1064. gastér

Lexical Summary

gastér: Belly, womb

Original Word: γαστήρ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: gastér
Pronunciation: gas-TARE
Phonetic Spelling: (gas-tare')
KJV: belly, + with child, womb
NASB: pregnant, gluttons, womb
Word Origin: [of uncertain derivation]

1. the stomach
2. (by analogy) the matrix
3. (figuratively) a gourmand

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

belly, womb.

Of uncertain derivation; the stomach; by analogy, the matrix; figuratively, a gourmand -- belly, + with child, womb.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain origin
Definition
the belly
NASB Translation
child* (4), gluttons (1), pregnant (3), womb (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 1064: γαστήρ

γαστήρ, γαστρός (poetic, γαστερος), ἡ, in Greek authors from Homer down; in the Sept. for בֶּטֶן;

1. the belly; by metonymy, of the whole for a part,

2. Latinuterus, the womb: ἐν γαστρί ἔχειν to be with child) see ἔχω, I. 1 b.): Matthew 1:18, 23; Matthew 24:19; Mark 13:17; Luke 21:23; 1 Thessalonians 5:3; Revelation 12:2; (in the Sept. for הָרָה, Genesis 16:4; Genesis 38:25; Isaiah 7:14, etc.; Herodotus 3, 32 and vit. Homer 2; Artemidorus Daldianus, oneir. 2, 18, p. 105; 3, 32, p. 177; Pausanias, Herodian, others); συλλαμβάνεσθαι ἐν γαστρί to conceive, become pregnant, Luke 1:31.

3. the stomach; by synecdoche a glutton, gormandizer, a man who is as it were all stomach, Hesiod theog. 26 (so also γάστρις, Aristophanes av. 1604; Aelian v. h. 1, 28; and Latinventer in Lucil. sat. 2, 24 edition Gerl. 'vivite ventres'): γαστέρες ἀργαί, Titus 1:12; see ἀργός, b.

Topical Lexicon

Concept and Scope

Strong’s Greek 1064 centers on the idea of the womb and, by extension, pregnancy. In eight of its nine New Testament occurrences the term presents literal conception or gestation; once it is used figuratively of the appetite (“lazy gluttons,” Titus 1:12). Through these passages Scripture draws together themes of promise, judgment, expectancy, and moral character.

Seed of the Woman and the Incarnation

Matthew 1:18, Matthew 1:23, and Luke 1:31 anchor the word in the mystery of the Incarnation. “She was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18). The Greek term highlights Mary’s actual womb—fulfillment of the ancient promise that the Messiah would come through a woman (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14). The physical reality of conception underscores both Christ’s true humanity and the supernatural initiative of God. In Matthew 1:23 the evangelist cites Isaiah to show that the very organ of human gestation becomes the means by which “God with us” enters history.

Old Testament Anticipation and New Testament Fulfillment

Prophetic metaphors of a woman in travail (Isaiah 26:17–18; Micah 4:10) come into sharp focus as the Gospel writers record the angel’s announcement to Mary: “Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son” (Luke 1:31). The word for “in the womb” links the centuries-old imagery of labor pains with the singular birth that ushers in the new covenant.

Warnings for Pregnant Women in the Tribulation

Jesus applies the same term when foretelling end-time distress: “How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!” (Matthew 24:19; Mark 13:17; Luke 21:23). Pregnancy, normally a sign of blessing, becomes a symbol of heightened vulnerability when judgment sweeps the land. The warning carries pastoral weight: followers are to pray for endurance and preparedness, mindful of those most at risk.

Day of the Lord Illustrated by Labor Pains

Paul adopts the metaphor in 1 Thessalonians 5:3: “Destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape”. The inevitability, sudden onset, and increasing intensity of contractions mirror the certainty and severity of the Day of the Lord. Believers, therefore, are called to alertness and sobriety, contrasting with the complacency of those who trust false assurances of “Peace and security.”

