The Bible and homosexuality

Several passages in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament have been interpreted as addressing same-sex sexual activity and relationships. Traditionally understood as prohibitions against homosexuality, these texts have played a central role in shaping Jewish and Christian teachings on sexuality and have been used to reinforce heterosexual marriage as the normative ideal.

The passages about homosexual individuals and sexual relations in the Hebrew Bible are found primarily in the Torah (the first five books traditionally attributed to Moses). Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 are traditionally interpreted as explicitly forbidding some form of male same-sex intercourse; some scholars argue these verses may instead prohibit incest or have been mistranslated. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah has historically been linked to homosexuality, though Jewish prophets and later rabbinic tradition emphasized social injustice and inhospitality as the true sins of Sodom. Debates also surround the relationships of David and Jonathan and Ruth and Naomi, with some suggesting homoerotic or lesbian readings, though mainstream scholarship rejects these.

In the New Testament, Romans 1:26–27, 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, and 1 Timothy 1:8–11 contain disputed Greek terms (arsenokoitai, malakoi) often interpreted as condemning homosexual acts, though alternative views suggest they may reference pederasty, exploitation, or general sexual immorality rather than orientation. Jesus himself never explicitly addressed homosexuality; passages on marriage (Matthew 19, Mark 10) are taken by some to affirm heterosexuality, while others argue they were situational responses, not definitions of marriage. References to eunuchs (Matthew 19:12, Acts 8) have been interpreted by some modern commentators as early biblical recognition of homosexual or non-heteronormative identities, though this remains contested.