Genesis Sexual Intimacy, Health, and Safety Workshop

Sexual Health Positive Terms

1-2. Be Fruitful and Increase, pah-RAH rah-BAH (Gen 1:22) Strong, h6509 and h7235

 Gen 1:22

God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase (pah-RAH rah-BAH) in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.”

Gen 1:28

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase (pah-RAH rah-BAH) in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Gen 8:17

Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase (pah-RAH rah-BAH) in number on it.”

Gen 9:1

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase (pah-RAH rah-BAH) in number and fill the earth.

Gen 9:7

As for you, be fruitful and increase (pah-RAH rah-BAH) in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”

 Gen 17:20

And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase (pah-RAH rah-BAH) his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.

 Gen 28:3

May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase (pah-RAH rah-BAH) your numbers until you become a community of peoples.

Gen 35:11

And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase (pah-RAH rah-BAH) in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.

 Gen 47:27

Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased (pah-RAH rah-BAH) greatly in number.

 Gen 48:4

and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase (pah-RAH rah-BAH) your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’

 Exo 1:7

but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful (pah-RAH); they multiplied greatly, increased (rah-BAH) in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.

 Lev 26:9

“ ‘I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase (pah-RAH rah-BAH) your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you.

Jer 23:3

“I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase (pah-RAH rah-BAH) in number.

 Eze 36:11

I will increase (rah-BAH) the number of people and animals living on you, and they will be fruitful (pah-RAH) and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

Appearing 28 times in 14 verses of the WLC.

3H. Genital Sexual Intimacy, yah-DAH (Gen 4:1) Strong, h3045

 Gen 4:1

Adam made love to (yah-DAH) his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.”

 Gen 4:17

Cain made love to (yah-DAH) his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.

 Gen 4:25

Adam made love to (yah-DAH) his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”

 Gen 19:5

They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex (yah-DAH) with them.”

 Gen 19:8

Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with (yah-DAH) a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”

 Gen 24:16

The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with (yah-DAH) her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.

 Num 31:17

Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with (yah-DAH) a man,

 Num 31:18

but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with (yah-DAH) a man.

 Num 31:35

and 32,000 women who had never slept with (yah-DAH) a man.

 Jdg 19:5

But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped (yah-DAH) her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go.

 Jdg 19:22

While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex (yah-DAH) with him.”

Jdg 21:11

“This is what you are to do,” they said. “Kill every male and every woman who is not a virgin (yah-DAH).”

Jdg 21:12

They found among the people living in Jabesh Gilead four hundred young women who had never slept with (yah-DAH) a man, and they took them to the camp at Shiloh in Canaan.

1Ki 1:4

The woman was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no sexual relations (yah-DAH) with her.

Appearing 14 times in 14 verses of the WLC.

3G. Genital Sexual Intimacy, ghe-NO-skow (Mat 1:25) Strong, g1097

Mat 1:25

But he did not consummate (ghe-NO-skow) their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Luk 1:34

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin (since I have not known/ghe-NO-skow) a man ?”

Appearing 2 times in 2 verses of the GNT.

Total Occurrences 16 times in 16 verses.

4H. Covenant, buh-REETH (Gen 6:18) Strong, h1285

Gen 6:18– But I will establish my covenant (buh-REETH) with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.

Appearing 284 times in 264 verses in the WLC.

4G. Covenant, dia-THEY-kay (Matthew 26:28) Strong, G1242

Mat 26:28 – This is my blood of the covenant (dia-THEY-kay), which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Appearing 33 times in 30 verses of the GNT.

317 times in 294 verses total

5-6.  Recover Unhealthy Sexuality, kah-SAH ehr-VAH  (Gen 9:23) h3680 and h6172

Gen 9:23

But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered (kah-SAH) their father’s naked body (ehr-VAH). Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.

Eze 16:8

Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment 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.

 Hos 2:9

“Therefore I will take away my grain when it ripens, and my new wine when it is ready. I will take back my wool and my linen, intended to cover (kah-SAH) her naked body (ehr-VAH).

Appearing 3 times in 3 verses of the WLC.

7H. Bridegroom, chah-THAWN (Gen 19:12) Strong, h2860 

Appearing 20 times in 19 verses of the WLC.  

Gen 19:12

The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law (chah-THAWN), sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here,

7G. Bridegroom, noom-PHONE (Mat 9:15) Strong, g3567

Mat 9:15

Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom (NOOM-phone)  will be taken from them; then they will fast.

Appearing 3 times in 3 verses of the GNT.

8. Genital Sexual Intercourse, kah-RAV (Gen 20:4) Strong, H7126 

Gen 20:4

Now Abimelek had not gone near (kah-RAV) her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?

Lev 18:19

Do not approach (kah-RAV) a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period.

Lev 18:6

“ ‘No one is to approach (kah-RAV) any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD.

Isa 8:3

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

Eze 18:6

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 (kah-RAV) with a woman during her period.

Appearing 5 times in 5 verses of the WLC.

9H.Virgin, buh-TWO-lah (Gen 24:16) Strong, h1330 

Appearing 50 times in 50 verses of the WLC.

Gen 24:16

The woman was very beautiful, a virgin (buh-TWO-lah); no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.

9G. Virgin, par-THEN-os (Mat 1:23) Strong, g3933 

Mat 1:23

“The virgin (par-THEN-os) will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Appearing 15 times in15 verses of the GNT.

10. Fall in Love, Lover, ah-HAWV (Gen 24:67) Strong, h157

Gen 24:67

Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved (ah-HAWV) her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Gen 29:18

Jacob was in love (ah-HAWV) with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”

Gen 29:20

So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love (ah-HAWV) for her.

Gen 29:30

Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love (ah-HAWV) for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.

Gen 29:32

Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love (ah-HAWV) me now.”

Gen 34:3

His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved (ah-HAWV) the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.

Deu 21:15

If a man has two wives, and he loves (ah-HAWV) one but not the other, and both bear him sons but the firstborn is the son of the wife he does not love,

Deu 21:16

when he wills his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves (ah-HAWV) in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love.

Jdg 14:16

Then Samson’s wife threw herself on him, sobbing, “You hate me! You don’t really love (ah-HAWV) me. You’ve given my people a riddle, but you haven’t told me the answer.” “I haven’t even explained it to my father or mother,” he replied, “so why should I explain it to you?”

Jdg 16:4

Some time later, he fell in love (ah-HAWV) with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.

 Jdg 16:15

Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you (ah-HAWV),’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.”

 1Sa 1:5

But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved (ah-HAWV) her, and the LORD had closed her womb.

1Sa 18:20

Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love (ah-HAWV) with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.

1Sa 18:28

When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved (ah-HAWV) David,

2Sa 13:1

In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love (ah-HAWV) with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David.

 2Sa 13:4

He asked Amnon, “Why do you, the king’s son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I’m in love (ah-HAWV) with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”

 2Sa 13:15

Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved (ah-HAWV) her. Amnon said to her, “Get up and get out!

1Ki 11:1

King Solomon, however, loved (ah-HAWV) many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.

2Ch 11:21

Rehoboam loved (ah-HAWV) Maakah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

Est 2:17

Now the king was attracted to (ah-HAWV) Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Ecc 9:9

Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love (ah-HAWV), all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.

Sng 1:3

Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the young women love (ah-HAWV) you!

 Sng 1:4

Take me away with you—let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers. Friends: We rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love (ah-HAWV) more than wine. She: How right they are to adore you!

Sng 1:7

Tell me, you whom I love (ah-HAWV), where you graze your flock and where you rest your sheep at midday. Why should I be like a veiled woman beside the flocks of your friends?

 Sng 3:1

All night long on my bed I looked for the one my heart loves (ah-HAWV); I looked for him but did not find him.

Sng 3:2

I will get up now and go about the city, through its streets and squares; I will search for the one my heart loves (ah-HAWV). So I looked for him but did not find him.

Sng 3:3

The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. “Have you seen the one my heart loves (ah-HAWV)?”

Sng 3:4

Scarcely had I passed them when I found the one my heart loves (ah-HAWV). I held him and would not let him go till I had brought him to my mother’s house, to the room of the one who conceived me.

Isa 57:8

Behind your doors and your doorposts you have put your pagan symbols. Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed, you climbed into it and opened it wide; you made a pact with those whose beds you love (ah-HAWV), and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.

Lam 1:2

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.

 Eze 16:33

All prostitutes receive gifts, but you give gifts to all your lovers (ah-HAWV), bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.

 Eze 16:36

This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you poured out your lust and exposed your naked body in your promiscuity with your lovers (ah-HAWV), and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children’s blood,

Eze 16:37

therefore I am going to gather all your lovers (ah-HAWV), with whom you found pleasure, those you loved (ah-HAWV) as well as those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and will strip you in front of them, and they will see you stark naked.

Eze 23:5

“Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers (ah-HAWV), the Assyrians—warriors

 Eze 23:9

“Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers (ah-HAWV), the Assyrians, for whom she lusted.

Eze 23:22

“Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will stir up your lovers (ah-HAWV) against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side—

Hos 2:5

Their mother has been unfaithful and has conceived them in disgrace. She said, ‘I will go after my lovers (ah-HAWV), who give me my food and my water, my wool and my linen, my olive oil and my drink.’

Hos 2:7

She will chase after her lovers (ah-HAWV) but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.’

Hos 2:10

So now I will expose her lewdness before the eyes of her lovers (ah-HAWV); no one will take her out of my hands.

Hos 2:12

I will ruin her vines and her fig trees, which she said were her pay from her lovers (ah-HAWV); I will make them a thicket, and wild animals will devour them.

Hos 2:13

I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the Baals; she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers (ah-HAWV), but me she forgot,”

declares the LORD.

Hos 3:1

The LORD said to me, “Go, show your love (ah-HAWV) to your wife again, though she is loved (ah-HAWV) by another man and is an adulteress. Love (ah-HAWV) her as the LORD loves (ah-HAWV) the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love (ah-HAWV) the sacred raisin cakes.”

Appearing 47 times in 42 verses of the WLC.

11. Foreplay to Intercourse, yih-TSACH (Gen 26:8) Strong, h6711

Gen 26:8

When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing (yih-TSACH) his wife Rebekah.

Gen 39:14

she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport (yih-TSACH) of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed.

Gen 39:17

Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport (yih-TSACH) of me.

Appearing 3 times in 3 verses of the WLC.

12H. Kiss, nah-SHAWK (Gen 27:26) Strong, h5401

Gen 27:26

Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son, and kiss (nah-SHAWK)me.”

Appearing 30 times in 30 verses of the WLC.

12G. Kiss, phi-LE-oh (Mat 26:48) Strong, g5368

Mat 26:48

Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss (phi-LE-oh) is the man; arrest him.”

Mar 14:44

Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss (phi-LE-oh) is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.”

Appearing 2 times in 2 verses of the GNT.

Total Occurrences 32 times in 32 verses.

13.  Fall in Love, chah-SHAWK (Gen 34:8) Strong, h2836

Gen 34:8

But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on (chah-SHAWK)your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.

Appearing 4 times in 4 verses of the WLC.

14H.  Eunuch/Intersexual Traits, sah-REECE (Gen 37:36) Strong, h5631

Appearing 42 times in 42 verses of the WLC.

14G. Eunuch, eu-NEW-chaws (Mat 19:12) Strong, g2135

Appearing 8 times in 6 verses GNT.

Total Occurrences 50 times in 48 verses.

Genesis Reproductive and Anatomical Terms

15H. Seed, Offspring, Semen, zeh-RAH (Gen 1:11) Strong, h2233

Gen 1:11

Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed (zeh-RAH) in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.

Appearing 229 times in 205 WLC verses.

15G. Seed, Sow, SPAY-row (Mat 6:26) Strong, g4687

Mat 6:26

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Appearing 53 times in 42 GNT verses

Total Occurrences 282 times in 247 verses.

16. Sperm, spoe-RAH (1Pe 1:23) Strong, g4701

1Pe 1:23

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed (spoe-RAH), but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Appearing 1 time in 1 GNT verse.

Total Occurrences 283 times in 248 verses.

17H. Genital Tissue, bah-SAR (Gen 2:24) Strong, h1320  

Gen 2:24

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh (bah-SAR).

Gen 17:11

You are to undergo circumcision (in the flesh (bah-SAR) of your foreskin), and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.

Gen 17:14

Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh (bah-SAR), will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.

Gen 17:23

On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them (in the flesh (bah-SAR) of the foreskin), as God told him.

Gen 17:24

Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised (in the flesh (bah-SAR) of the foreskin)

Exo 28:42

“Make linen undergarments as a covering for the body (bah-SAR), reaching from the waist to the thigh.

Lev 6:10

The priest shall then put on his linen clothes, with linen undergarments next to his body (bah-SAR), and shall remove the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar and place them beside the altar.

Lev 12:3

On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised (in the flesh (bah-SAR) of his foreskin).

Lev 15:16

When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his whole body (bah-SAR) with water, and he will be unclean till evening.

Lev 15:19

When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly period (in her flesh, bah-SAR) will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening.

Lev 18:6

No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations (of his flesh (bah-SAR). I am the LORD.

Eze 16:26

You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians, your neighbors with large genitals (bah-SAR), and aroused my anger with your increasing promiscuity.

Eze 23:20

There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals (bah-SAR) were like those (bah-SAR )of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.

Appearing 14 times in 13 WLC verses.

17G. Genital Tissue, SARKS, (Mat 19:5) Strong, g4561

Mat 19:5

and said, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh (SARKS)”

Mat 19:6

So they are no longer two, but one flesh (SARKS). Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Mar 10:8

and the two will become one flesh (SARKS). So they are no longer two, but one flesh (SARKS).

1Co 7:28

But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life (SARKS), and I want to spare you this.

Gal 5:19

The acts of the flesh (SARKS) are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;

Gal 5:24

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh (SARKS) with its passions and desires.

Eph 5:29

After all, no one ever hated their own body (SARKS), but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—

Eph 5:31

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh (SARKS).”

Jde 1:7

In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion (SARKS). They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

Jde 1:8

In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies (SARKS), reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.

 Jde 1:23

save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh (SARKS).

Appearing 12 times in 11 GNT verses. 

Total Occurrences 26 times in 24 verses.

18H. Naked, ah-ROME (Gen 2:25) Strong, h6174

Gen 2:25

Adam and his wife were both naked (ah-ROME), and they felt no shame.

 1Sa 19:24

He stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay naked (ah-ROME) all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

Job 1:21

and said: “Naked (ah-ROME) I came from my mother’s womb, and naked (ah-ROME) I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”

Job 22:6

You demanded security from your relatives for no reason; you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked (ah-ROME).

 Job 24:7

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

Job 24:10

Lacking clothes, they go about naked (ah-ROME); they carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.

 Ecc 5:15

Everyone comes naked (ah-ROME) from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.

Isa 20:2

at that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped (ah-ROME) and barefoot.

Isa 20:3

Then the LORD said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped (ah-ROME) and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush,

Isa 20:4

so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped (ah-ROME) and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared—to Egypt’s shame.

Isa 58:7

Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked (ah-ROME), to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

 Hos 2:3

Otherwise I will strip her naked (ah-ROME) and make her as bare as on the day she was born; I will make her like a desert, turn her into a parched land, and slay her with thirst.

Amo 2:16

Even the bravest warriors will flee naked (ah-ROME) on that day,

 Mic 1:8

Because of this I will weep and wail; I will go about barefoot and naked (ah-ROME). I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl.

Appearing 15 times in 14 verses of WLC.

18G. Naked, GOOM-nos (Mark 14:52) Strong, G1131

Appearing 15 times in 15 GNT verses.

Total Occurrences 30 times in 29 verses.

19H. Conception, Childbirth, heh-ray-YOWN (Gen 3:16) Strong, h2032

Gen 3:16

To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing (heh-rey-OWN) very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

Rth 4:13

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the LORD enabled her to conceive (heh-rey-OWN), and she gave birth to a son.

 Hos 9:11

Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird— no birth, no pregnancy, no conception (heh-rey-OWN) .

3 times in 3 verses

19G. Labor of Childbirth, oh-DEE-no (Galatians 4:19) Strong, G5605

Gal 4:19

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth (oh-DEE-no) until Christ is formed in you,

 Gal 4:27

For it is written: “Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor (oh-DEE-no); because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”

 Rev 12:2

She was pregnant (holding in the stomach) and cried out in pain (oh-DEE-no) as she was about to give birth.

Appearing 3 times in 3 verses of the WLC.

20H. Give Birth To, YEH-led (Genesis 3:16) Strong, H3205

500 times in 403 OT verses

20G. Give Birth to,TIK-toe (Mat 1:21) Strong, g5088

Mat 1:21

She will give birth (TIK-toe) to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

18 times in 17 GNT verses.

21H. Conceive, hah-RAH (Gen 4:1) Strong, h2029

Gen 4:1

Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.”

43 times in 42 Old Testament verses. 

21G. Conceive, (hold in the abdomen), EH-cho en gah-STREE (Mat 1:23) Strong, g2192 and g1064

Mat 1:23

“The virgin will conceive (hold in the abdomen) and give birth to (TIK-toe) a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

8 times 8 New Testament verses

22. Conceive, sool-lawm-BAH-no, (Luke 2:21) Strong, g4815

Appearing6 times in 6 GNT verses.

23H. Sterile, ah-KAR (Gen 11:30) Strong, h6135 

12 times in 11 verses of the WLC

23G. Sterile, STAY-rah (Luke 1:7) Strong, g4723

Luk 1:7

But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive (STAY-rah), and they were both very old.

5 times in 5 New Testament verses

24H. Circumcision, MOOL (Genesis 17:10) Strong, h4135

Gen 17:10

This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.

36 times in 32 WLC verses.

24G. Circumcision, peh-ree-TEM-no (Luk 1:59) Strong, g4061

Luk 1:59

On the eighth day they came to circumcise (peh-ree-TEM-no) the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah.

36 times in 32 GNT verses.

25. Circumcision, nah-MAHL (Gen 17:11) Strong, h5243

Gen 17:11

You are to undergo circumcision (nah-MAHL), and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.

One WLC verse

26. Foreskin, ahr-LAH (Gen 17:11) Strong, h6190

14 times in 14 verses 

27-28. Menstruation: The Way of Women, DEH-rek nah-SHEEM (Gen 31:35) Strong, h1870 and h802

Gen 31:35

Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I’m having my period (DEH-rek nah-SHEEM).” So he searched but could not find the household gods.

One WLC verse.

29. Midwives, YEH-led (Genesis 35:17) Strong, H3205

Gen 35:17

And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.”

9 times in 8 Old Testament verses

30.Withdrawal Method of Birth Control, shah-CHAWT (Gen 38:9) Strong, h7843

Gen 38:9

But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled (shah-CHAWT) his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother.

1 time in 1 verse

31H. Breast, SHAWD (Gen 49:25) Strong, h7699

24 times in 24 verses of the WLC.

31G. Breast, STAY-thos (Luk 18:13) Strong, g4738 

Appearing 5 times in 5 verses of the GNT.

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

32. Sexual Safety Decline, chah-LAWL (Gen 6:1) Strong, h2490

Gen 6:1

When human beings began (chah-LAWL) to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them,

Gen 9:20

Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded (chah-LAWL) to plant a vineyard.

Gen 49:4

Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled (chah-LAWL) it.

Lev 18:21

“ ‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane (chah-LAWL) the name of your God. I am the LORD.

Lev 19:29

“ ‘Do not degrade (chah-LAWL) your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness.

Lev 20:3

I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned (chah-LAWL) my holy name.

Lev 21:4

He must not make himself unclean for people related to him by marriage, and so defile (chah-LAWL) himself.

Lev 21:9

“ ‘If a priest’s daughter defiles (chah-LAWL) herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire.

Lev 21:15

so that he will not defile (chah-LAWL) his offspring among his people. I am the LORD, who makes him holy.’ ”

Num 25:1

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began (chah-LAWL) to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women,

Deu 28:30

You will be pledged to be married to a woman, but another will take her and rape her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not even begin (chah-LAWL) to enjoy its fruit.

Jdg 13:5

You will become (chah-LAWL) pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

Jdg 16:19

After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began (chah-LAWL) to subdue him. And his strength left him.

1Ch 5:1

The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (he was the firstborn, but when he defiled (chah-LAWL) his father’s marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel; so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright,

Eze 20:24

because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated (chah-LAWL) my Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their parents’ idols.

Eze 20:39

“ ‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane (chah-LAWL) my holy name with your gifts and idols.

Eze 22:8

You have despised my holy things and desecrated (chah-LAWL) my Sabbaths.

Eze 23:39

On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated (chah-LAWL) it. That is what they did in my house.

Eze 44:7

In addition to all your other detestable practices, you brought foreigners uncircumcised in heart and flesh into my sanctuary, desecrating (chah-LAWL) my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and you broke my covenant.

Dan 11:31

“His armed forces will rise up to desecrate (chah-LAWL) the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.

Mal 2:11

Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated (chah-LAWL) the sanctuary the LORD loves by marrying women who worship a foreign god.

Appearing 21 times in 21 WLC verses.

33. Coercive Sexual Intercourse, BO (Gen 6:4) Strong, h935

Gen 6:4

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went (BO) to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

Gen 16:4

He slept (BO) with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.

 Gen 19:34

The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Last night I slept with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in (BO) and sleep with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.”

Gen 38:9

But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with (BO) his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother.

Gen 38:16

Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now (BO), let me sleep with you.” “And what will you give me to sleep with (BO) you?” she asked.

Appearing 29 times in 29 verses of the WLC.

34. Sexual Nihilism, Evil, RA (Gen 6:5) Strong, h7451

Gen 6:5

The LORD saw how great the wickedness (RA) of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil (RA) all the time.

Gen 8:21

The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil (RA) from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

Gen 13:13

Now the people of Sodom were wicked (RA) and were sinning greatly against the LORD.

Gen 28:8

Esau then realized how displeasing (RA) the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac;

Gen 38:7

But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked (RA) in the LORD’s sight; so the LORD put him to death.

Deu 22:14

and slanders her and gives her a bad (RA) name, saying, “I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity,”

Deu 22:19

They shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the young woman’s father, because this man has given an Israelite virgin a bad (RA) name. She shall continue to be his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives.

Deu 22:21

she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done an outrageous thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil (RA) from among you.

Deu 22:22

If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil (RA) from Israel.

Deu 22:24

you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death—the young woman because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil (RA) from among you.

Jdg 3:7

The Israelites did evil (RA) in the eyes of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.

Jdg 10:6

Again the Israelites did evil (RA) in the eyes of the LORD. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the LORD and no longer served him,

2Sa 12:11

“This is what the LORD says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity (RA) on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.

1Ki 11:6

So Solomon did evil (RA) in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.

2Ki 17:17

They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil (RA) in the eyes of the LORD, arousing his anger.

Jer 23:14

And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers (RA), so that not one of them turns from their wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”

Appearing 16 times in 16 WLC verses.

35. Canaanites (Gen 10:18) Strong, h3669

Gen 10:18

Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites. Later the Canaanite clans scattered

Appearing 73 times in 71 verses of the WLC.

36. Sexually Transmitted Infections, neh-GAH  (Gen 12:17) Strong, h5061

One WLC verse

37. Sodom, (Gen 13:13) Strong, h5467

Appearing in 39 WLC verses.

Appearing in 9 verses of the GNT.

Total Occurrences 48 times in 48 verses

38. Coercive Intercourse, shah-CAWV (Gen 19:32) Strong, h7901

Gen 19:35

So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went in and slept (shah-CAWV)with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up.

Appearing 54 times in 54 WLC verses.

39H. Sacred Sex Trafficking Victim, zah-NAH (Gen 34:31) Strong, h2181

Gen 34:31

But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute (zah-NAH)?”

Appearing 93 times in 81 WLC verses.

39G. Sacred Sex Trafficking, par-NAY-ah (Mat 5:32) Strong, g4202, g4203, g4204, g4205

Mat 5:32

But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality (par-NAY-ah) makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Appearing 88 times in 76 verses of the GNT.

Total occurrences 181 times in 157 verses

This faith based certification in Biblical Sexual Intimacy and Safety examines over 170 sexual health terms in the Old and New Testaments. Students will gain proficiency in a Biblical theology of human sexuality which they may apply to faith based families. This certification is appropriate for professional ministry staff and non professional laity.

Training Experts in Biblical Sexual Intimacy, Health, and Safety

Hope Institute for Pastoral Counseling and Coaching now offers free content on all sexual intimacy, health, and safety terms of the Bible.  The vision is to train the next faith based generation to become experts in Biblical sexual intimacy, health, and safety based on the life of Jesus and the Scriptures.

The focus of this vision places Biblical content founded on the life of Christ in the hands of caregivers for the sexual health content of their families. Parents choose not institutions.

The 120 hour faith based sexual intimacy and safety certification examines The Book of Genesis, The Torah, The Prophets, The Writings, The Gospels with Acts, Paul, the General Epistles, and Revelation. Ten Biblical sections cover 12 hours each of study, lecture, and supervision totaling 120 hours.

