In the Bible, the term "whoredom" is often used figuratively to describe spiritual unfaithfulness and idolatry. This metaphorical use is prevalent throughout the Old and New Testaments, illustrating the relationship between God and His people, particularly Israel, as a covenantal marriage. When Israel turns to other gods or engages in practices contrary to God's commandments, it is depicted as spiritual adultery or whoredom.

Old Testament Usage

The prophets frequently employ the imagery of whoredom to convey Israel's unfaithfulness. In the book of Hosea, God commands the prophet to marry a promiscuous woman as a symbolic act representing Israel's infidelity. Hosea 1:2 states, "When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, He said to him, 'Go, take for yourself a wife of prostitution and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is committing blatant acts of prostitution by forsaking the LORD.'"

Ezekiel also uses this metaphor extensively. In Ezekiel 16, Jerusalem is depicted as an adulterous wife who engages in whoredom by worshiping idols and forming alliances with pagan nations. Ezekiel 16:32 declares, "You adulterous wife! You receive strangers instead of your own husband!"

Jeremiah similarly accuses Judah of spiritual adultery, stating in Jeremiah 3:8 , "Because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet her treacherous sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well."

New Testament Usage

In the New Testament, the concept of whoredom continues to symbolize spiritual unfaithfulness, particularly in the context of the church's relationship with Christ. The book of Revelation uses the imagery of a harlot to describe Babylon, representing a corrupt system opposed to God. Revelation 17:1-2 describes, "Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, 'Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.'"

Theological Implications

The figurative use of whoredom underscores the seriousness of idolatry and spiritual infidelity. It highlights the covenantal nature of the relationship between God and His people, emphasizing that turning away from God to pursue other allegiances is akin to marital unfaithfulness. This metaphor serves as a powerful call to repentance and a return to faithfulness, reminding believers of the exclusive devotion required by their covenant with God.

Moral and Ethical Considerations

The metaphor of whoredom also serves as a warning against the moral and ethical decay that accompanies spiritual unfaithfulness. It illustrates how idolatry and the pursuit of worldly desires can lead to a breakdown in the moral fabric of a community. The prophets' use of this imagery calls for a return to righteousness and a rejection of practices that lead to spiritual and moral compromise.

In summary, the figurative use of whoredom in the Bible is a profound metaphor for spiritual unfaithfulness and idolatry. It serves as a vivid reminder of the covenantal relationship between God and His people, calling for exclusive devotion and faithfulness.Ezekiel 16:1
Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Nave's Topical Index

Ezekiel 23:1
The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,
Nave's Topical Index

Revelation 17:1
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying to me, Come here; I will show to you the judgment of the great whore that sits on many waters:
Nave's Topical Index

But if no Authority for Lying Can be Alleged...
... lie which is received to have been done or said in a figurative sense, or ... person
might be delivered from death: are we therefore to steal, to commit whoredom? ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/on lying/section 9 but if no.htm

The Section Chap. I. -iii.
... and apostasy from the Lord in general, are represented as whoredom"Deuteronomy 32 ...
The basis, however, for this whole figurative representation is Genesis 2:24 ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the section chap i -iii.htm

CHAP. II. 4-25 (2-23).
... thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them ... idea
is here expressed in a manner suited to the figurative representation which ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap ii 25-apr 2-23.htm

The Second Commandment
... his power, yet it is absurd, from such metaphors and figurative expressions, to ... as
much as by real scandal; by image-worship, as by drunkenness and whoredom. ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 2 the second commandment.htm

Matt. xvi. 24
... either sheep or bullocks, see lest to wrath thou sacrifice thine own soul, lest
to whoredom or other ... [2156] apanchoniznton, a strong figurative expression, as ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily lv matt xvi 24.htm

Sermons on Selected Lessons of the Gospels.
... of, [581]460; to such coming of Light, greater darkness, [582]516; but not to those
who know their darkness, [583]516; in the body, figurative of soul's, [584 ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of.htm

The Mystery
... raise up as unceasing monitors to the Christian world, committing whoredom with
the ... be allowed to apply the two olive-trees to two figurative infusers, rather ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/the mystery.htm

Faustus States his Objections to the Morality of the Law and the ...
... reason be said, that as the poetical usage of words differs from the solecisms and
barbarisms of the unlearned, so, in their own way, the figurative actions of ...
/.../faustus states his objections to.htm

The Holy City; Or, the New Jerusalem:
... I do find in most such a spirit of whoredom and idolatry concerning the learning
of this world, and wisdom of the flesh, and God's glory so much stained and ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the holy city or the.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3. <. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm

What is the difference between fornication and adultery? | GotQuestions.org

Was Martin Luther anti-Semitic? | GotQuestions.org

What was the “spirit of prostitution” in Hosea 4:12? | GotQuestions.org

Whoredom: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus