Desire (3715) (orexis from orego = to reach out for ~ stretching out of the body to touch or grasp an object) literally a reaching out and thus a striving for something. It refers to an eager desire, lust or appetite. Orexis is used only here in NT but in classic Greek was the most general term for every kind of desire, even describing one's appetite for food. The idea of orexis is that of a deep, abiding, and profound degree of internal longing for the object of one's desire. Orexis thus refers to a continual reaching out after an object with the purpose of drawing it to oneself and appropriating it.
Zodhiates writes that orexis is...
always the reaching out after an object with the purpose of drawing it to oneself and appropriating it.
Vincent - The peculiar expressiveness of the word (orexis) here is sufficiently evident from the context. (Word Studies in the New Testament)
We see this so poignantly portrayed in those men who blatantly park by the woods unashamedly waiting for a partner who too is literally consumed by the perverted passion to a degree that the longing after absolutely will not let them rest until this desire is fed. It is like a ravenous wolf in the winter when food is scarce and it will do almost anything to quench the pangs of hunger.
Louw-Nida says that the combination of ekkaio and orexis forms a Greek idiom meaning literally ‘to burn with intense desire’ or to have a strong, intense desire for something and so ‘to be inflamed with passion, to have a strong lust for, to be inflamed with lust.’ They add that "In some languages the equivalent idiom is ‘to boil with desire"! (Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament)
There is a burning level of lust among homosexuals that defies accurate description and is rarely seen among heterosexuals. The homosexuals of Sodom were so passionately consumed with their lust that they ignored the fact that they had been made blind! Instead they literally “wearied (Hebrew word is "la'ah" --to tire; to be disgusted--faint, grieve, be made weary) themselves trying to find the doorway” into Lot’s house in order to gratify their perverted cravings (Genesis 19:11).
TOWARD ONE ANOTHER MEN WITH MEN COMMITTING INDECENT ACTS: eis allelous, arsenes en arsesin ten aschemosunen katergazomenoi (PMPMPN):
Toward (1519) (eis) is a picturesque preposition in this context for it implies motion into, toward or upon another place or object. Obviously in this context the motion is directed toward other men.
Men with men - A clear reference to homosexuality.
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Greek Word Studies ( - )
Read freely Greek Word Studies from the Austin Precept text commentary of the Bible in text and pdf format. Precept Austin is an online free dynamic bible commentary similar to wikipedia with updated content and many links to excellent biblical resources around the world. You can browse the entire collection of Commentaries by Verse on the Precept Austin website.We have been "bought with a price" to be "ambassadors for Christ" and our "salvation is nearer to us than when we believed" so let us "cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" "so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming." (1Cor 6:20, 2Cor 5:20, Ro 13:11, 2Cor 7:1, 1Jn 2:28)