Ezekiel Sexual Health Positive Terms in Order of Appearance

Genital Sexual Intercourse, qah-RAV (Isaiah 8:3) Strong, H7126

Sexually Mature Partner, DODE (Ezekiel 16:8) Strong, H1730

Betrothal, Spread (pah-RAWSH) Corner of Garment (kah-NAWF) Over, pah- RAWSH kah-NAWF (Ezekiel 16:8) Strong, H6566, H3671

Cover (kah-SAH) Nakedness (ehr-VAH), kah-SAH ehr-VAH  An act of compassion contrasted with “uncovering the nakedness” which is an incestuous act (Ezekiel 16:8) Strong, H3680, H6172

Covenant, buh-REETH (Ezekiel 16:20-63) Strong, H1285

At-one-ment/Intimacy, kah-PHAR (Ezekiel 16:20-63) Strong, H3722

Lovers, ah-HAWV (Ezekiel 16:37) Strong, H157

Pleasure of Intimate Relationship, ah-RAWV (Ezekiel 16:37) Strong, H6149

Intimacy, yah-DAH (Ezekiel 20:20) Strong, H3045 

At-one-ment/Intimacy, kah-PHAR (Ezekiel 16:20-63) Strong, H3722

Increase, rah-BAH (Ezekiel 37:26) Strong, H1285

Five terms connect to genital sexual intercourse in Ezekiel; intercourse, qah-RAV, the pleasure of intimacy, ah-RAWV,  lovers, ah-HAWV,  sexually mature partner, DODE, and yah-DAH, to know intimately.  Qah-RAWV means to draw near, or be near. Eight times in the Hebrew Old Testament qah-RAWV has the meaning of genital sexual intercourse. (Genesis 20:4; Isaiah 8:3; Deuteronomy 22:14; Leviticus 18:6, 14, 19; Ezekiel 18:6; Leviticus 20:16; Strong, H7126) Qah-RAV can be used for unhealthy sexuality or sexual intimacy. 

He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or have sexual relations (qah-RAV) with a woman during her period. (Ezekiel 18:6)

Isaiah chooses draw near, qah-RAV, to describe sexual intimacy with his wife. 

Then I made love to (qah-RAV) the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the LORD said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. (Isaiah 8:3)

In this Ezekiel snap shot of compassionate presence God is seen as the YBM, redeemer, who betroths the zah-NAH, sex trafficking victim, by spreading the corner of his garment over the bride to be. 

”Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love (DODE), I spread (pah-RAWSH) the corner of my garment (kah-RAWSH) over you and covered (kah-SAH) your naked body (ehr-VAH). I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine. (Ezekiel 16:8)

  The phrase, spread the corner of my garment  is the exact wording in Ruth for the betrothal snap shot of Boaz and Ruth. (Strong, H6566, H3671) 

“Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner (pah- RAWSH) of your garment (kah-NAWF) over me, since you are a guardian redeemer of our family.” (Ruth 3:9)

The uncovering (gah-LAH) of nakedness (ehr-VAH), means incest beginning in Genesis 9 with the sexual assault of Ham against his mother. The covering of nakedness or the naked body in this passage however means the opposite, that is to cover the shameful exposure of a victim of trafficking. (Strong, H3680, H6172) “Old enough for love” is the term DODE meaning perhaps sexually mature, or one ripe for love.  Solomon adopts this word using it 32 times to speak of his lover in the Song of Solomon. (Strong, H1730)

Ah-RAWV appears 7 times in 7 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. Ah-RAWV means sweet or pleasurable. (Strong, H6149) 

Therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure (ah- RAWV), those you loved as well as those you hated. (Ezekiel 16:37)

Ezekiel seems to enjoy words which sound alike, called homophones. Ah-RAWV, pleasure, and ah-HAWV the root word for lovers, sound similar. (Strong, H157). Ah-HAWV, love, has a range of meaning to desire, to love, to delight. Chaldee is a dialect which influenced Biblical Hebrew. Ah-VAWV in Chaldee though unused in Hebrew has meanings of to germinate, to be fertile, to shoot forth, an ear of corn, and eager pursuit. (BLB, Strong, H157)

Yet I will remember the covenant (buh-REETH)I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant (buh-REETH) with you.

Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, both those who are older than you and those who are younger. I will give them to you as daughters, but not on the basis of my covenant (buh-REETH) with you.

So I will establish my covenant (buh-REETH)with you, and you will know (yah-DAH) that I am the LORD.

Then, when I make atonement (kah-PHAR) for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign LORD.’ ” (Ezekiel 16:20-63)

The closing for chapter 16 uses two intimacy terms, yah-DAH, intimacy, and atonement, kah-PHAR meaning “at-one-ment”.  William Tyndall in his 1534 translation of the Bible coins the word for reconciliation as at-one-ment. https://forward.com/culture/11632/at-one-ment-00488/ The fuller meaning includes unity and reconciliation.  The Hebrew term kah-PHAR has the range of meaning: to cover, to condone, to appease, cleanse, forgive, be compassionate, pacify, pardon, and reconcile. (Strong, H3722) Yah-DAH, is both the premier term to express God’s relationship with humankind but also sexual intimacy.  The Hebrew Biblical word for to be intimate is yah-DAH, and the similar sounding Greek term is OIDA.  The meaning for the terms YDA and Greek OIDA range: to know; spiritually, pleasurably, beautifully, compassionately, mutually, consensually, rationally, or emotionally and at times for sexual intercourse (Botterweck and Kittel, 1986).  After the breaking of covenant through the trafficking of humans for sex, benevolent Creator recreates oneness with Israel. In this renewal of intimacy between God and humankind the people He loves will “know” or see that God is the Lord. 

Rah-BAH, increase, features in the preamble to every covenant in Genesis. This sexual health positive keystone phrase is, “Be fruitful and increase.” The first time rah-BAH appears is in Genesis 1:22, “God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and increase (rah-BAH) in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.’” (Genesis 1:22) In Ezekiel 16 the prophet uses covenant, buh-REETH, plus the word for oath six times. Six is a favorite symbol of Ezekiel’s excellent writing expressing consummate evil. 

Gynecological Terms

Born, yeh-LED (Ezekiel 16:20) Strong, H3205

Umbilical Cord, SHORE (Ezekiel 16:4) Strong, H8270

Large (gah-DAWL) Genitals (bah-SAR), (Ezekiel 16:26) Strong, H1432, H1320

Nude Body, ehr-VAH Strong, H6172

Monthly Cycle, nee-DAH (Ezekiel 18:5-6) Strong, H5079

Ejaculate, zeer-MAH (Ezekiel 23:20)  Strong, H2231

Nipples, DAWD (Ezekiel 23:21) Strong, H1717

Breasts, SHAWD (Ezekiel 23:21) Strong, H7699

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms and Images in Ezekiel

Unhealthy Sexual Behaviors, toe-eh-VAH (Ezekiel 14:6) Strong, H8441

Spread (pah-SHAWK) Legs (REH-gel) (Ezekiel 16:25) Strong, H6589, H7272

Increasing (rah-BAH) Promiscuity (zah-NAH) (Ezekiel 16:26) Strong, H7235, H8457

Sacred Sex Trade or Trafficking in Sex, zah-NAH (Ezekiel 16:26) Strong, H8457

Payment for Sacred Sex Trade, eth-NAWN (Ezekiel 16:31) Strong, H868

Adulterous person or adultery, nah-AWF (Ezekiel 16:32) Strong, H5003

Expose (gah-LAH) your naked body (er-VAH) (Ezekiel 16:32) Strong, H6172, H1540

Lewdness or High Crimes, zee-MAH (Ezekiel 16:43) Strong, H2154

Depraved or Unhealthy Sexual Behavior, shah-CHAWT (Ezekiel 16:47) Strong, H7843

Heavy Breathing, ah-GAWV  (Ezekiel 23:5) Strong, H157

Coercive or Violent Sexual Intercourse, shah-CAWV (Ezekiel 23:8) Strong, H7901

Poured out (shah-PHAWK) your Lust (neh-SHAWK) (Ezekiel 23:8) Strong, H8210, H8457

