The Writings and Sexual Health

July 31, 2023.Reading time 61 minutes.

Poetic books: Psalms, Proverbs.
Five Festival Scrolls (also called the Megilloth): Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Ruth and Esther
Women Who Changed the World: Ruth and Esther
Historical books: Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah and Chronicles.

The Psalms

Bridegroom, hah-THAWN

Womb, BEH-ten

Breast, SHAWD

Birth, REH-chem

Virgin Companions, buh-tue-LAH

Genital Sexual Intercourse, yah-CHAWM

Birth, HOOL

Womb, REH-chem

Labor, yah-LAWD

Covenant, buh-REETH

Egypt and Ham

Baal

Sacred Sex Trade, zah-NAH

Sexual Health Terms

Bridegroom, hah-THAWN

Covenant, buh-REETH

Virgin Companions, buh-tue-LAH

Genital Sexual Intercourse, yah-CHAWM

Gynecological Terms

Womb, BEH-ten

Breast, SHAWD

Birth, REH-chem and HOOL

Labor, yah-LAWD

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Egypt and Ham

Sacred Sex Trade, zah-NAH

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. 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 occurences. 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 Pharoahs 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 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

Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon and Sexual Health

Adultery, nah-AWF

Erotic Rage, Chah-MAWD

Sacred Sex Trade Worker, zah-NAH

Sexual Contact, nah-GAH

Passionate Love, DODE

Seduce, nah-TAH

Give Birth, HOOL

Womb, BEH-ten

Naked, ah-ROME

Ecclesiastes

Naked, ah-ROME

The Song

Kiss, nah-SHAWK

Bed, mish-KAWV

Lovers’ Bed, EH-resh

Conceive, hah-RAH

Sexual Arousal, hah-MAH

Breast, SHAWD

Genitalia, REH-ghel

Navel, show-RARE

Pleasant, nah-AHM

Romantic Pleasure, tah-ah-NOOG

Sexual Health Terminology

Passionate Love, DODE

Kiss, nah-SHAWK

Bed, mish-KAWV

Bed, EH-resh

Sexual Arousal, hah-MAH

Pleasant, nah-AIM

Romantic Pleasure, tah-ah-NOOG

Aphrodisiac/mandrake, dew-DAI

Anatomical and Gynecological

Naked, ah-ROME

Womb, BEH-ten

Conceive, ha-RAH

Give Birth, HOOL

Breast, SHAWD

Genitalia, REH-ghel

Navel, show-RARE

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Adultery, nah-AWF

Erotic Rage, chah-MAWD

Sacred Sex Trade Worker, zah-NAH

Seduce, nah-TAH

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; Strong, H7901)

She: 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)

Gynecological and Anatomical Terms

Naked, ah-ROME

Womb, BEH-ten

Conceive, ha-RAH

Give Birth, HOOL

Breast, SHAWD

Genitalia, REH-ghel

Navel, show-RARE

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; Strong, H2029)

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)

Your navel (show-RARE) is a rounded goblet that never lacks blended wine. Your waist is a mound of wheat encircled by lilies.(The Song 7:2; Strong, H8326)

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)

Pro 25:1 – These are more proverbs of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:

Pro 31:1 – The sayings of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him.

Pro 1:7 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools[fn] despise wisdom and instruction.

Pro 1:29 – since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD.

Pro 2:5 – then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

Tools

Pro 3:3 – Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

Tools

Pro 3:4 – Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

Tools

Pro 3:5 – Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

Pro 4:23 – Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Pro 30:20 – “This is the way of an adulterous (nah-AWF) woman: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’

The Trauma of Loss: Lamentations and Job

Sexual Health Terms

Lovers, ah-HAWV

Virgin, buh-tue-LAH

Covenant, buh-REETH

Genital Sexual Intercourse, kah-RAH AWL

Gynecological Terms

Breasts, SHAWD

Naked, ah-RAH

Conceive, hah-RAH

Born, yah-LAWD

Womb, REH-chem

Womb, BEH-ten

Naked, ah-ROME

Infertility, ah-KAR

Bear, HOOL

Labor Pains, HEY-vel

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Filthiness, tow-MAH

Sodom

Sexual Abuse, ah-NAH

Adultery, nah-AWF

Seduce Sexually, paw-THAW

Male Sacred Sex Trade Workers, kah-DEISH

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 and Anatomical Terms

The Genesis sexual health positive anatomical 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; 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)

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; 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)?

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

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Filthiness, tow-MAH

Sodom

Sexual Abuse, ah-NAH

Adultery, nah-AWF

Seduce Sexually, paw-THAW

Male Sacred Sex Trade Workers, kah-DEISH

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 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 Book of Ruth

Uncover the Feet

When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.” (Ruth 3:4)

When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. (Ruth 3:7)

Spread Corner of Garment, Lie at Feet

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

So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.” (Ruth 3:14)

Genital Sexual Intercourse

Conceive

Give Birth

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. (Ruth 4:13)

Feet, RGL, first appears in Genesis. Abraham offers God’s messengers a foot washing and place to rest.

Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. (Genesis 18:4)

Feet can also mean male or female genitalia. Deuteronomy 28:57 predicts future judgements against Israel. When speaking of victims of siege and starvation, the prophecy states that mothers will consume their own children’s afterbirth to survive. The word feet is used for vulva and birth canal.

…the afterbirth from her womb and the children she bears (In the afterbirth which comes out from her feet). For in her dire need she intends to eat them secretly because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of your cities. (Deuteronomy 28:57)

Isaiah uses feet in a modest way to describe the shaving of male pubic hair.

In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—to shave your heads and private parts (feet), and to cut off your beards also. (Isaiah 7:20)

Feet also appears as a euphemism for elimination of urine or feces. Ehud the judge executes Eglon King of Moab. Eglon’s servants surmise the locked royal quarters are because the king relieves himself. Literally in the Hebrew the phrase is, “covering his feet ”. This same expression appears in the King Saul snapshot. Saul takes a restroom break in a cave while pursuing David. Saul “covers his feet” or eliminates.

After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself (cover his feet) in the inner room of the palace.” (Judges 3:24)

He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself (cover his feet). David and his men were far back in the cave. (1 Samuel 24:3)

When Ezekiel describes workers of the sacred sex trade having intercourse with strangers, the prophet uses the term feet instead of legs. This seems to connect the imagery of genitalia and intercourse to feet.

