Sex in the Hebrew Bible
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Sex is considered repeatedly in the Hebrew Bible. Some references provide unambiguous ethical regulations, such as the laws given in Leviticus or Deuteronomy. Others are more ambivalent, most famously the potentially homosexual actions of Ham with his father, Noah. Its depictions of homosexuality, rape, prostitution and incest have spurred considerable academic and theological attention.
Homosexuality
The
Rape
Although the Hebrew Bible contains numerous references to rape, this was mostly unrecognized by commentators until the 20th century. It was not until the late 1970s, with the emergence of the anti-rape movement due to second-wave feminism, that feminist scholars reanalyzed Biblical scenarios in terms of sexual violence.[11] Hebrew contains several verbs that can refer to rape, making interpretation difficult.[11]
A commonly-cited example of Biblical rape is the Levite's concubine found in Judges.[12][13]
Incest
Lot's daughters had sex with him after they got him drunk for the purpose of becoming pregnant.[14]
Prostitution
Two different words for prostitute occur in the Hebrew Bible, zonah (זונה) and kedeshah (קדשה). This led to the belief that kedeshah were not ordinary prostitutes, but sacred harlots who worked in fertility temples.[15]
- her father-in-law Judah for ownership of a goat. Her motive was fulfilling what she saw as her family duty, namely producing offspring for Judah.[16]
- Samson sees a prostitute, and visits her [17]
- God tells the prophet Hosea to marry Gomer ,a prostitute. [18]
- Book of Deuteronomy 23:17–18 prohibits prostitution.
Adultery
Exodus 20:14, as the seventh commandment, prohibits adultery. Second Samuel 11:3-5 describes King David's act of adultery with Bathsheba:
"And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, 'Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?' 4 And David sent messengers, and took her, and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. 5 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, 'I am with child."
Miscellaneous
- The sin of Onan,[19][20] often misinterpreted as masturbation,[21][22] was coitus interruptus. Onan was also violating the duty of yibbum. He was struck down by God because he "spilt his seed upon the ground" while he had a duty to impregnate his brother's wife.
- Proverbs 5 claims that sexual sin causes scars and pain.[23]
See also
- Religious male circumcision
Notes
- ^ "Homosexuality - Thematic Subject Guide". BlueLetterBible.
- ^ "Bible Verses about Homosexuality". BibleStudyTools.
- ^ "Bible Search Results for "homosexuality"". BlueLetterBible.
- ^ "Translations and interpretations of Leviticus 18:22; all views". www.religioustolerance.org. Retrieved 2019-09-19.
- ^ "Translations and interpretations of Leviticus 18:22; all views next page". www.religioustolerance.org. Retrieved 2019-09-19.
- ^ "comparing-beliefs-about-homosexuality-and-its-cause(s)". www.religioustolerance.org. Retrieved 2019-09-19.
- ^ "Lev 18:22 NKJV - Bible Gateway". www.biblegateway.com.
- ^ "Lev 20:13 NKJV - Bible Gateway". www.biblegateway.com.
- ^ Genesis 9:20-23
- ^ David Noel Freedman, Allen C. Myers, Astrid B. Beck, Eerdmans dictionary of the Bible, (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing: 2000), p. 543
- ^ OCLC 1241446783.
- S2CID 197873446.
- S2CID 170929067.
- ^ Genesis 19:30-36
- )
- ^ Genesis 38:13-24
- ^ Judges 16:1
- ^ Hosea 1:2
- ISBN 978-0-7188-2987-2), 2002, p. 92
- ^ Genesis 38:8-10
- S2CID 39066052.
Social change in attitudes toward masturbation has occurred at the professional level only since 1960 and at the popular level since 1970. [133] ... onanism and masturbation erroneously became synonymous... [134] ... there is no legislation in the Bible pertaining to masturbation. [135]
- S2CID 142040707. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
The Bible presents no clear theological ethic on masturbation, leaving many young unmarried Christians with confusion and guilt around their sexuality.
- ^ Proverbs 5 (King James Version)
References
- Akerly, Ben Edward, The X-Rated Bible: An Irreverent Survey of Sex in the Scriptures (American Atheist Press, 1985) ISBN 0-910309-19-1
- Smith, Morton H., Shorter Catechism of the Westminster Confession Standards, (Escondido, CA: Ephesians Four Group) 1999.
Further reading
- Miller, Lisa (2011). "What the Bible Really Says About Sex". Newsweek.
- Coogan, Michael (2010). God and Sex: What the Bible Really Says. Twelve. ISBN 978-0-446-54525-9.
- Knust, Jennifer Wright (2011). Unprotected Texts: The Bible's Surprising Contradictions About Sex and Desire. HarperOne. ISBN 978-0-06-172558-6.
- Ecker, Ronald (1995). And Adam Knew Eve: A Dictionary of Sex in the Bible. Hodge and Braddock. ISBN 0-9636512-4-2.
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