The Woman’s Womb as a Place of God’s Action and Creation

: In the Hebrew Bible, the woman’s womb is rendered by three main nouns: םֶח ֶר (most often translated as “womb”), ןֶטֶבּ (“belly”) and הֶעֵמ (plural only: םי ִעֵמ , “bowels”). Although these terms take on various shades of meaning, they very often refer to the female womb. In this context, they always appear in relation to God, who is particularly active in this field. This article aims to show the ways of God’s creative activity in the female womb, which also takes various metaphorical shades.

God's 5 womb.For example, Jer 31:20c includes one of the most beautiful descriptions of God's love towards Ephraim (metonymically: Israel), in which the womb is used metaphorically to express God's feelings: "Therefore my bowels ‫י(‬ ַ ‫ע‬ ‫)מֵ‬ bow to him 5 ; I must show him mercy ‫ּנּו(‬ ‫ֲמֶ‬ ‫ח‬ ‫"!)רַ‬ 6 On the other hand, Job 38:29 places in God's mouth these words in the first person: "From whose womb ‫ן(‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ‫)מִ‬ has the ice come out?Who multiplied the frost from heaven?"Therefore, the womb is a symbol of God's love and creative activity, for the world is the fruit of His "womb, " and His love is "centralized" there because the womb is also a symbol of procreation. 7Also, wisdom "with the faithful (μετὰ πιστῶν) was created for them (συνεκτίσθη ἀυτοῖς) in the womb (ἐν μήτρᾳ)" (Sir 1:14b). 8owever, apart from being a symbol of procreation, love or the beginning of everything, the womb is a place of God's forming deeds since the work of creation did not end with the formation of the world.The author of Psalm 139 reflects on God's creative action in shaping each human being in the womb: "You knit me together in my mother's womb ‫ן(‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫")ּבֶ‬ (Ps 139:13)."Inside a mother's womb (ἐν κοιλίᾳ μητρὸς) the flash was modelled (ἐγλύφην σὰρξ), " says the inspired author of Wisdom (Wis 7:1b).The passive voice used here shows that man did not form himself but "was shaped/created/modelled" in the mother's womb (ἐν κοιλίᾳ) by God (in the passivum divinum sense), who is the first "actant" in the process of conception and creation of every human.It proves that a woman's womb is the place of special cooperation between God and man.What distinguishes biblical thought is God's active participation in the creation of man and, generally speaking, every life. 9n the HB, the woman's womb is rendered by three main nouns: ‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ (most often translated as "womb"), ‫ן‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ("belly") and ‫ה‬ ֶ ‫ע‬ ‫מֵ‬ (plural only: ‫ים‬ ‫עִ‬ ‫,מֵ‬ "bowels"). 10Of course, there are other Hebrew nouns pertaining to the womb, such as ‫ה‬ ‫בָ‬ ‫קֵ‬ ("stomach") 11 and ‫ָחֹון‬ ‫ּג‬ ("belly"), but they are used less often and in the second case ‫ָחֹון(‬ ‫,)ּג‬ it refers to see also F. Flannery-Dailey, "'Go, ask a woman's womb': Birth and the Maternal Body as Sources of Revelation and Wisdom in 4 Ezra, " JSP 21/3 (2012) 243-258.

5
Generally, the Hebrew name ‫יהוה‬ is translated as "the Lord" and ‫ים‬ ‫ֱֹלהִ‬ ‫א‬ as "God." However, these terms will be used interchangeably in the present article, especially when biblical quotations are not cited.

6
Unless otherwise stated, the translations come from the author.the belly of reptiles. 12It is also related at least in part to ‫יק‬ ‫חֵ‬ ("[woman's] lap, bosom"; e.g.Deut 28:56; Prov 5:20; Ruth 4:16; Lam 2:12). 13The present article deals with the most noteworthy texts in which the connection of the female womb with God's creative action occurs and explains the ways of that activity.The main field of research will be the HB, but references to the LXX and NT texts will also be made.
1. ‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ ("Womb") as a Place of Loving and Merciful Activity of God Towards Man The first noun, ‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫,רֶ‬ occurs in the HB 30 times (along with its derivative nouns) and, in the overwhelming majority, refers to the woman's womb, whose fruits belong to God or depend on Him.It pertains to a physical organ which is unique to the female.From this noun, the Hebrew language developed other words: 14 the verb ‫ם‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫רָ‬ ("love, have compassion/mercy"), the noun ‫ים‬ ‫ֲמִ‬ ‫ח‬ ‫רַ‬ ("compassion, mercies") and the adjective ‫חּום‬ ‫רַ‬ ("compassionate, merciful").The root ‫רחם‬ is the base from which the substantive is derived.‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ is probably a primary noun, of which the verb ‫ם‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫רָ‬ is denominative.The other noun, ‫ם‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫,רַ‬ is a by-form of ‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫.רֶ‬ 15 Unlike other Hebrew words related to the womb, such as ‫ן‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫,ּבֶ‬ ("belly"), ‫יק‬ ‫חֵ‬ ("lap, bosom") and ‫ים‬ ‫עִ‬ ‫מֵ‬ ("bowels"), which in the HB can also denote the parts of the male body, without exception the noun ‫ם‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫ם/רַ‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ is used for the female womb. 16t this point, it should be noted that the metaphorical use of ‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ (not pertaining to a mother's womb) is very rare and refer to the other "womb."The only exceptions are the above-mentioned expression ‫ר‬ ‫חָ‬ ‫ׁשְ‬ ‫מִ‬ ‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ (Ps 110:3) and descriptions of the beginning of something in terms of "coming out of the womb, " as in the Book of Job: "the sea ‫ָם(‬ ‫)י‬ burst out ‫יחֹו(‬ ‫גִ‬ ‫ּבְ‬ ) from the womb ‫ם(‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ ‫")מֵ‬ ( Job 38:8). 17he Greek Bible translates the nouns ‫ה‬ ‫ֲמָ‬ ‫ח‬ ‫ם/רַ‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫ם/רַ‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ as μήτρα, which, similarly to ‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫,רֶ‬ occurs in 33 times LXX and two times in NT.The expression ‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫ר-רֶ‬ ‫ֶטֶ‬ ‫ּל-ּפ‬ ָ ‫,כ‬ "all that opens the womb, " is translated as πᾶν διανοῖγον μήτραν.Other translations such as κοιλία, "belly, womb" are also used, 18 but they refer to other Hebrew nouns, namely ‫ן‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ and ‫ים‬ ‫עִ‬ ‫.מֵ‬ 12 C.L. Rogers Jr., ‫ָחֹון"‬ ‫,ּג‬ " NIDOTTE I, 835.

Frequent Meanings of ‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬
Usually masculine, this noun means a womb or a matrix and refers to the belly or womb of a woman (most occurrences) or an animal, namely the place where a foetus develops and from which it exits at birth (Gen 20:18; 29:31). 19A womb that miscarried could also be a curse from God but not necessarily (Hos 9:14). 20enerally speaking, in the HB, the term ‫ם‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫ם/רַ‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ denotes the female genitalia as a whole (uterus, vulva and vagina) and refers to the site where human life originates, so the most common and traditional translation of it is "womb, " sometimes used idiomatically. 21he Hebrew nouns ‫ה‬ ‫ֲמָ‬ ‫ח‬ ‫ם/רַ‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫ם/רַ‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ have a similar meaning in other ancient languages; 22 in Middle Hebrew, in the Dead Sea Scrolls (1QH 4:30; 9:30; 15:15, 17)  23 and Jewish Aramaic, ‫ה‬ ‫ֲמָ‬ ‫ח‬ ‫רַ‬ means the womb; Akkadian rēmu(m) denotes the womb but also mercy and compassion. 24This leads to an interesting observation about the common root of the words "womb" and "love" and their connections with God, which will be analysed below.
