by Jeramy Townsley

The purpose of this page is to show the difficulty in translating the words arsenokoitai and malakos – two words used (incorrectly) to condemn gays.

Throughout the history of English translations, there has been little agreement on the meanings of these two Greek words. Most of the English translations describe malakos as “weak” or “effeminate” – neither of which mean gay.

While effeminate could be applied to a stereotyped gay personna, effeminate could be applied equally to a heterosexual, as the word malakos was often used with this meaning in the original Greek.

While arsenokoitai is typically translated as “abusers of themselves” or “sodomites”, both of which are vague, and at the very least do not seem applicable to a long-term, loving gay relationship. (Even the reference to Sodom refers to an aggressive, impersonal sex-act, not one of mutual care, respect and fidelity). Regardless, there has been a great diversity of ideas on the meanings of these two words, none of which allows the broad imposition of all homosexual behavior to be applied to either or both of these words.

VersionYearTranslation
Koine Greek56 A.D.malakoiarsenokoitai
Latin Vulgate405mollesmasculorum concubitores
Wyclif1508lecchourissynne of Sodom
Tyndale1525weaklingsabusers of themselves with mankynde
Great Bible1539weaklyngesabusers of themselves with mankynde
Geneva Bible1560wantonsbouggerers
Bishops Bible1568effeminateliers with mankinde
Reims-Douai1609effeminateliers with mankind
King James Authorized Version1611effeminateabusers of themselves with mankind
The Revised Version1811effeminateabusers of themselves with men
Darby1890those who make women of themselvesabuse themselves with men
Young1898effeminatesodomites
American Standard Version1901effeminateabusers of themselves with men
RVA1909los afeminadoslos que se echan con varones
Louis Segond1910les effiminesles infames
Wesley’s New Testament1938guilty of unnatural crime
Goodspeed1951sensualgiven to unnatural vice
Jerusalem Bible (French)1955effeminatepeople with infamous habits
Phillips1958effeminatepervert
Interlinear Greek-English New Testament1958voluptuous personsSodomites
The Amplified Version1958those who participate in homosexuality
New English1961homosexual perversion
New American Standard Bible1963effeminatehomosexuals
Today’s English Version1966homosexual perverts
Jerusalem Bible (German)1968sissieschild molesters
Jerusalem Bible (English)1968CatamitesSodomites
New American Catholic1970homosexual pervertssodomites
Revised Standard Version1971sexual perverts
The Living Bible1971homosexuals
New International Version1978male prostituteshomosexual offenders
New King James1979homosexualssodomites
rev Luther Bibel1984lustknabenknabenschander
Elberfelder Bibel1985WollustlingeKnabenschander
New Jerusalem Bible1985self indulgentsodomites
New American Catholic1987boy prostitutespracticing homosexuals
Revised English Bible1989sexual pervert
New Revised Standard1989male prostitutessodomites
New Living1996male prostituteshomosexuals
Third Millenium Bible1998effeminateabusers of themselves with mankind

Note from Mary: The information for this page is Used With Permission from its author, Jeramy Townsley.

Please visit Jeramy’s Web Space – an eclectic wealth of links for everything from Church Documents, Ancient Texts, Greek/Hebrew/Latin, Gay & Lesbian Studies, to Fun/Games, Human & Animal Rights, Neurology/Psychiatry and Medical Ethics, Weather/Earthquakes and much, much more.

I highly recommend that you bookmark his website and spend several very long visits. You will learn much!

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