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Is Masturbation A Sin?

Question:

"I don't see anyone in the Bible being called a sinner for masturbating. Also, Jesus said that if a man even looks at a woman lustfully he has already committed adultery with her in his heart. What does it mean to look at her lustfully?"

Answer:

The Bible does not specifically condemn masturbation, nor does the Bible specifically condone it. This tends to be one of those "taboo" subjects that people don't often talk about, but if it is a sin then it's important for us to know that. I have tried to deal with this subject carefully, but please forgive me if anything I say makes you uncomfortable. Personally, I don't believe that God cringes at the subject of masturbation (nor any other subject), so we should try to set our fleshly reactions aside for a moment in order to seek God's view on the matter. If we can't take an objective, mature look at a subject such as this, honestly seeking God's heart, then we are not likely to find God's will and we might end up doing things that are sinful in His eyes. Possibly you will be surprised at my conclusions (I certainly was!), and perhaps you will disagree with me, but it's important that we don't allow our feelings to dictate our beliefs in this area.

Everyone has biases, and personally I always assumed that masturbation was probably a sin. That's the view that I have always been biased towards. However, I recognized that my bias was based on the "taboo" mentality that many Christians have towards masturbation rather than on my own study of Scripture. So instead of trying to defend my bias, I wanted to find out what God's view is towards masturbation.

Some people say that Onan masturbated in the Old Testament (which is why masturbation is sometimes called "Onanism"), and they say that God killed Onan for his wickedness. People sometimes use this as an argument against masturbation, but they have a misunderstanding of the situation. Notice what the Bible says about Onan:
"Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the Lord's sight; so the LORD put him to death. Then Judah said to Onan, "Lie with your brother's wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother." But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother. What he did was wicked in the Lord's sight; so he put him to death also." (Genesis 38:6-10)
It was Onan's duty to marry (or to sleep with) his dead brother's wife and to provide offspring who would carry on his dead brother's name. Notice that Onan did not masturbate, but rather he slept with his brother's wife as was his duty. However, because of his wicked and greedy heart, he deliberately prevented her from being able to conceive a child, which meant that Onan's dead brother would have no heirs. This is the sin for which the Lord put Onan to death, it had nothing to do with masturbating. Here are some things that Bible commentators have said about the above passage:
"By the custom of the levirate (from Latin levir, "husband's brother") law of marriage, the second son, Onan, was to marry Tamar, the widow of his brother, and raise up offspring for his brother. However, Onan repeatedly used that law for sexual gratification. He took advantage of the situation, but refused the responsibility that went with it. So God took his life too." (The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Old Testament edition), Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, p.88, emphasis in the original)

"Moses here uses a word not common for marriage, but which was peculiar to the marrying of a brother's wife according to a law given in his time: it appears to have been a custom before, and which the patriarch might be directed to by the Lord, in such a case when a brother died, and left no issue, for the sake of multiplication of seed, according to the divine promise, and which in the time of Moses passed into a law, see Deu_25:5 ... For this law or custom was partly political, to continue the paternal inheritance in the family, and partly typical, to direct to Christ the firstborn among many brethren, Rom_8:29, who in all things was to have the preeminence, Col_1:18; and this was not taken from the Canaanites, among whom Judah now was, but from the ancient patriarchs, which they had no doubt from divine revelation, and was taught in the school of Shem, and handed down from father to son; for as to this being a law among the Egyptians in later times, and which continued to the days of Zeno Augustus (q), it is most likely they took it from the Jews." (Gill's Exposition of the Bible, from http://www.e-sword.net/commentaries.html Offsite Link, Genesis 38:8)

"The original word means to act as a husband to the widow of a deceased brother who has left no issue. Onan seems to have been prompted to commit his crime by the low motive of turning the whole inheritance to his own house." (Barnes, from http://www.e-sword.net/commentaries.html Offsite Link, Genesis 38:8)

