Properly, the waist or small of the back; only in plural the loins
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The Hebrew noun mothen refers to the waist, hips, or loins, usually in the plural. Clothing is fastened around this part of the body, weapons may be worn there, and readiness for travel or strenuous action can be expressed by girding the loins.
Reader summary
Full entry for מֹתֶן (H4975) · Open the biblical lexicon
The Hebrew noun mothen refers to the waist, hips, or loins, usually in the plural. Clothing is fastened around this part of the body, weapons may be worn there, and readiness for travel or strenuous action can be expressed by girding the loins.
The BSB source-word alignment has 47 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include . . . (8), around his waist (4), at his side (3), waist (3), and their backs (2).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 37:34. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (12), Jeremiah (6), 1 Kings (5), Isaiah (4).
The Hebrew noun mothen refers to the waist, hips, or loins, usually in the plural. Clothing is fastened around this part of the body, weapons may be worn there, and readiness for travel or strenuous action can be expressed by girding the loins. Narratives describe a belt at the waist and blood on a war belt. Priestly garments cover the body from waist to thighs, while blessings and poetry can use loins for bodily strength, descendants, or vulnerability.
These settings must not be merged into a universal symbolism of masculinity, sexuality, fertility, or spiritual power. Girded clothing often signals practical readiness because loose garments are secured, but no belt creates courage or divine authority. Loins language can reflect ancient bodily idiom without reducing a person to reproductive capacity. Responsible teaching names clothing, action, and genre, uses modest non-graphic language, and rejects sexual shame, gender stereotypes, fertility pressure, unsafe binding practices, or promises that a physical posture produces spiritual readiness.
Mothen names the waist or loins in clothing, travel, battle, priestly covering, blessing, and poetic strength imagery. Bodily location supports several idioms without yielding one fixed allegory.
Moreover, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, the two commanders of the armies of Israel. He killed them in peacetime to avenge the blood of war. He stained with the blood of war the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.
David recalls Joab placing blood of war on the belt around his waist and sandals on his feet.
And the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
Elijah tucks his cloak into his belt and runs ahead of Ahab to Jezreel.
This is how you are to eat it: You must be fully dressed for travel, with your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. You are to eat in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.
Israel eats the Passover dressed for departure, with belt fastened, sandals on, and staff in hand.
Make linen undergarments to cover their bare flesh, extending from waist to thigh.
Linen undergarments cover the priests from waist to thigh within the sanctuary clothing instructions.
Bless his substance, O Lord, and accept the work of his hands. Smash the loins of those who rise against him, and of his foes so they can rise no more.”
Moses asks the Lord to bless Levi's substance and strike the loins of those who rise against him.
“He was a hairy man,” they answered, “with a leather belt around his waist.” “It was Elijah the Tishbite,” said the king.
The messengers identify Elijah by his hairy appearance and leather belt around his waist.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Hebrew word. Loins as seat of strength, virility, and procreative power; metaphorically, the core of physical vitality.
Loins as seat of strength, virility, and procreative power; metaphorically, the core of physical vitality.
properly, the waist or small of the back; only in plural the loins BDB: loins Usage: greyhound, loins, side.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Mothen anchors figurative readiness in ordinary clothing practice. Israel's Passover posture includes a fastened belt because the people are prepared to depart under God's instruction. Elijah similarly secures his cloak before running, a practical action within a particular narrative event. Neither passage turns a belt or running posture into a technique for receiving supernatural power.
Exodus's priestly undergarments concern bodily covering within sanctuary service and must not be used to police modern bodies through shame. The description of Elijah's belt helps identify him; it does not require prophetic dress. David's recollection of blood on Joab's belt points to accountable violence, while Deuteronomy's blessing uses severe battle imagery.
Faithful teaching can draw themes of readiness, modesty, and strength only after respecting these concrete scenes. It avoids graphic or sexualized speculation about loins. It also refuses to equate fertility, athletic capacity, male anatomy, or a narrow body type with blessing. Bodies differ, and waist-related pain, disability, pregnancy, infertility, or clothing needs carry no verdict on faith.
Practical preparation serves obedience, but the object and command define what preparation requires.
Exod.12.11
Mothen is a Hebrew body-part noun, commonly plural, referring to the waist, hips, or loins. Prepositions and clothing terms locate belts and garments, while poetic and blessing contexts can extend the body part toward strength, descent, or vulnerability.
New Testament language about girding the mind, readiness, belts, and loins draws on ancient clothing practice through Greek expressions. Canonical comparison should trace the stated exhortation rather than assume every waist reference carries identical spiritual symbolism.