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Bible Lexicons
Old Testament Hebrew Lexical Dictionary Hebrew Lexicon
Strong's #4578 - מֵעֶה
- Brown-Driver-Briggs
- Strong
- internal organs, inward parts, bowels, intestines, belly
- inward parts
- digestive organs
- organs of procreation, womb
- place of emotions or distress or love (figuratively)
- external belly
- Book
- Word
did not use
this Strong's Number
1292) om (מאה MAh) AC: ? CO: Belly AB: ?: The pictograph m is a picture of water representing what is Unknown, the o is a picture of an eye representing knowing. Combined these mean "Unknown knowing". The gut is the seat of the unconscious mind where ones instincts resides.
A) om (מאה MAh) AC: ? CO: Sand AB: ?: [Unknown connection to root]
Nf1) eom (מאהה MAhH) - Sand: KJV (1): sand - Strongs: H4579 (מָעָה)
H) eom (מאהה MAhH) AC: ? CO: Belly AB: ?
Nm ) eom (מאהה MAhH) - Belly: The gut, the internal organs of the lower torso, the seat of the unconscious mind. Also the seat of emotion. [Hebrew and Aramaic] KJV (33): bowels, heart, womb, belly - Strongs: H4577 (מְעָא), H4578 (מֵעֶה)
Jeff Benner, Ancient Hebrew Research Center Used by permission of the author.
plural internal organs, inward parts (intestines, bowels), belly (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic מְעָא, מַעֲיָא, , ; Arabic ; Ethiopic ; — on form compare Lag BN 156 Ba ZMG xiii. 1888,345); — plural [מֵעִים] construct מְעֵי Psalm 71:6 3t.; suffix מֵעַי 2 Samuel 16:11 9t., מֵעָ֑י Psalm 22:15; Psalm 40:9; מֵעֶיךָ Genesis 15:4 6t.; מֵעַיִךְ Genesis 25:23; Numbers 5:22; מֵעָיו 2 Samuel 20:10 5t.; מֵעֵיהֶם Ezekiel 7:19; —
1 literally:
a.וַיִּשְׁמֹּךְ מֵעָיו אַ֫רְצָה 2 Samuel 20:10 and he poured out his inward parts on the ground (through a wound); compare ׳מַחֲלֵה מ 2 Chronicles 21:15,18, ׳יָָֽצְאוּ מ 2 Chronicles 21:15; 2 Chronicles 21:19.
b. as digestive organs, but without precision, nearly = stomach, belly, Job 20:14; Ezekiel 3:3 ("" בֶּטֶן), Ezekiel 7:19 ("" נֶפֶשׁ; both with מָלֵא), Numbers 5:22; so of fish that swallowed Jonah Jonah 2:1; Jonah 2:2.
2 source of procreation:אשׁר יצא ׳מִמּ (said of offspring) Genesis 15:4 (JE), 2 Samuel 7:12 ("" זַרְעֲךָ), 2 Samuel 16:11; ׳צֶאֱצָאֵי מ Isaiah 48:19 ("" id.); ׳מִיצִיאֵי מ 2 Chronicles 32:21.
3 = womb, שְׁנֵי לְאֻמִּים מִמֵּעַיִח יִמָּרֵ֑דוּ Genesis 25:23 (J; "" בֶּטֶן), compare Isaiah 49:1 ("" id.), Psalm 71:6 ("" id.), Ruth 1:11.
4 in General = inwards, inward part, ׳לִבִּי ֗֗֗ נָמֵס בְּתוֺךְ מ Psalm 22:15, compare ׳תּוֺרָֽתְךָ בְּתוֺךְ מ Psalm 40:9.
5 figurative = seat of emotions: pity, Isaiah 16:11 ("" קֶרֶב); of God's compassion, Jeremiah 31:20 ("" רחם; in both subject of verb הָמוּ); הֲמוֺן מֵעֶיךָ Isaiah 63:15 ("" רַחֲמֶיךָ); distress, Jeremiah 4:19 (twice in verse) ("" לֵב, מֵעַי חֳמַרְמָרוּ Lamentations 1:20 ("" לֵב), Lamentations 2:11 ("" כָּבֵד liver); מֵעַי רֻתְּחוּ Job 30:27 (dubious, see Bu); love, מֵעַי הָמוּ עָלָיו Song of Solomon 5:4.
6 the external belly, מֵעָיו עֶשֶׁת שֵׁן Song of Solomon 5:14.
מֵעֶה (Arabic sing. مَعْىُ) only in plural,
(A), מִעִים constr. מְעֵי, with suff. מֵעֶיךָ, and also מֵעֵיהֶם (for מְעֵיהֶם), Ezekiel 7:19
(1) intestines, יָצָא מִמְּעֵי פ׳ to come forth from any one’s bowels, to be descended from any one, Genesis 15:4 (25:23 ); 2 Samuel 7:12, 16:11.
(2) the belly, Jonah 2:1 specially used of the womb. Genesis 25:23; Ruth 1:11, הַעוֹד־לִי בָנִים בְּמֵעַי “are there yet sons in my womb?” מִמְּעֵי אִמִּי “from my mother’s womb,” Isaiah 49:1; Psalms 71:6. Once used of the external belly, Song of Solomon 5:14 (comp. Daniel 2:32).
(3) the breast, the heart, figuratively, the inmost soul. Job 30:27; Lamentations 1:20; Song of Solomon 5:4; Isaiah 16:11; Psalms 40:9, תּוֹרָֽתְךָ בְּתוֹךְ מֵעַי “thy law is in the midst of my bowels,” i.e. set deeply in my soul. Compare רַחֲמִים.
(B) מֵעוֹת the bowels. So in the difficult passage, Isaiah 48:19, which I would thus explain, “thy seed shall be as the sand, וְצֶאֱצָאֵי מֵעֶיךָ כִּמְעוֹתָיו and the offspring of thy bowels like (that of) its bowels,” sc. of the sea (verse 18 Isaiah 48:18); for the more full כְּצֶאֱצָאֵי מְעוֹתָיו, i.e. as the fishes of the sea sprung up in its bowels. מֵעוֹת is i.q. מֵעִים, but the feminine form indicates a figurative use. Ill rendered by the ancient versions כִּמְעוֹתָיו as its small stones, sc. of sand, which is commonly defended by comparing Chaldee מְעָא a small coin, obolus (perhaps a small stone), and the Arabic مَاغِيَّةُ, which denotes a scruple of conscience, not a small stone.