"The sin of Onan has generally been supposed to be self-pollution; but this is certainly a mistake; his crime was his refusal to raise up seed to his brother, and rather than do it, by the act mentioned above, he rendered himself incapable of it. We find from this history that long before the Mosaic law it was an established custom, probably founded on a Divine precept, that if a man died childless his brother was to take his wife, and the children produced by this second marriage were considered as the children of the first husband, and in consequence inherited his possessions." (Adam Clark's Commentary on the Bible, from http://www.e-sword.net/commentaries.html Offsite Link, Genesis 38:10)
Notice that Onan knew that the children from this marriage would not be considered as Onan's children. This was an established custom or law, as the above commentaries point out, and it was Onan's duty to marry (or sleep with) his dead brother's wife. Onan was not masturbating in the passage above, he was having legitimate sexual intercourse according to his duty, but he was rebellious against his duty by not providing offspring for his dead brother. He was evil in God's sight because of his wicked and greedy heart, not because of masturbating. Therefore, Onan's crime does not help us determine whether or not masturbation is a sin.

Some of the arguments against Christians masturbating are that it might involve pornography, it might involve sinful fantasizing, it might decrease the desire for one's spouse, it might become addicting, and so on. However, these arguments do not prove that masturbation is a sin. After all, masturbation can be done without any of those things happening. For example, driving a car might involve exceeding the speed limit or running a red light (both of which are wrong), but this doesn't mean that driving a car is wrong in itself. In a similar way, masturbation can involve certain things which are wrong, but this doesn't mean that masturbation itself is wrong. Masturbation can be done without any of the above things happening, so those arguments do not prove that masturbation itself is a sin.

Concerning addiction, this is certainly an area in which many people are struggling. The devil wants to keep people bound up in lust and addictions to pornography, sex, masturbation, drugs, alcohol, and so on. To help you break free from addictions, I invite you to read my article called How to Cast Afflicting Spirits Out of Your Life. It contains a powerful procedure for renouncing things that may have given the devil a foothold in our lives, and for breaking generational curses. Some of the wrong things that we or our ancestors have done (or some of the wrong things that have been done to us) can open the door for the devil to attack us, in which case it's like the enemy has a "legal right" to bring affliction on us. This procedure helps to remove those "legal rights." Also see my article called Why Isn't God Delivering Me from My Suffering? Why Isn't God Answering My Prayers? for some reasons why God sometimes puts us in a "holding pattern" rather than delivering us right away from our suffering or bondages or confusion. My prayer is that these articles will help you take big steps towards breaking free from addictions, but remember that the possibility of addiction does not prove that something is a sin. For example, a number of married people are involved in therapy because they are addicted to sex, but this doesn't mean that sex in a marriage relationship is a sin. In the same way, some people might be addicted to masturbation but this doesn't mean that masturbation itself is sinful.

Now, sometimes people say that if a person fantasizes during masturbation, this violates Jesus' command against looking at a woman lustfully:
"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28)
Whether we believe that sexual fantasizing is right or wrong, is it accurate to make the blanket statement that fantasizing always violates the above passage? In other words, was Jesus saying that we should never allow any sexual images into our minds? Or is it more likely that Jesus was illustrating a spiritual principle? Consider, for example, that Jesus said that sin comes from within us:
"But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander." (Matthew 15:18-19)
In Matthew 5:27-28 (above), Jesus explained that since sin comes from within us, it is not simply the outward act of sin (such as adultery) which is wrong, but the very intention of sinning is wrong as well. Here's what a prominent Bible commentary says about that passage:
"Adultery begins within one's heart (looking lustfully) and follows in the act. The lustful desire, in the heart, as wrong as the act, indicates that one is not rightly related to God." (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, p.30-31, emphasis added)
So in Matthew 5:27-28 (above), Jesus was teaching the spiritual principle that sin begins in the heart, and that the intention to sin is just as bad as committing the sin. Matthew 5:27-28 (above) does not justify the blanket statement that sexual fantasizing is always sinful, because that wasn't Jesus' point. Of course, fantasizing often becomes a form of pornography which we are viewing in our minds, in which case it would be just as bad as looking at pornographic magazines or videos. However, consider the case of a husband who is away from his wife on a business trip. If he looks forward to making love to his wife when he returns, and imagines how nice it will be, is this type of fantasizing a sin? He is building up his desire for his wife and looking forward to being with her again, which helps to enhance their marriage and their relationship. The point is that sexual fantasizing might not always be a sin (we should listen for guidance from the Holy Spirit in this area), and Matthew 5:27-28 (above) does not prove that masturbation is always sinful.

