Does it Matter?

Who Speaks for God

Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin - Homosexuality

Is Law Binding on Gay People?

The Bible, Adultery and the Sex Trade


DRAFT - IN DEVELOPMENT

In the Bible, there appears to be a general association between sexual acts that are considered immoral and the worship of other gods. Biblical writers often used sexual words and words associated with sexual infidelity to describe the worshipping of gods other than the God of Israel. Given the general Biblical association of sexual immorality and idol worship, one needs to be very careful when judging Biblical texts about same-sex relationships as condemning homosexuals. The Biblical writers were probably condemning worship of other gods, not homosexuality or homosexual relationships.

Adultery:

The Bible search program found on the website BibleGateway.com found the word adultery 33 times in the King James Bible.

Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

This verse is part of the ten commandments. Within the ten commandments is a very strong monotheistic position. The worship of other gods is condemned. The first commandment forbids the worship of other gods. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Restrictions against adultery in this passage could be restrictions against both extra-marital sexual relations and the worship of other gods.

Leviticus 20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Deuteronomy 5:18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

This verse is part of the ten commandments found in Deuteronomy. Within the ten commandments is a very strong monotheistic position. The worship of other gods is condemned. The first commandment forbids the worship of other gods. Thou shalt have none other gods before me.Restrictions against adultery in this passage could be restrictions against both extra-marital sexual relations and the worship of other gods.

Proverbs 6:32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

Jeremiah 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

Jeremiah 3:9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

Jeremiah 5:7 How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.

Jeremiah 7:9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;

Jeremiah 23:14 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness; they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

Jeremiah 29:23 Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.

Ezekiel 16:32 But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!

Ezekiel 23:37 That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them.

Hosea 4:2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

Hosea 4:13 They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.

Hosea 4:14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.

Matthew 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Matthew 5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

Matthew 19:9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

Matthew 19:18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,

Mark 10:11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

Mark 10:12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

Mark 10:19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

Luke 16:18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

Luke 18:20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

John 8:3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

John 8:4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

Romans 2:22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?

Romans 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

James 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

2 Peter 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

Revelation 2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

Prostitute:

Leviticus 19:28-29 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.

The key to understanding the context of this verse can be found in verses 4 and 30 of the chapter. In verse 4, God states that the children of Israel are not to "turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods." Verse 30 tells the children of Israel that they are to keep God's sabbaths. These two verses help show that context is remembering the God of Israel and not worshipping other gods.

The conservative Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Bible Commentary indicates the cuttings in one's flesh was considered to be an offering to the gods that presided over death and the grave. The prohibition on tattoos was because the tattoos were probably in honor of other gods. The immediate context of daughters not becoming involved in prostitution appears to be the worship of other gods.

Whore:

While the proceeds from temple prostitution were used to help build the temples for gods other than the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, they were not to be donated to God. Deuteronomy 23:18 Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God. We get the sense that Israel was called to interact with their God in a very different way than other peoples interacted with their gods.

The Bible search program found on the website BibleGateway.com found the word whore 15 times in the King James Bible. Two of the 15 passages appear to be related to sexual acts, 1 of the texts could be either about sexual sins or about the worship of idols and 12 of the Bible verses appear to be about the worship of other gods. Texts using the word whoring appear below. The portion of texts showing a connection to the worship of other gods or of being unfaithful to God appears in bold.

Leviticus 19:28-29 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.

The key to understanding the context of this verse can be found in verses 4 and 30 of the chapter. In verse 4, God states that the children of Israel are not to "turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods." Verse 30 tells the children of Israel that they are to keep God's sabbaths. These two verses help show that context is remembering the God of Israel and not worshipping other gods.

The conservative Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Bible Commentaryindicates the cuttings in one's flesh was considered to be an offering to the gods that presided over death and the grave. The prohibition on tattoos was because the tattoos were probably in honor of other gods. The immediate context of daughters not becoming involved in prostitution appears to be the worship of other gods.

Leviticus 21:7 & 9 They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God. And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.

The Contemporary English Version translates this passage using the words "temple prostitute" instead of whore.

Deuteronomy 22:21 Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you.

This text is part of passage about what should be done when a man learns the woman he married was not a virgin when they got married.

Deuteronomy 23:17-18 There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

The context of sex as an act of worship to other gods is not as clear in the King James Bible as it is in other translations. The New Living Translation and the New International Version translates the passage using the words "shrine prostitute" and the New Century Version and Good News Bibles translate the passage "temple prostitute." The Holman Christian Standard Bible uses the term "cult prostitute." The teams of translators who translated some other versions of the Bible tie prohibition against prostitution and the condemnation of prostitution directly to temple prostitution.

Judges 19:2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months.

This Bible text seems to be about a concubine who did not meet her partner's expectations.

Proverbs 23:27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

The specific context of this proverb is not clear. The warning could be against prostitution in general or against temple prostitution, with its association with the worship of other gods. The Hebrew word translated whore (Zanah) can mean either the more contemporary understanding of being a prostitute or being cult prostitute for the temple of another god.

