What does מֵעֶה (mēʿeh) mean in the Bible?
מֵעֶה (mēʿeh): Seat of visceral emotion and compassion; Hebrew localizes mercy and sympathy physically in the bowels rather than the mind.
Hebrew · H4578
מֵעֶה
Used only in plural the intestines , or (collectively) the abdomen , figuratively, sympathy ; by implication, a vest ; by extension the stomach , the uterus (or of men, the seat of generation), the heart (figuratively)
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מֵעֶה H4578
Pronunciation mēʿeh
What does מֵעֶה (mēʿeh) mean in the Bible?
מֵעֶה (mēʿeh): Seat of visceral emotion and compassion; Hebrew localizes mercy and sympathy physically in the bowels rather than the mind.
Full entry for מֵעֶה (H4578) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4578?
The BSB source-word alignment has 32 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include my heart (4), within (3), . . . (2), My anguish (2), your stomach (2).
Where does מֵעֶה (mēʿeh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 15:4. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Chronicles (5), Isaiah (4), 2 Samuel (3), Jeremiah (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It my heart 4× Psalms 40:8, Song Of Solomon 5:4, Isaiah 16:11, Jeremiah 31:20
within 3× Job 30:27, Lamentations 1:20, Lamentations 2:11
. . . 2× Isaiah 48:19, Isaiah 63:15
My anguish 2× Jeremiah 4:19
your stomach 2× Numbers 5:22, Ezekiel 3:3
and spilled out his intestines 1× 2 Samuel 20:10
From inside 1× Jonah 2:1
from the body 1× Isaiah 49:1
from within you 1× Genesis 25:23
from your own body 1× 2 Samuel 7:12
His body 1× Song Of Solomon 5:14
his intestines 1× 2 Chronicles 21:19
in my womb 1× Ruth 1:11
in the belly 1× Jonah 1:17
me 1× Psalms 22:14
my own flesh and blood 1× 2 Samuel 16:11
of the bowels 1× 2 Chronicles 21:18
of your bowels 1× 2 Chronicles 21:15
some of his own [sons] 1× 2 Chronicles 32:21
their stomachs with [wealth] 1× Ezekiel 7:19
womb 1× Psalms 71:6
yet in his stomach 1× Job 20:14
your bowels 1× 2 Chronicles 21:15
your own body 1× Genesis 15:4
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 15:4 מִמֵּעֶ֔יךָ to your own body Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular Genesis 25:23 מִמֵּעַ֖יִךְ to from within you Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular Numbers 5:22 בְּֽמֵעַ֔יִךְ to your stomach Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular Ruth 1:11 בְּֽמֵעַ֔י to in my womb Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular 2 Samuel 7:12 מִמֵּעֶ֑יךָ to from your own body Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular 2 Samuel 16:11 מִמֵּעַ֖י to my own flesh and blood Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular 2 Samuel 20:10 מֵעָ֥יו to and spilled out his intestines Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular 2 Chronicles 21:15 מֵעֶ֑יךָ to of your bowels Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular 2 Chronicles 21:15 מֵעֶ֙יךָ֙ to your bowels Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular 2 Chronicles 21:18 בְּמֵעָ֛יו to of the bowels Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 15:4
Aligned rows 32
Books represented 13
Genesis 2 Numbers 1 Ruth 1 2 Samuel 3 2 Chronicles 5 Job 2 Psalms 3 Song Of Solomon 2 Isaiah 4 Jeremiah 3 Lamentations 2 Ezekiel 2 Jonah 2
Source forms
מֵעַ֣י 2x mê·‘ay Isaiah 16:11, Lamentations 1:20
מֵעָֽי׃ 2x mê·‘āy Psalms 22:14, Psalms 40:8
מֵעָיו֙ 2x mê·‘āw 2 Chronicles 21:19, Song Of Solomon 5:14
בְּֽמֵעַ֔י 1x bə·mê·‘ay Ruth 1:11
בִּמְעֵ֣י 1x bim·‘ê Jonah 1:17
בְּמֵעָ֛יו 1x bə·mê·‘āw 2 Chronicles 21:18
בְּמֵעָ֣יו 1x bə·mê·‘āw Job 20:14
בְּֽמֵעַ֔יִךְ 1x bə·mê·‘a·yiḵ Numbers 5:22
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular 9x Job 30:27, Psalms 22:14, Psalms 40:8, Isaiah 16:11
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular 4x 2 Chronicles 21:15, Isaiah 48:19, Isaiah 63:15
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular 4x 2 Samuel 20:10, 2 Chronicles 21:19, 2 Chronicles 32:21, Song Of Solomon 5:14
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct 3x Psalms 71:6, Isaiah 49:1, Jonah 2:1
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular 2x 2 Chronicles 21:18, Job 20:14
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular 2x Genesis 15:4, 2 Samuel 7:12
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular 1x Song Of Solomon 5:4
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular 1x Ezekiel 3:3
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Seat of visceral emotion and compassion; Hebrew localizes mercy and sympathy physically in the bowels rather than the mind.
Source Gloss
used only in plural the intestines , or (collectively) the abdomen , figuratively, sympathy ; by implication, a vest ; by extension the stomach , the uterus (or of men, the seat of generation), the heart (figuratively)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Seat of visceral emotion and compassion; Hebrew localizes mercy and sympathy physically in the bowels rather than the mind.
used only in plural the intestines, or (collectively) the abdomen, figuratively, sympathy; by implication, a vest; by extension the stomach, the uterus (or of men, the seat of generation), the heart (figuratively) BDB: internal organs Usage: belly, bowels, × heart, womb.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain