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 word κοιλία Here, author argues that most natural meaning in this context is “womb.” Although governed by masculine possessive pronoun αὐτοῦ, κοιλία’ s common NT “womb,” survey Greek literature corroborates “womb” as viable translation, preferable to alternatives standard Bible translations (such “heart,” “belly,” or “side”). Reading 7:38’s supported immediate literary background sheds further light on Gospel’s themes rebirth.