Lexical Summary meah or mea: Belly, inward parts, bowels Original Word: מְעָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance belly (Aramaic) or m(ae (Aramaic) {meh-aw'}; corresponding to me'ah; only in plural the bowels -- belly. see HEBREW me'ah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to meeh Definition belly NASB Translation belly (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מְעָא] noun [masculine] plural external belly (see Biblical Hebrew [ מֵעֶה] 6); — suffix מְע֫וֺהִי Daniel 2:32 (of image in vision). מַעֲבַד see עבד. מְע֫וֺהִר see [מְעָא]. above, מֵעָל see עלל. Topical Lexicon Lexical Range and Biblical Setting Although appearing only once in the Old Testament text, מְעָה serves as the Aramaic counterpart to the more common Hebrew word מֵעֶה, both denoting the mid-section of the human body—belly, abdomen, or inward parts. The single occurrence is found in Daniel’s record of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream: “its belly and thighs were bronze” (Daniel 2:32). This solitary appearance places the term within the exilic context of Babylon, a setting where Hebrew exiles employed Aramaic alongside their native tongue. The choice of vocabulary underscores the historical reality of linguistic adaptation while maintaining the prophetic precision of Scripture. Daniel 2:32 and Prophetic Symbolism In the statue vision, each anatomical section typifies successive Gentile empires. The “belly and thighs of bronze” represent the Hellenistic power that followed Medo-Persia. Bronze communicates both strength and penetration—traits borne out in Alexander’s swift conquests. By naming the “belly,” Scripture deliberately draws attention to the statue’s core. Ironically, the empire famed for intellectual brilliance also embodied the appetites of human ambition; its cultural achievements could not override its inherent frailty when measured against the eternal kingdom “that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44). Seat of Desire and Emotion Across canonical usage of the cognate Hebrew term, the belly is portrayed as the seat of deep yearnings, compassion, or turmoil (Psalm 22:14; Proverbs 18:8; Jonah 2:2). Daniel’s singular Aramaic term resonates with this broader semantic background. The Hellenistic age produced philosophies that probed human desire, yet the prophetic image reduces that era to a “belly” of bronze—an earthy alloy, less noble than gold or silver, still susceptible to fracture. Thus the vision critiques the insufficiency of human centers of desire apart from divine rule. Inter-Testamental Echoes and New Testament Fulfillment The Greek koilia (“belly”) continues the motif. Jesus declares, “Whoever believes in Me… ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him’” (John 7:38). Where Daniel’s bronze belly signals impermanent human kingdom, Christ promises an inner life that issues in perpetual refreshment. Paul likewise warns, “Their god is their stomach” (Philippians 3:19), exposing a self-serving mindset antithetical to the gospel. The biblical storyline moves from a metallic torso that will crumble to a Spirit-filled interior that endures. Practical Ministry Insights 1. Exposing Counterfeit Centers: Preaching Daniel 2 invites believers to examine any “bronze belly”—earthly ambitions, cultural prowess, or intellectual pride—that competes with allegiance to Christ. Related Biblical Concepts • Inner Man (Ephesians 3:16) Summary מְעָה, though recorded only once, anchors a profound theological message: the most sophisticated human empire is still defined by a belly—temporal, needy, and ultimately breakable. In contrast, the kingdom of God remakes the inner person, filling the believer with waters that never run dry and establishing a dominion that “will endure forever” (Daniel 2:44). Forms and Transliterations מְע֥וֹהִי מעוהי mə‘ōwhî mə·‘ō·w·hî meohiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 2:32 HEB: דִּ֣י כְסַ֑ף מְע֥וֹהִי וְיַרְכָתֵ֖הּ דִּ֥י NAS: of silver, its belly and its thighs KJV: of silver, his belly and his thighs INT: forasmuch of silver belly thighs forasmuch 1 Occurrence |
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