People will sometimes ask other people the question, "Does your conscience bother you when you masturbate?", using this as an argument against masturbation. We definitely need to listen to our consciences because that is a way in which God often guides us. But consider that people can experience guilty feelings when they masturbate simply because it is a "taboo" subject which is treated as a terrible sin in many Christian circles. Even if masturbation can be done in a way which is not sinful, many people will still experience guilty feelings and they will not want to admit that they masturbate, just because of the general Christian view that masturbation is "dirty" and sinful. So we definitely need to listen to our consciences, but we should make sure that we are actually hearing from the Holy Spirit rather than misinterpreting some feelings from our flesh as being conviction from God.

Sometimes people condemn masturbation on the grounds that it is "gratifying the flesh," but this argument doesn't work for two reasons. First, the New Testament never says that gratifying the flesh is a sin. For example, when you scratch an itch you are "gratifying the flesh." When you're hungry and you eat something, you are "gratifying the flesh." In fact, when a husband and wife make love then they are "gratifying the flesh" in a sexual way. None of those things are sins, so "gratifying the flesh" is not automatically sinful.

Gratifying our sexual needs (such as between a husband and wife) is not a sin, but instead the sin is in the method that we use to gratify the flesh (such as adultery). If we can prove from the Bible that masturbation is a wrong method for gratifying the flesh, then masturbation would be a sin. But the argument that masturbation is "gratifying the flesh" does not mean anything because gratifying the flesh is not sinful in itself.

The second reason why the "gratifying the flesh" argument doesn't work is because the Bible never says anything about "gratifying the flesh." Instead, we are told not to gratify the lusts of the flesh, which is mentioned in three places in the New Testament:
Romans 13:14 (NIV): "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

Galatians 5:16 (NIV): "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

Ephesians 2:3 (NIV): "All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."
The KJV is a more literal translation than the NIV, and here are those same verses in the KJV:
Romans 13:14 (KJV): "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof."

Galatians 5:16 (KJV): "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

Ephesians 2:3 (KJV): "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."
The word "lust" in the above verses comes from the Greek word epithumia, which means:
"a longing (especially for what is forbidden): - concupiscence, desire, lust (after)." (Strong's Greek Dictionary)

"desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden, lust" (Thayer's Greek Dictionary)
So those verses tell us that our flesh craves and lusts for things (e.g. power, fame, fortune, all sorts of excesses, etc.), especially things which are forbidden. Notice that those verses do not say that masturbation (or anything else) is forbidden, but instead those verses simply say that our flesh craves things which are forbidden. We would need to look elsewhere in the Bible to demonstrate that an activity is forbidden, and nowhere does the Bible ever forbid masturbation. Also, notice that those verses do not say that sexual desires or sexual needs are sinful, and in fact those verses don't say anything about sexual desires or sexual needs at all. Those verses simply talk about wrong "lusts of the flesh," which can be anything that we crave and place above Christ (such as the lust for power or the lust for wealth or the lust for drugs or the lust for sex or the lust for any kind of excesses).

What it boils down to is that when people argue against masturbation, most of the time they are starting with the assumption that masturbation is a sin, and then they show certain passages where the Bible condemns sin. The error in their arguments is that they first need to demonstrate from the Bible that masturbation is a sin, but the Bible never says such a thing. Again, gratifying our sexual needs is not a sin, but instead the sin is in the method that we use to gratify the flesh (such as adultery). If we can prove from the Bible that masturbation is a wrong method for gratifying the flesh, then masturbation would be a sin. But the argument that "masturbation is gratifying the flesh" does not mean anything because gratifying the flesh is not sinful in itself.

