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•BIRTH As soon as a child was born it was washed, and rubbed with salt (Ezekiel 16:4), and then swathed with bandages (Job 38:9; Luke 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 (Leviticus 12:1-8; Luke 2:22). A son was circumcised on the eighth day after his birth, being thereby consecrated to God (Genesis 17:10-12; comp. Romans 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 (Isaiah 13:8; Jeremiah 4:31; John 16:21, 22). The natural birth is referred to as the emblem of the new birth (John 3:3-8; Galatians 6:15; Titus 3:5, etc.).

•BIRTH-DAY The observance of birth-days was common in early times (Job 1:4, 13, 18). They were specially celebrated in the land of Egypt (Genesis 40:20). There is no recorded instance in Scripture of the celebration of birth-days among the Jews. On the occasion of Herod’s birth-day John the Baptist was beheaded (Matthew 14:6).

•BIRTHRIGHT (1.) This word denotes the special privileges and advantages belonging to the first-born son among the Jews. He became the priest of the family. Thus Reuben was the first-born of the patriarchs, and so the priesthood of the tribes belonged to him. That honour was, however, transferred by God from Reuben to Levi (Numbers 3:12, 13; 8:18).

(2.) The first-born son had allotted to him also a double portion of the paternal inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:15-17). Reuben was, because of his undutiful conduct, deprived of his birth-right (Genesis 49:4; 1 Chronicles 5:1). Esau transferred his birth-right to Jacob (Genesis 25:33).

(3.) The first-born inherited the judicial authority of his father, whatever it might be (2 Chronicles 21:3). By divine appointment, however, David excluded Adonijah in favour of Solomon.

(4.) The Jews attached a sacred importance to the rank of “first-born” and “first-begotten” as applied to the Messiah (Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:18;

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