"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate(
malakos), nor
abusers of themselves with mankind(
arsenokoites)," (1Cor 6:9, KJV)
"Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for
them that defile themselves with mankind(
arsenokoites), for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;" (1Tim 1:9-10, KJV)
The KJV is very accurate in these translations as you use the 1828 Webster's Dictionary to seek the definitions. Our KJV is the last corrected edition of 1769, so the 1828 dictionary is closest in time.
"EFFEM'INATE, a. [L. effoeminatus, from effoeminor, to grow or make womanish, from foemina, a woman. See Woman.]
1. Having the qualities of the female sex; soft or delicate to an unmanly degree; tender; womanish; voluptuous.
The king, by his voluptuous life and mean marriage, became effeminate, and less sensible of honor.
2. Womanish; weak; resembling the practice or qualities of the sex; as an effeminate peace; an effeminate life."
There is nothing about sexual relations in the definition of effeminate. I've yet to see an English dictionary that defines "effeminate" in anyway as sexual conduct between males! When you look up the phrase "abusers (and defile) of themselves with mankind" in the Young's Analytical Concordance, you must look up the key words, "abuser" and "defile" therefore in the Webster's we have the meanings.
ABU'SER, n. s as z. One who abuses, in speech or behavior; one that deceives; a ravisher; a sodomite. 1 Cor 6.
a sodomite is a ravisher
RAV'ISHER, n.
1. One that takes by violence.
2. One that forces a woman to his carnal embrace.
DEFILE, v.t.
5. To corrupt chastity; to debauch; to violate; to tarnish the purity of character by lewdness.
Schechem defiled Dinah. Gen 34.
DEFILER, n. One who defiles; one who corrupts or violates; that which pollutes.
LEWD'NESS, n.
1. The unlawful indulgence of lust; fornication, or adultery.
FORNICA'TION, n. [L. fornicatio.]
1. The incontinence or lewdness of unmarried persons, male or female; also, the criminal conversation of a married man with an unmarried woman.
2. Adultery. Mat 5.
3. Incest. 1 Cor 5.
I believe the KJV was accurate in its translations of
malakos and
arsenokoites for the following reasons.
The word
malakos is used 4 times in the NT, and the other 3 times refer to soft clothing, luxurious clothing. The Classical Greek dictionary Liddell-Scott-Jones has long entry for
malakos and nowhere is it defined as a "catamite".
https://lsj.gr/wiki/μαλακός
If Paul wished to mean a male prostitute, a "catamite", the exact word was available as also in the LSJ-
https://lsj.gr/wiki/κίναιδος
The 19th century German scholar Heinrich Meyer states on this question of
malakos in 1 Cor. 6:9 -
"μαλακοί]
effeminates, commonly understood as
qui muliebria patiuntur, but with no sufficient evidence from the usage of the language (the passages in Wetstein and Kypke, even Dion. Hal. vii. 2, do not prove the point); moreover, such catamites (
molles) were called πόρνοι or κίναιδοι. One does not see, moreover, why precisely
this sin should be mentioned twice over in different aspects. Rather therefore:
effeminate luxurious livers. Comp Aristotle,
Eth. vii. 7 : μαλακὸς καὶ τρυφῶν, Xen.
Mem. ii. 1, 20, also μαλακῶς, iii. 11. 10 : τρυφὴ δὲ καὶ μαλθακία, Plato,
Rep. p. 590 B."
On the word, apparently coined by Paul,
arsenokiotes, it is a compound word made up of
arsen=male and
koites=couch. The etymology of a word when dealing with the author who coined the word, is critical in understanding the word. That Greek
koites is used in Hebrews 13:4 figuratively for the marriage bed; and in Romans 9:10 for conception. But the word is found also in a vice list, a listing of sins as follows:
"Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering(
koites) and wantonness, not in strife and envying." (Rom 13:13, KJV)
The word "chambering" as in the 1828 Webster's is defined thus:
CHAMBERING, n. Wanton, lewd, immodest behavior. Rom 13.
WANTON, n.
1. A lewd person; a lascivious man or woman.
LEWD, a. [Heb.]
1. Given to the unlawful indulgence of lust; addicted to fornication or adultery; dissolute; lustful; libidinous.
IMMOD'EST, a. [L. immodestus; in and modestus, modest. see the latter.]
1. Literally, not limited to due bounds. Hence, in a general sense, immoderate; exorbitant, unreasonable; arrogant.
So from Rom. 13:13 we can learn that when applied to male-male sexual conduct; it refers to unlimited sexual promiscuity. While 1 Cor. 6:9 does not list the sins in any order or system by which we can get a hint of the meaning, Paul does list it in categories in 1 Tim. 1:9, 10 as follows:
A. the lawless and disobedient
B. the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane
C. murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
D. whoremongers,
arsenokoites, for menstealers
E. for liars, for perjured persons
By being included with the vilest of fornicators being whoremongers, and along with menstealers; along with unlimited sexual promiscuity we have an abusive and violent element added. If we were to look at the definition of "sodomite" today, as seen in its category of synonyms, we'll see it fits close if we are to use a single word as translation.
The most accurate translation in today's language I believe is by Reverend Arthur Marshall in the NIV/Grk-Eng Interlinear, with the literal rendering:
"Or know ye not that unrighteous men will not inherit [the] kingdom of God? Be not led astray; not fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor voluptuous persons nor sodomites,"
Paul's use of malakos and arsenokoites does not describe a relationship between two male friends, together for companionship, mutual support and whatever sexual relations they choose to have between themselves.