At every street corner you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs (feet) with increasing promiscuity (ZNH) to anyone who passed by. (Ezekiel 16:25)

After King David impregnated Bathsheba, he attempted to cover up the conception of his affair. He recalled Uriah from the front line of war to have intercourse with Bathsheba, Uriah’s legal wife. In David’s mind the pregnancy could then be attributed to Uriah instead of the king’s illicit trist with the married Bathsheba. The plan does not go well for the king. Although the phrase, “wash the feet” is used for Uriah’s visit to his wife, Uriah clarifies,“wash the feet”, means genital sexual intercourse in 2 Samuel 11:11.

Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. (2 Samuel 11:8)

Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love (SCB) to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!” (2 Samuel 11:11)

The Book of Ruth is not explicit about Boaz and Ruth’s sexual intimacy. One of the translation principles used in this work is, “If the author intends clarity, then the text is explicit and precise. If a text seems vague, then obscurity may be intention .” Ruth could be the case of intentional lack of detail for the sake of teaching small children about sexual health in marriage. Naomi coaches Ruth guiding her to the intimacy of beauty. Beauty is one of seven intimacies presented in Genesis 1-4. Naomi states,

Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. (Ruth 3:3)

Naomi then advises Ruth to “uncover the feet” of Boaz. The phrase “uncover the feet” can connect to genitalia with or without sexual intimacy or it may be simply saying she lay at his literal feet. The text appears ambiguous. Could this be for storytelling to children? Naomi’s plan puts Ruth in proximity with Boaz so he might enact the YBM (guardian redeemer) marriage law. The YBM, pronounced yah-BEEM, sexual health code in the ancient Near East permitted family members to marry a widow related by marriage. The YBM not only ensured offspring, but created inheritance rights and tribal protection for women. This might be thought of as ancient life insurance. Then Ruth makes the pitch for a marriage proposal when she asks Boaz to “spread the corner of your garment over me.”

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

“The LORD bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.

And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. (Ruth 3:3-11)

“Spread the corner of your garment over” is used one other time in the Old Testament for the making of a covenant of marriage.

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 your naked body (covered your nakedness). I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine. (Ezekiel 16:8)

Covering nakedness is the opposite of uncovering nakedness. Leviticus lists numerous incest prohibitions using the term” uncover the nakedness of”.

Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her. (Leviticus 18:7)

The literal Hebrew is, “The nakedness of your father, that is the nakedness of your mother do not uncover she is your mother.” After Ham uncovers the nakedness of (commits incest with) his mother in Genesis 9, the brothers, Shem and Japheth, “cover the nakedness” of their mother.

But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body (cover the nakedness of). Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked. (Genesis 9:23)

Uncovering the nakedness can mean the sexual violence of incest. Covering the nakedness without the preposition “un” appears to be an act of recovery not violation. The Ezekiel 16:8 passage seems to redeem the people of Israel for relationship with God using the familiar sexual health term, covenant. Ezekiel 16:8 does not appear to be a sexual intercourse snap shot.

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 your naked body (covered your nakedness). I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine. (Ezekiel 16:8)

The Books of Chronicles

Genital Sexual Intercourse

Pregnant

Give Birth to

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)

High Places for the Sacred Sex Trade

Sacred Sex Trade

He had also built high places on the hills of Judah and had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray. (2 Chronicles 21:11)

Covenant

Jehoiada then made a covenant that he, the people and the king would be the LORD’s people. (2 Chronicles 23:16)

Baal

High Places for the Sacred Sex Trade

Asherah Poles

Idols

All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. (2 Chronicles 23:17)

In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols. (2 Chronicles 34:3)

Baals

Asherah Poles

Idols

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)

2Ch 34:15 – Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD.” He gave it to Shaphan.

2Ch 34:16 – Then Shaphan took the book to the king and reported to him: “Your officials are doing everything that has been committed to them.

2Ch 34:17 – They have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted it to the supervisors and workers.”

2Ch 34:24 – ‘This is what the LORD says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people—all the curses written in the book that has been read in the presence of the king of Judah.

Tools

Other Gods

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)

The Book of Ezra

Unhealthy Sexual Behaviors

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)

Covenant

Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. (Ezra 10:3)

Nehemiah

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 of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there. (Nehemiah 7:5)

Eunuch Intersexuality

Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. (Esther 2:3)

In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name. (Esther 2:14)

The Book of Daniel

Sexual Health Positive Term

Eunuch/Intersexual

Covenant

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility. (Daniel 1:3)

The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel,

but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your[fn] food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”

Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. (Daniel 1:7-11)

At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. (Daniel 1:18)

He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” (Daniel 9:27)

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.

On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs 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 3.9 inch long penis had the urethral opening on the shaft rather than at the tip of the glans. The subject had both testicles and ovaries located inside the body cavity. The case study 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. These symptoms 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 it may not classify as intersexuality, 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 clinical sexologist to include them in the sample. If not, then clearly, one can say experts agree data shows at minimum .018% to a maximum of 1.7% of live births have variation from typical males and females.

This data can be a game changer for people of faith. Neither Jesus nor any other author of the Bible condemns 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 violence and hatred for people who are “born” that way?

Women Who Changed History: Ruth and Esther

July 28, 2023.Reading time 16 minutes.

The Book of Ruth

Sexual Health Positive Vocabulary

Uncover the Feet (Ruth3:4)

Spread the Corner of Garment, Lie at Feet (Ruth 3:9,14)

Genital Sexual Intercourse, BO (Ruth 4:13)

Uncover the Feet

When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.” (Ruth 3:4)

Spread Corner of Garment, Lie at Feet

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

So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.” (Ruth 3:14)

Genital Sexual Intercourse, BO

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her (BO), the LORD enabled her to conceive, and shegave birth to a son. (Ruth 4:13)

Gynecological and Anatomical Terms

Conceive, hey-REEN

Give Birth, YEH-led

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the LORD enabled her to conceive (hey-REEN), and she gave birth (YEH-led) to a son. (Ruth 4:13)

The Book of Ruth may be another sexual health teaching piece for childen. In this short story children might learn about physical intimacy, family responsibility, betrothal, and the covenant of marriage without direct conversation about sexual intercourse or body parts. One principle clinicians use with children is to only disclose information for which the child has had experience. For example, a child without sexual hormones will not understand the sensation of sexual attraction until puberty. But that same child can understand body parts and boundaries. The gentle sexual health terms for intimacy in Ruth are: uncover the feet, spread the corner of the garment, and lie at the feet. The Hebrew term for feet, REH-gehl, has a range of meaning: literal feet, genitalia male or female, elimination of urine or feces, and possibly genital sexual intercourse. (Strong, 7272)

Feet, REH-ghel, first appears in Genesis. Abraham offers God’s messengers a hygienic foot washing with place to rest.

Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet (REH-gehl) and rest under this tree. (Genesis 18:4)

…the afterbirth from her womb and the children she bears (the afterbirth which comes out from her feet, REH-gehl). For in her dire need she intends to eat them secretly because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of your cities. (Deuteronomy 28:57)

Isaiah uses feet in a modest way to describe the shaving of male pubic hair.

In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—to shave your heads and private parts (REH,gehl\feet), and to cut off your beards also. (Isaiah 7:20)

Feet also appears as a euphemism for elimination of urine or feces. Ehud the judge executes Eglon King of Moab. Lying dead within the royal quarters, Eglon’s servants surmise the locked doors are because the king relieves himself. Literally in the Hebrew the phrase is, “covering his feet ”. This same expression appears in the King Saul snapshot. Saul takes a restroom break in a cave while pursuing David. Saul “covers his feet” or eliminates.

After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself (cover his feet) in the inner room of the palace.” (Judges 3:24)

He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself (cover his feet). David and his men were far back in the cave. (1 Samuel 24:3)

When Ezekiel describes victims of sex trafficking having intercourse with strangers, the prophet uses the term feet instead of legs. This seems to connect the imagery of genitalia to feet.

At every street corner you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs (feet) with increasing promiscuity (zah-NAH) to anyone who passed by. (Ezekiel 16:25)

After King David impregnated Bathsheba, he attempted to cover up his affair. He recalled Uriah from the front line of war to have intercourse with Bathsheba, Uriah’s legal wife. In David’s mind the pregnancy could then be attributed to Uriah instead of the king’s illicit trist with the married Bathsheba. The plan does not go well for the king. Although the phrase, “wash the feet” is used for Uriah’s visit to his wife, Uriah clarifies,“wash the feet”, means genital sexual intercourse in 2 Samuel 11:11.

Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet (REH-gehl).” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. (2 Samuel 11:8)

Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love (shah-KAWV) to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!” (2 Samuel 11:11)

The Book of Ruth does not explicitly detail Boaz and Ruth’s sexual intimacy. One of the translation principles used in this work is, “If the author intends clarity, then the text is explicit and precise. If a text seems vague, then obscurity may be intention .” Ruth could be the case of intentional lack of detail for the sake of teaching small children about sexual health in marriage. Naomi coaches Ruth guiding her to the intimacy of beauty. Beauty is one of seven intimacies presented in Genesis 1-4. Naomi states,

Naomi then advises Ruth to “uncover the feet” of Boaz. The phrase “uncover the feet” can connect to genitalia with or without sexual intimacy or it may be simply saying she lay at his literal feet. The text appears ambiguous. Could this be for storytelling to children? Naomi’s plan puts Ruth in proximity with Boaz so he might enact the yah-BEEM (guardian redeemer) marriage law. The yah-BEEM, sexual health code in the ancient Near East, permitted family members to marry a widow related by marriage. The yah-BEEM not only ensured offspring, but created inheritance rights with tribal protection for women and their children. This might be thought of as ancient life insurance. Then Ruth makes the pitch for a marriage proposal when she asks Boaz to, “spread the corner of your garment over me.”

“Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer (yah-BEEM) of our family.”

“The LORD bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.

And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. (Ruth 3:3-11)

“Spread the corner of your garment over” is used one other time in the Old Testament for making a covenant of marriage.

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 your naked body (covered your nakedness). I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine. (Ezekiel 16:8)

Covering nakedness is the opposite of uncovering nakedness. Leviticus lists numerous incest prohibitions using the term” uncover the nakedness of”.

Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her. (Leviticus 18:7)

The Book of Esther

Sexual Health Positive Term

Eunuch/Intersexual

Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch (sah-REECE), who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. (Esther 2:3)

In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch (sah-REECE)who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name. (Esther 2:14)

Eunuch/Intersexual, sah-REECE

Eunuch, meaning court official unable to have heterosexual genital intercourse, is the Hebrew word sah-REECE appearing 42 times in the Hebrew Old Testament (Strong, H5631). The New Testament Greek term is eunuch, pronounced you-NEW-kos, which occurs eight times (Strong, G2135).

In the Old Testament,sah-REECE is used to describe Potiphar, the cup bearer and chief baker for Pharaoh, the eunuchs caring for the harem including Esther, and Isaiah’s encouraging prophecy of hope. In the New Testament Jesus affirms eunuchs in the church. Phillip baptizes the eunuch in charge of Queen Candace’s chief of operations in Acts 8. The term eunuch is specific to a class of court officials who guarded the harem of the king. The eunuch, sah-REECE, was either born without the ability for genital sexual intercourse, or he was surgically castrated to prevent impregnating the wives of kings. The eunuch born with the ability for intercourse and conception most likely has intersexual traits. Approximately 2% of the population is born not XX or XY chromosomes. Some intersexual variants make intercourse and conception impossible.

Numbers and Deuteronomy Sexual Health Vocabulary

July 25, 2023.Reading time 35 minutes.

Numbers and Deuteronomy

Sexual Health

Numbers and Deuteronomy Sexual Health Vocabulary

Genital Sexual Intercourse: yah-DAH (Numbers 31:17)

Sexual Attraction: chah-SHAWK (Deuteronomy 21:11)

Genital Sexual Intercourse, qah-RAWV (Deuteronomy 22:13-14)

Life Insurance by Next of Kin: yah-BEEM (Deuteronomy 25:5-7)

Gynecological and Anatomical Terms

Ejaculation: seh-kah-VAT zehr-AH (Numbers 5:13)

Miscarry, Abort: nah-PHAWL (Numbers 5:22)

Womb: BEH-ten (Numbers 5:22)

Genitals: yah-REIK (Numbers 5:22)

Give Birth to: YEH-led (Deuteronomy 21:15)

Virginity: buh-tue-LAH (Deuteronomy 22:13-14)

Nocturnal Emission: lie-LAH qah-RAH (Deuteronomy 23:10-11)

Male Genitals: muh-boo-SHEEM (Deuteronomy 25:11)

Afterbirth, shah-LACH (Deuteronomy 28:57)

Birth Canal: REH-ghel (Deuteronomy 28:57)

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Seduction: sah-TAH (Numbers 5:20)

