Is Prostitution An Abomination?

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In this verse, the author alludes to the fact that prostitution is an abomination. “For they also built for themselves high places, pillars, and sacred poles on every high hill and under every green tree; there were also male temple prostitutes in the land. They committed all the abominations of the nations that the LORD drove out before the people of Israel.” 1 Kings 14:23-24. In these verses, it is revealed that in this specific biblical context there were male prostitutes in Judah. Male prostitutes were looked down upon greatly because like regular prostitutes they committed “abominations” like that of the wicked nations who inhabited the promised land before the Israelites. The Lord had already previously decreed against these foreign people as well as their evil ways and the Israelites were not supposed to copy them. This verse displays that male prostitutes were deemed as truly wicked by the Lord because of the “abominations” they committed like the previous inhabitants.
A good handful of the disapprovals concerning prostitutes come from the book of Proverbs. This verse condemns prostitutes’ casualness concerning sexuality. “Then a woman comes toward him, decked out like a prostitute, wily of heart.” Proverbs 7:10. There are negative connotations associated with prostitution as the woman comes out dressed like a prostitute which is a reference to raunchiness and a lack of modesty. In the biblical context, modesty was a virtue and thus another reason that prostitutes were looked down upon was because they were open about their sexuality and dressed proactively. In addition, the woman breaks biblical gender roles as she takes the lead in the situation and “comes towards him”. Not only were a prostitutes’ sexual acts, but a...

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Throughout the Bible prostitutes are not only condemned and face disapproval but they also face societal shame because of their disobedience to the commands against prostitution. In this example, prostitutes are shamed by the fact that they are compared to dogs. “They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria; the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it, according to the word of the LORD that he had spoken.” 1 Kings 22:38. For context, the King of Israel had just died in battle and it is stated that prostitutes washed themselves in his blood while the dogs simultaneously lick it up. There is no real explanation to this behavior, yet this mention alludes to the fact that prostitutes are low on the social ladder. While dogs lick up the blood, the prostitutes are on their level in the societal context as they also bathe in the blood.

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