Students will research the sexual health content and take quizzes for four hours of study. After successful completion of the quizzes, students will attend a four hour lecture. The final four hours will be spent in supervision with one of our trained pastoral counselors or coaches in sexual health. Students may teach the content in small groups, spiritual coaching, make a teaching video, or preach on sexual intimacy and safety to local congregations. An individual certification is granted for each Biblical section completed.

The Book of Genesis and children’s cartoons from The Awesome Family Workshop with Dr. Glen are offered free to all students. The suggested donation for each section is only 249 dollars. Supervision fees are charged by the individual pastoral supervisor.

Topics include:

1.Theoretical foundation for current treatment models based on the Bible and life of Christ

2. Cutting edge problematic sexuality treatment

3. Sexual arousal and mutual orgasm conversation

4.Biblical theology on genital self stimulation

5.Spiritual replacement therapy for erotic media

6.Self regulation of sexual neuro pathways

7. Scriptural need inventory for communicating sexual intimacy and safety

8. Biblical dating theology for adolescents and single Christians

9. Biblical gender conversation on same sex and intersexuality

10. Biblical theology of non judgement

11. Mastery of Biblical Hebrew and New Testament Greek sexual health vocabulary using the Blue Letter Bible app

12. Neuroscience of Recovery, Trauma, and Spirituality media on the free Hope XP app

13. Graduates of the full certification will receive a 50% scholarship for the “Caring for the Image of God in You” five day intensive by Dr. Glen

14. Graduates of the full certification will receive a 50% scholarship for the Hope Institute for Pastoral Counseling and Professional Coaching Certification

15. Hope Institute for Pastoral Counseling and Professional Coaching certificate holders may use these courses to maintain their credentials.

The ten sections are:

Genesis 12 hours

Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy 12 hours

The Former Prophets; Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings 12 hours

The Major Prophets; Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel 12 hours

The Minor Prophets 12 hours

The Writings: Psalms, The Writings of Solomon, Women Who Changed History, Daniel, and, Chronicles 12 hours

The Gospels with Acts 12 hours

Paul 12 hours

The General Epistles 12 hours

Revelation 12 hours

This certification is authorized by Hope Gathering of Christ a 501 C3 non profit organization. Dr. Glen, an ordained Christian minister, has two earned doctoral degrees. His PhD in Clinical Sexology specializes in sex addiction treatment. The Doctor of Ministry emphasis treats addiction and trauma. Glen is a certified sex addiction therapist, multi addiction therapist, board certified Christian Sex Therapist, and is a licensed mental health counselor.

Esta certificación basada en la fe en Intimidad y Seguridad Sexual Bíblica examina 170 términos de salud sexual en el Antiguo y Nuevo Testamento. Los estudiantes adquirirán competencia en la teología bíblica de la sexualidad humana que podrán aplicar a familias basadas en la fe. Esta certificación es apropiada para personal ministerial profesional y laicos no profesionales.

Capacitando expertos en intimidad sexual bíblica, salud y seguridad

Hope Institute for Pastoral Counseling and Coaching ahora ofrece contenido gratuito sobre todos los términos de la Biblia sobre intimidad, salud y seguridad sexual. La visión es capacitar a la próxima generación basada en la fe para que se conviertan en expertos en intimidad sexual, salud y seguridad bíblicas basadas en la vida de Jesús y las Escrituras.

La certificación de seguridad e intimidad sexual basada en la fe de 120 horas examina el Libro del Génesis, la Torá, los Profetas, los Escritos, los Evangelios con Hechos, Pablo, las Epístolas Generales y el Apocalipsis. Diez secciones bíblicas cubren 12 horas cada una de estudio, conferencia y supervisión, totalizando 120 horas.

Los estudiantes investigarán el contenido de salud sexual y realizarán cuestionarios durante cuatro horas de estudio. Después de completar con éxito las pruebas, los estudiantes asistirán a una conferencia de cuatro horas. Las últimas cuatro horas se dedicarán a la supervisión de uno de nuestros consejeros pastorales o entrenadores capacitados en salud sexual. Los estudiantes pueden enseñar el contenido en grupos pequeños, recibir asesoramiento espiritual, hacer un video de enseñanza o predicar sobre la intimidad y la seguridad sexual en congregaciones locales. Se otorga una certificación individual por cada sección bíblica completada.

El Libro del Génesis y los dibujos animados para niños de The Awesome Family Workshop con el Dr. Glen se ofrecen de forma gratuita a todos los estudiantes. La donación sugerida para cada sección es de sólo 249 dólares. Los honorarios de supervisión los cobra el supervisor pastoral individual.

Los temas incluyen:

1.Fundamento teórico de los modelos de tratamiento actuales basados en la Biblia y la vida de Cristo.

2.Tratamiento de vanguardia para la sexualidad problemática

3.Conversación sobre excitación sexual y orgasmo mutuo.

4.Teología bíblica sobre la autoestimulación genital

5.Terapia espiritual sustitutiva de los medios eróticos.

6.Autorregulación de las vías neurosexuales.

7.Inventario de necesidades bíblicas para comunicar intimidad y seguridad sexual

8.Teología bíblica de citas para adolescentes y cristianos solteros

9.Conversación bíblica de género sobre el mismo sexo y la intersexualidad

10.Teología bíblica del no juicio

11.Dominio del vocabulario de salud sexual en hebreo bíblico y griego del Nuevo Testamento utilizando la aplicación Blue Letter Bible

12.Medios de neurociencia de recuperación, trauma y espiritualidad en la aplicación gratuita Hope XP

13.Los graduados de la certificación completa recibirán una beca del 50 % para el curso intensivo de cinco días “Cuidando la imagen de Dios en ti” impartido por el Dr. Glen.

14.Los graduados de la certificación completa recibirán una beca del 50% para la certificación del Hope Institute for Pastoral Counseling and Professional Coaching.

15.Los titulares de certificados del Hope Institute for Pastoral Counseling and Professional Coaching pueden utilizar estos cursos para mantener sus credenciales.

Las diez secciones son:

Génesis 12 horas

Éxodo, Levítico, Números, Deuteronomio 12 horas

Los antiguos profetas; Josué, Jueces, Samuel, Reyes 12 horas

Los Profetas Mayores; Isaías, Jeremías, Ezequiel 12 horas

Los profetas menores 12 horas

Los Escritos: Salmos, Los Escritos de Salomón, Mujeres que Cambiaron la Historia, Daniel y Crónicas 12 horas

Los Evangelios con Hechos 12 horas

pablo 12 horas

Las Epístolas Generales 12 horas

Apocalipsis 12 horas

Esta certificación está autorizada por Hope Gathering of Christ, una organización sin fines de lucro 501 C3. El Dr. Glen, un ministro cristiano ordenado, tiene dos títulos de doctorado. Su doctorado en Sexología Clínica se especializa en el tratamiento de la adicción al sexo. El énfasis de Doctorado en Ministerio trata la adicción y el trauma. Glen es un terapeuta certificado en adicción al sexo, un terapeuta de múltiples adicciones, un terapeuta sexual cristiano certificado y un consejero de salud mental autorizado.

The Bible and Sexual Intimacy Terms

By Rev. Dr. Glen B. Maiden PhD, DMin, 

CSAT, CMAT, CST, LMHC

Copyright, 2023

Introduction

The Scriptures speak to parents six times about teaching children Biblical values like sexual intimacy and safety. The communication of sexual health to children never depends on religious institutions in the Bible. The God given responsibility falls on parent to child. The Bible names neither political institutions nor church leadership to be the source of sexual health content. The privilege belongs to parents alone.

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them… “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.” (Deuteronomy 4:9-10)

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children.

(Deuteronomy 6:4-10)

Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 11:19)

Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. (Psalm 34:11)

He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. (Psalm 78:5-6)

I call this focus of parent to child the sexual-health positive big-picture of the Bible. Parents do heavy lifting to model intimacy and sexual safety founded upon the life of Jesus and the Bible. Local churches then hopefully support this “big picture” by Scriptural programming and example. I like to think of this as an insurance policy for our children. When celebrity religious leaders relapse into unhealthy sexuality, children remain safe with their caregivers. The authority remains with the “big picture” of the Bible in the safety of the home. If sacred or secular institutions decline to un christlike sexual politics, then the child has protection with the parents.

In 3500 years of Biblical literary history intimacy, sexual intimacy and safety language has never been identified in the Bible. The goal of this work restores sexual health values into the hands of parents who, “teach their children so the next generation would know them.” 

Throughout this work, I offer a range of meaning for sexual intimacy texts. For example, rather than moralizing sexual health narratives, the data is given, compared with the rest of the Bible and then to the life of Christ. With Scriptural support parents can choose what is appropriate for the family. Biblical scenes which I call “snap shots” include sex as intimacy, gender, genital self stimulation mistakenly named “masturbation”, porn, problematic sexuality, safety for children, sexually transmitted infections, coercive sexuality, regulation of sexual neural pathways, reproductive hygiene, and many more.

I use with permission the Blue Letter Bible for the original Hebrew and Greek meanings. Each citation features the sexual health term, pronunciation in the original language, the Scripture location, and the reference number for Strong’s Concordance so readers can assess the data for themselves. For example:

Sexual Intimacy, yah-DAH (Genesis 4:1) Strong, H3045

The word appears first, Sexual Intimacy, the Hebrew or Greek pronunciation places second in order. The meaning of yah-DAH is spiritual, beautiful, restful, compassionate, pleasurable, and reconciliatory sexual intimacy. Phonetic emphasis falls on the second syllable, DAH.  When caps appear inflect your voice at that point? The Biblical passage appears next between parentheses (Genesis 4:1) and finally, Strong’s Concordance number, Strong, H3045, so you can assess for yourself. The Blue Letter Bible does an amazing job providing all words occurring in the Bible for your review. In addition you can examine classic commentaries for a sexual intimacy term. I have grouped the sexual health terms into three parts: Sexual Health Positive Terms, Reproductive and Gynecological, and Unhealthy Sexuality Terms.  

You may find more sexual intimacy and safety terms among the thousands of images and idioms in the Bible. I hope you will share them with me so together we can do something truly beautiful for our children and grandchildren? You are encouraged and expected to evaluate this work with correction and insight. What if we can help our children experience a sexually healthy family and church community? What could happen if we influenced institutions of higher learning to teach sexual intimacy and safety to the future pastors of our churches? Could outcomes have changed for victims of clergy abuse during our lifetime? I am offering cartoons I have created from “The Awesome Family Workshop” to the children of the world for no cost.  The cartoon themes parallel this work with intimacy with God, sexual safety, harm prevention, prayer as connection with God, hygiene, anxiety regulation, and more. My prayer is for you to take pleasure in this work giving the “big picture” to your family and your church community. Hopefully, you will love this as much as I do.

Data

The Bible features 170 unique intimacy, sexual health and safety terms.  149 unrepeated words occur in the Old Testament and 21 distinct terms appear in the New Testament.  The high frequency places sexual intimacy, sexual health and safety on the same level as ideas like “salvation”, “atonement”, and the “Holy Spirit”. The NIV uses the root word for Jesus, salvation, 116 times and atonement 107 times in both the Old and New Testaments. (Strong, H3444 and H3727) The phrase Holy Spirit appears just 94 times in the Bible. (Strong, H6944 and H7307)

The 170 intimacy, sexual health and safety conversations occur more times than the central themes of  “salvation”,“atonement”, or “Holy Spirit” in the Bible. The word for predestination appears six times in the New Testament and election 22 times. (Strong, G4309 and G1588.   Sexual health terms occur 83.5% more often than predestination and election words. Is it possible imbalance has taken place for hundreds of years? Has this disproportion contributed to the decline of religious institutions, membership, and sexual safety of their children?

Translation Concerns

During the study of Biblical sexual intimacy terms, numerous edits by translators have been uncovered. Many of these errors may have misguided unwary readers of the Bible for generations. Some edits altered the snap shots of  Noah and the Flood, Sodom, Onan and birth control, same sex mandates, and condemnation of sex trafficking victims. The results of these edits very well may have contributed undue shame to our families. I will demonstrate how these errors by translators contributed to genital mutilation and capital punishment of faith based people. When these edits are unpacked, I believe you will see many religious political positions cannot be justified Scripturally nor by the life of Christ. Can we permit the life of Jesus and the Scriptures to prove our passion for sexual health and safety for our children, not religious politics? At all times the choices are yours and I will do diligence not to moralize. 

Below, all 170 sexual intimacy and safety terms of the Bible list for your reflection. The words group according to the Law or Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, the Gospels with Acts, Paul, the General Epistles, and Revelation. The 170 terms are given as they appear for the first time in Scripture. The full treatment of these words and the number of times they occur appears in the commentary. This list is for your initial review so you can see the range or spectrum of sexual intimacy and safety terms.

Genesis Sexual Health Positive Terms

Be Fruitful and Increase, pah-RAH rah-BAH (Genesis 1:22) Strong, H6509 and H7235

Sexual Intimacy, yah-DAH (Genesis 4:1) Strong, H3045

Covenant, buh-REETH (Genesis 6:18) Strong, H1285

Genital Intercourse, kah-RAV (Genesis 20:4) Strong, H7126

Foreplay, yih-TSACH (Genesis 26:8) Strong, H6711

Kiss, nah-SHAWK (Genesis 27:26) Strong, H5401

Birth Control, coitus interruptus, shah-CHAWT (Genesis 38:9) Strong, H7843

Eunuch/InterSexual Traits, sah-REECE (Genesis 37:36) Strong, H5631

Reproductive and Gynecological Terms

Flesh, bah-SAR (Genesis 2:21) Strong, H1320

Naked, ah-ROME (Genesis 2:25) Strong H6174

Seed, Offspring, Semen, zeh-RAH (Genesis 3:15) Strong, H2233

Childbirth, heh-ray-YOWN (Genesis 3:16) Strong, H2032

Give Birth To, YEH-led (Genesis 3:16) Strong, H3045

Conceive, hah-RAH (Genesis 4:1) Strong, H2029

Circumcision, nah-MAHL (Genesis 17:11) Strong, H5243

Foreskin, ahr-LAH (Genesis 17:11) Strong, H6190

Menstruation: The Way of Women, DEH-rek nah-SHEEM (Genesis 31:35) Strong, H1870 and H802

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Sexual Safety Decline, chah-LAWL (Genesis 6:1) Strong, H2490

Sexual Nihilism, Evil, RA (Genesis 6:5) Strong, H7451

Sexually Transmitted Infections, neh-GAH  (Genesis 12:17) Strong, H5061

Sodom, (Genesis 13:13) Strong, H5467

Coercive Sexual Intercourse, shah-CAWV (Genesis 19:32) Strong, 

Sacred Sex Trafficking, zah-NAH (Genesis 34:31) Strong, H2181

Coercive Sexual Intercourse, BO (Genesis 38:9) Strong, H935

25 Total

Exodus

Sexual Health Positive Terms 

Sexual Neutrality, nah-GAWSH (Exodus 19:15) Strong, H5066

Reproductive and Gynecological Terms

Midwives, YEH-led (Exodus 1:15) Strong, H3205

Bridegroom, chah-THAWN (Exodus 4:24-26) Strong, H2860

Premature Birth, yah-TSAH (Exodus 21:22) Strong, H3318

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Adultery, nah-AWF (Exodus 20:14) Strong, H5003

Sexual Desire with Malice, chah-MAWD (Exodus 20:17) Strong, H2530

Seduce, pah-THAW (Exodus 22:16) Strong, H6601 

Miscarry or Abort, shah-KAWL (Exodus 23:26) Strong, H7921

8 Total

Leviticus

Reproductive and Gynecological Terms

Ejaculation, shah-KAWV zeh-RAH (Leviticus 15:16) Strong, H7902

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Incest, gah-LAH ahr-VAH (Leviticus 18:6) Strong, H1540 and H6172

Sex with Animals, rah-BAGH (Leviticus 18:22-23) Strong, H7250

Trafficking Children in the Sex Trade, zah-NAH (Leviticus 19:29) Strong, H2181

4 Total 

Numbers and Deuteronomy

Sexual Health Terms

Fall in Love, chah-SHAWK (Deuteronomy 21:11) Strong, H2836

Reproductive and Gynecological Terms

Miscarry, Thigh Fall, yah-RAWK nah-PHAWL (Numbers 5:22) Strong, H3409 and H5307

Nocturnal Emission, lai-LAH kah-REH (Deuteronomy 23:10-11) Strong, H3915 and H7137

Male Genitals, Private Parts, muh-buh-SHEEM (Deuteronomy 25:11) Strong, H4016

Placenta Membrane, shil-YAH, (Deuteronomy 28:57) Strong, H7988

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Incest, Uncover the Skirt, gah-LAH kah-NAPH (Deuteronomy 22:30) Strong, H1540

  and H3671

Sex Trafficked Male or Female, kah-DEISH (Deuteronomy 23:17) Strong, H6945

and H6948

Sex Trafficking Income, meh-CHERE (Deuteronomy 23:18)  Strong, H4242

Sex Trafficked Male, Dog, kah-LEIV (Deuteronomy 23:17-18) Strong, H3611

Rape, shah-GAWL (Deuteronomy 28:30) Strong, H7693

10 Total 

47 Total Torah or Pentateuch

Former Prophets

Sexual Health Positive Term

Fall in Love, ah-HAWV (2 Samuel 13:1) Strong, H157

Reproductive and Gynecological Terms

Infertility or Close the Womb, sah-GAR REH-chem (1 Samuel 1:5) Strong, H5462 and H7358

Labor Pains TSEER (1 Samuel 4:19) Strong, H6735

Monthly Cycle, tom-AH (2 Samuel 11:4) Strong, H2932

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Rape, ah-NAH shah-KAWV (2 Samuel 13:14) Strong, H6031 and H7901

Idol, teh-rah-PHEEM (1 Samuel 19:13) Strong, H8655

Molten Idols, mah-seh-KAH (2 Kings 17:16) Strong, H4551

Evil in the Eyes of the Lord, RA (2 Kings 17:17) Strong, H7451

8 Total 

Names and Locations for Sacred Sex Trafficking

Ephod, (Judges 8:27) Strong H646

Canaanites, (Joshua 7:9) Strong, H3669

Balaam, (Joshua 24:9-10) Strong, H1109

Baals, bah-AWL (Judges 2:11) Strong, H1168

Ashtoreth, (Judges 2:13) Strong, H6252

Asherah Pole, (Judges 6:26) Strong, H842

Deities of Aram (Judges 10:6) (Strong, H758), Sidon (Strong, H6721), Moab (Strong, H4124) Ammon (Strong, H5983), Philistines (Strong, H6430)

Dagon, (Judges 16:23) Strong, H1712

Chemosh, (1 Kings 11:7) Strong, H3645

Molek,  (1 Kings 11:7) Strong, H4432

Baal-Zebub, (2 Kings 1:3) Strong, H1176

High Places for Sex Trafficking, bah-MAH (2 Kings 12:3) Strong, H1116

Molten Idols, mah-seh-KAH (2 Kings 17:16) Strong, H4551

17 Total 

Major Prophets

Sexual Health Positive Terms

Genitalia, REH-gehl (Isaiah 6:2) Strong, H7272

Lover, ray-AH (Jeremiah 3:1) Strong, H7453

Lovers, ah-GAWV (Jeremiah 4:30) Strong, H5689

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 and 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 and H6172

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

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

Reproductive and Gynecological Terms

Virgin, ahl-MAH (Isaiah 7:14) Strong, H5959

Menstrual Cloth, dah-WHEY (Isaiah 30:22) Strong, H1739

Brought to Birth, CHOOL (Isaiah 45:10) Strong, H2342

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Naked Bodies, YAWD Strong, H3027

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Nakedness Exposed, ehr-VAH gah-LAH (Isaiah 47:3) Strong, H6172 and H1540

Idols, eh-LEEL, (Isaiah 2:8) Strong, H457

Idols, PEH-sell (Isaiah 10:10) Strong, H6456

Burn with Lust, chah-MAWM, (Isaiah 57:5) Strong, H2552

Immorality, COLE zah-NOOT (Jeremiah 3:9) Strong, H6963 and H2184 

Houses (by-ITH) for Sex Trafficking (zah-NAH) (Jeremiah 5:7-8) Strong, H1004 and  

H2181

Lusty Stallions, ZOON sue-SEEM (Jeremiah 5:8) Strong, H2109 and H5483

Pull up your skirts, chah-SAWF SHOOL (Jeremiah 13:26) Strong, H2834 and 

H7757

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

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

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

H8457

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

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

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

Names and Places for Sacred Sex Trafficking

High Hill, gah-bow-AH geeb-AH (Ezekiel 6:13) Strong, H7311 and H1389

Spreading Trees, rah-ah-NAWN ATES (Ezekiel 6:13) Strong, H7488 and H6086

Idols, tse-LEM (Ezekiel 7:20) Strong, H6754

Valley of Ben Hinnom, (Jeremiah 7:31) Strong, H1121 and H2011

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

Canaanites (Ezekiel 16:1-3)

Lofty Shrines, rah-MAH (Ezekiel 18:6) Strong, H7413

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

H2022

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

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

and H172

46 Total

The Minor Prophets

Sexual Health Positive Terms

Recover Unhealthy Sexuality, kah-SAH ehr-VAH  (Hosea 2:9) H3680 and H6172

Allure, pah-THACH, (Hosea 2:14) Strong, H6601

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Adultery Between Breasts, nah-AWF SHAWD (Hosea 2:2) Strong, H5005 and 

H7699

Expose Lewdness, nah-beh-LOOTH (Hosea 2:10) Strong, H5040

Spirit of Sex Trafficking, roo-AUCH zah-NAH  (Hosea 4:11) Strong, H7307 and H2181

Sexual Abuse, ya-LAWK (Amos 2:7) Strong, H3212

Lift Skirts Over Face, gah-LAH SHOOL (Nahum 3:5) Strong, H1540 and H7757

Names and Places for Sacred Sex Trafficking

Wooden Idol or Tree, EITZ, (Hosea 4:12) Strong, H6086

Mountaintops, ROWSH HAR (Hosea 4:13) Strong, H7218 and H2022

Oak, ah-LOAN (Hosea 4:13) Strong, H437

Poplar, lib-NEY (Hosea 4:13) Strong, H3839

Terebinth, eh-LAH (Hosea 4:13) Strong, H424

Idols, ah-TSAWV (Hosea 4:17) Strong, H6087

Idols, HEH-vell, (Jonah 2:8) Strong, H1892

Images, ah-TSAV (Micah 1:7) Strong, H6091 

Sacred Stones, mah-tseh-VAH (Micah 5:13) Strong, H4676

Idolatrous Priests, coe-MER (Zephaniah 1:6) Strong, H3649

Molek, mahl-CAM (Zephaniah 1:6) Strong, H445

18 Total 

The Writings

Sexual Health Positive Terms

Genital Sexual Intercourse, yah-CHAWM (Psalm 51:5) Strong, H3179

Sexual Contact, nah-GAH (Proverbs 6:25-29) Strong, H5060

Lovers’ Bed, EH-resh (Proverbs 7:16-17) Strong, H7488

Sexual Arousal, hah-MAH (Song 5:4) Strong, H1993

Pleasant, nah-AIM (Song 7:6) Strong, H5276

Romantic Pleasure, tah-ah-NOOG (Song 7:6) Strong, H8588 

Seduce, nah-TAH (Proverbs 7:21) Strong, H5186

Uncover the Feet, gah-LAH REH-ghel (Ruth 3:4) Strong, H1540 and H4772

Lie at Feet,  shah-KAWV REH-ghel (Ruth 3:8) Strong, H7901 and H4772

Spread Corner of Garment, pah-RAWSH kah-NAWF (Ruth 3:9)  Strong, H6566 and 

H3671

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

Reproductive and Gynecological Terms

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

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Other gods, ah-chah-REEM ei-loe-HEEM(2 Chronicles 34:25-27) Strong, H430 and 

H312 

13 Total

Old Testament 149 Unique Sexual Health Terms

The New Testament

The Gospels and Acts

Reproductive and Gynecological Terms

Vaginal Bleeding, hai-moh-REH-oh (Matthew 9:20) Strong, G131

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Abuse, on-ei-DI-dzo (Matthew 5:11) Strong, G3679

Abominable, ba-DE-loogma (Matthew 24:15) Strong, G946

Idols, EYE-doe-lawn (Acts 7:41) Strong, G1497

Lewdness, ah-SELL-gay-ah (Mark 7:22) Strong, G766

Zeus, (Acts 14:12) Strong, G2203

Hermes, (Acts 14:12) Strong, G2060

Artemis, (Acts 19:24) Strong, G735

8 Total 

Paul

Sexual Health Positive Terms

Natural Sexual Relations: phu-sih-KOS CHREI-sis (Romans 1:26) Strong, G5446 

and G5540

Intimacy of Sexual Intercourse: geh-NAY-then (Romans 7:3) Strong, G1096

Sexual Intercourse, KOI-tay (Romans 13:13) Strong, G2845

Sexual Intimacy, kah-LA-oh,  (1 Corinthians 6:16) Strong, G2853

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

(Possible) Sexual Violence Against Children: AH-rain (Romans 1:27) Strong, G730

Shameful, ah-sche-mah-SUE-nay (Romans 1:27) Strong, G808

Defile, ma-LEW-no (1Corinthians 8:7) Strong, G3435

Filth of Sex Trafficking, a-KA-thar-tos (Ephesians 5:5) Strong, G169

8 Total 

General Epistles

Sexual Health Positive Terms

New Birth, ah-na-gen-NAH-oh (1 Peter 1:3) Strong, G313

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Emphatic Sex Trafficking, ek-par-NEW-oh (Jude 1:7) 