Isaiah 57:3 But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.

We see the context of Isaiah 57:3 when we read verse five, where the offspring of the whore are described as "enflaming" themselves "with idols under every green tree."

Jeremiah 3:3 Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

The Matthew Henry Commentary says that they polluted the land not only with "their whoredoms (that is, their idolatries), but with their wickedness, or malice."

Ezekiel 16:28 Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied.

The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary points out that the people went to the more distant Assyrians and adopted their idol worship.

Revelation 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

Revelation 17:15-16 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

Revelation chapter 17 is about the whore of Babylon, which is a symbol of false religion. According to the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, the multitudes of people mentioned in verses 15 and 16 are a reference to the prevalence of "spiritual fornication" in the church.

Revelation 19:2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

In this passage the evil that corrupted the earth and shed the blood of God's servants appears to be referred to as the "great whore." The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary applies this text to the Old Testament "adulterous Church" and the New Testament "apostate Church."

Whoredom:

The Bible search program found on the website BibleGateway.com found the word whore 46 times in the King James Bible. In every passage, the chapter appears to have themes that make a case the the word whoredom is used in reference to the sin of worshipping other gods. In one passage, a case could be made that the text may be in reference to a more sexual and personal form of prostitution. Texts using the word whoring appear below. The portion of texts showing a connection to the worship of other gods or of being unfaithful to God appears in bold.

Genesis 38:24 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

This passage might be a reference to temple prostitution. The New International Version of the Bible translates both verses 21 and 22 to read, "There hasn�t been any shrine prostitute here." Tamar might have been a temple prostitute.

Leviticus 19:29 Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.

The key to understanding the context of this verse can be found in verses 4 and 30 of the chapter. In verse 4, God states that the children of Israel are not to "turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods." Verse 30 tells the children of Israel that they are to keep God's sabbaths. These two verses help show that context is remembering the God of Israel and not worshipping other gods.

The conservative Fausset and Brown Bible Commentary indicates the cuttings in one's flesh was considered to be an offering to the gods that presided over death and the grave. The prohibition on tattoos was because the tattoos were probably in honor of other gods. The immediate context of daughters not becoming involved in prostitution appears to be the worship of other gods.

Leviticus 20:5 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.

Molech was a god. Some ancient people who worshipped Molech offered their children as a sacrifice to Molech. In this passage, those who worship Molech are described as committing whoredom.

Numbers 14:33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.

This passage is about the children of Israel after they left Egypt and were in the desert. The Matthew Henry Commentary states the children of Israel did not believe God. Their disbelief resulted in them dying in the wilderness. The sin of disbelief appears to be referred to as whoredoms.

Numbers 25:1-2 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.

2 Kings 9:22 And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?

Zezebel would not be considered to be very faithful to Gol. 1 Kings 18:4 informs us that Zezebel was trying to kill the Lord's prophets. Zezebel could be described as promoting the worship of other gods. This passage uses the word whoredoms to describe unfaithfulness to God and the worship of other gods.

2 Chronicles 21:13 But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father's house, which were better than thyself:

Ahab was closely associated with the worship of other gods. Ahab's wife, Zezebel, wanted to kill God's prophets. 1Kings 18:18-19 provides more background about Ahab. "And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim. Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table." The whoredoms of the house of Ahab is likely to be a reference to the worship of other gods.

Jeremiah 3:2 Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

The Matthew Henry Commentary says that they polluted the land not only with "their whoredoms (that is, their idolatries), but with their wickedness, or malice."

Jeremiah 3:9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

Verse eight provides more context. "And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce." Jeremiah describes God as being angry with the children of Israel's spiritual adultery and spiritual unfaithfulness to the Lord. Israel's unfaithfulness to God is described as whoredom and adultery in Jeremiah 3:9.

Jeremiah 13:27 I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?

The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Bible Commentary describes this passage as idol worship with the sexual passion one finds in a horse that is neighing.

Ezekiel 16:17 Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,

The context of the entire chapter relates to idol worship. The chapter introduction in Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary describes this chapter as a parable of the Jewish nation's prosperity, "idolatries" and punishment.

Ezekiel 16:20 and 22 Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter, And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood.

Unger's Bible Handbook, when commenting on this passage, describes Israel as the Lord's bride of "regal status," who became a "shameless" prostitute, becoming involved in "cult prostitution" and unfaithfulness to God. The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Bible Commentary states the children of Israel were offering their children as a sacrifice to the god Molech. In the general context of this chapter, the words abomination and whoredoms refer to the worship of other gods.

Ezekiel 16:25-26 Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms. Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger.

The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Bible Commentary comments about how the children of Israel shared idol worship with the Egyptians.

Ezekiel 16:33-34 and 36 They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom. And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms, whereas none followeth thee to commit whoredoms: and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them;

The context remains the worship of other gods. We see that in the reference to idols and to the sacrifice of children to other gods.

