בֶּטֶן
𐤁𐤈𐤍
beṭen
H990 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The hollow or interior part of the body, most often signifying the abdomen or womb. Used concretely for the physical belly (anatomical stomach and intestines), and specifically for the womb as the seat of gestation. By extension, also refers to the inner parts, inward being, or interior (both literal and figurative), and occasionally the internal cavity of objects.
Semantic Range
belly, abdomen, womb, internal cavity, inner being, bosom, body, interior (of a person or object), center, within
Root / Etymology
The noun בֶּטֶן (beṭen) is commonly linked to the root בָּטַן (batán), "to be hollow" or "to curve out," though this precise verbal root does not occur in biblical Hebrew. Cognate forms appear in other Semitic languages with similar meanings related to hollow spaces. Thus, the noun refers to a hollow or internal space, from which its use for 'belly' or 'womb' is derived.
Historical & Contextual Notes
בֶּטֶן appears throughout the Hebrew Bible for the corporeal abdomen or womb, especially in genealogical, birth, or blessing contexts. In earlier texts, it designates the literal belly or womb, but in wisdom literature and poetry, it can connote inner being, center, or the internal aspect of a person (e.g., seat of emotion or thought). Occasionally extended metaphorically to interiors of objects or abstract ideas of innerness (e.g., Ps 71:6). Distinct from קֶרֶב (qérev), which more commonly expresses 'inner parts' or core being, while בֶּטֶן retains a closer focus on the anatomical or generative interior. In later Jewish Greek translations, the term is often rendered by κοιλία (koilía), which similarly refers both to the physical belly and interior spaces. Later English translations occasionally use 'bosom' or 'body,' but 'womb' or 'belly' most consistently capture its primary sense in context. Usage remains consistent across pre-exilic and post-exilic periods, though poetic and metaphorical use becomes more pronounced in later literature.
Translation Consistency
'Belly' is the most natural, broadly applicable English noun that covers the primary senses of בֶּטֶן — the abdomen and the womb — and matches the most frequent P2 renderings. It is plain English, fits both concrete and many figurative contexts (e.g., interior/inward parts), and reads naturally in phrases like 'from my mother's belly' where 'womb' would be more narrow.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root probably meaning to be hollow; the belly, especially the womb; also the bosom or body of anything; belly, body, [phrase] as they be born, [phrase] within, womb.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
בטן (Beten) — to be hollow, interior space, curve inward
Word Forms
30 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H990-17 |
מִ/בֶּ֣טֶן | mibeten | HR/Ncfsc |
from the womb | from the belly | from the womb | 14 |
H990-28 |
בִטְנְ/ךָ֣ | vitenekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
of your womb | your inner-belly | your inner-belly | 7 |
H990-24 |
בָֽטֶן | vaten | HNcfsa |
the body | belly | and belly | 5 |
H990-29 |
בִטְנִ֑/י | viteni | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
my belly | my inner womb | my belly | 4 |
H990-12 |
בִּטְנִ֗/י | biteni | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
my belly | my belly | my belly | 3 |
H990-03 |
בְּ/בֶ֣טֶן | beveten | HR/Ncfsc |
in the womb | in womb of | in the womb of | 2 |
H990-04 |
בְּ/בִטְנָֽ/הּ | bevitenah | HR/Ncfsc/Sp3fs |
in her womb | in her womb | in her womb | 2 |
H990-07 |
בְּ/בִטְנ֑/וֹ | beviteno | HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms |
in his belly | in his interior hollow | in his belly | 2 |
H990-10 |
בִּטְנֵ֖/ךְ | bitenekhe | HNcfsc/Sp2fs |
your-belly | your belly | your belly | 2 |
H990-13 |
בִּטְנֽ/וֹ | biteno | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
his belly | his inner hollow | his belly | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
72 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H990-06 |
Genesis 25:23 | בְּ/בִטְנֵ֔/ךְ | bevitenekhe | HR/Ncfsc/Sp2fs |
are in your womb | in your womb | in your womb |
H990-04 |
Genesis 25:24 | בְּ/בִטְנָֽ/הּ | bevitenah | HR/Ncfsc/Sp3fs |
in her womb | in her womb | in her womb |
H990-24 |
Genesis 30:2 | בָֽטֶן | vaten | HNcfsa |
of the womb | belly | and belly |
H990-04 |
Genesis 38:27 | בְּ/בִטְנָֽ/הּ | bevitenah | HR/Ncfsc/Sp3fs |
in her womb | in her womb | in her womb |
H990-10 |
Numbers 5:21 | בִּטְנֵ֖/ךְ | bitenekhe | HNcfsc/Sp2fs |
your belly | your belly | your belly |
H990-02 |
Numbers 5:22 | בֶּ֖טֶן | beten | HNcfsa |
belly | belly | belly |
H990-26 |
Numbers 5:27 | בִטְנָ֔/הּ | vitenah | HNcfsc/Sp3fs |
her-belly | her womb | her belly |
H990-28 |
Deuteronomy 7:13 | בִטְנְ/ךָ֣ | vitenekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
of your womb | your inner-belly | your inner-belly |
H990-28 |
Deuteronomy 28:4 | בִטְנְ/ךָ֛ | vitenekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
of your womb | your inner-belly | your inner-belly |
H990-28 |
Deuteronomy 28:11 | בִטְנְ/ךָ֛ | vitenekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
of your womb | your inner-belly | your inner-belly |
H990-28 |
Deuteronomy 28:18 | בִטְנְ/ךָ֖ | vitenekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
of your womb | your inner-belly | your inner-belly |
H990-28 |
Deuteronomy 28:53 | בִטְנְ/ךָ֗ | vitenekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
of your womb | your inner-belly | your inner-belly |
H990-28 |
Deuteronomy 30:9 | בִטְנְ/ךָ֜ | vitenekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
of your womb | your inner-belly | your inner-belly |
H990-07 |
Judges 3:21 | בְּ/בִטְנֽ/וֹ | beviteno | HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms |
into his belly | in his interior hollow | in his belly |
H990-18 |
Judges 3:22 | מִ/בִּטְנ֑/וֹ | mibiteno | HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms |
from his belly | from his inner hollow | from his belly |
H990-14 |
Judges 13:5 | הַ/בָּ֑טֶן | habaten | HTd/Ncfsa |
the womb | the belly | the womb |
H990-15 |
Judges 13:7 | הַ/בֶּ֖טֶן | habeten | HTd/Ncfsa |
the womb | the womb | the womb |
H990-17 |
Judges 16:17 | מִ/בֶּ֣טֶן | mibeten | HR/Ncfsc |
from the womb | from the belly | from the belly |
H990-15 |
1 Kings 7:20 | הַ/בֶּ֔טֶן | habeten | HTd/Ncfsa |
the-belly | the womb | the belly |
H990-25 |
Isaiah 13:18 | בֶ֨טֶן֙ | veten | HNcfsa |
of the womb | belly | and the belly |
H990-17 |
Isaiah 44:2 | מִ/בֶּ֖טֶן | mibeten | HR/Ncfsa |
