by
Elisabeth Anne Kellogg
There are those who are concerned about homosexuals and cross-dressers being labeled "abominations" by the Levitical code, as if they were some sort of supper sinners worse than ordinary sinners. The word translated "abomination" in some versions of the Old Testament represents the Hebrew toebah (noun) or taab (verb). In the following we will see that toebah does not represent an extraordinary class of sin, but applies to all sin and represents the ordinary concepts of forbiddenness, uncleanness and unrighteousness.
Of the various activities labeled as toebah in the Old Testament the most common is idolatry in Leviticus 7:25-26; Deuteronomy 13:14; 17:4; 27:15; 1 Kings 14:24; 21:26; Jeremiah 44:4 and numerous other verses. Among other cultic acts that are toebah are sacrificing blemished animals (Deuteronomy 17:1), dedicating children to Molech, using mediums and magic (Deuteronomy 18:9-14), and using a prostitute's wages to make an offering at the temple (Deuteronomy 23:18). Also toebah are the sacrifices of the wicked (Proverbs 15:8; 21:27) and the prayers of the lawless (Proverbs 28:9) and allowing the uncircumcised to enter the sanctuary (Ezekiel 44:6-7; see also Acts 21:28).
A broad range of sexual and non-sexual activities are labeled as toebah, from incest, bestiality and adultery to practicing polygamy with sisters (but not polygamy in general), marrying a divorced woman (Deuteronomy 24:4) and having sex during a woman's menstrual period (Leviticus 18:6-30; Leviticus 20:1-27). Other toebah acts include cursing your father or mother (Leviticus 18:6-30; Leviticus 20:1-27) and using dishonest weights and measures (Deuteronomy 25:13-16; Proverbs 11:1; 20:10,23). The shedding of blood, lying and stealing are labeled toebah (Proverbs 6:16-19; Jeremiah 7:9-10; Ezekiel 18:10-13; 22:6-12). Even King David's census was taab (1 Ch 21:6).
While some will point out that homosexuality and cross-dressing are in the same category as incest and bestiality, it should be noted that so are divorced people who remarry, those who have sex during menstruation and children who fight with their parents. In fact it seems that any uncleanness, any violation of Jewish Law, can be considered toebah. Rabbi Marcus Jastrow in his Dictionary of the Talmud defines taab as "to declare an abomination, to forbid." Relative to the meaning of toebah as "forbidden things," Jastrow elaborates: "whatever I have declared an abomination for thee (whatever I have forbidden thee) comes under the category of 'thou shalt not eat' (all kinds of forbidden food come under this same category, hence can be combined to make up this legal quantity); whatever I have forbidden thee, it is forbidden to eat (even if the text does not say explicitly, 'thou shalt not eat')."* (Compare with Deuteronomy 14:3)
This is underlined by Paul in Rom 3:10 where he paraphrases Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1 by writing, "There is no one who is righteous, not even one." Thus adikaios (unrighteous) becomes a synonym for toebah. So also the words of Eliphaz to Job: "God puts no trust even in his holy ones, and the heavens are not clean in his sight; how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, one who drinks iniquity like water," (Job 15:15-16) leads to Paul's conclusion, "so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For 'no human being will be justified in his sight' by deeds prescribed by the law." (Romans 3:19-20) James concurs, "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it." (James 2:10)
So homosexuality and cross-dressing do not represent some extraordinary class of sin (as in some distinction between Mortal and Venial sins), but with the rest of life are covered by the righteousness of faith. "But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe." (Romans: 21-22)
In fact Jastrow's connection of toebah with Jewish dietary law draws us to the story of Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10. The Lord tells Peter in a vision, "What God has made clean, you must not call unclean," (Acts 10:15) and Peter takes this to mean, "God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean." (Acts 10:28) The story ends with the Holy Spirit coming to the gentiles who believe and their subsequent baptism. (Acts 10:44-48)
The application of this story aught to be clear. When there is an issue of excluding some group of people from the church and those people display the fruits of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control," (Galatians 5:22) "can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" (Acts 10:47) Contrariwise, do those who wish to exclude them display those same fruits of the spirit? John tells us to test the spirits. (1 John 4:1) "Those who say, 'I love God,' and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also." (1 John 4:20-21)
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* Jastrow, Dictionary of the Talmud, 1903, Brooklyn, Traditional Press Inc., p. 1683.
(c) Copyright 2004 Elisabeth Anne Kellogg, all rights reserved. You are expressly granted permission to copy this article provided you do not modify any portion of the text, including this copyright notice.