Unhealthy Sexuality, BO (Ezekiel 23:44) Strong, H935

Coercive Sexuality, RA (Ezekiel 36:31) Strong, H7451

The phrase “detestable practice” translates from the word toe-eh-VAH appearing 118 times in 112 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament.  Detestable unhealthy sexual practices, toe-eh-VAH, connects to behaviors, rituals, or customs associated with foreign gods and idolatry. The Genesis and Exodus use of the term toe-eh-VAH relates to Egyptian culture. When Leviticus uses the word, incest is the context. In the first two books of the Bible, the sole context for toe-eh-VAH is Egyptian customs including the practice of incest.(Strong, H8441)

“Spread the legs” is not necessarily a negative phrase. It seems the context cements this as unhealthy sexuality with the words, “Spreading the legs…increasing promiscuity” (sex trafficking). Increasing is the Hebrew term rah-BAH. Legs is REH-ghel or “feet”. (Strong, H7272) 

At every street corner you built your lofty shrines (rah-MAH) and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs (pah-SAWK, REH-gel) with increasing (rah-BAH) promiscuity (zah-NAH) to anyone who passed by.

You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians, your neighbors with large genitals, and aroused my anger with your increasing (rah-BAH) promiscuity (zah-NAH). (Ezekiel 16:25-26)

Payment for offering sexual services is the term eth-NAWN. The payment or price of a sex act with a trafficking victim occurs 11 times in 8 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. (Strong, H868). In this piece Ezekiel seems to mock the sex trade.  In Ezekiel’s mind traffickers enjoy the business so much they shun payment.

When you built your mounds at every street corner and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment (eth-NAWN).  (Ezekiel 16:31

Adultery is the Hebrew word, nah-AWF. Adultery appears 31 times in 26 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament.  The first occurrence of this term is found in the Ten Commandments, “Thou shalt not commit adultery (nah-AWF). (Exodus 20:14) Nah-AWF does not only mean adultery between two people in a covenant of marriage with others, but also an image of unhealthy sexuality for decline of Israel’s intimacy with God. As a married partner moves away spiritually from the marriage, so did Israel distance from intimacy with God.  (Strong, H5003)

Uncovering the nakedness or exposed your naked body are the exact terms for incest prohibitions in Leviticus 20 and 22. (Strong, H1540, H6172)

This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you poured out your lust and exposed (gah-LAH) your naked body (ehr-VAH) in your promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children’s blood. (Ezekiel 16:36)

“ ‘No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations (gah-LAH ehr-VAH). I am the LORD. (Leviticus 18:6)

“ ‘If a man has sexual relations (gah-LAH ehr-VAH) with his father’s wife, he has dishonored his father. Both the man and the woman are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. (Levitucs 20:11)

Zee-MAH means high crimes. Perhaps in our culture we might say, felonious misconduct like trafficking humans and murder. Zee-MAH appears 29 times in 27 verses in the Hebrew Old Testament connecting to incest, trafficking a daughter into the sex trade, murder with dismemberment, and execution by ambush. (Strong, H2154) Morally corrupt first appears in the Noah snap shot of Genesis 6-9. Shah-CHAWT appears six times in this sexual nihilism section of Genesis. Six often represents comprehensive evil. The sexual decline of the Noah snap shot to erotic violence and incest may be the background for the Ezekiel unhealthy sexuality use of shah-CHAWT.  (Strong, H7843) 

So I stretched out my hand against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were shocked by your lewd conduct (zee-MAH). (Ezekiel 16:27)

You not only followed their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved (shah-CHAWT)  than they….You would not even mention your sister Sodom in the day of your pride,

before your wickedness (RA) was uncovered (gah-LAH). Even so, you are now scorned by the daughters of Edom  and all her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistines—all those around you who despise you. (Ezekiel 16:55-57)

Ah-GAWV literally means “heavy breathers” when used in the plural and “heavy breathing” in the singular. Ah-GAWV, appears seven times in the Hebrew Old Testament. Ezekiel uses the term, heavy breathing, ah-GAWV six times. Six is often a symbol of evil. Ah-GAWV sounds very similar to ah-HAWV, the word for lovers. (Strong, H157) It seems the prophet-author enjoys homophones as a literary device that is, “heavy breathers” (ah-GAWV) sounds like “lovers” (ah-HAWV). (Ezekiel 23:5)

