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Topical Encyclopedia

In the Bible, the term "belly" is used both literally and metaphorically, appearing in various contexts throughout the Old and New Testaments. The Hebrew word often translated as "belly" is "בֶּטֶן" (beten), while the Greek equivalent is "κοιλία" (koilia). These terms can refer to the physical stomach or abdomen, as well as symbolically representing deeper spiritual or emotional states.

Literal Usage

1.Physical Stomach: The belly is frequently mentioned in the context of physical hunger and sustenance. InJob 20:23 , it is written, "When he has filled his stomach, God will vent His fury upon him, raining it down on him as he eats." Here, the belly is directly associated with the act of eating and the physical need for food.

2.Pregnancy and Birth: The belly is also used to describe the womb, as seen inGenesis 25:23 , where God tells Rebekah, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated." This usage highlights the belly as the place of gestation and the origin of life.

Metaphorical Usage

1.Inner Desires and Emotions: The belly is often used metaphorically to represent inner desires, emotions, or appetites.Proverbs 20:27 states, "The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, searching out his inmost being." Here, the "inmost being" can be understood as the belly, symbolizing the core of a person's desires and motivations.

2.Spiritual Fulfillment: In the New Testament, the belly is sometimes used to contrast physical and spiritual fulfillment.Philippians 3:19 warns, "Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things." This passage uses the belly to symbolize earthly desires that can lead one away from spiritual truth.

3.Source of Life and Wisdom: In some instances, the belly is seen as a source of life and wisdom.Proverbs 18:8 says, "The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down into the inmost being." This suggests that what is consumed, whether physically or spiritually, affects the deepest parts of a person.

Symbol of Judgment and Consequence

The belly is also depicted as a place of judgment or consequence.Jonah 2:1 recounts, "From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the LORD his God." Jonah's time in the belly of the fish serves as a period of reflection and repentance, symbolizing God's discipline and the opportunity for redemption.

Cultural and Theological Implications

In biblical times, the belly was often associated with the seat of emotions and the center of human appetites. This understanding reflects a holistic view of the human person, where physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects are interconnected. The biblical references to the belly encourage believers to consider the alignment of their physical desires with their spiritual commitments, urging a life that prioritizes spiritual nourishment over mere physical satisfaction.

Overall, the concept of the belly in the Bible serves as a multifaceted symbol, encompassing physical needs, emotional states, and spiritual truths. It challenges readers to reflect on their own desires and the ways in which they seek fulfillment, urging a focus on spiritual growth and alignment with God's will.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

The seat of the carnal affections (Titus 1:12;Philippians 3:19;Romans 16:18). The word is used symbolically for the heart (Proverbs 18:8;20:27;22:18, marg.). The "belly of hell" signifies the grave or underworld (Jonah 2:2).

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) That part of the human body which extends downward from the breast to the thighs, and contains the bowels, or intestines; the abdomen.

2. (n.) The under part of the body of animals, corresponding to the human belly.

3. (n.) The womb.

4. (n.) The part of anything which resembles the human belly in protuberance or in cavity; the innermost part; as, the belly of a flask, muscle, sail, ship.

5. (n.) The hollow part of a curved or bent timber, the convex part of which is the back.

6. (v. t.) To cause to swell out; to fill.

7. (v. i.) To swell and become protuberant, like the belly; to bulge.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

BELLY

bel'-i: gachon = "the external abdomen" (Genesis 3:14 Leviticus 11:42). qobhah = "the abdominal cavity" (Numbers 25:8 the American Standard Revised Version "body"). beTen = "the internal abdomen," "the womb" (1 Kings 7:20 Job 15:2, 35 the King James Version;Job 20:15, 23;Job 40:16 Psalm 17, 14 Proverbs 13:25;Proverbs 18:20 Jeremiah 1:5 Ezekiel 3:3); also figuratively "the internal regions," "the body of anything" (Jonah 2:2). me`eh = "intestines," "abdomen" (Daniel 2:32 Jonah 1:17;Jonah 2:1, 2). In the New Testament koilia = "a cavity," espec ially the abdominal (Matthew 12:40;Matthew 15:17 Mark 7:19); the seat of appetite and of the carnal affections (Romans 16:18 1 Corinthians 6:13 Philippians 3:19 Revelation 10:9, 10); the innermost of the soul (the American Revised Version, marginJohn 7:38).

