Homosexuality and the Tanakh

By Yochanan Ben Emek

Today lets look into the Tanakh and see what it says about what we call in a modern sense Homosexuality. Do the Tanakh refer to such action and if so what does it say about it. We need to rely on the miqra (scriptures) to show us what we need to do in matters of sexual relations. Are their sexual relationships we are told not to have? We will be looking at this today.

So when was the term homosexuality first used and what does it mean?

homosexual (adj.) 1892, in C.G. Chaddock's translation of Krafft-Ebing's "Psychopathia Sexualis," from homo-, comb. form of Gk. homos "same" (see same) + Latin-based sexual (see sex). 'Homosexual' is a barbarously hybrid word, and I claim no responsibility for it." [H. Havelock Ellis, "Studies in Psychology," 1897] The noun is first recorded 1912 in Eng., 1907 in French. In technical use, either male or female; but in non-technical use almost always male. Slang shortened form homo first attested 1929. The alternative homophile (1960) was coined in ref. to the homosexual regarded as a person of a particular social group, rather than a sexual abnormality. Homo-erotic first recorded 1916; homophobia is from 1969. ( http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=h&p=10 )

So we see from this etymology the word Homo-sexual is from the latin homo meaning same and sexaul meaning sex. Thus, this would include both the male as well as the female.

Where do find reference to something similar to this in the Tanakh?

Vayiqra/Leviticus 18:22

Va’et zakhar lo tish’kav mis’vavey ‘ishah to’evah hiv’

And male not you lie with beds/lyings woman hateful thing it.

Zakhar – 2145 masculine noun

Shakhav – 7901 verb

Mishkav – 4904 masculine noun

Ishah – 802 feminine noun

To’evah – 8441 feminine noun

Hiv – 1931 participle pronoun masculine

If we start in the context of the chapter we see that theses were hateful practices of the Egyptians and Canaanites. Chapter 18 starts out…

1 Yehovah spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Speak to the Israelite people and say to them:

I am Yehovah Eloheykhem. 3 You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, or of the land of Canaan to which I am taking you; nor shall you follow their laws. 4 My rules alone shall you observe, and faithfully follow My laws: I am Yehovah Eloheykhem. 5 You shall keep My judgments and My practices, by the pursuit of which man shall live: I am Yehovah. 6 None of you shall come near anyone of his own flesh to uncover (lagalot) nakedness (er’vah): I am Yehovah.

So first these listed in this chapter are things that the Egyptians or the Canaanites did. We are told not to do them. The practicing of these things are hateful things.

Vayiqra 18:24-30

24 Do not defile yourselves in any of those ways, for it is by such that the nations that I am casting out before you defiled themselves. 25 Thus the land became defiled; and I called it to account for its iniquity, and the land spewed out its inhabitants. 26 But you must keep My practices and My judgements, and you must not do any of those abhorrent things (To’evot – 8441 hateful things) , neither the citizen nor the stranger who resides among you; 27 for all those abhorrent things (To’evot – 8441 hateful things) were done by the people who were in the land before you, and the land became defiled. 28 So let not the land spew you out for defiling it, as it spewed out the nation that came before you. 29 All who do any of those abhorrent things (hato’evot – 8441 hateful things) —such persons shall be cut off from their people. 30 You shall keep My charge not to engage in any of the abhorrent things (hato’evot – 8441 hateful things) practices that were carried on before you, and you shall not defile yourselves through them: I am Yehovah Eloheykha.

Then we are told how hateful these are and that they defile the land and that the people of the land did them and that was why they were being removed.

So when we look at verse 22 it is from this vantage point we must examine it. As a hateful practice not to be done by Yisrael whether a ‘ezrah (home born/native) or Ger (sojourner).

Lets examine each word here for this verse to make sure we are seeing what I have translated.

Zakhar – 2145 masculine noun

Bershit/Genesis 1:27

27 And Elohim created man in His image, in the image of Elohim He created him; male (zakhar) and female He created them.

He created them male (zakhar) and female.

Bamidbar/Numbers 31:17, 18, 35

17 Now, therefore, slay every male among the children, and slay also every woman who has known a man carnally [by lying with]; 18 but spare every young woman who has not had carnal relations [by lying] with a man (zakhar).

The women were separated and those who had now known a male by lying with him were spared.

35 and a total of 32,000 human beings, namely, the women who had not had carnal relations [with lying] [a male (zakhar)]

Again we see that 32,000 woman were captured not having lain with a male.