1.2.The Relationship between ‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ ("Womb") and ‫ם‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫רָ‬ ("Love, Have Compassion/Mercy") Several ancient languages match the idea of the womb with love, mercy and compassion, which is applied almost exclusively to God.It is clear both in Hebrew and ancient languages, both in the text and the ancient buildings. 25As Horacio Simian-Yofre points out, secular usage of the root ‫רחם‬ in the HB is limited: only in Prov 28:13 ‫רחם‬ in pual could refer to human mercy.In the other texts where ‫רחם‬ occurs as a verb, it is always associated with God showing or withholding mercy or human beings showing or withholding mercy as agents of the divine will.Except in the passages where ‫ים‬ ‫ֲמִ‬ ‫ח‬ ‫רַ‬ has physical connotations (Gen 43:30; 1 Kgs 3:26), it always denotes the compassion or mercy that God shows or withholds, directly or through human agents.In sum, ‫רחם‬ appears to be indigenous to religious and theological language; only occasionally does it refer to human relationships.

22
HALOT III, 1217.Although some claim that in Hebrew, the strict relationship of the nouns ‫ם‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫ם/רַ‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ and ‫ה‬ ‫ֲמָ‬ ‫ח‬ ‫רַ‬ to the verb ‫ם‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫רָ‬ ("love, have compassion/mercy") remains uncertain 27 and it should also be considered in the light of other ancient languages.The Akkadian noun rêmu ("womb, compassion"; the etymological equivalent of Hebrew noun ‫ם‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫)רַ‬ is "the word typically used to express compassion or loving affection 'from above.'" 28Although the Akkadian distinguishes between two verbs raʾāmu ("love"; from the root r'm) and rêmu ("have compassion"; from the root ‫,)רחם‬ Hebrew and Aramaic combine them as ‫ם‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫רָ‬ ("love, have compassion/mercy"). 29This also refers to the relationship between the Hebrew verb ‫ם‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫רָ‬ ("love, have compassion/mercy") and the Arabic verb raḥima ("show compassion, have mercy"), and raḫuma ("be soft/tender, show sympathy, love"), 30 and the Aramaic noun ‫א‬ ‫מָ‬ ‫חְ‬ ‫רַ‬ ("mother love"). 31As Tryggve Kronholm aptly emphasizes, present-day scholarship tends to posit a common Semitic verb with the root ‫רחם‬ with an equally comprehensive semantic domain, similar to that of ‫ב‬ ‫הַ‬ ‫אָ‬ ("love"). 32But here, it is important to underline that the Hebrew verb ‫ם‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫רָ‬ does not only refer to love itself but to its higher form: mercy and compassion, which is associated with the womb ‫ם(‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫)רֶ‬ and centralized there.
