Topical Encyclopedia
The stomach, as referenced in the Bible, is often associated with the physical needs and desires of the human body. It serves as a symbol of appetite, both literal and metaphorical, and is frequently used to illustrate broader spiritual truths about self-control, dependence on God, and the consequences of indulgence.
Biblical References:1.
Physical Needs and Provision: The stomach is directly related to the basic human need for sustenance. In the context of God's provision, the Bible often highlights how God meets the needs of His people. For instance, in the wilderness, God provided manna to the Israelites, satisfying their physical hunger and teaching them reliance on Him. This is reflected in
Deuteronomy 8:3 : "He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD."
2.
Appetite and Self-Control: The stomach is also used metaphorically to discuss the concept of appetite, which can extend beyond food to other desires.
Proverbs 23:2 advises, "and put a knife to your throat if you possess a great appetite." This verse underscores the importance of self-control and the dangers of gluttony or overindulgence, which can lead to spiritual and physical harm.
3.
Spiritual Lessons: The New Testament often uses the stomach to illustrate spiritual truths. In
Philippians 3:19 , Paul warns against those "whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things." Here, the "belly" symbolizes earthly desires that can become idolatrous when they take precedence over spiritual pursuits.
4.
Dependence on God: The stomach's need for food is a reminder of human dependence on God for all things. Jesus, in teaching His disciples to pray, included the petition for daily bread (
Matthew 6:11), emphasizing the need to trust God for daily provision and to recognize Him as the source of all sustenance.
5.
Warnings Against Excess: The Bible warns against the dangers of excess and the pursuit of pleasure through the stomach. In
Ecclesiastes 6:7 , it is written, "All a man’s labor is for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied." This highlights the futility of seeking fulfillment solely through physical means and the importance of seeking spiritual nourishment.
Theological Implications:The stomach, while a necessary part of human anatomy, serves as a powerful symbol in Scripture for the broader human condition. It reminds believers of the need for moderation, the dangers of idolatry through physical desires, and the ultimate satisfaction that comes from God alone. The biblical perspective encourages a balanced view of physical needs, urging believers to prioritize spiritual growth and reliance on God's provision.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) An enlargement, or series of enlargements, in the anterior part of the alimentary canal, in which food is digested; any cavity in which digestion takes place in an animal; a digestive cavity. See Gastric.
2. (n.) The desire for food caused by hunger; appetite; as, a good stomach for roast beef.
3. (n.) Hence appetite in general; inclination; desire.
4. (n.) Violence of temper; anger; sullenness; resentment; willful obstinacy; stubbornness.
5. (n.) Pride; haughtiness; arrogance.
6. (v. t.) To resent; to remember with anger; to dislike.
7. (v. t.) To bear without repugnance; to brook.
8. (v. i.) To be angry.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
STOMACHstum'-uk (stomachos): In man and most vertebrates, a membranous sac-like portion of the alimentary canal, in which the earlier stages of digestion take place and in which food is prepared to yield its nourishment (1 Timothy 5:23).
Used figuratively of pride, "A proud look and high stomach" (Psalm 101:7, Prayer-book Version), and courage, "Stirring up her womanish thoughts with a manly stomach" (2 Maccabees 7:21 the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "with manly passion").
Greek
4751. stomachos -- an opening, thestomach... an opening, the
stomach. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: stomachos
Phonetic Spelling: (stom'-akh-os) Short Definition: the
stomach Definition
...1064. gaster -- the belly
... the belly. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: gaster Phonetic Spelling:
(gas-tare') Short Definition: the womb,stomach, to be pregnant Definition...
2836. koilia -- belly
... lee'-ah) Short Definition: belly, womb, the inner man Definition: belly, abdomen,
heart, a general term covering any organ in the abdomen, egstomach, womb; met...
Strong's Hebrew
6896. qebah --stomach, belly... 6895, 6896. qebah. 6897 .
stomach, belly. Transliteration: qebah Phonetic
Spelling: (kay-baw') Short Definition: body. Word Origin
...4578. meeh -- internal organs, inward parts, belly
... 1), body (4), bowels (4), children* (1), feelings (1), heart (4), inward parts
(1), offspring* (1), own (1), soul (2), spirit (2),stomach (4), stomachs (1...
