Topical Encyclopedia
The term "groin" in the context of the Bible refers to the area of the body that includes the lower abdomen and the region around the hips. In biblical times, this area was often associated with strength, procreation, and vulnerability. The groin is mentioned in various contexts throughout the Scriptures, often symbolizing physical strength or the potential for offspring.
Biblical References:1.
Genesis 24:2 · In this passage, Abraham instructs his servant to place his hand under his thigh as a sign of an oath. The "thigh" is often understood to refer to the groin area, symbolizing a solemn and binding promise. The act of placing a hand under the thigh was a culturally significant gesture, indicating the seriousness of the vow related to lineage and inheritance.
2.
Exodus 1:5 · The descendants of Jacob are referred to as those who came from his "loins," a term that is synonymous with the groin area. This reference underscores the importance of the groin as a symbol of progeny and the continuation of a family line.
3.
Deuteronomy 33:11 · In Moses' blessing over the tribe of Levi, he prays for the Lord to "bless all his skills and be pleased with the work of his hands. Strike the loins of those who rise against him, and of those who hate him, that they rise not again." Here, the loins are mentioned as a target for divine retribution, highlighting their vulnerability and the impact of divine intervention on one's strength and ability to oppose.
4.
Job 40:16 · In describing the behemoth, a creature of immense strength, the text states, "Behold now, his strength is in his loins, and his power in the muscles of his belly." This description emphasizes the groin as a center of physical power and might.
5.
Proverbs 31:17 · In the description of the virtuous woman, it is said, "She girds herself with strength and shows that her arms are strong." While the groin is not explicitly mentioned, the act of girding oneself often involved securing garments around the waist and hips, symbolizing readiness and strength.
Symbolism and Cultural Context:In the ancient Near Eastern culture, the groin was often associated with fertility and the continuation of one's lineage. The biblical emphasis on descendants and inheritance frequently brought attention to this part of the body. The groin's vulnerability also made it a focal point in discussions of strength and protection, as seen in various biblical narratives and blessings.
The groin's dual symbolism of strength and vulnerability is reflected in the biblical text, where it serves as a metaphor for both the potential for life and the susceptibility to harm. This duality is evident in the blessings, curses, and oaths that involve the groin, underscoring its significance in the biblical worldview.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) The snout of a swine.
2. (v. i.) To grunt to growl; to snarl; to murmur.
3. (n.) The line between the lower part of the abdomen and the thigh, or the region of this line; the inguen.
4. (n.) The projecting solid angle formed by the meeting of two vaults, growing more obtuse as it approaches the summit.
5. (n.) The surface formed by two such vaults.
6. (n.) A frame of woodwork across a beach to accumulate and retain shingle.
7. (v. t.) To fashion into groins; to build with groins.
Library
Justinus.
... This female principle, in her upper parts, as far as thegroin, is, the Justinians
say, a virgin, whereas from thegroin downwards a snake....
Justinus' Triad of Principles; his Angelography Founded on this...
... passionate, two-minded, [568] two-bodied, in every respect answering (the description
of) the girl in the legend of Herodotus, as far as thegroin a virgin...
The Cosmogony of Justinus an Allegorical Explanation of Herodotus'...
... Now Herodotus informs us that her upper parts as far as thegroin were those of
a virgin, but that everything below the body after thegroin presented some...
Book ii.
... now called Judea; that then they preserved the language of the Egyptians, and called
that day the Sabbath, for that malady of buboes on theirgroin was named...
Agrippa, who was Also Called Herod, Having Persecuted the Apostles...
... of Christian Biog. II. p. 325). The Greek word boubon means, according to Liddell
and Scott, (1) thegroin, (2) a swelling in thegroin....
Martin Has to do Both with Angels and Devils.
... drawing tighter the thongs which had got loose on the oxen yoked together, one of
the oxen, throwing his head free, had wounded him with his horn in thegroin....
However, Before those Laws were Sent into Africa by which Men are...
... They also wounded him with a dagger in thegroin so severely, that the effusion
of blood would have soon put an end to his life, had not their further cruelty...
Marcion; his Dualism; Derives his System from Empedocles; Sketch...
... "For not from back two arms arise,. Not feet, not nimble knees, not genital
groin,. But a globe it was, and equal to itself it is." [865]....
How the Meek and the Passionate are to be Admonished.
... Whereupon Abner smote him with the hinder end of the spear in thegroin,
and thrust him through, and he died (2 Samuel 2:22, 23)....
How David Reigned Over one Tribe at Hebron While the Son Of
... him into a void place of the gate, having himself nobody with him but his brother
Abishai; then he drew his sword, and smote him in thegroin; upon which Abner...
Thesaurus
Groin (4 Occurrences)... retain shingle. 7. (vt) To fashion into groins; to build with groins.
Multi-Version Concordance
Groin (4 Occurrences). 2 Samuel 2
...Gateway (40 Occurrences)
... 3:27 And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of
the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there in thegroin, that he...
Groomsmen (1 Occurrence)
Groats (4 Occurrences)
Thigh (38 Occurrences)
... embroidered (Revelation 19:16). The "hollow of the thigh" (Genesis 32:25) is
the hip-socket or thegroin. See also HIP. The thighs were...
Recab (12 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 4:6 And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would
have fetched wheat; and they smote him in thegroin; and Rechab and Baanah...
Bicri (8 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 20:10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand; so he
smote him therewith in thegroin, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and...
Ama'sa (12 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 20:10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand; so he
smote him therewith in thegroin, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and...
Asahel's (2 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 2:23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside; wherefore Abner with the hinder
end of the spear smote him in thegroin, that the spear came out behind him...
Abi'shai (25 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 20:10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand; so he
smote him therewith in thegroin, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and...
Resources
What were the emerods God afflicted the Philistines with in 1 Samuel 5? | GotQuestions.orgGroin: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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