A Biblical Perspective on Interracial Marriage

One of the legacies of slavery in the United States is the lingering refusal of many white Christians to accept interracial marriages. This article will explore the biblical perspective regarding interracial or inter-ethnic marriage. First, a short overview will be presented discussing the problem of interracial marriage and reviewing the connection between the prohibition of interracial marriage today—even in the church—and the underlying racism that has produced such prohibitions. Then the paper will focus on biblical texts relating to this issue. Moses’ marriage to a black Cushite woman (Num 12:1) will be a primary text. A brief history of interpretation of this text will be presented, underscoring some of the flimsy and shallow exegesis that has been used by white scholarship in the past to argue that this wife of Moses is not really black. Then historical and exegetical arguments will be presented to demonstrate that this wife of Moses is definitely a black African. This discussion will include a brief overview of the term “Cush” and the historical data that clearly underscores the black African physical appearance of the Cushites. Next, other interracial or inter-ethnic marriages in the Bible will be presented briefly. The biblical prohibitions against intermarrying will be explored, and the article will point out that these prohibitions are based on theology and faith, rather than racial difference. In fact, in the Torah the prohibition is generally against intermarrying with the Canaanites, who ethnically are the most similar people to the Israelites in the