Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 61:2 (Jun 2018)
Article: Identifying the Sin of Sodom in Ezekiel 16:49–50
Author: Brian Neil Peterson

JETS 61:2 (June 2018) p. 307

Identifying the Sin of Sodom in Ezekiel 16:49–50

Brian Neil Peterson*

* Brian Neil Peterson is Associate Professor of OT at Lee University, 1120 N. Ocoee Street, Cleveland, TN 37311. He can be contacted at [email protected].

Abstract: The exact identification of the sin(s) of Sodom has long been central to the same-sex debate. In recent years, affirming scholars—some of whom are self-professed “evangelicals”—have attempted to downplay the sexually deviant aspects of Genesis 19 by invoking Ezek 16:49 as conclusive evidence that Sodom’s sin was social injustice rooted in careless ease. Many affirming scholars triumphantly assert that based upon Ezekiel’s teaching, Sodom’s sin cannot be homosexuality especially as reflected in today’s “loving, caring, same-sex relationships.” In light of these assertions, this article argues that affirming scholars’ appeal to this Ezekielian passage is contextually, rhetorically, and exegetically flawed. Ezekiel not only employs the Sodom narrative in one of the most sexually graphic chapters of the Bible for rhetorical purposes, but he also highlights the sexually deviant sins of Sodom as a foil for the sexually deviant sins of YHWH’s bride, Jerusalem, both of whom had a Canaanite ancestry (16:3, 45). A close exegetical analysis of Ezek 16:49 and 50 shows that the priestly prophet was drawing upon the Holiness Code of Leviticus, specifically the use of תועבה (tô‘ēvāh; “abomination”) in 18:22 and 20:13, in order to highlight Sodom’s main sin of homosexuality.

Key words: Ezekiel 16:49–50, Sodom, homosexuality, Genesis 19, abomination, Holiness Code, Leviticus 18 and 20

I. INTRODUCTION

It has become common fare in the same-sex discussion for affirming1 scholars to enlist Ezekiel’s prophetic pronouncements in 16:49 as evidence that Sodom’s sin was nothing more than careless ease, which in turn led to social injustices such as the oppression of the poor.2 Many times any mention of Sodom’s sexu...