Unhealthy Sexuality: shah-KAWV (Numbers 5:20)

Sacred Sex Trade: zah-NAH (Numbers 15:39)

Decline in Intimacy with God: chah-LEIL (Numbers 25:1)

Adultery: nah-AWF (Deuteronomy 5:18)

Covet: chah-MAWD (Deuteronomy 5:21)

Coercive Sexual Intercourse: BO (Deuteronomy 21:13)

Incest/Uncover Your Father’s Skirt: gah-LAH kah-NAWF (Deuteronomy 22:30)

Summary

Sexual Health Vocabulary

Genital Sexual Intercourse, yah-DAH

The premier sexual health positive term for genital intercourse of Genesis 4:1, yah-DAH, appears in Numbers 31:17. Yah-DAH can mean spiritual, emotional, intellectual and sexual intimacy. The term “sex” never appears in the original languages of Biblical Hebrew and New Testament Greek. The premier vocabulary in Genesis is sexual intimacy in context with spirituality, beauty, rest, pleasure, compassionate presence, and reconciliation. I enjoy adding a neuroscience view toward human sexuality. The intimacy of sexual intercourse begins in the prefrontal cortex with connection to God, taking pleasure in the beauty of a partner’s compassionate presence, and reconciling weary souls with rest.

…every woman who has slept with (yah-DAH) a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with (yah-DAH) a man. (Numbers 31:17)

Genital Sexual Intercourse, qah-RAWV (Deuteronomy 22:13-14)

The word draw near, qah-RAWV, can also mean sexual intercourse. In this case when a man has intercourse with a new bride and she cannot demonstrate that she is a virgin on the wedding night, then the groom has legal grounds to divorce her.

If a man takes a wife and, after sleeping with her, dislikes her

and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, “I married this woman, but when I approached (qah-RAWV) her, I did not find proof of her virginity.” (Deuteronomy 22:13-14)

Sexual Attraction, chah-SHAWK

A new sexual health term appears in Deuteronomy 21:11. The word is chah-SHAWK. The range of meaning includes sexual attraction, to cling, join, love, take pleasure in, or set in love. (Strong, H2836)

If you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted to (chah-SHAWK) her, you may take her as your wife. (Deuteronomy 21:11)

Yah-BEEM

The yah-BEEM is an ancient Near Eastern marriage custom protecting widows. I like to think of the yah-BEEM as life insurance by next of kin. If the husband of a wife dies, then the male’s next closest family member may choose to marry the widow. The yah-BEEM is at the core of the Onan and Tamar disaster of Genesis 38 and the romantic snap shop of Ruth and Boaz. (Ruth 2:20) The yah-BEEM provides tribal protection for a widow. In addition if she has children by the remarriage, then inheritance laws create financial stability for the widow and her offspring.

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.” (Deuteronomy 25:5-7)

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.” (Genesis 38:8)

“The LORD bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers.” (Ruth 2:20)

Gynecological and Anatomical Terms

Ejaculation: seh-kah-VAT zehr-AH (Numbers 5:13)

“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man’s wife goes astray (sah-TAH) and is unfaithful to him so that another man has sexual relations (seh-kah-VAH zeh-RAH) with her, and this is hidden from her husband and her impurity is undetected (since there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act). (Numbers 5:12-13)

This passage begins the only abortion snap shot in the Bible. The narrative starts with seduction. “Goes astray” is the Hebrew term sah-TAH. (Strong, H7847) The Ethiopic language nuances this term as “to be seduced”. The result of the seduction and affair is pregnancy. These two words literally mean bed (seh-kah-VAH) with sperm (zeh-RAH) . (Strong, H7902 and H2233) The Greek translates seh-kah-VAH zeh-RAH as “sperm in bed”. Seh-KAH zeh-RAH, an emission of semen or sperm in bed appear together 7 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. (Strong, H7902 and H2233)

The pregnancy termination protocol of Numbers 5 involves a question of marriage fidelity and paternity. If a husband questions his wife’ sexual integrity, then the priest may administer an abortion solution to the female. If the chemicals have no effect, then this proves she did not have an affair. However, if her abdomen, BEH-ten, swells (tsah-BAH) and the child miscarries, ya-REIK naw-PHAWL, the pregnancy terminates. The Hebrew words for terminate pregnancy literally say, the genitals (yah-REIK) fall (nah-PHAWL). (Strong, H3409 and H5307) The term for swell, tsah-BAH, can mean “go into battle”. (Strong, H6638) Perhaps the violent imagery of war highlights the reaction of the abortion chemicals on the fetus? The induced abortion then confirms the pregnancy resulted from adultery.

Miscarry or Abort, nah-PHAWL (Numbers 5:22)

Womb, BEH-ten (Numbers 5:22)

Genitals, yah-REIK (Numbers 5:22)

But if you have gone astray while married to your husband and you have made yourself impure by having sexual relations with a man other than your husband”—

here the priest is to put the woman under this curse—“may the LORD cause you to become a curse among your people when he makes your womb (yah-REIK) miscarry (nah-PHAWL) and your abdomen (BEH-ten) swell (tsah-BAH). (Strong, H6638) May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen (BEH-ten) swells (tsah-BAH) or your womb (yah-REIK) miscarries (nah-PHAWL).” ‘Then the woman is to say, “Amen. So be it.” (Numbers 5:12-22)

Give Birth to, YEH-led (Deuteronomy 21:15)

Virginity, buh-tue-LAH (Deuteronomy 22:13-14)

Nocturnal Emission, lie-LAH qah-RAH (Deuteronomy 23:10-11)

Male Genitals, muh-boo-SHEEM (Deuteronomy 25:11)

Birth Canal, REH-ghel (Deuteronomy 28:57)

The laws of Deuteronomy intended to bring justice to fearful people. This section of Deuteronomy 21-25 addresses numerous practical matters including sexual health, unsolved crimes, marrying prisoners of war, alcoholic children, a bird’s nest, slander, divorce, marrying a step mother, inheritance rights, virginity, nocturnal emission, and sentencing guidelines for striking a man’s testicles in a fist fight.

In this law using the term YEH-led meaning to bear, inheritance rights were guaranteed to the rightful heir.

If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, and both bear (YEH-led) him sons but the firstborn is the son of the wife he does not love, 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 in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love.