It is also important to point out that the adjective "merciful" in the overwhelming majority refers to God, which is attested in the HB and outside of it.The oldest surviving documentary evidence of the epithet "merciful" referring to divinity is found in a Northwest Semitic language -apart from the rather general usage in the Mesopotamian formula ilu rēmēnû ("merciful god") 33 -it appears on the Tell Fekheriye stele from 9 th century BC, inscribed in Akkadian (an Assyrian dialect) and Aramaic.The Aramaic reads ‫רחמן‬ ‫אלה‬ (ʾlh rḥmn; "merciful god") 34 and is a close equivalent to the Hebrew adjective ‫חּום‬ ‫רַ‬ ("compassionate, merciful"). 35The adjectival form ‫חּום‬ ‫רַ‬ occurs 13 times in the Hebrew Bible, 11 times in combination with ‫ּנּון‬ ‫חַ‬ (gracious).Besides Ps 112:4 (which uses the formula to describe human beings), it refers only to God ‫.)יהוה (‬ 36 There are also suggestions to connect the readings of the opening passages of the Bible: "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.And the earth was without form, and void […], and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" (Gen 1:1-2), 27 Kronholm, ‫ם"‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫,רֶ‬ " 454.with the Ugaritic literature, which was drawn by Otto Eissfeldt and described by Admiel Kosman.According to this view, God connects intimately and empathetically with the existing matter ‫הֹום(‬ ‫)ּתְ‬ from a dialogic perspective.From today's point of view, it can be called "love, " in light of which all comes and continues to be "born" from the material "womb" of ‫הֹום‬ ‫.ּתְ‬ 37 God's love "related to the womb" can be found in the Book of Jeremiah 31.God speaks in the first person as a mother of the son Ephraim: "Therefore my bowels ‫י(‬ ַ ‫ע‬ ‫)מֵ‬ bow to him; I must show him mercy ‫ּנּו(‬ ‫ֲמֶ‬ ‫ח‬ ‫")רַ‬ ( Jer 31:20c).The verb ‫ם‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫רָ‬ ("have compassion/mercy)" and the noun ‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ ("womb") are intertwined in their root ‫,)רחם(‬ which could be translated as "compassion."Here the word "bowels" ‫י(‬ ַ ‫ע‬ ‫)מֵ‬ denotes "heart" or "inner parts, " which in several other passages of the Scripture correspond to the word "womb."1.3.God's Creative Activity "from the Womb" ‫ם(‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ ‫)מֵ‬ The phrase ‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ ‫מֵ‬ (literally: "from the womb"; Job 3:11; 10:18; Ps 22:11; 58:4; Jer 1:5; 20:17, 18) denotes not so much the birth but the existence in the womb as the real beginning of human life.The biblical statements cited here link the idea of life with the womb, not only stressing that coming out from the womb is the beginning of one's life but also suggesting that real life already exists in the womb.This is particularly evident in Ps 22:11: "I was entrusted to You from the womb ‫ם(‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רָ‬ ‫,)מֵ‬ from the womb of my mother ‫י(‬ ‫ּמִ‬ ‫אִ‬ ‫ן‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ‫)מִ‬ my God (are) you." 38Finding that "from the moment of his birth and his mother's initial care, the sufferer had been dependent ultimately upon God" 39 is not enough because God is presented here not only as the One on whom everything depends but as the One who looks after everything and everyone (cf.Ps 22:10).
The same language referring to the mother's womb as the place where life begins is presented in Ps 58:4a: "They go astray, the wicked, from the womb ‫ם(‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רָ‬ ‫)מֵ‬ they err"; and in Ps 58:4b: "From the womb ‫ן(‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ‫)מִ‬ they tell lies."In both psalms cited (Ps 22:11; 58:4), the Hebrew text uses two different (but synonymous) words for a womb, namely, ‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ ("womb") and ‫ן‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ("belly"). 40In exaggerated language, the author of Ps 58:4a wants to say that these people go astray from the womb, which means: "from the very beginning of life" as if he wanted to say that they have gone astray "since forever." A similar idea of the beginning of life "from the womb" ‫ם(‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ ‫)מֵ‬ is in Job 3:11; 10:18.God here is not only the first "actant" in the "forming" of human in the womb, as presented in the Book of Jeremiah ( Jer 1:5), but is also responsible for "bringing someone's out of the womb."In the first verse ( Job 3:11a), Job prays, complaining that he did not die at birth, more precisely, after leaving the womb: "Why ‫ה(‬ ‫ָּמָ‬ ‫)ל‬ 41 died I not from the womb" ‫ם(‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ ‫?)מֵ‬ In the same verse (3:11b), Job explains further: "Why did I not come out of the womb ‫ן(‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ‫)מִ‬ and die."The first prepositional phrase "from the womb" ‫ם(‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ ‫)מֵ‬ is clarified, expanded and specified by the second: "out of the womb" ‫ן(‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ‫מִ‬ ).It may be that the "from" in the first phrase means "immediately after leaving the womb" (cf.Job 3:11b). 42He then asks: "Why ‫ה(‬ ‫ָּמָ‬ ‫)ל‬ from the womb ‫ם(‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ ‫)מֵ‬ did you bring me out?" ( Job 10:18).God here plays the role of a midwife, who induces labour or delivers a child.