Shofetim/Judges 21:11-12

11 This is what you are to do: Proscribe (Destory) every man (zakhar), and every woman who has known [with lying] a man (zakhar) carnally.”

Here we have a command for them to destroy any male or female who lain with a male. If you did want to substitute the word Mishkav with bed the bed or as we will see the lying is with a male.

12 They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 maidens who had not known a man (zakhar) carnally (with lying); and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

This is the story of the tribe Binyamin and getting them wives since the other tribes went to battle them and they swore not to give of their own daughters. Again the lying was with a male.

Shakhav – 7901 verb

This word means to lay as in to lie down. In the literal sense it is used to describe one lying down but it can also mean in a euphemism to lie down with some as in sexual relations.

In the literal sense,

Devarim/Deuteronomy 24:13

13 you must return the pledge to him at sundown, that he may sleep (vashakhav) in his cloth and bless you; and it will be to your merit before Yehovah Eloheykha.

Here he is lying down and sleeping in his cloth.

In the sense that Lev. 18:22 is used,

Shemot/Exodus 22:15-16

15 If a man seduces a virgin for whom the bride-price has not been paid, and lies (v’shakhav) with her, he must make her his wife by payment of a bride-price. 16 If her father refuses to give her to him, he must still weigh out silver in accordance with the bride-price for virgins.

We see this word also used euphemistically as in sex to lie down or lay with someone.

Lev. 15:24

24 And if a man lies (yish’khav) with her, her impurity is communicated to him; he shall be unclean seven days, and any bedding (vakhol hamishkav – anything laying) on which he lies (shakhav) shall become unclean.

So we can see that lay or lying down has a sexual connotation from the reading of Lev. 18. By laying with her the uncleanness is transferred and he passes it by lying too.

Mishkav – 4904 masculine noun

Mishkav is often translated as bed but we see from its root the verb Shakhav (7901) which has the meaning of lay. So this mishkav would mean with lay. With the -ey suffix found in the word in Lev. 18:22 it would be translated as with lays or lying. Since a bed is where one would lay you can see why it was translated that way.

Examples of this are for Mishkav,

Vayiqra 15:4, 26

4 Any bedding (Kal hamishkav – anything lying) on which the one with the discharge lies shall be unclean, and every object on which he sits shall be unclean.

26 Any bedding (Kal hamishkav – anything lying) on which she lies while her discharge lasts shall be for her like bedding during her impurity; and any object on which she sits shall become unclean, as it does during her impurity:

The all bedding is really anything lying down on. Thus bedding can mislead us to think this word is being used to for a traditional four-poster bed.

Again examples of Shakhav,

Bereshit/Genesis 47:30

30 When I lie (vashakavity) down with my fathers, take me up from Egypt and bury me in their burial-place.” He replied, “I will do as you have spoken.”

Here we see Yaqov (Jacob) telling them to bury him when he lies down with his fathers or dies.

Shemuel Bet/II Samuel 12:16

16 David entreated Elohim for the boy; David fasted, and he went in and spent the night lying (va shakav) on the ground.

Here we see him lying on the ground and so we see this word being used consistently.

Shakhav can mean sexually too.

Bamidbar 5:13, 19

13 in that a man has had carnal relations (va shakav ish otah shkavat zera) with her unbeknown to her husband, and she keeps secret the fact that she has defiled herself without being forced, and there is no witness against her

Here the woman lies with a man and seed is passed to her.

19 The priest shall adjure the woman, saying to her, “If no man has lain with you, if you have not gone astray (shakav) in defilement while married to your husband, be immune to harm from this water of bitterness that induces the spell.

So we see that the word Mishkav would mean “with lying” and one lays down or in the case of Vayiqra 18:22 was as one who lays down with a woman.

The next place we see a similar verse is Vayiqra/Leviticus 20:13

13 If a man lies with a male as one lies with a woman, the two of them have done an abhorrent thing; they shall be put to death—their bloodguilt is upon them.

In Hebrew it says:

Va’ish asher yish’khav et-zachar mish’khavey ishah to’evah ‘asu shaneyhem mot yumatu damyhem khem

Translated as:

And Man who he lay a male with lay a woman hateful thing they made two of them die their blood on them.

Some have suggested what is being forbidden here are two men lying in a woman’s bed. However, we see that this is not the case here either. The bed is not what is being referred to here but the action of the two men lying together with one male acting as the woman. Many of the same words we have reviewed from the previous verse apply here also.