Another type of argument that Christians sometimes make is that we are supposed to be conformed to the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29), and that we shouldn't offer the parts of our body to sin (Romans 6:13) because Christ lives in us (Colossians 1:27). Essentially, the argument is that we can't imagine that Jesus ever masturbated, and we shouldn't offer our bodies to sin by masturbating, and we shouldn't cause "Christ in us" to masturbate. But the problem with this type of argument is that it starts off by assuming that masturbation is a sin. Notice that this argument doesn't actually prove anything about masturbation. For example, we shouldn't cause "Christ in us" to commit adultery, right? But how do we know that we shouldn't do that? We know it because the Bible specifically says that adultery is a sin (1 Corinthians 6:9). In other words, the "Christ in us" argument doesn't prove that adultery is a sin, it only says that because adultery is a sin then we shouldn't cause "Christ in us" to do that. But first we had to look to the Bible for proof that adultery is a sin. Here's another example. Is it acceptable for a wife to take "Christ in her" and make love to her husband? Yes, we know that this is not a sin because the Bible specifically says that husbands and wives should make love to each other (1 Corinthians 7:3-5). Again, the "Christ in us" argument doesn't prove that making love is acceptable in a marriage relationship, we had to look to the Bible for that proof. The point is that first we have to prove from the Bible that masturbation is a sin, and then we can use the "Christ in us" argument to show that we shouldn't cause "Christ in us" to commit the sin. But the "Christ in us" argument by itself doesn't prove anything about masturbation. If masturbation can be done in a way that is not sinful then it is perfectly acceptable to have "Christ in us" and to masturbate in that way.

Other arguments against masturbation come from the assumption that it will have a negative effect on marriage. For example, some of the purposes for sex between a husband and wife (according to these arguments) are for companionship, for procreation, for giving pleasure to the spouse, for being "one flesh," and so on. The concern is that masturbation is for self-gratification, and therefore it hinders these purposes for sex within a marriage. But how valid is this concern? Consider that in a marriage, one person often has a higher need for sex than the other person. Sometimes it is the wife, but in the following points I'll use the husband as my example:

  • For one reason or another, the frequency of sex in a marriage might not always meet a husband's needs. If he pressures his wife for more sex in order to relieve the sexual tension and frustration that he feels, it is likely to cause resentment and problems in the marriage. On the other hand, Christian wives have reported that they are quite happy with the frequency of lovemaking, and it takes the pressure off of them if their husbands are willing to relieve their sexual needs by masturbating once in awhile (without pornography, etc.). This means that occasional masturbation actually enhances their marriage relationship by evening out their different needs for sex.

  • Married Christians who masturbate usually report that they would much rather make love to their spouses. Masturbation doesn't prevent them from making love to their spouses when the opportunities are there, it simply "curbs their appetite" until there is an opportunity to make love.

  • In a way, the uncomfortable tension and frustration that a person with a high sex drive experiences is similar to someone who is starving (or dieting). If people go shopping at the grocery store when they are starving, then all kinds of foods suddenly become very tempting. When a person is dieting, it seems as if he or she is constantly thinking about food and seeing food everywhere and constantly fighting the temptation to eat something. Yet a person who is not dieting usually doesn't go through these battles. In the same way, when people have a high sex drive and their sexual needs are not being met, it can cause sexual thoughts and images to keep coming to their minds, and they become more aware of the physical features of members of the opposite sex, and so on. Notice that it does not bless a wife if she realizes that her husband is eyeing the women around him. Certainly the husband should not be doing this, but married Christian men report that when they relieve the tension, pressure, and frustration themselves periodically, they hardly notice the women around them. So occasional masturbation can enhance the marriage relationship by helping the husband keep his eyes and his thoughts on his wife.

