Whence the Womb?

Abstract

In John 7:38, Jesus makes the proclamation ποταµοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ῥεύσουσιν ὕδατος ζῶντος. Among a variety of other issues—textual problems, ambiguous syntax, and an unclear scriptural referent—an enduring problem for translators has been the word κοιλία. Here, the author argues that the most natural meaning for κοιλία in this context is “womb.” Although governed by the masculine possessive pronoun αὐτοῦ, κοιλία’s most common NT meaning is “womb,” and a survey of Greek literature corroborates “womb” as a viable translation, and preferable to the alternatives in standard Bible translations (such as “heart,” “belly,” or “side”). Reading John 7:38’s κοιλία as “womb” is supported by the immediate context and literary background and sheds further light on the Gospel’s themes of rebirth.