Leviticus 18:22
What is written? (ESV)
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
What does it say?
You [Men] shall not lie with another man as you would a woman. It is a detestable act.
What is its immediate context?
Moses is receiving the law from God. This book stresses God’s holiness and the people becoming “holy as He is holy.” Chapter 18 forbids following Egyptian and Canaanite practices (vss 1-5); these verses occur among the chapter’s sexual prohibitions.
How Leviticus 18:22 is applied across Bible answers
Is a homosexual lifestyle sinful?
Under God's Old Law/Covenant, it was an abomination to "lie with" (e.g. engage sexually) with the same sex.
Extra Context for this Application:
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is in Genesis 18-19 and was notorious for its residents' sexual immorality and pursuit of "unnatural desire" (homosexuality).
