H2504 H2504
Loins, the midsection of the body viewed as the seat of strength, reproductive power, and the place where a belt is girded.
Always appearing in the dual form (chalatsayim), this noun designates the loins or waist -- the core of the human body understood as the source of both physical strength and generative power. God's promise to Jacob at Bethel -- 'kings shall come from your loins' (Gen 35:11) -- establishes the reproductive sense, echoed in Solomon's temple dedication (1 Kgs 8:19; 2 Chr 6:9). Job's challenge to 'gird up your loins like a man' (Job 38:3; 40:7) invokes the imagery of binding the midsection for strenuous action. Isaiah 11:5 crowns the messianic portrait: 'faithfulness shall be the belt of his loins' -- righteousness not merely worn but embodied. The charitable Job is blessed because the loins of the poor 'warmed' by his garments praise him (Job 31:20).
Senses
1. loins (physical body part) — The loins as a physical body part, especially as the seat of reproductive power and bodily strength. 'From your loins shall kings come forth' (Gen 35:11) and 'who shall come from your loins' (1 Kgs 8:19; 2 Chr 6:9) use chalatsayim for the source of offspring. Job 38:3 and 40:7 command 'gird up your loins like a man,' invoking the midsection as the center of physical readiness. Job 31:20 pictures the loins of the poor being warmed by charity. Isaiah 5:27 describes warriors whose belt never loosens from their loins. Across languages -- Spanish 'lomos,' the Aramaic cognate chartsa -- the term consistently locates this as the core midsection of the body. 10×
AR["(وَرِكاهُ)", "[وَرِكاهُ]", "الأَحْقَاءِ", "حَقوَيهِ", "حَقَوَيْكَ", "حَقْوَيْهِ", "مِنْ-صُلْبِ-كَ", "مِنْ-صُلْبِكَ"]·ben["[তার-কোমর]", "কোমর-তাদের", "কোমর-থেকে-তোমার", "কোমরগুলোতে", "তাদের-কোমরের", "তার-কোমর", "তোমার-কোমর", "তোমার-কোমর-থেকে"]·DE["[(חלציו)]", "[[חלצו]]", "[חלציו]", "[חלציך]", "[חלצים]", "[מחלציך]", "aus-deinen-Lenden", "von-dein-loins"]·EN["(his-loins)", "[his-loins]", "from-your-loins", "his-loins", "your-loins"]·FR["[חלציו]", "[חלצים]", "[מחלציך]", "de-ton-loins", "de-ton-reins", "son-reins-lui", "ton-reins-toi"]·heb["חלצו", "חלציו", "חלציים", "חלציך", "מ-חלציך", "מ-חלציך-ך"]·HI["अपनी-कमर", "उसकी-कमर", "उसकी-कमर-की", "कमर", "कमर-उसकी", "कमर-तेरी-से", "तेरी-कमर-से"]·ID["(pinggangnya)", "[pinggangnya]", "dari-pinggangmu", "dari-pinggul-mu", "pinggang", "pinggangmu", "pinggangnya"]·IT["(his-loins)-suo", "[his-loins]-suo", "[חלציו]", "[חלצים]", "[מחלציך]", "da-tuo-loins", "da-tuo-lombi", "tuo-loins-tuo"]·jav["(pinggang-ipun)", "[pinggang-nipun]", "bangkekan", "bangkekan-Panjenengan;", "bangkekan-ipun", "pinggang-panjenengan", "saking-bangkekan-sampéyan", "saking-lambung-panjenengan", "saking-pinggang-panjenengan"]·KO["(그의-허리)", "[그의-허리]", "그들의-허리의", "그의-허리", "네-허리를", "네-허리에서", "에서-당신-의-허리", "허리에"]·PT["[Ketiv]", "de-lombos-teus", "de-teus-lombos", "lombos", "lombos-seus", "seus-lombos", "teus-lombos", "teus-lombos;"]·RU["(чресла-его)", "[чресла-его]", "бёдер-его", "из-чресл-твоих", "чресла", "чресла-твои", "чреслах-его"]·ES["(sus-lomos)", "[sus-lomos]", "de-lomos-de-ti", "de-tus-lomos", "lomos", "sus-lomos", "tus-lomos"]·SW["[viuno-vyake]", "atajenga", "kumbe", "kutoka-viuno-vyako", "viuno", "viuno-vyake", "viuno-vyako", "viuno-vyao"]·TR["(ketib)", "belinden", "belinden-senin", "belini", "belinin", "bellerinizin", "böğrü", "böğründe-onun"]·urd["اس کے کمروں نے", "ان-کی-کمروں-کی", "اپنی کمر", "اپنی-کمر", "تیری-صلب-سے", "تیری-پشت-سے", "تیری-کمر-سے", "کمر", "کمر-اس-کی"]
2. waist (for girding) — The waist specifically as the girding point for a belt or sash, emphasizing the external binding location rather than reproductive power. Isaiah 11:5 uses this sense in a messianic portrait: 'faithfulness shall be the belt of his loins (chalatsav).' Here the focus is on what encircles the waist -- righteousness and faithfulness as garments -- rather than on what issues from the loins. Though anatomically identical to sense 1, the functional emphasis shifts to adornment and equipping, making this a distinct metaphorical register. 1×
AR["خَاصِرَتِهِ"]·ben["তার-কোমরের"]·DE["[חלציו]"]·EN["his-waist"]·FR["[חלציו]"]·heb["חלציו"]·HI["उसकी-कूल्हे-की"]·ID["pinggulnya"]·IT["[חלציו]"]·jav["bokong-ipun"]·KO["그-옆구리의"]·PT["rins-Seus"]·RU["бёдер-его"]·ES["sus-caderas"]·SW["wa-viuno-vyake"]·TR["kalcalarinin"]·urd["اُس-کے-پہلووں-کا"]
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
† [חָלָץ] n.[f.] only dual, loins (as seat of strength, vigour; cf. Aramaic חַרְצָא hip, loin, Syriac ܚܰܨܳܐ, NöZMG 1886, 741)—חֲלָצָ֑יִם Is 32:11; sf. חֲלָצֶיךָ Gn 35:11 + 4 times; חֲלָצָיו Is 5:27 + 2 times; + חלצו Kt Jb 31:20, Qr חֲלָצָיו;—loins: 1. as seat of virility יצא מן ח׳ Gn 35:11 (P), 1 K 8:19 2 Ch 6:9. 2. as girded אֱזָר־נָא כְּגֶבֶר ח׳ Jb 38:3; 40:7; אֵזוֹר חֲלָצָיו Is 5:27 (v.…