Allie Beth Stuckey recently defended the Biblical prohibition against homosexuality.  The person she was talking to, Paul, threw out a lot of Greek and Hebrew words.  Let’s look at these words in different posts.

The guest, Paul, said that the Bible in the Old Testament does not condemn homosexuality.  That the Hebrew word “kadesh” is the word for male prostitute.  And he is correct, in part.

There are two verses in the Old Testament that clearly prohibit homosexuality.

“‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable” (Lev 18:22).

“‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable” (Lev 20:13). 

The argument that is popularized that the word used in these verses is kadesh.  The only problem is that the Hebrew word kadesh is NOT found in either of these verses.

Yes, the word kadesh is used for male cult prostitutes.

“No Israelite man or woman is to become a shrine prostitute” (Deut 23:17).

“There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites” (1 Kings 14:24). 

But the word used here, kadesh, is not used when referring to homosexuality.   Someone has popularized that it does.  But someone with Hebrew knowledge, or even a quick look at Bible Hub where one can see the transliteration, can see that it is not present.  In fact, let’s just show it here for the world to see:

Lev 18:22

Lev 20:13

As you can see from the transliteration if you do not know Hebrew, the word is not found.  It is not even found anywhere in Leviticus.  This argument is simply false.