Mêʻeh — H4578

Definition

masculine noun

used only in plural the intestines, or (collectively) the abdomen, figuratively, sympathy; by implication, a vest; by extension the stomach, the uterus (or of men, the seat of generation), the heart (figuratively)

1. internal organs, inward parts, bowels, intestines, belly
1. inward parts
2. digestive organs
3. organs of procreation, womb
4. place of emotions or distress or love (fig.)
5. external belly

Usually translated as

bowels, belly, heart, womb

Origin

from an unused root probably meaning to be soft

Greek equivalents

• koilía (G2836)

Occurrences

Mêʻeh occurs 32 times in 30 verses of the King James.

Distribution of the word across the Bible: Genesis (2), Numbers (1), Ruth (1), 2 Samuel (3), 2 Chronicles (4), Job (2), Psalms (3), Song of Songs (2), Isaiah (4), Jeremiah (2), Lamentations (2), Ezekiel (2), Jonah (2)

• Genesis 15:4 — And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels (מִמֵּעֶ֔יךָ) shall be thine heir.
• Genesis 25:23 — And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels (מִמֵּעַ֖יִךְ); and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
• Numbers 5:22 — And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels (בְּֽמֵעַ֔יִךְ), to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.
• Ruth 1:11 — And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb (בְּֽמֵעַ֔י), that they may be your husbands?
• 2 Samuel 7:12 — And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels (מִמֵּעֶ֑יךָ), and I will establish his kingdom.
• 2 Samuel 16:11 — And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels (מִמֵּעַ֖י), seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.
• 2 Samuel 20:10 — But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels (מֵעָ֥יו) to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
• 2 Chronicles 21:15 — And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels (מֵעֶ֑יךָ), until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day.
• 2 Chronicles 21:15 — And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels (מֵעֶ֙יךָ֙) fall out by reason of the sickness day by day.
• 2 Chronicles 21:18 — And after all this the LORD smote him in his bowels (בְּמֵעָ֛יו) with an incurable disease.
• 2 Chronicles 21:19 — And it came to pass, that in process of time, after the end of two years, his bowels (מֵעָיו֙) fell out by reason of his sickness: so he died of sore diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.
• 2 Chronicles 32:21 — And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels (מֵעָ֔יו) slew him there with the sword.
• Job 20:14 — Yet his meat in his bowels (בְּמֵעָ֣יו) is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.
• Job 30:27 — My bowels (מֵעַ֖י) boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.
• Psalms 22:14 — I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels (מֵעָֽי).
• Psalms 40:8 — I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart (מֵעָֽי).
• Psalms 71:6 — By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels (מִמְּעֵ֣י): my praise shall be continually of thee.
• Song of Songs 5:4 — My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels (וּמֵעַ֖י) were moved for him.
• Song of Songs 5:14 — His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly (מֵעָיו֙) is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.
• Isaiah 16:11 — Wherefore my bowels (מֵעַ֣י) shall sound like an harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kir-haresh.
• Isaiah 48:19 — Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels (מֵעֶ֖יךָ) like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
• Isaiah 49:1 — Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels (מִמְּעֵ֥י) of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
• Isaiah 63:15 — Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels (מֵעֶ֛יךָ) and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?
• Jeremiah 4:19 — My bowels (מֵעַ֣י), my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
• Jeremiah 4:19 — My bowels, my bowels (מֵעַ֨י)! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
• Jeremiah 31:20 — Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels (מֵעַי֙) are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.
• Lamentations 1:20 — Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels (מֵעַ֣י) are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.
• Lamentations 2:11 — Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels (מֵעַ֔י) are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.
• Ezekiel 3:3 — And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels (וּמֵעֶ֣יךָ) with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
• Ezekiel 7:19 — They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels (וּמֵעֵיהֶ֖ם): because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
• Jonah 1:17 — Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly (בִּמְעֵ֣י) of the fish three days and three nights.
• Jonah 2:1 — Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly (מִמְּעֵ֖י),