Dictionaries :: Birth

Birth:

As soon as a child was born it was washed, and rubbed with salt (Eze 16:4), and then swathed with bandages (Job 38:9; Luk 2:7,12). A Hebrew mother remained forty days in seclusion after the birth of a son, and after the birth of a daughter double that number of days. At the close of that period she entered into the tabernacle or temple and offered up a sacrifice of purification (Lev 12:1-8; Luk 2:22). A son was circumcised on the eighth day after his birth, being thereby consecrated to God (Gen 17:10-12; Rom 4:11). Seasons of misfortune are likened to the pains of a woman in travail, and seasons of prosperity to the joy that succeeds child-birth (Isa 13:8; Jer 4:31; Jhn 16:21,22). The natural birth is referred to as the emblem of the new birth (Jhn 3:3-8; Gal 6:15; Tts 3:5, etc.).

Birth:

burth (genesis):

(1) It was said by the angel beforehand of John the Baptist, "Many shall rejoice at his birth"; and when he was born Elisabeth said, "Thus hath the Lord done unto me.... to take away my reproach among men" (Lu 1:14,25). Among the ancient Hebrews barrenness was a "reproach" and the birth of a child, of a son especially, an occasion for rejoicing.

(2) This, no doubt, was due in part to the Messianic hope inspired and sustained by prophecy (see Ge 3:15, where it was foretold that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head; and subsequent prophecies too numerous to mention). Cases in point worth studying are found in Ge 4:1, where Eve rejoices over the birth of her firstborn and cries, "I have gotten a man with the help of Yahweh"; and 1Sa 1:20, where Hannah exults over her firstborn, calling his name "Samuel," "because," she says, "I have asked him of Yahweh."

(3) The marvelous passage in Isa 7:14, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel," must have intensified the longing and hope of every devout Jewish maiden to be a mother, if mayhap, under God, she might be the mother of Messiah-Immanuel! (Compare Mt 1:22,23; Lu 1:13 f.)

Written by George B. Eager

See JESUS CHRIST

See VIRGIN BIRTH

Birth: Pangs in Giving

Psa 48:6; Isa 13:8; 21:3; Jer 4:31; 6:24; 30:6; 31:8

Birth: Giving, Ordained to Be in Sorrow

Gen 3:16

Birth: References Concerning

See ABORTION; CHILDREN.

Birth:

"a birth, begetting, producing" (related to gennao, "to beget"), is used in Mat 1:18; Luk 1:14. Some mss. have genesis, "lineage, birth" (from ginomai, "to become").

Birth:

"a being born, or the hour of birth" (related to genea, "race, generation"), is connected with ginomai, "to become, to be born," and is used in Jhn 9:1.

Notes:

(1) For genesis and gennema see FRUIT, GENERATION, NATURE.

(2) In Gal 4:19, odino, "to have birth pangs," is rendered "travail in birth," AV; RV, "am in travail." See Rev 12:2.