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HARLOT

A woman who engages in sexual intercourse for pay (Heb. zônâ, from a root meaning “to fornicate”; Gk. pórnē, from a verb meaning “to sell”). The KJV also uses “harlot” for qĕḏēšâ in Gen. 38:21, 22; Hos. 4:14. While zônâ and qĕḏēšâ are sometimes assumed to be completely synonymous, it is possible that the different terms imply different functions or connote different degrees of social standing.

Since the feminine qĕḏēšâ and its masculine equivalent qāḏēš come from the Hebrew root meaning “holy” or “set apart,” modern scholars often assume that these words refer to men and women engaged in Canaanite fertility cult practices (as opposed to “common prostitution”). Thus, while the KJV used “whore” or “harlot” for qĕḏēšâ and “sodomite” for qāḏēš, recent versions translate both the masculine and feminine forms as “temple prostitute,” “shrine prostitute,” or “cult prostitute” (1 Kgs. 14:24; 15:12; 22:46; 2 Kgs. 23:7; Job 36:14).

In the OT, “harlot” (zônâ) is used to describe Tamar (the daughter-in-law of Judah, Gen. 38), Rahab (the woman from Jericho who sheltered the Israelite spies, Josh. 2:1-24), the unnamed mother of Jephthah (Judg. 11:1) and the two women whose quarrel over a baby was settled by Solomon (1 Kgs. 3:16). Dinah’s brothers say they will not allow their sister to be treated like a zônâ (Gen. 34:31), Samson has intercourse with a zônâ (Judg. 16:1), and Israelite priests are forbidden to marry a zônâ (implying that some men did; Lev. 21:7). Both Tamar and Rahab are remembered by name in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus, and two of the three uses of pórnē in the NT refer to Rahab, whose faith in God and kindness towards the Israelite spies were thought to outweigh the negative aspect of her profession (Heb. 11:31; Jas. 2:25). Thus a harlot seems to have been a professional person whose place in society was recognized (even though she was held in low esteem).

However, the term “harlot” also appears in a variety of metaphors that are used to condemn idolatry and religious syncretism in Israel. In this figurative usage, zônâ takes on even more negative connotations implying adultery and promiscuity. If Israel is thought to be bound to God in an exclusive covenant relationship, then Israel can be said to commit adultery (or to “play the harlot”) whenever they look to powers other than Yahweh for sustenance, comfort, or protection (e.g., Jer. 3:3; Ezek. 16:1-34; Hos. 1–4; Mic. 1:7).

While “harlot” (zônâ) can refer to a woman whose continued presence in the community is tolerated (though stigmatized), the terms “playing the harlot” (znh) and “harlotry” or “whoredom” (zĕnûṯ/zĕnûnîm) describe behavior that the speaker thinks can neither be tolerated nor allowed to continue. This distinction in usage may reflect a double moral standard. In Gen. 38 Judah seems perfectly willing to engage the services of a harlot and to send her an agreed-upon payment, but he plans to burn his daughter-in-law for “playing the harlot” (v. 24), until he realizes that her behavior is no worse than his own (v. 26).

Bibliography. P. A. Bird, “The Harlot as Heroine,” Semeia 46 (1989): 119-39; S. Erlandsson, “zānâ,” TDOT 4:99-104.

Kathleen A. Farmer

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

HARLOT

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)