Does the Greek word "arsenokoitai" really refer to homosexuality?
How should we understand the unusual Greek word " arsenokoitas " that Paul uses in the New Testament to describe homosexuals? Is there any way to translate the word so that it refers to something other than men who have sexual relations with men? Does the Greek word " arsenokoitai " really refer to homosexuality? Kevin DeYoung That word is an unusual word. It’s a new word; we don’t know of any other instances of the word until Paul coins the word in 1 Corinthians 6 and 1 Timothy 1. It’s a compound word: “arsen” means man and “koite” or “koitas” or “koitai”—depending on a verb or a noun—means bed. It’s men who bed with other men. It’s quite clear that Paul has coined this word from Leviticus 18 and Leviticus 20. Even if you don’t know any Greek, you could find online or pull up the Greek transliteration of these two verses. Look at the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, and then just look at the Greek for the necessary passage ...