מָעוֹר
𐤌𐤏𐤅𐤓
mâʻôwr
H4589 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Genital area; the external sexual organs, usually referring to those of the body considered private or modest, typically in a concrete sense. Used in contexts involving exposure, shame, or taboo with emphasis on physical nakedness or sexual organ exposure.
Semantic Range
genital area, private parts, external sexual organs, body regions considered shameful or requiring modesty, physical nakedness (specifically of genitals)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the Hebrew root עוּר (ʿ-w-r), which in its various forms broadly means 'to be bare, exposed, or naked.' The nominal form מָעוֹר (māʿôr) builds on this root, signifying 'that which is made bare/exposed.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
מָעוֹר occurs only in the plural form מְעוֹרִים (meʿōrîm) in the Hebrew Bible and is attested in Leviticus 18:6, in the context of prohibitions regarding sexual exposure among kin. The term denotes a physical aspect of nakedness with a strong connotation of uncovering the genitals, as opposed to general nakedness (which would be עֶרְוָה, ʿervah), which can mean 'nakedness' more broadly or euphemistically refer to shame or sexual immorality. In rabbinic discourse, מָעוֹר is rarely attested, and עֶרְוָה became the standard euphemism. The Septuagint translates מְעוֹרִים as 'γύμνωσις σάρκος' (exposure of flesh), reflecting the connotation of unacceptable or shameful exposure. Standard English translations often render the term 'nakedness' or 'pudenda,' but these terms can obscure the direct, anatomical meaning and the nuanced cultural implications in ancient Israelite law. In later periods, the vocabulary of sexual exposure shifted to less explicit terminology.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from עוּר; nakedness, i.e. (in plural) the pudenda; nakedness.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עור (ʿ-w-r) — to be bare, to be naked, to be exposed
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H216 | אוֹר | in the skin |
| H219 | אוֹרָה | skins of |
| H5782 | עוּר | Let me rouse up |
| H5783 | עוּר | she will be roused |
| H5784 | עוּר | stripped chaff |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4589-01 |
מְעוֹרֵי/הֶֽם | meoreyhem | HNcmpc/Sp3mp |
their nakedness | their exposed genitals | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4589-01 |
Habakkuk 2:15 | מְעוֹרֵי/הֶֽם | meoreyhem | HNcmpc/Sp3mp |
their nakedness | their exposed genitals |