Bible Dictionaries
Lewdness
Holman Bible Dictionary
Lust; sexual unchastity; licentiousness. Lewdness sometimes refers to an especially heinous crime: brutal gang rape resulting in murder (Judges 19:25-27; murder by priests (Hosea 6:9 ); any vicious crime (Acts 18:14 ). Most often lewdness is used figuratively for idolatry (Jeremiah 11:15; Jeremiah 13:27; Ezekiel 16:43 ,Ezekiel 16:43,16:58; Ezekiel 22:9; Ezekiel 23:21 ,Ezekiel 23:21,23:27 ,Ezekiel 23:27,23:29 ,Ezekiel 23:29,23:35 ,Ezekiel 23:35,23:48-49; Ezekiel 24:13; Hosea 2:10 ). Since the cults of many of Israel's neighboring peoples were fertility cults which employed sexual acts as part of worship, the application of lewdness to idolatry or unfaithfulness is easily understood. See Fertility Cults.
Copyright Statement
These dictionary topics are from the Holman Bible Dictionary, published by Broadman & Holman, 1991. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Broadman & Holman.
Bibliography Information
Butler, Trent C. Editor. Entry for 'Lewdness'. Holman Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hbd/l/lewdness.html. 1991.