So what about the account of Lot and the messengers from Yehovah.

We find this account in the book of Bereshit. Chapter 19 outlines the events that happened between Lot, the Messengers and the Town people of Sodom.

Bereshit/Genesis 19:1-9

1 The two angels (mal’akkim – messengers) arrived in Sodom (Sadomah) in the evening, as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom (sadom). When Lot saw them, he rose to greet them and, bowing low with his face to the ground, 2 he said, “Please, my lords, turn aside to your servant’s house to spend the night, and bathe your feet; then you may be on your way early.” But they said, “No, we will spend the night in the square.” 3 But he urged them strongly, so they turned his way and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

4 They had not yet lain down, when the townspeople, the men of Sodom (sadom), young and old—all the people to the last man—gathered about the house. 5 And they shouted to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may be intimate (vane’ah) with them.” 6 So Lot went out to them to the entrance, shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “I beg you, my friends, do not commit such a wrong. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have not known (yad’u) a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you please; but do not do anything to these men, since they have come under the shelter of my roof.” 9 But they said, “Stand back! The fellow,” they said, “came here as an alien, and already he acts the ruler! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” And they pressed hard against the person of Lot, and moved forward to break the door.

Yada 3045 which is to know someone intimately. It has a sexual connotation or a deep knowledge of matters. It is a verb thus denoting an action.

Bereshit/Genesis 4:1

1 Now the man knew (yada) his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gained a male child with the help of Yehovah.”

Bereshit/Genesis 19:8

8 Look, I have two daughters who have not known (yad’u) a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you please; but do not do anything to these men, since they have come under the shelter of my roof.”

Bereshit/Genesis 24:19

15 He had scarcely finished speaking, when Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. 16 The maiden was very beautiful, a virgin whom no man had known (yadah). She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up.

Shofetim/Judges 21:11

11 This is what you are to do: Proscribe every man, and every woman who has known (yoda’ah) a man carnally.”

So in this case the men of sadom wanted to know them in a way that one would want to know a woman. Why else would Lot offer up his daughters instead.

The instance of the men of Binyamin.

Shofetim 19-21 is the full account of the story. It essentially paraellels the account of Sadom. Lets start in chapter 19 verse 22-25.

22 While they were enjoying themselves, the men of the town, a depraved lot, had gathered about the house and were pounding on the door. They called to the aged owner of the house, “Bring out the man who has come into your house, so that we can be intimate (neda’enu) with him.” 23 The owner of the house went out and said to them, “Please, my friends, do not commit such a wrong. Since this man has entered my house, do not perpetrate this outrage. 24 Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. Let me bring them out to you. Have your pleasure {you humble them – vayanu) of them, do what you like with them; but don’t do that outrageous thing to this man.” 25 But the men would not listen to him, so the man seized his concubine and pushed her out to them. They raped (knew - vayed’u) her and abused her all night long until morning; and they let her go when dawn broke.

Clearly again they knew her sexually and wanted to know the man the same way. This is something we are told that is not to be done. We know from the account the tribe of Binyamin were almost all wiped because of them not wanting give up these men. So we know this gang of men wanted to know a man. It does not explain why.

It does say what to do with them though.

Shofetim/Judges 21:11

11 This is what you are to do: Proscribe (Destory) every man (zakhar), and every woman who has known [with lying] a man (zakhar) carnally.”

What about some translations that talk about sodomites? We find that in Hebrew the word qadesh (6945) that is masculine noun. In this case we also see the feminine form of the word qadeshah (6948) which is a Harlot or when used in the Hosea 4:14 we understand it to mean a temple prostitute. So the male form refers to a Male temple prostitute.

Hosea 4:14

14 I will not punish their daughters for fornicating Nor their daughters-in-law for committing adultery; For they themselves turn aside with whores And sacrifice with [temple] prostitutes (haqadeshot), And a people that is without sense must stumble.

Devarim/Deuteronomy 23:18-19

18 No Israelite woman shall be a cult prostitute (qadeshah), nor shall any Israelite man be a cult prostitute (qadesh). 19 You shall not bring the fee of a whore (zonah - 2181) or the pay of a dog (kelev - 3611) into the house of Yehovah Eloheykha in fulfillment of any vow, for both are abhorrent to Yehovah Eloheykha.

