ὀσφῦς G3751
The loins or waist region; denoting both the physical lower torso (often girded for action) and, by metonymy, procreative power.
Osphus refers to the lower back and hip area — the loins. In ancient culture, girding the loins meant tucking up one's garment for work or travel, and this image pervades the NT: John the Baptist's leather belt around his waist (Matt 3:4, Mark 1:6), the call to readiness in Luke 12:35, and the 'belt of truth' in Ephesians 6:14. But osphus also carries a reproductive metaphor: Acts 2:30 speaks of one coming 'from David's loins,' echoing the Hebrew idiom for descendants. French 'reins' and Spanish 'lomo/cintura' split the two senses neatly.
Senses
1. loins, waist, hip region — The lower torso around the waist and hips, encompassing both the literal body part that is girded for readiness or work and the metonymic extension to procreative power and lineage. Literally, the loins are girded with a leather belt (Matt 3:4, Mark 1:6 of John the Baptist) or with truth as spiritual armor (Eph 6:14), and believers are told to gird them in preparation (Luke 12:35, 1 Pet 1:13). Metonymically, descendants are said to come 'from the loins' of an ancestor (Acts 2:30, Heb 7:5, 7:10). French 'reins' and Spanish 'lomo' capture the reproductive-lineage sense, while 'cintura' points to the literal waist. 8×
AR["أحقاءَ", "أَحْقَاؤُكُمْ", "أَوساطَكُم", "حَقْوَيْهِ", "صُلْبِ", "صُلْبِهِ"]·ben["কমরের", "কোমর", "কোমর-কে", "কোমরে"]·DE["Lende", "ὀσφύες", "ὀσφύος", "ὀσφὺν"]·EN["loins", "waist", "waists"]·FR["hanche", "reins"]·heb["חֲלָצַיִם-", "חֲלָצָיו", "מָתְנֵי", "מָתְנַיִם", "מָתְנָיו"]·HI["अपनी", "कटि", "कमर", "कमर-के", "कमरें", "बैठाएगा"]·ID["pinggang", "pinggangmu"]·IT["lombo", "osphuas", "osphues", "osphui", "osphun", "osphuos"]·jav["bangkekan", "bangkekanipun", "bangkèkan", "bangkékan", "pinggul"]·KO["그리고", "허리", "허리-", "허리-를", "허리가", "허리들", "허리에", "허리에서"]·PT["cintura", "lombos"]·RU["бёдра", "чресл", "чресла", "чреслах"]·ES["cintura", "lomo", "lomos"]·SW["kiuno", "viuno"]·TR["beli", "belinde", "belinden", "belinin", "belinizi", "belleriniz", "bellerinizi"]·urd["صلب", "کمر", "کمریں"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ὀσφῦς, ἡ, genitive ὀσφύος: accusative ὀσφῦν, also ὀσφύα Refs 2nd c.AD+: —lion or loins, lower part of the back, Refs 5th c.BC+; opposed to κῶλα, ὦμοι, Refs 5th c.BC+; loin of a victim, Refs 5th c.BC+; of wasps, ἔχουσι κέντρον ἐκ τῆς ὀ. Refs 5th c.BC+; of a horse, Refs 5th c.BC+; of a fish, Refs 4th c.BC+ __2 Hellenist., metaphorically, ὁ καρπὸς τῆς ὀ., of a son, LXX+NT __3 περιζώννυσθαι or…