He must acknowledge the son of his unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father’s strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him. (Deuteronomy 21:15-17)

Vetting virginity perhaps indicated a potential bride free of sex trafficking and or sexually transmitted infections. In Deuteronomy 22:13-14 if a husband “hated” (sah-NEY) his new bride after intercourse, the plaintiff-groom might appeal to the local court by contesting her virginity and therefore annul the marriage. (Strong, H8130) The defendant’s father acting as attorney, presented as evidence her blood-stained wedding-night garment proving her virginity (buh-tue-LAH. (Strong, H1331) Minimum sentencing guidelines if found innocent of slander, 100 shekels paid to the father of the bride, and the bride stay married to the plaintiff. Maximum sentence for the female in the event of promiscuous past? Death by stoning.

Her father will say to the elders, “I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he dislikes (sah-NEY/hates) her. Now he has slandered her and said, ‘I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.’ But here is the proof of my daughter’s virginity.” Then her parents shall display the cloth (sim-LAH) before the elders of the town. (Deuteronomy 22:16-17; Strong, H8071)

Nocturnal Emission, lie-LAH qah-RAH (Deuteronomy 23:10-11)

Hygiene formed a central part of the life of Israel. Cleanliness reflected the holiness or beauty of God’s character. The writer concludes this section by saying, these protocols are “to protect you and deliver your enemies to you”. The sanitation and hygiene protocols of holiness may have been one reason Israel prevailed over their enemies. Disease killed over two thirds of combatants before 1900. In the Civil War recent studies show approximately 750,000 solders died from absence of hygiene, sanitation, and improper human waste removal.https://www.pbs.org/mercy-street/uncover-history/behind-lens/disease/ 

Deuteronomy 23 contains articulate hygiene guidelines. In this section instructions were given for both sanitation of semen and excrement. Nocturnal emission is literally lie-LAH (night) qah-RAH (involuntary emission). In the event of transmission of seminal fluid, the male was to wash outside the camp and then return. The term for excreting is the euphemism, hand, YAWD. (Strong, H3027)

If one of your men is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he is to go outside the camp and stay there.

But as evening approaches he is to wash himself, and at sunset he may return to the camp.

Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve (YAWD) yourself.

As part of your equipment have something to dig with, and when you relieve yourself, dig a hole and cover up your excrement.

For the LORD your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you. (Deuteronomy 23:10-14)

Male Genitalia, muh-boo-SHEEM

If two guys are fighting and one man’s wife with malice of forethought “forcefully seizes” the adversary’s genitals, then she could be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Sentencing guidelines for reckless disregard of a man’s genitalia included cutting off her hand. The word for private parts,(muh-boo-SHEEM) means, “that which activates a sense of shame.” (Strong, H4016)

If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts (muh-boo-SHEEM)

you shall cut off her hand. Show her no pity. (Deuteronomy 25:11-12)

Afterbirth, shah-LACH

Birth Canal, REH-ghel

The word REH-ghel means foot, genitals, or birth canal. The use of REH-ghel, foot, for genitals is called euphemism. This literary device was a favored choice of Hebrew writers. They enjoyed exchanging an explicit term with a seemingly benign word. Genesis used “cover the nakedness of the father” for incest. Washing the feet can convey sexual intercourse or it can simply mean cleaning crust from dusty digits. When one went outside the camp to excrete, the term is “to use the hand” (YAWD). REH-ghel, foot, in Deuteronomy 28:57 clearly speaks of the birth canal. This is a terrifying prophecy for the people of Israel. If they kept covenant maintaining intimacy with God, they were promised blessings. If not, catastrophic results guaranteed the consuming of afterbirth during times of siege from foreign enemies and famine.

…the afterbirth (shah-LACH) from her womb (REH-ghel/feet) and the children she bears. For in her dire need she intends to eat them secretly because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of your cities. (Deuteronomy 28:57; Strong, H7988 and H7272)

Unhealthy Sexuality Terms

Unhealthy Sexuality: shah-KAWV (Numbers 5:20)

Biblical sexual health terms range from intimacy words like knowing, seeing, and drawing near. Unhealthy sexuality vocabulary are just as varied. One of the common Biblical Hebrew words for sexual intercourse is shah-KAWV (Strong, H7901). Appearing 213 times in 194 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament the range of meaning includes: genital sexual intercourse, to rape, to lie down, to sleep, or to stayor die. Genesis uses shah-KAWV twenty times, fifteen of which refer to unhealthy sexuality. All uses of shah-KAWV in the book of Genesis connect to the unhealthy sexuality of incest, non-consensual intercourse, bartering for sexual favors, rape, and coercive seduction for sexual intercourse.The first five books of Moses called the Pentateuch use shah-KAWV for a total of 18 times for unhealthy sexuality. Shah-KAWV appears as incestuous rape 5x’s, coercing sex with money 1x, rape of a non family member 6x’s, attempted rape by an authority figure 5x’s, seduction 1x, sex with animals 2x’s, intercourse with hygiene protocols 5x’s, incest with family members 6x’s, abortion protocols 2x’s, and adultery 2x’s in the Pentateuch. In sexual health contexts shah-KAWV is never used for relational intimacy as the word for genital sexual intercourse, yah-DAH. When conveying sexual health, shah-KAWV only means coercive sexuality. Nearly 89 percent of the uses of shah-KAWV mean rape.

Shah-KAWV as Rape 16 x’s

Shah-KAWV as Coercion 2x’s

…so that another man has sexual relations (shah-KAWV) with her, and this is hidden from her husband and her impurity is undetected (since there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act). (Numbers 5:13)

Sacred Sex Trafficking: zah-NAH (Numbers 15:39)

Zah-NAH, sacred sex trafficking appears 93 times within 81 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament (Strong, H2181). Zah-NAH has range of use: unhealthy sexuality, a sex trade trafficker or victim, or symbolizing Israel’s spiritual decline from intimacy with God. Zah-NAH comes from the Hebrew root word, ZOON, conveying “well or highly fed”. (Strong, H2181) Perhaps the image describes a lucrative sex trade trafficker who appeared, “well fed” or a trafficker who requiring food for sex services rendered? The Aramaic and Ethiopic use of zah-NAH is quite literal, effusio seminis virilis, seman effusum, or absorption of the male seed (Strong, H2181).