Strong, G1608

Other Flesh, HEH-tew-ross SARKS (Jude 1:7) Strong, G2087 and G4561

Sexual Violence Image-Aphrodite, eh-paw-FRIH-dzoh (Jude 1:13) Strong, G1890 (possible)

4 Total 

Revelation

Adultery by Sex Trafficking, par-NAY-ah (Revelation 17:4) Strong, G4204

1 Total 

Total Old Testament Terms: 149

Total New Testament Terms: 21

Total Sexual Health Terms in the Bible: 170

En Espanol

La Biblia y La Intimidad Sexual 

170 Términos de la Biblia Sobre Intimidad Sexual, Salud y Seguridad

La Biblia y la intimidad sexual

La Biblia y los términos de la intimidad sexual
Por el Rev. Dr. Glen B. Maiden PhD, DMin,
CSAT, CMAT, CST, LMHC
Derechos de autor, 2023
Introducción
Las Escrituras hablan a los padres seis veces acerca de enseñar a los niños valores bíblicos como la intimidad sexual y la seguridad. La comunicación de la salud sexual a los niños nunca depende de instituciones religiosas en la Biblia. La responsabilidad dada por Dios recae de padres a hijos. La Biblia no nombra ni a las instituciones políticas ni al liderazgo de la iglesia como la fuente del contenido de salud sexual. El privilegio pertenece sólo a los padres.
Solamente tengan cuidado y cuídense mucho de sí mismos para que no olviden las cosas que sus ojos han visto ni dejen que se desvanezcan de su corazón mientras vivan. Enséñalas a tus hijos y a sus hijos después de ellos… “Reúne al pueblo delante de mí para que escuchen mis palabras a fin de que aprendan a reverenciarme mientras vivan en la tierra y las enseñen a sus hijos”. (Deuteronomio 4:9-10)

“Escucha, oh Israel: El Señor nuestro Dios, el Señor uno es. Ama al Señor tu Dios con todo tu corazón y con toda tu alma y con todas tus fuerzas. Estos mandamientos que os doy hoy deben estar sobre vuestros corazones. Impresiónalos en tus hijos.
(Deuteronomio 6:4-10)
Enséñalas a tus hijos, hablando de ellas cuando te sientes en casa y cuando camines por el camino, cuando te acuestes y cuando te levantes. (Deuteronomio 11:19)

Venid, hijos míos, escuchadme; Te enseñaré el temor del SEÑOR. (Salmo 34:11)

Decretó estatutos para Jacob y estableció la ley en Israel, la cual mandó a nuestros antepasados que enseñaran a sus hijos, para que la siguiente generación los conociera, incluso los niños por nacer, y ellos a su vez se lo contaran a sus hijos. (Salmo 78:5-6)

Llamo a este enfoque de padre a hijo el panorama general positivo de la salud sexual de la Biblia. Los padres hacen el trabajo pesado para modelar la intimidad y la seguridad sexual basadas en la vida de Jesús y la Biblia. Entonces, las iglesias locales, con suerte, apoyarán este “panorama general” mediante la programación y el ejemplo de las Escrituras. Me gusta pensar en esto como una póliza de seguro para nuestros hijos. Cuando los líderes religiosos famosos recaen en una sexualidad poco saludable, los niños permanecen seguros con sus cuidadores. La autoridad permanece con el “panorama general” de la Biblia en la seguridad del hogar. Si las instituciones sagradas o seculares se niegan a adoptar políticas sexuales no cristianas, entonces el niño tiene protección con los padres.
En 3500 años de historia literaria bíblica, la intimidad, la intimidad sexual y el lenguaje de seguridad nunca se han identificado en la Biblia. El objetivo de este trabajo restaura los valores de la salud sexual en manos de padres que “enseñan a sus hijos para que la próxima generación los conozca”.
A lo largo de este trabajo, ofrezco una variedad de significados para los textos de intimidad sexual. Por ejemplo, en lugar de moralizar las narrativas de salud sexual, se dan los datos, comparándolos con el resto de la Biblia y luego con la vida de Cristo. Con el apoyo de las Escrituras, los padres pueden elegir lo que es apropiado para la familia. Las escenas bíblicas que llamo “instantáneas” incluyen el sexo como intimidad, el género, la autoestimulación genital erróneamente denominada “masturbación”, la pornografía, la sexualidad problemática, la seguridad de los niños, las infecciones de transmisión sexual, la sexualidad coercitiva, la regulación de las vías neuronales sexuales, la higiene reproductiva, y muchos más.
Utilizo con permiso la Biblia con letra azul para los significados originales en hebreo y griego. Cada cita presenta el término de salud sexual, la pronunciación en el idioma original, la ubicación de las Escrituras y el número de referencia de la Concordancia de Strong para que los lectores puedan evaluar los datos por sí mismos. Por ejemplo:
Intimidad sexual, yah-DAH (Génesis 4:1) Fuerte, H3045
La palabra aparece en primer lugar, Intimidad sexual, la pronunciación hebrea o griega se coloca en segundo lugar. El significado de yah-DAH es intimidad sexual espiritual, hermosa, tranquila, compasiva, placentera y reconciliadora. El énfasis fonético recae en la segunda sílaba, DAH. Cuando aparecen las mayúsculas, ¿inclinas tu voz en ese punto? El pasaje bíblico aparece a continuación entre paréntesis (Génesis 4:1) y, finalmente, el número de Concordancia de Strong, Strong, H3045, para que pueda evaluarlo usted mismo. La Biblia con letras azules hace un trabajo increíble al proporcionar todas las palabras que aparecen en la Biblia para su revisión. Además, puede examinar comentarios clásicos para un término de intimidad sexual. He agrupado los términos de salud sexual en tres partes: términos positivos de salud sexual, términos reproductivos y ginecológicos y sexualidad no saludable.
Puede encontrar más términos de intimidad sexual y seguridad entre las miles de imágenes y modismos de la Biblia. Espero que los comparta conmigo para que juntos podamos hacer algo realmente hermoso para nuestros hijos y nietos. Se le anima y se espera que evalúe este trabajo con corrección y perspicacia. ¿Qué pasa si podemos ayudar a nuestros hijos a experimentar una familia y una comunidad eclesiástica sexualmente saludables? ¿Qué podría pasar si influyéramos en las instituciones de educación superior para enseñar sexualidad?Iintimidad y seguridad a los futuros pastores de nuestras iglesias? ¿Podrían haber cambiado los resultados para las víctimas del abuso del clero durante nuestra vida? Ofrezco dibujos animados que he creado de “The Awesome Family Workshop” a los niños del mundo sin costo alguno. Los temas de las caricaturas son paralelos a este trabajo con la intimidad con Dios, la seguridad sexual, la prevención de daños, la oración como conexión con Dios, la higiene, el control de la ansiedad y más. Mi oración es que usted se complazca en este trabajo dando el “panorama general” a su familia y la comunidad de su iglesia. Con suerte, te encantará esto tanto como a mí.
Datos
La Biblia presenta 170 términos únicos de intimidad, salud sexual y seguridad. 149 palabras no repetidas aparecen en el Antiguo Testamento y 21 términos distintos aparecen en el Nuevo Testamento. La alta frecuencia coloca la intimidad sexual, la salud y la seguridad sexuales en el mismo nivel que ideas como “salvación”, “expiación” y el “Espíritu Santo”. La NIV usa la palabra raíz para Jesús, salvación, 116 veces y expiación 107 veces tanto en el Antiguo como en el Nuevo Testamento. (Strong, H3444, H3727) La frase Espíritu Santo aparece solo 94 veces en la Biblia. (Fuerte, H6944 y H7307)
Las 170 conversaciones sobre intimidad, salud sexual y seguridad ocurren más veces que los temas centrales de “salvación”, “expiación” o “Espíritu Santo” en la Biblia. La palabra predestinación aparece seis veces en el Nuevo Testamento y elección 22 veces. (Strong, HG4309 y G1588. Los términos de salud sexual ocurren un 83,5 % más a menudo que las palabras de predestinación y elección. ¿Es posible que se haya producido un desequilibrio durante cientos de años? ¿Ha contribuido esta desproporción al declive de las instituciones religiosas, la membresía y la seguridad sexual de ¿sus niños?
Problemas de traducción
Durante el estudio de los términos bíblicos sobre intimidad sexual, se han descubierto numerosas ediciones de traductores. Muchos de estos errores pueden haber descarriado a los lectores desprevenidos de la Biblia durante generaciones. Algunas ediciones alteraron las instantáneas de Noé y el Diluvio, Sodoma, Onán y el control de la natalidad, los mandatos del mismo sexo y la condena de las víctimas del tráfico sexual. Los resultados de estas ediciones muy bien pueden haber contribuido a una vergüenza indebida para nuestras familias. Demostraré cómo estos errores de los traductores contribuyeron a la mutilación genital y la pena capital de las personas basadas en la fe. Cuando se desempaquen estas ediciones, creo que verá que muchas posiciones políticas religiosas no pueden justificarse bíblicamente ni por la vida de Cristo. ¿Podemos permitir que la vida de Jesús y las Escrituras demuestren nuestra pasión por la salud y seguridad sexual de nuestros hijos, no la política religiosa? En todo momento las elecciones son tuyas y yo procuraré no moralizar.
A continuación, se enumeran los 170 términos de intimidad y seguridad sexual de la Biblia para su reflexión. Las palabras se agrupan según la Ley o Torá, los Profetas, los Escritos, los Evangelios con Hechos, Pablo, las Epístolas Generales y Apocalipsis. Los 170 términos se dan tal como aparecen por primera vez en las Escrituras. El tratamiento completo de estas palabras y el número de veces que aparecen aparecen en el comentario. Esta lista es para su revisión inicial para que pueda ver el rango o espectro de términos de seguridad e intimidad sexual.

Génesis 

Salud Sexual Términos Positivos

Fructifica y crece, pah-RAH rah-BAH (Génesis 1:22) Strong, H6509 y H7235

Intimidad sexual, yah-DAH (Génesis 4:1) Strong, H3045

Pacto, buh-REETH (Génesis 6:18) Strong, H1285

Coito genital, kah-RAV (Génesis 20:4) Strong, H7126

Juego previo, yih-TSACH (Génesis 26:8) Strong, H6711

Beso, nah-SHAWK (Génesis 27:26) Strong, H5401

Control de la natalidad, coitus interruptus, shah-CHAWT (Génesis 38:9) Strong, H7843

Eunuco/Rasgos intersexuales, sah-REECE (Génesis 37:36) Strong, H5631

Términos reproductivos y ginecológicos

Carne, bah-SAR (Génesis 2:21) Strong, H1320

Desnudo, ah-ROMA (Génesis 2:25) Strong H6174

Semilla, Vástago, Semen, zeh-RAH (Génesis 3:15) Strong, H2233

Parto, heh-ray-YOWN (Génesis 3:16) Strong, H2032

Dar a luz, dirigido por YEH (Génesis 3:16) Strong, H3045

Concebir, hah-RAH (Génesis 4:1) Strong, H2029

Circuncisión, nah-MAHL (Génesis 17:11) Strong, H5243

Prepucio, ahr-LAH (Génesis 17:11) Strong, H6190

Menstruación: El Camino de la Mujer, DEH-rek nah-SHEEM (Génesis 31:35) Strong, H1870 y H802

Términos de sexualidad poco saludables

Disminución de la seguridad sexual, chah-LEY (Génesis 6:1) Strong, H2490

Nihilismo Sexual, Maldad, RA (Génesis 6:5) Strong, H7451

Infecciones de transmisión sexual, neh-GAH (Génesis 12:17) Strong, H5061

Sodoma, (Génesis 13:13) Strong, H5467

Relaciones sexuales coercitivas, shah-CAWV (Génesis 19:32) Strong,

Tráfico sexual sagrado, zah-NAH (Génesis 34:31) Strong, H2181

Relaciones sexuales coercitivas, BO (Génesis 38:9) Strong, H935

25 totales

Exodo

Términos positivos de salud sexual

Neutralidad sexual, nah-GAWSH (Éxodo 19:15) Strong, H5066

Términos reproductivos y ginecológicos

Parteras, dirigidas por YEH (Éxodo 1:15) Strong, H3205

Esposo, chah-THAWN (Éxodo 4:24-26) Strong, H2860

Nacimiento prematuro, yah-TSAH (Éxodo 21:22) Strong, H3318

Términos de sexualidad poco saludables

Adulterio, nah-AWF (Éxodo 20:14) Strong, H5003

Deseo sexual con malicia, jah-MAWD (Éxodo 20:17) Strong, H2530

Seducir, pah-THAW (Éxodo 22:16) Strong, H6601

Aborto o Aborto, shah-KAWL (Éxodo 23:26) Strong, H7921

8 totales

Levíticio

Términos reproductivos y ginecológicos

Eyaculación, shah-KAWV zeh-RAH (Levítico 15:16) Strong, H7902

Términos de sexualidad poco saludables

Incesto, gah-LAH ahr-VAH (Levítico 18:6) Strong, H1540 y H6172

Sexo con animales, rah-BAGH (Levítico 18:22-23) Strong, H7250

Tráfico de niños en el comercio sexual, zah-NAH (Levítico 19:29) Strong, H2181

4 totales

Números y Deuteronomio

Términos de salud sexual

Enamórate, chah-SHAWK (Deuteronomio 21:11) Strong, H2836

Términos reproductivos y ginecológicos

Aborto, Caída del muslo, yah-RAWK nah-PHAWL (Números 5:22) Strong, H3409 y H5307

Emisión nocturna, lai-LAH kah-REH (Deuteronomio 23:10-11) Strong, H3915 y H7137

Genitales Masculinos, Partes Privadas, muh-buh-SHEEM (Deuteronomio 25:11) Strong, H4016

Membrana de placenta, shil-YAH, (Deuteronomio 28:57) Strong, H7988

Términos de sexualidad poco saludables

Incesto, descubre la falda, gah-LAH kah-NAPH (Deuteronomio 22:30) Strong, H1540

  y H3671

Hombre o mujer con tráfico sexual, kah-DEISH (Deuteronomio 23:17) Strong, H6945

y H6948

Ingresos por tráfico sexual, meh-CHERE (Deuteronomio 23:18) Strong, H4242

Hombre traficado sexualmente, perro, kah-LEIV (Deuteronomio 23:17-18) Strong, H3611

Violación, shah-GAWL (Deuteronomio 28:30) Strong, H7693

10 totales

47 Torá Total o Pentateuco

Antiguos profetas

Término positivo de salud sexual

Enamórate, ah-HAWV (2 Samuel 13:1) Strong, H157

Términos reproductivos y ginecológicos

Infertilidad o cierre del útero, sah-GAR REH-chem (1 Samuel 1:5) Strong, H5462 y H7358

Dolores de parto TSEER (1 Samuel 4:19) Strong, H6735

Ciclo Mensual, tom-AH (2 Samuel 11:4) Strong, H2932

Términos de sexualidad poco saludables

Violación, ah-NAH shah-KAWV (2 Samuel 13:14) Strong, H6031 y H7901

Ídolo, teh-rah-PHEEM (1 Samuel 19:13) Strong, H8655

Ídolos fundidos, mah-seh-KAH (2 Reyes 17:16) Strong, H4551

Mal a los ojos del Señor, RA (2 Reyes 17:17) Strong, H7451

8 totales

Nombres y ubicaciones para el tráfico sexual sagrado

Efod, (Jueces 8:27) Strong H646

Cananeos, (Josué 7:9) Strong, H3669

Balaam, (Josué 24:9-10) Strong, H1109

Baales, bah-AWL (Jueces 2:11) Strong, H1168

Astoret, (Jueces 2:13) Strong, H6252

Asherah Pole, (Jueces 6:26) Strong, H842

Deidades de Aram (Jueces 10:6) (Strong, H758), Sidón (Strong, H6721), Moab (Strong, 

H4124) 

Amón (Strong, H5983), Filisteos (Strong, H6430)

Dagón, (Jueces 16:23) Strong, H1712

Quemos, (1 Reyes 11:7) Strong, H3645

Molek, (1 Reyes 11:7) Strong, H4432

Baal-Zebub, (2 Reyes 1:3) Strong, H1176

Lugares elevados para el tráfico sexual, bah-MAH (2 Reyes 12:3) Strong, H1116

Ídolos fundidos, mah-seh-KAH (2 Reyes 17:16) Strong, H4551

17 totales

Profetas mayores

Términos positivos de salud sexual

Genitales, REH-gehl (Isaías 6:2) Strong, H7272

Amante, rayo-AH (Jeremías 3:1) Strong, H7453

Amantes, ah-GAWV (Jeremías 4:30) Strong, H5689

Pareja sexualmente madura, DODE (Ezequiel 16:8) Strong, H1730

Compromiso, Propagación (pah-RAWSH) Rincón de Garment (kah-NAWF) Sobre, pah- 

RAWSH kah-NAWF (Ezequiel 16:8) Strong, H6566, H3671

Cubrir (kah-SAH) Desnudez (ehr-VAH), kah-SAH ehr-VAH  Un acto de compasión contrastado con “descubrir la desnudez” que es un acto incestuoso (Ezequiel 16:8) Strong, H3680, H6172

Unificación/Intimidad, kah-PHAR (Ezequiel 16:20-63) Strong, H3722

El placer de la relación íntima, ah-RAWV (Ezequiel 16:37) Strong, H6149

Términos reproductivos y ginecológicos

Virgen, ahl-MAH (Isaías 7:14) Strong, H5959

Paño menstrual, dah-WHEY (Isaías 30:22) Strong, H1739

Traído al nacimiento, ESCUELA (Isaías 45:10) Strong, H2342

Grandes (gah-DAWL) Genitales (bah-SAR), (Ezequiel 16:26) Strongs, H1432, H1320

Cordón umbilical, ORILLA (Ezequiel 16:4) Strong, H8270

Ciclo Mensual, nee-DAH (Ezequiel 18:5-6) Strong, H5079

Respiración pesada, ah-GAWV (Ezequiel 23:5) Strong, H157

Eyacular, zeer-MAH (Ezequiel 23:20) Strong, H2231

Pezones, DAWD (Ezequiel 23:21) Strong, H1717

Pechos, SHAWD (Ezequiel 23:21) Strong, H7699

Cuerpos desnudos, YAWD Strong, H3027

Términos de sexualidad poco saludables

Desnudez Expuesta, ehr-VAH gah-LAH (Isaías 47:3) Strong, H6172; H1540

Ídolos, eh-LEEL, (Isaías 2:8) Strong, H457

Ídolos, PEH-vender (Isaías 10:10) Strong, H6456

Arde con Lujuria, chah-MAWM, (Isaías 57:5) Strong, H2552

Inmoralidad, COLE zah-NOOT (Jeremías 3:9) Strong, H6963 y H2184

Casas (por-ITH) para tráfico sexual zah-NAH (Jeremías 5:7-8) Strong, H1004 y

H2181

Lusty Stallions, ZOON sue-SEEM (Jeremías 5:8) Strong, H2109 y H5483

Levanta tus faldas, chah-SAWF SHOOL (Jeremías 13:26) Strong, H2834 y

H7757

Comportamientos sexuales no saludables, toe-eh-VAH (Ezequiel 14:6) Strong, H8441

Piernas abiertas (pah-SHAWK) (REH-gel) (Ezequiel 16:25) Strong, H6589, H7272

Aumento (rah-BAH) Promiscuidad (zah-NAH) (Ezequiel 16:26) Strong, H7235,

H8457

Pago por Comercio Sexual Sagrado, eth-NAWN (Ezequiel 16:31) Strong, H868

Exponer (gah-LAH) tu cuerpo desnudo (er-VAH) (Ezequiel 16:32) Strong, H6172, H1540

Lascivia o Crímenes Altos, zee-MAH (Ezequiel 16:43) Strong, H2154

Nombres y lugares para el tráfico sexual sagrado

High Hill, gah-bow-AH geeb-AH (Ezequiel 6:13) Strong, H7311 y H1389

Árboles que se extienden, rah-ah-NAWN ATES (Ezequiel 6:13) Strong, H7488 y H6086

Ídolos, tse-LEM (Ezequiel 7:20) Strong, H6754

Valle de Ben Hinom, (Jeremías 7:31) Strong, H1121 y H2011

Ídolos e idolatría, ghih-LOOL (Ezequiel 14:3) Strong, H1544

Cananeos (Ezequiel 16:1-3)

Altas Santuarios, rah-MAH (Ezequiel 18:6) Strong, H7413

Santuarios Donde Se Practica El Sagrado Comercio Sexual, (Ezequiel 18:6) HAR Strong,

H2022

Grecia, Tubal, Meshek, regiones de tráfico sexual (Ezequiel 27:13)

Ohalah y Oholibah, hermanas que trafican en el comercio sexual sagrado, Strong, H170

y H172

46 totales

Los profetas menores

Términos positivos de salud sexual

Recuperar la sexualidad malsana, kah-SAH ehr-VAH (Oseas 2:9) H3680, H6172

Encanto, pah-THACH, (Oseas 2:14) Strong, H6601

Términos de sexualidad poco saludables

Adulterio entre los senos, nah-AWF SHAWD (Oseas 2:2) Strong, H5005,

H7699

Exponer lascivia, nah-beh-LOOTH (Oseas 2:10) Strong, H5040

Espíritu de tráfico sexual, roo-AUCH zah-NAH (Oseas 4:11) Strong, H7307, H2181

Abuso sexual, ya-LEY (Amós 2:7) Strong, H3212

Levante las faldas sobre la cara, gah-LAH SHOOL (Nahum 3:5) Strong, H1540, H7757

Nombres y lugares para el tráfico sexual sagrado

Ídolo de madera o árbol, EITZ, (Oseas 4:12) Strong, H6086

Cima de las montañas, ROWSH HAR (Oseas 4:13) Strong, H7218, H2022

Roble, ah-PRÉSTAMO (Oseas 4:13) Strong, H437

Álamo, lib-NEY (Oseas 4:13) Strong, H3839

Terebinto, eh-LAH (Oseas 4:13) Strong, H424

Ídolos, ah-TSAWV (Oseas 4:17) Strong, H6087

Ídolos, HEH-vell, (Jonás 2:8) Strong, H1892

Imágenes, ah-TSAV (Miqueas 1:7) Strong, H6091

Piedras Sagradas, mah-tseh-VAH (Miqueas 5:13) Strong, H4676

Sacerdotes idólatras, coe-MER (Sofonías 1:6) Strong, H3649

Molek, mahl-CAM (Sofonías 1:6) Strong, H445

18 totales

Los escritos

Términos positivos de salud sexual

Relaciones sexuales genitales, yah-CHAWM (Salmo 51:5) Strong, H3179

Contacto sexual, nah-GAH (Proverbios 6:25-29) Strong, H5060

Cama de los amantes, EH-resh (Proverbios 7:16-17) Strong, H7488

Excitación sexual, hah-MAH (Canción 5:4) Strong, H1993

Agradable, nah-AIM (Cnt. 7:6) Strong, H5276

Placer romántico, tah-ah-NOOG (Canción 7:6) Strong, H8588

Seducir, nah-TAH (Proverbios 7:21) Strong, H5186

Descubrir los Pies, gah-LAH REH-ghel (Rut 3:4) Strong, H1540 y H4772

Acuéstate a los pies, shah-KAWV REH-ghel (Rut 3:8) Strong, H7901 y H4772

Esquina extendida de la vestidura, pah-RAWSH kah-NAWF (Rut 3:9) Strong, H6566 y

H3671

Relaciones sexuales genitales, kah-RAH AWL (Job 31:10) Strong, H3766

Términos reproductivos y ginecológicos

Dolores de parto, HEY-vel (Job 39:3) Strong, H2256

Términos de sexualidad poco saludables

Otros dioses, ah-chah-REEM ei-loe-HEEM (2 Crónicas 34:25-27) Strong, H430 y

H312

13 totales

Antiguo Testamento 149 Términos Únicos de Salud Sexual

El nuevo Testamento

Los Evangelios y Los Hechos

Términos reproductivos y ginecológicos

Sangrado vaginal, hai-moh-REH-oh (Mateo 9:20) Strong, G131

Términos de sexualidad poco saludables

Abuso, on-ei-DI-dzo (Mateo 5:11) Strong, G3679

Abominable, ba-DE-loogma (Mateo 24:15) Strong, G946

Ídolos, EYE-doe-lawn (Hechos 7:41) Strong, G1497

Lascivia, ah-VENDER-gay-ah (Marcos 7:22) Strong, G766

Zeus, (Hechos 14:12) Strong, G2203

Hermes, (Hechos 14:12) Strong, G2060

Artemisa, (Hechos 19:24) Strong, G735

8 totales

Pablo

Términos positivos de salud sexual

Relaciones sexuales naturales: phu-sih-KOS CHREI-sis (Romanos 1:26) Strong, G5446

y G5540

Intimidad de las relaciones sexuales: geh-NAY-entonces (Romanos 7:3) Strong, G1096

