ἀρρενο-κοίτης G0733
men who engage in homosexual acts
A compound noun literally meaning 'male-bedders,' referring to men who engage in sexual relations with males. Paul includes this term in two vice lists (1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10) among practices incompatible with the kingdom of God or sound doctrine. The term appears rarely in Greek literature, always with negative connotation. Classical usage referred to pederasty or male prostitution, though the precise scope remains debated among scholars.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Both Pauline occurrences embed the term in catalogs of serious vices. In 1 Corinthians 6:9 it follows 'effeminate' (μαλακοί) in what may be a pair referring to passive and active partners. In 1 Timothy 1:10 it appears in a list drawn from the Decalogue's moral framework. Modern translations struggle with precision, as evidenced by the multilingual glosses using generic 'homosexuals' terminology. The German 'Knabenschänder' (boy-violator) reflects older interpretation focusing on pederastic abuse specifically. 2×
AR["اللّائِطونَ-بِـالذُّكورِ", "مُضاجِعي-الذُّكورِ"]·ben["পুরুষগামীদের,", "পুরুষগামীরা,"]·DE["Knabenschaender"]·EN["for-homosexuals", "homosexuals"]·FR["sodomite", "ἀρσενοκοίταις"]·heb["לְ-שׁוֹכְבֵי-זָכָר", "שׁוֹכְבֵי-זָכָר"]·HI["पुरुश-गअमियोन", "पुरुषगामी"]·ID["homoseksual,", "orang-homoseksual"]·IT["arsenokoitais", "sodomita"]·jav["tiyang-lalaki-kaliyan-lalaki,", "tiyang-sodomi,"]·KO["남색자들에게,", "남색하는-자들"]·PT["sodomitas"]·RU["мужеложникам", "мужеложцы,"]·ES["homosexuales"]·SW["kwa-walawiti", "wakutana-na-wanaume,"]·TR["erkeklerle yatanlar", "eşcinsellere"]·urd["لواطت-کرنے-والوں", "مردوں-سے-صحبت-کرنے-والے"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)G1342 1. righteous, upright (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀρρενο-κοίτης, ου, ὁ, sodomite, Refs; (ἀρσενοκοίτης) NT