Meaning of "sodomites" in these bible verses.

[Sammy-San]

And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father.

"And he took away the sodomites out of the land". I Kings 14:11-12

1st Kings 22:43-46, "And (King Jehoshaphat) walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places. And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah? And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land."

In 2nd Kings 23.

And he brake down the houses of the SODOMITES that were by the house of the LORD where the women wove hangings for the grove.

Does sodomites, mentioned in the book of Kings, refer to homosexuals in general (which was a crime in ancient Israel), or specifically people who were shrine prostitutes involved in homosexuality as a part of pagan religions, which existed in ancient Israel? Many Bible verses translate sodomites to shrine prostitutes.

Some people attempt to justify homosexuality by saying that the verses in Leviticus about men lying with men were about pagan religious rites that involved homosexuality, despite the fact that nothing in the context of Leviticus even mentions that. However, in the context of the Book of Kings, theres nothing to suggest that sodomites werent shrine prostitutes.

 

[BryanW92]

According to Strongs, the original Hebrew word in the 1 Kings verse was not "Sodomite", but was indeed a word meaning temple prostitute. The KJV used Sodomite, but all of my modern translations used some variation of temple prostitute. This sounds like a bad translation on the part of the KJV writers.

 

[Sammy-San]

According to Strongs, the original Hebrew word in the 1 Kings verse was not "Sodomite", but was indeed a word meaning temple prostitute. The KJV used Sodomite, but all of my modern translations used some variation of temple prostitute. This sounds like a bad translation on the part of the KJV writers.

Why do people treat the KJV as if its the one true and accurate version of the Bible, even though it has translation errors?

 

[CryOfALion]

The Hebrew word for Sodomite is "qadesh," which comes from "qodesh." Qodesh means holy and consecrated, while qadesh means an unholy defilement. So, this is probably why "temple," or religious connotations are a modern adjective prefixing a phrase for "sodomite" - like temple prostitute, cult prostitute, etc. But, the definition also includes modern Sodomy.

It was a word to describe people who used sex as routine as prayer as part of their religious and spiritual activities - especially in ways that is considered to gain more spiritual highness.

The people that wanted to have seen with the angels not only because they wanted to sexually defile angels, but because they were likely doing it in a religiously ritualistic way.

 

[BryanW92]

Why do people treat the KJV as if its the one true and accurate version of the Bible, even though it has translation errors?

Because the guy in the pulpit said so.

 

[Free at Calvary]

Sodomites are citizens of Sodom.

Scripture implies it was nation which practiced righteousness but became wicked. It does not say exactly what the wickedness was.

And by the way, I trust KJV completely. If I followed the guy/girl in the pulpit, I'd be using one of the other "translations" filled with man's erroneous interpretations.

Please remember, this is just a text, this is only a text. Don't let it upset you.

Have a great day.

 

[dayhiker]

In thinking about the meaning of Lev with men lying with men and temple prostitutes.
I once did an study of how the word abombination is used in the Bible. To my recollection about 80% of the time the context if its use was clearly idol worship. That left me with the decision of did the authors in general use the word abombination always to refer to idol worship even when the context wasn't clearly idol worship.

 

[abysmul]

In 2nd Kings 23.

New International Version
He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the temple of the LORD, the quarters where women did weaving for Asherah.



English Standard Version
And he broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes who were in the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah.

New American Standard Bible
He also broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes which were in the house of the LORD, where the women were weaving hangings for the Asherah.



Holman Christian Standard Bible
He also tore down the houses of the male cult prostitutes that were in the LORD's temple, in which the women were weaving tapestries for Asherah.

King James 2000 Bible
And he broke down the houses of the male prostitutes, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the idol pole.



Young's Literal Translation
And he breaketh down the houses of the whoremongers that are in the house of Jehovah, where the women are weaving houses for the shrine.

 

[Sammy-San]

Because the guy in the pulpit said so.

When the Bible says that the shrine prostitutes were removed from the land by the kings, does that mean that the kings executed them or simply exiled them for their crimes?

 

[BryanW92]

In thinking about the meaning of Lev with men lying with men and temple prostitutes.
I once did an study of how the word abombination is used in the Bible. To my recollection about 80% of the time the context if its use was clearly idol worship. That left me with the decision of did the authors in general use the word abombination always to refer to idol worship even when the context wasn't clearly idol worship.

80% is not "always".

 

[BryanW92]

When the Bible says that the shrine prostitutes were removed from the land by the kings, does that mean that the kings executed them or simply exiled them for their crimes?

It was a harsh world in those days. In earlier times, men would beg to be beheaded rather than face some other punishments. Exile in to the desert was one of them. In our experience, we think, "oh, he can just walk down the road to the next town and he'll be ok." But the truth is that exiles were often marked in a way that would cause any other town to kill them on sight because anyone who got thrown out of his own home town was obviously scum that you don't want in your town either. So, exile was a sentence of slow, lingering death.

 

[dayhiker]

Yes, indeed. So how do you apply the 80% use of abombination refers to idol worship and temple prostitutes? How does it aid you in your interpretation?

80% is not "always".

 

[CryOfALion]

In thinking about the meaning of Lev with men lying with men and temple prostitutes.
I once did an study of how the word abombination is used in the Bible. To my recollection about 80% of the time the context if its use was clearly idol worship. That left me with the decision of did the authors in general use the word abombination always to refer to idol worship even when the context wasn't clearly idol worship.

Idol worship is closest. Having sex with the same image as yourself (male/male, female/female) was considered idolatry. Eidololatria is the Greek work for idolatry, which means "image worship."

In Hebrew, idol is pesel, meaning a [carved, graven] image or idol. It has its root in pasal, meaning "to hew." So, it makes sense how it colloquially became joined with idol worship.


However, the word for abomination in Hebrew is toebah, which has no root that was used. And, that means "disgusting, detestable, and an object of loathing."

 

[Sammy-San]

Because the guy in the pulpit said so.

If not the KJV, which bible version do you think is the most true and accurate?

 

[Sammy-San]

Idol worship is closest. Having sex with the same image as yourself (male/male, female/female) was considered idolatry. Eidololatria is the Greek work for idolatry, which means "image worship."

In Hebrew, idol is pesel, meaning a [carved, graven] image or idol. It has its root in pasal, meaning "to hew." So, it makes sense how it colloquially became joined with idol worship.


However, the word for abomination in Hebrew is toebah, which has no root that was used. And, that means "disgusting, detestable, and an object of loathing."

Is all sin toebah?