What does the Bible teach
about interracial marriage?

Q. What does the Bible say about interracial marriage?

(Submitted by: M. H.)

A. Some think Moses was married to a black woman because she was called a Cushite, a term often used to refer to African nations during that time period. But Cushite also referred to countries south of the land we today know as Israel, some of which were related to the Israelites through Ishmael and the sons of Lot.

"Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite." (Numbers 12:1, NIV)

The prohibitions placed on the children of Israel regarding marriage to people other than Israelites had to do with the religious practices of those people and whether the "outsider" was willing to become part of the nation of Israel by obeying God's laws. The truth is, Gentiles who lived among the Israelites (in the time of Moses) could worship God as fully and freely as any native citizen.

While no uncircumcised male was permitted to eat the Passover, the strangers (aliens, or Gentiles) living among the natural citizens of Israel were to:

• Keep the Sabbath:

  "but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work:  you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your STRANGER who is within your gates." (Exodus 20:10, NKJV throughout)

• Observe the Feast of Tabernacles:

  "You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress.  And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the STRANGER and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates." (Deuteronomy 16:13-14)

• Bring the appropriate sacrifice for sins of ignorance:

  "then it will be, if it is unintentionally committed, without the knowledge of the congregation, that the whole congregation shall offer one young bull as a burnt offering, as a sweet aroma to the Lord, with its grain offering and its drink offering . . .

  "It shall be forgiven the whole congregation of the children of Israel and the STRANGER who dwells among them, because all the people did it unintentionally . . . You shall have one law for him who sins unintentionally, for him who is native-born among the children of Israel and for the STRANGER who dwells among them.

  "But the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native-born or a STRANGER, that one brings reproach on the Lord, and he shall be cut off from among his people." (Numbers 15:24, 26, 29-30)

  Note that God makes NO DISTINCTION between those who are Israelites and those who are "strangers" (Gentiles, aliens, sojourners, etc.) in regard to the need to offer sacrifices, the ability to receive forgiveness of sins, and even the punishment for presumptuous sins!

• Observe and fast on the Day of Atonement:

  "This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a STRANGER who dwells among you. " (Leviticus 16:29)

• Obey all the Commandments, Statutes, and Judgments of God's Law:

  "And when a STRANGER dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it;  and he shall be as a native of the land.  For no uncircumcised person shall eat it.  One law shall be for the native-born and for the STRANGER who dwells among you.” (Exodus 12:48-49).

Other scriptures that state the sojourner, like the home-born, could offer sacrifices and take part in the red heifer ceremony are Leviticus 17:8-9; Numbers 15:14-16; 19:10.

The stranger sojourning among the Israelites could experience all the blessings afforded by obedience to God's Law. Home-born citizens were forbidden to vex the aliens among them, and were reminded that they had been "strangers" in the land of Egypt. They were therefore to show compassion to the aliens, and were to treat them as they would treat any other citizen. The primary differences between natural citizens and uncircumcised strangers were that the latter could not eat the Passover (unless they were willing to be circumcised) and were not released (if they were bondservants) in the Year of Jubilee (Exodus 12:43, 45; Leviticus 25:45-46).

Therefore, based on the above scriptures (and others which could be listed), there is NO Biblical prohibition against interracial marriage.