Ezekiel 20:30-31 Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations? For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you.

Ezekiel 23:3 And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity.

The Matthew Henry Commentary states this chapter is about Israel's apostasy from God. Unger's Bible Handbook notes this chapter discusses the "ungodly" political and religious relationships the northern and southern kingdoms of the children of Israel had with her neighbors. This verse appears to be about the spiritual unfaithfulness Israel practiced in Egypt.

Ezekiel 23:7-8 Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself. Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their whoredom upon her.

Ezekiel 23:11 And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms.

The context of the chapter is spiritual unfaithfulness and idol worship. The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Bible Commentary notes that the kingdom of Judah had more spiritual privileges, but was more corrupt.

Ezekiel 23:14 And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion,

The Adam Clarke Commentary mentions the chapter is about the idolatries of Samaria and Jerusalem. Clarke notes that the same metaphor of two prostitutes is used in Ezekiel chapter 16.

Ezekiel 23:17-19 And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them. So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister. Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.

The reference to whoredoms of her youth in Egypt seems to be a reference to spiritual unfaithfulness to God in Egypt.

Ezekiel 23:27 and 29 Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy whoredom brought from the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more. And they shall deal with thee hatefully, and shall take away all thy labour, and shall leave thee naked and bare: and the nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be discovered, both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.

These verses also appear to be using the word whoredom to refer to the worship of idols that the children of Israel brought with them from Egypt.

Ezekiel 23:35 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.

In this verse, the worship of other gods is described as lewd and whoredoms. The key to understanding this verse is that the people forgot God.

Ezekiel 23:43 Then said I unto her that was old in adulteries, Will they now commit whoredoms with her, and she with them?

The use of the words adultery and whoredom seems to continue in the theme of this chapter, unfaithfulness to God.

Ezekiel 43:7 and 9 And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places. Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

This passage continues the theme of religious unfaithfulness on the part of the children of Israel. The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Bible Commentary gives the impression this passage might mean the children of Israel need to put away the carcasses of their idols. The Complete Matthew Henry Commentary observes that the children of Isreal and their kings "brought contempt" on their relationship with God, by "spiritual whoredom," idol worship and worshipping images.

Hosea 1:2 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.

Hosea 2:2 and 4 Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts; And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.

The book of Hosea is about spiritual infidelity. Hosea is commanded to take a prostitute as his wife. The unfaithfulness of his wife, Gomer, represents the unfaithfulness of the children of Israel and the faithfulness of Hosea to his wife, even when she is not faithful, represents God's faithfulness to God's people. Unger's Bible Handbook says the second verse is about those who have been unfaithful to God. The spiritually unfaithful are threatened with punishment.

Hosea 4:10-14 For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart. My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.

Hosea 4:18 Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.

Unger's Bible Handbook describes the first eleven verses of this chapter as the "fruitage of idolatry" and rest of the chapter as a "description of Ephraim's idolatry."

Hosea 5:3-4 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled. They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD.

Hosea 6:10 I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.

Regarding chapters 5 and 6, Unger's Bible Handbook says Ephraim was too "addicted to idolatry" to return to God.

Nahum 3:4 Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.

This passage is about the Assyrians. In the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, we get the sense that the Assyrians sins were called a "multitude of whoredoms," not because they turned away from worshipping the God of Israel, but because they subjected neighboring nations. In this passage the word whoredoms does not appear to be a sexual sin.

Whoring:

The Bible search program found on the website BibleGateway.com found the word whoring 18 times in the King James Bible. In all 18 passages where the word whoring is used in the King James Bible the word whoring appears to be used in reference to the worship of other gods.

Texts using the word whoring appear below. The portion of texts showing a connection to the worship of other gods or of being unfaithful to God appears in bold.

Exodus 34:15 - Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice.

Exodus 34:16 - And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.

Leviticus 17:7 - And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.

Leviticus 20:5 - 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 20:6 - And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

Numbers 15:39-41 - And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them ; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.

In Numbers Chapter 15, the children of Israel are asked to wear fringes on their garments so they will remember God and will remember that God brought them out of Egypt. The use of the word whoring appears to be a reference to the children of Israel forgetting the God who brought them out of Egypt and worshipping other gods.

Deuteronomy 31:16 - And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.

Judges 2:17 - And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.

Judges 8:27 and 33 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house. The context of the worship of other gods is found in verse 33 of Chapter 8. Judges 8:33 - And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.

1 Chronicles 5:25 - And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them.

2 Chronicles 21:13 - But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father's house, which were better than thyself:

A key clue to the context of this verse is found in verse 2 Chronicles 21:6 - And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD. The well-known conservative Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary states Jehoram "abolished worship of the Lord." The context of the use of whoring in this verse appears to be the worship of other gods.

Psalm 73:26-27 - My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.

Psalm 106:38-39 - And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.

Ezekiel 6:9 - And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.

Ezekiel 23:30 - I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols.

Hosea 4:12 - My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.

Hosea 9:1 - Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.