גָּחוֹן
𐤂𐤇𐤅𐤍
gâchôwn
H1512 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The lower part of the body; abdomen, underside, or belly, especially of animals. Used to refer to the ventral side of creeping creatures such as serpents, highlighting the body’s surface in contact with the ground. In later linguistic contexts, can also designate the womb or stomach, but in biblical usage chiefly pertains to the ventral anatomy of specific animals.
Semantic Range
abdomen, belly (of animals), ventral side or underside (especially of reptiles and creeping things), surface in contact with ground
Root / Etymology
From the root גיח (g-y-ḥ), which means 'to spring forth, burst forth, come out.' גָּחוֹן (gâchôwn) is likely a noun formation that refers to the part of the body from which something comes forth, i.e., the abdomen or belly. The root meaning emphasizes emergence or protrusion, but the noun specifically identifies the anatomical underside or belly. The exact morphological process is debated, but the semantic connection is widely accepted.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, גָּחוֹן occurs only a few times (notably in Genesis 3:14 and Leviticus 11:42), where it refers specifically to the ventral side or 'belly' of animals that creep on the ground—primarily serpents and other reptiles. In Genesis 3:14, the reference to going "on your belly" describes the mode of locomotion for the serpent, emphasizing proximity to the ground. In Leviticus 11:42, it broadens to cover various 'creeping things' (שֶׁרֶץ) that move close to the earth's surface. The term does not refer to the human abdomen or womb in biblical contexts; those are expressed by other words such as בֶּטֶן (beten) or רֶחֶם (reḥem). English translations as 'belly,' while broadly correct, may suggest a more general or anthropocentric meaning that the Hebrew does not primarily intend; the word's biblical use is zoological, focusing on creeping animals. Later Jewish and post-biblical usage occasionally expands the sense to include the belly or abdomen more generally, but this is not the predominant biblical meaning. The connection with גִּיחוֹן (Gihon) is only etymological (referencing bursting forth or springing), not lexical.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably from גִּיחַlemma גּיחַ missing vowel, corrected to גִּיחַ; (compare גִּיחוֹן); the external abdomen, belly (as the source of the faetus ); belly.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
גיח (g-y-ḥ) — to burst forth, to come out, to spring forth
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1518 | גִּיחַ | in his bursting forth |
| H1519 | גִּיחַ | causing to gush forth |
| H1520 | גִּיחַ | Gushing-Place |
| H1521 | גִּיחוֹן | at Gushing-Spring |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1512-01 |
גָּח֜ | gach | HNcmsa |
belly | ventral underside | ventral underside | 1 |
H1512-02 |
גְּחֹנְ/ךָ֣ | gechonekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
your belly | your belly-underside | your belly-underside | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1512-02 |
Genesis 3:14 | גְּחֹנְ/ךָ֣ | gechonekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
your belly | your belly-underside | your belly-underside |
H1512-01 |
Leviticus 11:42 | גָּח֜ | gach | HNcmsa |
belly | ventral underside | ventral underside |