The reason I’m beginning this post with the title I have chosen is because I wanted to share with my Christian readers something that I have found in the Holy bible regarding how homosexuality impacts the nation and individuals. Since I am aware that many of my readers are homosexual, if one of you happens to be reading this, I would ask that you stop reading this because this post may make you mad and that is not my desire. Just know that if you continue to read, you’ve already been warned.
Okay, now on to the topic of this post. In recent weeks I have done numerous studies in the bible concerning how the bible dealt with sodomites. We all know that the term sodomites is used for the people who practiced sodomy and also taken from the land of Sodom where that sin was very rampant. The bible uses the word sodomite numerous times in the Hebrew text.
For this study I am using my Libronix Digital Library System from Logos.com – This is awesome bible study material and I highly encourage any serious bible student to invest in the software.
According to the 1890 Darby Bible the word sodomite is used six times, although there are also other instances in the bible where the word is used. We will look at those as we go along. Here are the references:
1 Timothy 1:8 – 10 – the word sodomite is in verse 10.
8 Now we know that the law is good if any one uses it lawfully, 9 knowing this, that law has not its application to a righteous person, but to the lawless and insubordinate, to the impious and sinful, to the unholy and profane, to smiters of fathers and smiters of mothers; to murderers, 10 fornicators, sodomites, kidnappers, liars, perjurers; and if any other thing is opposed to sound teaching, 11 according to the glad tidings of the glory of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
Darby, John Nelson: The Holy Scriptures : A New Translation from the Original Languages. Oak Harbor : Logos Research Systems, 1996, S. 1 Ti 1:8
Our next passage is from Deuteronomy 23:17 which reads…
17 There shall be no prostitute amongst the daughters of Israel, nor any Sodomite amongst the sons of Israel.
I Kings 14:23 is our next reference with the word Sodomites –
23 And they also built for themselves high places, and columns, and Asherahs on every high hill and under every green tree; 24 and there were also sodomites in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations that Jehovah had dispossessed before the children of Israel.
Next we have 1 Kings 15:9-12
9 And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah; 10 and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maachah, daughter of Abishalom. 11 And Asa did what was right in the sight of Jehovah, as David his father. 12 And he put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his father had made.
Also 1 Kings 22:46 –
46 And the remainder of the sodomites, which were left in the days of his father Asa, he put away from out of the land
And this is the last one we will look at – 2 Kings 23:4-7
4 And the king commanded Hilkijah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers, to bring forth out of the temple of Jehovah all the vessels that had been made for Baal, and for the Asherah, and for all the host of the heavens; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them to Bethel. 5 And he abolished the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense on the high places in the cities of Judah, and the environs of Jerusalem; and them that burned incense to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven. 6 And he brought out the Asherah from the house of Jehovah, outside Jerusalem, to the torrent of Kidron, and burned it at the torrent of Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder upon the graves of the children of the people. 7 And he broke down the houses of the sodomites, which were in the house of Jehovah, where the women wove tents for the Asherah.
It is very interesting to see how in every single case sodomites were not blessed and in some cases taken out of the land so as not to defile that country. But we will focus on that in other posts, right now I want to get a few definitions.
The first definition of the word sodomite I find is from An American Dictionary of the English Language and I find this particularly interesting.
When the word sodomite is looked up this is what appears:
PED´ERAST, n. [Gr. ??????????, from ????, a boy, and ????, love.] A sodomite.
Webster, Noah: Noah Webster’s First Edition of An American Dictionary of the English Language. Anaheim, CA : Foundation for American Christian Education, 2006– (In other words boylover)
And also ABU´SER, n. s as z. One who abuses, in speech or behavior; one that deceives; a ravisher; a sodomite. 1 Cor. 6.
Webster, Noah: Noah Webster’s First Edition of An American Dictionary of the English Language. Anaheim, CA : Foundation for American Christian Education, 2006
American Heritage Dictionary says this is a definition:
sod·om·y Audio Help (s?d’?-m?)
n. Any of various forms of sexual intercourse held to be unnatural or abnormal, especially anal intercourse or bestiality.
And older versions of the dictionary refer to sodomy as an “act against nature”.
The final thing I want to look at in this post is what The Bible Knowledge Commentary says regarding 8 occurrences where Sodomites are mentioned. I think you may find this enlightening.
First, Ezekiel 16:49 – 52
16:49-52. Sodom’s sin was her haughty unconcern for the needs of others in spite of her wealth. Also the Sodomites did detestable things before God. This could refer to their deviate sexual aberrations (cf. Gen. 19:4-5). The sin of Samaria, though not specifically stated, was her idolatry. But Jerusalem’s sins were so vile that, in comparison, the sins of both Sodom and Samaria seemed almost like righteous deeds!
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:1258
Next commentary on Judges 19:22-26
19:22-26. Reminiscent of the wicked Sodomites in the time of Lot (cf. Gen. 19:1-11), the wicked men (or “worthless men”; lit., “sons of Belial”; cf. 1 Sam. 1:16; 2:12) of Gibeah surrounded the house and demanded that the old man send out the Levite to satisfy their homosexual desires. Considering the laws of hospitality more important than chivalry toward the opposite sex, the old man offered them instead his virgin daughter and the Levite’s concubine. The men either did not hear or refused his offer, but when the Levite thrust his concubine . . . outside to them, they took her and sexually abused her throughout the night. At daybreak she was released to return; she fell at the door of the house where she died.
