Leviticus 20:13:  “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood [shall be] upon them.”

 

As I research my book, A Hebrew Teacher Explores the Heart of God in a Marriage Relationship I find I am compelled to address the matter of homosexuality.  Hoo Boy, I may regret writing this book, but here goes.  If you think I should avoid this chapter I would appreciate hearing from you.

 

I have always believed that homosexuality is an abomination to God, but not because of the Scriptures that are traditionally given. These Scriptures can have secondary and alternative renderings, at least from the Hebrew and Aramaic. I am not an expert in Greek so I cannot really comment on the writings of Paul which addresses or allegedly addresses this issue, however, the Aramaic version of Paul’s letters could offer alternative renderings.  Still, I do believe the writings of Paul were in Greek and not Aramaic so the Aramaic version is only a secondary version to be easily trumped by the Greek.  So if a Greek scholar tells me that Paul is clearly addressing homosexuality in Romans 1:26-27, I Corinthians 6:9-10 and I Timothy 1:9-10 who am I to argue?  I have, however, read where scholars have really questioned the traditional interpretation of these passages as homosexuality based upon an historical and cultural backdrop.  But as I said, Greek and the New Testament are not my area of expertise. I will just leave it at that as I am I am not qualified to address these opposing arguments.

 

In the area where I have devoted my time and research, which is in the Old Testament Hebrew and Aramaic, I find there is a lot of ambiguity in the Hebrew text,  I also find that most of our translations just fall in lock step with traditional orthodoxy.  I would like to just look at the problems with one particular passage. I am not saying our English Bibles have mistranslated this passage in Leviticus 20:13, I am only saying there are other avenues to explore.

 

Before I start, let me just say I believe homosexuality is an abomination to God because that is just not how God designed His creation.  A woman is physically and emotionally different from a man and yet in such a way that she can complement a man and be a gateway for man to understand his relationship with God and God with him. For a man to marry a man or a woman to marry a woman is diluting the picture and experience of one’s relationship with God.

 

That being said, let me share with you an experience I had a number of years ago with a Christian friend of mine or should I say former friend.  We had a sort of falling out over this issue of homosexuality.  Let me explain.  We were driving through the Viagra Triangle in downtown Chicago where the whole world seemed like a burlesque show. This former friend of mine was pointing out this woman and that women commenting on her assets.  I finally blurted out, “Enough, already. My gosh man,  you’re married for crying out loud.”  I know it wasn’t very tactful, but I knew his wife, a very beautiful and sweet woman. I saw her heart and it was such a tender and fragile heart.  I sort of insinuated that he was taking his wife, this beautiful gift from God and trashing her with his comments. Of course he let me know in no uncertain terms that I was not all that holy myself, which he was right. However, what he said to justify himself caused me no end of unrest. He said first, that she was not around and what she did not know would not hurt her.  Well, come on buddy, I’m a man too and you cannot tell that tonight when you are intimate with this gentile creature that you are not reflecting on your memory of what you were watching that afternoon. Buddy, she will know something is up. Secondly, he indicated the female body was a creation of God and his handiwork is to be admired.  My thought to that was, admired yes, not compared. He had a beautiful woman at home to admire and she and she alone deserved his admiration. But then he hit me with his trump card: “Where in Scripture does it say we are not to admire the beauty of a woman?”  He had me, there is a lot to say about lust, seduction and adultery, but just to admire God’s handiwork?  I don’t know.  Perhaps that is what Leviticus 20:13 is addressing?

 

This evening my study partner asked me about Leviticus 20:13 and if there were other alternative renderings.  Ha, there are always alternative renderings, why do you think we have more than 110 different modern translations of the Bible?  Yet, she was into some online debate going on about how to treat homosexuals and this verse was a common verse that was presented as: “See there the Bible clearly calls homosexuality an abomination that is what it says.”   Yes, that is what it says in all our modern English translations and even most your rabbis and sages will agree that that is what it says, but not all.  I fear I am one of them, one of those who come to the beat of a different drum when it comes to interpreting this verse.  I share with you my thoughts, not that I am right and everyone else is wrong, not that I hold some truth.  Maybe there is a Hebrew teacher out there who will point out an error I made in my translation, I will be glad to listen and will admit I am wrong if proven so.

 

What bothers me about this verse are the words: “If a man also lie with mankind.”  You have two very different words for man and mankindMan is ish and mankind is zakar. Why did it not use the word ish for both man and mankind? Why did it not use the word adam which is the word for a physical man when ish is the word for both a physical and spiritual man?  You really have to stretch things to get zakar to be rendered as mankind.  You see zakar means remembrance or to memorialize.  We get mankind from zakar because we often memorialize man both male and female.  But the idea of zakar is a remembrance.  What is being remembered in this verse?  The word lie is shakab which means to crouch down, have sexual intercourse, copulate, or just sleep in a bed. Literally, the verse reads, if a man lie down with remembrance of laying with a woman the two commit an abomination.

 

That does not make much sense so we must resort to paraphrasing and the most obvious paraphrase is a man lying with a man like he would do with a woman.  But when I think of my former friend and how he was storing up memories, thinking of what it would be like to sleep with these women he was admiring, if a man lie down with remembrance of laying with a woman the two commit an abomination, begins to make sense.  The two being his memories and then laying with his wife and thinking of those women.  That is not only an abomination to God it is an abomination and insult to his wife, God’s precious gift to him. I think this verse is addressing pornography. Then this former friend of mine had the gull to say with his nose up in the air, “Well, at least I am not a homosexual.” As if that made him superior to a homosexual.  Buddy, I will stand with your wife and say you are a few notches lower than a homosexual if you indulge in fantasizing about other women when sleeping with your wife.

 

With the ambiguity of Scripture I find I can only approach my homosexual friends and acquaintances two ways.  My simple question to them is, “If you knew beyond any doubt that Scripture clearly condemns homosexuality and you had to choose between your life style and God which would you choose/”  If they say they do not care about God, then I will be their friend and not condemn their life style because like C.S. Lewis said, we have no right to force our morals on those who do not accept our faith.  So like Jesus I will have lunch and befriend the publicans and sinners and show them the love that Jesus showed them.  Now if that person should say they would choose God over their life style if they were absolutely certain it was forbidden, then I would still be their friend, for I would see them as the weaker brother who is struggling in his relationship with God and if I abandon that friendship I will one day stand in judgment before God for not helping my weaker brother.

 

So as far as my conscience goes, I believe homosexuality is an abomination to God but I fear I cannot join your picket line or your hate group.  I can only love them, not condemn them, pray for them and not reject them.  I will only offer my outstretched hand to them in friendship, hope and love and perhaps someday they will love the Jesus I love and He will take care of that other issue.

 

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