The Trauma Writings: Job and Lamentations

Sexual Health Terms

Lovers, ah-HAWV (Lamentations 1:2) Strong, H157

Virgin, buh-tue-LAH (Lamentations 1:15) Strong, H1330

Covenant, buh-REETH (Job 31:1) H1285

Genital Sexual Intercourse, kah-RAH AWL (Job 31:10) Strong, H3766

Lamentations and Job use 14 sexual health positive terms and 9 unhealthy sexuality words or images. The root words for lovers, virgin, and covenant all connect to the Genesis sexual health positive big picture with exact language. (Strong, H157, H1330, H1285)

Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are on her cheeks. Among all her lovers (ah-HAWV) there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies. (Lamentations 1:2)

“The Lord has rejected all the warriors in my midst; he has summoned an army against me to crush my young men. In his winepress the Lord has trampled Virgin (buh-tue- LAH) Daughter Judah. (Lamentations 1:15)

“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully (BEAN) at a young woman. (Job 31:1)

 Genital sexual intercourse, kah-RAH AWL, is used once in the Bible at:

Then may my wife grind another man’s grain, and may other men sleep with her. (Job 31:10)

Job seems to paint a euphemistic image about intercourse. The first statement in the sentence uses the words, “grind (tah-CHAWN) another man’s grain”. (Strong, H2912)  Grain grinder or mill worker is another term for concubine. A female is taken into a man’s home to work and possible bear him children. In this passage Job seems to say that if he finds himself seduced by another woman or seeks another relationship, then he would dismiss his wife to “grind grain” for another and other men would have intercourse with her.  The phrase “other men sleep with her” is literally, “May my wife grind for another, and others bend down (kah-RAH) upon (AWL) her.” (Strong, H3766)

Gynecological Terms

Breasts, SHAWD (Lamentations 4:3) Strong, H7699

Naked, ah-RAH (Job 24:7) Strong, H6168

Conceive, hah-RAH (Job 15:35) Strong, H2029

Born, yah-LAWD (Job 15:35) Strong, H3205

Womb, REH-chem (Job 3:11) Strong, H7358

Womb, BEH-ten (Job 3:11) Strong, H990

Naked, ah-ROME (Job 24:10) Strong, H6174

Infertility, ah-KAR (Job 24:21) Strong, H6135

Bear, HOOL (Job 15:7) Strong, H2342

Labor Pains, HEY-vel (Job 39:3) Strong, H2256

The Genesis sexual health positive gynecological terms are: breasts, SHAWD, and two words for naked; ah-RAH and ah-ROME. (Strong, H7699, H6168, H6174) Two words are used for womb, REH-chem whose root is compassion, and BEH-ten. (Strong, H7358, H990).

Even jackals offer their breasts (SHAWD) to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert. (Lamentations 4:3)

Lacking clothes, they spend the night naked (ah-RAH); they have nothing to cover themselves in the cold. (Job 24:7)

Lacking clothes, they go about naked; they carry the sheaves, but still go hungry. (Job 24:10)

“Why did I not perish at birth (REH-chem), and die as I came from the womb (BEH-ten)?

Five words span conception to labor. They are: infertility, ah-KAR, conceive, ha-RAH, born, yah-LAWD, bear, HOOL, and labor pains, HEY-vel. (Strong, H6135, H2029, H3205, H2342, H2256)

They prey on the barren (ah-KAR) and childless woman, and to the widow they show no kindness. (Job 24:21)

They conceive (hah-RAH) trouble and give birth (YEH-led) to evil; their womb fashions deceit.” (Job 15:35)

Even jackals offer their breasts (SHAWD) to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert. (Lamentations 4:3)

Lacking clothes, they spend the night naked (ah-ROME); they have nothing to cover themselves in the cold. (Job 24:7)

“Why did I not perish at birth (REH-chem), and die as I came from the womb (BEH-ten)? (Job 3:11)

“Are you the first man ever born (HOOL)? Were you brought forth before the hills? (Job 15:7)

They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains (HEY-vel) are ended. (Job 39:3)

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Filthiness, tow-MAH (Lamentations 1:9) Strong, 2932

Sodom, (Lamentations 4:6) Strong, H5467

Sexual Abuse, ah-NAH (Lamentations 5:11) Strong, H6031

Adultery, nah-AWF (Job 24:15) Strong, H5003

Seduce Sexually, paw-THAW (Job 31:9) Strong, H660

Male Sacred Sex Trade Workers, kah-DEISH (Job 36:14) Strong, H6945

Filthiness is the Hebrew term tow-MAH meaning a moral or ritual uncleanness or pollution compared to that which is holy and clean. (Strong, 2932). Sodom appears 39 times in 38 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. Sodom is the symbol of violent coercive sexuality in the Old Testament. The grief of the author of Lamentations is the erotic violence expressed through the sacred sex trade. Sodom still stands as an iconic image of rage filled sexuality.

Her filthiness (tow-MAH)clung to her skirts; she did not consider her future. Her fall was astounding; there was none to comfort her. “Look, LORD, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed.” (Lamentations 1:9)

The punishment of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment without a hand turned to help her. (Lamentations 4:6)

Sexual abuse or affliction, ah-NAH appearing twice in Lamentations seems to connect to sexual violence. Women who have been violated is in parallel with virgins in the towns. This may mean sexual abuse. (Strong, H6031) Adultery is the term nah-AWF. (Strong, H5003)  Seduce is the Hebrew term pah-THAW with a range of meaning: deceive, entice, flatter, or persuade. (Strong, H660) Male sacred sex trade workers uses the Hebrew word for “holy”, ka-DEISH. This lends the sacred aspect of the sex trade. The holy workers were set apart for intercourse with worshipers in the temple. This business was not secular, it always possessed a sense of religious cultism. (Strong, H6945) King Manasseh introduced male sex trade workers into the temple complex of Jerusalem. (2 Kings 21:1ff) So integrated was ritual intercourse with male sex workers, quarters were built for their room and board. King Josiah began his rule in 640 BCE. When the king’s staff found the book of the Law during a temple remodel, “He (Joshiah) also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes (ka-DEISH) that were in the temple of the LORD, the quarters where women did weaving for Asherah.” (2 Kings 23:7)

Women have been violated (ah-NAH) in Zion, and virgins in the towns of Judah. (Lamentations 5:11)

The eye of the adulterer (nah-AWF) watches for dusk; he thinks, ‘No eye will see me,’ and he keeps his face concealed. (Job 24:15)

“If my heart has been enticed (paw-THAW) by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door….” (Job 31:9)

They die in their youth, among male prostitutes (kah-DEISH) of the shrines. (Job 36:14)