Frank E. Hirsch

Greek

2836. koilia --belly
...belly. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: koilia Phonetic Spelling:
(koy-lee'-ah) Short Definition:belly, womb, the inner man Definition:belly...

1064. gaster -- thebelly
... thebelly. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: gaster Phonetic Spelling:
(gas-tare') Short Definition: the womb, stomach, to be pregnant Definition...

Strong's Hebrew

1512. gachon --belly (of reptiles)
... 1511, 1512. gachon. 1513 .belly (of reptiles). Transliteration: gachon
Phonetic Spelling: (gaw-khone') Short Definition:belly....

4577. meah --belly
meah or mea. 4576, 4577. meah or mea. 4578 .belly. Transliteration: meah
or mea Phonetic Spelling: (meh-aw') Short Definition:belly....

990. beten --belly, body, womb
... beten. 991 .belly, body, womb. Transliteration: beten Phonetic Spelling:
(beh'-ten) Short Definition: womb....belly, body, as they be born, within, womb....

3770. kares --belly
... 3769, 3770. kares. 3771 .belly. Transliteration: kares Phonetic Spelling:
(ker-ace') Short Definition: stomach. Word Origin... 1).belly. By...

4578. meeh -- internal organs, inward parts,belly
... meeh. 4579 . internal organs, inward parts,belly. Transliteration: meeh Phonetic
Spelling: (may-aw') Short Definition: body....belly, bowels, heart, womb....

6897. qobah --belly
... qobah. 6898 .belly. Transliteration: qobah Phonetic Spelling: (ko'-baw) Short
Definition:belly....belly From qabab; the abdomen (as a cavity) --belly....

2570. chomesh --belly
... 2569, 2570. chomesh. 2571 .belly. Transliteration: chomesh Phonetic
Spelling: (kho'-mesh) Short Definition:belly. Word Origin...

193a. ul -- the body,belly
... ul. 193b . the body,belly. Transliteration: ul Short Definition: body. Word Origin
from an unused word Definition the body,belly NASB Word Usage body (1)....

6896. qebah -- stomach,belly
... 6895, 6896. qebah. 6897 . stomach,belly. Transliteration: qebah Phonetic
Spelling: (kay-baw') Short Definition: body. Word Origin...

193. uwl -- the body,belly
... 192, 193. uwl. 193a . the body,belly. Transliteration: uwl Phonetic
Spelling: (ool) Short Definition: mighty. mighty, strength...

Library

Thy Navel is Like a Round Goblet which Wanteth not Liquor; Thy...
... CHAPTER VII. 2. Thy navel is like a round goblet which wanteth not liquor;
thybelly is like a heap of wheat set about with lilies....

His Hands are Turned as of Gold, Set with Hyacinths; hisBelly is...
... CHAPTER V. 14. His hands are turned as of gold, set with hyacinths; his
belly is ivory, set with sapphires. By His hands are to...

1 Cor. vi. 12
... For thou hast not power even over thine ownbelly, so long as thou art dissolute,
but it hath power over thee." And the same we may say both of riches and of...

John vii. 37, 38
... Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out
of hisbelly shall flow rivers of living water.". [1.] They...

Philippians iii. 18-21
... I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the
cross of Christ: whose end is perdition, whose god is thebelly, and whose...

Praying Saints of the Old Testaments (Continued)
... Jonah, the man who prayed in the fish'sbelly, brings to view another remarkable
instance of these Old Testament worthies who were given to prayer....

That Thy Resurrection Might be Believed among the Gainsayers, they...
... Thebelly and hell cried aloud of Thy Birth and Thy Resurrection: Thebelly conceived
Thee, which was sealed; hell brought Thee forth which was closed up....

How those who Use Food Intemperately and those who Use it...
... sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play (Exodus 32:6). For the most part
also edacity leads us even to lechery, because, when thebelly is distended by...

Argument. --But There was a Limit to the Use of These Shadows or...
... The apostle cries out: "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness,
and peace, and joy." [5326] Also elsewhere: "Meats for thebelly, and the...

On the History of Jonah.
... For thebelly in which Jonah, when he was swallowed, was concealed, is the
all-receiving earth, which receives all things which are consumed by time. II....

Thesaurus

Belly (62 Occurrences)
... The "belly of hell" signifies the grave or underworld (Jonah 2:2).... 2. (n.) The under
part of the body of animals, corresponding to the humanbelly....

Rot (15 Occurrences)
... the priest shall say unto the woman, The LORD make thee a curse and an oath among
thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to rot, and thybelly to swell...

