What does "Harlot" mean in the Bible?
The first mention of harlots is in the case of Tamar, Gen 38:15, but we frequently meet with them later in the books of the Bible. The Mosaic Hare of Mt. Sinai. Law forbade fathers to hire out their daughters as harlots, Lev 19:29, and the severe punishment by burning was ordained for the priest's daughter guilty of fornication, Lev 21:9. Harlot appears in 10 verses across 6 books of the Bible.
What does the Bible say about Harlot?
HAR'LOT. The first mention of harlots is in the case of Tamar, Gen 38:15, but we frequently meet with them later in the books of the Bible. The Mosaic Hare of Mt. Sinai. Law forbade fathers to hire out their daughters as harlots, Lev 19:29, and the severe punishment by burning was ordained for the priest's daughter guilty of fornication, Lev 21:9. The harlot was regarded as unclean, and is mentioned in the same breath with the dog, Deut 23:18. The book of Proverbs compares the harlot to a deep ditch and a narrow pit, Prov 23:27, and represents in strong language the perils attending an association with her, Prov 7:10-27. The term is also used of wicked cities; as Nineveh, Nah 3:4, and Jerusalem, Isa 1:21; of Israel, to represent her alienation from God. The marriage relation is looked upon as subsisting between it and God, The nation became a harlot when she practised idolatry. Jer 2:20; Dan 3:1; Eze 16:15; Hos 2:2; Gal 4:15. In the N.T. harlots are classed with publicans. Matt 21:32, and Paul admonishes against the sin of fornication, especially in his Epistle to the Corinthians. 1 Cor 5:1; 2 Cor 12:21. In the book of Revelation, (heathen) Rome, under the mystic name of Babylon, is called "the mother of harlots," Rev 17:5.
Definition text: Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible · 1898. Public domain.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
What is the Hebrew word for Harlot?
Where does Harlot appear in the Bible?
Harlot is referenced in 10 verses across 6 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- Ezekiel 16:15
- Hosea 2:5
- Hosea 4:12
- Hosea 9:1
- Isaiah 1:21
- Isaiah 23:15
- Isaiah 23:16
- Jeremiah 3:1
- Nahum 3:4
- Proverbs 7:10
What else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Harlot.
Common questions
How many times does the Bible mention Harlot?
Harlot appears in 10 verses across 6 books, most often in Hosea, which accounts for 3 of them.
Which books of the Bible mention Harlot?
Hosea, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Nahum, Proverbs.
Where can I read every verse about Harlot?
This page lists 10 of them. Protos carries all 10, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.