  • Some men experience "premature ejaculation," meaning that they reach orgasm almost immediately after lovemaking begins. After a man has an orgasm he becomes unable to maintain an erection, and therefore he is unable to continue to have sexual intercourse. This can leave the husband feeling frustrated and ashamed, and it can leave the wife with unmet sexual needs. Men have reported that they have been able to gain greater control over the duration of sex by using masturbation as a way of "training" their sexual responses. Also, the feelings of frustration and shame can lead to "performance anxiety," which can actually make the husband feel a certain amount of hesitancy or even dread at the thought of making love to his wife (reducing the frequency of lovemaking). By gaining more control through masturbating, men have been able to feel more confident in lovemaking. So occasional masturbation can enhance the marriage relationship by helping to increase the duration and the frequency of sex.

  • Some women do not often experience orgasms during sex (although women often report that orgasms are nice when they happen, but that they don't actually need an orgasm every time they have sex). Women have reported that by masturbating they have been able to gain a better understanding of their bodies' sexual responses, and therefore sex with their husbands has become much more pleasurable and satisfying. This blesses the husband as well, because it can be important to a man to give sexual pleasure to his wife (otherwise he might feel as if he has "failed" in some way as a lover). Plus, if the wife begins experiencing more pleasure during lovemaking, it is likely that she will be interested in sex more often. So again, occasional masturbation can enhance a marriage relationship.

  • Sometimes a person's sexual frustration and unmet needs can lead to adultery. Christians report that by masturbating when necessary, they are not so tempted to have sex outside of marriage, and that whenever there is a temptation, it is easily handled. This is just as true for single people as for married people. So occasional masturbation can enhance a marriage by helping to prevent the devastating consequences of adultery. It can also help prevent much of the premarital sex, teen pregnancies, abortions, and the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases that we see so often in the world around us.

  • Pornography can have a harmful effect on the sexual relationship between a husband and wife. For example, some people have reached the point where they can only reach orgasm through the use of hard-core porn or fantasies. The interesting thing is that masturbation, in addition to prayer, can help to break these addictions. People have used masturbation as a way of re-training their sexual responses so that they can reach orgasm without any "crutches" (such as porn). So masturbation can enhance the marriage relationship by helping to break addictions to porn, fantasizing, and so on.

  • According to marriage counselors, sex is one of the top two things that married couples fight about (money is the other one). If the husband and the wife are willing to masturbate occasionally in order to help even out their different sexual needs, this can reduce the arguing over sex. So occasional masturbation can enhance a marriage relationship by helping to take care of one of the top two causes for fights in marriages. A husband and wife might still have differing views concerning certain aspects of lovemaking, but reducing the arguing in a marriage is definitely a good thing.

By typing "+Christian +masturbation +sin" (without the quotes) into any Internet search engine you will find plenty of support for the above testimonies. I am reluctant to include links to various websites because I have no control over what they say, and the sexual nature of this topic often causes the discussions at these websites to become rather explicit or graphic at times (even at Christian websites).

As I said, I have used the husband as my example of the spouse with the higher need for sex, but it can just as easily be the wife who has the greater need. Also, it is difficult to discuss these issues without using certain descriptive terms. I am trying to be careful, but please forgive me if anything I say makes you uncomfortable.

Many Christian husbands and wives can testify that occasional masturbation does not reduce the frequency of sex in their marriage, and therefore the companionship, the procreation, the giving of pleasure to the spouse, the being "one flesh," and so on, are not hindered by masturbation in those relationships. This disproves most of the main Christian arguments against masturbation. In fact, the Christian testimonial evidence is that occasional masturbation can enhance the relationship between a husband and wife. This does not actually prove that masturbation is not a sin, but the Bible does tell us that Christian testimony is important (see for example John 21:24, 2 Corinthians 13:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:10, Titus 1:13, 3 John 1:12, and Revelation 12:11).

The New Testament says that husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies (Ephesians 5:28). Based on that Scriptural principle and the above testimonies, we can make several observations. If masturbation is done in a way that is not sinful, then:

  • Isn't it more loving for a spouse to occasionally relieve his or her own sexual needs rather than pressuring the other spouse for more sex? Reducing the resentments and arguing in a marriage is definitely a good thing, especially since sex tends to be one of the top things that married couples fight about.

