H4578 H4578
Internal organs, bowels (physical); seat of deep emotion and compassion; womb or loins as source of offspring.
The Hebrew noun meeh (always plural meayim) names the internal organs of the abdominal cavity. In its most concrete sense it refers to bowels spilling from a wound (2 Sam 20:10) or ravaged by disease (2 Chr 21:15). But Hebrew anatomy located the deepest emotions in the gut: the psalmist's meayim 'are in turmoil' (Ps 22:14), and Isaiah's bowels 'moan like a lyre' for Moab (Isa 16:11). Spanish entranas, French entrailles, and German Eingeweide preserve this visceral metaphor well. The third branch extends to procreation: what comes 'from your meayim' means your biological offspring (Gen 15:4; 2 Sam 7:12).
1. bowels, intestines, physical belly — The literal bowels, intestines, or internal organs as physical body parts — in contexts of injury, disease, digestion, or anatomical description. With 12 occurrences, this sense appears most graphically when Joab stabs Amasa and 'poured out his intestines on the ground' (2 Sam 20:10), and in the grim account of King Jehoram's fatal bowel disease: 'his intestines came out because of his sickness' (2 Chr 21:15, 18-19). Numbers 5:22 invokes the organs in the sotah ritual curse: 'may the water that brings the curse enter your bowels.' Spanish entranas/intestinos, French entrailles/intestins, and German Eingeweide/Gedaerme all deploy visceral anatomical terms. Jonah's prayer from inside the fish (Jonah 1:17/2:1) also references the meayim of the great creature, framing his confinement in gut-level imagery. 12×
AR["أَمْعَاؤُكَ","أَمْعَاؤُهُ","أَمْعَائِكَ","فِي-أَمْعَائِكِ","فِي-أَمْعَائِهِ","فِي-جَوْفِ","مِعَيو","مِنْ-أَحْشَائِهِ","وَ-أَحْشاءَكَ","وَ-أَمْعاءَهُمْ"]·ben["-তার-পেটে","আর-তাদের-নাড়িভুঁড়ি","আর-তোমার-নাড়িভুঁড়ি","তাঁর-অন্ত্রগুলো","তাঁর-অন্ত্রে","তাঁর-গর্ভ-থেকে","তাঁর-পেট","তার-নাড়িভুঁড়ি","তোমার-অন্ত্রগুলো","তোমার-অন্ত্রে","তোমার-অন্ত্রের","পেটে-মধ্যে"]·DE["Eingeweide","[במעיו]","[ומעיהם]","[ומעיך]","[מעיו]","[מעיך]","in-dein-bowels","sein-inward-parts"]·EN["and-inward-parts-of-them","and-inward-parts-of-you","his-body","his-bowels","his-inward-parts","in-his-bowels","in-the-belly-of","into-your-bowels","your-bowels"]·FR["[במעיו]","[מעיו]","[מעיך]","dans-son-במעיו-lui","dans-ton-bowels","entrailles","et-entrailles","ses-entrailles,","son-intérieur-parts"]·heb["ב-מעי","ב-מעיו","ב-מעיו-ו","ב-מעיך","ו-מעיהם","ו-מעיך","מעי-ו","מעיו","מעיו-ו","מעיך-ך"]·HI["अंतड़ियों-तेरी-में","उसका-पेट","उसकी-अँतड़ियाँ","उसकी-अँतड़ियोंमें","उसकी-अंतड़ियों-में","उसकी-आँतें","उसके-अंदर-से","और-उनकी-अंतड़ियां","और-तेरी-अंतड़ियां","तेरी-अँतड़ियाँ","तेरी-अँतड़ियोंकी","पेट-में"]·ID["Tubuhnya","dan-perut-mereka","dan-ususmu","di-dalam-perut","di-perutnya","di-ususnya","isi-perutnya","ke-dalam-perutmu","ususmu","ususnya"]·IT["[במעי]","[במעיו]","[ומעיהם]","[ומעיך]","[מעיו]","[מעיך]","in-in-suo-bowels-suo","in-tuo-bowels","suo-corpo-suo","suo-interiore-parti"]·jav["ing-padharanipun","lan-jeroan-tiyang-tiyang-punika","lan-weteng-Panjenengan","saking-rahe-kimipun","usus-ipun","wadukipun","wonten-ing-jeroan-panjenengan","wonten-ing-usus-ipun"]·KO["그-배-가","그-창자가","그리고-그들의-뱃을","그리고-너의-속을","그의-내장에서","그의-몸-에서","그의-창자를","너의-장-에서","너의-창자가","너의-창자의","에-그-창자","에서-아검"]·PT["e-entranhas-deles","e-entranhas-tuas","em-entranhas-suas","em-entranhas-tuas","em-suas-entranhas","entranhas-suas","entranhas-tuas","nas-entranhas-de","seu-ventre","suas-entranhas"]·RU["в-внутренности-твои","в-внутренностях-его","в-утробе-его","внутренностей-твоих","внутренности-его","внутренности-твои","во-внутренностях","его","и-внутренности-твои","и-чрева-их","тело-его"]·ES["en-entrañas-de-ti","en-sus-entrañas","en-vientre-de","su-vientre","sus-entrañas","sus-intestinos","tus-entrañas","y-entrañas-de-ellos","y-entrañas-de-ti"]·SW["Bmaik","katika-matumbo-yake","matumbo-yake","matumbo-yako","meayw","mwili-wake","na-matumbo-yako","na-matumbo-yao","ndani-ya-tumbo-la","tumboni-mwake"]·TR["bağırsakları","bağırsakların","bağırsaklarına","bağırsaklarında","bağırsaklarını","bağırsaklarının","bağırsakından","bedeni","doyuracaklar","karnında","ve-bağırsaklarını"]·urd["اس-کا-پیٹ","انتڑیوں-اُس-کی-میں","اور-اُن-کے-پیٹ","اُس-کی-انتڑیاں","اُس-کی-انتڑیوں-میں","اُس-کی-انٹڑیاں","اُس-کے-پیٹ-سے","تیری-انتڑیاں","تیری-انتڑیوں-میں","تیری-انتڑیوں-کی","و-انتڑیاں-تیری","پیٹ-میں"]
Num 5:22, 2 Sam 20:10, 2 Chr 21:15, 2 Chr 21:15, 2 Chr 21:18, 2 Chr 21:19, 2 Chr 32:21, Job 20:14, Song 5:14, Ezek 3:3, Ezek 7:19, Jonah 1:17
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
2. seat of emotions, compassion — The inward parts as the seat of deep emotion — anguish, yearning, tenderness, and compassion — where the gut rather than the heart carries the weight of feeling. With 10 occurrences, this metaphorical sense appears when Job declares 'my bowels are in turmoil and do not rest' (Job 30:27), when the psalmist cries that 'my heart is like wax, melted within my meayim' (Ps 22:14), and when the beloved's hand at the latch causes the Shulamite's meayim to stir for him (Song 5:4). Isaiah's viscera 'moan like a lyre' for devastated Moab (Isa 16:11), and Jeremiah's ache 'in the walls of my heart' parallels turmoil 'in my meayim' (Jer 4:19). Spanish entranas, French entrailles, Hindi अंतड़ियां, and Arabic أحشاء all preserve the gut-as-emotion metaphor, reflecting a cross-cultural intuition that the deepest feelings live below the diaphragm. 10×
AR["أَحْشائي","أَحْشَائِي","أَمعائِي","وُ-مِعَي"]·ben["অন্তর্মুখ-আমার","আমার-অন্তর","আমার-অন্তরের","আমার-অন্ত্র","এবং-আমার-অন্তর"]·DE["Eingeweide","meine-Eingeweide","meinward-parts","und-Eingeweide"]·EN["and-my-inward-parts","my-bowels","my-inward-parts"]·FR["de-entrailles","entrailles","et-mes-entrailles","mon-מעי-moi"]·heb["ו-מעיי","מעי","מעי-י","מעיי"]·HI["अंतड़ियाँ-मेरी","अंतड़ियां-मेरी","अंतड़ियों-मेरी","अंतड़ियों-मेरी-के","और-मेरे-अंतड़ियाँ","मेरा-हृदय","मेरी-अंतड़ियाँ","मेरी-अंतड़ियां"]·ID["Perutku","belas-kasihan-Ku","dan-perutku","perutku"]·IT["e-e-mio-inward-parts-mio","le-mie-viscere","my-bowels-mio","viscere"]·jav["Jeroan-kula","batos-kula","jeroan-Kawula","jeroan-kula","jeroaning-ati-kawula","lan-waduk-kula","padaran-kawula","weteng-kawula"]·KO["그리고-내-속-이","나의-내장이","나의-배여","나의-창자가","내-내장-의","내-창자-가","내장들-의"]·PT["Minhas-entranhas","de-minhas-entranhas","e-minhas-entranhas","entranhas-minhas","minhas-entranhas"]·RU["внутренностей-моих","внутренности-мои","внутренность-моя","и-внутренности-мои","нутро-Моё","утробы-моей"]·ES["Mis-entrañas","mis-entrañas","mis-entrañas!","y-mis-entrañas","¡Mis-entrañas"]·SW["matumbo-yangu","moyo-wangu","na-ndani-yangu","tumbo-langu"]·TR["Bağırsaklarım","bagirsagim","bağırsaklarım","bağırsaklarımın","bağırsalarımın","içim-benim","ve-icerim"]·urd["انتڑیاں-میری","اور-میرے-اندر","میرا-دل","میرا-پیٹ","میری انتڑیاں","میرے-اندر-کے","میرے-اندرونی-حصّوں-میں"]
3. womb, loins as source of offspring — The belly, womb, or loins viewed as the source of offspring — the procreative organ from which children emerge, often in the phrase 'from your meayim' meaning 'your own biological descendants.' With 10 occurrences, this sense governs the Abrahamic covenant promise: 'one who will come from your own body shall be your heir' (Gen 15:4), the oracle to Rebekah about 'two nations in your womb' (Gen 25:23), Ruth's lament about further sons 'in my womb' (Ruth 1:11), and God's promise to David that 'I will raise up your offspring who shall come from your body' (2 Sam 7:12; 16:11). Spanish entranas/vientre, French sein/entrailles, and German Leib/Schoss shift toward womb and body vocabulary here, recognizing that meayim in these contexts means not viscera but the generative center of the body. Psalm 71:6 extends this to divine care: 'from my mother's meayim you have been my God.' 10×
AR["أَحْشَائِكَ","فِي-أَحْشَائِي","مِن أَحشائي-","مِن-أَحشائِكَ","مِنْ-أحْشاءِ","مِنْ-أَحْشَاءِ","مِنْ-أَحْشَائِكَ","مِنْ-أَحْشَائِكِ","مِنْ-جَوْفِ"]·ben["-তোমার-গর্ভের","-দেহ-থেকে-তোমার","-পেট-থেকে-","আমার-গর্ভে","গর্ভ-থেকে-আমার","তোমার-অন্তরের","তোমার-গর্ভ-থেকে","তোমার-দেহ-থেকে","পেটের-মধ্যে-থেকে","ভেতর-থেকে"]·DE["Eingeweide","aus-deinem-Leib","aus-deinem-Schoß","von-dein-Leib","von-der-belly-von","von-mein-inward-parts","von-meine-Eingeweide"]·EN["Your-inward-parts","from-bowels-of","from-my-inward-parts","from-the-belly-of","from-your-body","from-your-bowels","from-your-inward-parts","in-my-womb","your-loins"]·FR["dans-mon-womb","de-entrailles","de-mon-intérieur-parts","de-ton-bowels","de-ton-corps","de-ton-intérieur-parties","entrailles"]·heb["ב-מעי","מ-מעי","מ-מעי-ך","מ-מעיך-ך","מעיך"]·HI["अंतड़ियों-तेरी-की","कोख-से","गर्भ-में","तेरे-अंदर-से","तेरे-अन्तर-से","तेरे-पेट-के","पेट-से","मेरे-अंदर-से"]·ID["dalam-rahimku","dari-dalam-perut","dari-dalam-perutmu","dari-perut","dari-perutku","dari-perutmu","dari-rahimmu","perut-Mu","perutmu"]·IT["[ממעי]","da-le-mie-viscere","da-mio-interiore-parti","da-tuo-bowels","da-tuo-corpo","da-tuo-inward-parts","in-mio-womb","viscere"]·jav["ing-guwa-garba-kula","jroning-Panjenengan","padharanipun-panjenengan","saking-guwa-garba-kula","saking-jeroaning-panjenengan","saking-padharan","saking-padharanipun","saking-salebeting-panjenengan","saking-weteng-sira"]·KO["~의-배-에서","나의-뱃속에","나의-어머니의-뱃속에서-","내-배에서","너의-내장-에서","너의-내장에서","너의-속의","네-몬에서","네-뱃속에서","에서-아검"]·PT["das-entranhas","das-entranhas-de","das-entranhas-minhas","de-entranhas-tuas","de-tuas-entranhas","desde-as-entranhas-de","em-minhas-entranhas","entranhas-tuas","tuas-entranhas"]·RU["внутренностей-Твоих","во-чреве-моём","из-внутренностей","из-утробы","из-утробы-твоей","из-чрева-моего","из-чрева-твоего","из-чресл-твоих","от-внутренностей","чрева-твоего"]·ES["de-entrañas-mías","de-entrañas-tuyas","de-tus-entrañas","desde-entrañas-de","desde-vientre-de","en-mis-entrañas","tus-entrañas"]·SW["kutoka-matumboni","kutoka-ndani-ya-tumbo-la","kutoka-tumbo","kutoka-tumboni-mwako","tumbo-lako","tumboni-mwako","tumboni-mwangu","wa-moyo-wako"]·TR["ayrılacak","bağırsaklarımdan","icicinden-","icinin","içinden","içinden-senin","karnından","karnından-","rahmimde"]·urd["انتڑیوں-تیری-سے","تیری-احساسات-کی","تیرے-بطن-سے","تیرے-بطن-کی","مِن-احشاء","میرے-پیٹ-میں","پیٹ-تیرے-سے","پیٹ-سے","پیٹ-سے-","پیٹ-میرے-سے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [מֵעֶה] n.m. Is 16:11 only pl. internal organs, inward parts (intestines, bowels), belly (NH id.; Aramaic מְעָא, מַעֲיָא, ܡܥܶܐ, ܡܥܰܝܴ̈ܐ; Arabic مّعَّى / مِعٍى; Ethiopic አማዑት;—on form cf. LagBN156 BaZMG xlii. 1888, 345);—pl. [מֵעִים] cstr. מְעֵי ψ 71:6 + 3 times; sf. מֵעַי 2 S 16:11 + 9 times, מֵעָ֑י ψ 22:15; 40:9; מֵעֶיךָ Gn 15:4 + 6 times; מֵעַיִךְ Gn 25:23 Nu 5:22; מֵעָיו 2 S 20:10 + 5 times;…