Melekhim Bet/II Kings 23:7

7 He tore down the cubicles (et batey - houses) of the male prostitutes (haqadeshim) in the House of Yehovah, at the place where the women wove coverings (batim - houses) for Asherah.

Here we see that the male prostitutes would conduct themselves in the temple area and were related to the Asherah worship. In doing research on the Internet there is much written on the practices of the Male Prostitutes acting like the female goddess. Thus, men acting in the ways of a woman.

This is from the myth of Ishtar.

The sacred priestesses were not alone in undertaking sexual rites in the temple. Any number of other women, including those from the highest families in the land, would also prostitute themselves in the temple at least once during their lifetime. Indeed, there was at one stage a law which required a woman to do so before she married. This was a precautionary measure to deflect the wrath of the goddess, for she did not hold with monogamy. The Greek historian Herodotus gives us an excellent, if not wholly approving, description of the practice:

"The worst Babylonian custom is that which compels every woman of the land once in her life to sit in the temple of love and have... intercourse with some stranger... the men pass and make their choice. It matters not what be the sum of money; the woman will never refuse, for that were a sin, the money being by this act made sacred. After their intercourse she has made herself holy in the sight of the goddess and goes away to her home; and thereafter there is no bribe however great that will get her. So then the women that are tall and fair are soon free to depart, but the uncomely have long to wait because they cannot fulfill the law: for some of them remain for three years or four."

For a contemporary person such an attitude is very strange indeed. But in its pure form, a deeply spiritual significance was attached to these rites. The goddess, because she presided over fertility, represented the creative power which is an essential aspect of all female beings. By sacrificing her sexuality to the deity, a woman was offering herself as a vehicle for the divine energy. The experience of abandoning herself in this way evidently engendered a sense of spiritual fulfillment which was more important to her than either sensual satisfaction or even human love. Temples to Ishtar, at Erech and other places, were also served by male prostitutes. They were referred to as men "...whose manhood Ishtar has changed into womanhood." Attitudes toward homosexuality, however, seem to have changed at a later stage of Babylonian culture. The Middle Assyrian Law Tablets, dating back to the twelfth century BC make it clear that some kinds of homosexuality, at least, could lead to castration. http://www.ishtartemple.org/myth.htm

So male prostitutes were used as woman in the practice. Ishtar is Ashterah and the Ashterot are the poles that were built accompanying the worshipping of Baal. The fact that they believe themselves to be holy to their deity may be why the root that both qadesh and qadeshah is from is qodesh or holy in Hebrew. It may have been a derogatory way of referring to them.

Now what about female homosexuality. If the act of male on male sexuality is forbidden then why was not female on female sexuality covered in Lev. 18 and 20? This may not have been a practice of the Canaanites or the Egyptians. But if we use heqesh which would apply these verses Vayiqra 18:22 and 20:13 then one could say as an anology these would apply to same sex female relationships where one takes on the role of the man.

Devarim/Deuteronomy 22:5

5 A woman must not put on man’s apparel, nor shall a man wear woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is abhorrent to Yehovah Eloheykha.

We see that taking on the role or dress of the opposite sex is also a hated thing to Yehovah. This would seem to prohibit the very thing of cross-dressing or cross gendering. This in the relationship of two women sexually, the one woman takes on the role of the man. This is similar to the one man taking on the role of the woman as seen before.

So what about the supposed relationship between Jonathan and David?

The verse quoted for this is Shemuel Aleph/I Samuel 18:1-4

1 When [David] finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan’s soul became bound up with the soul of David; Jonathan loved David as himself. 2 Saul took him [into his service] that day and would not let him return to his father’s house.—3 Jonathan and David made a pact, because [Jonathan] loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the cloak and tunic he was wearing and gave them to David, together with his sword, bow, and belt.

The word for soul here is nefesh which is also used when describing the life of the person as mentioned in Bereshit 2:7 in the same chapter it talks of Chavah and that he would cling (davaq) to his ishah.

In the first verse the word used her for the phrase “bound up” of the two nefesh is niq’sharah which is the Niphil form of the verb. The verb form is one simple and passive. Thus, it is like saying they were bound together. They had a bond. We see this in the Kal usage of the same word were Deut. 6:8 where it metaphorically says we should bind the law for a sign to us. But in the more literal sense the same word is used to show two or more in a conspiracy.