Relaciones sexuales, KOI-tay (Romanos 13:13) Strong, G2845

Intimidad sexual, kah-LA-oh, (1 Corintios 6:16) Strong, G2853

Términos de sexualidad poco saludables

(Posible) Violencia sexual contra niños: AH-lluvia (Romanos 1:27) Strong, G730

Vergonzoso, ah-sche-mah-SUE-no (Romanos 1:27) Strong, G808

Contaminar, ma-LEW-no (1 Corintios 8:7) Strong, G3435

Suciedad del tráfico sexual, a-KA-thar-tos (Efesios 5:5) Strong, G169

8 totales

Epístolas generales

Términos positivos de salud sexual

Nuevo Nacimiento, ah-na-gen-NAH-oh (1 Pedro 1:3) Strong, G313

Términos de sexualidad poco saludables

Tráfico sexual enfático, ek-par-NUEVO-oh (Judas 1:7)

Strong, G1608

Otra carne, HEH-tew-ross SARKS (Judas 1:7) Strong, G2087 y G4561

Imagen de violencia sexual-Afrodita, eh-paw-FRIH-dzoh (Judas 1:13) Strong, 

G1890 (posible)

4 totales

Revelación

Adulterio por tráfico sexual, par-NAY-ah (Apocalipsis 17:4) Strong, G4204

1 totales

Términos totales del Antiguo Testamento: 149

Total de términos del Nuevo Testamento: 21

Total de términos de salud sexual en la Biblia: 170

Genesis Sexual Health Positive Terms

Be Fruitful and Increase, pah-RAH rah-BAH (Genesis 1:22) Strong, H6509 and H7235

Sexual Intimacy, yah-DAH (Genesis 4:1) Strong, H3045

Covenant, buh-REETH (Genesis 6:18) Strong, H1285

Foreplay, yih-TSACH (Genesis 26:8) Strong, H6711

Birth Control, shah-CHAWT (Genesis 38:9) Strong, H7843

Eunuch/Intersexual Traits, sah-REECE (Genesis 37:36) Strong, H5631

Reproductive and Anatomical Terms

Flesh, bah-SAR (Genesis 2:21) Strong, H1320

Naked, ah-ROME (Genesis 2:25) Strong H6174

Conceive, hah-RAH (Genesis 4:1) Strong, H2029

Give Birth To, YEH-led (Genesis 4:1) Strong, H3045

Circumcision, nah-MAHL (Genesis 17:11) Strong, H5243

Foreskin, ahr-LAH (Genesis 17:11) Strong, H6190

Menstruation: The Way of Women, DEH-rek nah-SHEEM (Genesis 31:35) Strong, H1870 and H802

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Decline of Sexual Safety, chah-LAWL (Genesis 6:1) Strong, H2490

Sexual Nihilism, Evil, RA (Genesis 6:5) Strong, H7451

Sexually Transmitted Infections, neh-GAH  (Genesis 12:17) Strong, H5061

Sodom, (Genesis 13:13) Strong, H5467

Sacred Sex Trafficking, zah-NAH (Genesis 34:31) Strong, H2181

Coercive Sexual Intercourse, BO (Genesis 38:9) Strong, H935

The sexual health-positive big picture takes shape in Genesis 1-2.  Unhealthy sexuality does not exist within these chapters. All vocabulary and images paint a positive view of human sexuality.  The teaching learning of little children begins with divine mandate for the earth to “bring forth” (Genesis 1:11). Then, the command directs at all of creation with  “be fruitful and increase” appearing seven times in the book of Genesis (Genesis 1:22, 28; 8:17; 9:1,7; 17:20; 35:11). Seven often appears as a perfect or complete number in ancient culture reflecting spiritual wholeness.  One can see the explanation of Hebrew numbers and specifically “seven” in the Biblical literary device section of Part Three.  The sexual health phrase “be fruitful and increase” affirms sexually reproducing animals, the families of  Adam and Eve, Noah, and finally the family of Abraham to Joseph. No negative images connect to the “be fruitful and increase” sexual health statements throughout the entire Bible.  Every intimate relationship God formed with humans in Genesis begins with this sexual health affirmation.  The reader may see connection between  spirituality and human sexuality. The blending of spiritual intimacy with physical sexuality forms an ongoing thread through this work.  

Within Genesis 1-5 the “be fruitful and increase” sexual health-positive phrase appears twice. Genesis 1:22 reveals the first pronouncement of God in the Bible  blessing the sexuality of the animal kingdom. The second blessing directs at humans “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28)  The first blessing for humankind emerges as a sexual health-positive mandate.  No unhealthy sexual images appear in Genesis 1-5 except for the sexual shame humankind experienced in the loss of intimacy with God.  The hiding of genitalia and distancing from God may foreshadow the loss of intimacy with decline to sexual abuse of Genesis 6-9.

One Flesh, Naked Without Shame, Give Birth To

Genesis two again illustrates specifics of intimacy with God and humans.  

Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.The man said,“This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.  Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. (Genesis 2:22-25)  

Children eventually ask caregivers, “Where do babies come from?” These Genesis sexual health-positive images craft a teaching-learning process based on the essential being of God rather than sexual performance. Before caregivers unpack the explanation of reproductive acts Genesis paints a kind picture of human sexuality showing spiritual connection with God, beauty, pleasure, compassion, balance, and reconciliation. Human sexuality seems safe from coercion or violence within these images.  Children may begin to build a belief system that sexual health is not only good, but safe. 

Two images teaching children about sexual shame form an inclusio in Genesis 1-3.  “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.  Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” (Genesis 2:25) In this piece sexual intercourse mirrors spiritual oneness between partners.  Human sexuality and the naked body bare no shame.  Piaget (1929) calls the development of a child’s brain, the schema.  Bowlby (1969) identifies this neurological growth as the attachment system.  According to Piaget between the ages of two to seven, a child’s value system shapes according to the nurture of caregivers. Bowlby (1969) takes this theory a step further demonstrating a child’s brain volume physically grows according to caregiver intimacy.  It seems reasonable that a child’s sexuality can form both structure and function on the intimacy of spirituality, beauty, compassion, balance, and healthy relationships. On the other hand it seems that shame and fear can also shape the sexual system of the brain in specific ways. If shame and fear shape the schema or attachment system of the brain, then sexuality may trigger fear based responses.  Genesis 1-5 may have potential to shape a child’s sexual health schema or attachment system with compassionate boundaries, reason, and social awareness.

When caregivers communicate to children the compassion of benevolent Creator formed sexual health, this wiring instantly sprouts new connections in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The PFC governs and regulates the entire system. When a child thinks about sexuality, the response based on this PFC wiring can be healthy, compassionate, and regulated.  If shame shapes a child’s brain so sexuality is feared, punished for, or repulsed from, then neural connections form from the fear or shame center of the brain. This can mean that if a child believes male genitalia is scamlin, or a shame limb, then she may have a completely different neurological experience than a child who views anatomy as most excellent creation in the image of omnibenevolent God.

  The snap shot bringing the sexual shame inclusio to an end focuses on the covering of shame (Genesis 3:21). Shameless sexuality appears in Genesis 1:28 beginning the snap shot and 3:21 ends the scene with the covering of shame.  The result of humans seeking equality with God is sexual shame. Reproductive science, the dopamine arousal system, adrenaline and hormone transfer, do not appear to change in the Fall. Perception of sexuality shifts. Instead of seeing genitalia as bearing the image of God humans assign shame to body parts.   In response, the first family covers genitalia with self made clothing hiding from the presence of God.  After awareness of and consequence for their sin, Creator gives humankind gifts of meaning making, pain, labor, and childbirth. Then the climax of the snap shot appears, The Maker tailors clothing, majestic royal garments, to cover shame. Following this immediate context the first mention of genital sexual intercourse in the Bible records. The word used to paint this first sexual health snap shot is YDA, genital sexual intercourse, the intimate knowing of body, mind, and spirit. 1:28 begins the snap shot with shameless sexuality and 3:21 ends the scene with the covering of shame and then intimacy of sexual health, YDA. Pope John Paul II wrote an excellent piece on the intimacy of God at Creation.

The Intimacy of Genital Sexual Intercourse

Genesis 4:1 introduces for the first time the sexual health term, genital  sexual intercourse, YDA, ידע, pronounced ya-DAH ( Strong, H3045). The word YDA, sexual intimacy, appears three times in the sexual health big picture of Genesis 1-5 (Genesis 4:1,17, 25).  Nine times the sexual health use of  YDA  appears in the Book of Genesis (Genesis 4:1,17, 25; 19:5, 8, 33, 35, 24:16, 38:26).  The range of usage includes: sexual intimacy between Adam and Eve of 4:1, 25, Cain’s intercourse with his wife in 4:17; the threat of gang rape of 19:5, the description of virginity 19:8 and 24:16,  the incestuous intercourse of Lot’s daughters in 19:33, 35, and as the narrator explains Judah ceased intercourse with his daughter-in-law, Tamar in 38:16.

YDA appears within the sexual health-positive big picture of Genesis 1-5 with neither prohibition nor negativity.  Chapter 19 may be the use  of YDA as a literary device called paradox 

(Giordano, 2017).  The Biblical Theology section explains the many uses of literary devices in the Bible.  Chapter 19 uses the word, YDA, sexual intercourse four times. The Genesis author may be contrasting the sexual health-positive term, YDA, of chapter 4 with unhealthy sexuality. Specifically chapter 19 uses YDA within the threatening assault of gang rapists. YDA, then describes Lot’s daughters intent on incest who dope their father, then sexually assault him on two occasions. So with the use of Biblical literary device,  chapter 19 may be communicating a paradox contrasting sexual health of Genesis 4 with sexual abuse. Finally chapter 36 reflects the use of YDA in a sex trade seduction scene of Judah with his daughter-in-law, Tamar. The word, YDA, as a sexual health term is used nine times in Genesis breaking down this way:

1. Sexual health: 5 x’s
2. Sexual abuse: 4 x’s

Another Biblical inclusio begins Genesis 5. Chapter one paints the image of God in creation. All flows from this benevolent act including sexuality. The entirety of creation reflects only good. Sexual health too is exceptionally good.  God blesses healthy sexuality as Creator intimately walks and talks with humanity.  In the same way Genesis 5 begins with the image of God in creating humankind. The writer details the record of families. In this piece Enoch walks with God as Adam and Eve walked in the garden.   The sexual health big picture syncs chapters 1 with 5 using precise themes and vocabulary bringing this section to conclusion. All images in the big picture of sexual health reflect intimacy with God and humankind. Even though humankind fails and falls, sexual health does not suffer sin’s effect until the pathogenesis or decline of intimacy in Genesis 6. The excellence of sexual health according to Genesis 1-5 is spiritual, beautiful, pleasurable, compassionate, brings balance, and reconciles relationship.

 Pathogenesis or Decline of Sexual Health

After the sexual health-positive big picture of Genesis 1-5, chapters 6-10 contrast sexual health with the decline of sexual safety.  This too may be a literary device of paradox highlighting the stark contrast of sexual health with sexual assault. The flood account of Noah and his family paints loss of intimacy between God and humankind. Spiritual distance from God parallels decline of sexual health.  Genesis 1-5 sets the sexual health-positive big picture and chapters 6-10 details the pathogenesis to the incestuous sexual assault of Noah’s wife by their biological son, Ham. The Flood snap shot pictured as an unhealthy sexuality teaching piece is new technology and may be counter intuitive for the reader. The teaching learning theory thus far looks like this: Genesis 1-5 teaches children the foundations of sexual health with kind positive images.  Genesis 6-11 teaches children about boundaries for sexual health. The decline of sexual health to abuse in chapter 6 shows the impact of loss of intimacy with God. This can be thought of as not only a boundary statement for children warning about coercive sexuality but also may teach children the origin of sin and sexual abuse.  Chapters 1-5 teaches foundational principles and chapters 6-11 frames boundaries preventing abuse specifically incest.

Pathogenesis or Decline From Intimacy with God-HLL, Coercive Sexuality

The decline of sexual safety, begins with the Hebrew word, HLL (Strong, H2490).  HLL, חָלַל, pronounced ha-LAL, means to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, to begin, to defile oneself sexually, to wound, to pierce. The majority of uses for the Hebrew word HLL connect to decline of intimacy with God.  HLL can mean “to begin”, but the majority use of the word appears as a term of the decline of intimacy with God. As a term of decline, HLL can mean profaning, defiling, polluting, desecrating, wounding, or unhealthy sexuality. HLL as a word signaling decline of sexual health adds clarity to the flood snap shot of Genesis 6-9. The Biblical Theology section treats all the sexual health uses of HLL in detail.

When human beings began (HLL) to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them,  the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.  Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.” (Genesis 6:1)

The passage does not make coherent sense without the translation of HLL as decline of sexual health.  Why would God lament the mortality of humans and exterminate the human race without cause? The reason for global judgement ? The decline to sexual abuse.

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. (Genesis 6:4)

This translation struggles. The term Nephilim, נְּפִלִים, pronounced nu-fil-EEM is the Hebrew word  meaning “to fall upon or attack” with alternate meanings of “ to bully” or “tyrant” (Strong, H5303). The Greek text uses the word, gigantes, γίγαντες, pronounced GEE-gan-tes. The gigantes were Greek mythological snake-footed giants born from the blood spatter among the castration gore of Uranus, the heaven deity (Mussies, 2021). The most ancient Greek origin stories cite Uranus’ wife Gaia as his incestuous mother. Hesiod states in the Theogony that Gaia the mother-wife of Uranus coerced Cronus to castrate her husband for imprisoning her children. Cronus ambushed his father, violently castrated him throwing the testicles into the sea. Aphrodite came forth from the bloody castrated genitals (Hesiod Theogony). Perhaps the Greek translators purposely used the back story of the gigantes? Could it be that Uranus’ incestuous relationship with Gaia and his bloody castration add depth to the Nephilim snap shot ending with the incest of Ham and his mother?  The term in Genesis 6:4 for sexual intercourse, BO, always means unhealthy sexuality in Genesis.  The word, heroes, too is unfortunate and can also mean, “warrior tyrants”. An Arabic equivalent for heroes, _{جَبَّارً} , means one who acts proudly, magnifies himself, or an audacious bold-tyrant (Strong, H1368). Men of renown may not have the flattering intention of the author, but rather may mean, “infamously bad reputation.”

The Book of Enoch is a non canonical ancient Near East text dating from 200 BCE to 100 AD which gives helpful insight into this pathogenesis text.  

And it came to pass that the children of men had multiplied in those days and were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters. And the angels, the children of heav- en, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: ‘Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children… ’ [They] took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go unto them and to defile themselves with them, and they taught tyrants… And there arose much godlessness, and they com- mitted fornication, and they were led astray, and became corrupt in all their ways (Enoch Book 6.1-2, Rogers, p. 24).

The NIV translation uses warm words like “going into”, “beautiful women”, “marriage to heroes of renown”. These terms seem to craft a romantic narrative perhaps?  Enoch sets the tone for a more accurate translation based on context and language study.  Enoch uses the words “lusted”, “defile”, “charms and enchantments” meaning perhaps the use of sorcery, “tyrants”, “godlessness”, “fornication”, and “corrupt”. These unhealthy sexuality descriptors are dramatically different than the NIV’s Hallmark movie rendition. Enoch’s translation connects to my proposed translation.

The following reflection is a possible translation based on Hebrew textual analysis and the ancient source of Enoch with the big picture of sexual health in Genesis.  The alternate Biblical theological translation appears without italics so the reader can compare the (NIV) text with the proposed translation. 

“When (unhealthy sexuality increased, HLL) among human beings on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and married any of them they chose.  Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not (fight) with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.  (Sexual predators coerced, BO unhealthy sexuality) the daughters of humans and impregnated them. They were the (infamous tyrants of history).” (Genesis 6:1-4) 

The reader can note that HLL, unhealthy sexuality, of verse one can connect to form an inclusio with verse four, “sexual predators coerced.”This proposed translation not only connects more closely to the version of Enoch but seems to make a coherent transition to the next section.

The Lord saw how great the (violent abuse, RA, רע) of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only (coercive, RA, רע) all the time.  The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.  So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the crea- tures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.”  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. (Genesis 6:5-8)

Sexual Nihilism, Evil

The cause for terminating the human race?  Loss of spiritual intimacy leading to sexual nihilism.  This sexual safety snap shot starting in Genesis 6:1-8 forms a thematic inclusio with the assault of Noah’s wife by her son Ham in Genesis 9:21-25. Sexual nihilism underlies the philosophy that sexuality has no values and nothing can be truthfully known or communicated. Nihilism connects with extreme pessimism and radical skepticism condemning existence. True nihilism trusts nothing, possesses neither loyalty nor purpose and anarchy is impulse. Nihilism associates with Friedrich Nietzsche who projected that nihilism’s destructive effects would undermine  moral, religious, and metaphysical convictions creating the greatest crisis in human history (Nietzsche, 2010). In the 20th and 21st centuries nihilistic value destruction and purposelessness preoccupy politics, arts, and sexual media.  By the beginning of the 21st century, existential despair transitioned to indifference, as seen in escalating suicide statistics across all age groups, school shootings without national policy, political insurrection, and multi trillion dollar indebtedness.  A sexual nihilist then may have no boundaries, no loyalties, no purpose, and present a “nothing matters” destructive pattern in sexual relationships  (Pratt, 2021). Global sexual nihilism with abuse seems to be a more just judgement for the flood sequence of Genesis 6-9.

The word for wickedness and evil, RA, רע in 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 sexual coercion and decline from intimacy with God.

Covenant Intimacy of Relationship, Safety and Incest Boundaries

Chapters 9 and 10 end with the inclusio of the Noah snap shot. Noah with his family survive the pathogenesis. The text reads, 

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil (RA, רע) from childhood (NAR, נער). And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. “God blessed Noah and his sons saying to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase, and fill the earth.’”  (Genesis 8:20)  

The Creator reconciles distance with humankind through the intimacy of forgiveness mirroring the reconciliation with the covering of sexual shame in Genesis 3:21. A sacrificial life exchanges for the pain of unhealthy sexuality.

The statement, “even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood”  may need clarity. The term childhood is the Hebrew word, NAR, נער, pronounced, NAH-ar (Strong, H5271).   This word appears 46 times in the Hebrew Old Testament for pubescent adolescents and once for little children in this passage.  The usage of NAR may not permit the translation to be “childhood” found only in this verse. Perhaps a more accurate translation could be, “sexually mature young adults” connecting to the introduction with the abuse of the tyrants. This statement “even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood” too forms an inclusio at the opening of chapter 6 with the decline of sexual health.   A more contextual translation may be, “even though every inclination of the human heart can be coercive from onset of puberty.”

The repetition of the “be fruitful and increase” sexual health phrase  of Genesis 8:20 mirrors the first blessing of God in Genesis for humans reconnecting to the big picture of sexual health. The word for covenant or intimate relationship, BRT, appears seven times in chapter 9. Seven is a perfect number in Hebrew numerology and the author may be emphasizing the point for God’s comprehensive compassion toward humans. The Creator once again takes responsibility for the distance of humankind with the intimacy of reconciliation.

Immediately after the “be fruitful and increase” sexual health reconciliation snap shot, the story picks up the sexual abuse theme from the introduction of chapter 6. This forms a succinct literary inclusio.  

The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth.

Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside.  But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their fa ther’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.

 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him,  he said,

“Cursed be Canaan!
    The lowest of slaves
    will he be to his brothers.”

He also said,

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem!
     May Canaan be the slave of Shem.

May God extend Japheth’s territory;
  may Japheth live in the tents of Shem,
    and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.”

After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 Noah lived a total of 950 years, and then he died. (Genesis 9:18-29)

So, the English translation reads that God eternally cursed Canaan because his father, Ham, saw his naked grandfather, Noah, blacked out from a binge-drinking bender.   A more accurate version leans on another Hebrew literary device called euphemism.  Jewish writers used words carefully, more comfortable speaking of bodily functions in terms of “covering the feet or watering the feet” instead of defecating or urinating. Today incest is a difficult topic not spoken of lightly. So it was with the Biblical writers. In Leviticus 18 laws prohibiting sexual intercourse between family members appear. Each time the word for incest occurs, a Hebrew euphemism softens the conversation perhaps protecting young ears. The words used for incest are “to uncover the nakedness of” beginning with Leviticus 18:6.  The literal translation of this Hebrew verse is “Oh man, oh man, do not come near to any of your blood relatives to uncover the nakedness, I am the Lord.”

The prohibitions which follow Leviticus 18:6 address uncovering the nakedness of or genital sexual intercourse with one’s mother, stepmother, sister, grand daughter, half sister, aunt, uncle’s wife, daughter in law, and sister in law.  Ham’s sexual assault of his biological mother seems to be a better explanation for the curse against the incestuous offspring, Canaan. The territory belonging to Canaan along with its inhabitants will be a source of pain and conflict for the family of Israel throughout the Old Testament. The negative undertone of the Land of Canaan may connect to the incestuous assault of Ham with his mother.

The Genesis 6-10 decline of sexual safety ends with a genealogy of Noah, the ark maker’s family. The Noah snap shot transitions with reconciliation and reconnection to the big picture of sexual health in chapters 1-5. Noah’s family is blessed by God. The Creator repeats the command for human beings to be “fruitful and increase” connecting with the opening passages of Genesis. Genesis 1-5 paints the picture of foundation for sexual health and Genesis 6-11 illustrates boundaries protecting children from abuse.  Now humankind has awareness of not only the intimacy of sexual health from Genesis 1-5, but clarity on the pathogenesis or decline to unhealthy sexuality of Genesis 6-11.  When humans move away from intimacy with God and one another, sexuality trends toward coercion, violence, and nihilism. When humans engage God intimately, sexual health appears spiritual, beautiful, pleasurable, compassionate, balanced, and reconciliatory.

The sexual health-positive big picture appears in Genesis 1–11. The Abraham snapshot also spans 11 chapters in Genesis 11–22. This eleven chapter organization appears purposeful. So far in Genesis, Chapters 1–5 articulate the sexual health-positive big picture followed by the contrasting unhealthy sexuality snapshot of Noah in Chapters 6–10. The balance of the Book of Genesis features the family of Abraham in Chapters 11–36 and Joseph in Chapters 37–50. This section discusses how the sexual health big picture threads through the sexual politics of the 4th century BCE with the topics of sexually transmitted infections, same-sex conversation, masturbation theology, birth control, the sacred sex trade, and perhaps intersexuality. 

The Abraham in Egypt snapshot shows the cause and effect of unhealthy sexuality and disease. Sodom with its violence has been the basis of religious and governmental legislation against homosexuality for thousands of years. The Onan account of Chapter 38 forms Jewish and Christian belief around masturbation and birth control. Tamar’s coercive seduction of her father-in-law Judah, touches on the sacred sex trade, and the Joseph with Potiphar snapshot of Chapter 39 perhaps reflects intersexual politics. Each of these concepts detail in the Biblical Theology, Neuroscience, and Clinical Sexology sections.

Genesis 11: Pathogenesis, HLL

Chapter 11 begins another snapshot of pathogenesis using the untranslatable Hebrew word HLL. This term in Genesis signals the decline of intimacy with God in the Noah account of 6:1, the incest snapshot of Ham in 9:20, the Tower of Babel in 11:6, the beginning of famine in 41:54, the crisis of stolen contraband in 44:12, and Reuben’s rape of the partner of his father, Jacob, in 49:4. The complete Biblical use of HLL aspathogenesis or decline of spirituality explains with fuller commentary in the Biblical Theology section. Humankind once again seeks to attain godhood in Chapter 11, as Adam and Eve attempted. The reader may note that the pathogenesis term HLL appears in Verse 6. HLL connects directly to the global lingua franca, or common language, as humans leverage a building project to obtain equality to God. 

They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun (HLL) to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth. (Genesis 11:1–9)

Humankind becomes more advanced in their attempt to be like God. Human research and development formulate the “brick with adhesive tar” industrial technology to replace stonework and mortar. With this new technology humankind attempts to coerce equal status with deity.

In modern terms, the Server (God) hacks human language networks with a malware virus firewalling humans from influencing social policy. The political propaganda machine cannot breach the hack. The project funding stalls, thus making the obsession to be like God unattainable. Mankind avoids another existential and global disaster due to the intervention of the Server (God).

