Bowels*, Disease of — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

Term used 37 times in Scripture (KJB) but only once in connection with a disease (2 Chr 21:15-19). The evil King Jehoram was punished with an incurable chronic disease of the bowels, which resulted in his painful death two years later. The disease caused prolapse of the intestines (v 19). Either an inflammatory bowel disease or cancer of the colon or rectum could have accounted for these symptoms.

Show passage in OET: CH2 21:15–19

OET-RV CH2 21:15

15 and you yourself will get an intestinal disease that’ll get worse every day until your innards fall out.”

OET-RV CH2 21:16

16 Then Yahweh stirred the Pelishtim up against Yehoram, as well as the Arabs who lived beside the Kushim,

OET-RV CH2 21:17

17 and they attacked Yehudah. They did a lot of damage and took away everything valuable from the king’s palace. They also took his wives and sons, other than Yehoahaz, his youngest son.

OET-RV CH2 21:18

18 After that, Yahweh caused an intestinal disease in Yehoram that couldn’t be cured,

OET-RV CH2 21:19

19 and it progressed day after day until, after two years, his intestines fell out, and he died in a lot of pain. His people didn’t make a bonfire in his honour like they’d done for his ancestors.

OET-LV CH2 21:15

15 And_you(ms) will_be_in _sickness(es) great in _(the)_sickness _of your(pl)_bowels _of_your until bowels _of_your they _will _come _out from the_sickness days to days.

OET-LV CH2 21:16

16 And_ YHWH _he _stirred _up on Yəhōrām/(Jehoram) DOM the _spirit _of the _Pəlishtiy and_the_ˊArāⱱī who were_on the _hand _of the_Kūshiy/(Cushite)s.

OET-LV CH2 21:17

17 And_they _came _up on_Yəhūdāh/(Judah) and_they_broke _into _it and_they _took _captive DOM all _of the_property which_was_found to_the _house _of the_king and_also sons _of_his and_wives _of_his and_not he _remained to_him/it a _son if/because (if) Yəhōʼāḩāz/(Jehoahaz) the _young_one_of his _sons _of_his.

OET-LV CH2 21:18

18 And_after all _of this he_struck _him YHWH in_bowels _of_his to_a _sickness to_there_was_not healing.

OET-LV CH2 21:19

19 And_he/it _was to_days from_days and_about_the _time _of the_end of_days two was _going _out bowels _of_his they _came _out with sickness _of_his and_he/it _died in_diseases harmful and_not they _made to_him/it people _of_his a _burning like_the _burning _of his _ancestors _of_his.

Show passage in OET: CH2 21:19

OET-RV CH2 21:19

OET-LV CH2 21:19

Jump to OET CH2 21:15–19 section.

Jump to OET CH2 21:19 section.

The only fatal intestinal disease recorded in the NT also occurred in a king (Acts 12:21-23). Josephus the historian records that King Herod, aged 54, suffered with severe pains in his abdomen, which lasted until he died five days later. An acute intestinal obstruction, possibly due to roundworm infestation, could account for these symptoms. Roundworms may have been expelled during the illness, or maggots could have been seen on necrotic skin resulting in the observation by Luke that Herod was “eaten of worms and died.”