Part of the reason why God destroyed Sodom is that its male residents were homosexual.
Homosexuality Is Not a Sin
Even though the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were wicked and had committed many sins, God did not destroy the cities because the men were homosexuals. This argument is logically weak and has no biblical support, and it will be investigated in depth. One of the problems with the argument that God destroyed Sodom because the men were homosexuals is that not all of the men in Sodom were homosexuals. Specifically, the Bible tells us that Lot's daughters were betrothed to two Sodom men (Gen. 19:14"So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, 'Up! Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy the city.' But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting" Gen. 19:14 ESV.). Another problem with the argument is that it is not supported by other biblical passages, as discussed below.
The Bible tells the story of Sodom to show how much Sodom men's minds had been warped by wickedness and evil. There are various passages in the Old and New Testament that further describe the sins that the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah were guilty of, and homosexuality (or an ancient Greek equivalent) is not ever mentioned. One such passage is Ezek. 16:49-50 ESV, and it explains, "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it." Notice that homosexuality is not mentioned in this passage that describes the sins of Sodom. Also notice that the word "abomination" is used on this passage.
Even though the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were wicked and had committed many sins, it appears as though the last straw that angered God was the men of Sodom attempting to have homosexual relations with the angels. It is the last great sin that is mentioned before God destroyed cities. Thus, it is easy to conclude that the sin of homosexuality was a factor in God's decision to destroy Sodom. Moreover, we know that all of the Sodomite men were homosexuals because all of the men in the city wished to have relations with the angels, as stated in Gen. 19:4"But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house" Gen. 19:4 ESV.. Likewise, we know that the Sodomites committed sexual sins, as stated in Ezek. 16:49-50"Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it" Ezek. 16:49-50 ESV..
Homosexuality Is Not a Sin
Some people try to equate the passage in Ezek. 16:49-50"Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it" Ezek. 16:49-50 ESV. with the passages in Lev. 18:22"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination" Lev. 18:22 ESV. and Lev. 20:13"If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them" Lev. 20:13 ESV. because the ancient Hebrew word tô‛êbah meaning "abomination" in the Ezek. 16:49-50 passage is the same ancient Hebrew word that is used for "abomination" in the Lev. 18:22, 20:13 passages. However, the passages cannot be linked through the Hebrew word tô‛êbah because this word is used in many other Old Testament passages throughout the Bible that have nothing to do with homosexuality or any kind of sexual misconduct (see Deut. 14:3"You shall not eat any abomination" Deut. 14:3 ESV., 17:1"You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever, for that is an abomination to the LORD your God" Deut. 17:1 ESV. & Prov. 11:1"A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight" Prov. 11:1 ESV., 16:5"Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished" Prov. 16:5 ESV., 20:10"Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the LORD" Prov. 20:10 ESV.).
As previously mentioned, the tô‛êbah Hebrew word is actually used 117 times in 112 verses throughout the Old Testament.1 Clearly, the ancient Hebrew word tô‛êbah is used often in the Old Testament in various contexts. Thus, it is impossible to link Ezek. 16:49-50"Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it" Ezekiel 16:49-50 ESV. with Lev. 18:22"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination" Lev. 18:22 ESV. simply because the same Hebrew word for "abomination", tô‛êbah, is used in both passages.
Ezek. 16:49-50 ESV explains, "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it." The word "abomination" in Ezek. 16:50 comes from the ancient Hebrew word tô‛êbah, which is the feminine active participle of the verb "to loathe," meaning "something disgusting (morally), that it, (as noun) an abhorrence; especially idolatry or (concretely) an idol."1
The word tô‛êbah, meaning abomination, is also the same word used in the Lev. 18:22 ESV "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination" and in Lev. 20:13 ESV "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination . . . ." Based upon the common usage of this word in the Lev. 18:22, 20:13, which are verses that describe homosexual conduct as an abomination towards God, it is clear that the "abomination" that Ezek. 16:50"They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it" Ezek. 16:50 ESV. refers to is also the sin of homosexuality.
Homosexuality Is Not a Sin
The Bible states that the men of Sodom were wicked in many ways (see Gen. 18:20-21"Then the LORD said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know" Gen. 18:20-21 ESV.), and the description of the Sodom men's attempted rape of the angels further characterizes the Sodom men's wickedness. After all, God stated in Gen. 18:21"I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know" Gen. 18:21 ESV. that He would go to Sodom "to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me," and He sent the angels as messengers in His place (see Gen. 19:12-13"Then the men said to Lot, 'Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. Gen 19:13 For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it'" Gen. 19:12-13 ESV.).