“Oholah engaged in prostitution (zah-NAH)while she was still mine; and she lusted (ah- GAWV)after her lovers (ah-HAWV), the Assyrians—warriors clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. (Ezekiel 23:5)

Shah-CAWV is an important sexual health term. Shah-CAWV meaning coercive sexual intercourse occurs appears 213 times in 194 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. The range of meaning includes: to lie down, coercive genital sexual intercourse, to rape, to die, to sleep, or to stay. Genesis uses shah-CAWV twenty times, fifteen of which refer to unhealthy sexuality. All uses of shah-CAWV in the book of Genesis connect to the unhealthy sexuality of incest, non-consensual intercourse, bartering for sexual favors, rape, and coercive seduction for sexual intercourse.  (Strong, H7901) “Pour out lust” is an obscure phrase. Literally in Hebrew it reads, “‘poured out your brass’ and exposed your genitals in the act of sex trafficking with your customers.” (Ezekiel 16:36). Brass is the Hebrew word neh-HOE-sheth, brass. (Strong, H5178) Appearing 140 times in 119 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. The term first appears in Genesis, “Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out ofbronze (neh-HOE-sheth) and iron.” (Genesis 4:22) Brass has a range of meaning: copper, metal coin, brass shackles; a metaphor of value as in brass is less valuable than gold, and one reference to unhealthy sexuality in Ezekiel 16:36. This work permits the Bible to interpret itself. The integrity of numerous texts can validate obscure meanings.  Ezekiel may very well have clarified the use of “brass” in his own writings. Ezekiel cites, neh-HOE-sheth, brass, five times. Each use of neh-HOE-sheth refers to liquifying metal in the process of metal working. Brass also represents impurity as opposed to the purity of gold. Could Ezekiel be thinking of molten brass poured out like the passionate heat of intercourse? Is it possible the prophet connects pouring out of sexual desire like the pouring out of “children’s blood” in sacrifice at the end of vs. 36? Does this form an inclusio highlighting a specific idea? Ezekiel 27:13 seems to cement this idea in terms of connecting brass to sex trafficking, “Greece, Tubal and Meshek did business with you; they traded human beings and articles of bronze (neh-HOE-sheth) for your wares.” (Ezekiel 27:13) Note that the locale Tubal is the surname of Tubal-Cain in Genesis 4:22 above.

She did not give up the prostitution (zah-NAH)she began in Egypt, when during her youth men slept with (shah-CAWV) her, caressed her virgin (buh-tue-LAH) bosom (DAWD) and poured out (shah-PHAWK) their lust (zah-NAH) on her. (Ezekiel 23:8)

Because you poured out your lust (neh-HOE- sheth) and exposed your naked body (ehr- VAH) in your promiscuity (zah-NAH with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children’s blood. (Ezekiel 16:36)

The word for wickedness and evil, RAin Genesis 6:5 is the same word used in the Genesis creation snap shot of 2:17 (Strong, H7451). Evil, RA, in Genesis 2:17 forms the one boundary statement God draws for humankind, “You must not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of God and Evil (RA) for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil according to von Rad (1967)  means omniscience, to be like God in knowledge. Perhaps another possible translation may be, “You must not confuse intimacy with coercion, for when you do, relationships certainly die.” What immediately follows this boundary is the coercive temptation of the snake with Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, Cain’s premeditated ambush murder of his brother in Genesis 4, and the sexual assault snap shots of Genesis 6-9. Trace each of these events to the pathogenesis of decline and the reader may see loss of intimacy with God begins the movement from sexual health to abuse. The idea of evil in the first 11 chapters of the Genesis sexual health big picture has clear connection to coercion and decline from intimacy with God.

Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil (RA) ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’ (Ezekiel 33:11)

Idolatry, Locales, and Images for the Sacred Sex Trade

Idols and Idolatry, ghih-LOOL Ezekiel 14:3) Strong, H1544

Canaanites (Ezekiel 16:1-3)

Lofty Shrines, rah-MAH (Ezekiel 18:6)

Strong, H7413

Location for the Sacred Sex Trade, bah-MAH Strong, H1116

Idols, tse-LEM Strong, H6754

Shrines Where The Sacred Sex Trade is Practiced, (Ezekiel 18:6) HAR Strong’s, H2022

Greece, Tubal, Meshek, Sex Trafficking Regions (Ezekiel 27:13)

Ohalah and Oholibah, Sisters Trafficking in the Sacred Sex Trade H170, H172

.

