Probably strengthened from a presumed derivative of the base of tomoteros; the mouth (as if a gash in the face); by implication, language (and its relations); figuratively, an opening (in the earth); specially, the front or edge (of a weapon) -- edge, face, mouth.

see GREEK tomoteros

1. properly, the mouth as a part of the body: of man, John 19:29; Acts 11:8; Revelation 1:16; Revelation 3:16, and often; of animals — as of a fish, Matthew 17:27; of a horse, James 3:3; Revelation 9:17; of a serpent, Revelation 12:15; Revelation 13:5; the jaws of a lion, 2 Timothy 4:17; Hebrews 11:33; Revelation 13:2. Since the thoughts of man's soul find verbal utterance by his mouth, καρδία (`the heart' or soul) and στόμα 'the mouth' are distinguished: Matthew 12:34; Matthew 15:8 Rec. from Isaiah 29:13; Romans 10:8, 10; in phrases chiefly of a Hebraistic character, the mouth (as the organ of speech) is mentioned in connection with words and speech, Matthew 21:16 (from Psalm 8:3), and words are said to proceed ἐκ τοῦ στόματος, Matthew 4:4 (from Deuteronomy 8:3); Luke 4:22; Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 3:8; James 3:10; τό στόμα λαλεῖ τί, Jude 1:16; on the Hebrew phrase ἀνοίγειν τό στόμα, see ἀνοίγω, p. 48{a} bottom ἡ ἄνοιξις τοῦ στοματου Ephesians 6:19; στόμα πρός στόμα λαλῆσαι (אֶל־פֶּה פֶּה דִּבֶּר, Numbers 12:8) literally, mouth (turned) to mouth (A. V. face to face), 2 John 1:12; 3 John 1:14, (τό στόμα πρός τό στόμα, of a kiss, Xenophon, mem. 2, 6, 32); God or the Holy Spirit is said to speak διά τοῦ στόματος τίνος (cf. Buttmann, 183 (159)), Luke 1:70; Acts 1:16; Acts 3:18, 21; Acts 4:25; or a person is said to hear a thing διά τοῦ στόματος, Acts 15:7; or ἀπό τοῦ στόματος τοῦ, from his own mouth, i. e. what he has just said, Luke 22:71; or ἐκ τοῦ στόματος, Acts 22:14; θρευσαι τί ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ, Luke 11:54; τό πνεῦμα τοῦ στόματος (the breath of his mouth, see πνεῦμα, 1 b.), 2 Thessalonians 2:8 (Psalm 32:6 (), cf. Isaiah 11:4); ἡ ῤομφαία τοῦ στοματου, a figure portraying the destructive power of the words of Christ the judge, Revelation 2:16; δόλος or ψεῦδος ἐν τῷ στόματι, 1 Peter 2:22 and Revelation 14:5 (from Isaiah 53:9); στόμα is put for 'statements', declarations, in Matthew 18:16 and 2 Corinthians 13:1 (Deuteronomy 19:15); Luke 19:22 (Ecclesiastes 8:2). διδόναι τίνι στόμα, apt forms of speech (as distinguished from the substance of speech, ἡ σοφία), Luke 21:15; στόμα for one who has begun (or is about) to speak, Romans 3:19 (Psalm 106:42 (); cf. πᾶν γόνυ and πᾶσα γλῶσσα, Philippians 2:10f, from Isaiah 45:23); metaphorically, the earth is said to open its mouth and καταπίνειν τί, Revelation 12:16.

2. Like Latinacies, στόμα μαχαίρας, the edge of the sword (פִּי־חֶרֶב, Genesis 34:26; (Joshua 19:48; Jeremiah 21:7, etc.); Judges 18:27, etc.; 2 Samuel 15:14 (but in the last two passages the Sept. render the Hebrew phrase by στόμα ῤομφαίας, which (together with στόμα ξίφους) is the more common translation; cf. Winers Grammar, 18, 30; Buttmann, 320 (274) n.)): Luke 21:24; Hebrews 11:34 (hence, δίστομος, which see; אָכַל of a sword, 2 Samuel 2:26; 2 Samuel 11:25).