  • If the frequency of sex sometimes leaves one spouse with pent-up sexual pressure and unmet needs, isn't it more loving for the other spouse to allow that person to occasionally relieve his or her needs rather than causing him or her to feel guilty for doing so?

  • Isn't it more loving for a spouse to occasionally relieve his or her pent-up sexual tension rather than letting his or her eyes and thoughts dwell on the physical attributes of members of the opposite sex? (Recall the analogy of a person who is starving for food).

  • Isn't it more loving for a husband to use masturbation as a way of gaining control over his "premature ejaculation" so that the lovemaking can last longer and be more pleasurable for both spouses (rather than allowing his feelings of frustration and shame to hinder the frequency or the quality of lovemaking)?

  • If a spouse's pent-up sexual tension and unmet needs begins to lead to thoughts of adultery, then isn't it more loving for that spouse to relieve his or her needs by masturbating rather than risking the devastating consequences of adultery?

As we saw, there is a Scriptural principle that husbands and wives must love each other as they love their own bodies. If masturbation is done in a way that is not sinful (without using pornography, for example), then it would seem that there are more Scriptural reasons for encouraging occasional masturbation than there are for condemning it, especially since there is not a single verse against masturbation in the entire Bible.

Now, even though the Bible never directly mentions masturbation, it's possible that the Bible mentions masturbation indirectly without condemning it. For example, I have heard it said that the Jewish expression, "covering one's feet," comes from the practice of standing up while masturbating in a private place. I have not been able to verify if this is true or not, but the euphemism, "covering one's feet," is translated as "relieving himself" in two places in the NIV. The first occurrence is in the book of Judges:
"Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his summer palace and said, "I have a message from God for you." As the king rose from his seat, Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's belly. Even the handle sank in after the blade, which came out his back. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them. After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, "He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the house." They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead." (Judges 3:20-25)
Here's what a prominent Bible commentary says about this passage:
"the king's servants delayed outside his locked door, figuring that the king was relieving himself (lit., "covering his feet," a euphemism for body elimination; cf. 1 Sam. 24:3)." (The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Old Testament edition), Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, p.387)
According to this commentary, "covering his feet" is a euphemism for body elimination. But "body elimination" can be a euphemism for several things, such as going to the bathroom or masturbating. The commentary doesn't clarify this for us.

The other reference to "covering his feet" concerns King Saul:
"He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. The men said, "This is the day the LORD spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.'" Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe." (1 Samuel 24:3-4)
Once again, "relieve himself" comes from the euphemism, "cover his feet":
"Saul's life was in David's hands as the king went to relieve himself (lit., "cover his feet," a euphemism, v. 3)" (The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Old Testament edition), Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, p.451, emphasis added)
The argument that some people make is that if King Saul needed to go to the bathroom then he would not normally seek out the privacy of a cave because soldiers of that time period went to the bathroom at a designated spot outside the camp (Deuteronomy 23:9-13). But King Saul wanted to "cover his feet" (which refers to masturbation, according to this argument), so he wanted a place where he could have some privacy for awhile. Notice in 1 Samuel 24:3-4 (above) that David was able to sneak up on King Saul and cut off a piece of Saul's robe without Saul noticing. The argument is that masturbating would be much more likely to keep King Saul preoccupied than going to the bathroom would. After all, it would be difficult to sneak up on someone and cut off part of his clothes unless the person's attention was strongly focused on something (as with masturbating). Simply going to the bathroom would not seem to cause King Saul to be so oblivious to his surroundings. It's not a strong argument, and I'm somewhat skeptical, but it could be possible. If King Saul was relieving his sexual needs, there is no condemnation of masturbation here.