Meats (9 Occurrences)
... Meats (9 Occurrences). Mark 7:19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into
thebelly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?...

Shrink (10 Occurrences)
... the priest shall say unto the woman: Jehovah make thee a curse and an oath among
thy people, when Jehovah doth make thy thigh to shrink, and thybelly to swell...

Stomach (40 Occurrences)
... RSV NIV). Luke 15:16 He wanted to fill hisbelly with the husks that the
pigs ate, but no one gave him any. (See NAS NIV). Acts 28...

Navel (4 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Navel (4 Occurrences). Job 40:16 Lo now, his strength
is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of hisbelly. (KJV WBS)....

Useless (47 Occurrences)
... useless they are." (WEY NAS). 1 Corinthians 6:13 the meats 'are' for the
belly, and thebelly for the meats. And God both this and...

Lewdness (68 Occurrences)
... lewdness: (WBS). 1 Corinthians 6:13 Meats for thebelly, and thebelly
for meats: but God will destroy both it and them. Now the...

Whoredom (58 Occurrences)
... wife of the father! -- (YLT). 1 Corinthians 6:13 the meats 'are' for the
belly, and thebelly for the meats. And God both this and...

Immorality (38 Occurrences)
... Don't even eat with such a person. (See RSV). 1 Corinthians 6:13 "Foods for the
belly, and thebelly for foods," but God will bring to nothing both it and them....

Resources

Did Jonah die while he was in the belly of the fish (Jonah 2)? | GotQuestions.org

Summary of the Book of Jonah - Bible Survey | GotQuestions.org

Was Jonah truly swallowed by a whale? | GotQuestions.org

Belly: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance •Bible Dictionary •Bible Encyclopedia •Topical Bible •Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Belly (62 Occurrences)

Matthew 12:40
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in thebelly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 15:17
Don't you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into thebelly, and then out of the body?
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Mark 7:19
Because it entereth not into his heart, but into thebelly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
(KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Luke 15:16
He wanted to fill hisbelly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any.
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT)

John 7:38
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of hisbelly shall flow rivers of living water.
(KJV DBY WBS YLT)

Romans 16:18
For those who are such don't serve our Lord, Jesus Christ, but their ownbelly; and by their smooth and flattering speech, they deceive the hearts of the innocent. things of iron, and wood for the things of wood; onyx stones, and stones
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT)

1 Corinthians 6:13
"Foods for thebelly, and the belly for foods," but God will bring to nothing both it and them. But the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Philippians 3:19
whose end is destruction, whose god is thebelly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Revelation 10:9
And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thybelly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
(KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Revelation 10:10
And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, mybelly was bitter.
(KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Genesis 3:14
Yahweh God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, you are cursed above all livestock, and above every animal of the field. On yourbelly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 41:21
and they came into theirbelly, and it could not be known that they had come into their belly; and their look was bad, as at the beginning. And I awoke.
(DBY)

Leviticus 11:42
Whatever goes on itsbelly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, even all creeping things that creep on the earth, them you shall not eat; for they are an abomination.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Numbers 5:21
Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to rot, and thybelly to swell;
(KJV JPS DBY WBS YLT)

Numbers 5:22
And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thybelly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.
(KJV JPS DBY WBS YLT)

Numbers 5:27
And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and herbelly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people.
(KJV JPS DBY WBS YLT)

Numbers 25:8
And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through herbelly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.
(KJV JPS DBY WBS YLT)

Judges 3:21
And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into hisbelly:
(KJV JPS DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 3:22
And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of hisbelly; and the dirt came out.
(KJV JPS DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

2 Samuel 2:23
But he refused to turn aside; therefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him in thebelly, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place. And it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
(DBY NAS RSV)

2 Samuel 3:27
And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him secretly, and smote him there in thebelly, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
(DBY NAS RSV)

2 Samuel 4:6
And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would fetch wheat; and they smote him in thebelly; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.
(DBY NAS)

2 Samuel 20:10
And Amasa had taken no notice of the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him with it in thebelly and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. And Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
(DBY NAS NIV)

1 Kings 7:20
There were capitals above also on the two pillars, close by thebelly which was beside the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred, in rows around on the other capital.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS)

Job 3:11
Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of thebelly?
(KJV DBY YLT)

Job 10:19
As I had not been, I am, From thebelly to the grave I am brought,
(YLT)

