The first-born, who was the object of special affection to
his parents, was denominated by way of eminence, רחם פטר, _the opening
of the womb_. In case a man married with a widow, who by a previous
marriage had become the mother of children, the first-born as respected
the second husband was the eldest child by the second marriage. Before
the time of Moses, the father might, if he chose, transfer the right of
primogeniture to a younger child, but the practice occasioned much
contention, Gen. xxv, 31, 32; and a law was enacted, overruling it,
Deut. xxi, 15–17. The first-born inherited peculiar rights and
privileges. (1.) He received a double portion of the estate. Jacob, in
the case of Reuben, his first-born, bestowed his additional portion upon
Joseph, by adopting his two sons, Gen. xlviii, 5–8; Deut. xxi, 17. This
was done as a reprimand, and a punishment of his incestuous conduct,
Genesis xxxv, 22; but Reuben, notwithstanding, was enrolled as the
first-born in the genealogical registers, 1 Chron. v, 1. (2.) The
first-born was the priest of the whole family. The honour of exercising
the priesthood was transferred, by the command of God communicated
through Moses, from the tribe of Reuben, to whom it belonged by right of
primogeniture, to that of Levi, Num. iii, 12–18; viii, 18. In
consequence of God having taken the Levites from among the children of
Israel instead of all the first-born to serve him as priests, the
first-born of the other tribes were to be redeemed, at a valuation made
by the priest not exceeding five shekels, from serving God in that
capacity, Numbers xviii, 15, 16; Luke ii, 22, &c. (3.) The first-born
enjoyed an authority over those who were younger, similar to that
possessed by a father, Gen. xxv, 23, &c; 2 Chron. xxi, 3; Gen. xxvii,
29; Exod. xii, 29: which was transferred in the case of Reuben by Jacob
their father to Judah, Gen. xlix, 8–10. The tribe of Judah, accordingly,
even before it gave kings to the Hebrews, was every where distinguished
from the other tribes. In consequence of the authority which was thus
attached to the first-born, he was also made the successor in the
kingdom. There was an exception to this rule in the case of Solomon,
who, though a younger brother, was made his successor by David at the
special appointment of God. It is very easy to see in view of these
facts, how the word “first-born” came to express sometimes a great, and
sometimes the highest, dignity.
2. First-born is not always to be understood literally; it is sometimes
taken for the prime, most excellent, most distinguished of any thing.
“The first-born of the poor,” Isaiah xiv, 30, signifies the most
miserable of the poor; and “the first-born of death,” Job xviii, 13, the
most terrible of deaths.
3. God ordained that all the Jewish first-born both of men and beasts,
for service, should be consecrated to him. The male children only were
subject to this law. If a woman’s first child were a girl, the father
was not obliged to offer any thing for her, or for the children after
her, though they were males. If a man had many wives, he was obliged to
offer the first-born of each of them to the Lord. The first-born were
offered in the temple, and were redeemed for the sum of five shekels.
The firstling of a clean beast was offered at the temple, not to be
redeemed, but to be killed. An unclean beast, a horse, an ass, or a
camel, was either redeemed or exchanged. An ass was redeemed by a lamb,
or five shekels; if not redeemed, it was killed.
his parents, was denominated by way of eminence, רחם פטר, _the opening
of the womb_. In case a man married with a widow, who by a previous
marriage had become the mother of children, the first-born as respected
the second husband was the eldest child by the second marriage. Before
the time of Moses, the father might, if he chose, transfer the right of
primogeniture to a younger child, but the practice occasioned much
contention, Gen. xxv, 31, 32; and a law was enacted, overruling it,
Deut. xxi, 15–17. The first-born inherited peculiar rights and
privileges. (1.) He received a double portion of the estate. Jacob, in
the case of Reuben, his first-born, bestowed his additional portion upon
Joseph, by adopting his two sons, Gen. xlviii, 5–8; Deut. xxi, 17. This
was done as a reprimand, and a punishment of his incestuous conduct,
Genesis xxxv, 22; but Reuben, notwithstanding, was enrolled as the
first-born in the genealogical registers, 1 Chron. v, 1. (2.) The
first-born was the priest of the whole family. The honour of exercising
the priesthood was transferred, by the command of God communicated
through Moses, from the tribe of Reuben, to whom it belonged by right of
primogeniture, to that of Levi, Num. iii, 12–18; viii, 18. In
consequence of God having taken the Levites from among the children of
Israel instead of all the first-born to serve him as priests, the
first-born of the other tribes were to be redeemed, at a valuation made
by the priest not exceeding five shekels, from serving God in that
capacity, Numbers xviii, 15, 16; Luke ii, 22, &c. (3.) The first-born
enjoyed an authority over those who were younger, similar to that
possessed by a father, Gen. xxv, 23, &c; 2 Chron. xxi, 3; Gen. xxvii,
29; Exod. xii, 29: which was transferred in the case of Reuben by Jacob
their father to Judah, Gen. xlix, 8–10. The tribe of Judah, accordingly,
even before it gave kings to the Hebrews, was every where distinguished
from the other tribes. In consequence of the authority which was thus
attached to the first-born, he was also made the successor in the
kingdom. There was an exception to this rule in the case of Solomon,
who, though a younger brother, was made his successor by David at the
special appointment of God. It is very easy to see in view of these
facts, how the word “first-born” came to express sometimes a great, and
sometimes the highest, dignity.
2. First-born is not always to be understood literally; it is sometimes
taken for the prime, most excellent, most distinguished of any thing.
“The first-born of the poor,” Isaiah xiv, 30, signifies the most
miserable of the poor; and “the first-born of death,” Job xviii, 13, the
most terrible of deaths.
3. God ordained that all the Jewish first-born both of men and beasts,
for service, should be consecrated to him. The male children only were
subject to this law. If a woman’s first child were a girl, the father
was not obliged to offer any thing for her, or for the children after
her, though they were males. If a man had many wives, he was obliged to
offer the first-born of each of them to the Lord. The first-born were
offered in the temple, and were redeemed for the sum of five shekels.
The firstling of a clean beast was offered at the temple, not to be
redeemed, but to be killed. An unclean beast, a horse, an ass, or a
camel, was either redeemed or exchanged. An ass was redeemed by a lamb,
or five shekels; if not redeemed, it was killed.