Why does scripture not give any advice regarding masturbation?

[SinfulMan]

It’s really strange that there is not even a mention of masturbation in scripture, given the fact that it is a mortal sin and almost all people struggle with it. Were the people in those times so pure in mind that they didn’t know what masturbation was? I’m just wondering why scripture doesn’t even mention it. It should have been mentioned in the mosaic law. Were men in those times so chaste?

 

[John_Y]

But it does, the sixth commandement: Thou Shall not commit adultery. In the NT Christ himself more fully explains (Mt 5:27-28):

You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

 

[jmcrae]

It’s really strange that there is not even a mention of masturbation in scripture, given the fact that it is a mortal sin and almost all people struggle with it. Were the people in those times so pure in mind that they didn’t know what masturbation was? I’m just wondering why scripture doesn’t even mention it. It should have been mentioned in the mosaic law. Were men in those times so chaste?

It’s quite possible that they really were. I have known men who didn’t have any idea what people were talking about, when the subject came up in conversation. (Of course, they were immediately “educated” and who knows what happened to them after that.)

If you had a whole culture that simply didn’t discuss the subject, it’s perfectly possible that men (and women) in those times simply didn’t do such things. My husband is one of those who only ever heard of the idea late in adulthood, and his reaction was, “Why?” He thought it was the most disgusting thing he’d ever heard of.

 

[Harmony1988]

Masturbation not known to people back then? That’s the most ridiculous idea I have ever heard of.

I can understand some boys and men restraining themselves, but every man knows exactly what it is, even if not in words.

Masturbation is described in the Bible in several places, one being where Onan ‘spills’ his seed on the ground and the Lord punishes him, but that punishment is more on the grounds of disobedience rather than the actual masturbation.

 

[jmcrae]

Masturbation not known to people back then? That’s the most ridiculous idea I have ever heard of.

Well, think back to how you learned of it. Either from another boy, or from a pornographic magazine, right? It’s not something that you thought of doing all by yourself, most likely.

Pornographic magazines didn’t start to exist until the late 1800s, and didn’t become legal until the late 1950s. Prior to that, the only way to learn about it would have been from other boys, and in a culture where there was very little privacy, and no opportunity for those kinds of conversations to take place, how would that occur?

 

[Harmony1988]

Well, think back to how you learned of it. Either from another boy, or from a pornographic magazine, right? It’s not something that you thought of doing all by yourself, most likely.

Pornographic magazines didn’t start to exist until the late 1800s, and didn’t become legal until the late 1950s. Prior to that, the only way to learn about it would have been from other boys, and in a culture where there was very little privacy, and no opportunity for those kinds of conversations to take place, how would that occur?

Incorrect, I was 6. Discovering masturbation does not come hand in hand with pornographic magazine.

Pornography isn’t the cause of masturbation, never has, never will be. It certainly may exacerbate the situation.

 

[jmcrae]

Incorrect, I was 6. Discovering masturbation does not come hand in hand with pornographic magazine.

That’s true, but at the same time, that’s how most boys today find out about it.

It’s not something people “figure out on their own” because it’s not a natural thing - it’s a learned behaviour.

 

[Harmony1988]

That’s true, but at the same time, that’s how most boys today find out about it.

It’s not something people “figure out on their own” because it’s not a natural thing - it’s a learned behaviour.

That maybe true if they stumble across magazines, but males do not get erections from magazines alone, it can happen anytime, anywhere, and that’s when they find out.

It is part of a natural behaviour, known as human sexuality. Masturbation is not a normal behaviour in itself, but it’s still a sexual act and thus doesn’t need to be taught.

I’m not going to give any links, but I did a google search myself to see people’s opinions, and I was right, they largely discovered it themselves. I certainly hope you haven’t been teaching people that it’s unnatural to discover it themselves…

 

[jmcrae]

That maybe true if they stumble across magazines, but males do not get erections from magazines alone, it can happen anytime, anywhere, and that’s when they find out.