Abraham and Sexually Transmitted Infection

The Abraham snapshot begins with sexual health images, reconnecting to big picture of Genesis 1–5. The be fruitful and increase imagery of Noah’s family appears, “After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran.” (Genesis 11:26) This piece connects the Noah snapshot to Abraham and his family. The snapshot transitions to Abraham, whose wife Sarah suffers from infertility. “The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai…. Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive.” (Genesis 11:29–30). The reader may note that the genealogy and the infertility pieces connect to the sexual health theme of Genesis 1–5. God speaks, directs, and blesses Abraham, similar to His actions with Adam and Eve. “The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you’” (Genesis 12:1–3). 

The blessing ranges from massive landholding with corresponding national presence,  to the existential affirmation of having a “great name.” The final piece touches on blessing the world through Abraham. The peoples of Israel and Islam reach back to this specific event to validate their racial and religious identity. The Abraham snapshot also fuels entitlement to political territory of Palestine. This chapter marks a key place in the history of civilization. 

An unhealthy sexuality snapshot is presented. The local economy suffers downturn. Anxious, Abraham moves his family south to recession resistant Egypt. Abraham feels the immediate threat of Egyptian sexual politics. He states to his wife, Sarah, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you” (Genesis 12:11–13). 

Abraham understood the sexual politics of Pharaoh. Egyptian royalty operated sovereignly, holding themselves as deities. Forcefully taking eligible child-bearing women for the royal harem was not unknown. One common thread in unhealthy sexuality snapshots is the consequences of infidelity, which may be a teaching illustration for children about sexually transmitted infections. The ancient Near Eastern explanation of sexually transmitted infections assigned divine punishment for sexual misconduct. Pharaoh takes Sarah as a sexual partner for his harem. The royal household immediately suffers disease, “But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharoah and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarah” (Genesis 12:17). Ancient Egyptian medical papyri describe numerous disorders, including sexually transmitted infections. The Kahun papyri of 1900 BCE lists impotence, irritated genitals, the labia being “ill”, prolapsed uterus, and venereal disease. Although ancient physicians did not comprehend the science of sexual transmitted infections, the Akkadians assessed that testicular abscesses originated from “being in bed with a woman” (Tannahil, p. 65). 

The Biblical writer charges God as the source of the disease because Pharaoh took Sarah, a married woman, as bride. Ascribing natural consequences to God is a frequent literary device called a causation idiom. Humankind in the ancient Near East interpreted all disasters and disease as originating from deities. Literary devices receive full treatment in the Biblical Theology section. After perhaps suffering a sexually transmitted infection, Pharaoh releases Sarah, and Abraham returns to his homeland richer. Abraham uses this method of self-preservation again, resulting in sexual disease of another royal, King Abimelek, in Genesis 20:2.

Sodom 

Sodom has been a violent symbol of sexual assault for 3500 years. The goal of this work  allows the text to interpret itself without political bias. As the Sodom snapshot unfolds, several questions emerge. Is Sodom a case study in same-sex attraction? Are Sodomites violent homosexuals? What could be the author’s intent for the Sodom snapshot?

The text states, “The people of Sodom were very wicked (RA, רע ) and sinned against the Lord.” (Genesis 13:13) The reader can see that evil, RA, connects to a loss of intimacy with God, “The people…sinned against the Lord.” In context RA carries the weight of coercion. (Genesis 2:17, 6:5) RA has no other meaning at this point in the Hebrew manuscript other than coercion and sexual abuse. RA in Genesis within context of the entirety of the Bible can be found in the Biblical Theological section and Appendix A.

After leaving Egypt, Abraham resettles where he earlier built an altar and “called upon the name of the Lord.” Spirituality forms the primary piece of intimacy between God and humanity. Abraham makes sacrifices at the altar and calls upon the name or character of God (Genesis 13:4). 

“The Lord said to Abram after Lot had departed from him, ‘Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land you see I will give you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land for I am giving it to you’ …There he built an altar to the Lord.” (Genesis 13:14–18) 

This section forms an inclusio beginning and ending with Abraham spiritually connecting to God with worship. Once again, intimacy with God and sexual health form the central theme of relationship with humankind. 

Covenant: BRT

Sexual health in Genesis connects to a greater picture of intimacy with God. Before sexual intercourse takes place in 4:1, Genesis paints the picture of spiritual connection with God in beauty, pleasure, compassionate presence, regulation of anxiety, and relational integrity. Chapter 15 details intimacy between God and Abraham called the covenant, BRT. Abraham states, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless” (Genesis 15:2). Abraham’s plea to God forms around the aging patriarch’s concern for sexual health. God responds by walking outside with Abraham to reflect on the night sky saying, “Look up at the sky and count the stars-if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be” (Genesis 15:5–6). The spiritual intimacy word covenant, BRT, reappears with detail. 

So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates” (Genesis 15:9–18).

God directs Abraham to sacrifice five animals, cutting the carcasses in two except for the fowl and arranging the pieces in two opposing rows. The intimacy theme of God walking with and talking to humankind repeats. Abraham falls into a deep sleep, as in the creation story of Adam’s rib excision, and God ceremoniously walks between the animal sacrifices with Abraham stating, “To your descendants I give this land”. The word for covenant, BRT, means “to cut,” reflecting the dissection of the animals (Genesis 15:9–21). Complete detail on BRT can be found in the Biblical Theology section. God cuts a covenant with Abraham using a sacrificial rite mirroring relational intimacy between God and the first family in Genesis 3:21. The covenant, BRT, affirms that the parties now commit themselves to one another, and if either dishonors the agreement “may it be done to the offender, as was done to the animal sacrifices.” This act seems to reflect the seriousness and resilience of intimacy.

Genesis 16:1 begins with a sexual health statement, “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar.” Sarah then mandates to her husband, “‘The Lord has kept me from having children. Go sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.’ Abram agreed to what Sarai said” (Genesis 16:2).Ancient Near Eastern sexual health codes permitted plural wives. The Babylonian term for a secondary wife was ashshetu or esirtu, meaning “rival.” Jewish rabbis called the “rival” wife, sarot or “jealous associate.” Babylonian sexual health codes provided that if a woman was unable to have children she had the responsibility to find her husband a surrogate wife (Tannehil, p. 64). Abraham’s agreement to the Babylonian custom began a 3500-year history of jealous rivalry and violent conflict between the Jewish and Arabic peoples. 

All uses of the Hebrew word for genital sexual intercourse in these passages appear as, BO, בוא (BLB, Genesis 16:1–4, Strong, H935).  BO for sexual intercoursein Genesis only connects to unhealthy sexuality. The word for sexual intercourse as intimacy, YDA, which appeared in Genesis 1–5, does not occur. The coercive sexual intercourse that follows for Abraham and Hagar reflects the ancient Near Eastern culture of slavery. Foreign slaves had no right to consent to sex. The Code of Ḫammurabi assumed a male slave owner had sexual rights over female slaves (Paraclete Forum, 2021).

Sarah’s forced surrogacy of her slave Hagar does not go well. When Hagar reports she has conceived Abraham’s child, a painful rivalry builds between the first wife and the “jealous associate.” Sarah complains, Abraham backs his first wife, and Hagar flees the compound (Genesis 16:6).

God seeks Hagar. The Creator moves into relationship with broken humans once again. God connects Hagar to the sexual health big picture with the phrase, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count” (Genesis 16:10). Hagar’s son with Abraham is Ishmael, the father of the Arabic peoples, and he too is promised progeny too numerous to count. Hagar responds with the words, “‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’ That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi, it is still there between Kadesh and Bered” (Genesis 16:13–14). The place name, Beer Lahai Roi, means, “Well of the Living One seeing me” (BLB, Genesis 16:13–14). Intimacy between God and Hagar reconciles her surrogacy disaster. She becomes the mother of the Arabic peoples despite her coerced sexual trauma.

The Abraham snapshot appears at the center of the book of Genesis. Ancient authors often placed the climax of their story in the middle of their writings. The Abraham account appears centrally in Genesis, The Ten Commandments in Exodus Chapter 20 (of 40), The Song of Solomon’s climax in Chapters 4 and 5 (of eight), the promise of the new covenant in Jeremiah 30 (of 52), the redemption of Israel in Isaiah Chapter 35 (66), among numerous examples. 

The climactic theme of Genesis is not sexuality but rather intimacy between God and humankind, the covenant, BRT. The word for intimacy, BRT, appears 26 times in the Book of Genesis. Half of the instances of covenant, BRT, occur in Chapter 17 (BLB, Genesis 17). The BRT, the climax of the relationship between God and humans, sets in a literary device called repetition. The purpose of repeating words or phrases is to highlight a theme with emphasis. Genesis Chapters 1–2 repeats the creation snapshot, and Chapter 17 repeats the word covenant, BRT, 13 times. The sexual health big picture was passed on to children through stories in the oral tradition. Sexual health culture transmits from one generation to another through storytelling. Although word repetition may seem cumbersome to the reader, in oral poetry and storytelling a storyteller can use inflection and drama to communicate a truth. The emphasis of Chapter 17 may teach children about the centrality of intimacy with God called the covenant, BRT.

The first statement of this climax chapter of Genesis 17 is a sexual health reflection, “Abram was ninety nine years old.” God promises to give the geriatric patriarch and his 80-year-old infertile wife a baby whom they will conceive themselves.

Circumcision 

God appears to Abraham with the intimacy language of “walking” with Adam and Eve, Enoch, and Noah, “I am God almighty, walk before me faithfully and be blameless” (Genesis 3:8; 5:22; 6:9). The covenant language repeats the sexual health vocabulary, be “fruitful and increase,” connecting to the Genesis sexual health big picture. Next, God states that Abraham will receive the whole land of Canaan, which is the geographic area named for the cursed son of Ham in Chapter 9. The curse resulted from the incestuous encounter of Ham and his mother while Noah lay passed out nearby. Could it be that God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants forms part of His reconciling unhealthy sexuality from the Noah snapshot? Does a subtle theme emerge teaching children about sexual health? Enter genital circumcision as sign of covenant.

Covenant or intimate connection with God touches human sexuality literally. “This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you for generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you” (Genesis 17:10–11). Every newborn male, whether free or slave, on Day 8 was expected to be circumcised. Intimacy between God and humankind connects to sexuality once again.

Abraham fell on his face and laughed. Abraham was 99 and his wife Sarah was 90 (Genesis 17:1; 17). The Hebrew word for laugh forms the root word for the name Isaac, the promised son about whom God spoke (BLB, Genesis 17:17, Strong, H6711). Abraham named his soon to be born son Isaac, “He laughed”. 

An inclusio links the Sodom snapshot introduced in Chapter 13. The Sodom inclusio spans five chapters. The sexual health big picture of Genesis 1–5 and the pathogenesis, or decline of sexual health in Genesis 6–11 cover five chapters each, which appears to be an intentional organization around sexual health themes.

Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them” (Genesis 19:4).

Sodom’s citizens, who have a history of erotic violence, surround the house of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. The threatening crowd demands “to know,” YDA, ידע, to have genital sexual intercourse, with God’s messengers inside Lot’s home. Interesting to note the Hebrew manuscript differs from the English translation. The end of verse 4 in the Hebrew text stated, “All the people from that area.” The word for people or tribe, AM, עמ, pronounced awm, appears 1,836 times in the Old Testament for “people” both male and female. The word AM translates as men only twice in the Old Testament (Strong, H5971). Why did the translators leave this descriptive word out? Could it be sexual politics prompted translators to make the case that heterosexuals and women were not involved in the riot? One of the errors translators have historically made with these texts is the insertion of personal or institutional biases into the narrative. Instead of translation, scholars may have projected personal theology or politics into the story. The goal of this work is to resist insertion of such bias and permit the story to interpret itself with other texts as support. Is this an account of same-sex attraction of men? The text indicates that this mob likely includes heterosexuals and women. The fact that Lot would offer his daughters to the mob seems to indicate the presence of heterosexuals or at minimum bisexuals. The Hebrew text states that all the people, AM from that region, including women, assembled at Lot’s house. The context of Genesis favors the idea of coercive violent sexuality as the “evil” of the men and women of Sodom.

There are dynamic pieces in this unhealthy sexuality snapshot. The intimidating crowd escalates into a violent, riotous rabble, who escalate from threats to attempted forced entry. Then Lot, under the stress of a homicidal throng, offers his two virgin daughters as a sacrificial offering. Lot, his intentions clear, states, “Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you and you can do what you like with them” (Genesis 19:8). Lot’s loss of compassion for his daughters may be an anxiety reaction to the threat of death. The role of anxiety reaction with the disabling of the prefrontal cortex may give clarity for Lot’s betrayal.  Anxiety reaction explains fully in the Neuroscience Section. The word for slept with is the word YDA which is the Hebrew word used in the sexual health big picture for the intimacy of genital sexual intercourse. YDA includes a sense of “knowing” fully through genital sexual intercourse. Perhaps this use of YDA can be best understood through the literary device of paradox. The violence of the masses and betrayal of trust by Lot toward his daughters paints a dramatic contrast with the intimacy of the sexual health big picture. The paradox continues when Lot uses the Hebrew word TOBE, טוב, as he addresses the crowd, “Do what you like (TOBE) with them.” This is the same term appearing in the sexual health big picture for the blessing of God for the goodness of human sexuality. Could this use be paradox? This snapshot takes a more tragic turn. In Genesis 19:14, Lot “went out and spoke to his sons in law who were pledged to marry his daughters.” The daughters he offered to the violent mob as sexual collateral were engaged to be married. The painful backstory points to the covenant of marriage that would bring Lot grandchildren. Lot undermined his own family and legacy under the threat of death. This incident transitions to the next piece of the narrative, offspring.

The Lot unhealthy sexuality snapshot does not end with the coercive violence of Sodom. Lot survives the murderous multitude. He flees with his daughters and takes refuge in a cave. 

“One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to give us children—as is the custom all over the earth. Let’s get our father to drink wine then sleep with him and preserve our family line through our father.” (Genesis 19:31–32)

 The daughters dope their father then sexually assault him on two successive nights. Lot’s blood alcohol content is so extreme “he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father” (Genesis 19:35–36).

The word for sleep with or have sexual intercourse with, in this snapshot is SCB, שכב, “lie down with.” All sexual-intercourse–related uses of SCB in the Book of Genesis connect to coercive incest, adultery, payment for sex, or rape.  SCB appearsin the Biblical Theology Section in context of all Old Testaments uses. Once again, the pathogenesis or decline of sexual health falls on coercive sex and incest, using language sensitive for children.

Abraham revisits the Egypt snapshot of passing Sarah off as his sister to avoid death. Chapter 20 is an unhealthy sexuality snapshot with Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelek, the regional royal of Gerar. The sexual politics of both Egypt and Gerar permitted sovereign kings to gather harems to ensure succession of leadership from one dedicated bloodline. The Egyptians practiced incestuous royal marriages, and perhaps the mutations and mortality of common DNA motivated them to “take” suitable child-bearing women as they wished.

Abraham pimps out his wife Sarah for the second time to save his life, as he did with Pharaoh in Genesis 12. Abraham again claims his wife is merely his relative and therefore an available sexual partner for the king’s harem. Abimelek and God have a conversation. God comes to Abimelek in a dream and says, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman” (Genesis 20:3). Egyptian marriage taboos did not permit adulterous affairs, and apparently neither did the sexual mores of Gerar. Abimelek responds, 

Lord will you destroy an innocent nation? Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and didn’t she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands.” God responds, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. (Genesis 20:4–6)

This smaller snapshot of the coercion of unhealthy sexuality ends with Abraham praying for Abimelek and his royal harem to recover from infertility. Again, the consequence of unhealthy sexuality does not appear to be an ambiguous moral transgression but disease.

The drama around the 100-year-old patriarch and his 90-year-old wife’s infertility climaxes with Chapter 20 when Sarah gives birth to Isaac, “He Laughs,” as God promised. The sexual health big picture connects. Geriatric conception and birth is not unheard of. In October 2019, Xinju Tian made global news when the 67 year old gave birth without IVF to a healthy female baby by cesarean section. She named the infant, Tianci, gift from heaven (Oldest.org, 2019).

When Isaac weans, Abraham throws a party. Sarah feels the threat of a competing heir and repeats her resentment of Hagar’s surrogacy. “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac. The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son” (Genesis 21:10). Sarah had grounds for concern. The Code of Hammurabi protected slave children with inheritance statues (Paraclete Forum, 2021). Abraham buckles to his wife’s complaint and permanently excommunicates Hagar and Ishmael.

The text states Abraham felt “distressed,” RA, רע (Strong, H7489), which term is also used for Adam and Eve’s loss of intimacy with God in Genesis 2:17, the sexual abuse by tyrants in Genesis 6:5, and the threat of violent sexual trauma of Sodom in Genesis 13:13. RA seems to connect the pain over Abraham’s part in the surrogacy disaster with Hagar. The consequence of Sarah’s conflict with Hagar results in Abraham’s loss of his son Ishmael, which may be the distress, RA Abraham felt.

Chapter 21 ends with two intimacy narratives. Hagar and Ishmael, exiled to the wilderness, find themselves betrayed, destitute, and dying. Hagar grieves the imminent death of her only child intensified by the rejection of his father. God speaks and opens Hagar’s eyes to an overlooked water source nearby. “God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer” (Genesis 21:20). Not only did Ishmael and his descendants become fruitful and increase as God promised, the Arabic people who call Ishmael father became excellent financiers in the global petroleum market. It seems wilderness exile in Arabia with trillion dollar oil reserves did not make a bad option after all.

The final intimacy piece reconciles Abraham and Abimelek, the royal whom Abraham deceived in the unhealthy sexuality snapshot of Genesis 20. Abraham and Abimelek disagree over water rights. Such matters often result in warfare. “So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek and the two men made a treaty” (BRT, covenant). Intimacy and sexual health connect to reconciliation, one of the seven forms of intimacy within the sexual health big picture of Genesis 1–5 (Volker, 2021). The final words in Chapter 21 are, “Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, where he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time” (Genesis 21:33–34). This is the first time the Bible uses this specific name for God, Eternal. Perhaps the birth of Isaac to a postmenopausal wife wired a sense of permanence and faith in the patriarch? Once again intimacy reconciles relationship.

Isaac: Conjugal Caresses, Foreplay

The Isaac and Jacob snapshots take shape in Chapters 24–36. The reader may note the organization of Genesis so far. Chapters 1–11 detail the sexual health big picture of Genesis and the decline of intimacy with God. Genesis 12–25 detail the Abraham snapshot, and 24–36 feature Isaac and Jacob. Each section comprises 11 chapters. The Book of Genesis thus far follows a logical organization around intimacy and sexual health using an 11 chapter scheme.

The Isaac snapshot reveals the guilt of one unhealthy sexuality event in his life. In Genesis 26:7 Isaac fears for his life as his father, Abraham. 

Now there was a famine in the land— besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar…. So Isaac stayed in Gerar. When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.”

When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.” (Genesis 26:2–9)

This snapshot may be a teaching piece showing families the impact of sexual health and children. Sexual health values of consent, boundaries, and intimacy form physical structures in the brain called neural pathways. When these pathways react in balanced healthy ways, they transmit neuro chemicals and healthy sexual behavior results. In the same way sexual health neural pathways react, so do unhealthy sexual behaviors. Isaac most likely heard the stories of his father, Abraham, and his unhealthy sexual behaviors in Egypt and Gerar. Under the threat of death, Abraham lied about Isaac’s mother, Sarah, claiming she was not his wife. This coercion insured in Abraham’s mind that the royals would not execute him and forcibly take Sarah into their harems. These unhealthy sexuality snapshots likely wired in Isaac’s memory. When Isaac experienced the same threat of death, the wiring learned from his father reacted, and Isaac repeated the same unhealthy sexual behavior. Isaac passed his wife off as a potential sexual partner for the men of Gerar. This phenomenon can be described as neurological permanence or traumatic repetition (Carnes, 2016; May, 1988). The body retains memory information and with the correct external stressor or trigger it can recall the thinking or sensations from the original event. So it was with Isaac; when threatened with death, he repeated the coercive trauma of his father pimping out his wife for self-preservation. 

Genesis 26:8 features another sexual health term. “When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.” The words “caressing his wife Rebekah” reflect colorful imagery. The word for caressing forms from the word for Isaac, “he laughs.” In the Hebrew verbal form called Piel, it can mean sporting, or joking over and over again with intensity. Brown Driver and Briggs Hebrew Lexicon defined this word as “conjugal caresses” (BLB, Genesis 28:6). Clearly, intimate sexual contact or foreplay is meant (Paraclete Forum, 2021). 

Jacob and Intimacy with God

The Jacob snapshot paints a dramatic picture of intimacy with God overcoming coercive character defects. The Hebrew name Jacob literally means a traitor who lifts his heel against his victim, anything that stalks, attacks, ambushes, or cheats from behind, insidious, deceitful, the painful consequences of a bribe, or the aftermath of shame (TWOT, pp. 691–692; BDB, pp. 784–785). Jacob is the younger of two fraternal twins. As his brother Esau is born, reaching out from the birth canal, Jacob grasps the heel of the elder twin. The foreshadowing of Jacob the manipulator sets for the rest of his life. 

The rap sheet for Jacob’s coercive acts is impressive. The deceiver Jacob takes advantage of Esau’s weakness to manipulate the elder brother into selling his valuable birthright. Jacob offers a bowl of stew in exchange for Esau’s inheritance. The famished Esau relinquishes his privileged inheritance, forfeiting both his family leadership and its judicial authority(Genesis 25:29–34). Jacob perpetuates the coercive behavior by cheating Esau again in a conspiracy with his mother, Rebekah. Mother and son perpetrate this deception to coerce a blessing from the blind and beguiled Isaac. Esau, now fooled twice, threatens to kill his fraternal twin, which makes a connection to Genesis 4:1–16 with the coercion of Cain’s premeditated murder of his brother, Abel. In the Jacob snapshot, the elder again conspires to murder the younger. 

The God of Genesis reflects a relentless resilience for intimacy with humankind. While Jacob seeks a wife, God speaks to Jacob in a dream. He 

had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” (Genesis 28:12–17)

Jacob makes a poignant statement, “I was unaware” (Genesis 28:16).Awareness is the word YDA, ידע intimacy, used also for sexual intimacy. Jacob’s coercive tactics emerged from a life without spiritual or relational intimacy with God or his family. This lack of intimacy may explain the callous treatment of his closest family members. Intimacy forms in the prefrontal cortex, which regulates fear, anger, and sexual neural pathways. Without intimacy activating in the prefrontal cortex, the system can dysregulate. Jacob assesses his coercive history accurately. He has no intimate connection or knowledge of God. The loss of intimacy with God forms the pathogenesis or decline of consciousness to unhealthy sexuality throughout the Book of Genesis. 

The tables turn on Jacob. The coercive mastermind experiences painful manipulation in return. Jacob’s father-in-law, Laban, victimizes Jacob in an unhealthy sexuality snapshot of betrayal. After promising Rachel in marriage, Laban switches daughters on the wedding night. In the morning, Jacob becomes profoundly aware of the coital coercion. Laban manipulates Jacob to serve nearly two decades in the family business. The deceiver, Jacob, gets schooled in coercive tactics by his father-in-law (Genesis 29:15–29). “Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years” (Genesis 29:23,30). The Hebrew word for made love is BO,בא, meaning “to come in to.” The word for sexual intimacy, YDA, is not used. Perhaps this has meaning? It appears Jacob, the intelligence behind numerous crimes against his own family, cannot escape the cycle of coercion, shame, and treachery.

During the 20-year stint of forced servitude to Laban, the Jacob snapshot revisits sexual health themes. Rachel, the infertile beloved bride, cannot conceive. Leah, the unwanted and unloved sister bride, cannot stop giving birth. Within 4 years, Leah delivers four sons. Rachel scores zero births. The game is on. 

When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?” Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her, and she became pregnant and bore him a son. Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.” Because of this she named him Dan. Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.” So she named him Naphtali. (Genesis 30:1–8)

Jacob apparently recalled the stories of how his grandfather Abraham used female slaves for reproductive services. He submits to Rachel’s plea to impregnate a surrogate slave. When Leah realizes she can no longer conceive, she repeats surrogacy with her own slave.

When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, “What good fortune!” So she named him Gad. Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher. (Genesis 30:9–13)

Once again, Jacob faces the coercive power of food. This time food with sex. Just as Jacob manipulated Esau with stew, Leah, the unwanted and unloved sister-wife, coerces Rachel. Leah challenges Rachel to compel Jacob to have intercourse with Leah using food. The rejected sister barters food for sex using the mandrake plant, an ancient aphrodisiac with hallucinogenic compounds. The progeny of Abraham repeats pimping of family members for sex and food. 

During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?” “Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.” So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night. God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar. Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah. (Genesis 30:14–21)

Part of the teaching theory of Genesis seems to connect to the results of unhealthy sexuality. Ham assaults his mother, and the incestuous offspring is Canaan. He receives a curse, possibly genetic mutations? The land of Canaan appears in the Old Testament as a continual threat to the people of Israel. Reuben, the harvester of sexual aphrodisiacs and hallucinogens sexually assaults his father’s concubine. In Jacob’s farewell blessing to his family, this abuse is remembered, and Reuben receives his just reward. Dinah, the offspring from coercive payment of food for sex, becomes a rape survivor. Sexual health and consequences of unhealthy sex threads throughout the characters of Genesis.

