Hebrew word · Strong H6945
In the King James Bible, “sodomite” translates the Hebrew qadesh, a man tied to the ritual prostitution of pagan shrines (Deuteronomy 23:17; 1 Kings 15:12). The English word comes from Sodom, the city destroyed in Genesis 19, and in common use came to name a man who has sex with men; in the New Testament, the related Greek word is arsenokoites (1 Corinthians 6:9).
The word the King James translates “sodomite”
קָדֵשׁ
qâdêsh · transliteration · kaw-dashe' · pronunciation
See the full H6945 entry →Also in the lexicon: G733 ἀρσενοκοίτης · H5467 סְדֹם · G4670 Σόδομα
What the Bible itself says about the sin of Sodom is wider than the name. In Genesis 19 the men of the city surround Lot's house and demand his two guests, “that we may know them” (Genesis 19:5) — sexual violence against strangers under a host's protection. Ezekiel adds: “this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy” (Ezekiel 16:49), and they “committed abomination” before God (Ezekiel 16:50). Jude speaks of “giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh” (Jude 7).
The translations rendered two words as “sodomite”. In the Old Testament, qadesh — literally “consecrated one”, from qadash, “to sanctify” — is a man tied to the prostitution of pagan shrines; King Asa “took away the sodomites out of the land” (1 Kings 15:12). In the New Testament, arsenokoites joins arsen, male, and koite, bed; the King James renders it “abusers of themselves with mankind”. Paul puts it in a list with fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, thieves and the covetous, and ends with grace: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 6:11).
But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness 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.
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.
And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
The whole Bible with Strong's, offline and ad-free
Get the app