Some OT verses on prostitutes

[tonychanyt]

Leviticus 19:

29 Do not defile your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will be filled with prostitution and wickedness.

Prostitution is compared to wickedness.

Strong's Hebrew: 2181. זָנָה (zanah) — 93 Occurrences

Brown-Driver-Briggs:

1. be or act as a harlot,
2. figurative of improper intercourse with foreign nations
3. of intercourse with other deities, considered as harlotry, sometimes involving actual prostitution
4. of moral defection

Leviticus 21:

9 If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she also defiles her father’s holiness, and she must be burned to death.

Capital punishment for the daughter of the priest.

Deuteronomy 23:

18 When you are bringing an offering to fulfill a vow, you must not bring to the house of the Lord your God any offering from the earnings of a prostitute, whether a man or a woman, for both are detestable to the Lord your God.

ESV Proverbs 23:

26 My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow well.
28 She lies in wait like a robber and increases the traitors among mankind.

A prostitute is compared to an adulteress and a robber.

Ezekiel 23:

11 “Yet even though Oholibah saw what had happened to Oholah, her sister, she followed right in her footsteps. And she was even more depraved, abandoning herself to her lust and prostitution.

Joshua 6:

17 And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent.

The OT addresses prostitution in both literal and figurative terms, condemning it as morally and spiritually destructive while offering examples of grace and redemption. These passages highlight the importance of holiness, faithfulness, and the transformative power of God's mercy.

 

[Reluctant Theologian]

Leviticus 19:


Prostitution is compared to wickedness.

Strong's Hebrew: 2181. זָנָה (zanah) — 93 Occurrences

Brown-Driver-Briggs:

1. be or act as a harlot,
2. figurative of improper intercourse with foreign nations
3. of intercourse with other deities, considered as harlotry, sometimes involving actual prostitution
4. of moral defection

Leviticus 21:


Capital punishment for the daughter of the priest.

Deuteronomy 23:


ESV Proverbs 23:


A prostitute is compared to an adulteress and a robber.

Ezekiel 23:


Joshua 6:


The OT addresses prostitution in both literal and figurative terms, condemning it as morally and spiritually destructive while offering examples of grace and redemption. These passages highlight the importance of holiness, faithfulness, and the transformative power of God's mercy.

Agreed, would you think that 'modern' casual sex equals prostitution in TNK/OT and NT terms? I might be inclined to think so. So any uncovenanted relations would be equally undesirable. What is intriguing still is that prostitution, although morally detestable, is not made punishable in Torah, except for daughters of a priest like you mentioned. The phenomenon was morally wrong but tolerated - as the story of King Solomon and his judgement in the court case of the two prostitutes shows.

 

[tonychanyt]

Agreed, would you think that 'modern' casual sex equals prostitution in TNK/OT and NT terms?

I would distinguish modern prostitutes from modern casual sex. In Canada, running or working in a brothel is illegal but casual sex is legal.

I might be inclined to think so. So any uncovenanted relations would be equally undesirable.

Right, they are both sin.

What is intriguing still is that prostitution, although morally detestable, is not made punishable in Torah, except for daughters of a priest like you mentioned. The phenomenon was morally wrong but tolerated - as the story of King Solomon and his judgement in the court case of the two prostitutes shows.

Right.

 

[Reluctant Theologian]

I would distinguish modern prostitutes from modern casual sex. In Canada, running or working in a brothel is illegal but casual sex is legal.


Right, they are both sin.


Right.

As believers we have to try to adhere to the local laws insofar they don't conflict with our faith duty.

Local laws can very enormously on these issues. ln Australia (and most of Europe) prostitution is legal. But in places like Malaysia or Dubai, even casual sex is illegal and can land you in jail (some tourist couples get themselves in trouble with this). In some European countries (e.g. Sweden) and also Israel, selling sex is legal, but buying isn't.