The above two passages might be describing the simple act of going to the bathroom, but I have included them for the sake of thoroughness because they might be Biblical examples of masturbation (in which case there is no condemnation being attached to the practice). Some people have emailed me about Judges 3:20-25 (above) and 1 Samuel 24:3-4 (above), pointing out the character of the two men involved. They weren't God-fearing men at that point, so if they did something sinful then it wouldn't have bothered them very much. However, this doesn't change the fact that there is no condemnation attached to whatever they were doing (they might or might not have been relieving their sexual needs), nor is there any condemnation attached to masturbation anywhere in the entire Bible.

Now, here are several passages which refer to "an emission of semen":
"These are the regulations for a man with a discharge, for anyone made unclean by an emission of semen" (Leviticus 15:32)

"If a descendant of Aaron has an infectious skin disease or a bodily discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse or by anyone who has an emission of semen" (Leviticus 22:4)

"When you are encamped against your enemies, keep away from everything impure. If one of your men is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he is to go outside the camp and stay there. But as evening approaches he is to wash himself, and at sunset he may return to the camp." (Deuteronomy 23:9-11)
In the above passages, the Bible refers to an "emission of semen" without being specific about how it happened. In other words, the concern in these passages is over health issues (medical science now tells us that many diseases are transmitted through bodily fluids, such as sexually-transmitted diseases). There is no concern in these passages about whether this "emission" happened as a result of sex or masturbation or "nocturnal emissions" (sometimes called "wet dreams"). If the "emission of semen" occurred because of masturbation, then the man needed to follow the health and cleanliness regulations, but there is no condemnation here concerning masturbation. It has been pointed out that the "nocturnal emission" in Deuteronomy 23:9-11 (above) does not necessarily refer to a "wet dream," it could be a reference to involuntary urination during the night or it could be a reference to masturbation during the night. The Hebrew text is not specific enough for us to be certain. Still, no condemnation is associated with this "nocturnal emission," no matter how it happens.

The only other references to an "emission of semen" in the Bible are in Leviticus 15:16-18:
Leviticus 15:16: ""'When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his whole body with water, and he will be unclean till evening."
Leviticus 15:17: "Any clothing or leather that has semen on it must be washed with water, and it will be unclean till evening."
Leviticus 15:18: "When a man lies with a woman and there is an emission of semen, both must bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening."
Notice in the second reference (verse 18) that there is no condemnation for an emission of semen which is associated with sex, but there are some health regulations because bodily fluids are involved (which can carry diseases). It appears that the first reference (verse 16) refers to an emission of semen that is not associated with sex (because otherwise verse 18 would not be necessary, plus there is no mention of a woman in verse 16 like there is in verse 18), and whether it's a "nocturnal emission" or whether it's masturbation, there is no condemnation for it.

There is one more passage in the Bible which some people believe might be a reference to female masturbation:
"I slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My lover is knocking: "Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night." I have taken off my robe-- must I put it on again? I have washed my feet-- must I soil them again? My lover thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound for him. I arose to open for my lover, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh, on the handles of the lock." (Song of Songs 5:2-5)
There are many different ways that people have interpreted Song of Songs, and some people see a suggestion of female masturbation in the above passage. I don't know if that is the proper interpretation or not (personally I'm doubtful), but I have included it for the sake of thoroughness. Notice that if Solomon's lover was masturbating, it is treated as a perfectly natural act.


Conclusion

As with any Christian doctrine, we should be careful that we are honestly seeking God's heart on the matter. Masturbation is one of those subjects that brings out strong emotional reactions in Christians, which is exactly why we need to guard against letting our feelings dictate our beliefs in this area.

