Arsenokoitai: A word in the Bible that has been the foundation for homophobia due to its translations. Conservative Christians have been known to interpret this word to mean homosexual in English. Arsenokoitai is found in the Bible two times, created by the Apostle Pau and mentioned in the New Testament’s Corinthians 6:9-10 and Timothy 1:9-10. This word is one of a kind and was not used or found in other cultural texts of the time.
Arsenokoitai is a compound word that consists of “arsen” and “koite,” which translate to male and bed. This word has often led to two questions: Are compound terms related to one another so that they mutually inform the meaning intended? And, are they not related to one another, but should be considered separately? Some people believe that this word was created by Paul to mean “males who lie with males.” From the 16th to 18th centuries, people of this time translated the word to mean “liars of mankind,” “sodomites,” “abusers of mankind,” “men who took active roles in non-procreative sex,” and “those who abuse themselves with men.” These translations advise us to understand that arsenokoitai does not represent sexual orientation, but rather the role one takes during sexual acts. This translation changed once again during the mid-1900s due to the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, which understood arsenokoitai to mean homosexual. Newer translations are based on someone’s identity rather than a role that they play—consider: sexual predator, pervert, and sodomite.
When considering the context of the verses, one thing as readers that I believe we can agree on is that Paul is discussing sexual exploitation. It is important to understand that the words “arsen” and “koiten” were used 1,600 years before Paul lived and were used in context with pedophilia and sexual abuse. In Biblical times, same sex behavior was thought to happen only between men: men and young boys and prostitution. In Paul’s case, he was using this word to condemn abuse of power. “Arseno” is an adjective and not the object of “koitai.” American historian and professor John Boswell looks to Latin translations during the time: “drauci” and “exoleti.” These words refer to prostitution or “men resorting to fornication” and the objectification of bodies. Professor and Author Robin Scroggs argues that as early as the sixth century, the term was applied to a variety of sexual exploitations including child molestation. Scroggs details that Timothy 1:9-10’s closest interpretation must be children sold into sex trafficking and slave dealers who lie with them, again specifically referring to pederasty, the enslavement of young boys to appease the sexual desires of adult males.
Notably, ancient societies did not know what homosexuals and heterosexuals were. The term “pedestary” was used by Greek and Romans, which translates to male on male sexual behavior. Scroggs notes that in the Classical Period, “public culture…was male oriented, and the affective partner to a male was another male.” Pederasty involved a relationship between an older male and a younger male (often an adolescent). Slave prostitution of boys and youths was common and masters could sexually avail themselves of their slaves (male or female) or provide them to friends. In addition to this, many boys and young males ended up as prostitutes in brothels.
Professor Dale Martin explains that the meaning of a word is determined by how it is used. Martin argues that the dominant concern in these verses is economic injustice and exploitation. There is no mention of prohibited sexual acts, and Martin believes that, “If we take the context as indicating the meaning, we should assume that arsenokoitein here refers to some kind of economic exploitation, probably by sexual means: rape or sex by economic coercion, prostitution, pimping, or something of that sort.” He adds that when the Bible addresses sexual sins, there is no reference to arsenokotai or homosexuality. According to film 1946 directed by Sharon Roggio, more than 45,000 churches today preach that homosexuality is a sin, in actuality it was mistranslated in 1946. The revised version of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, which was published in 1971, replaced the word “homosexual” with sexual pervert, 25 years later after the mistranslation. It is catastrophic that the misuse of “homosexual” is still used in most translations in the Bible and is the foundation for homophobia in religious spaces.
Source:
https://um-insight.net/perspectives/has-%E2%80%9Chomosexual%E2%80%9D-always-been-in-the-bible/
https://www.tms.edu/m/tmsj3h.pdf
https://www.westarinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Malakoi-Arsenokoitai-3.1.pdf