6 Bible Verses about Illegitimate Children

A bastard shall not come into the congregation of Jehovah; even his tenth generation shall not come into the congregation of Jehovah.

And both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. And the first-born bore a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites to this day. And the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi; the same is the father of the children of Ammon to this day.

And as the days were multiplied, Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. And Judah was comforted, and he went up to his sheep-shearers, to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep. And she put the garments of her widowhood off from her, and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entry of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as wife.read more.
And Judah saw her, and took her for a harlot; because she had covered her face. And he turned aside to her by the way, and said, Come, I pray thee, let me go in to thee; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in to me? And he said, I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, until thou send it? And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy lace, and thy staff which is in thy hand. And he gave it her, and went in to her; and she conceived by him. And she arose and went away; and she laid by her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand; but he found her not. And he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the prostitute that was at Enaim, by the way-side? And they said, There was no prostitute here. And he returned to Judah, and said, I have not found her; and also the men of the place said, No prostitute has been here. Then Judah said, Let her take it for herself, lest we be put to shame. Behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her. And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law has committed fornication, and behold, she is also with child by fornication. And Judah said, Bring her forth, that she may be burned. When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man to whom these belong am I with child; and she said, Acknowledge, I pray thee, whose are this signet, and this lace, and this staff. And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She is more righteous than I, because I have not given her to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more. And it came to pass at the time of her delivery, that behold, twins were in her womb. And it came to pass when she brought forth, that one stretched out his hand, and the midwife took it and bound round his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first. And it came to pass as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out; and she said, How hast thou broken forth! on thee be the breach! And they called his name Pherez. And afterwards came out his brother, round whose hand was the scarlet thread; and they called his name Zerah.

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a harlot. Gilead was the father of Jephthah.

And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines;

But if ye are without chastening, of which all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.