leviticus 20:11-21 ESV / 9 helpful votes
If a man lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have committed perversion; their blood is upon them. If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. If a man takes a woman and her mother also, it is depravity; he and they shall be burned with fire, that there may be no depravity among you. If a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. …
Leviticus 18:6-18 ESV / 9 helpful votes
“None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter or of your daughter’s daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness. …
1 John 5:19 ESV / 8 helpful votes
We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 ESV / 8 helpful votes
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:3 ESV / 8 helpful votes
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
Romans 1:26-27 ESV / 8 helpful votes
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
Leviticus 18:6-7 ESV / 8 helpful votes
“None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness.
Leviticus 18:3 ESV / 8 helpful votes
You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes.
1 John 4:8 ESV / 7 helpful votes
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Philippians 4:13 ESV / 7 helpful votes
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Matthew 19:4-6 ESV / 7 helpful votes
He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Isaiah 41:10 ESV / 7 helpful votes
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
1 Chronicles 23:22 ESV / 7 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful
Eleazar died having no sons, but only daughters; their kinsmen, the sons of Kish, married them.
Forbidden Marriages In The Bible
As we’ve already discussed, Lot was a righteous man. He was good, and he was a man of God. He was also a man of the land: the land of Sodom. And this story is full of imagery that points to how Lot’s life style on earth mirrored God’s plan for heaven.
The first thing to notice is that Lot looked at “all” the plain of Jordan; he didn’t just look at one field or another, but took in all that could be seen from his vantage point. This suggests that his vision was broad enough to encompass everything around him—the whole world as it appeared before him in its fullness and completeness. This kind of vision is necessary if you want to understand anything about God’s plan for your own life!
Secondly, notice where this vision took place: “before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.” Here again we see how God’s actions were linked with what happened on earth—in this case destroying two wicked cities because they had rejected His Word by turning away from Him (Genesis 19:1-29). The message here? Whether it be through disaster or blessing, all things work together according to His will (Romans 8:28).
Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
Lot was a good man. He made the choice to leave Sodom, and that was a good choice. Lot was also a good husband. When he left Sodom, he took his wife with him and didn’t leave her behind.
Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. (Genesis 13:12)
This verse indicates that Abram (Abraham) and Lot were living in the same general region of Canaan. Abram lived in the land, while Lot lived in the cities of the plain; they both pitched their tents toward Sodom.
As a reminder, Sodom was one of five cities that lay along a fertile plain between two mountain ranges on what we know today as the border between Syria and Jordan. According to Genesis 13:10-13, Abraham stayed with his nephew Lot in this region for about 10 years before he left because he felt it was too crowded for him there (Genesis 13:2).
But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
It was no coincidence that God was punishing Sodom. The Bible specifically says that He destroyed it because of their terrible sinfulness (Genesis 19:24-25). It’s difficult to determine exactly what their crime was since there are so many different translations which don’t agree on specifics. However one translation clearly states “They were evil sinners against God” (ESV).
They were a corrupt society and needed Jesus’ sacrifice for forgiveness!
Is It A Sin To Marry Your Second Cousin
Marriage to a cousin is not necessarily frowned upon in the Bible, but there are some verses that indicate that God would prefer you not marry your cousin.
In Deuteronomy 28:1-5, it tells us that if we do not obey God’s laws, he will curse us. One of those curses is listed as marrying our cousin (Deut. 28:6-8). The Bible also says we should not marry those who worship idols or do not believe in God (Deut. 7:2-4). If you are marrying someone who does not believe in God, or worships idols or other gods, then it is unlikely that you will be able to have a successful marriage with them because they will likely lead you away from God’s word and possibly even lead you into sin.
1 Corinthians 7:1-5: Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
Incest is wrong because it is against God’s Word in Deuteronomy 22:30-31 (see also Leviticus 18:6-18).
Incest is also morally wrong because it results in children who are likely to inherit genetic defects that can harm both them and future generations (see Genesis 38).
Leviticus 18:6-16 ESV / 136 helpful votes
“None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter or of your daughter’s daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness. …
Leviticus 18:6 ESV / 79 helpful votes
“None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord.
Leviticus 18:1-30 ESV / 58 helpful votes
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the Lord your God. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord. …
Leviticus 18:14 ESV / 46 helpful votes
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother, that is, you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt.
Leviticus 18:22 ESV / 37 helpful votes
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
Leviticus 18:8 ESV / 37 helpful votes
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness.
1 Corinthians 6:9 ESV / 29 helpful votes
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
Romans 14:1-23 ESV / 28 helpful votes
As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. …
Leviticus 18:17 ESV / 28 helpful votes
You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are relatives; it is depravity.
1 John 1:9 ESV / 27 helpful votes
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Leviticus 18:15 ESV / 23 helpful votes
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness.
Genesis 20:12 ESV / 23 helpful votes
Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.
Leviticus 18:6-17 ESV / 22 helpful votes
“None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter or of your daughter’s daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness. …
Leviticus 18:16 ESV / 21 helpful votes
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.
Acts 15:29 ESV / 20 helpful votes
That you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
Leviticus 18:11 ESV / 20 helpful votes
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, brought up in your father’s family, since she is your sister.
Deuteronomy 27:20-23 ESV / 19 helpful votes
“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his father’s wife, because he has uncovered his father’s nakedness.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with any kind of animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Leviticus 18:10 ESV / 18 helpful votes
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter or of your daughter’s daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness.
Leviticus 18:9 ESV / 18 helpful votes
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home.
Genesis 2:24 ESV / 16 helpful votes
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
1 Peter 3:7 ESV / 15 helpful votes
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
1 Corinthians 5:1 ESV / 15 helpful votes
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife.