A person guilty of unlawful or forbidden sexual relationships. A prostitute is sometimes used to represent someone who worships an idol.
It translates four distinct words with different meanings:
The man or woman, married or unmarried, who engaged in unlawful sexual behavior (Genesis 34:31; Judges 19:2; Proverbs 23:27).
The temple prostitute of a pagan religion which used sexual practice as part of worship (Genesis 38:21–22; Deuteronomy 23:17; Hosea 4:14). The law of Moses forbade this practice (Leviticus 19:29; 21:9).
The “strange woman” was another kind of prostitute (1 Kings 11:1; Proverbs 5:20; 6:24; 7:5; 23:27). There are different opinions for why that name was given to prostitutes. It may have referred to a woman who was not one's own wife (Proverbs 5:17–20) or a foreign woman (Numbers 25:1; Joshua 23:13).
Any woman, married or single, who engages in unlawful sexual activity for lust or money (Matthew 21:31–32; Luke 15:30; 1 Corinthians 6:15–16; Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25).
Prostitution appeared early in Israel’s history and continued throughout the biblical period. The Bible generally condemns prostitution. For instance, a priest’s daughter who practiced prostitution was to be burned to death (Leviticus 21:9). Priests could not marry prostitutes (Leviticus 19:29), and the earnings from prostitution could not be used in the temple (Deuteronomy 23:18). These rules kept the worship of the Lord free from cult prostitution.
Jacob’s sons killed Hamor and Shechem, saying: “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?” (Genesis 34:31). Amaziah’s wife was punished by becoming a prostitute for his mistreatment of the prophet Amos (Amos 7:17).
In the first century, prostitutes and tax collectors were both despised by the Jews (Matthew 21:32). Paul taught that a Christian’s body belongs to Christ and should not be joined with a prostitute (1 Corinthians 6:15–16). Proverbs also warns against engaging with prostitutes.
However, some biblical stories show prostitutes in a more positive light. Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute to remind her father-in-law of his promise (Genesis 38:14–15). Rahab, a prostitute, played a significant role in Hebrew history by helping the spies (Joshua 2:4–16; Hebrews 11:31).
Figuratively, “prostitute” and “prostitution” are used to describe idolatry, especially in the prophetic books (Jeremiah 2:20; Revelation 17:1, 5, 15–16; 19:2). This metaphor is based on the relationship between the Lord and His people (Jeremiah 3:20). When people worshipped other gods, they were seen as being unfaithful or "prostitutes" (Judges 8:33). The same idea is found in the New Testament (Revelation 17).