God is responsible for the human existence (in a sense: occurrence) in the mother's womb, as presented in the Book of Jeremiah, where God is described as He, who "did not kill me in the womb ‫ם(‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רָ‬ ‫")מֵ‬ ( Jer 20:17a), that is to say, "He saved me in the womb."Otherwise, says the prophet: "my mother would have been my grave and her womb ‫ה(‬ ‫מָ‬ ‫חְ‬ ‫)רַ‬ forever great" ( Jer 20:17b). 43The phrase ‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רָ‬ ‫מֵ‬ means literally: "from the womb."The preposition ‫מן‬ used here can have a temporal meaning, 44 and "from the womb" could mean "from the time I was in the womb." 45At this point, the text seems to suggest that human life begins before birth.It depends entirely on God, who also appoints His chosen ones for special tasks.
Here comes a very interesting perspective on the relationship between God and ‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫,רֶ‬ namely, the affiliation of every fruit of the womb to God, that is to say, every living creature belongs to God under the Torah law.It is shown especially in the legal statements of the HB (Exod 13:2, 12, 15; 34:19; Num 3:12; 8:16; 18:15).1.5.God "Opened Her Womb" ‫ּה(‬ ‫מָ‬ ‫חְ‬ ‫ת-רַ‬ ‫אֶ‬ ‫ח‬ ‫תַ‬ ָ ‫)ּפ‬ The HB presents birth as the "opening of the womb, " which is always God's will.Such "opening of the womb, " the metaphor for conception, is described to stress that God is active in every conception.It is shown in the case of Leah in the Book of Genesis: "When the Lord saw that Leah was taken away, He opened her womb ‫ּה(‬ ‫מָ‬ ‫חְ‬ ‫ת-רַ‬ ‫אֶ‬ ‫ח‬ ‫ּתַ‬ ‫פְ‬ ‫ַּיִ‬ ‫,)ו‬ and Rachel was barren" (Gen 29:31).But later, "God remembered Rachel; He heard her and opened her womb ‫ּה(‬ ‫מָ‬ ‫חְ‬ ‫ת-רַ‬ ‫אֶ‬ ‫ח‬ ‫ּתַ‬ ‫פְ‬ ‫ַּיִ‬ ‫")ו‬ (Gen 30:22).
Considering the story of these two sisters, one should know that Rachel was previously barren, but the same is said of Leah, Rachel's fertile sister: before she gave birth to her first child, Lord "opened her womb" ‫ּה(‬ ‫מָ‬ ‫חְ‬ ‫ת-רַ‬ ‫אֶ‬ ‫ח‬ ‫ּתַ‬ ‫פְ‬ ‫ַּיִ‬ ‫)ו‬ (Gen 29:31).If neither Rachel nor Lea can become pregnant without divine intervention, God seems to be personally involved in their pregnancies. 46In order to "open the womb, " God's direct action is necessary, regardless of whether the woman has already had children or not.Every pregnancy is then attributed to the power of God, on whom everything depends.1.6.God "Closed Her Womb" ‫ּה(‬ ‫מָ‬ ‫חְ‬ ‫רַ‬ ‫ַר‬ ‫ג‬ ‫)סָ‬ God is also presented as He, who "closes the womb"; therefore also active in this area.A good example is Hannah, about whom the author of 1 Samuel writes that her husband Elkanah "loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb ‫ּה(‬ ‫מָ‬ ‫חְ‬ ‫רַ‬ ‫ַר‬ ‫ג‬ ‫")סָ‬ (1 Sam 1:5).But "her rival annoyed and irritated her with constant taunting because the Lord had closed her womb ‫ּה(‬ ‫מָ‬ ‫חְ‬ ‫רַ‬ ‫ד‬ ַ ‫ע‬ ‫ּבְ‬ ‫ָה‬ ‫הו‬ ‫יְ‬ ‫ַר‬ ‫ג‬ ‫")סָ‬ ( 1 Sam 1:6).This passage recalls the biblical motive of the greater love of the husband for the barren wife.For example, Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah despite her barrenness (Gen 29:30-31).Likewise, Peninnah used her fertility to rise above her rival.Similar relations were between Hagar and Sarah (Gen 16:4) and Leah and Rachel (Gen 30:1-24).In the case of Leah, the Lord opened her womb when He saw that she was hated (Gen 29:31), 47 in which divine providence could be seen.
In the house of Abimelech, God has "closed with a closure" ‫ר(‬ ‫צַ‬ ָ ‫ע‬ ‫ר‬ ‫צֹ‬ ָ ‫)ע‬ of all the wombs ‫ם(‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫ָל-רֶ‬ ‫")ּכ‬ (Gen 20:18).In the preceding verse (Gen 20:17), Abraham intercedes on behalf of Abimelech before God; as a result, fertility is restored to Abimelech, his wife, and slave girls.The verb ‫ר‬ ‫צַ‬ ָ ‫,ע‬ used in v. 18 to describe the Lord's closing of all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, had been earlier used by Sarah about herself and her own condition: "restrained me ‫י(‬ ‫נִ‬ ‫רַ‬ ‫ֲצָ‬ ‫)ע‬ the Lord from bearing" (Gen 16:2).In Gen 20:17-18, the Lord is presented not only as the One, who causes everything but also cares for everyone.His restraining providence deterred Abimelech from sleeping with Sarah. 48he conclusion is clear: God is the giver and protector of every life, the main subject of this event and its main inspirer. 49Human life begins in the womb, which is the place of God's creative activity.In fact, every life is created by Him already before birth.The relationship of God's womb with creation is clearly present in the Bible.One should also constantly remember the special intervention of the Holy Spirit in the conception of the Son of God.The womb is, therefore, the place of God's loving action, so it should be interpreted as the place of cooperation with God.

‫ן‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ("Belly") as a Place of God's Activity in the Innermost Part of the Human Body
The second Hebrew noun concerning the present subject is ‫ן‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫,ּבֶ‬ which occurs 72 times in the HB, frequently in terms of "belly, " "inner parts of the body" or "womb."A number of the OT texts (e.g.Isa 46:3; 49:15; Jer 1:5; Ps 22:11; 58:4; Job 3:11; 10:18, 19; 31:15) use the noun ‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ in parallel with ‫ן‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫,ּבֶ‬ "belly, " "womb, " 50 from which it should be distinguished as the latter refers not only to the womb but, as the exceptions reveal, to the larger abdominal area of the body.The above examples present the appearance of both nouns related to the womb, namely ‫ן‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ and ‫ם‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫.רֶ‬The basic meaning of "interior" compares quite closely with the Greek κοιλία ("belly, womb"; 101 times in the LXX, 22 times in the NT) and γαστήρ ("belly, stomach"; 67 times in the LXX, 9 times in the NT).These two words are employed almost exclusively to translate ‫ן‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ in the LXX. 51One of the most significant examples of using the noun κοιλία in the NT is the passage from Luke 1:42b when Elisabeth says to Mary: "blessed is the fruit (ὁ καρπὸς) of your womb (τῆς κοιλίας σου)."It testifies to the fact that it generally denoted the womb.
The Aramaic root ‫בטן‬ is the base for the noun "belly" and the verb "to be pregnant, " 52 "pregnant woman, " "pregnancy" and "conception." 53t is clarified very precisely also in the Book of Jeremiah.Calling him to be a prophet, God says: "Before I formed you in the womb ‫ן(‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ‫,)בַ‬ I knew you ‫יָך(‬ ‫ּתִ‬ ‫עְ‬ ‫דַ‬ ‫,)יְ‬ and before you came out of the womb ‫ם(‬ ‫חֶ‬ ‫רֶ‬ ‫,)מֵ‬ I sacrificed you" ( Jer 1:5). 63God creates not only the human body in the womb but sacrifices its life even before the actual birth, that is to say, God confirms the real life begins in the womb.The texts suggest that God knows His servant even before conception, before forming him in the womb.The opening word "before" ‫ם(‬ ‫רֶ‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫)ּבְ‬ of this vocational dialogue between God and Jeremiah is deeply significant.Even if the prophet in his later days would have been overtaken by despair, he could know that the divine destiny full of love for him reached back even before his birth; what is more, that destiny even preceded his existence in the womb.The verbs used here are equally important.The verb ‫ע‬ ‫ָדַ‬ ‫,י‬ "know, " has considerable meaning in the OT because it reaches beyond the intellectual knowledge to the personal union, for it is used in the intimate relations between a man and his wife (Gen 4:1).Therefore, God's deep commitment to His servant precedes even his birth. 64Some try to interpret this passage of Jer 1:5 as two pre-birth phases of Jeremiah's existence, which could also witness an Israelite understanding of two phases of the pre-birth selection.The first occurred before the conception and the second after it but already in the womb. 65Again, this can lead to the conclusion that the real life of humans begins in the womb and show how important this issue is in the HB.
2.4.God's Creative Activity "from the Womb" ‫ן(‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ‫)מִ‬ The idiom "from the womb" ‫ן(‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ‫)מִ‬ refers to the very beginning of one's life, as in Job 31:18, where Job says that from his mother's womb ‫י(‬ ‫ּמִ‬ ‫אִ‬ ‫ן‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ‫)מִ‬ he guided the widow, meaning: "I have always done this." 66 However, the analysis of the majority of the biblical passages relating to ‫ן‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ testifies to the fact that the construct phrase ‫ן‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ‫מִ‬ refers more frequently to God who is active in that area.

67
It is clear also in the statements like: "They err from the womb ‫ן(‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ‫)מִ‬ speaking lies" so that from their birth, or the very beginning of their life, they are wicked (Ps 58:4; cf.Ps 51:5; Rom 3:10-18); Rogers, ‫ן"‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫,ּבֶ‬ " 640.context, the construct phrase ‫ן‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ‫מִ‬ has two meanings: "from within the womb, " that is, from the very beginning of one's life, which starts in the womb ( Job 1:21; Ps 22:10) or "from birth" ( Judg 13:5; Ps 58:4; 71:6). 69he idea of God's knowing and forming the human being in the mother's womb ‫ן(‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫)ּבֶ‬ is incredibly thoroughly and meticulously explained in the Book of Isaiah (Isa 44:2, 24; 49:1, 5).The first assurance comes from God himself: "the Lord who made and formed you ‫ָך(‬ ‫רְ‬ ‫צֶ‬ ‫יֹ‬ ‫וְ‬ ‫ָך‬ ‫ׂשֶ‬ ‫)עֹ‬ in the womb ‫ן(‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ‫")מִ‬ (Isa 44:2, 24). 70God evidently wishes to declare that Israel should not be dismissed out of His hand, although His nation could not keep the bond.The noun "Jeshurun" ‫רּון(‬ ‫ׁשֻ‬ ‫)יְ‬ used further (Isa 44:2b) is in the form of an endearing diminutive; 71 that is why the LXX translates Jeshurun by the Greek word ἠγαπημένος "beloved." 72srael is called as such not only because of the everlasting love towards him but also because God has personally knit him in the womb ‫ן(‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ‫)מִ‬ of his mother.
God calls His servant from the womb, that is, from the very beginning of his life: "The Lord had called me from the womb ‫ן(‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ‫;)מִ‬ from the bowels of my mother ‫י(‬ ‫ּמִ‬ ‫אִ‬ ‫י‬ ֵ ‫ע‬ ‫ּמְ‬ ‫)מִ‬ He had mentioned my name" (Isa 49:1).The statement about calling the name in the bowels of the mother speaks explicitly about the life before birth."Mentioning the name, " in turn, suggests knowing the exact essence of his life, precisely from the moment of appearing in the mother's womb.A similar idea of giving a special vocation and tasks is found in the same chapter of the book: "The Lord formed/shaped me ‫י(‬ ‫רִ‬ ‫צְ‬ ‫)יֹ‬ from the womb ‫ן(‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫ּבֶ‬ ‫)מִ‬ for His servant" (Isa 49:5).It suggests that God not only forms every human in the womb but has a plan for him even before he is born.The verb "shaped" ‫י(‬ ‫רִ‬ ‫צְ‬ ‫)יֹ‬ was used in Isa 45:9, where it denoted a potter.He is here paralleled by the creator and linked with the words of redemption, which apply even if Israel has to go through fire and water.Here the prophet is reminding Israel about the creative activity of the living God, who formed him "from the womb to be His servant." 73od's creative but also caring activity can be seen in Isa 46:3: "They are borne by me from the belly ‫ן(‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫י-בֶ‬ ‫ּנִ‬ ‫,)מִ‬ they are carried from the womb ‫ם(‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫י-רָ‬ ‫ּנִ‬ ‫".)מִ‬It could be understood in two ways: literally, that every human is specially cared for by God even before birth, "from the womb" ‫ם(‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫ן/רָ‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫י-בֶ‬ ‫ּנִ‬ ‫,)מִ‬ but another meaning is also possible, as John D.W. Watts proved.He interprets that passage collectively, explaining the phrase ‫ם‬ ‫חַ‬ ‫ן/רָ‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫י-בֶ‬ ‫ּנִ‬ ‫,מִ‬ not only as "before they were born" but as "before they were a people."They have been carried by 69 Freedman -Lundbom, ‫ן"‬ ‫טֶ‬ ‫,ּבֶ‬ " 97.

70
The second fragment does not contain the verb ‫.עׂשה‬

71
The root is probably ‫,יׁשר‬ which brings to the mind the idea of straightness or uprightness, so the sense may be "the upright one, " which could appear paradoxical in the present context.God calls these people, sinners from the beginning (Isa 43:27), "the upright one." At any rate, the impression gained here is of informal affection; the formal relationship is still intact, but God holds them in His heart; J.N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah.Chapters 40-66 (NICOT; Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans 1998)  165-166.

37A.
Kosman, "' And the Spirit of God Hovered': A Dialogic Reading of the Opening Lines of Genesis, " Nashim 33 (2018) 7-19.38 In v. 10b, the literal translation is: "from the womb of my mother my God (are) you." It means that from his birth, God had cared for and protected him; R.G. Bratcher -W.D. Reyburn, A Translator's Handbook on the Book of Psalms (New York: United Bible Societies 1991) 218.39 P.C. Craigie -M.E.Tate, Psalms 1-50, 2 ed.(WBC 19; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan 2004) 199.40 Bratcher -Reyburn, A Translator's Handbook on the Book of Psalms, 517.

63A
thorough investigation of this verse is described in D.M. Pike, "Formed in and Called from the Womb, " To Seek the Law of the Lord.Essays in Honor of John W. Welch (eds.P.Y.Hoskisson -D.C.Peterson) (Orem, UT: Interpreter Foundation 2017) 317-331.64 J.A. Thompson, The Book of Jeremiah (NICOT; Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans 1980) 145.65 Pike, "Formed in and Called from the Womb, " 331. 66