The Narrow Path Ministries

According to Leviticus 20;17-21, I do believe that cousins are not prohibited to marry..

Leviticus 20:17-21 listed all the close or blood relatives who are prohibited to marry and cousins are not one of then.

Well, I'm changing my mind again, as I have come across verses that have examples of cousins marrying each other - even at the command of the Lord! The whole chapter of Numbers 36 deals with the daughters of Zelophehad, who were from the tribe of Manasseh. Zelophehad did not have any sons, only five daughters, who inherited their father's land, which was within the borders of the tribe of Manasseh. They came to Moses and told him that if the five daughters married men from a different tribe, then that portion of land, which was part of Manasseh, would go to a different tribe, because the daughter's new husbands would take possession of it. The Lord told Moses to tell the five daughters (verses 6-7): "Let them marry whom they wish; only they must marry within the family of the tribe of their father. Thus no inheritance of the sons of Israel shall be transferred from tribe to tribe ..."

Then in verses 10-11: "Just as the Lord had commanded Moses, so the daughters of Zelophehad did: Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad MARRIED THEIR UNCLE'S SONS."

The term "blood relative" in Leviticus 18:6 is certainly ambiguous, which left open the possibility that first cousins marrying each other was forbidden. But Numbers 36 seems to help us understand better the mind of the Lord.

Thank you for sharing this, Dwight.
You are an honest man, and don't mind admitting that you found OT examples of cousins marrying.
I truly respect your honesty. The fact of your honesty induces me to pay more attention to your words.