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:411
Commentary on 1 Kings 14:22-24
14:22-24. Rehoboam turned from the Lord after he had become established on the throne and was strong (2 Chron. 12:1, 14). This revival of idolatry reintroduced conditions that had prevailed in the days of the Judges before David turned the nation to the Lord. The Lord’s jealous anger was directed at those responsible for the sins that destroyed His beloved people. The high places were sometimes places where Yahweh was worshiped but not as He had commanded. The sacred stones or pillars and Asherah poles (cf. 1 Kings 14:15) were aids to the worship of male and female Canaanite idols. The high hills and spreading trees were favorite locations for these cultic shrines. Male shrine prostitutes (sodomites) were used in pagan worship. The same practices that moved God to purge the land of the moral cancer that plagued it in Joshua’s day were those to which the Israelites returned under Rehoboam’s leadership.
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:517-518
Commentary on Genesis 19
19:1-14. The two angels (cf. 18:2, 22) were reluctant visitors to Lot. In spite of Lot’s hospitality, they preferred to lodge in the square. But when the angels were in Lot’s house. . . . all the men . . . of the city . . . surrounded the house. They wanted to have sex with (lit., “to know,” i.e., sexually) Lot’s visitors. They wanted homosexual relations with these two who they thought were men. As angels, they apparently were handsome. The men’s vileness was matched, surprisingly, by Lot’s hypocrisy, for he was willing to give them his virgin daughters (19:8). To protect one’s guests was part of hospitality, but this was going too far! Lot’s pleas for righteousness (v. 7) were now wasted as the Sodomites saw a different side of their judge (v. 9). He might as well have mocked. The angels then pulled Lot back into the house, made the men outside the door blind, and told Lot to get . . . out because they were going to destroy the city. When Lot told this to his two daughters’ fiancés, they did not believe him.
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:60
Next we have commentary on 1 Kings 15:12-15
Encouraged by God’s prophet, Asa embarked on a second period of reformation (1 Kings 15:12-15; 2 Chron. 15:8-18). The expulsion of the sodomites and the destruction of idols introduced by Rehoboam and Abijah were part of this reform, as was Asa’s deposing of his grandmother Maacah from the official position of queen mother because of her repulsive Asherah pole, which he burned . . . in the Kidron Valley east of Jerusalem.
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:519
Commentary on Genesis 18
18:1-8. Three men visited Abraham near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron (cf. 13:18; 14:13) to confirm the time of the fulfillment of the promise. These three were the Lord (18:1, 10, 13; cf. comments on “the Angel of the Lord,” 16:7) and two angels. Though one is justified in seeing lessons here about hospitality, the angels certainly did not visit Abraham for the purpose of teaching him this. Why did the Angel of the Lord approach Abraham in this manner? Why did He not use an oracle, a vision, or a voice? Possibly He meant it as a test for both Abraham and the Sodomites. The moral states of Abraham and Sodom may have been indicated by their different treatments of strangers. Abraham’s peaceful, quiet visit contrasted greatly with Sodom’s outbursts of brutality and inhumanity (cf. chaps. 18-19).
But more likely Abraham’s visitors meant to convey intimate fellowship. To eat together was important for fellowship, peace offerings, and treaties. When the Lord was ready to specify the fulfillment of the covenantal promise, He came in person and ate in Abraham’s tent. Nothing could more significantly communicate their close relationship.
Abraham . . . hurried to them (18:2), hurried back to the tent (v. 6), ran to the herd (v. 7), and his servant hurried (v. 7); Abraham bowed low before them (v. 2); he had water brought to wash their feet (v. 4); he served them freshly baked bread (v. 6), a choice . . . calf (v. 7), curds and milk (v. 8), and he stood while they were eating (v. 8; cf. vv. 1-2). All this suggests that he perceived who his visitors were.Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:59
More commentary on Genesis 18
The judgment of the cities of the plain (chap. 19)
This chapter records God’s judgment on a morally bankrupt Canaanite civilization, but it also provides a severe warning against others becoming like them: it was difficult to get Lot out of Sodom, and Sodom out of Lot’s family.
Lot was an upright citizen, hospitable and generous (vv. 2-3), and a leader of the community. Actually he was a judge, for he “was sitting in the gateway of the city” (v. 1; cf. v. 9). Judges usually sat by the city gates, public places (cf. Job 29:7, 12-17) where legal and business transactions were finalized (cf. Gen. 23:18). As a judge Lot sought to screen out the wickedness of his townfolk and to give advice on good living. He knew truth and justice, righteousness and evil. He was “a righteous man” (2 Peter 2:7-8).
Yet in spite of his denunciation of their lifestyle, he liked the good life of Sodom’s society. He preferred making money off its citizens to staying in the hills (cf. Gen. 13:10-11) where there would be no filthy living but also no “good life.”
The hour of truth came with the visitation from on high. Lot seemed godly and pure, but he was hypocritical. His words were not taken seriously (19:14). The “saint” at first pitched his tent near Sodom, but later Sodom controlled his life. He was moral, for he opposed sodomy and homosexuality; he knew great evil when he saw it. But ironically he was willing to sacrifice his daughters’ virginity to fend off the vice of Sodomite men (v. 8). He escaped judgment by the grace of God, but his heart was in Sodom. His wife was too attached to the city to follow the call of grace, and his daughters had no qualms against having sex with their drunk and naked father (vv. 30-35).
As long as the Lord left Lot alone, he would seek to profess faith while at the same time living in Sodom. Ultimately he could not have both. Sodom would have destroyed him if the Lord had not destroyed Sodom.Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:60
And more commentary on Genesis 19 from the New Testament.
Jesus also said that if the miracles He did in Capernaum had been done in Sodom, the Sodomites would have repented (Matt. 11:23). As it is, “it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment” than for the cities of Galilee (Matt. 11:24). This signifies that God judges according to knowledge, and that judgment greater than physical destruction awaits sinners.
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:61
We will look at more in our next post.
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