Wikipedia's first sentence called it “written in a culture whose ) and the new testament”. Today it says “themselves parts of the larger field of philosophical ethics”.
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Machine-checked against the full current article on 2026-08-03.
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The opening as it read in 2005
Western philosophical works on ethics were written in a culture whose literary and religious ideas were based in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the New Testament . As such, there are significant connections between the ethics of the Bible and the ethics of some of the great western philosophers.1
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 16176418.
The opening as it stood in 2010 2 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Ethics is the branch of philosophy which examines the question of what actions are morally right or wrong and why.The Bible contains numerous prescriptions or laws and many narrative accounts of ethical relevance.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 367919888.
The opening as it stood in 2015 2 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
( Learn how and when to remove this message ) Ethics in the Bible are the ideas concerning right and wrong actions that exist in scripture in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles .Biblical accounts contain numerous prescriptions or laws that people use as guides to action.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 668799378.
The opening as it stood in 2020 1 passage from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Ideas concerning right and wrong actions that exist in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles Interpretation Hermeneutics Pesher Midrash Pardes Allegorical interpretation Historical-grammatical method Inspiration Literalism Alcohol Conspiracy theory Ethics Capital punishment Homosexuality Humor Incest Muhammad Prophecy Rape Serpents Sex Slavery Violence Warfare Women Perspectives Gnostic Islamic Quranic Inerrancy Infallibility Criticism of the Bible Biblical authority Outline of Bible-related topics Bible portal v t e Ethics in the Bible refers to the system(s) or theory(ies) produced by the study, interpretation, and evaluation of biblical morals, (including the moral code, standards, principles, behaviors, conscience, values, rules of conduct, or beliefs concerned with good and evil and right and wrong), that are found in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles .It comprises a narrow part of the larger fields of Jewish and Christian ethics , which are themselves parts of the larger field of philosophical ethics .Ethics in the Bible is unlike other western ethical theories in that it is seldom overtly philosophical.It presents neither a systematic nor a formal deductive ethical argument.Instead, the Bible provides patterns of moral reasoning that focus on conduct and character in what is sometimes referred to as virtue ethics .This moral reasoning is part of a broad, normative covenantal tradition where duty and virtue are inextricably tied together in a mutually reinforcing manner.The ethics of the Bible have been criticized with some calling it immoral in some of its teachings.Slavery , genocide , supersessionism , the death penalty , violence , patriarchy , sexual intolerance, colonialism , and the problem of evil and a good God, are examples of criticisms of ethics in the Bible.Conversely it has been seen as a cornerstone of both Western culture , and many other cultures across the globe.Concepts such as justice for the widow, orphan and stranger provided inspiration for movements ranging from abolitionism in the 18th and 19th century, the civil rights movement , the Anti-Apartheid Movement , and liberation theology in Latin America .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 965252945.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023 1 passage from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Ideas concerning right and wrong actions that exist in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles Interpretation Hermeneutics Pesher Midrash Pardes Allegorical interpretation Historical-grammatical method Inspiration Literalism Alcohol Conspiracy theory Ethics Capital punishment Homosexuality Humor Incest Muhammad Prophecy Rape Serpents Sex Slavery Violence Warfare Women Perspectives Gnostic Islamic Quranic Inerrancy Infallibility Criticism of the Bible Biblical authority Outline of Bible-related topics Bible portal v t e Ethics in the Bible refers to the system(s) or theory(ies) produced by the study, interpretation, and evaluation of biblical morals (including the moral code, standards, principles, behaviors, conscience, values, rules of conduct, or beliefs concerned with good and evil and right and wrong), that are found in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles . It comprises a narrow part of the larger fields of Jewish and Christian ethics , which are themselves parts of the larger field of philosophical ethics . Ethics in the Bible is unlike other western ethical theories in that it is seldom overtly philosophical. It presents neither a systematic nor a formal deductive ethical argument. Instead, the Bible provides patterns of moral reasoning that focus on conduct and character in what is sometimes referred to as virtue ethics . This moral reasoning is part of a broad, normative covenantal tradition where duty and virtue are inextricably tied together in a mutually reinforcing manner. Some critics have viewed certain biblical teachings to be morally problematic and accused it of advocating for slavery , genocide , supersessionism , the death penalty , violence , patriarchy , sexual intolerance and colonialism .The problem of evil , an argument that is used to argue against the existence of the Judeo-Christian God, is an example of criticism of ethics in the Bible. Conversely, it has been seen as a cornerstone of both Western culture , and many other cultures across the globe. Concepts such as justice for the widow, orphan and stranger provided inspiration for movements ranging from abolitionism in the 18th and 19th century, to the civil rights movement , the Anti-Apartheid Movement , and liberation theology in Latin America .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1137268844.
The opening as it stood in 2025
Interpretation Hermeneutics Pesher Midrash Pardes Allegorical interpretation Historical-grammatical method Inspiration Literalism Alcohol Conspiracy theory Ethics Capital punishment Homosexuality Humor Incest Muhammad Prophecy Rape Serpents Sex Slavery Violence Warfare Women Perspectives Gnostic Islamic Quranic Inerrancy Infallibility Criticism of the Bible Biblical authority Outline of Bible-related topics Bible portal v t e Ethics in the Bible refers to the system(s) or theory(ies) produced by the study, interpretation, and evaluation of biblical morals (including the moral code, standards, principles, behaviors, conscience, values, rules of conduct, or beliefs concerned with good and evil and right and wrong), that are found in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles . It comprises a narrow part of the larger fields of Jewish and Christian ethics , which are themselves parts of the larger field of philosophical ethics . Ethics in the Bible is unlike other western ethical theories in that it is seldom overtly philosophical. It presents neither a systematic nor a formal deductive ethical argument. Instead, the Bible provides patterns of moral reasoning that focus on conduct and character in what is sometimes referred to as virtue ethics . This moral reasoning is part of a broad, normative covenantal tradition where duty and virtue are inextricably tied together in a mutually reinforcing manner. Some critics have viewed certain biblical teachings to be morally problematic and accused it of advocating for slavery , genocide , supersessionism , the death penalty , violence , patriarchy , sexual intolerance and colonialism . The problem of evil , an argument that is used to argue against the existence of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic God, is an example of criticism of ethics in the Bible. Conversely, it has been seen as a cornerstone of both Western culture , and many other cultures across the globe. Concepts such as justice for the widow, orphan and stranger provided inspiration for movements ranging from abolitionism in the 18th and 19th century, to the civil rights movement , the Anti-Apartheid Movement , and liberation theology in Latin America .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1291982654. This is our newest snapshot; the live article may have moved again since.
Today
Wikipedia's first sentence called it “written in a culture whose ) and the new testament”. Today it says “themselves parts of the larger field of philosophical ethics”. Read the current article and compare.
2005
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apartheid
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genocide
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Counts in the opening at each snapshot. Green: the word gained ground. Red: it was cut. Grey: no change.
What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2005, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
written in a culture whose ) and the new testament
Now
themselves parts of the larger field of philosophical ethics
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.