from the womb | from the belly | from the womb |
H990-16 |
Isaiah 44:24 | מִ/בָּ֑טֶן | mibaten | HR/Ncfsa |
from the womb | from the womb | from the womb |
H990-25 |
Isaiah 46:3 | בֶ֔טֶן | veten | HNcfsa |
from the belly | belly | from the belly |
H990-17 |
Isaiah 48:8 | מִ/בֶּ֖טֶן | mibeten | HR/Ncfsa |
from-womb | from the belly | from the womb |
H990-17 |
Isaiah 49:1 | מִ/בֶּ֣טֶן | mibeten | HR/Ncfsa |
from the womb | from the belly | from the belly |
H990-17 |
Isaiah 49:5 | מִ/בֶּ֨טֶן֙ | mibeten | HR/Ncfsa |
from the womb | from the belly | from the belly |
H990-08 |
Isaiah 49:15 | בִּטְנָ֑/הּ | bitenah | HNcfsc/Sp3fs |
of her womb | her womb | her womb |
H990-23 |
Jeremiah 1:5 | בַ/בֶּ֨טֶן֙ | vabeten | HRd/Ncfsa |
in the womb | in the womb | in the womb |
H990-09 |
Ezekiel 3:3 | בִּטְנְ/ךָ֤ | bitenekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
your stomach | your belly | your belly |
H990-19 |
Hosea 9:11 | וּ/מִ/בֶּ֖טֶן | umibeten | HC/R/Ncfsa |
and-from-womb | and from the womb | and from the womb |
H990-27 |
Hosea 9:16 | בִטְנָֽ/ם | vitenam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
of their womb | their womb | their belly |
H990-01 |
Hosea 12:4 | בַּ/בֶּ֖טֶן | babeten | HRd/Ncfsa |
in-the-womb | in the womb | in the womb |
H990-17 |
Jonah 2:3 | מִ/בֶּ֧טֶן | mibeten | HR/Ncfsc |
from the belly | from the belly | from the belly |
H990-29 |
Micah 6:7 | בִטְנִ֖/י | viteni | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
of my body | my inner womb | my belly |
H990-12 |
Habakkuk 3:16 | בִּטְנִ֗/י | biteni | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
my belly | my belly | my belly |
H990-27 |
Psalms 17:14 | בִ֫טְנָ֥/ם | vitenam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
their belly | their womb | their belly |
H990-16 |
Psalms 22:10 | מִ/בָּ֑טֶן | mibaten | HR/Ncfsa |
from the womb | from the womb | from the womb |
H990-17 |
Psalms 22:11 | מִ/בֶּ֥טֶן | mibeten | HR/Ncfsc |
from the belly | from the belly | from the belly |
H990-22 |
Psalms 31:10 | וּ/בִטְנִֽ/י | uviteni | HC/Ncfsc/Sp1cs |
and my body | and my belly | and my belly |
H990-11 |
Psalms 44:26 | בִּטְנֵֽ/נוּ | bitenenu | HNcfsc/Sp1cp |
our belly | our belly | our belly |
H990-17 |
Psalms 58:4 | מִ֝/בֶּ֗טֶן | mibeten | HR/Ncfsa |
from the belly | from the belly | from the belly |
H990-17 |
Psalms 71:6 | מִ/בֶּ֗טֶן | mibeten | HR/Ncfsa |
from the womb | from the belly | from the womb |
H990-14 |
Psalms 127:3 | הַ/בָּֽטֶן | habaten | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the womb | the belly | the belly |
H990-28 |
Psalms 132:11 | בִטְנְ/ךָ֑ | vitenekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
of your body | your inner-belly | your inner-belly |
H990-03 |
Psalms 139:13 | בְּ/בֶ֣טֶן | beveten | HR/Ncfsc |
in the womb | in womb of | in the womb of |
H990-20 |
Proverbs 13:25 | וּ/בֶ֖טֶן | uveten | HC/Ncfsc |
but the belly | and womb of | and belly of |
H990-24 |
Proverbs 18:8 | בָֽטֶן | vaten | HNcfsa |
the body | belly | and belly |
H990-13 |
Proverbs 18:20 | בִּטְנ֑/וֹ | biteno | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
his stomach | his inner hollow | his belly |
H990-24 |
Proverbs 20:27 | בָֽטֶן | vaten | HNcfsa |
of the belly | belly | and belly |
H990-24 |
Proverbs 20:30 | בָֽטֶן | vaten | HNcfsa |
belly | belly | and belly |