ὠδίνω G5605
to be in labor, suffer birth pangs; to travail in childbirth
This verb describes the pains of childbirth or being in travail, and extends metaphorically to any intense anguish or struggle. In Galatians 4:19, Paul writes, 'My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you'—expressing his anguished concern for the Galatians' spiritual formation. Galatians 4:27 quotes Isaiah 54:1, calling the barren woman to rejoice, 'for the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband,' with the command 'Break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor.' Revelation 12:2 depicts the woman clothed with the sun 'being with child, cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.' The term conveys both physical and spiritual anguish in bringing forth new life.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The translations emphasize the labor process: English 'being in labor, travailing,' Spanish 'estando en dolores de parto, sufriendo dolores de parto' (being in birth pains, suffering birth pains), French 'enfantant' (giving birth), German 'gebärend' (bearing). Galatians 4:19 uses the image for Paul's spiritual anguish over the Galatians' immaturity. Galatians 4:27, quoting Isaiah, contrasts the barren woman (not in labor) with one who bears many children. Revelation 12:2 depicts cosmic birth pangs as the woman brings forth the male child who will rule the nations—an apocalyptic image of Messiah's coming through Israel's suffering. 3×
AR["أتَمَخَّضُ-بِكُم", "تَتَمَخَّضُ", "مُتَمَخِّضَةً"]·ben["প্রসব-বেদনা-করছি,", "প্রসব-বেদনাকারী;", "প্রসব-বেদনায়"]·DE["gebaerend"]·EN["I-am-in-labor", "being-in-labor", "travailing"]·FR["enfantant"]·heb["מְחוֹלֶלֶת", "מְחוֹלֶלֶת-אֲנִי", "מִתְחוֹלֶלֶת"]·HI["प्रसव-पिद-वलि;", "प्रसव-पीड़ा-में", "मुझे-प्रसव-पिद-है,"]·ID["aku-merasakan-sakit-bersalin", "mengalami-sakit-melahirkan,", "yang-merasakan-sakit-bersalin"]·IT["ōdinousa", "ōdinō"]·jav["kula-ngraosaken-lara-mbabar,", "lairan", "ngraosaken-lara-mbabar;"]·KO["산고-하는", "해산하노라,", "해산하지;"]·PT["estando-em-dores-de-parto", "estou-em-dores-de-parto", "está-em-trabalho-de-parto"]·RU["в-муках-рождаю", "мучающаяся-родами", "рожающая,"]·ES["estando-en-dolores-de-parto", "sufriendo-dolores-de-parto", "sufro-dolores-de-parto"]·SW["akiwa-na-uchungu-wa-kuzaa,", "ninawaonea-utungu", "onea-utungu"]·TR["doğum-sancısı-çeken", "doğum-sancısı-çekiyorum", "sancı-çeken"]·urd["درد-زہ-اُٹھاتا-ہوں", "درد-زہ-اُٹھاتی", "دردِ-زہ-میں"]
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
ὠδίνω [ῑ], used by early writers only in present: future ὠδῑνήσω LXX: aorist ὤδῑνα LXX+3rd c.AD+aorist middle and passive, ὠδινησάμην, -ήθην, LXX+2nd c.AD+:—to have the pains of childbirth, be in travail, ὡς δ᾽ ὅταν ὠδίνουσαν ἔχῃ βέλος ὀξὺ γυναῖκα Refs 8th c.BC+ __2 with accusative, to be in travail of a child, bring forth, LXX+5th c.BC+ __II metaphorically of any great pain, to be in travail or…