Male
Male
(Heb. , zakar’, Gen 1:27; Gen 6:19; Gen 34:25), applied to the male of either man or beasts. The superior estimation in which male children were held among the Hebrews is testified by numerous passages of Scripture, and we find the same feeling, expressed almost in the same words, still existing in Eastern countries (see Job 3:3; and comp. Roberts, Observ. ad loc.). SEE CHILD.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Male
mal ((1) , zakhar, , zakhar, , zakhur (the root means to stand out, to be prominent, here a physiological differentiation of the sex, as , nekebhah, female, which see); (2) , ‘sh literally, man; (3) by circumlocution, only in the books of Samuel and Kings, , mashtn bekr; , ouron pros tochon, which the Revised Version (British and American) euphemistically renders man-child (1Sa 25:22, 1Sa 25:34; 1Ki 14:10)): Gesenius has rightly pointed out that this phrase designates young boys, who do not as yet wear clothes, of whom the above description is accurate, while it does not apply in the case of adults, even in the modern Orient. We know this from the statement of Herodotus ii. 35, relating to Egypt, and from Jdg 3:24; 1Sa 24:3. The Greek translates these words with , arsen, , arrhen, while 1 Macc 5:28, 51 has the adjective , arsenikos.
The above words (the phrase mashtn bekr excepted) are used promiscuously of animals and men, e.g. Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven, the male (‘sh) and his female, of the birds also of the heavens, seven and seven, male (zakhar) and female (Gen 7:2, Gen 7:3). A careful distinction was made in the use of male and female animals in the rules concerning sacrifice; in some offerings none but males were allowed, in others females were permitted along with the males (Lev 3:6). The same distinction was made in the valuation of the different sexes (Gen 32:14, Gen 32:15; Lev 27:5). Certain priestly portions were permitted to the Levites or the male descendants of Aaron for food, while women were not permitted to partake of the same (Num 18:10, Num 18:11).
As a rule Jewish parents (as is now common in the Orient) preferred male children to daughters. This is seen from the desire for male progeny (1Sa 1:8-18) and from the ransom paid for firstborn sons to Yahweh (Exo 13:12; Luk 2:23). It was reserved to the New Testament to proclaim the equality of the sexes, as it does of races and conditions of men: There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28). See WOMAN.
Among the prominent sins of oriental peoples, the abominations of the nations which Yahweh drove out before the children of Israel was one of the most heinous character, that of sodomy, against which God’s people are repeatedly warned. The Greek expression for the devotee of this vice is a compound noun, , arsenokotes, literally, he who lies with man, the abuser of himself with mankind, the sodomite (1Co 6:9), while the Hebrew , kadhesh, literally means the (male) devotee of lascivious and licentious idolatry (Deu 23:17; 1Ki 14:24; 1Ki 15:12; 1Ki 22:46; 2Ki 23:7; Job 36:14).
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Male
is translated “men” in Rom 1:27 (three times); “man child” in Rev 12:5 (Rev 12:13 in some mss.); “male” in Mat 19:4; Mar 10:6; Luk 2:23; Gal 3:28, “(there can be no) male (and female),” RV, i.e., sex distinction does not obtain in Christ; sex is no barrier either to salvation or the development of Christian graces. See MAN.