H4975. mothen

מָתְנַ֫יִם‎ noun masculine dual loins (Arabic back, the two sides of the back, etc.; Syriac ; — absolute ׳מ‎ Deuteronomy 33:11 7t., מָתְנָ֑יִם‎ Ezekiel 29:7; 47:4; construct מָתְנֵי‎ Jeremiah 13:11 + 3t.; suffix מָתְנַי‎ Isaiah 21:3, מָתְנָ֑י‎ Jeremiah 13:2; מָתְנֵיהֶם‎ 1Kings + Jeremiah 20:32 4t., etc.; — loins:

1. a. place of wearing girdle 1 Kings 2:5; 2 Kings 1:8; Jeremiah 13:1-2, 4, 11; Ezekiel 23:15; figurative Isaiah 11:5 righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins.

b. hence place of things attached to girdle: — sword girded on (אסר על, חגר‎ 2 Samuel 20:8; Nehemiah 4:12; opposed to, אֲפַתֵּחַ מְלָכִים וּמָתְנֵי‎ Isaiah 45:1 and the loins of kings I will loosen, i e. will disarm them (׳י‎ before Cyrus; compare Che); ink-horn Ezekiel 9:2-3, 11.

c. girding up loins = make ready for action, מָתְנָיו וַיְשַׁנֵּס‎ 1 Kings 18:46; more often מ ׳חָגַר‎ 2 Kings 4:29; 9:1; Exodus 12:11 (P), Daniel 10:5; מ ׳אָזַר‎ Jeremiah 1:17.

d. מ ׳זַרְזִיר‎ Proverbs 30:31 that which is girt in the loins, i.e. probably either a greyhound Ew Bö De (contracted, as if by a belt), or a war-horse, charger, Bo Ges Hi Str Wild (with a saddle); compare also זרזיר‎, p. 267 above; text perhaps corrupt (Wild).

e. girded with sackcloth (in mourning) Genesis 37:34 (J), Amos 8:10; Isaiah 20:2; 1 Kings 20:31-32, Jeremiah 48:37.

f. linen breeches of priests were to extend יְרֵכַיִם וְעַד מִמָּתְנַיִם‎ Exodus 28:42 (P); to be ׳עַלמָֿת‎ Ezekiel 44:18; loins of slaves are girt with waistcloth, compare Job 12:18 (see also אֵזוֺר‎).

g. in General of the middle of the body, מָת ׳מֵי‎ Ezekiel 47:4 (i.e. water reaching to the loins); so of the appearance of ׳י‎ in Ezekiel's visions 1:27 (twice in verse); 8:2 (twice in verse).

2. a. loins as seat of strength, Deuteronomy 33:11; 1 Kings 12:10 2 Chronicles 10:10; מָתְנַיִם חַזֵּק‎ Nahum 2:2 ("" כֹּחַ אַמֵּץ‎); בְּמָתְנָיו כֹּחוֺ‎ Job 40:16 (of hippopotamus); in combination with 1a (figurative) מ ׳בְּעוֺז חָֽגְרָה‎ Proverbs 31:17 she girdeth her loins with strength, she puts on energy with her girdle; compare also מ ׳בְּשִׁבְרוֺן‎ Ezekiel 21:11 sigh with breaking of loins, i.e. in entire collapse of strength; so וּמ ׳הַמְעַ֑ד תָּמִיד‎ Psalm 69:24 and make their loins continually to shake, make them totter; compare Ezekiel 29:7 (where read וְהִמְעַדְתָּ‎ for וְהַעֲמַדְתָּ‎, see מָעַד‎).

b. as seat of keenest pain, due to grief or dread Nahum 2:11; Isaiah 21:3 (as in travail); so probably also Psalm 66:11 (compare Bae; and see מוּעָקָה‎ below עוק‎).