Genitals
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In the biblical context, the term "genitals" refers to the reproductive organs of both males and females. These parts of the body are often associated with themes of procreation, modesty, and covenantal relationships in the Scriptures. The Bible addresses the topic of genitals in various passages, often in relation to laws, purity, and moral conduct.

Creation and Procreation

The Bible begins with the account of creation, where God creates humanity in His image, male and female (Genesis 1:27). The command to "be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28) underscores the importance of procreation, which inherently involves the use of the genitals. This divine mandate highlights the role of human sexuality within the context of marriage as a means to fulfill God's purpose for humanity.

Covenantal Significance

In the Old Testament, the male genitals are specifically mentioned in the context of the Abrahamic covenant. Circumcision, the removal of the foreskin, is instituted as a sign of this covenant between God and Abraham's descendants (Genesis 17:10-11). This physical mark on the male genitals serves as a perpetual reminder of the Israelites' unique relationship with God and their commitment to His laws.

Laws and Purity

The Mosaic Law contains specific regulations concerning the genitals, particularly in relation to ceremonial cleanliness and moral behavior. Leviticus 15 outlines laws regarding bodily discharges, emphasizing the need for purification after such occurrences. These laws reflect the broader biblical theme of holiness and the separation of the sacred from the profane.

Deuteronomy 23:1 states, "No man with crushed or severed genitals may enter the assembly of the LORD." This regulation underscores the importance of physical wholeness and integrity in those who participate in the worship community, reflecting the broader principle of offering one's best to God.

Modesty and Moral Conduct

The Bible also addresses the importance of modesty and sexual morality, often in relation to the genitals. In the account of Noah, Ham's disrespectful act of seeing his father's nakedness (Genesis 9:22-23) results in a curse, highlighting the significance of respecting the privacy and dignity of others.

The New Testament continues to uphold the principles of sexual purity and modesty. In 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 , believers are exhorted to "flee from sexual immorality" and to honor God with their bodies, recognizing that they are temples of the Holy Spirit. This teaching reinforces the idea that the genitals, as part of the body, are to be used in ways that honor God and reflect His holiness.

Symbolism and Metaphor

In some instances, the Bible uses the genitals metaphorically to convey spiritual truths. For example, Ezekiel 16 uses vivid imagery to describe Israel's unfaithfulness to God, likening it to sexual immorality. Such passages serve as powerful reminders of the covenantal relationship between God and His people and the consequences of spiritual infidelity.

Overall, the biblical treatment of genitals encompasses themes of creation, covenant, purity, and morality, reflecting the broader theological and ethical teachings of Scripture.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(n.) The organs of generation; the sexual organs; the private parts.
Strong's Hebrew
4016. mabush -- private parts, genitalia
... 4015, 4016. mabush or mabush. 4017 . private parts, genitalia. Transliteration:
mabush or mabush Phonetic Spelling: (maw-boosh') Short Definition: genitals ...
/hebrew/4016.htm - 6k
Library

On the Interior Man
... The navel is the center of desire; in Job: and his strength is above the navel of
the stomach, that is, because the female genitals here mean the same as the ...
/.../eucherius/the formulae of st eucherius of lyons/vi on the interior man.htm

Then, Again, Every one is Ready with the Argument that all Things. ...
... and ears to be the receptacle of evil speech, and the throat to serve the vice of
gluttony, and the belly to be gluttony's ally, and the genitals for unchaste ...
/.../tertullian/the shows or de spectaculis/chapter ii then again every.htm

Concerning Theodore, the Keeper of the Sacred Vessels of Antioch. ...
... insulting acts. Immediately his genitals and rectum were corrupted; their
flesh became putrescent, and was changed into worms. The ...
/.../chapter viii concerning theodore the keeper.htm

How, after the Death of Antiochus, Hyrcanus Made an Expedition ...
... Dora and Marissa, cities of Idumea, and subdued all the Idumeans; and permitted
them to stay in that country, if they would circumcise their genitals, and make ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 9 how after the.htm

How
... [15] And when he had given them leave, they also hid the circumcision of their genitals,
that even when they were naked they might appear to be Greeks. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 5 how.htm

If You Will Open Your Minds' Eyes, and See the Real Truth Without ...
... pigeons? Do we say that the radiant Cytherean Venus grew up, having taken
form from the sea's foam and the severed genitals of Coelus? ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/24 if you will open.htm

For what grandeur -- if you look at the truth without any ...
... thighs, or Venus naked, exciting to lustful desire; Anubis, with his dog's face;
or Priapus, of less importance [4756] than his own genitals: were these ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/25 for what grandeur .htm

What Say You, O Races and Nations, Given up to Such Beliefs? when ...
... Say, again, did the mother of the gods, then, with careful diligence herself
gather in her grief the scattered genitals with the shed blood? ...
/.../arnobius/the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/14 what say you o.htm

Doings of Jupiter.
... war with his father, along with his brothers the Titans; and having beaten them,
he at last threw his father into prison, and cut off his genitals, and threw ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter xx doings of jupiter.htm

How Aristobulus, when He had Taken the Government First of all Put ...
... he added a country to them, and obtained a part of the nation of the Itureans for
them, and bound them to them by the bond of the circumcision of their genitals ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 11 how aristobulus when.htm

Thesaurus
Genitals (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) The organs of generation; the sexual organs; the
private parts. Multi-Version Concordance Genitals (2 Occurrences). ...
/g/genitals.htm - 7k

Nakedness (50 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) The condition of being naked. 2. (n.) The privy
parts; the genitals. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. NAKED; NAKEDNESS. ...
/n/nakedness.htm - 26k

Gennaeus

/g/gennaeus.htm - 6k

Defilement (12 Occurrences)
... 17:15); by eating a carcass (Leviticus 22:8); by contact with issues from the body,
one's own or another's, eg abnormal issues from the genitals, male or ...
/d/defilement.htm - 21k

Defile (63 Occurrences)
... 17:15); by eating a carcass (Leviticus 22:8); by contact with issues from the body,
one's own or another's, eg abnormal issues from the genitals, male or ...
/d/defile.htm - 38k

Private (32 Occurrences)
... 10. (n.) A common soldier; a soldier below the grade of a noncommissioned officer.
11. (n.) The private parts; the genitals. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/p/private.htm - 17k

Foot (193 Occurrences)
... Genesis 49:33). "Foot" or "feet" is sometimes used euphemistically for the
genitals (Deuteronomy 28:57 Ezekiel 16:25). In Deuteronomy ...
/f/foot.htm - 48k

Genesis

/g/genesis.htm - 40k

Resources
What is the meaning of the ankh symbol? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean to emasculate? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about hermaphrodites? | GotQuestions.org

Genitals: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Genitals (2 Occurrences)

Deuteronomy 25:11
When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draws near to deliver her husband out of the hand of him who strikes him, and puts forth her hand, and takes him by the secrets;
(See NAS)

Ezekiel 23:20
She doted on their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of donkeys, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.
(See NIV)

Subtopics

Genitals

Related Terms

Nakedness (50 Occurrences)

Gennaeus

Defilement (12 Occurrences)

Defile (63 Occurrences)

Private (32 Occurrences)

Foot (193 Occurrences)

Genesis

Genetic Engineering
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