The 'capital sins' (or at least the idea of listing seven major vices) are based in part on a passage from the Book of Proverbs of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament: 'There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him:Īnd hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans,įeet that hurry to run to evil, a lying witness who testifies falsely, and one who sows discord in a family' (Prov 6:16-19).
Virtue and Vice Lists in the Bible Virtue and Vice Lists in the BibleĬhristian morality is not only based foundationally on the Ten Commandments (see Exod 20 & Deut 5), but also focuses traditionally on what are called the seven 'Capital Sins' or 'Deadly Sins,' often pairing and contrasting these with seven 'Principal Virtues': Capital/Deadly Sins:
