The term "whore" in the Bible is used to describe a woman who engages in sexual immorality, often for financial gain, and is frequently associated with idolatry and spiritual unfaithfulness. The concept is not limited to physical acts but extends to spiritual infidelity, where Israel is often depicted as a whore in its unfaithfulness to God.

Old Testament Usage

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word often translated as "whore" is "zanah," which means to commit fornication or adultery. This term is used both literally and metaphorically. For example, in the book of Hosea, Israel is described as a whore due to its idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. Hosea 4:12-13 states, "My people consult their wooden idols, and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they have played the harlot against their God. They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, because their shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery."

The book of Proverbs also warns against the dangers of engaging with a whore, emphasizing the moral and spiritual consequences. Proverbs 5:3-5 warns, "Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her speech is smoother than oil, in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to Sheol."

New Testament Usage

In the New Testament, the Greek word "porne" is used, which similarly refers to a woman who engages in sexual immorality. The term is often used in a broader sense to describe spiritual unfaithfulness. In Revelation, Babylon is depicted as the "great prostitute" or "whore," symbolizing a system of idolatry and opposition 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 use of the term "whore" in the Bible serves as a stark warning against both physical and spiritual infidelity. It underscores the seriousness with which God views covenant unfaithfulness, whether in the context of marriage or in the relationship between God and His people. The imagery of a whore is used to convey the depth of betrayal and the consequences of turning away from God's commandments.

Moral and Ethical Considerations

From a moral and ethical standpoint, the Bible's use of the term "whore" calls believers to a life of purity and faithfulness. It serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining integrity in both personal relationships and in one's relationship with God. The biblical narrative consistently calls for repentance and a return to faithfulness, offering redemption and restoration to those who turn away from immorality and idolatry.

Cultural Context

In the cultural context of the Bible, the term "whore" carried significant social stigma and was often associated with shame and dishonor. The biblical authors used this term to convey the gravity of sin and the need for repentance. The metaphorical use of the term in describing Israel's unfaithfulness highlights the cultural understanding of marriage as a covenant relationship, mirroring the covenant between God and His people.1. (n.) A woman who practices unlawful sexual commerce with men, especially one who prostitutes her body for hire; a prostitute; a harlot.

2. (n.) To have unlawful sexual intercourse; to practice lewdness.

3. (n.) To worship false and impure gods.

4. (v. t.) To corrupt by lewd intercourse; to make a whore of; to debauch.

WHORE; WHOREDOM

hor, hor'-dum.

See CRIMES; HARLOT; PUNISHMENTS.

4204. porne -- a prostitute
... prostitute, harlot. Feminine of pornos; a strumpet; figuratively, an idolater --
harlot, whore. see GREEK pornos. (pornai) -- 2 Occurrences. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4204.htm - 6k6948. qedeshah -- harlot, whore
... 6947, 6948. qedeshah. 6949 . harlot, whore. Transliteration: qedeshah Phonetic
Spelling: (ked-ay-shaw') Short Definition: harlot. ... of qadesh, qv. harlot, whore ...
/hebrew/6948.htm - 5k

2181. zanah -- to commit fornication, be a harlot
... as the spouse of Jehovah) -- (cause to) commit fornication, X continually, X great,
(be an, play the) harlot, (cause to be, play the) whore, (commit, fall to ...
/hebrew/2181.htm - 6k

But Seeing a Worldly Spirituality, Called in the Scripture the ...
... [Way-3-61] But seeing a worldly spirituality, called in the scripture the whore
riding upon the beast? But seeing a worldly spirituality ...
/.../law/the way to divine knowledge/way-3-61 but seeing a worldly.htm

The Battle of Armageddon.
... is brought before us in Rev.17:16""And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the
Beast (the "ten kings" vs.12), these shall hate the whore, and shall make her ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/6 the battle of armageddon.htm

CHAPTER III.
... Ver.3. "And I said unto her. Thou art to sit for me many days: thou art not to whore,
and thou art not to belong to a man; and so I also to thee.". ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chapter iii.htm

In Our Last Chapter we Sought to Show that in Rev. . .
... In our last chapter we sought to show that in Rev.17 "the great Whore," and "Babylon
the great," though intimately connected, are yet distinct; the former ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/in our last chapter we.htm

From the Seventeenth Chapter.
... There came one of the seven angels, which have the seven bowls, and spake with me,
saying, Come, I will show thee the judgment of that great whore who sitteth ...
/.../from the seventeenth chapter.htm

What is the Difference Between Man's Own Righteousness and Man's ...
... How comes it, that a beast, a scarlet whore, a horned dragon, and other the most
horrible descriptions of diabolical power, have been by the Spirit of God made ...
/.../address 129 0 0 what is the.htm

Conclusion
... and of the creation of the new "Society" than has the writer of the "Epistle to
the Reader" in Fox's strange book The Great Mystery of the Great Whore (1659). ...
/.../spiritual reformers in the 16th and 17th centuries/chapter xviii conclusion.htm

In the Last Chapter we Confined Ourself to the Old Testament, in ...
... The central figures in Rev.17 are "the great whore," the "scarlet-colored Beast,"
and the "ten horns." The Beast is evidently the first Beast of Rev.13. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/in the last chapter we.htm

The Seventh Commandment
... oven heated by the baker.' Hosea 7:4. The time of King Henry VIII was called the
golden age, but this may be called the unclean age, wherein whore-hunting is ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 7 the seventh commandment.htm

The Section Chap. I. -iii.
... himself all his lifetime than have assumed the prophetic office." In Leviticus
21:7 the law forbids the priests to take a wife that is a whore, or profane. ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the section chap i -iii.htm

Whore (14 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) To worship false and impure gods. 4. (vt) To corrupt by lewd intercourse;
to make a whore of; to debauch. ... Standard Bible Encyclopedia. WHORE; WHOREDOM. ...
/w/whore.htm - 11k

Whore's (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Whore's (1 Occurrence). Jeremiah 3:3 Therefore
the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no ...
/w/whore's.htm - 6k

Whoredom (58 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) The sin of worshiping idols; idolatry. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
WHORE; WHOREDOM. hor, hor'-dum. See CRIMES; HARLOT; PUNISHMENTS. ...
/w/whoredom.htm - 24k

Sitteth (74 Occurrences)
... the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me,
Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth ...
/s/sitteth.htm - 29k

Sawest (20 Occurrences)
... Revelation 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore
sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. ...
/s/sawest.htm - 12k

Whoring (17 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Whore. Multi-Version
Concordance Whoring (17 Occurrences). Exodus 34:15 Lest thou ...
/w/whoring.htm - 12k

Whomsoever (28 Occurrences)

/w/whomsoever.htm - 15k

Hither (84 Occurrences)
... the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me,
Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth ...
/h/hither.htm - 34k

Vials (5 Occurrences)
... the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me,
Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth ...
/v/vials.htm - 8k

Unsatiable (1 Occurrence)
... Ezekiel 16:28 Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast
unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest ...
/u/unsatiable.htm - 6k

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