H4866 H4866
The opening of the womb, the moment when birth breaks forth
This vivid term describes the critical moment in childbirth when the baby reaches the birth canal opening but delivery is not yet complete. Both Kings and Isaiah use identical language: 'children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to give birth'—a metaphor for a crisis where the moment of deliverance has arrived but there is no power to complete it. Hosea uses it to describe the foolishness of Ephraim delaying 'at the opening of the womb.' The image is of being stuck at the threshold, unable to push through.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The mouth or opening of the womb at the moment of birth. Second Kings 19:3 and Isaiah 37:3 share the identical phrase: 'children have come to the birth-opening, but there is no strength to bring them forth'—depicting utter helplessness in a national crisis. Hosea 13:13 warns: 'he is an unwise son, for at the proper time he does not present himself at the opening of the womb'—describing Ephraim's fatal delay. The cross-linguistic glosses (birth-opening, abertura, ouverture) capture this threshold moment. 3×
AR["الـ-مَوْلِدِ", "المَخْرَجِ", "في-مَولِدِ"]·ben["গর্ভ-স্থানে", "জন্মদ্বারের", "প্রসবের"]·DE["[במשבר]", "[משבר]", "birth-oeffnend"]·EN["at-breaking-forth-of", "birth-opening", "the-point-of-birth"]·FR["[משבר]", "birth-ouvrant", "ouverture"]·heb["ב-משבר", "משבר"]·HI["जन्म-द्वार", "जन्म-स्थान-में", "मुँह-के"]·ID["lubang-rahim", "rahim"]·IT["[במשבר]", "[משבר]", "nascita-aprendo"]·jav["ing-lawang-mbikak", "panggenan-medal-bayi", "wekdal-miyos"]·KO["분만까지", "에-타남의-문에", "자궁구"]·PT["abertura", "abertura-do-útero", "na-abertura-de"]·RU["в-переломе", "отверстия", "родов"]·ES["abertura", "el-parto", "en-el-lugar-de-nacimiento-de"]·SW["katika-kuzaliwa-kwa", "kuzaliwa", "mahali-pa-kuzaliwa"]·TR["açılışında", "dogum-anina", "doğum-ağzına"]·urd["جنم-دینے", "جننے-کی-جگہ", "پیدائش-کی-جگہ-پر"]
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
† מַשְׁבֵּר, מִשְׁבָּר n.[m.] breach, i.e. mouth of womb;—בָּאוּ בָנִים עַד־מַשְׁבֵּר וְכֹחַ אַיִן לְלֵדָה 2 K 19:3 = Is 37:3 (fig. of helplessness); cstr. בָּנִים מִשְׁבַּר Ho 13:13 (fig. of opportunity).