The Pregnant Woman of Revelation

Revelation 12:2 presents a cosmic tableau: “She was pregnant and crying out in pain and agony as she was about to give birth”. The term gathers up the redemptive story—Israel (or the faithful remnant) laboring to bring forth the Messiah, opposed by the dragon. This apocalyptic scene reassures the church that, though the struggle is fierce, the Child and His people ultimately triumph.

Metaphorical Use: Appetite and Moral Laxity

Only Titus 1:12 employs the word figuratively. The Cretan “lazy gluttons” (literally “idle bellies”) expose how unchecked bodily appetite can dominate character. The same organ that nurtures new life, when misdirected, becomes a picture of self-indulgence. Paul charges Titus to appoint elders who stand in stark contrast—disciplined, hospitable, self-controlled—demonstrating that godly leadership must master, not serve, physical cravings.

Theological Reflections

1. God works through ordinary human biology to accomplish extraordinary salvation. The womb of Mary becomes the meeting place of heaven and earth.
2. Pregnancy imagery communicates both blessing (promise fulfilled) and judgment (labor pains, vulnerability). Scripture’s use of 1064 preserves this duality without contradiction.
3. The certainty of kingdom consummation is as inescapable as the arrival of a child once labor begins. Believers are exhorted to readiness, unbelievers warned of impending reckoning.
4. Bodily functions, whether gestation or appetite, are morally significant. They point beyond themselves to spiritual realities—either submission to God’s purpose or indulgence of self.

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

• Celebrate and protect life in the womb, recognizing it as sacred space where divine purposes unfold.
• Provide tangible care for expectant mothers, especially in times of crisis or societal upheaval, reflecting Christ’s compassion evident in His eschatological warnings.
• Preach the Incarnation with clarity, emphasizing both the miracle and the historicity of Jesus’ conception.
• Use the labor-pains motif to call the church to vigilance; the same assurance that carried Mary through to Bethlehem will carry the saints through to Christ’s return.
• Cultivate leaders who exemplify mastery over physical desires, countering the Titus 1:12 caricature with lives marked by temperance and service.

Thus Strong’s Greek 1064 weaves a rich tapestry—from Bethlehem’s manger to the cosmic woman of Revelation—affirming God’s sovereign plan, the dignity of human life, and the urgent call to holy living.

Forms and Transliterations

γαστέρα γαστερες γαστέρες γαστήρ γαστρι γαστρί γαστρὶ γαστρός γαυριά γαυρίαμα γαυρωθήσεται εγαυριώντο gasteres gastéres gastri gastrì

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 1:18 N-DFS
GRK: εὑρέθη ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα ἐκ
INT: she was found in womb to have [child] through

Matthew 1:23 N-DFS
GRK: παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει καὶ
INT: virgin in womb [child] will have and

Matthew 24:19 N-DFS
GRK: ταῖς ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσαις καὶ
NAS: to those who are pregnant and to those
KJV: with child, and
INT: to those that in womb have [child] and

Mark 13:17 N-DFS
GRK: ταῖς ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσαις καὶ
NAS: to those who are pregnant and to those
KJV: with child, and
INT: to those that in womb have [child] and

Luke 1:31 N-DFS
GRK: συλλήμψῃ ἐν γαστρὶ καὶ τέξῃ
NAS: you will conceive in your womb and bear
KJV: in thy womb, and
INT: you will conceive in [your] womb and bring forth

Luke 21:23 N-DFS
GRK: ταῖς ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσαις καὶ
NAS: to those who are pregnant and to those
KJV: unto them that are with child, and
INT: to those in womb having [child] and

1 Thessalonians 5:3 N-DFS
GRK: τῇ ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσῃ καὶ
KJV: upon a woman with child; and
INT: to her in womb is having [child] and

Titus 1:12 N-NFP
GRK: κακὰ θηρία γαστέρες ἀργαί
NAS: beasts, lazy gluttons.
KJV: beasts, slow bellies.
INT: evil wild beasts gluttons lazy

Revelation 12:2 N-DFS
GRK: καὶ ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα καὶ
KJV: with child cried,
INT: and in womb having [child] and

Strong's Greek 1064
9 Occurrences

γαστέρες — 1 Occ.
γαστρὶ — 8 Occ.