A New Interpretation of Leviticus 18:22 (Par. 20:13) and its Ethical Implications

Abstract

The laws in Lev. 18:22 and 20:13 are general considered to prohibit homosexual intercourse between men. A renewed investigation of the vocabulary used in the prohibition, taking an important cue from Gen. 49:4, points the way to a different understanding. As Reuben lay on his father's bed, having intercourse with his father's concubine, so the man addressed in Lev. 18:22 and par. is prohibited to lie on the bed of a woman, having sex with her man. The laws prohibit homosexual intercourse involving a married man.