ἀρσενοκοίτης

a male engaging in same-gender sexual activity

Definition

ἀρσενοκοίτης refers to a male who engages in sexual activity with other males. In the New Testament, it appears in two vice lists: 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10, where it is grouped with other behaviors considered contrary to God's will. The term specifically denotes the active participant in male-male sexual acts, distinct from broader terms for immorality. Its consistent pairing with terms like 'adulterers' and 'the sexually immoral' in these passages underscores its classification as a form of sexual sin.

Biblical Usage

This word is used exclusively in two New Testament vice lists that catalog behaviors incompatible with the kingdom of God and sound doctrine. In 1 Corinthians 6:9, Paul uses it in a list warning the Corinthians that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom. In 1 Timothy 1:10, it appears in a list of actions contrary to sound teaching, grouped with lawbreakers and the unholy. In both contexts, its usage is condemnatory and definitive, with no narrative or illustrative usage elsewhere.

Etymology

The word is a compound from ἄρσην (arsēn, G730), meaning 'male,' and κοίτη (koitē, G2845), meaning 'bed' or 'sexual intercourse.' It literally means 'a male who beds [other males].' It is not a common Greek word outside the New Testament and may have been coined by Paul or drawn from the Greek translation of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, which prohibit a man lying with a male as with a woman.

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant as it defines a specific sexual behavior as sin, grounding New Testament sexual ethics in the creation order and Old Testament law. Its inclusion in vice lists highlights the biblical view that sexual morality is integral to Christian identity and inheritance in God's kingdom. Understanding the precise Greek term prevents vague interpretations and clarifies the biblical stance on homosexual acts, connecting it to the holistic biblical vision for human sexuality.

In the Greco-Roman world, various forms of male-male sexual relationships existed, including pederasty and relations between adult men. The term ἀρσενοκοίτης, while precise in its condemnation, would have been understood within a culture where such practices were sometimes socially accepted among certain classes. The biblical use stands in stark contrast to this permissiveness, aligning instead with Jewish moral law which universally forbade such acts, highlighting a distinctively Christian sexual ethic.

πόρνος (pornos, G4205) — a broader term for a sexually immoral person or fornicator. μαλακός (malakos, G3120) — in 1 Corinthians 6:9, likely referring to the passive, effeminate partner in a male homosexual act.

Word Details

Scripture References