It is difficult to believe that all of the men in Sodom were homosexuals because if that were the case, the city of Sodom would not have existed (none of the men would have had wives, the population would not have grown, and the men would not have committed adultery, presumably with women). Jer. 23:14 ESV"But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah" Jer. 23:14 ESV. states that the prophets of Jerusalem committed adultery and the verse equates the prophets of Jerusalem with the people of Sodom: "But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies . . . all of them have become like Sodom to me. . . ." Thus, the Sodomites most likely committed adultery as well. Moreover, we know that at least two men in Sodom, Lot's sons, were betrothed to women, and, thus, were not homosexual (see Gen. 19:14"So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, "Up! Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy the city." But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting" Gen. 19:14 ESV.). Based on all of this information, one cannot reasonably believe that all of the men in Sodom were homosexuals. Instead, Christians should understand that the portion of the story in which the Sodom men attempted to rape the angels was told to portray how wicked the Sodom men truly were.
We know from the Bible that all of the Sodomites were homosexuals because all of the men in the city wished to have relations with the angels, as stated in Gen. 19:4"But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house" Gen. 19:4 ESV.. To further support this conclusion, the Sodom men wanted nothing to do with Lot's virgin daughters when Lot offered them to the men in place of the angels, as stated in Gen. 19:8-9"'Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.' But they said, 'Stand back!' And they said, 'This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.' Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down" Gen. 19:8-9 ESV.. Since all of the men were homosexuals, based on Lev. 20:13"If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them" Lev. 20:13 ESV., God would have considered the Sodom men's homosexuality a very grave sin. Thus, based on this biblical evidence, it is obvious that part of the reason why Sodom was destroyed is because the men were homosexual, and not because the men wanted to rape the angels.
Homosexuality Is Not a Sin
Jude 1:7 ESV restates the reasons why God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah: "(J)ust as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire." Likewise, Jude 1:7 KJV states, "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha (sic), and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."
It is unclear what the "strange flesh" cited in Jude 1:7 KJV actually refers to. It could refer to the numerous sexual sins committed by the men of Sodom and Gomorrah, or it could refer to the Sodom men's desire to have homosexual relations with angels, which are not human beings, and thus can be viewed as "strange flesh." Unfortunately, it simply is not clear from this passage what the phrase refers to. Whether Jude 1:7 refers to "strange flesh" as the flesh of angels is debatable, although this idea is supported by several authors: Mays, 1988, p. 1298"Three classic examples of those who incur divine judgment are given: the whole generation of Israel exterminated in the wilderness after the Exodus (Num. 14), the angels who left their heavenly position in order to meet with women (Gen. 6:1-4, as interpreted in the apocryphal account 1 Enoch 6-19), and the Sodomites, whose sin is here condemned not as homosexual rape but as an attempt at sexual relations with angels (Gen. 19:4-11). The point in the last two cases is the outrageous transgression of the moral order of creation" (Mays, 1988, p. 1298)., Bailey, 1955/1975, p. 16"Nevertheless, Jude does not ascribe the punishment of the sodomites to the fact that they proposed to commit homosexual acts as such; their offense was rather that they sought to do so with 'strange flesh' – that is, with supernatural, non-human beings. In his view, therefore, the sin of Sodom, though admittedly sexual ('having . . . given themselves over to fornication'), was only, as it were, incidentally homosexual; the emphasis is rather upon the sexual incompatibility of the angelic and human orders rather than on any particular kind of unnatural intercourse between persons of the same sex" (Baily, 1995/1975, p. 16)., & Boswell, 1980, p. 97"The Jewish tradition to which Jude alludes was a legend that the women of Sodom had intercourse with the angels" (Bowell, 1980, p. 97)..
If one reads Jude 1:7"(J)ust as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire" Jude 1:7 ESV. in its entire context, one notices that it cites the sins of the people from Sodom, Gomorrah, and the surrounding cities as "giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh" (Jude 1:7"(J)ust as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire" Jude 1:7 ESV.). If the passage was referring specifically to the men of Sodom and their homosexual desires towards the angels, then Gomorrah and the surrounding cities would not have been mentioned in the passage because the incident between the Sodom men and angels only occurred in the city of Sodom. The passage does not only specify the sexual sins of the Sodom men; it references the sexual sins of everyone in the cities.