Zah-NAH, the sacred sex trade or sex trafficking victim appears three times in Genesis. Shechem rapes Dinah. Ancient sexual health customs legally allowed rape victims to marry the perpetrator as not only deterrence for sexual assault but also restitution. Once a virgin bride had been compromised by assault, one of very few financial options for unmarriageable females was sex trafficking. (Exodus 22:16-17; Deuteronomy 22:28-29) A legal marriage or covenant with the perpetrator forced him to support the victim financially and offer security for the rest of her life. Like the yah-BEEM offering financial security for widows, rape laws provided a kind of ancient Near Easter insurance to potential victims. Children born to rape victims too had access to inheritance with its political and military security. Back to the Genesis snap shot. After Dinah’s rape, her two brothers coerce Shechem to circumcise his entire male community as part of a conspired faux marital agreement. While the beguiled groom and male cohorts recover from surgery, Dinah’s brothers slaughter the incapacitated circumcision patients. Genesis relays the reason for the brothers’ mass murder: “But they replied, ‘Should he have treated (raped) our sister like a prostitute (zah-NAH/ sacred sex trafficking victim)’”? (Genesis 34:31)

The final two Genesis citations of zah-NAH appear in the Judah and Tamar sacred sex trafficking seduction scene of Genesis 38. Judah promises to give his surviving son Shelah to Tamar in marriage, whose previous two husbands died in the Onan coitus interruptus snapshot.

Judah strategically delays the marriage to Shelah. Perhaps the patriarch fears Tamar a bad bet to marry his third surviving son? Both of Judah’s two sons, Er and Onan, who married Tamar perished. Could it be Judah planned to protect his only son Shelah? Clearly jilted and perhaps infuriated Tamar poses as a sacred sex trade trafficker. At a local sex shrine Tamar stations herself wearing traffickers’ garb waiting for her victim. She intends to seduce Judah for sex and coerce a pregnancy. Judah falls for the seduction and Tamar conceives by her father-in-law. When Tamar’s twin embryos progress to the third trimester, she can no longer conceal her pregnancy. Judah rightly assumes Tamar conceived in the sacred sex trade. However, he wrongly calls for her execution. The death sentence commutes when his pregnant daughter- in-law produces identification Judah gave her as earnest for their sex trafficking transaction. Judah remarks after staying the execution of his daughter-in-law, “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 38:26)

Exodus cites zah-NAH twice. Both refer to the sacred sex trade and idolatry. Leviticus uses the term, sacred sex trafficking seven times. Three Leviticus passages outline directions for temple staff. The author of Leviticus directs priests not to marry within the sacred sex trade, and daughters from priestly families are not to engage in zah-NAH, sex trafficking(Leviticus 21). Goat worship and the sacred sex trade begins the conversation in Leviticus 17:7. Sacred sex trafficking connects directly to the worship of Molek in Leviticus 20 and spiritual mediums. Leviticus mandates Israeli parents not to traffic their daughters into the sacred sex trade. (Leviticus 19:29). All five zah-NAH citations in Numbers relate to the sacred sex trade. In fact as daily reminder, Israel wore clothing with tassels to down regulate sexual neural pathways and abstain from sacred sex trafficking. “You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute (zah-NAH/participate in sacred sex trafficking)yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes.”(Numbers 15:39) For the first time male sacred sex trade workers appear in the Bible at Deuteronomy 23. The terms for sex traffickers are the root word for holy, and male trafficker is dog. (Strong, H3611)

No Israelite man (qah-DEISH) or woman (qah-deh-SHAH) is to become a shrine prostitute. (Deuteronomy 23:17; H6945, H6948)

You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute (zah-NAH) or of a male prostitute (KEH-lev/dog) into the house of the LORD your God to pay any vow, because the LORD your God detests them both. (Deuteronomy 23:18; H2181, H3611)

The final passage of Numbers declares upon Moses’ death, the people will once again decline to sacred sex trafficking. (Numbers 31:16)

Decline in Intimacy with God, chah-LEIL (Numbers 25:1)

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began (chah-LEIL) to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women. (Numbers 25:1)

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-LEIL) to enjoy its fruit. (Deuteronomy 28:30)

In my research of sexual health passages a fascinating discovery emerged. I noticed the Hebrew word chah-LEIL often translated as “to begin” appears repeatedly at the start of decline of intimacy with God snap shots. (Strong, H2490) Chah-LEIL occurs eight times in Genesis introducing the sexual nihilism of Genesis 6, the incest of Ham and his mother in chapter 9, the tower of Babel of Genesis 11, the Egyptian famine with Joseph, the disclosure of stolen contraband, and Reuben’s rape of his father’s concubine. This word triggering a decline of intimacy with God occurs twice in Exodus for improperly building an altar and violating the Sabbath. Leviticus uses chah-LEIL 6 times for sexual health concerns: in marriage for priests, trafficking daughters into the sex trade, and sacrificing children to Molek. (Leviticus 18:21; 19:29; 20:3; 21:4,9, 21:15) Numbers uses chah-LEIL 5 times and Deuteronomy 7.

Adultery: nah-AWF (Deuteronomy 5:18)

Covet: chah-MAWD (Deuteronomy 5:21)

Adultery is a sexual act between two persons who are in a marriage agreement with other partners. Adultery does not appear in the Book of Genesis. (Strong, H5003) The first occurrence of nah-AWF, adultery, appears within the Ten Commandments of Exodus 20:14. Leviticus pronounces the death sentence for adulterers and Deuteronomy 5:18 is the retelling of the Ten Commandments. This literary form is called repetition. Genesis 2 is the retelling of Genesis 1. Deuteronomy 5 is the second telling of the Law first penned in Exodus 20. The Chronicles retell the story of the Kings. The four Gospels retell the teachings of Jesus using the same literary device called repetition.

“You shall not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)

“ ‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor— both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death. (Leviticus 20:10)

“You shall not commit adultery. (Deuteronomy 5:18)

Adultery and covet appear in the second telling of the Ten Commandments. These sexual health terms connect word for word to the sexual sobriety and teachings of Jesus and New Testament writers.

“You shall not commit adultery (nah-AWF). (Deuteronomy 5:18)

“You shall not covet (chah-MAWD)your neighbor’s wife. (Deuteronomy 5:21)

“But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully (covet) has already committed adultery (moi-KEW-oh) with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28)

Unhealthy Sexual Intercourse: BO (Deuteronomy 21:13)

…and put aside the clothes she was wearing when captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a full month, then you may go to her (BO) and be her husband and she shall be your wife. (Deuteronomy 21:13)

Another unhealthy intercourse term appears, “to go to”. The Hebrew word is BO, and conveys “to go to someone” meaning sexual intercourse. The Biblical Hebrew BO is pronounced BO as in BO-tox. BO appears as an unhealthy sexuality term in 29 of the 2,591 times used in the Hebrew Old Testament. The range of meaning for BO includes to go, to come, abide, befall, bring, call, send, strike, and coercive genital sexual intercourse (Strong, H935).

