Passage Genesis 19:33–35
The argument defines incest as sexual relations between people too closely related, and says the Bible records several cases without condemning them. It begins with Genesis 19:33-35, where Lot’s two daughters get their father drunk and each lies with him in turn so that they may have children by him.
It continues with Reuben lying with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, in Genesis 35:22, and Judah sleeping with his daughter-in-law Tamar, who had disguised herself as a prostitute, in Genesis 38:15-18. It adds Amnon’s assault on his half-sister Tamar in 2 Samuel 13:11-14, where she begs him not to do such an outrageous thing, and Absalom taking his father’s concubines in public in 2 Samuel 16:22.
Leviticus 18:8-18 forbids all of these unions, which makes the narratives stand out. The question raised is why scripture reports such episodes so plainly and what lesson it draws from them.
So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose. The next day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also. Then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.” So they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
Genesis 19:33-35
While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine. And Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.
Genesis 35:22
But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.
2 Samuel 13:14
So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof. And Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
2 Samuel 16:22
Source: see Credits and references (no. 16, p. 13).