Jude 1:7 ESV confirms the conclusion that the word "abomination" in Ezek. 16:50 refers to the Lev. 18:22 and Lev. 20:13 passages because Jude 1:7 ESV re-states the reasons why God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and it emphasizes the sexual perversions and immoralities of the former residents. Jude 1:7 ESV states, "(J)ust as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire." Similarly, Jude 1:7 KJV states, "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha (sic), and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." The "strange flesh" cited in Jude 1:7 KJV actually refers to the Sodom men's desire to have homosexual relations with the angels, which further supports the conclusion that God destroyed the city of Sodom because of the men's homosexual desires.
A quick linguistic study of the two Greek words that make up the term "strange flesh" will also support the idea that the passage does not refer specifically to the Sodomites' attempted homosexual relations, but instead refers to their sexual sins as a whole. The Greek word for strange is ἕτερος, and the Greek word for flesh is οάρξ. According to the Pocket Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary, ἕτερος means "the other; one of two, another; the second; different, of another kind; at variance."2 Likewise, according to The New Strong's Concordance of the Bible (hereinafter Strong's Concordance), ἕτερος means "Of uncertain affinity; (an-, the) other or different: - altered, else, next (day), one, (an-) other, some, strange."3
Notice that the "strange" definition for ἕτερος is listed at the end of the Strong's Concordance definition. Curiously, "strange" is not listed as a valid definition for ἕτερος in the Pocket Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary. In fact, ἕτερος is used in the New Testament 99 times in 94 verses, and the only time it is translated as "strange" is in Jude 1:7 KJV.4 In all of the other verses, ἕτερος is defined primarily as "other" or "another" (or some variation of these). These translations match up with the Pocket Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary as well.
The second word, οάρξ, is translated as "flesh" in Jude 1:7 KJV. In the Pocket Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary, the word means "flesh, piece of flesh; body."5 According to Strong's Concordance, οάρξ means "flesh (as stripped of the skin) . . . or (by extension) the body (as opposed to the soul (or spirit), or as the symbol of what is external, or as the means of kindred. . . ."6 Based on the above two definitions of the word οάρξ, we can safely say that the word most likely refers to human flesh, and not angelic beings.
As previously stated, the translation of ἕτερος as "strange" is not accurate. A more accurate translation of ἕτερος would be "other", and the entire phrase should read as "other flesh." Thus, a more accurate translation of Jude 1:7 KJV would be, "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha (sic), and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after 'other flesh,' are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." Based on this translation and the fact that the verse includes Sodom, Gomorrah, and other cities, it is easy to understand how it is possible that God destroyed the cities because their residents engaged in sexual intercourse outside of marriage, including homosexual intercourse.
Some people believe that the term "strange flesh" refers to the angels which the Sodomites wished to rape. This is partially due to the fact that angels are mentioned in Jude 1:6"And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day . . ." Jude 1:6 ESV.. Furthermore, some people believe that the angels referred to in Jude 1:6 are the same angels that are referred to in Gen. 6:1-2"And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, (t)hat the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose" Gen. 6:1-2 ESV. as "sons of God" who mated with human women. These people believe that Job 38:7". . . when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy" Job 38:7 ESV. refers to angels as "sons of God," and, therefore, they believe that Jude 1:6"And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day . . ." Jude 1:6 ESV. refers to the angels or "sons of God" who left their "proper authority" or heaven, traveled to earth, and mated with human women in Gen. 6:1-2"And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, (t)hat the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose" Gen. 6:1-2 ESV..
However, people who interpret the above verses as such are mistaken. There are other verses that refer to "sons of God" as Christians instead of angels, such as 1 John 3:1-2"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" 1 John 3:1-2 KJV. and John 1:12"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name . . ." John 1:12 ESV.. Based upon the above study of the Greek terminology for terms "strange flesh" ἕτερος οάρξ and the fact that the Bible mentions "strange flesh" in regards to Sodom, Gomorrah, and the surrounding cities and not just Sodom, the term probably refers to "other human flesh", as explained above, and not "angelic flesh." Thus, Jude 1:7"Even as Sodom and Gomorrha (sic), and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire" Jude 1:7 KJV. supports the proposition that God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of sexual immorality outside of marriage, which includes homosexuality.
Homosexuality Is Not a Sin
Some people believe that the words "sodomy" and "sodomize" came directly from the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, and, therefore, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah must be meant to condemn homosexuality. They are wrong.
According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2012), "sodomy" means "anal or oral copulation with a member of the same or opposite sex; also, copulation with an animal" and it was first used sometime in the thirteenth century; "sodomize" means "to perform sodomy on" and it was first used in 1868; and "sodomite" means "one who practices sodomy" and it was first used in the fourteenth century. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah, however, was told in ancient Hebrew before the English language even existed, before the words "sodomy," "sodomize," and "sodomite" ever existed.