It is part of a natural behaviour, known as human sexuality. Masturbation is not a normal behaviour in itself, but it’s still a sexual act and thus doesn’t need to be taught.

I’m not going to give any links, but I did a google search myself to see people’s opinions, and I was right, they largely discovered it themselves. I certainly hope you haven’t been teaching people that it’s unnatural to discover it themselves…

Maybe people are confusing playing with themselves with masturbation. These are two different behaviours.

Of course kids play with themselves (make little puppets out of their body parts, pull on the stretchy parts, etc.), but typically they don’t masturbate (bring themselves to orgasm) until someone else teaches them how.

 

[itsjustdave1988]

It’s really strange that there is not even a mention of masturbation in scripture…

The tradition of the Church has rightly understood it to be condemned in the New Testament when the latter speaks of “impurity,” “unchasteness” and other vices contrary to chastity and continence.

 

[itsjustdave1988]

It’s really strange that there is not even a mention of masturbation in scripture…

It might be instructive to consider the etymology of the English word, masturbation. It comes from manus “hand” + *stuprare *“defile” (oneself), from stuprum “defilement, dishonor,” related to “stupid.”

The very etymology of the word derives from its impurity.

The verb masturbate was first recorded in 1857 (Online Etymology Dictionary). Before such time, the act was called Onanism, from Onan, son of Judah (Gen. 38:9), who “spilled his seed” thereby deliberately defiling himself contrary to the will of God, for which God punished him.

According to Merriam-Webster:
onanism - Etymology: probably from New Latin onanismus, from Onan, son of Judah (Genesis 38:9),Date: circa 1741
1: masturbation
2: coitus interruptus
3: self-gratification

 

[outcast]

the stuff can get addicting as smoking IMO though. i’m sure many people struggle with their sexuality,even Catholics. its everywhere-intenret,TV, magazines. i kind of think its almost inevitable to “do-it”. we’re all human.

its especially hard for me being in a public high chool, cuz thats all you hear about(well not ALL you hear thank goodness), cuz i kind of think some other religions are okay that sex is natural, but i maybe wrong.

 

[itsjustdave1988]

… some other religions are okay that sex is natural, but i maybe wrong.

Sex is natural. It is also sacred, because it is through sex that we participate in God’s act of creation.

However, the modern opinion is that masturbation is OK is contrary to constant Judeo-Christian teaching.

For instance, according to even Jewish interpretation of Holy Scripture, Onanism, which included masturation as well as artificial birth control, was sinful. The Encylopedia Judaica (Vol. 4, p. 1054), states that on the basis of Gen. 38: 9-10, “the Talmud sternly inveighs against ‘bringing forth the seed in vain’, considering it a cardinal sin (Nid. 13a).” In the same Encyclopedia Judaica (Vol. 12, p. 1495), it is stated that the act of Onan "is taken . . . by the Talmud (Yev. 34b) to refer either to unnatural intercourse or (cf. Nid. 13a) to masturbation. "

 

[SinfulMan]

Ok, I have found it.

Leviticus 15:2-3

Say to the people of Israel, When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. And this is the law of his uncleanness for a discharge: whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body is stopped from discharge, it is uncleanness in him.

Ofcourse, this is talking about involuntary discharge. But it implies that doing it voluntarily would be an even greater sin. So people in those times must have not masturbated out of fear of disobeying God and becoming unclean.

 

[Harmony1988]

Maybe people are confusing playing with themselves with masturbation. These are two different behaviours.

Of course kids play with themselves (make little puppets out of their body parts, pull on the stretchy parts, etc.), but typically they don’t masturbate (bring themselves to orgasm) until someone else teaches them how.

No, but that’s how they find out and continue.

 

[MarcoPolo]

not even a mention of masturbation in scripture

Because #1, it would be covered as “sexual immorality & impurity” in Galatians 5:19-24.

Because #2, God never intended for Scripture to exhaust revelation.