Job 15:2
Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill hisbelly with the east wind?
(KJV JPS DBY WBS YLT NIV)

Job 15:35
They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and theirbelly prepareth deceit.
(KJV JPS DBY WBS)

Job 20:15
He has swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again. God will cast them out of hisbelly.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Job 20:20
Surely he shall not feel quietness in hisbelly, he shall not save of that which he desired.
(KJV WBS YLT)

Job 20:23
When he is about to fill hisbelly, God will cast the fierceness of his wrath on him. It will rain on him while he is eating.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Job 31:18
(But from my youth He grew up with me as 'with' a father, And from thebelly of my mother I am led.)
(YLT)

Job 32:19
Behold, mybelly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.
(KJV DBY WBS NAS)

Job 38:29
From whosebelly came forth the ice? And the hoar-frost of the heavens, Who hath begotten it?
(YLT)

Job 40:16
Look now, his strength is in his thighs. His force is in the muscles of hisbelly.
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 17:14
from men by your hand, Yahweh, from men of the world, whose portion is in this life. You fill thebelly of your cherished ones. Your sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Psalms 22:10
I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother'sbelly.
(KJV DBY YLT)

Psalms 31:9
Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and mybelly.
(KJV DBY WBS)

Psalms 44:25
For our soul is bowed down to the dust: ourbelly cleaveth unto the earth.
(KJV JPS DBY WBS YLT)

Psalms 58:3
The wicked have been estranged from the womb, They have erred from thebelly, speaking lies.
(YLT)

Psalms 139:13
For Thou -- Thou hast possessed my reins, Thou dost cover me in my mother'sbelly.
(YLT)

Proverbs 13:25
The righteous one eats to the satisfying of his soul, but thebelly of the wicked goes hungry.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Proverbs 18:8
The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of thebelly.
(KJV JPS DBY WBS)

Proverbs 18:20
A man'sbelly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Proverbs 20:27
The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of thebelly.
(KJV DBY WBS)

Proverbs 20:30
The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of thebelly.
(KJV DBY WBS)

Proverbs 26:22
The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of thebelly.
(KJV DBY WBS)

Ecclesiastes 5:15
As he came out from thebelly of his mother, naked he turneth back to go as he came, and he taketh not away anything of his labour, that doth go in his hand.
(YLT)

Song of Songs 5:14
His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: hisbelly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.
(KJV DBY WBS)

Song of Songs 7:2
Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thybelly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.
(KJV JPS DBY WBS NAS RSV)

Isaiah 46:3
Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from thebelly, which are carried from the womb:
(KJV DBY YLT)

Isaiah 48:8
Yea, thou hast not heard, Yea, thou hast not known, Yea, from that time not opened hath thine ear, For I have known thou dealest treacherously, And 'Transgressor from thebelly,' One is crying to thee.
(YLT)

Isaiah 49:5
And now, said Jehovah, who is forming me from thebelly for a servant to Him, To bring back Jacob unto Him, (Though Israel is not gathered, Yet I am honoured in the eyes of Jehovah, And my God hath been my strength.)
(YLT)

Jeremiah 1:5
"Before I formed you in thebelly, I knew you. Before you came forth out of the womb, I sanctified you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY YLT)

Jeremiah 51:34
Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled hisbelly with my delicates, he hath cast me out.
(KJV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Ezekiel 3:3
He said to me, Son of man, cause yourbelly to eat, and fill your bowels with this scroll that I give you. Then I ate it; and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Ezekiel 7:19
They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be as an impurity: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah's wrath; they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill theirbelly; for it hath been the stumbling-block of their iniquity.
(DBY)

Daniel 2:32
As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, itsbelly and its thighs of brass,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Jonah 1:17
Yahweh prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in thebelly of the fish three days and three nights.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

Jonah 2:1
Then Jonah prayed to Yahweh, his God, out of the fish'sbelly.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

Jonah 2:2
He said, "I called because of my affliction to Yahweh. He answered me. Out of thebelly of Sheol I cried. You heard my voice.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Habakkuk 3:16
When I heard, mybelly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.
(KJV DBY WBS YLT)

Subtopics

Belly

Belly used Figuratively for the Seat of the Affections

Related Terms

Rot (15 Occurrences)

Meats (9 Occurrences)

Shrink (10 Occurrences)

Stomach (40 Occurrences)

Navel (4 Occurrences)

Useless (47 Occurrences)

Lewdness (68 Occurrences)

Whoredom (58 Occurrences)