Genesis uses BO 16 times. AllBO citations in Genesis connect to unhealthy sexuality. BO does not appear in chapters 1-5 of the Genesis sexual health big picture. BO first occurs in the decline from intimacy with God section of chapter 6, the coercive intercourse with Hagar and Bilhah the concubine, the incest of Lot’s daughters with their biological father, Laban coercing his son-in-law Jacob to have sex with Leah, the bartering of aphrodisiacs for sexual favors between rival sisters, the fatal Onan coitus interruptus snapshot, and Tamar’s incestuous seduction of her father-in-law. Deuteronomy uses BO twice to refer to marriage customs.

Incest/Uncover Your Father’s Skirt: gah-LAH kah-NAWF (Deuteronomy 22:30)

Genesis 6-11 is the sexual health snap shot laying the foundation for protecting children from sexual violence. Chapter six gives the back story for the judgement of flooding the earth. After God rescues Noah and his family in the ark, the final scene is a snap shot on incest. Ham sees the “nakedness of his father”. Leviticus 18, 20; and Deuteronomy 22:30 use the exact word “uncover” (gah-LAH) for incest prohibitions to protect families from sexual violence. Uncover (gah-LAH) the nakedness in Leviticus is used for incest prohibitions. Deuteronomy cites uncover (gah-LAH) the corner of one’s garment (kah-NAWF) in the same sense of sexual safety. (Strong, H3670) Uncovering the garment or nakedness appears to be a sexual act. In Ruth the term “covering the garment” is used for the protection of a widow.

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

A man is not to marry his father’s wife; he must not dishonor his father’s bed (uncover the corner of the garment (kah-NAWF). (Deuteronomy 22:30)

Rape, shah-GAHL (Deuteronomy 28:30)

Protection from sexual violence is an ongoing theme from Genesis 6-11 with incest prevention, the Sodom and Gomorrah snap shot, Christ’s mandate against child abuse in Matthew 18, Paul’s zero tolerance for sexual condemnation, and the Book of Revelation’s passion against sex trafficking. The final two sexual health terms predict sexual violence when Israel loses intimacy with God. The word for rape is sha-GAWL. ( Strong, H7693) Sha-GAWL, rape, appears four times in the Hebrew OT and always means sexual violence. The last term is afterbirth, shill-YAH. (Strong, H7953) The author predicts the violence of the Assyrian invasion of 722 BCE, and the Babylonian sacking of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. With prolonged siege and starvation, the writer predicts mothers will consume the placenta of their children. (Strong, H7988)

…the afterbirth from her womb and the children she bears. (Deuteronomy 28:57)

Minor Prophets and Sexual Health

July 19, 2023.Reading time 35 minutes.

Minor Prophets

The Book of Hosea

Promiscuous Woman: ZNH

Adulterous: ZNH

Conceive

Bear

Give Birth to

Unfaithfulness Between Breasts

Adultery

Lovers

Baal

Expose Lewdness

Allure

Locales for the Sacred Sex Trade: Mountaintops, Hills; Oak, Poplar, and Terebinth Trees

Wages of a Sacred Sex Trade Worker

When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous (ZNH) wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness (ZNH) to the LORD.”

Tools

So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

Gomer conceived again and gave birth to 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.

Tools

Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the LORD their God, will save them.”

Tools

After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son. (Hosea 1:2-8)

Chapter 1 of Hosea features a plethora of sexual health terms. Promiscuous woman and adulterous wife, and unfaithfulness are all the same root word, ZNH, sacred sex trade participant. “Go marry a promiscuous woman” perhaps is more accurately translated, “a female prolific in sex trade participation.” The term ZNH in the plural form, ZNHNIM, 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 ZNH 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 (NAAP). (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, APH, and adultery, NAP. (Strong, H599, H5003) APH pronounced 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, NAP, pronounced NAWF, 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 is 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)

Tools

Their mother has been unfaithful (ZNH)and has conceived them in disgrace. She said, ‘I will go after my lovers (AHB), 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 (AHB)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, AHB, pronounced ah-HAWV. This is a common word for love appearing 211 times in 195 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. (Strong, H157) However, AHB 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 AHB, lovers, is emphatic and distinctive in the entire Old Testament.

She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold— which they used for Baal. (Hosea 2:8)

“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 (KSA, ARWH) body. (Hosea 2:9)

Uncovering the nakedness is a term for incest. Covering the nakedness appears to be recovering unhealthy sexuality. In the Ham incest snap shot the brothers “cover the nakedness” of their father.

But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered (KSA) their father’s naked (ARWH 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. Tools

So now I will expose her lewdness (NBLT) before the eyes of her lovers (AHB); no one will take her out of my hands. (Hosea 2:10)

Hosea introduces another sexual health term seen only here in the Hebrew Old Testament. NBLT, pronounced nah-beh-LOOTH defines female genitalia. (Strong, H5040) NBLT builds on the root NBL, meaning foolish or shameful occurring 18 times in 18 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. (Strong, H5036) Lovers builds on the root word, AHB. 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 (NBLT) before the eyes of her lovers (AHB); 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 case of Jesus reflecting the teaching and influence of the prophets in his preaching.

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 (AHB), but me she forgot,”

declares the LORD.

“Therefore I am now going to allure (PTH) her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her.

PTH, pronounced pah-THACH, occurs 28 times in 26 verses in the Hebrew Old Testament. (Strong, H6601) PTH is used for enticing, seducing, and coercing.

There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. (Hosea 2:15)

“In that day,” declares the LORD, “you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master.’ (Hosea 2:16)

I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked. (Hosea 2:17)

In that day I will make a covenant 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. (Hosea 2:18)

I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. (Hosea 2:19)

I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge (YDA)the LORD. (Hosea 2:20)

Hosea introduces the Genesis sexual health premier word for intercourse in Hosea 2:20. The word is intimacy, YDA, pronounced yah-DAW. (Strong, H3045). Appearing 953 times in 874 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament.YDA 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. YDA is used in two gang rape snap shots. The sexual offenders of Sodom and the decline to sexual nihilism of Judges both use YDA 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)

The LORD said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man (ray-AH) and is an adulteress (NAF). Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.” (Hosea 3:1)

So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley.

