Topic
Bowels
19 passages cited, from 3 classic reference works.
These works date from 1896–1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Job 30:27ISBE · Nave FIGURATIVE — Of the sensibilities
My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.
- Lamentations 1:20ISBE · Nave FIGURATIVE — Of the sensibilities
Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.
- Acts 1:18ISBE · Nave Judas', gushed out
Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
- Philippians 1:8Easton · Nave FIGURATIVE — Of the sensibilities
For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
- Philippians 2:1Easton · Nave FIGURATIVE — Of the sensibilities
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
- Colossians 3:12Easton · Nave FIGURATIVE — Of the sensibilities
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
- Genesis 43:30Nave FIGURATIVE — Of the sensibilities
And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.
- 1 Kings 3:26Nave FIGURATIVE — Of the sensibilities
Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
- 2 Chronicles 21:15–20Nave Diseased
And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day. ¶ Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that were near the Ethiopians:…
- 2 Chronicles 21:18ISBE
¶ And after all this the LORD smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease.
- 2 Chronicles 21:19ISBE
And it came to pass, that in process of time, after the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness: so he died of sore diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.
- Psalms 22:14Nave FIGURATIVE — Of the sensibilities
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
Show 7 more
- Psalms 40:8 ISBE
- Psalms 71:6 ISBE
- Song of Songs 5:4 Nave FIGURATIVE — Of the sensibilities
- Jeremiah 4:19 Nave FIGURATIVE — Of the sensibilities
- Jeremiah 31:20 Nave FIGURATIVE — Of the sensibilities
- Lamentations 2:11 ISBE
- 1 John 3:17 Nave FIGURATIVE — Of the sensibilities
In the reference works
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 3 references
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 8 references
bou'-elz (me`ah, plural me`im, rechem, plural rachamim; splagchnion):
(1) Literal: The literal meaning of these words is intestines, then the abdomen, the womb (matrix and uterus). As will be seen there is not much definiteness in the use of these expressions from the standpoint of physiology; but not less so than in modern oriental languages and even in many occidental languages, as popularly used. The remarkable phrases used in 2Ch 21:18,19, "Yahweh smote him in his bowels" and "His bowels fell out by reason of his sickness," refer to a severe and fatal case of hemorrh oids.
(2) Figurative: In figurative language these words denote deep emotions of various kinds. As in physiology we speak of the "nervus sympathicus," the ancients expressed by these terms "affection," "sympathy" and "mercy," feelings of distress and sorrow, as in Job 30:27 the King James Version; La 1:20 the King James Version; La 2:11 the King James Version. In one passage we have to translate me`im by "heart," being the seat of affection and devotion (Ps 71:6): "Thy law is within my heart" (Ps 40:8). In the New Testament (Revised Version) the word is only given in Ac 1:18.
H. L. E. Luering
In the topical indexes
Texts: Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897); International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915); Nave's Topical Bible (1896), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.