מֵעֶהmêʻeh
internal organs, inward parts (intestines, bowels), belly
Pronunciation: may-aw' · Hebrew/Aramaic (Old Testament) · H4578
Meanings
1. literally
a. inward parts (2 Samuel 20:10; 2 Chronicles 21:15; 2 Chronicles 21:18)
b. as digestive organs, but without precision, nearly = stomach, belly (Job 20:14; Ezekiel 3:3; Ezekiel 7:19)
2. source of procreation (Genesis 15:4; 2 Samuel 7:12; 2 Samuel 16:11)
3. = womb (Genesis 25:23; Isaiah 49:1; Psalms 71:6)
4. inwards, inward part, in general = (Psalms 22:15; Psalms 40:9)
5. = seat of emotions (Isaiah 16:11; Jeremiah 31:20; Isaiah 63:15)
6. the external belly (Song of Solomon 5:14)
Same root
Where it appears
Appears 32 times in the Bible.
- Genesis 15:4 Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.”
- Genesis 25:23 And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”
- Numbers 5:22 Now may this water that brings the curse enter your body and cause your abdomen to swell and your womb to shrivel.’ And the woman will be required to say, ‘Yes, let it be so.’
- Ruth 1:11 But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands?
- 2 Samuel 7:12 For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong.
- 2 Samuel 16:11 Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn’t this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to do it.
Source: Brown, Driver and Briggs, Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain; markup by unfoldingWord, CC BY (github.com/unfoldingWord/Brown-Driver-Briggs-Enhanced).