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When dealing with God's word, it is imperative to keep the following instruction in mind:
"Now these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that in us ye might learn not to go beyond the things which are written; that no one of you be puffed up for the one against the other." (1Cor 4:6, ASV)
also
"Every word of God is tried: He is a shield unto them that take refuge in him. Add thou not unto his words, Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." (Prov 30:5-6, ASV)
I am a stickler in striving for accuracy with the definitions of words, so that is how I begin taking a closer look at Sodom.
"...every male among the men of Abraham's house.." Gn. 17:23 ASV
That is a strange sounding phrase today. English "male" here is the Hebrew zaka and means MALE; the English "men" here is the Hebrew enosh and means man, humans, mankind, mortals, people. Because of changes in language in recent years, this needs to be pointed out.
"Now the men (enosh; NRSV, GNB92 "people", LXX anthropos) of Sodom were wicked and sinners against Jehovah exceedingly." (Gen 13:13, ASV) *Gn 18:32 shows that the city did not have 10 righteous persons in the entire city of Sodom.
"But before they lay down, the men(enosh, people) of the city, even the men(enosh, people) of Sodom, compassed the house round, both young and old, all the people from every quarter;" (Gen 19:4, ASV)
The words "both young and old, all the people from every quarter" shows enosh here is including females as well as males. Observing mob violence and demonstrations in this day like Antifa or the females march 1/20/17 shows females can be as violent as men.
The phrase "that we may know them" in this context brings to mind the gang rapes in prisons. Is this about affection and sexual desire, or about humiliation and domination?
And he said, I pray you, my brethren, do not so wickedly. (Gen 19:7, ASV)
The English "brethren" is the Hebrew ach, and Strong's Hebrew Dictionary states "used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance". The BDB gives examples such as "member of same tribe", "of same people", "allies", etc. There is no basis to restrict "brethren" here to males.
"And they said, Stand back. And they said, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and drew near to break the door." (Gen 19:9, ASV)
What is here in the Sodom account is a record of violence, attempted gang rape. This sort of sexual violence is in a very similar account in Judges with one major difference, in Judges the wicked ones are indicated to be males:
"As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain base fellows, beset the house round about, beating at the door; and they spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thy house, that we may know him." (Judg 19:22, ASV)
The underlined above, in Hebrew is: 'the men of the city, men, the sons of wickedness.' The repetition of "men" and then "sons" seems to indicate these are males.
In the next chapter, 20:5, these men are called "masters of Gibeah"(YLT); "lords of Gibeah"(NRSV); "leaders of Gibeah"(NETbible); "owners of Gibeah"(EBR). This would be males in Hebrew culture.
Ellicott's Commentary for English readers states on this verse:
"Literally, the lords of Gibeah, as in Judges 9:2. We cannot infer that they were heathen inhabitants of the town, though they behaved as if they were. If the phrase implies that they were men in positions of authority, it perhaps shows why there was no rescue and little resistance. This is also probable, because there could not have been the same unwillingness to give up to justice a few lawless and insignificant offenders."
Most importantly, we have the sin of Sodom given to us by God Himself:
"As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom: pride, fulness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good." (Ezek 16:48-50, ASV)
The vice list starts with "pride" and ends with being "haughty" and committing abomination. The Hebrew here for abomination is to ebah and it is found 41 times just in the book of Ezekiel alone and overwhelmingly it refers to things connected with idolatry. The BDB gives "idolatrous practices" for Eze. 16:50. There is no male to male sexual sin here listed. I will not read into this and add what is not there, violating 1 Cor. 4:6 and Prov. 30:5,6.
In Jer. 23:14; Sodom is associated with adulterers, liars, supporters of evil doers. In Jer. 49:16-18 Sodom is associated with "the pride of thy heart. Later in the New Testament we have the following:
"And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, having in like manner with these given themselves over to fornication and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire." (Jude 1:6-7, ASV)
The phrase "in like manner with these" is referring back to the angels who left their proper habitation, see Gen. 6:1-4. The non-canonical book of 1 Enoch is quoted in Jude 14,15 and the same book of Enoch seems to be behind the thought of Jude 6,7. The "sons of God" came down and mated with women. In similar fashion, the mob of Sodomites were going after angels in Gen. 19. The phrase "strange flesh" in the Greek is: strange = heteros meaning "other" or "different"; flesh = sarx. Can "different" or "other" flesh refer to another human being, or to another something or someone different? From the following it must mean the angels.
"All flesh(sarx) is not the same flesh(sarx): but there is one flesh(sarx) of men, and another flesh(sarx) of beasts, and another flesh(sarx) of birds, and another of fishes." (1Cor 15:39, ASV)
"All flesh is not the same: there is human flesh, flesh of beasts, of birds, and of fishes—all different." (1Cor 15:39, REB)
In the Apocrypha, a non-canonical but historic record, we have 2 references to show us how the Jews viewed the sin of Sodom:
3Ma_2:5 RSVA "You consumed with fire and sulphur the men of Sodom who acted arrogantly, who were notorious for their vices; and you made them an example to those who should come afterward."
Sir_16:8 RSVA "He did not spare the neighbors of Lot, whom he loathed on account of their insolence. "
So, what was the sin of Sodom? I'll stay with God's word in Eze. 16:48-50 and not add modern psychological concepts and words that do not fit, nor did they exist in biblical times.
"Now these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that in us ye might learn not to go beyond the things which are written; that no one of you be puffed up for the one against the other." (1Cor 4:6, ASV)
also
"Every word of God is tried: He is a shield unto them that take refuge in him. Add thou not unto his words, Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." (Prov 30:5-6, ASV)
I am a stickler in striving for accuracy with the definitions of words, so that is how I begin taking a closer look at Sodom.
"...every male among the men of Abraham's house.." Gn. 17:23 ASV
That is a strange sounding phrase today. English "male" here is the Hebrew zaka and means MALE; the English "men" here is the Hebrew enosh and means man, humans, mankind, mortals, people. Because of changes in language in recent years, this needs to be pointed out.
"Now the men (enosh; NRSV, GNB92 "people", LXX anthropos) of Sodom were wicked and sinners against Jehovah exceedingly." (Gen 13:13, ASV) *Gn 18:32 shows that the city did not have 10 righteous persons in the entire city of Sodom.
"But before they lay down, the men(enosh, people) of the city, even the men(enosh, people) of Sodom, compassed the house round, both young and old, all the people from every quarter;" (Gen 19:4, ASV)
The words "both young and old, all the people from every quarter" shows enosh here is including females as well as males. Observing mob violence and demonstrations in this day like Antifa or the females march 1/20/17 shows females can be as violent as men.
The phrase "that we may know them" in this context brings to mind the gang rapes in prisons. Is this about affection and sexual desire, or about humiliation and domination?
And he said, I pray you, my brethren, do not so wickedly. (Gen 19:7, ASV)
The English "brethren" is the Hebrew ach, and Strong's Hebrew Dictionary states "used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance". The BDB gives examples such as "member of same tribe", "of same people", "allies", etc. There is no basis to restrict "brethren" here to males.
"And they said, Stand back. And they said, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and drew near to break the door." (Gen 19:9, ASV)
What is here in the Sodom account is a record of violence, attempted gang rape. This sort of sexual violence is in a very similar account in Judges with one major difference, in Judges the wicked ones are indicated to be males:
"As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain base fellows, beset the house round about, beating at the door; and they spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thy house, that we may know him." (Judg 19:22, ASV)
The underlined above, in Hebrew is: 'the men of the city, men, the sons of wickedness.' The repetition of "men" and then "sons" seems to indicate these are males.
In the next chapter, 20:5, these men are called "masters of Gibeah"(YLT); "lords of Gibeah"(NRSV); "leaders of Gibeah"(NETbible); "owners of Gibeah"(EBR). This would be males in Hebrew culture.
Ellicott's Commentary for English readers states on this verse:
"Literally, the lords of Gibeah, as in Judges 9:2. We cannot infer that they were heathen inhabitants of the town, though they behaved as if they were. If the phrase implies that they were men in positions of authority, it perhaps shows why there was no rescue and little resistance. This is also probable, because there could not have been the same unwillingness to give up to justice a few lawless and insignificant offenders."
Most importantly, we have the sin of Sodom given to us by God Himself:
"As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom: pride, fulness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good." (Ezek 16:48-50, ASV)
The vice list starts with "pride" and ends with being "haughty" and committing abomination. The Hebrew here for abomination is to ebah and it is found 41 times just in the book of Ezekiel alone and overwhelmingly it refers to things connected with idolatry. The BDB gives "idolatrous practices" for Eze. 16:50. There is no male to male sexual sin here listed. I will not read into this and add what is not there, violating 1 Cor. 4:6 and Prov. 30:5,6.
In Jer. 23:14; Sodom is associated with adulterers, liars, supporters of evil doers. In Jer. 49:16-18 Sodom is associated with "the pride of thy heart. Later in the New Testament we have the following:
"And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, having in like manner with these given themselves over to fornication and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire." (Jude 1:6-7, ASV)
The phrase "in like manner with these" is referring back to the angels who left their proper habitation, see Gen. 6:1-4. The non-canonical book of 1 Enoch is quoted in Jude 14,15 and the same book of Enoch seems to be behind the thought of Jude 6,7. The "sons of God" came down and mated with women. In similar fashion, the mob of Sodomites were going after angels in Gen. 19. The phrase "strange flesh" in the Greek is: strange = heteros meaning "other" or "different"; flesh = sarx. Can "different" or "other" flesh refer to another human being, or to another something or someone different? From the following it must mean the angels.
"All flesh(sarx) is not the same flesh(sarx): but there is one flesh(sarx) of men, and another flesh(sarx) of beasts, and another flesh(sarx) of birds, and another of fishes." (1Cor 15:39, ASV)
"All flesh is not the same: there is human flesh, flesh of beasts, of birds, and of fishes—all different." (1Cor 15:39, REB)
In the Apocrypha, a non-canonical but historic record, we have 2 references to show us how the Jews viewed the sin of Sodom:
3Ma_2:5 RSVA "You consumed with fire and sulphur the men of Sodom who acted arrogantly, who were notorious for their vices; and you made them an example to those who should come afterward."
Sir_16:8 RSVA "He did not spare the neighbors of Lot, whom he loathed on account of their insolence. "
So, what was the sin of Sodom? I'll stay with God's word in Eze. 16:48-50 and not add modern psychological concepts and words that do not fit, nor did they exist in biblical times.