A homer was a Hebrew unit of measurement about 475 pounds. “Half of barley” translates the Hebrew word “lethech,” meaning half of a homer, just under 240 pounds. https://biblehub.com/hosea/3-2.htm

Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute (ZNH) or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.” (Hosea 3:1-3)

Hosea makes an offer to his estranged wife, Gomer, who has re entered the sacred sex trade.

The preacher states that he will be faithful to her and requests that she not continue working in the sacred sex trade and to refrain from being “intimate with any man”. This phrase in the literal Hebrew states, “Do not participate in the sacred sex trade and do not have to another man.” This makes most sense in English to read, “ …you shall not have another man.”

Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment (YDA) of God in the land.

There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. (Hosea 4:1-2)

…my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.(YDA) “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. (Hosea 4:6)

Hosea now reveals the underlying driver for the idolatry of the Israelis. Their relapse to unhealthy sexuality is due to lack of intimacy, DAAT, pronounced DAH-aut. (Strong, H1847) This form of the term YDA, intimacy appears 93 times in 91 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. Its meaning ranges from the highest sense of being seeing God, to motive, intelligence, and to wisdom. The premier sexual health term for sexual intercouerse is used in a masterful way connecting intimacy with God to the lack of compassion and awareness between Gomer and her husband, Hosea. It seems clear Hosea relied on the Book of Genesis and the sexual health positive big picture to communicate intimacy with God and the people of Israel.

“They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution (ZNH). but not flourish, because they have deserted the LORD to give themselves to prostitution (ZNH); old wine and new wine take away their understanding. (Hosea 4:10)

My people consult a wooden idol, and a diviner’s rod speaks to them. A spirit (RUAH)of prostitution (ZNH)leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God. (Hosea 4:11)

The word prostitution, ZNH, is a unique form in verse 10. It is called a hiphil verb. The original Hebrew places an “h” at the beginning of ZNH to emphasize that the term possesses the sense of “to cause to” participate in trafficking humans for sex. This is the first time ZNH is used in a “causative” way, perhaps give the term a compelling or coercive meaning. Another new sexual health terms 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.

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 (ZNH) and your daughters-in-law to adultery (NAF).

“I will not punish your daughters when they turn to prostitution (ZNH), nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery (NAF), because the men themselves consort with harlots (ZNH) and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes (KDSHA)— a people without understanding (BIN) will come to ruin!

Hosea introduces another new term for intimacy or understanding, BIN, pronounced BEAN. (Strong, H995) Appearing 171 times in 162 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament it gives the sense of knowing intimately but never means genital sexual intercourse. The term is only used as mental understanding.

“Though you, Israel, commit adultery (ZNH), do not let Judah become guilty. “Do not go to Gilgal; do not go up to Beth Aven. And do not swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives!’

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; leave him alone!

Even when their drinks are gone, they continue their prostitution (ZNH); their rulers dearly love shameful (KLH) ways. (Hosea 4:10-18)

Hosea 4:18 seems to be a climactic piece. The preacher uses the term ZNH, act out by trafficking humans for sex, in the hiphil verb form two times. It may read as, “Even though they run out of alcohol, they repeatedly choose to act out in the sacred sex trade for money….”

In the same sentence, Hosea takes a shot at rules. He states, they “dearly love shameful ways”. The Hebrew term is KLH, pronounced kah-LOAN and means female genitalia. (Strong, H7034)

As at Adam, they have broken the covenant; they were unfaithful to me there. (Hosea 6:7)

They are all adulterers (NAF), burning like an oven whose fire the baker need not stir from the kneading of the dough till it rises. (Hosea 7:4)

For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has sold herself to lovers (AHB). (Hosea 8:9)

Do not rejoice, Israel; do not be jubilant like the other nations. For you have been unfaithful (ZNH) to your God; you love the wages of a prostitute (ETN)at every threshing floor. (Hosea 9:1)

In the womb (BTN) he grasped his brother’s heel; as a man he struggled with God. (Hosea 12:3)

The final two sexual health terms are “wages of a sacred sex trade worker” and the “womb” which bore Jacob in Genesis 25:26. Wages from trafficking humans for sex is the Hebrew ETN, pronounced eth-NAWN. (Strong, H868) Appearing 11 tines in 8 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament it carries the sole meaning of earning income from the sacred sex trade.
Jacob’s name means to coerce. This may be a sexual violence image touching the Genesis snap shot in which Laban, his father in law, switches brides on Jacob’s wedding night. Laban manipulated the manipulator to coerce an intoxicated Jacob to marry his unattractive daughter, Leah. (Genesis 29:23) The term for sexual intercourse is not YDA, the premier sexual health term, but rather BO, which always mean unhealthy sexuality in Genesis and is never used for the spirituality or compassion of sexual intimacy (Strong, H935)

But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love (BO) to her. (Genesis 29:23)

The Book of Amos

Abuse

Decline of Intimacy, Profane

Sodom and Gomorrah

Virgin

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 the same girl and so profane my holy name. (Amos 2:7)

“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)

“Fallen is Virgin Israel, never to rise again, deserted in her own land, with no one to lift her up.”(Amos 5:2)

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.” YLK 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. The word profane is the Hebrew trigger word HLL which signals a decline of intimacy with God resulting in unhealthy sexuality.

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 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 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 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 our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line through our father.” (Genesis 19:32)

The Book of Jonah

Idols

“Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. (Jonah 2:8)

The Book of Micah

Idols

Images

Wages of Sacred Sex Trade

Sacred Stones

Asherah Poles

Many

Sacred Sex trade Worker

All her idols will be broken to pieces; all her temple gifts will be burned with fire; I will destroy all her images. Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes, as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used.” (Micah 1:7)

I will destroy your idols and your sacred stones 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.

(Micha 5:13-14)

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 ETN, pronounced et-NAWN. (Strong, H868) Sacred stones, pronounced mas-seh-BAH, has a range of meaning from a single stone to perhaps a pillar of stones. MSBH 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

Shame

“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, GLH, pronounced 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, QLN, 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

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)

Habbakuk has a single sexual health term, foreskin. The word is ARL, pronounce 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

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 Book of Zechariah

Covenant

Rape

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 SGL, pronounced 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)

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

Trigger Term for Decline of Intimacy and Sexual Health (HLL)

Godly Offspring

My covenant was with him, a covenant 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. (Strong, H2233)

Minor Prophets Sexual Health Vocabulary

July 18, 2023.Reading time 21 minutes.