The Bible is a rich source of moral guidance, covering a vast range of topics that offer insight into how one should live. Among these teachings, the Bible clearly addresses the issue of human-animal relationships, particularly in the context of sexual conduct. The scriptures provide explicit instructions against bestiality, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the natural order as intended by God. This article will explore 11 Bible verses that condemn sleeping with animals, providing detailed insights into the context and meaning of each verse.
11 Bible Verses About Not Sleeping with Animals
1. Leviticus 18:23
“Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.”
Leviticus 18 is a chapter dedicated to prohibiting various immoral sexual practices. Verse 23 explicitly forbids bestiality, labeling it as a perversion. The term “defile” suggests that such an act contaminates the individual, both physically and spiritually, marking it as a severe violation of God’s design.
2. Leviticus 20:15-16
“If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he must be put to death, and you must kill the animal. If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.”
This passage further underscores the severity of bestiality by prescribing the death penalty for both the human and the animal involved. The repetition of this command in Leviticus highlights its importance and the seriousness with which God views this transgression.
3. Exodus 22:19
“Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal is to be put to death.”
Exodus 22 deals with various social and moral laws. Verse 19 delivers a concise but firm command regarding bestiality. The unambiguous instruction to execute those who engage in such acts reflects the gravity of the sin in the eyes of the biblical law.
4. Deuteronomy 27:21
“Cursed is anyone who has sexual relations with any animal.” Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”
Deuteronomy 27:21 places a curse on those who engage in bestiality. The collective “Amen” from the people signifies a communal agreement with God’s laws, indicating that the prohibition of bestiality was a shared moral standard among the Israelites.
5. Romans 1:26-27
“Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.”
While not directly addressing bestiality, Romans 1:26-27 speaks against unnatural sexual relations, which can be understood to include bestiality. This passage emphasizes the consequences of abandoning God’s natural order and engaging in shameful acts.
6. Leviticus 18:6-30
“No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the Lord. Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her…”
Leviticus 18:6-30 outlines a list of forbidden sexual practices, including incest and bestiality. The detailed prohibitions highlight the importance of maintaining sexual purity and respecting the boundaries established by God.
7. Genesis 2:19-20
“Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.”
This passage emphasizes the distinction between humans and animals. Adam names the animals, asserting his dominion over them, but none of them is found to be a suitable companion for him. This underscores the idea that animals are not meant to be sexual partners for humans.
8. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
This verse lists various forms of sexual immorality that disqualify individuals from inheriting the kingdom of God. While bestiality is not mentioned explicitly, it falls under the broader category of sexual immorality that the Bible condemns.
9. Deuteronomy 23:17-18
“No Israelite man or woman is to become a shrine prostitute. You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute into the house of the Lord your God to pay any vow, because the Lord your God detests them both.”
Although this verse primarily addresses temple prostitution, it also implies a rejection of all forms of sexual perversion. The association of such acts with detestable practices in the sight of God suggests that bestiality would be equally abhorred.
10. Jude 1:7
“In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.”
Jude 1:7 references the sexual immorality and perversion of Sodom and Gomorrah, which can be understood to include all forms of unnatural sexual practices, including bestiality. The cities’ destruction serves as a warning of the consequences of such behaviors.
11. Ezekiel 22:10-11
“In you are those who dishonor their father’s bed; in you are those who violate women during their period, when they are ceremonially unclean. In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor’s wife, another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law, and another violates his sister, his own father’s daughter.”
Ezekiel condemns various forms of sexual misconduct, indicating that these practices were rampant among the people. While not explicitly mentioning bestiality, the passage underscores the broader condemnation of sexual immorality, which would include such acts.
Conclusion
The Bible consistently condemns bestiality as a grave sin that defiles both the individual and the animal involved. These 11 verses provide clear evidence that sexual relations with animals are against God’s design and carry severe consequences. By adhering to these biblical teachings, believers are called to maintain sexual purity and respect the natural order established by God. The Bible’s guidance on this issue is as relevant today as it was in ancient times, serving as a moral compass for those seeking to live in accordance with God’s will.