3770. kares -- belly
... 3769, 3770. kares. 3771 . belly. Transliteration: kares Phonetic Spelling:
(ker-ace') Short Definition:stomach. Word Origin from...
7647. saba -- plenty, satiety
... Word Origin from saba Definition plenty, satiety NASB Word Usage abundance
(4), fullstomach (1), plenty (3). abundance, plenteous,....
990. beten -- belly, body, womb
... 11), brothers* (1), depth (1), himself (1), infancy* (1), inward parts (1), mind
(1), parts (1), pregnancy (1), rounded projection (1),stomach (3), within (3...
3445. yeshach -- perhaps emptiness
... casting down. From an unused root meaning to gape (as the emptystomach); hunger --
casting down. 3444, 3445. yeshach. 3446 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
1 Timothy v. 21-23
... Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thystomach's sake and thine often
infirmities.".... But why did not Paul restore strength to hisstomach?...
With the Circus
... III "Alcohol's effects upon thestomach: "(a) Produces chronic inflammation
of thestomach.... "(e) It thickens the mucus of thestomach....
On the Interior Man
... the Lord. [John 21:20]. Thestomach is the rational capacity; in Habakkuk:
mystomach is disturbed within me. [Hab.3:16]. The kidneys...
Reference to the Processes of Digestion and Nutrition.
... necessity turns out to be suitable nourishment for the animal, but that some things
no sooner come into contact with the plicatures of thestomach than they...
The Interpretation
... of the Church, or perhaps, of the obscurity of those allegories and types with which
it was covered, it would, like aloes taken into thestomach, greatly wound...
1 Cor. vi. 12
... Ver.13. "Meats for the belly." By "the belly" here he means not thestomach,
but thestomach's voraciousness. As when he says, (Philip....
This HomilyWas Delivered in the Old Church of Antioch
... Chrysostom was yet a Presbyter, upon that saying of the Apostle, 1 Timothy 5:23,
"Drink a little wine for thystomach's sake, and thy often infirmities."....
Letter x. The Preservation of Health.
... About five eighths of the food taken into thestomach passes off by insensible
perspiration, through the pores of the skin; and with it is thrown off whatever...
Tobacco.
... to wash him away. Taken into thestomach unaccustomed to its presence, and
it produces violent vomiting. The whole lining membrane...
Evil Habits and Injurious Indulgences.
... He recommends wine to Timothy: "Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for
thystomach's sake and thine often infirmities." 1:Tim.5:23....
Thesaurus
Stomach (40 Occurrences)... See Gastric. 2. (n.) The desire for food caused by hunger; appetite; as, a good
stomach for roast beef.
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
STOMACH.
...Stomach's (1 Occurrence)
...Stomach's (1 Occurrence). 1 Timothy 5:23 Be no longer a drinker of water only, but
use a little wine for yourstomach's sake and your frequent infirmities....
Vomit (12 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) To eject the contents of thestomach by
the mouth; to puke; to spew. 2. (vt) To throw up; to eject...
Kinds (110 Occurrences)
... Mark 7:19 because it does not go into his heart, but into hisstomach, and passes
away ejected from him?" By these words Jesus pronounced all kinds of food...
Wasting (57 Occurrences)
... on the woman, and say to her, May the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your
people, sending on you wasting of the legs and disease of thestomach; (BBE)....
Maw (2 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) Astomach; the receptacle into which food is taken by swallowing; in birds,
the craw; -- now used only of the lower animals, except humorously or in...
Legs (50 Occurrences)
... on the woman, and say to her, May the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your
people, sending on you wasting of the legs and disease of thestomach; (BBE)....
Turn (963 Occurrences)
... quickly. 10. (vt) To sicken; to nauseate; as, an emetic turns one'sstomach.
11.... brain. 19. (vi) To be nauseated; -- said of thestomach. 20....
Ejected (2 Occurrences)
... Ejected (2 Occurrences). Matthew 15:17 Do you not understand that whatever enters
the mouth passes into thestomach and is afterwards ejected from the body?...
Exist (24 Occurrences)
... 1 Corinthians 6:13 Food of all kinds is meant for thestomach, and thestomach
is meant for food, and God will cause both of them to perish....
Resources
What does it mean to uncover nakedness in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgIs Sunday sickness a real thing? | GotQuestions.orgHow should a Christian view vaccinations/vaccines? | GotQuestions.orgStomach: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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