מֵעָה
𐤌𐤏𐤄
mêʻâh
H4579 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The internal organs or cavity of the body, particularly those in the lower abdomen (often including the womb, intestines, or bowels); by extension, used metaphorically to denote the innermost self or emotions, or internal depths. In some contexts, refers more specifically to the belly as a seat of physical or emotional experience, or, rarely, to the gravel-like materials within.
Semantic Range
belly, womb, intestines, internal organs, inward parts, seat of emotions, innermost self, gravel (rare)
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root מָעָה (מ-ע-ה), meaning 'internal part, belly, entrails.' מֵעָה is the feminine form related to מֵעֶה (me‘eh, 'internal organ, belly'), formed with the feminine ending -ה. The root itself is associated with the internal cavity or viscera of humans and animals.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מֵעָה appears infrequently in the Hebrew Bible in comparison to its masculine counterpart מֵעֶה. Its use often emphasizes internal anatomy—primarily the lower abdominal organs—frequently with reference to women, especially the womb as the seat of reproduction (e.g., references in relation to pregnancy or childbirth). The word can also be used more figuratively as a locus of deep emotion or inner being, paralleling synonymous terms like קֶרֶב (qerev, 'center, midst, internal parts'). In the Greek Septuagint and some English translations, the term has sometimes been rendered abstractly as 'inward parts' or 'gravel' (the latter likely an interpretive translation in the context of illness or discomfort). The English 'bowels' in older translations carried this emotional/metaphorical sense but may not transparently convey the Hebrew anatomical or emotional range to modern readers. Usage of מֵעָה does not extend beyond the biblical period; in later Hebrew traditions, other terms were more common.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of מֵעֶהxlit mêʻâh corrected to mêʻeh; the belly, i.e. (figuratively) interior; gravel.
Bantu Hebrew
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מעה (m-ʿ-h) — internal organ, belly, entrails
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4579-01 |
כִּ/מְעֹתָ֑י/ו | kimeotayv | HR/Ncfpc/Sp3ms |
like its grains | his inward organs of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4579-01 |
Isaiah 48:19 | כִּ/מְעֹתָ֑י/ו | kimeotayv | HR/Ncfpc/Sp3ms |
like its grains | his inward organs of |