Idolatry, Locales, and Images for the Sacred Sex Trade

Idols and Idolatry, ghih-LOOL Ezekiel 14:3) Strong, H1544

Canaanites (Ezekiel 16:1-3)

Lofty Shrines, rah-MAH (Ezekiel 18:6)

Strong, H7413

Location for the Sacred Sex Trade, bah-MAH Strong, H1116

Idols, tse-LEM Strong, H6754

Shrines Where The Sacred Sex Trade is Practiced, (Ezekiel 18:6) HAR Strong’s, H2022

Greece, Tubal, Meshek, Sex Trafficking Regions (Ezekiel 27:13)

Ohalah and Oholibah, Sisters Trafficking in the Sacred Sex Trade H170, H172

The first unhealthy sexuality term in Ezekiel orbits the sex trade.  The word “idols” appears six times in Ezekiel 14:1-7. Six is often a symbol of evil. Ghih-LOOL, a term of derision or sarcasm, means a log or block. (Strong, H1544). Ghih-LOOL appears 48 times in 45 verses in the Hebrew Old Testament.  37 times or 77 percent of the uses of ghih-LOOL appear in Ezekiel.  Canaan is the incestuous offspring of Ham and his biological mother. This is a direct connection to the Genesis sexual health big picture. (Genesis 9:22)

“Son of man, these men have set up idols (ghih-LOOL) in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? (Ezekiel 14:3)

’This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.  (Ezekiel 16:1-3)

Lofty Shrines rah-MAH means a mound, high tower, or elevated place for defense or worship. (Strong, H7413) Bah-MAH is a high place for the practice of sex trafficking. (Strong, H1116) Tse-LEM has the nuance of a shadow or image. (Strong, H6754) HAR is a common term for mountain appearing 547 times in 486 verse of the Hebrew Old Testament. The Greek equivalent is the word, HA-ross, mountain. (Strong’s, H2022)

 ‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute (zah-NAH). You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his.

You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places (bah-MAH), where you carried on your prostitution (zah-NAH). You went to him, and he possessed your beauty.

You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols (tse-LEM)and engaged in prostitution (zah-NAH) with them. (Ezekiel 16:15-17)

“Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. 

He does not eat at the mountain shrines (HAR) or look to the idols (gil-LOOL) of Israel. (Ezekiel 18:6)

Ezekiel seems to enjoy citing place names in his work. He calls out Greece, Tubal/Turkey, and Meshek/western Asia Minor as traffickers for the sex trade. Ezekiel uses the term NEPH-esh ISH, soul of a man, perhaps to make the crime of sex trafficking more personal. This may contrast the sex trade with the intimacy of God in Genesis who shares His own breath with humankind. 

“ ‘Greece, Tubal and Meshek did business with you; they traded (rah- KAWL) human beings (NE-phesh ISH)and articles of bronze for your wares. (Ezekiel 27:13)

Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man (ISH) became a living being (NE-phesh). (Genesis 2:7)

Oholah means a sacred sex trade worker who brings her own tent to the sex act. (Strong, H170) Used exclusively by Ezekiel 5 times in 4 verses, Oholibah means “my tent by her”. (Strong, H172) Perhaps these terms can be put in modern language? Oholah is a sex trafficker who provides sexual services for paying clientele in a mobile recreational vehicle. Like a tent she can pull up stakes and move where client demand is high and economy profitable. Oholibah, her sister, also participates in the mobile sacred sex trade. Sister number two also meets with clients in her own trailer parked next to or “by” her sister?

“Oholah engaged in prostitution (zah-NAH)while she was still mine; and she lusted (ah- GAWV)after her lovers (ah-HAWV), the Assyrians—warriors clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen.

“Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust (ah-geh-VAH) and prostitution (zah-NAH) she was more depraved (shah-CHAT) than her sister.