בֶּטֶן

n.f. Nu 5:25 belly, body, womb (Arabic بَطْنٌ )—בּ׳ abs. Ju 13:7 +; בָּ֑טֶן v 5 +; cstr. בֶּטֶן ψ 139:13 +; sf. בִּטְנִי Jb 3:10 +; בִּטְנְךָ Dt 7:13 +; בִּטְנֵךְ Gn 25:23; בִּטְנוֹ Jb 15:2 +, etc.;— belly, abdomen, of man Ju 3:21, 22; of woman Nu 5:21, 22, 27; as beautiful in form Ct 7:3; as seat of hunger Pr 13:25; as eating Ez 3:3 (‖ מֵעִים); cf. Pr 18:20 (fig.); as seat of passion, avarice, etc. Jb 20:20, 23; in fig. of God’s casting riches out of extortioner’s belly Jb 20:15 (‖ וַיְקִאֶנּוּ), cf. also ψ 17:14; fig. of innermost part of a man = inmost soul Pr 18:8 = 26:22, 20:27, 30 (all חַדְרֵי ב׳); as seat of intell. faculties (= Eng. breast or bosom) 22:18 (cf. מֵעִים ψ 40:9) Jb 15:2, 35; 32:18, רוּחַ בִּטְנִי v 19; as trembling at theophany Hb 3:16. belly of hippopotamus Jb 40:16. בֶּטֶן שְׁאוֹל Jon 2:3 (Jonah’s prayer: ‖ מְצוּלָה בִּלְבַב יַמִּים). body, opp. soul ψ 31:10 (opp. נֶפֶשׁ), also 44:26 (opp. id.;—on this cf. ZimBP 71). womb Gn 25:23, 24; 38:27 (all J) Ho 12:4 Jb 10:19 (‖ רֶחֶם v 18) Ec 11:5 Jb 31:15 הֲלֹא בַבֶּטֶן עֹשֵׂנִי עָשָׂ֑הוּ did not he that made me in the womb make him (‖ וַיְכֻנֶנּוּ בָּרֶחֶם אֶחָד); cf. ψ 139:13 תְּסֻכֵּנִי בְּבֶטֶן, & Je 1:5; especially פְּרִי ב׳ i.e. offspring Gn 30:2 (E) ψ 127:3 Is 13:18; Pr 31:2 בַּר בִּטְנִי = my son (‖ בְּרִי) cf. בֶּן־בִּטְנָהּ Is 49:15; of birth יָצָא מִבֶּטֶן Jb 1:21; 3:11 Ec 5:14; בֶּטֶן alone = birth Ho 9:11 (‖ לֵרָה, הֵרָיוֹן), cf. fig. מִבֶּטֶן מִי יָצָא הַקָּ֑רַח Jb 38:29 out of whose womb came the ice? cf. לֹא סָגַר דַּלְתֵי בִּטְנִי Jb 3:10 i.e. of my (mother’s) womb; גָּחָה מִבֶּטֶן take, draw out of the womb, subj. י׳ (i.e. cause to be born) ψ 22:10; פְּרִי בֶטֶן used also of father Mi 6:7, cf. ψ 132:11 (David as ancestor of Messian. king); Jb 19:17 בְּנֵי בִטְנִי sons of my body, of doubtful interpr., perhaps = sons of my (mother’s) womb, cf. 3:10 (Ges De), i.e. my brothers or men of my clan RSK 33 f., others my sons (Ew), my grandsons (Di); also in addressing Isr. as a whole (masc. sf.) Dt 7:13; 28:4, 11, 18, 53; 30:9, cf. מַחֲמַדֵּי בִטְנָם Ho 9:16 beloved ones of their womb; מִן־הַבֶּטֶן (מִבֶּטֶן) = from birth Ju 13:5, 7 ψ 58:4; 71:6, cf. also Is 44:2, 24; 46:3 (‖ רָ֑חַם) 48:8; 49:1, 5; מִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי id. Ju 16:17 Jb 31:18 ψ 22:11 (‖ רֶחֶם). architectural word of some rounded projection connected with the two pillars Jachin & Boaz bell, cushion 1 K 7:20.