Menstruation: The Way of Women 

Sexual health education would not be complete without a conversation with children on menstruation. The Book of Genesis as sexuality educator does not disappoint. Jacob the deceiver abandons his abusive father-in-law, Laban, with stealth. As Jacob’s family gathers their belongings for the hasty exodus, Rachel steals the religious idols of her father, Laban, stashing them in her saddle bags. The enraged father pursues his lost icons and family. Spirituality and family bonds form humankind’s deepest attachment. In one day Laban loses daughters, grandchildren, and his idols. Laban reaches the caravan carrying his family. As the grieving father searches for his idols, Rachel secures her treachery by sitting on the saddle bags. When interrogated, Rachel claims she cannot get up from her position because she suffers from menstrual cramps. This excuse may form a dual purpose for children—teaching about idolatry and female reproductive function.

When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods. Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away. So he fled with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River, and headed for the hill country of Gilead. Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force. But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.”… Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel’s saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing. Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I’m having my period.” So he searched but could not find the household gods. (Genesis 31:19–35)

Jacob now faces a confrontation with his elder twin Esau, from whom the deceiver Jacob, manipulated both birthright and blessing. Esau threatened to kill his brother in retaliation for that coercion. On the way to encounter his bitter elder brother, Jacob sees God. Intimacy can be painfully transparent. 

Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. But you have said, “I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.” (Genesis 32:1–12)

Jacob the mastermind of deception prays with others in mind. He uses the words, kindness and faithfulness (Genesis 32:10). The Prophets use these very words to speak of a reconciling intimacy between God and the people of Israel. Jacob has not dealt with God on this level before. The imminent loss of family and his own life bring Jacob to a place of humility. No more coercion.

God sends a messenger to wrestle Jacob. The transformation from manipulator to intimate friend of God approaches. As the wrestling match lasts through the night, the MMA envoy taps out by dislocating Jacob’s hip and then by blessing Jacob. The reforming con man asks for a blessing and is given a new name. A name in the ancient Near East possessed the character and the potency of the named. The manipulator experiences a transformation of character. His new title reflects inner change, Israel, God Prevails. Jacob will not be known as the ambush brother and deceiver of family, but instead his locus of control, or inner drive, becomes the prevailing presence of God. This new name identifies the resilient people of modern day Israel and fulfillment of the sexual health big picture, “Be fruitful, increase, and fill the earth.”

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “What is your name?””Jacob,” he answered.

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.

So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon. (Genesis 32:24–32)

Jacob sees the face of God, the Hebrew word is Peniel. Humankind sees God, the Creator sees into humans, intimacy. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for consciousness, reason, social awareness, compassion and intimacy. Jacob, now Israel, will need this new transparency as he faces a lifetime enemy, his brother Esau, who was once intent on murdering Jacob. Intimacy forms part of the regulation system of the prefrontal cortex. Intimacy balances anger, fear, and sexual neural pathways. Israel is ready for the final aspect of intimacy with God, reconciliation. When Israel confronts his mortal enemy, the reformed con man is regulated, aware, and humble. 

Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.

Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.”

Then the female servants and their children approached and bowed down. Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down.

Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?”

“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,” he said.

But Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”

“No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.

Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.” (Genesis 33:1–12)

The transformation completes. Intimacy restores with reconciliation. Genesis 1–3 outlines seven kinds of intimacy (Volker, 2021). In order of appearance, intimacy in Genesis presents as spiritual, beautiful, pleasurable, compassionate, balanced, sexually healthy, and reconciles relationships. The Jacob–Israel snapshot ends with forgiveness, as does Genesis 1–3 when God reconciles the first family by covering their shame. Immediately following this reconciliation piece, the first act of genital sexual intercourse occurs in Genesis 4:1. The intimacy of reconciliation follows Cain’s murder of his brother, the covenant with Noah, the compassion of God for Hagar and Ishmael, the reconciliation of Abraham with Abimelek, and now Jacob-Israel with Esau. Reconciliation and amends form in the prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain regulates anger, fear, and sexual neural pathways. The premise of this work forms on the ability to regulate affect as Jacob did with Esau.

Children learn from caregivers how to calm themselves, called anxiety regulation. Little children can also mirror the dysregulation of anxiety from parents. The Dinah unhealthy sexuality snapshot shows how a family system can repeat traumatic thinking and behavior. Jacob now faces perhaps the most painful consequence for a father. Dinah, offspring of the Jacob and Leah mandrakes-for-sex bargain, is raped by Shechem. Although Jacob-Israel has experienced a major shift in character, the culture of deception he nurtured throughout his life influences his children. Dinah’s brothers retaliate by conspiring to annihilate the entire male population of Shechem in revenge for the rape. The sons of Jacob mirror the manipulation of Jacob and his wives, who coerced birthrights, blessings, religious rituals, and sex for food. 

Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us. We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males. Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We’ll settle among you and become one people with you. But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.” (Genesis 34:13–17)

The brothers use the religious ritual of circumcision to deceive Shechem and his community. Jacob’s sons negotiate with the rapist, Shechem, to circumcise the entire male population in return for their sister’s hand in marriage. While recovering from surgery, the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi slaughter and loot the unsuspecting circumcised villagers. 

Jacob reconciles with God and Esau. His family, however, repeats similar coercive behaviors. The final statement in the Dinah snapshot sets up educating children about the ritual abuse of the sacred sex trade with the word, ZNH, temple prostitute. But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?” (Genesis 34:31).

Jacob-Israel’s coercion days seem to be over. He has connected with God in meaningful ways and made amends with his twin brother, whom Jacob scammed both birthright and blessing from. Jacob-Israel connects with God intimately. Without directive, Jacob-Israel rids his family of idols with a focus on ritual purification, symbolizing depth of commitment and honor. 

Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”

So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.”So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.

After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel.

And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him.

Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel. (Genesis 35:1–15)

Jacob-Israel reflects an intimacy with God not seen before his MMA wrestling match in Genesis 32. He seems to possess a spiritual sensitivity for authenticity with God. He leads his family to purge idolatry from their community. Jacob-Israel buries the idols in Shechem, the symbol of unhealthy sexuality, betrayal, and treachery. God then speaks to Jacob-Israel, tying in the sexual health-positive big picture of Genesis 1–11. “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants” (Genesis 35:11).

This section closes with the genealogy of Esau, the cheated brother. The genealogies appear to be the literary device called inclusio, indicating the end of a snapshot. Although manipulated out of his birthright and blessing of the first born, Esau does well. God blesses Esau with children and financial security. A sexual health motif appears in this piece. Esau chose to marry within the Canaanite community. As the reader recalls, Canaan was the incestuous offspring of Ham and his mother in Genesis 9:22. Perhaps this lends some insight into the reason for Jacob-Israel’s ascent over his brother? 

Joseph:Masturbation Theology, Birth Control, The Sacred Sex Trade,

Intersexuality-Eunuchism, Regulation of Sexual Neural Pathways

The Joseph snapshot concludes the Book of Genesis. Chapters 37–50 feature the themes of masturbation theology, birth control, the sacred sex trade, intersexuality and the regulation of sexual arousal.

Joseph, the 11th son of a blended family, finds himself marred amidst the politics of jealous siblings. Joseph betrays the confidence of his brothers by ratting them out to their father with a, “bad, RA report.” The 10 half-blood siblings resent Joseph even more because their father rewards Joseph for the betrayal. Jacob gives Joseph a highly prized royal garment called a chitone immediately following the report on coercive behavior. This valuable apparel was used as a trading commodity in the ancient Near East. The chitone of Genesis 37 is the same word and perhaps type of royal apparel God tailored to cover the shame of Adam and Eve when they reconcile in Genesis 3:21. The blended family bitterness escalates when Joseph recounts disturbing dreams for his family. Joseph, clearly immature with brazen lack of humility, narrates a number of dreams predicting his family would one day submit to his authority.

Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. This is the account of Jacob’s family line. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe (chitone) for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”

His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.

Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. (Genesis 37:1–11)

Jealousy escalates to murderous hatred similar to Cain’s murder of Abel in Genesis 4. The 10 brothers tend herds near Shechem, where their sister Dinah was raped, and incarcerate Joseph in a prison pit. The place names of Canaan and Shechem paint unhealthy sexuality images and set the tone for the conspiracy to kill Joseph. The enraged brothers strip him of the extravagant chitone and soak the precious garment with animal blood. The crimson-drenched clothing strengthens their alibi claim of Joseph’s demise—death by apex predator. In lieu of murder, Joseph’s brothers sell him to Midian slave traders. The brothers score a financial victory in the sale and lessen their guilt of fratricide. The slave traders sell Joseph to Potiphar, a possible intersexual Egyptian military officer, called a eunuch, SARS, סרס.

Masturbation Theology and Birth Control

Before the Potiphar snapshot gains traction, the centerpiece of Jewish and Christian masturbation theology unfolds in Chapter 38. Judah, one of Joseph’s brothers, marries a bride with Canaanite history. Canaan is often an image of unhealthy sexuality and coercion. The vocabulary for sexual health and intimacy, YDA, does not appear. The Hebrew words for genital sexual intercourse in this piece are LQH, and BO,“he took her and went into her”  (BLB, Genesis 38:2; Strong H3947 and H935). These words may connect a sense of unhealthy sexuality to the snapshot. Judah’s marriage yields three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah. Onan is the principle player in Christian masturbation theology.

Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death.

Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.” But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also. (Genesis 38:8–10)

This unhealthy sexuality snapshot forms one of the most prolific misuses of Scripture over the last 3500 years. From this singular verse of the Bible Jewish and Christian theologies of masturbation developed, impacting the current era. The plain reading of the text states that the Lord killed Er for unspecified evil acts. The word for evil in the Book of Genesis up to this point means coercion or sexual abuse. The younger brother, Onan, refuses to impregnate his sister-in-law as tribal custom demands. Onan too commits acts of coercion and dies. The final scene in the snapshot shows Tamar coercing a pregnancy with her father-in-law, Judah. She poses as a sacred prostitute to seduce Judah unknowingly for sex. Religious writers from many faith traditions for over 2000 years have mistranslated this single line of Scripture into a theology negatively affecting sexual health education for billions of people. 

As laid out in Genesis 38, ancient Near Eastern sexual health codes permitted a surviving family member to marry a brother’s widow. This marriage practice, called a YBM, or Levirate marriage, has occurred in many cultures for thousands of years until the present. The purpose of this form of marriage was to bring financial stability for the widow with tribal protection (Oxford Biblical Studies Encyclopedia, 2021).

Deuteronomy 25:5–10 permits the brother of a man who dies childless to marry the widow in a Levirate marriage, which allows either party to refuse the union.

If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.

However, if a man does not want to marry his brother’s wife, she shall go to the elders at the town gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to carry on his brother’s name in Israel. He will not fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to me.” Then the elders of his town shall summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying, “I do not want to marry her,” his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face and say, “This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother’s family line.” That man’s line shall be known in Israel as The Family of the Unsandaled. (Deuteronomy 25:5–10)

Islamic Sharia Law too encourages similar consensual sexual health practices.

O you who have believed, it is not lawful for you to inherit women by compulsion. And do not make difficulties for them in order to take [back] part of what you gave them unless they commit a clear immorality. And live with them in kindness. For if you dislike them – perhaps you dislike a thing and Allah makes therein much good (al-Nisa 4:19, Sahih).

The purpose of the consensual Jewish YBM and similar Sharia Law marriage was to protect the widow and ensure provision and protection. Offspring created inheritance rights, status, and security. Both sexual health traditions required mutual consent for the marriage of the widow to the brother-in-law.

The Judah unhealthy sexuality snapshot paints a picture of coercive sex beginning with Er and Onan and continuing through Judah and Tamar. Er acts wickedly, RA, רע.The meaning of RA in the Book of Genesis up to this point is coercion or violent sexual abuse. The text clearly states that God kills Er for unnamed acts of coercion and perhaps abuse. The snapshot then describes Judah coercing Onan, his son, to have intercourse with Tamar to fulfill the YBM or Levirate marriage law. Onan does not consent to this marriage by Judah but practices coitus interruptus, withdrawing his penis from the vaginal barrel before ejaculation, when having intercourse with Tamar. He chooses not to conceive with Tamar and “spills his seed” at ejaculatory inevitability. The Hebrew words for “spills his seed” are SHT ZRH, שחת זרע. The word for seed or semen is, ZRH, זרע (Strong, H2233). SHT, שחת, appears 147 times in the Old Testament. All of the uses of this word carry the nuance of corruption or coercion (Strong, H7843). 

The intent of the Judah unhealthy sexuality snapshot may teach children about coercive nonconsensual sexuality. Er’s evil was unnamed acts of coercion. Judah manipulated Onan to marry and conceive with Tamar. Onan, too, according to the text bears guilt for coercive action. Based on the limits of the text, the coercion appears to be that Onan did not assume the responsibility of fulfilling the Levirate marriage law or YBM. 

What follows, however, appears to be thousands of years of personal bias and sexual politics attached to this one line of Biblical text. Religious writers assumed that Onan’s death sentence was for the evil of, “spilling the seed” or withdrawing the penis at ejaculatory inevitability. Church fathers, popes, Christian medical professionals, and Evangelical authors have connected Onan’s act with ejaculation of any kind, ascribing the death sentence for transmission of semen based on the misuse of a single line of Scripture called prooftexting. 

The final scene in the Judah unhealthy sexuality snapshot may teach children about the religious sacred sex trade of the ancient Near East (Genesis 38:13–30).

When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,” she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.”And what will you give me to sleep with you?” she asked.

“I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” he said.

“Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?” she asked.

He said, “What pledge should I give you?”

“Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes again…

About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.”

Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”

As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.”

Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not sleep with her again. (Genesis 38:13–30)

Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law, poses in cognito as a sacred sex trade worker to coerce him to impregnate her. Judah has intercourse with Tamar and she conceives. In a politically brilliant move Tamar requests his signet ring and staff as Judah arranges payment for sex. In modern terms perhaps one would say, she asked for his passport and vaccine record as security for payment. When Judah hears of her pregnancy, he orders her death sentence until Tamar produces Judah’s passport picture and proof of vaccination, the signet ring and staff. 

The sacred sex trade formed a strategic part of ancient Near Eastern culture and sexual health education for children. In the Sumerian era 1750 BCE religious institutions staffed priests, attendants, artists with sacred sex trade workers in places of worship. The purpose of the sex workers connected the believers with the deities through intercourse. The sacred sex workers provided a, “substantial part of the temple’s income” (Tannehill, 1980, p. 79). The sacred sex trade business provided great profit to religious institutions. One sex worker named Metiche, earned the name, Clepsydra, or stop watch, for timing the length of customer intercourse so she could streamline her clients for greater income (Tannehill, 1980, p. 100). A millenium after Hammurabi, Herodotus, the Greek historian, reported, 

Every woman who is a native of the country must once in her life go and sit in the temple and there give herself to a strange man….she is not allowed to go home until a man has thrown a silver coin into her lap and taken her outside to lie with him. …The woman has no privilege of choice-she must go with the first man who throws her the money. When she has lain with him, her duty to the goddess has been discharged and she may go home…. Tall handsome women soon manage to get home again but the ugly ones stay a long time before they can fulfill the condition which the law demands, some of them indeed as much as three or four years. (p. 80). 

Sacred sex workers classified in three groups. The harimtu, connected to the word harem, may have been a quasi secular sex worker. The qadishtu, a sacred sex worker, reflects the Greek narrative of Herodotus. The ishtaritu were dedicated sex workers for the goddess Ishtar (Tannehill, 1980, p. 80). A Babylonian father wrote to advise his son, “Never take a harimtu to wife, her husbands are beyond counting; nor an Istaritu, she is reserved for the gods” (Tannehill, 1980,  p. 80). 

According to Tannehill (1980) caregivers may have coerced their children into the sacred sex trade. The sex trade offered a less expensive way to transition a female child into adulthood rather than paying a dowry. The harimtu appear to have been married women who left their husbands and had no other recourse than the sex trade. The higher earning sex trade workers operated within the temple complex itself perhaps because of the volume of customers and income potential. The under earners focused on locations outside the temple where potential customers gathered, typically, the local bar. This class of sex workers operated on the “streets, crossroads, and public places” (Tannehill, 1980, p. 80). The sacred sex trade had strict regulations on publicity and marketing. Assyrian law insisted that, 

“A common harlot shall not veil herself (as other women do); her head shall be uncovered. Anyone who sees a common harlot veiled shall arrest her….They shall beat her fifty strokes with rods, and they shall pour pitch on her head” (Tannehill, 1980, p. 81). 

The sacred sex trade involved coercion. A concubine did not have the independence of a hetaira, nor legal protection of a wife, and if she displeased her master, she could be sold to a brothel (Tannehill, 1980, p. 104). The sacred sex trade offered survival to the sex trade worker, not choice. The placement of Chapter 38 in the Joseph snapshot seems awkward. On the other hand, perhaps this cameo on unhealthy sexuality contrasts with Joseph’s healthy response to Potiphar’s wife and her seduction attempts in the coming chapters?

The Joseph snapshot resumes with Chapter 39 and the term eunuch appears for the first time in the Bible. The bitter brothers sell Joseph into slavery to Ishmaelite investors. The reader may note that Ishmael is the surrogate son of Abraham and Sarah with Hagar the slave. The earlier drama of blended family betrayal and coercion finds some justice and perhaps humor with the descendants of Ishmael selling Joseph to an Egyptian executioner. Potiphar, an elite royal military captain, describes in two ways. He is the guardian, SAR,שר, of the Pharaoh and identified as a eunuch, SRS, סריס (BLB, Genesis 37:26). The reader may note that the words guardian, SAR,שר, and eunuch, SRS, סריס sound similar but have different spellings (Strong, H5631).

The Biblical text identifies Potiphar as a eunuch. Eunuchs have been employed by royalty for millennia to oversee their harems.  The eunuch was unable to impregnate consorts because of intersexual traits at birth or surgery to remove genitalia. Eunuchism includes those born with intersexual traits incapable of heterosexual intercourse. This section describes both eunuchism and intersexuality connecting them to the sexual health teachings of the Old and New Testaments. Clinicians use the term intersexual for variations in sexually reproducing organisms. Intersexual births feature characteristics between typical males and typical females. Intersexual genitals differ in numerous ways with wide diversity. Many intersexual traits never appear outwardly. Some variations present when the intersex child reaches puberty, and still others at adulthood. Again, some intersexual traits never appear physically (Fausto-Sterling, 2000).

Fausto-Sterling (2000) examined clinical intersex data from 1955 to 1999. She stated, “We surveyed the medical literature from 1955 to the present for studies of the frequency of deviation from the ideal male or female. We conclude that this frequency may be as high as 2% of live births” (pp. 151–166). Genetics governing growth and development cause most intersex variations. Hormones underlie the most frequent variations among the intersexual population. Sterling listed numerous intersex variations with their prevalence:

Not XX and not XY one in 1,666 births

Klinefelter (XXY) one in 1,000 births

Androgen insensitivity syndrome one in 13,000 births

Partial androgen insensitivity syndrome one in 130,000 births

Classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia one in 13,000 births

Late onset adrenal hyperplasia one in 66 individuals

Vaginal agenesis one in 6,000 births

Ovotestes one in 83,000 births

Idiopathic (no discernable medical cause) one in 110,000 births

Iatrogenic (caused by medical treatment, for instance progestin administered to pregnant mother) no estimate

5 alpha reductase deficiency no estimate

Mixed gonadal dysgenesis no estimate

Complete gonadal dysgenesis one in 150,000 births

Hypospadias (urethral opening in perineum or along penile shaft) one in 2,000 births

Hypospadias (urethral opening between corona and tip of glans penis) one in 770 births (pp. 151–166).

Numerous eunuch snapshots appear in both the Old and New Testament records. The Bible uses the terms SARS in Hebrew and eunuch in New Testament Greek (Strong, H5631, G2135).

Royalty concerned for DNA purity of heirs chose staff members incapable of reproduction to oversee harems. The SARS-eunuch lacked the ability for genital sexual intercourse with the king’s wives whether by intersexual traits or surgical castration. The SARS served as a nonthreatening caregiver ensuring royal blood lines with unbroken succession to the throne. 

The fifth century AD Etymologicon by Orion of Thebes cites an early definition for the SARS: guarding the bed and being deprived of male to female sexual intercourse.

The historian Lucian states two criteria for vetting a SARS: physical inspection of genitalia while examining the candidate during a sexual act with females. This vetting process proved the SARS posed no threat to infiltrate royal DNA (Sturz, p. 58).

The most expansive community representing eunuchism in the United States is the medically castrated population of 500,000 male prostate cancer patients incapable to procreate or engage in genital sexual intercourse. One study showed that this population lives 13.5 years longer than uncastrated males due to decrease in testosterone and decreased violence (Wille & Beier, 1989).

Many cultures record surgical castration to prevent sexual intercourse with royal consorts. Vietnamese eunuchism removed both testicles and penis of male staff members to ensure the progeny of the Emperor. The duties of Vietnamese eunuchs primarily maintained the harem for sexual intercourse with the Emperor (Taylor, 2013).

The Biblical Hebrew word for eunuch is saris, SRS, סריס (Strong, H5631). Potiphar in the Joseph snapshot circa 12th Dynasty BCE is called Pharaoh’s SRS (BLB, Genesis 37:36, Strong, H5631). Daniel of the Babylonian Exile 8th century BCE served under a SRS and is assumed to be part of the eunuch culture to secure the purity of heir making. The Book of Isaiah 56:1–5 uses the term SARS in a blessing piece.

This is what the Lord says:

“Maintain justice

and do what is right,

for my salvation is close at hand

and my righteousness will soon be revealed.

Blessed is the one who does this—

the person who holds it fast,

who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it,

and keeps their hands from doing any evil. 

Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord say,

“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”

And let no eunuch(SARS) complain,

“I am only a dry tree.”

For this is what the Lord says:

“To the eunuchs(SARS) who keep my Sabbaths,

who choose what pleases me

and hold fast to my covenant—

to them I will give within my temple and its walls

a memorial and a name

better than sons and daughters;

I will give them an everlasting name

that will endure forever.

The Old Testament records the word for SARS 42 times. Of those 42 uses, English versions translate eunuch 28 times (Strong, H5631; Biblical Hermeneutics, 2016). Brown Driver and Briggs Hebrew Lexicon connects the Hebrew SARS, to the Arabic term, “to be impotent” (BDB, p. 710). Holladay’s Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (1983) defines SARS as only eunuch. The Aramaic dialects also translate SARS only as eunuch (Biblical Hermeneutics, 2016). The Book of Esther cites servants of the harem of Ahasuerus. These eunuchs are named specifically such as Hegai and Shashgaz, Hatach, Harbonah, Bigthan, and Teresh. The sarisim, the plural of SARS, were potential threats to impregnate the harem of the king and therefore chosen because of the inability for intercourse with royalty.

Some argue that if Potiphar were a eunuch with perhaps intersexual variations then why would he be married? Chapter 38 of Genesis immediately preceding this snapshot illustrates the YBM or Levirate Law of ancient Near Eastern custom to marry the widow of a deceased brother-in-law. Potiphar in similar way may have married his brother’s widow to protect her financially. Potiphar’s union may also be explained as a possible political alliance within the court of Pharaoh. Finally, the pursuit of a sexual affair with Joseph in the face of Egyptian taboos for adultery may be explained by a sexually frustrated partner. Potiphar’s wife pursued Joseph with relentless abandon. Could it be that her marriage to a partner unable or unwilling to engage in intercourse motivated her pursuit of Joseph?

The New Testament uses the term eunuch in two narratives, Mathew 19 and Acts 8. Jesus speaks of eunuchs in Matthew 19 stating that some intersexual-eunuchs are born, some eunuchs are made (surgically), and others choose to be eunuchs (Matthew 19:1–12).

“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.” (Matthew 19:1–12)

The eunuchs Jesus described may include those who were born with intersex variations and could not have heterosexual genital sexual intercourse. The second snapshot appears in Acts 8:26–39. In this piece the apostle Phillip interprets Isaiah 53 for an, “ Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake which means ‘queen of the Ethiopians.’” (Acts 8:27) The reader can note that the Ethiopian eunuch served a royal consort, a queen. In addition the term eunuch separates from the words, an important official in charge. This supports the context of the SARS of the Old Testament who guards the harem of the king.

During my 40-year career as a faith-based sexual health educator, the tendency of conservative Christians has been to condemn intersexuality as immoral or taboo. The conversation that intersexuals are born, “that way” has been resisted by many. Scripture and the teachings of Christ both support the concept of intersexuality at birth. The reader may also note that all intersexual citations in the Bible appear without condemnation. In Deuteronomy 23:1 a statement is made prohibiting some males from worshiping with the congregation. “No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting (the genitalia) may enter the assembly of the Lord.” This Deuteronomy passage does not use the word SARS. The words, emasculated by crushing or cutting, appear four times in the Bible, and the meaning seems to involve an act of random violence (Deuteronomy 23:1, 1 Kings 20:37, and Song of Solomon 5:7). SARS-eunuch in the Old Testament never carries a negative image.

Intersexual-eunuch passages in Matthew 19 and perhaps Acts 8 appear without condemnation as well. The Acts snapshot with the Ethiopian eunuch and Phillip communicates honor and dignity.

The Joseph snapshot may also be a teaching piece for children on the regulation of sexual arousal. Joseph’s brothers sold him to a slave owner named Potiphar, whose royal duties included guarding Pharaoh’s consorts. Potiphar, ‘The Butcher’, entrusted Joseph with his entire household. Joseph, a skilled administrator, inspired both productivity and profit with his leadership skills. 

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. (Genesis 39:1-6)

A sexual health snapshot follows on regulating sexual neural pathways and sexual arousal. Potiphar’s wife sexually harassed Joseph in the workplace. On multiple occasions the executioner’s wife coerced Joseph for intercourse. The value of storytelling permits the listener to enter into the narrative with imagination and color. Perhaps Potiphar’s wife felt discontent being married to a partner incapable of sexual intercourse and conception? Did the relationship between the The Butcher and his wife result from an arranged marriage as Levirate customs demanded? Whatever the reason, Potiphar’s wife pursued Joseph even though Egyptian taboos forbade adultery with execution as punishment. The tension and stakes created high anxiety for all involved. 

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”

But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”

When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.

But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. (Genesis 39:6-23)

This is the first snapshot in Genesis demonstrating the regulation of sexual arousal. Joseph, a handsome single young man is sexually pursued by someone his superior. Dominant in authority through her husband, Potiphar’s wife attempts to coerce sexual favors from her husband’s subordinate employee. When confronted with the seduction narrative of Potiphar’s wife, Joseph responds with the prefrontal cortex regulating sexual response. One feature of this work emphasizes healthy regulation of sexual neural pathways rather than depriving sexuality. These themes are taken up more fully in the Neuroscience and Clinical Sexology section. 

The prefrontal cortex regulates the limbic system, where anger, fear, and sexual neural pathways wire. This regulation can also be called executive function. When the prefrontal cortex operates with balance, sexual arousal can be regulated. When the prefrontal cortex is depleted of blood flow, anger, fear, and sexual arousal cannot be fully regulated. Detailed explanation can be found in the Neuroscience section on the prefrontal cortex and anxiety regulation. The reader can note the prefrontal cortex response of Joseph to regulate sexual arousal. 

But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. (Genesis 39:8–10)

Joseph uses the reason center of the prefrontal cortex to make a sexually healthy decision. The Hebrew word for decision is MAN, מאן, to refuse utterly (BLB, Genesis 39:8, Strong, H3985). Next Joseph stated that Potiphar entrusted all to Joseph’s care. The word for intimacy of compassionate presence is used, YDA, ידע. This is the same word used for sexual intimacy, an intimate knowing, reasoning with compassion. Finally, Joseph affirmed that he cannot engage in sexual intercourse with Potiphar’s wife because the act would be wicked, RA, a coercive act against God. This view of sexual intercourse touches the spirituality of intimacy. Joseph felt compassion for the will of both God and Potiphar. The last scene in this snapshot shows Joseph fleeing the threat of coercive sexual assault.

Potiphar, Pharoah’s executive executions officer, with the nickname “Butcher,” imprisoned rather than torturing and killing Joseph for the alleged rape attempt of his wife. Perhaps Potiphar understood the sexual politics of his partner so he commuted Joseph’s sentence to life imprisonment? This story is an excellent depiction of sexual health that teaches children to regulate sexual neural pathways with reason, emotional intimacy, compassion, awareness, and spirituality. 

The balance of the Book of Genesis Chapters 40–50 reflects Joseph’s spiritual intimacy with God in prison, emancipation to the court of Pharaoh, his marriage, and it climaxes with the intimacy of family reconciliation. Joseph of all the characters in the Book of Genesis consistently acts with sexual health in mind. The book ends with the intimacy of family reconciliation just as Chapter 3 finishes with God reconciling the shame of humankind. In Chapters 1–3 of Genesis, the sexual health big picture illustrates intimacy between God and humankind. This intimacy is first spiritual, then beautiful, compassionately present and pleasurable, and balanced; it reflects sexual health and reconciles relationships. Joseph finds a compassionate presence of God while incarcerated. 

But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; He showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. (Genesis 39:21–23)

Twice the text stated that God was with Joseph in presence and specifically “showed him kindness (compassion) and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.” This kindness is the intimacy of compassionate presence. God helps Joseph regulate the fear and pain of prison with awareness of the compassion and love of God. 

Joseph has two children during his tenure as chief operating officer of Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim. 

Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, ‘It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.’ The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.” (Genesis 41:50–52) 

Although the text does not state a clear connection, it appears that Joseph may have married into the family of Potiphar, “two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On” (Genesis 41:50–52). Potiphera may be a family name connecting to Potiphar, The Butcher, Joseph’s first Egyptian employer.

The snap shot of Joseph ends this great book on a sexual health-positive note. Joseph regulates sexual neural pathways in the prefrontal cortex through spirituality, compassionate presence, and reconciliation. His brutal family history of betrayal then reconciles with these words,

 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died.” This is what you are to say to Joseph: ‘I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.

His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.

But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. (Genesis 50:15–21)

When Joseph stated he would provide for the children, he used the word, TPH, טף  “little ones” (Strong, H2945). The term TPH means “racing toddler with tripping gait.” This final scene speaks to small children about the care and compassion of God for them. The Joseph snapshot forms an inclusio of sexual health, tying in Genesis Chapters 1–5. Human sexuality reflects the image of omnibenevolent Creator whose compassion teaches children about sexual health and safety.

What would a child of the 4th century BCE learn about sexual health from this primer called Genesis? An awareness could emerge that sexual health forms one aspect of intimacy with God. Human sexuality is spiritual, beautiful, pleasurable, created without shame, possesses a compassionate presence, brings balance, and reconciles relationships. Sexual health forms a central place in the life of a community called covenant with God. Sexuality reflects one piece of intimacy with the God of the Bible. Rather than sex becoming object of worship, sexual health reflects a facet of intimacy with God and one another. Sexual health parallels a spiritual, beautiful, pleasurable, compassionate, balanced, and reconciling intimacy with God and one another.

Unhealthy sexuality from a 4th century BCE child’s view might look like coercion, a powerful person manipulating sex from a weaker one. Unhealthy sexuality may look like sharing private parts with a family member. Unhealthy sexuality betrays a partner without compassionate presence. Unhealthy sexuality coerces violent sex against another, called rape. Unhealthy sexuality connects to the sacred sex trade manipulating profit for the sharing of private parts. 

Future recommendation could be a thorough treatment of sexual health texts in the entire Bible.  The work would use Genesis as the foundational theory and work through each book to Revelation making connections. Based on the research thus far I would project historic interpretations based on bias of sexual politics may change current understandings. I will also continue to develop the video series for children. With this series I will craft a book proposal targeted for caregivers and their little children. The series will include a book for children ages 0-4 focusing on the benevolence of sexual health, a book for children ages 5-10 and abuse prevention, and finally a book for adolescents featuring chapters 12-50 of Genesis.

The Writings and Intersexuality:  Chronicles, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah 

Books of Chronicles

Sexual Health Positive Terms

Genital Sexual Intercourse, BO (1 Chronicles 7:23) Strong, H935

Then he made love (BO)to his wife again, and she becamepregnant and gave birth to a son. He named him Beriah, because there had been misfortune in his family. (1 Chronicles 7:23)

Covenant, buh-REETH (2 Chronicles 23:16)  Strong, H1285

Jehoiada then made a covenant (buh-REETH) that he, the people and the king would be the LORD’s people. (2 Chronicles 23:16)

Eunuch/Intersexual, sah-REECE (2 Chronicles 18:8) Strong, H5631 

Genealogical Record, yah-CHAWSH ((Nehemiah 7:5) Strong, H3187

So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record (yah-CHAWSH) of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there. (Nehemiah 7:5)

Gynecological Terms

Pregnant, hah-RAH (1 Chronicles 7:23) Strong, H2029

Give Birth to, YEH-led (1 Chronicles 7:23) Strong, H3205

Then he made love to his wife again, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. He named him Beriah, because there had been misfortune in his family. (1 Chronicles 7:23)

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms and Locations for the Sacred Sex Trade

High Places for the Sacred Sex Trade, bah-MAH and HAR (2 Chronicles 21:11) Strong, H1116 and H2022

Sacred Sex Trade Strong, zah-NAH (2 Chronicles 21:11) Strong, H2181

He had also built high places (bah-MAH) on the hills (HAR) of Judah and had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray. (2 Chronicles 21:11)

Baal Strong, bah-AWL (2 Chronicles 23:17)  Strong, H1168

Idols, TSEH-lem (2 Chronicles 23:17) Strong,H6754

Asherah Poles, ah-sher-AH (2 Chronicles 34:3) Strong, H842

Idols, pah-SEEL (2 Chronicles 34:3) Strong, H6456

Idols, mah-seh-KAH (2 Chronicles 34:3) Strong H4541

All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols (TSEH-lem)and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. (2 Chronicles 23:17)

Under his direction the altars of the Baals were torn down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles and the idols. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. (2 Chronicles 34:4)

Other Gods, ah-chah-REEM el-oh-HEEM (2 Chronicles 34:25) Strong, H430 and H312

Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all that their hands have made, my anger will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched.

Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard:

Tools

Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. (2 Chronicles 34:25-27)

Unhealthy Sexual Behaviors, toe-eh-VAH (Ezra 9:1) Strong, H8441 

After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. (Ezra 9:1)

Tool

Sexual Health Positive Term

Eunuch/Intersexual

The term eunuch or sah-REECE in Hebrew describes a senior level court officer who guards the integrity of a royal harem. The word sah-REECE meaning “to remove the genitalia” appears 42 times in 42 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. The eunuch/sah-REECE was known for remarkable allegiance to their king.  (Strong, H5631) Emperors desiring a legacy of succession often used multiple wives or concubines to create a pool for potential successors. The best and brightest royal offspring make the cut moving into positions of leadership. The eunuch/sah-REECE, unable to reproduce, provided a perfect overseer for the harem ensuring integrity of royal DNA. The word eunuch/sah-REECE appears seven times in Daniel. Hebrew numerology often uses seven to indicate completeness. Eunuch/sah-REECE first appears in Genesis to describe Joseph’s master, Potiphar. (Genesis 37:36)  Isaiah writes a section on blessings for eunuchs/sah-REECE. (Isaiah 56:3-4) Esther too mentions eunuchs/sah-REECE specifically. 

So the king of Israel called one of his officials (sah-REECE) and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.” (2 Chronicles 18:8)

On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs (sah-REECE) who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas. (Esther 1:10)

Jesus identifies with eunuchs in Matthew 19:12 as one choosing sexual abstinence for the sake of the kingdom. Christ infers some eunuchs are born without the ability to perform sexually and others are made (surgically) to become eunuchs. 

Jesus’s words about eunuchs who are born without the ability to have genital sexual intercourse find common ground with the science of intersexuality.

Intersexuality and Eunuchism

Intersexuality is the word for sex variations occurring in sexually reproducing animals. Intersexual births feature non typical sex characteristics of males and females.  Intersexual genitals may be different in numerous ways. The Fausto-Sterling (2000) report researched the wide range of variation occurring in live births from 1955 to 1999. The report found nearly 2% of live births feature some variation from typical XX and XY. 

Intersexuality-eunuchism in the ancient Near East was known for inability to procreate or engage in heterosexual genital sexual intercourse. A valued court official, the intersexual-eunuch attended to royal harems. The intersexual-eunuch served as non threatening overseer to ensure purity of royal blood lines and succession to the throne.  Jesus speaks about intersexuality-eunuchism in Matthew 19: 

For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others – and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it. (Matthew 19:12)

Christ mentions intersexuals-eunuchs who are born, eunuchs made surgically, and eunuchs who choose celibacy for the sake of ministry. The references to intersexual-eunuchs in the Bible are only positive. No negative statements exist about intersexual variations or eunuchs at any place in Scripture.

The Fausto-Sterling Report

Fausto-Sterling (2000) examined medical intersexual data  and states: 

We surveyed the medical literature from 1955 to the present for studies of the frequency of deviation from the ideal male or female. We conclude that this frequency may be as high as 2% of live births. The frequency of individuals receiving ‘corrective’ genital surgery, however, probably runs between 1 and 2 per 1,000 live births (0.1 – 0.2%). (p. 151)

Response to the Fausto-Sterling (2000) study was immediate: 

Many reviewers are not aware that this figure includes conditions which most clinicians do not recognize as intersex, such as Klinefelter syndrome, Turner syndrome, and late- onset adrenal hyperplasia. If the term intersex is to retain any meaning, the term should be restricted to those conditions in which chromosomal sex is inconsistent with phenotyp ic sex, or in which the phenotype is not classifiable as either male or female. Applying this more precise definition, the true prevalence of intersex is seen to be about 0.018%, almost 100 times lower than Fausto-Sterling’s estimate of 1.7%. (Sax, 2002)

The criticism of Fausto-Sterling’s (2000) 1.7% intersex live birth statistic connects to Sax’s (2002) definition of intersexuality and his comment, “most clinicians”. Sax (2002) states that Fausto-Sterling’s (2000) results are inflated because she included Klinefelter, Turner, and late onset hyperplasia. Sax (2002) makes a case that most clinicians do not recognize Klinefelter and Turner syndromes, and late onset hyperplasia. Perhaps citing a percentage of clinicians with Sax’s (2002) view would be helpful? Klinefelter karyotype is XXY. The Turner karyotype is one X. Typical females are XX and males XY.  Klinefelter presents with smaller genitalia and female breasts. Turner traits include smaller stature, possible sterility, and need for hormone therapy to induce puberty. Possibly the first record of adrenal hyperplasia took place in 1865.  Luigi de Crecchio, an anatomist, autopsied a 40 year old cadaver. He noted the fusion of the labia and scrotum to a curved penis. The urethral opening appeared on the shaft of the 3.9 inch long penis rather than at the tip of the glans. The subject featured both testicles and ovaries located inside the body cavity. The patient also had vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, and enlarged adrenal glands along with male genitalia. The patient in life reported as a male. Symptoms at death were vomiting and diarrhea. Death may have been caused by adrenal insufficiency. In 1957 Decourt, Jayle, and Baulieu described similar features and formed the diagnosis of non classic or mild form of 21 hydroxylase deficiency.   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5624825/ Perhaps we would be accurate to say that adrenal hyperplasia although not classified as intersexuality by some, with certainty the features and symptoms present as intersexual traits? This seems to be a fair common ground for conversation and treatment.   If Klinefelter, Turner, and late onset hyperplasia impact the sexuality of a client, it seems therapeutically reasonable as a clinician to include in the sample. If some disagree, then clearly, data shows at minimum .018% to a maximum of 1.7% of live births have intersexual traits-not typical XX and XY.

This data can be a game changer for people of faith. Neither Jesus nor any other author of the Bible condemn eunuchs, intersexuals, or “those who are born” without the ability for heterosexual intercourse. This new technology may be common ground for people of faith and those with intersexual traits.  Perhaps this generation can bring an end to the violence against and hatred for people who are “born” that way?

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)

The Writings of Solomon

Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon and Sexual Health

Sexual Health Terminology

Passionate Love, DODE (Provers 7:18) Strong, H1730

Kiss, nah-SHAWK (Song 1:2) Strong, H5401

Bed, mish-KAWV (Proverbs 7:16) Strong, H7901

Bed, EH-resh (Provers 7:16) Strong, H6210

Sexual Arousal, hah-MAH (Song 5:4) Strong, H1993

Pleasant, nah-AIM (Proverbs 2:10) Strong, H5276

Romantic Pleasure, tah-ah-NOOG (Song 7:6) Strong, H8588

Aphrodisiac/mandrake, dew-DAI (Song 7:13) Strong, H1736

Gynecological

Naked, ah-ROME (Ecclesiastes 5:15) Strong, H6174

Womb, BEH-ten (Ecclesiastes 5:15) Strong, H990

Conceive, ha-RAH (Proverbs 3:4) Strong, H2029

Give Birth, HOOL (Proverbs 8:24-25) Strong, H2342

Breast, SHAWD  (Song 4:5) Strong, H7699

Genitalia, REH-ghel (Song 5:3) Strong, H7272

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Erotic Rage, chah-MAWD (Proverbs 6:25) Strong, H2530

Sacred Sex Trade Worker, zah-NAH (Proverbs 6:26) Strong, H2181

Unhealthy Sexual Intercourse, BO (Proverbs 6:29) H935

Sexual Touch, nah-GAH (Proverbs 6:29) Strong, H5060

Seduce, nah-TAH (Proverbs 7:21) Strong, H5186

The word for “romantic love” or “ passionate-love boiling over” is DODE appearing 61 times in the Old Testament. Solomon uses DODE one time in Proverbs and 33 times in his romantic memoir called The Song. Over half the occurrences of DODE, passionate love boiling over appear in Solomon’s work. (Strong, H1730) 

Come, let’s drink deeply of love (DODE) till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love! (Proverbs 7:18)

Kiss is the Hebrew word nah-SHAWK. I enjoy the many nuances of Hebrew terms. The Assyrian word for kiss is the similar sounding nah-SHAW-ku. The Syriac originally meant “to smell”. Arabic lends the facet, to fasten together. (Strong, H5401) Perhaps the idea connects the closeness and scent of a lover’s breath in a tender kiss?

Two words for “bed” appear in Solomon’s writings. The king uses the term for lovers’ bed (EH-resh) and a place of rest (mish-KAWV). Proverbs mentions covering the bed (EH-resh) with linens from Egypt. It is not clearly sexual. In the Song, Solomon connects the bed (EH-resh) with the verdant-fertility of intercourse (Strong, H7488). An Arabic equivalent uses a similar sounding term for sex partner or consort, ah-RAWSH. (Strong, H6210) 

I have covered my bed (EH-resh) with colored linens from Egypt. 

I have perfumed my bed (mish-KAWV) with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. (Proverbs 7:16-17)

How handsome you are, my beloved! Oh, how charming! And our bed (Eh-resh)is verdant. (Song 1:16)

Sexual arousal is the onomatopoeia, hah-MAH appearing 34 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. The term means to hum like a bee or to be aroused sexually. (Strong, H1993)

My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound  (hah- MAH or hummmm) for him. (Song 5:4)

Solomon uses two terms for pleasure or delight. The word pleasant has a lovely range of meaning in Old Testament Hebrew.  David uses nah-AIM for his relationship with Jonathon, Saul’s son, exclaiming their love for one another more pleasurable than the love of a woman. Solomon, commended by God for his wisdom, connects the wisdom of the heart to knowing the pleasure of intimacy. The root word for knowledge in Proverbs 2:10 is the premier term for sexual intimacy first found in Genesis 4:1, yah-DAH. Finally, Solomon links the beauty and pleasure of love with his bride in whom he delights. (Strong, H5276) The second term is tah-ah-NOOG meaning delight, delicate or pleasant.  (Strong, H8588) 

I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love  (nah-AIM) for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women. (2 Samuel 1:26)

For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant (nah-AIM) to your soul. (Proverbs 2:10)

“Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious (nah-AIM)!” (Proverbs 9:17)

How beautiful you are and how pleasing (nah-AIM), my love, with your delights (tah-ah- NOOG)! (Song 7:6)

Sevengynecological words appear in Solomon’s writings: naked, (ah-ROME; Strong, H6174), womb (BEH-ten, Strong, H990), conceive, give birth (hah-RAH, Strong, H2029) and HOOL (Strong, H2342). The Hebrew word for breast is SHAWD, and REH-ghel, foot,  appears used for genitalia, and navel (show-RARE).

Everyone comes naked (ah-ROME) from their mother’s womb (BEH-ten), and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. (Ecclesiastes 5:15)

Scarcely had I passed them when I found the one my heart loves. I held him and would not let him go till I had brought him to my mother’s house, to the room of the one who conceived (hah-RAH) me. (Proverbs 3:4)

Your breasts (SHAWD) are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle that browse among the lilies. (The Song 4:5)

I have taken off my robe— must I put it on again? I have washed my feet (REH-ghel)—  must I soil them again? (The Song 5:3)

When there were no watery depths, I was given birth (HOOL), when there were no springs overflowing with water; Before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, (HOOL). (Proverbs 8:24-25; Strong, H2342)

The final sexual health term is mandrake or aphrodisiac. Appearing 7 times in 5 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament mandrake first occurs in Genesis. the mandrake, (dew-DAI), was an ancient Near Eastern aphrodisiac, sedative, and hallucinogen. (Strong, H1736) Understanding the meaning of mandrake requires revisiting the Jacob snap shot of Genesis.   During the 20-year stint of coerced servitude to Laban, the Jacob narrative revisits sexual health themes. Rachel, the infertile beloved bride, cannot conceive. Leah, the unwanted and unloved sister bride, cannot stop giving birth. Within 4 years, Leah delivers four sons. Rachel scores zero births. The competition game is on. 

When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?” Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”(Genesis 30:1–8)

Jacob apparently recalled stories of his grandfather Abraham utilizing female slaves for coercive reproductive services. Jacob submits to Rachel’s plea to impregnate a surrogate slave. When Leah realizes she can no longer conceive, she repeats surrogacy with her own slave.

When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, “What good fortune!” So she named him Gad. Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher. (Genesis 30:9–13)

Once again, Jacob faces the coercive power of food as he did with the stealing of Esau’s birth right for a bowl of soup. This time food with sex. Just as Jacob manipulated Esau with stew, Leah, the unwanted and unloved sister-wife, coerces Rachel. Leah challenges Rachel to compel Jacob to have intercourse with Leah using food. The rejected sister barters food for sex using the mandrake plant, an ancient aphrodisiac with hallucinogenic compounds. The progeny of Abraham repeats pimping of family members for sex and food. 

During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?” “Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.” So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night. God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar. Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah. (Genesis 30:14–21)

As a therapist,  I am unable to stop intuiting the sexual wiring of authors and speakers.  I wonder if Solomon reflected his problematic sexuality within his writings? Solomon engaged the sacred sex trade by marrying wives who worshiped other deities. Did he have encounters with women who were married or did he touch another man’s wife? In Proverbs 6:25-29 Solomon cites the terms lust or covet, chah-MAWD, zah-NAH-sacred sex trade worker, and nah-GAH, sexual touch with another man’s wife. (Strong, H5060)  Paul the Apostle uses the same phrase, it is not good “to touch” a woman, in 1 Corinthians 7:1. The Greek word Paul uses is HOP-toe, meaning to touch. Perhaps Proverbs influenced Paul in this use? The 1 Corinthians 7:1 citation has clear sexual intent by Paul. In addition Paul uses “to touch” with par-NAY-ah as does Solomon in Proverbs 6:25-29.

Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations (to touch, HOP-toe) with a woman.”

But since sexual immorality (par-NAY-ah in Greek and zah-NAH in Hebrew for the sacred sex trade) is occurring, each man should have sexual relations (EH-koe to have) with his own wife, and each woman (EH-koe to have) with her own husband. (1 Corinthians 7:1-2)

The phrase, “each should have sexual relations with” uses the term EH-koe, meaning to have. (Strong, G2192)

Chah-MAWD is the term lust or covet in Proverbs 6:25. Chah-MAWD is used both in the Ten Commands and with Jesus’ sexual health discourse of Matthew 5:28. 