 

[Princess18]

It’s not something people “figure out on their own” because it’s not a natural thing - it’s a learned behaviour.

I completely disagree. Myself, my fiance’ and most of my friends agree that we discovered ourselves as children that if we touched certain parts in certain ways it is pleasurable. At a young age orgasm as possible for both genders, even though it doesn’t end with the physical evidence that grown men are capable of.

Once I was giving my six year old niece a bath in a whirlpool tub and after I finished washing her hair she refused to stop leaning against the side of the tub (where I had her so I could reach). It took me a minute to figure out it was because the jet was pointing at the right spot and she was enjoying it. There wasn’t anything sexual about it, as she doesn’t know anything about sex. I rub her back when she’s tired and sleepy, that feels good too. In her mind, why should that be any different? It’s not a “someone touching her privates”, its her doing it. I told my mother about it and she said that it’s a normal thing that kids do, as she was constantly telling my brothers and I to get our hands out of our pants when we were preschool age.

Freud goes into great detail about the phallic stage of development, occurring around ages 4 to 6, when we discover that the genitals are a source of pleasure. This was 1900 … porn wasn’t an issue.

 

[colliric]

Also I believe the way the society viewed Marriage was also contributory to this. Arranged marriage and also Marrage by law(for example, the Brother of a recently deceased individual was obliged to Marry the Widow by Law) would have made masturbation a little more redundant. As Marriage has become lousened and the sancity of it has been attacked by secular society, Lonelyness, especially in Males, has become a more serious issue and an increase in the sin of Masturbation has certainly resulted.

 

[Nickkname]

It’s really strange that there is not even a mention of masturbation in scripture, given the fact that it is a mortal sin and almost all people struggle with it. Were the people in those times so pure in mind that they didn’t know what masturbation was? I’m just wondering why scripture doesn’t even mention it. It should have been mentioned in the mosaic law. Were men in those times so chaste?

God commanded against masturbation when He gave Moses the Commandements: Thou shat not commit adultery.

God assumed human nature and gave the full meaning of the Sixth Commandment: You have heart it said, ‘Thou shall not commit adultery’, but I say to you, anyone who looks lustly at a woman has already committed adultery with her in in his heart.

Common sense shows this same Commandment goes for women too, as no one is immune to the Law.

 

[colliric]

God commanded against masturbation when He gave Moses the Commandements: Thou shat not commit adultery.

God assumed human nature and gave the full meaning of the Sixth Commandment: You have heart it said, ‘Thou shall not commit adultery’, but I say to you, anyone who looks lustly at a woman has already committed adultery with her in in his heart.

Common sense shows this same Commandment goes for women too, as no one is immune to the Law.

yes this is correct. The OP however seems to understand this particular thing. I think they are more asking about why the actual sin itself is not specifically mentioned and other things like beastiality and Homosexuality(the “abominable” sin of Sodom, but not the only sin committed there) are. The question they seem to be asking is more about why it isn’t more specifically mentioned. The answer seems to be found in the social aspects of the earlier Jewish society especially in their views on Marriage as a necessity for the major population. I mean any society that sees marriage as a nesseceity for anyone that isn’t a priest, and sees procreation as a nessecity in Marriage, is highly likely to have decreased levels for the sin of masturbation.(It is a position they still hold to this day, that’s why practising Jewish families tend to be large).

In Judaism it is one of the worst sins one can commit to deny procreation, especially through outright Murdering of another human being therefore committing the sin of destroying not just him, but also his future generations.

Masturbation does not seem from our view to have been a majorly committed sin in their society, I personally reason that it is partly because Marriage has been systematically attacked by secularism seeking to destroy it’s sanctity, leading to an increase in Male singleness/loneliness, leading to a large increase in the Sin of Masturbation. In catholic europe, it also did not seem to be prevalent from our perspective. It is only in modern times, from our position, that it has become a majorly committed sin, because of the increased attacks on Married Life.