If David and Jonathan were gay, why were they not put to death?

by Robert Gonzalez
(Queens, New York, USA)

Rick Brentlinger Answers -

Thaanks for such a great question about David and Jonathan. When people read the Old Testament, they tend to read into scripture, their own understanding from the twenty first century.

So when people read Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, where we are told that a man should not lie with a man, people assume its talking about homosexuality. They further assume that God demands the death penalty for homosexuals. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here are the verses people so often misinterpret.

"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." -Leviticus 18:22

"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." -Leviticus 20:13

These verses should not be read as isolated texts. They were give in a context which helps us understand what they mean. To understand Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, we need to look at the context to see if its talking about homosexuality or if its talking about something else.

What is the context?

A. The historical context: When we look at history in the ancient near east, we discover that the inhabitants of Canaan (what we call modern day Palestine) worshiped false gods like Molech and his fertility goddess consort Ashtoreth.

This worship consisted of shrine prostitutes, men (and sometimes women) offering themselves sexually to men in an effort to get the false gods, Molech and Ashtoreth, to bless their crops, their herds and their families with increase.

This false worship of Molech and Ashtoreth is what Moses and God were talking about in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13.

B. The religious context: When we look at Leviticus, we find that chapter 18 is in the context of forbidding the worship of false gods. Scripture warns against worshiping false gods.

"After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances... I am the LORD your God." -Leviticus 18:3-4

God says: Don't do like the heathen in Egypt where you came from and don't do like the heathen in Canaan, where you're going.

"And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD." -Leviticus 18:21

Notice that God places the man with man prohibition in the context of Molech worship. God warns against worshiping Molech, whose fertility goddess consort was Ashtoreth. Ashtoreth worship involved same sex activity to provoke the gods to make people's crops, herds and families fertile.

"Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:" -Leviticus 18:24

"(For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)" -Leviticus 18:27

God warns that following the customs of the heathen will get them cast out of the promised land, just like God cast out the heathen before them.

"Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones." -Leviticus 20:2

"And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name." -Leviticus 20:3

"And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not:" -Leviticus 20:3

"Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people." -Leviticus 20:5

How many times does God have to mention Molech in the context of same sex activity, see 18:22 and 20:13, before people get the connection?

"And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them." -Leviticus 20:23

"And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine. " -Leviticus 20:26

God says: You Israelites are mine. You do not belong to the pagan gods of Canaan or the people who serve them. You are mine.

If David and Jonathan were gay, why were they not put to death?

The death penalty in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 was NOT for being gay. It was for worshiping false gods via same sex activity. Homosexual orientation and being in a committed same sex partnership is not the same as using sex to worship the fertility goddess. Things different are not equal.

Helpful links to more information

How do you interpret Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, man should not lay with man?

What is an abomination in the Bible?

Are lesbians treated the same as gays in the Bible?

Does Romans 1:26-27 condemn homosexuals?

Robert's Original Question:

Not advocating the death of someone because they are gay; Jesus said "A new command I give you, love each other."

A christian should love everybody because Christ loves us. But in that time in the old testament, the penalty for being gay was death. My question is: If David and Jonathan were Gay,why were they not put to death?

Thank you for taking the time out to respond.