Do not lust (chah-MAWD) in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes. (Proverbs 6:25)

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully (epi-thew-MEH-oh) has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28)

Chah-MAWD means to desire, sexually lust, or covet. (Strong, H2530) An Arabic equivalent means to “loathe”. It seems to have an angry nuance. The Greek word for lust or covet is epi-thew-MEH-oh. (Strong, G1937)  Lust builds on two Greek words, epi meaning upon or epic can add a sense of intensity. The second part of the word, thew-MOS has a range of meaning including anger, rage, to breathe violently and the breath of passion. (Strong, G2372) With the nuance of loathe in Arabic and rage in Greek, this word may carry a sense of erotic rage. Could it be that Jesus is not prohibiting all sexual feelings? Is he speaking about the coercive nature of sexually acting out in anger and rage against a partner? (Strong, G2372)

Seduce is a common term used in many ways 216 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. Nah-TAH can mean stretch out like a tent, manipulate, bend morally, or sexual seduction. (H5186)

With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced (nah-TAH) him with her smooth talk. (Proverbs 7:21)

The Psalms

Sexual Health Terms

Bridegroom, chah-THAWN (Psalm 19:5) Strong, H2860

Covenant, buh-REETH (Psalm 78:10) Strong, H1285

Virgin Companions, buh-tue-LAH (Psalm 45:14) Strong, H7464

Genital Sexual Intercourse, yah-CHAWM (Psalm 51:5) Strong, H3179

Gynecological Terms

Womb, BEH-ten

Breast, SHAWD

Birth, REH-chem and HOOL

Labor, yah-LAWD

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Egypt and Ham, (Psalm 78:51)

Baal, bah-AWL (Psalm 106:28) Strong, H1187

Sacred Sex Trade, zah-NAH (Psalm 106:39) Strong, H2181

Seven sexual health terms appear in the Psalms. The four sexual health terms are; bridegroom, covenant, virgin companions, and sexual intercourse. Bridegroom is the common word hah-TAWN. (Strong, H2860) Covenant is the Genesis sexual health positive term buh-REETH. (Strong, H1285) Virgin companions is comprised of virgin, buh-tue-LAH and ray-AH meaning friend or female confidante. (Strong, H7464) 

It is like a bridegroom (hah-TAWN) coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. (Psalm 19:5)

They did not keep God’s covenant (buh-REETH) and refused to live by his law. (Psalm 78:10)

In embroidered garments she is led to the king; her virgin (buh-tue-LAH) companions (ray-AH) follow her— those brought to be with her. (Psalm 45:14)

In Psalm 51:5 the genital sexual intercourse term is yah-CHAWM. (Strong, H3179) The range of meaning for yah-HAWM includes warm, hot, animals mating or in heat, and sexual intercourse. Yah-CHAWM appears 10 times in 9 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. At no time does this word clearly read as conception. Yah-CHAWM used for sexual intercourse of animals appears four times out of ten occurrences. Could yah-CHAWM be a derogatory use of the word in David’s mind? Is he comparing his shame over his sexual misconduct to animals mating? Psalm 51 is David’s repentance prayer to God. After his affair with Bathsheba, the king ordered the assassination of her husband Uriah. In the fray of battle, an entire squad of Israel’s elite special operatives were killed along with Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband. Psalm 51 is David’s amends and reconnection with God. It may be fitting that in a state of remorse David connects the sinfulness of his birth and his mother’s intercourse with Jesse, his father. Is David reflecting his own sexual relationship with Bathsheba? A more fitting translation may be,

Surely I was sinful at birth (HOOL), sinful from the moment my mother had intercourse (yah-CHAWM). (Psalm 51:5)

Five words are gynecological; womb, breast, two terms for birth, and labor. Yah-LAWD appears 500 times in 403 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. (Strong, H3205)

Yet you brought me out of the womb (BEH-ten) ; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast (SHAWD). (Psalm 22:9)

From birth (REH-chem) I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb (BEH-ten) you have been my God. (Psalm 22:10)

Surely I was sinful at birth (HOOL), sinful from the moment my mother had intercourse (yah-CHAWM). (Psalm 51:5)

Trembling seized them there, pain like that of a woman in labor (yah-LAWD). (Psalm 48:6)

The unhealthy sexuality images and terms are Egypt and Ham, Baal, and the sacred sex trade (zah-NAH). Five times in the Old Testament Egypt is described as the “land of Ham”. (Psalm 78:51; 105:23, 27; 106:22; 1 Chronicles 4:40). The sexual health narratives of Egypt describe its deities and Pharaohs engaging in the practice of incest.  Ham is the lead character in the Noah snap shot  who committed incest with his mother in Genesis 9.  The offspring of that incestuous union was Canaan, who carried a curse throughout his life. Could David be eluding to incest in this passage? 

He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham. (Psalms 78:51)

The term “first fruits” is ray-SHEETH appearing in the opening prologue of Genesis 1:1,”In the beginning (ray-SHEETH) God created the heavens and the earth.” (Strong, H7225) The word for manhood is the word ah-WONE meaning sexual virility or strength.  (Strong, H202) David may be speaking of the unhealthy sexuality incest by the use of euphemism or exchanging an explicit sexual term with softer language. The final two unhealthy sexuality images are Baal Peor and sacred sex trade participation (zah-NAH). Zah-NAH occurs only once in the Psalms.

They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods.  (Psalm 106:28)

They defiled themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted (zah-NAH) themselves. (Psalm 106:39)

Baal Peor appears 5 times in 4 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. (Numbers 25:3,5; Deuteronomy 4:3; Psalm 106:28) This Canaanite god was named for Mount Peor in Moab. (Numbers 23:28). According to Rabbinic Literature the Baal Peor cultus excelled in the sacred sex trade and the exposure of genitalia. One Jewish commentator states that on one occasion a strange ruler came to worship Baal Peor with sacrifice. When confronted with the ritual of exposure of genitalia, the ruler instead ordered his security team to kill all the Baal Peor worshippers as they unshrouded their genitals. https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2246-baal-peor

The Minor Prophets

The Book of Hosea

Sexual Health Positive Terms

Recover Unhealthy Sexuality, kah-SAH ehr-VAH  (Hosea 2:9) H3680, H6172

Allure, pah-THACH, (Hosea 2:14) Strong, H6601

Covenant, buh-REETH (Hosea 2:18) Strong, H1285

Sexual Intimacy, yah-DAH (Hosea 2:20) Strong, H3045

Lovers , ah-HAWV, (Hosea 8:9) Strong, H157

Gynecological Terms

Conceive, hah-RAH (Hosea 1:3) Strong, H2029

Bear, YEH-led (Hosea 1:3) Strong, H3205

Womb, BEH-ten (Hosea 12:3) 

Uncovering the nakedness (gah-LAH ehr-VAH) is a term for incest. “Covering the nakedness” appears to be recover from unhealthy sexuality. In the Ham incest snap shot the brothers “cover the nakedness” of their father after Ham sees the nakedness of his father, commits incest with his mother.

“Therefore I will take away my grain when it ripens, and my new wine when it is ready. I will take back my wool and my linen, intended to cover her naked (kah-SAH ahr-VAH) body. (Hosea 2:9)

But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered (kah-SAH) their father’s naked (ahr-VAH) body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked. (Genesis 9:23)

The phrase cover her naked body of Hosea 2:9 is the exact wording as cover their father’s naked body in Genesis 9:23. These are not sexual assault statements, it appears the opposite. Ham’s brothers attempt to recover the assault against their mother. The Hosea passage seems to be saying that the economic currency which could have recovered Israel will be taken back.

“Therefore I am now going to allure (pah-THACH) her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. (Hosea 2:14)

Allure, pah-THACH, occurs 28 times in 26 verses in the Hebrew Old Testament. (Strong, H6601) Pah-THACH conveys enticing, seducing, and coercing.

“Therefore I am now going to allure (pah-THACH) her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. (Hosea 2:14)

Covenant, buh-REETH, finds its way once again with the intimacy of compassionate presence and reconciliation. (Strong, H1285) The verse ends with the premier Genesis sexual health positive term for intercourse, yah-DAH. (Strong, H3045

In that day I will make a covenant (buh-REETH) for them with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety.

I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge (yah-DAH)the LORD. (Hosea 2:18-20)

Hosea introduces the Genesis sexual health premier word for intercourse in Hosea 2:20. The word is intimacy, yah-DAH. (Strong, H3045) Appearing 953 times in 874 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament.Yah-DAH means intimacy formed in the prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain regulates the fear, anger, and sexual wiring of the limbic system. When the PFC is healthy and online, the limbic system can be regulated. When offline, the brain cannot regulate sexual neural pathways. Specifically, intimacy wires from the insular cortex. The range of meaning includes: to  be aware, receive, learn, recognize, differentiate, discover, turn the mind to, understand data, perceive, and genital sexual intercourse. Yah-DAH is used in two gang rape snap shots. The sexual offenders of Sodom and the decline to sexual nihilism of Judges both use yah-DAH in violent rape scenes. It seems reasonable this word is used as paradox to contrast the beauty and intimacy of sexual intercourse with erotic violence. (Genesis 19:5; Judges 19:22)

Their mother has been unfaithful (zah-NAH)and has conceived them in disgrace. She said, ‘I will go after my lovers (ah-HAWV), who give me my food and my water, my wool and my linen, my olive oil and my drink.’ (Hosea 2:5)

She will chase after her lovers (ah-HAWV)but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.’ (Hosea 2:7)

Gomer’s “lovers “ is the Hebrew root word for love, ah-HAWV.  This is a common word for love appearing 211 times in 195 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. (Strong, H157) However, ah-HAWV, used for lovers of a sacred sex trade worker is unique to the Old Testament. All other references speak of the love of God human affection, or loving objects like a home, righteousness, friends, etc. Hosea’s use of ah-HAWV, lovers, is emphatic and distinctive in the entire Old Testament. 

The gynecological terms conceive, bore, gave birth, and womb connect precisely to the Genesis sexual health positive big picture. (Strong, H2029, H3205)

So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived (hah-RAH) and bore (YEH-led)  him a son. (Hosea 1:3)

Gomer conceived (hah-RAH) again and gave birth to (YEH-led) a daughter.Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Call her Lo-Ruhamah (which means “not loved”), for I will no longer show love to Israel, that I should at all forgive them. (Hosea 1:6)

In the womb (BEH-ten) he grasped his brother’s heel; as a man he struggled with God. (Hosea 12:3)

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Promiscuous Woman, zah-NAH (Hosea 1:2) Strong, H2181

Unfaithfulness Between Breasts, nah-AWF SHAWD (Hosea 2:2) Strong, H5005, H7699

Expose Lewdness, nah-beh-LOOTH (Hosea 2:10) Strong, H5040

Adultery, nah-AWF (Hosea 3:1) Strong, H5005

Spirit of Sex Trafficking, roo-AUCH zah-NAH  (Hosea 4:11) Strong, H7307, H2181

Sacred Sex Trafficker, kah-deh-SHAH (Hosea 4:14) Strong, H6948

Wages of Sacred Sex Trafficking, eth-NAWN (Hosea 9:1) Strong, H868

Chapter 1 of Hosea features a plethora of sexual health terms. Promiscuous woman, adulterous wife, and unfaithfulness are all the same root word, zah-NAH, sacred sex trafficking participant. “Go marry a promiscuous woman” perhaps is more accurately translated, “a female prolific in sex trade participation.” The term zah-NAH in the plural form, zah-new-NIM, is pronounced zuh-new-NEEM, meaning surpassing or impressive sex trade activity. The singular form for the name of God is El. The plural for God, El,  in the Old Testament is Elohim, pronounced el-oh-HEEM. The plural for a singular name most likely denotes supremacy. Gomer, the sacred sex trade worker is described in the plural. She was most likely at the top of her field, well versed in trafficking. The word zah-NAH appears four times in verse 1. This may mean Hosea intends emphasis. 

“Rebuke your mother, rebuke her, for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband. Let her remove the adulterous look from her face and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts (na-ah-foo-FEEM). (Hosea 2:2)

Hosea pens a new word for unhealthy sexuality, pronounce na-ah-foo-FEEM. (Strong, H5005)  The term translates as adultery appearing a single time at this location in the Hebrew Old Testament. Na-ah-foo-FEEM is similar to the Hebrew term for nose or nostril, AWF, and adultery, nah-AWF. (Strong, H599, H5003) AWF can mean nose, nostril, face, the rapid breathing of passion, rage or wrath. AWF occurs 276 times in 269 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. (Strong, H599) The Hebrew word for adultery, nah-AWF, appears  31 tines in 26 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. (Strong, H5003) Syriac and Chaldean cognate languages have a similar term for “face”, pronounced ah-na-FEEM. This sounds much like the term Hosea uses, na-ah-foo-FEEM. Hosea’s unique term may be best translated as passionate breath or face between the breasts.  (BLB, Hosea 2:20; Strong, H5005)

Hosea introduces another sexual health term seen only here in the Hebrew Old Testament. Nah-beh-LOOTH defines female genitalia. (Strong,  H5040) Nah-beh-LOOTH builds on the root nah-BAL, meaning foolish or shameful occurring 18 times in 18 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. (Strong, H5036) “Lovers” builds on the root word, ah-HAWV. Could it be that Jesus connected to Hosea’s words when he speaks about the inability to be taken from the embrace of God?

So now I will expose her lewdness (Nah-beh-LOOTH) before the eyes of her lovers (ah- HAWV); no one will take her out of my hands. (Hosea 2:10)

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me,

is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

I and the Father are one.” (John 10:29-30)

This may be another example of Jesus reflecting the teaching and influence of the prophets in his preaching.

The word prostitution, zah-NAH, is a unique form in verse 10. It is called a hiphil verb. The original Hebrew places an “h” at the beginning of zah-NAH to emphasize that the term possesses the sense of “to cause to” participate in trafficking humans for sex. This is the first time zah-NAH is used in a “causative” way, perhaps give the term a compelling or coercive meaning. Another new sexual health term appears in Hosea, “ spirit of prostitution”.  The literal rendering is ru-ACH, pronounced roo-AUCH. The CH is a hard K sound in the back of the throat.

My people consult a wooden idol, and a diviner’s rod speaks to them. A spirit (RUAH)of prostitution (zah-NAH)leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God. (Hosea 4:11)

So now I will expose her lewdness (nah-beh-LOOTH) before the eyes of her lovers (AHB); no one will take her out of my hands. (Hosea 2:10)

“Sacred sex trafficked female” forms on the root word for “holy”, keh-deh-SHAH. (Strong, H6948) Holy sex trafficker or sacred trafficked female occurs 5 times in 4 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament.  Keh-deh-SHAH, holy sex trafficker, cements the foundational meaning of the religious or sacred aspect of the sex trade. Participants in sex trafficking connect to the economy of  religious institutions, its clergy, and rituals.

He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute (keh-deh-SHAH) who was beside the road at Enaim?” “There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute (keh-deh- SHAH) here,” they said. (Genesis 38:21)

So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute (keh-deh-SHAH) here.’ ” (Genesis 38:22)

No Israelite man or woman is to become a shrine prostitute (keh-deh-SHAH). (Deuteronomy 23:17)

“I will not punish your daughters when they turn to prostitution (zah-NAH), nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery (nah-AWF), because the men themselves consort with harlots (zah-NAH) and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes (keh-deh-SHAH)—  a people without understanding will come to ruin! (Hosea 4:14)

The final Hosea sexual health term is, “wages of a sacred sex trafficker”.  Wages from trafficking humans for sex is the Hebrew eth-NAWN. (Strong, H868) Appearing 11 times in 8 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament it carries the sole meaning of earning income from sex trafficking.

Names, Locales, Symbols for the Sacred Sex Trade: 

Baal, bah-AWL (Hosea 2:17)

Wooden Idol or Tree, EITZ, (Hosea 4:12) Strong, H6086

Mountaintops, ROWSH HAR (Hosea 4:13) Strong, H7218, H2022

Hills, gee-BAH (Hosea 4:13) Strong, H1389

Oak, ah-LOAN (Hosea 4:13) Strong, H437

Poplar, lib-NEY (Hosea 4:13) Strong, H3839

Terebinth, eh-LAH (Hosea 4:13) Strong, H424

Idols, ah-TSAWV (Hosea 4:17) Strong, H6087

They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar and terebinth, where the shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution (zah-NAH) and your daughters-in-law to adultery (NAF). (Hosea 4:13)

Tools

The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the LORD pasture them like lambs in a meadow?

Ephraim is joined to idols (ah-TSAWV); leave him alone! (Strong, H6087)

Even when their drinks are gone, they continue their prostitution (zah-NAH); their rulers dearly love shameful ways. (Hosea 4:10-18)

The Books of Amos, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habbakuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

Sexual Health Positive Terms

Covenant, The Word I Cut, dah-VAR kah-RAHT (Haggai 2:5) Strong, H3772

This is what I covenanted  with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear. (Haggai 2:5)

Covenant, buh-REETH (Zechariah 9:11) Strong, H1285

As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit. (Zechariah 9:11)

Offspring or Seed, zeh-RAH (Malachi 2:14-15) Strong, H2233

Gynecological

Virgin, buh-tue-LAH (Amos 5:2) Strong, H1330

“Fallen is Virgin (buh-tue-LAH) Israel, never to rise again, deserted in her own land, with no one to lift her up.”(Amos 5:2)

Naked

You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed (ARL)! The cup from the LORD’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. (Habbakuk 2:16)

Foreskin, ah-RAIL (Habbakuk 2:16) Strong, H6188

You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed (ah-RAIL)! The cup from the LORD’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. (Habbakuk 2:16)

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Sexual Abuse, ya-LAWK (Amos 2:7) Strong, H3212

Decline of Intimacy, Profane, chah-LAHL (Amos 2:7) Strong, H2490

Wages of Sacred Sex Trade, eth-NAWN (Micah 1:7) Strong, H868

Sacred Sex trade Worker, zah-NAH (Micah 1:7) Strong, H2181

Lift Skirts Over Face

Nakedness

Tools

“I am against you,” declares the LORD Almighty. “I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame. (Nahum 3:5)

Rape, shu-GALL (Zechariah 14:2) Strong, H7693

I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. (Zechariah 14:2)

Names, Locales, and Symbols of Sacred Sex Trafficking

Sodom and Gomorrah

“I overthrew some of you as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire, yet you have not returned to me,”

declares the LORD. (Amos 4:11)

Idols, HEH-vell, (Jonah 2:8) Strong, H1892

“Those who cling to worthless idols (HEH-vell) turn away from God’s love for them.” (Jonah 2:8)

Idols, pah-SEEL (Micah 1:7) Strong, H6456

Images, ah-TSAV (Micah 1:7)  Strong, H6091 

Sacred Stones, mah-tseh-VAH (Micah 5:13) Strong, H4676

Asherah Poles, ah-sher-AH (Micah 5:14) Strong, H842

All her idols (pah-SEEL)will be broken to pieces; all her temple gifts will be burned with fire; I will destroy all her images (ah-TSAV). Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes (eth-NAWN), as the wages of prostitutes (eth-NAWN) they will again be used.” (Micah 1:7)

I will destroy your idols (pah-SEEL) and your sacred stones (mah-tseh-VAH)from among you; you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands. I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles when I demolish your cities. (Micah 5:13-14)

Baal, bah-AWL (Zephaniah 1:3) Strong, H1168 

Idolatrous Priests, coe-MER (Zephaniah 1:6) Strong, H3649

Molek, mahl-CAM (Zephaniah 1:6) Strong, H445

“I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place, the very names of the idolatrous priests—those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the LORD and who also swear by Molek, those who turn back from following the LORD and neither seek the LORD nor inquire of him.” (Zephaniah 1:3-6)

Sacred Sex trade Worker, zah-NAH (Micah 1:7) Strong, H2181

In Amos the NIV translation of “use the same girl” for sex is pretty close. The Hebrew term is YLK, pronounced ya-LAWK meaning “to go to”. (Strong, 3212)  This verse literally means “going to the same adolescent girl for intercourse.”  Same girl, is nah-ah-RAH meaning a prepubescent or adolescent child. (Strong, H5291). Yah-LAWK, sexual abuse, is also used in the curse of the snake in Genesis 3:14, the rising of the waters in the flood snap shot, and the two incest accounts of Genesis 9:23 and Genesis 19:32. (Strong, H3212)

They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use (yah-LAWK) the same girl and so profane (chah-LAHL) my holy name. (Amos 2:7)

So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl (yah-LAWK) on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. (Genesis 3:14)

The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the arkfloated (yah-LAWK) on the surface of the water. (Genesis 7:18)

But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked (yah-LAWK) in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked. (Genesis 9:23)

Let’s get (yah-LAWK) our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line through our father.” (Genesis 19:32)

The word “profane” is the Hebrew trigger word chah-LAHL which signals a decline of intimacy with God resulting in unhealthy sexuality. (Strong, H2490)

They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use (yah-LAWK) the same girland so profane (chah-LAHL) my holy name. (Amos 2:7)

Micah uses idols, images, wages of sacred sex trade, sacred stones, Asherah poles, and sacred sex trade worker. This is quite a concentration of sex trade vocabulary in one verse. Wages of the sacred sex trade occurs 11 times in 8 verses.  The term is eth-NAWN. (Strong, H868) Sacred stones, pronounced mas-tseh-VAH, has a range of meaning from a single stone to perhaps a pillar of stones. Statue or sacred stone mas-tseh-VAH appears 32 times in 31 verses in the Hebrew Old Testament. (Strong, H4676)

The Book of Nahum

Prolific Sex Trade Participation

…all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute , alluring, the mistress of sorceries, who enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft. (Nahum 3:4)

Lift Skirts Over Face

Nakedness

Tools

“I am against you,” declares the LORD Almighty. “I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame. (Nahum 3:5)

Nahum 3:4-5 speaks of the shame of the sacred sex trade. In 3:4 a modern literal translation might look like, “From her prolific sex trade participation, the mistress of sorcery traffics to the nations the selling of humans for sex ….”

Nahum 3:5 has a phrase connecting to incest laws along with two different words for the shame of exposing genitalia. Lift up or uncover, ga-LAH, is the word used for incest prohibitions in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. (Strong, H1540) Skirt, literally in the Hebrew, “lifting up the hem of your robes upon your face” appears twice in Nahum and Jeremiah. I will pull up your skirts over your face that your shame may be seen. (Jeremiah 13:26).)  Nakedness appears twice in the Hebrew Old Testament. The term is MAR, pronounced ma-AR. (Strong, H4626) Shame, pronounced ka-LOAN, also appears in both the Jeremiah and Nahum citations. (Strong, H7036) These terms for genitalia connect to a sense of shame.

The Book of Habbakuk

Foreskin, ah-RAIL (Habbakuk 2:16) Strong, H6188

You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed (ah-RAIL)! The cup from the LORD’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. (Habbakuk 2:16)

Habbakuk has a single sexual health term, foreskin. The word is ah-RAIL. (Strong, H6188) In this passage the sense appears to be exposing the fact that the Israelites did not follow the ritual of circumcision and therefore the foreskin revealed.

The Book of Zephaniah

Idols

Baal

Idolatrous

Molek

“I will sweep away both man and beast; I will sweep away the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea— and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.” “When I destroy all mankind on the face of the earth,” declares the LORD,

“I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place, the very names of the idolatrous priests—those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the LORD and who also swear by Molek, those who turn back from following the LORD and neither seek the LORD nor inquire of him.” (zephaniah 1:3-6)

The Book of Haggai

Covenant, The Word I Cut, dah-VAR kah-RAHT (Haggai 2:5) Strong, H3772

This is what I covenanted  with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear. (Haggai 2:5)

The words are different in Haggai. The word (dah-VAR) I cut (kah-RAHT). This is similar to “cut a covenant” but is used only here. (Strong, H3772)  

The Book of zechariah

Covenant, buh-REETH (Zechariah 9:11) Strong, H1285

Rape, shu-GALL (Zechariah 14:2) Strong, H7693

As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit. (Zechariah 9:11)

I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. (Zechariah 14:2)

Zechariah has two sexual health terms, covenant and raped. The word rape is shu-GALL. Used four times in the Hebrew Old Testament it only connects to sexual violence. (Strong, H7693) 

You will be pledged to be married to a woman, but another will take her and rape her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not even begin to enjoy its fruit. (Deuteronomy 28:30)

Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives violated. (Isaiah 13:16)

“Look up to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been ravished? By the roadside you sat waiting for lovers, sat like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness. (Jeremiah 3:2)

I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. (zechariah 14:2)

The word detestable thing is the Hebrew TABH, pronounced toe-eh-VAH connecting to idolatry and the sacred sex trade. (Strong, H8441) Desecrated is the trigger word HLL signaling a decline of sexual health and intimacy with God.  Godly Offspring is combination of the terms Elohim, the name of God, and seed zRH.

The Book of Malachi

Covenant

Detestable Thing, toe-eh-VAH (Malachi 2:11) Strong H8441

Trigger Term for Decline of Intimacy and Sexual Health, chah-LAWL (Malachi 2:14-15) Strong, H2490

Offspring or Seed, zeh-RAH (Malachi 2:14-15) Strong, H2233

Mycovenant(buh-REETH) was with him, a covenant (buh-REETH)of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. (Malachi 2:5)

Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated (HLL) the sanctuary the LORD loves by marrying women who worship a foreign god. (Malachi 2:11)

You ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.  Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth. (Malachi 2:14-15)

The final sexual health passages in the Old Testament reconnect to the Genesis sexual health big picture. Twice the word Covenant, BRT, occurs touching the early covenant with Noah after the judgement for sexual nihilism and abuse. Covenant is a vision of hope for the intimacy of reconciliation between God and humankind.  Detestable is the Hebrew term TBA, pronounced toe-eh-VAH. This word appears 118 times in the Hebrew Old Testament in 112 verses connecting to idolatry and by implication the sacred sex trade. (Strong H8441) The untranslatable Hebrew trigger word for decline of intimacy to unhealthy sexuality and abuse appears, HLL, pronounced ha-LAWL. (Strong, H2490) The NIV translates HLL as desecrated. Godly offspring is ELOHIM zRA. ELOHIM is the common name for God appearing 2,600 times in 2,246 verses in the Hebrew Old Testament.(Strong, H430) zRA, pronounced zeh-RAH, means seed occuring  229 times in 209 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. Zeh-RAH offspring or seed appears in Genesis 49 times beginning in Genesis 1:11. (Strong, H2233) 

Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing (zeh-RAH) plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed (zeh-RAH) in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. (Genesis 1:11)