The ancient Hebrew word sedôm, which is translated as "sodom," actually means "(f)rom an unused root, meaning to scorch, burnt."2 The original, true meaning of "sodom" had nothing to do with any kind of sexual act or intercourse. Kadash (a.k.a. qâdêsh & kadesh) is actually the ancient Hebrew word that has been translated to mean "sodomite" in recent Bible translations. However, as previously stated, the Hebrew word kadash actually means "sacred" or "hallowed" - compare 1 King 15:12 KJV"And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made." 1 King 15:12 KJV. with 1 King 15:12 ESV"He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made" 1 King 15:12 ESV..3
At any rate, the words "sodomy" and "sodomite" were derived from an understanding that the story of Sodom and Gomorrah refers to perverse sexual sins, in general. When the King James Version Bible was written, the word "sodomy" actually referred to "all sexual acts of any kind, between people of either gender, which were not vaginal penetration in the missionary position."4 Over the years, people started to associate "sodomite" only with anal intercourse.
Despite this modern interpretation of the word, we must remind ourselves that the ancient Hebrew words kadash and sedôm existed before the words "sodomy," "sodomize," and "sodomite" came into existence in the English language, and "sodomy," "sodomize," and "sodomite" are derived from sedôm, which means "scorched, burnt." Interestingly, the residents of Sodom are never referred to collectively as "Sodomites" in the Bible. Only the "men of Sodom" or the "city of Sodom" are referred to in the Bible, and this may have helped fuel the modern interpretation of the word "sodomite." Nevertheless, based on the history of the English words "sodomy," "sodomize," and "sodomite" and the true meaning of the word sedôm, it is impossible to conclude that "sodomy," "sodomize," and "sodomite" have any relevancy as to the reasons why God destroyed Sodom in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Based on the fact that, according to the Bible, not all of the Sodom men were homosexual (Gen. 19:14"So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, 'Up! Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy the city.' But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting" Gen. 19:14 ESV.) and homosexuality is never mentioned in the Bible as one of the sins of the Sodom residents (see Ezek. 16:49-50"Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it" Ezek: 16:49-50 ESV. & Jude 1:7"(J)ust as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire" Jude 1:7 ESV.), one must conclude that Sodom was not destroyed because all of the men were homosexuals. Obviously, if Sodom was not destroyed because the men were homosexuals, then the story of Sodom and Gomorrah doesn't support the argument that homosexuality is a sin. Based on the above information, a person may wonder at what point in history some Christians started to misinterpret the story of Sodom and Gomorrah as God's condemnation of homosexuality.
Finally, the word "sodomy"Origin of SODOMY: Middle English, from Anglo-French sodomie, from Late Latin Sodoma Sodom; from the homosexual proclivities of the men of the city in Genesis 19:1–11 First Known Use: 13th century" ("sodomy". Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2012).," which refers to anal penetration, originated from the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2012). In fact, their sin was so repugnant that it still bears their name.7 Thus, based on the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, Christians can only come to one conclusion: Homosexuality is a sin.
It is clearly stated in the above passages that homosexuality is a sin. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah confirms this conclusion, and the sin of homosexuality is specifically admonished in the book of Leviticus. Although some of the rules in Leviticus are antiquated and are no longer followed by Christians, almost all of the rules in Lev. 18:6-24, which address improper sexual relations and which ban incestuous relationships, bestiality, and homosexuality within Christian's lives, are currently followed by Christians. Moreover, we know that God destroyed the city of Sodom because the men of the city were trying to have homosexual relations with angels, which supports the claim that homosexuality is a sin.