Shemuel Aleph/ I Samuel 22:8

8 Is that why all of you have conspired (qashar’tem) against me? For no one informs me when my own son makes a pact with the son of Jesse; no one is concerned for me and no one informs me when my own son has set my servant in ambush against me, as is now the case.”

Again it denotes two or more joining together or even an object bound. Thus, this bond was that of two men who felt a kinship to one another.

What about this loving him as his own?

In Vayikra 19 we are told to love our neighbor or ger as yourself.

18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your countrymen. Love your fellow (neighbor) as yourself: I am Yehovah.

34 The stranger (ger) who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am Yehovah Eloheykha.

Reading these verses we wouldn’t see this love as one having passion or desire but concern for the Ger or Neighbor as one cares for oneself. So why should be see that when Jonathan loved David as himself do we see anything else but that they has a concern for the other as one cares for ones own life.

In verse 3 of Shemuel Aleph 18 we see that they made a pact or covenant. As we know a covenant is an agreement. We don’t see what this agreement is till Shemuel Aleph 20, it was a covenant not to harm one another. In the end Jonathan make a covenant with the house of David that he treat his descendants favorably.

In the next point some reason Jonathan removed his clothes for David is not quite accurate. The Hebrew here indicates that he removed his robe or outer garment. He still had on his garment. We see this in that the word here is ma’il 4598 which is robe. This is the same word as used Shemot 28:4

4 These are the vestments (garments/bagadim 899) they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe (ma’il) , a fringed tunic (k’tonet 3801), a headdress, and a sash. They shall make those sacral vestments (bag’dey 899) for your brother Aaron and his sons, for priestly service to Me;

If he really got naked then it would have talked about him removing his bagad or garments like Saul did in Shemuel Aleph 19:24

24 Then he too stripped off his clothes (b’gadaynu) and he too spoke in ecstasy before Samuel; and he lay naked all that day and all night. That is why people say, “Is Saul too among the prophets?”

In the case of the second time being offered to marry into his family in Shemuel Aleph 18:21 it states that a second time you shall be son through marriage. Some would state that this meant he was married to Jonathan first. But they forget a few verses earlier that Saul offered his older daughter to David and her name was Merab. In Hebrew culture to arrange a marriage the engagement/betrothal was essentially a marriage but the marriage was not consummated. In the case of Merab Saul gave her to another man and thus the second time was the bethroval to Michal. No were does it ever indicate that Jonathan and David were married.

We see this concept in the Tanakh in…

Devarim/Deuteronomy 28:30

30 If you pay the bride-price (betroth – aras 781) for a wife, another man shall enjoy her. If you build a house, you shall not live in it. If you plant a vineyard, you shall not harvest it.

Devarim/Deuteronomy 22:23

23 In the case of a virgin who is engaged (betrothed – aras) to a man—if a man comes upon her in town and lies with her,

Here the woman is betrothed but the relationship is not yet consummated. She is attached to a the man who has not yet slept with her. So we see that Merah was betrothed to David in that “Saul was to give his daughter Merab to David, she was given to Adreil… (Shemuel Aleph 18:19)

Does Shemuel 20:30 indicate that Jonathan and David were married or was the covenant made between Jonathan that he would always be loyal to David as King.

30 Saul flew into a rage against Jonathan. “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman!” he shouted. “I know that you side with the son of Jesse—to your shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness!

He chose his loyalty to David and not his father’s kingdom. The nakedness (er’vah) of his mother is derogatory in that he shamed himself so much it was a shame to his mother’s nakedness or him being born.

This is the reason for the statement in verse 31. Because if they were married they would rule together and therefore the verse 31 statements would make no sense. But if Jonathan made himself subordinate to David’s rule then it makes sense.

31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on earth, neither you nor your kingship will be secure. Now then, have him brought to me, for he is marked for death.”

In Shemuel 20:41, some try to say that this was a sexual encounter between David and Jonathan.

41 When the boy got there, David emerged from his concealment at the Negeb. He flung himself face down on the ground and bowed low three times. They kissed each other and wept together; David wept the longer.

Some have tried to say that gadal was a sign of erection because the word means to become large. Actually, the verb form used here for this verse is the HIPHIL. In this form the word would be increased. Thus, David’s weeping was greater as the verse is translated in the JPS.

So we have seen from the texts studied today that Homosexuality though not a term from the Tanakh is indeed referenced in actions. Therefore Homosexuality whether in the form of practice or religious it is a hated thing and punishable by death.