Why was the death penalty applied to homosexuality?

Homosexuality, in some cases in Scripture, called for the death penalty. Despite the fact that such a definitive judgment would stand against those who are in violation of this portion of the Bible’s standards of morality, those who claim that the Bible and homosexuality are compatible often introduce the death penalty into the discussion.

The death penalty for homosexuality is found in Leviticus 20:13: “If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them.” 

From verses such as this one, it is not difficult to see why Leviticus must be, for some, removed from the discussion. For other homosexual advocates within the church, however, the death penalty is actually brought up as an attempt to win the argument. After all, who would advocate the death penalty against practicing homosexuals today? It is not uncommon for anyone who dares to affirm such a passage from the Bible to be accused of being antiquated, from the backwater, or filled with hate.

The first point to keep in mind is that those who argue in this way are actually contending against the God of the Bible. It is God who has determined that some offenses of homosexuality deserve the death penalty, not the person who is the messenger of God’s truth. This divinely appointed penalty is applicable in both the Old and New Testaments. The apostle Paul taught that homosexuality deserved the death penalty as well (Romans 1:24–32).

The next point that we need to remember is that the Bible did not require the execution of every known homosexual. The rhetoric often flashes about in this way: “Oh, so you want to kill all the gays.” No. That would be unbiblical too. During the reign of Asa, King of Judah, he is described as one who “did what was right in the sight of the LORD.… He also put away the male cult prostitutes from the land, and removed all the idols which his fathers had made” (1 Kings 15:11–12). Asa received divine approbation because he removed the homosexual cult prostitutes. Notice that these homosexuals were not executed; as a matter of fact, they were not completely eradicated from the land.

During the reign of Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son, we find him picking up where his father left off: “And the remnant of the sodomites who remained in the days of his father Asa, he expelled from the land” (1 Kings 22:46). Again, we see that they were not summarily executed, but over an extended period of time—through the reigns of his father and into his own reign—they worked on ridding the land of this sinful practice. Those who wanted to remain among the covenant people of the Lord were required to repent.

Two hundred years later, we find Josiah, in the midst of a reform, doing the exact same thing: “He also broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes which were in the house of the LORD” (2 Kings 23:7).

Despite these exceptions, the Bible does allow for the execution of homosexuals. This sanction is taught in the book of Leviticus and is implemented by God upon the residents of Sodom (Genesis 19). We may safely conclude that in both precept and in practice God allows for the maximum penalty to be applied to unrepentant homosexuals. What’s the point? 

Not a single application of the death penalty to the general citizenry of Israel existed for violation of a ceremonial law. This fact unquestionably places God’s prohibition of homosexuality in the category of moral law, obligatory upon all peoples in all places. God nowhere prescribed death as a possible penalty for those who refused to circumcise their sons, mixed their fabrics, missed a Passover meal, or failed to make it to Jerusalem for one of the three required annual feasts. 

These persons were excommunicated; they were to be “cut off” from among the people, but they were not put to death. 

Present-day homosexuals disagree with the biblical provision of the death penalty being enacted upon them for their practices, but, in fact, few of them would consent to being excommunicated from the church either.

Also important to note is that the Bible allows for the execution of homosexuals by a godly and just civil government, not the church. The Bible does not sanction ungodly means, such as entrapment or stalking, to accomplish this end. 

The subject of homosexuality is an emotional issue in our day. It probably was during the time of the Old Testament as well. While it is likely that the emotions have remained the same, our standards for morality, sadly, have not; therefore, not only has confusion over the acceptance of homosexuality proliferated but so also has confusion over how to react to homosexuals.


White, J. R., & Niell, J. D. (2002). The Same Sex Controversy: Defending and Clarifying the Bible’s Message about Homosexuality (pp. 86–89). Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers.