What does the Bible say about interracial marriage?

The Bible does not condemn marriage between people of different ethnicities. When the Old Testament prohibited Israel from marrying foreign peoples, the main reason was spiritual: to avoid idolatry and turning away from God (Deuteronomy 7:3–4; Malachi 2:11).

In the New Testament, the principle focuses on another separation: that of a believer with an unbeliever—not by race, but by faith (2 Corinthians 6:14). The biblical teaching is that spiritual unity is the priority.

In fact, Scripture insists that there should be no favoritism or discrimination by origin (James 2:1–9). In Christ, God forms one people, with persons from every nation and ethnicity (Galatians 3:26–29; Revelation 7:9). So the biblical criteria for choosing a spouse are: faith, character, spiritual compatibility, and holiness—not skin color.