Lexical Summary arsenokoites: Homosexual, sodomite Original Word: ἀρσενοκοίτης Strong's Exhaustive Concordance homosexualFrom arrhen and koite; a sodomite -- abuser of (that defile) self with mankind. see GREEK arrhen see GREEK koite HELPS Word-studies 733 arsenokoítēs (from 730 /árrhēn, "a male" and 2845 /koítē, "a mat, bed") – properly, a man in bed with another man; a homosexual. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 733: ἀρσενοκοίτηςἀρσενοκοίτης, ἀρσενοκοιτου, ὁ (ἄρσην a male; κοίτη a bed), one who lies with a male as with a female, a sodomite: 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10. (Anthol. 9, 686, 5; ecclesiastical writings.) Topical Lexicon Root and Scriptural Setting Built from the classical words for “male” (arsēn) and “bed” (koitē), the term designates a male who takes the active role in same-sex acts. It appears only in two Pauline vice lists, yet its conceptual roots stretch back to the creation order of Genesis 1–2 and to the holiness legislation of Leviticus 18:22; 20:13, whose Greek wording (arsenos koitēn) virtually matches the compound Paul employs. Occurrences in the New Testament 1 Corinthians 6:9 places the word among behaviors that, if unrepented, “will not inherit the kingdom of God.” The list is framed by verse 11: “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God”. Thus the term functions not only to condemn a practice but to magnify the grace that delivers people from it. 1 Timothy 1:10 sets the word within a catalogue of law-breakers “contrary to sound doctrine.” Paul’s logic is that God’s moral law still exposes sin and drives sinners to the gospel he proclaims. Background in the Septuagint The Levitical prohibition employed by Paul was already counter-cultural in the ancient Near East. By fusing those two Levitical terms, Paul unmistakably signals continuity between the moral demands of the Torah and apostolic teaching to Gentile converts. This connection undermines claims that the New Testament offers a novel or situational ethic on same-sex practice. Greco-Roman Context First-century Corinth and Ephesus teemed with accepted male-male liaisons ranging from pederasty to temple prostitution. Paul’s readers therefore needed explicit boundaries. By selecting a rare compound, he condemned every form of male homosexual practice without limiting the charge to age-structured or exploitative relationships. The breadth of the word answers modern attempts to confine it to ancient abuses alone. Early Church Witness Patristic writers such as John Chrysostom and Clement of Alexandria uniformly read the term as a prohibition of homosexual practice. Their exegetical consensus across cultures and centuries demonstrates the settled understanding of the early church and refutes the notion of recent mistranslation. Theological Significance 1. Creation Order: Scripture consistently presents male-female union as the only divinely blessed context for sexual intimacy (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6). Ministry and Pastoral Application • Proclamation: Faithful preaching must neither single out nor ignore this sin but present it alongside every other violation of God’s moral law, directing all hearers to the same Savior. Summary Strong’s 733 marks a specific, male-oriented same-sex practice that Scripture uniformly rejects. Through its limited yet strategic usage, the Holy Spirit affirms the continuity of biblical sexual ethics, exposes sin, and highlights the power of the gospel to cleanse, change, and liberate all who come to Christ in faith. Forms and Transliterations άρσεις αρσενοκοιται αρσενοκοίται ἀρσενοκοῖται αρσενοκοιταις αρσενοκοίταις ἀρσενοκοίταις άρσεων άρσιν άρσις αρτάβας arsenokoitai arsenokoîtai arsenokoitais arsenokoítaisLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Corinthians 6:9 N-NMPGRK: μαλακοὶ οὔτε ἀρσενοκοῖται NAS: effeminate, nor homosexuals, KJV: nor abusers of themselves with mankind, INT: effeminate nor homosexuals 1 Timothy 1:10 N-DMP Strong's Greek 733 |
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