My assumption had always been that masturbation is probably a sin, but I recognized that this assumption was more from the "taboo" nature of masturbation rather than from my own study of Scripture. To my surprise, I have so far seen major problems in all of the Christian arguments that are made against masturbation, and I can find no solid Scriptural evidence that masturbation is a sin. The arguments against masturbation all seem to fall apart under examination, but many arguments in favor of occasional masturbation seem to be consistent with the Scriptures which address the sexual relationship between a husband and wife. Masturbation can also help unmarried Christians save themselves for their future spouses, and it can help reduce teen pregnancies, abortions, sexually-transmitted diseases, and so on. Granted, masturbation can be associated with pornography, sinful types of fantasizing, addiction, etc., which is why it is important to submit it to God (both the way it is done and the frequency with which it is done) and to be careful not to get ensnared in sexual lust (which the devil can use to create strongholds in our lives). So masturbation can certainly be done in wrong ways and for wrong reasons. But the point that many Christians seem to overlook is that masturbation does not need to involve pornography, sinful types of fantasizing, or addiction. In fact, the testimonial evidence which I described earlier of married Christians who occasionally masturbate (or whose spouses occasionally masturbate) demonstrates that masturbation can actually enhance a Christian marriage relationship in a number of ways. If the frequency of lovemaking is mutually satisfactory to the husband and wife (in general), and if the husband and wife are comfortable with either spouse occasionally relieving their unmet sexual needs by themselves (without pornography, etc.), then the companionship, the procreation, the giving of pleasure to the spouse, the being "one flesh," and so on, are not hindered by masturbation. This takes care of most of the Christian arguments against masturbation. That certainly isn't the conclusion I expected when I began this study!

When I receive emails on this subject, they usually agree with what I have written here. However, occasionally someone will say that by endorsing masturbation, people might take this to mean that masturbation is okay under all circumstances, and that I have essentially given people the permission to abuse this. But it is not my place to "endorse" masturbation, that's something only God is authorized to do. I am simply describing what I see (or don't see) when I prayerfully study what Scripture says about this. We all need to do our best to be guided by the Holy Spirit in our actions, our attitudes, our doctrines, our motives, our words, and so on, and this is just as true when it comes to masturbation as anything else. Also, is it really true that if we don't completely condemn masturbation then we are giving people the permission to abuse this? Consider that if this is a valid argument then we can use the same argument about God's grace, but notice what the apostle Paul had to say about this line of argument:
"The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Romans 5:20-6:2)
As Paul was writing about God's grace, he realized that some people will say, "Great! Let's sin more and more because of God's grace!" Paul's response to this is that by teaching on grace, this does not give anyone the permission to abuse anything. We are all still responsible to God for our actions. In the same way, by not making an outright condemnation of masturbation, this does not give anyone the permission to abuse masturbation. Again, we are all individually responsible to God for what we do.

So, is masturbation a sin? The Bible doesn't directly answer this question, so I can't directly answer this question. But if masturbation is the terrible sin that many Christians make it out to be, then it is odd that the Bible never even mentions it and never warns us about it. For example, when the term "sexual immorality" is explained to us in the Bible, it always involves at least two living beings (adultery, incest, prostitution, premarital sex, bestiality, homosexuality, etc.). Masturbation is never described in the Bible as being sexual immorality. Perhaps Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family was right when he said, "It is my opinion that masturbation is not much of an issue with God." (Preparing for Adolescence, Dr. James Dobson, p.83).


I hope this has been helpful, and may the Lord abundantly bless you as you study His Word! 		 
 
 
  Modification History  
 
 

  • 04/01/2006 - Modified the section on "gratifying the flesh."

  • 06/07/2004 - Added Song of Songs 5:2-5, which some people believe might be a reference to female masturbation.

  • 07/28/2003 - Modified some of the wording and added a comment concerning the character of a couple of men in Judges 3:20-25 and 1 Samuel 24:3-4.

  • 02/17/2003 - Updated the Conclusion section to point out that by teaching on something (whether it is God's grace, or masturbation, or anything else), this does not give anyone the permission to abuse anything. We are all individually responsible before God for our actions.

  • 12/07/2002 - Fixed an error in which I had used a passage from the Law of Moses in discussing the sin of Onan (who lived before the Law began).

  • 08/21/2002 - Added links to a couple of my articles which might help people take steps to break free from addictions, and added a response to the argument that we should not cause "Christ in us" to masturbate.

  • 08/17/2001 - New article.