1Strong, 1995/1996, p. 8-9, see entry listings for "abomination" 8441 and see E-sword, KJV+ Bible version, search results for H8441 in Strong's Concordance Return
2"sedôm." Strong, 1995/1996, Hebrew section p. 98, entry 5467 Return
3Spencer, 1995, p. 57"In Hebrew the word (kadash) means 'sacred' or 'hallowed'" (Spencer, 1995, p. 57). & Boswell, 1980, p. 99"The word 'kadash' (plural 'kadeshim') literally means 'hallowed' or 'sacred,' referring to prostitutes in pagan temples" (Boswell, 1980, p. 99). Return
4Spencer, 1995, p. 57; "'Sodomy' had a different meaning in the Middle Ages, referring to anal penetration of either sex or two positions where the woman was on top of the man, or to copulation with an animal" (Spencer, 1995, p. 58). Return
1"tô‛êbah." Strong, 1995/1996, Hebrew section p. 151, entry 8441 Return
2Morwood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 140 Return
3"ἕτερος." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 37, entry 2087 Return
4Strong, 1995/1996, p. 37, see entry listing for "ἕτερος" 2087 and see E-sword, KJV+ Bible version, search results for G2087 in Strong's Concordance Return
5Morwood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 288 Return
6"οάρξ". Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 80, entry 4561 Return
7"We find here: 1. That they were all wicked (v. 4). Wickedness had become universal, and they were unanimous in any evil design. 2. That they had arrived at the highest point of wickedness; they were sinners before the Lord exceedingly (v. 13); for . . . it was the most unnatural and detestable wickedness that they were now set on, a sin that still bears their name and is called sodomy" (Henry, 2010, p. 40). Return
The history of how the story of Sodom came to be associated with homosexuality: According to the historian C. Spencer, "The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs," which was written in the second century B.C. and which admonishes those who "commit the sin of Sodom," was the first manuscript to link the story of Sodom and Gomorrah with homosexuality (Spencer, 1995, p. 65). Two New Testament Jewish scholars, Flavius Josephus and Philo of Alexandria, also interpreted the story of Sodom and Gomorrah as having homosexual undertones (Nissinen, 1998, p. 93). Even though Josephus wrote that the Sodomites arrogance and hatred of strangers were the causes of their demise, he believed that Lot's angelic guests took the form of handsome young men who aroused the sexual desires of the Sodomites (Nissinen, 1998, p. 93-94, citing Josephus, Ant. 1.194-204). Josephus interprets the story as having pederastic elements because love between men and boys was common during that time period in Greece (Nissinen, 1998, p. 94).
Philo, on the other hand, believed that the Sodomite men had sexual relations with married women and each other, which were sins that contributed to the Sodomite's demise (Nissinen, 1998, p. 94-95). Note that even though sexual immorality is inferred as a sin committed by the Sodomites in Jude 1:7"(J)ust as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire" Jude 1:7 ESV., the verse does not specify what exactly this sin encompassed. Philo also connected same-sex relations as a threat to procreation because he believe that homosexuality caused sterility, destroyed the semen, and created "lethal women's illnesses," which may mean venereal diseases (Nissinen, 1998, p. 95). Philo, interestingly, only refers to same-sex relations among men; he is silent concerning same-sex relations among women.
Nevertheless, the above interpretations of the story of Sodom and Gomorrah were not common among most early Christian scholars, including even the most chaste scholars (Boswell, 1980, p. 97-98"On the other hand, Genesis 19 was not a principal source of early Christian hostility towards homosexual relations, although it eventually gave a name to those who took part in them" (Boswell, 1980, p. 97-98).). For example, Origen, a theologian who castrated himself to evade sexual temptation, interpreted the story of Sodom and Gomorrah as a condemnation of inhospitality, as did St. Ambrose (Boswell, 1980, p. 98; Spencer, 1995, p. 62"The early Christian fathers did not see the story of Sodom and Gomorrah as having anything to do with homosexuality. Origen, who wrote at length about the powerful battle between the flesh and the spirit, analyze the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and interpreted in terms of hospitality. In Origen's view, Lot escaped the fire's destruction because he opened his home to strangers" (Spencer, 1995, p. 62).). St. John Cassian, St. Isidore of Seville, and many other Christian authors also did not interpret Sodom and Gomorrah as condemning homosexuality (Boswell, 1980, p. 98). This may be due to the fact that other ancient resources, such as the Apocrypha which only references Sodom a few times, does not mention same-sex activity as "the sin of Sodom" (Nissinen, 1998, p. 47). Instead, the Sodomites' hostility towards strangers is referenced in the Wisdom of Solomon (Nissinen, 1998, p. 47, citing Wisdom of Solomon 19:13-15"There had been others [Sodomites] who refused to welcome strangers when they came to them, but these made slaves of guests who were their benefactors. There is indeed a judgement awaiting those who treated foreigners as enemies; but these, after a festal welcome, oppressed with hard labour men who had earlier shared their rights" Wisdom of Solomon 19:13-15 NEB.). Likewise, the sin of the Sodomite's inhospitality is referenced by Jesus Christ, himself, in the Bible in Luke 10:11-12"But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.' I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town" Luke 10:10-12 ESV. & Matt. 10:14-15"And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town" Matt. 10:14-15 ESV..
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