Reference: Birthright
American
The privilege of the firstborn son. Among the Hebrews, as indeed among most other nations, the firstborn enjoyed particular privileges; and wherever polygamy was tolerated, it was highly necessary to fix them, De 21:15-17. Besides the father's chief blessing, Ge 27, and various minor advantages, the firstborn son was, first, specially consecrated to the Lord,
Ex 13:11-16; 22:29; and the firstborn son of a priest succeeded his father in the priestly office. Among the sons of Jacob, Reuben the firstborn forfeited the right of the firstborn, Ge 35:22; 49:3-4, and God gave it to Levi, Nu 3:12-13; 8:18. Secondly, the firstborn was entitled to a share of his father's estate twice as large as any of the other brethren received, De 21:17. Thirdly, he succeeded to the official dignities and rights of his father, 2Ch 21:3. In some of these privileges there is an allusion to Him, who is "the firstborn among many brethren," Ro 8:29; Col 1:18; Heb 1:2-6. Universal dominion is his, and an everlasting priesthood.
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And it happened when Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine. And Israel heard it. And the sons of Jacob were twelve:
Reuben, you are my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. Unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it. He went up to my couch.
And it will be, when Jehovah shall bring you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and shall give it to you, you shall set apart to Jehovah every one that opens the womb, and every first-born that comes of any animal which you have; the males shall be Jehovah's. read more. And every first-born of an ass you shall redeem with a lamb. And if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the first-born of man among your sons you shall redeem. And it shall be when your sons asks you in time to come, saying, What is this? you shall say to him, Jehovah brought us out of Egypt by the strength of His hand, from the house of bondage. And it happened when Pharaoh hardened himself against sending us, Jehovah killed all the first-born of the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man, and the first-born of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to Jehovah all that opens the womb, that are males. But all the first-born of my sons I redeem. And it shall be for a token upon your hand, and for frontlets between your eyes. For Jehovah brought us out from Egypt by strength of His hand.
You shall not delay giving the fullness of your crops and juices of your vintage. You shall give the first-born of your sons to Me.
And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the first-born that open the womb from the sons of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine. Because all the first-born are Mine. On the day that I struck all the first-born in the land of Egypt I set apart to Myself all the first-born in Israel, both man and animal. They shall be Mine. I am Jehovah.
And I have taken the Levites for all the first-born of the sons of Israel.
If a man has two wives, one beloved and another hated, and they have borne him sons, the beloved and the hated; and if the first-born son was of her that was hated, then it shall be in the day when he makes his sons to inherit what he has, he may not cause to inherit the son of the beloved first-born before the son of the hated one, he who is truly the first-born. read more. But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the first-born by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the first-born is his.
But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the first-born by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the first-born is his.
And their father gave them great gifts of silver and of gold and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah. But the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, because he was the first-born.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers.
And He is the Head of the body, the church, who is the Beginning, the First-born from the dead, that He may be pre-eminent in all things.
has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds, who being the shining splendor of His glory, and the express image of His essence, and upholding all things by the word of His power, through Himself cleansing of our sins, He sat down on the right of the Majesty on high, read more. being made so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He say at any time, "You are My Son, this day I have begotten You?" And again, "I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?" And again, when He brings in the First-born into the world, He says, "And let all the angels of God worship Him."
Easton
(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 (Nu 3:12-13; 8:18).
(2.) The first-born son had allotted to him also a double portion of the paternal inheritance (De 21:15-17). Reuben was, because of his undutiful conduct, deprived of his birth-right (Ge 49:4; 1Ch 5:1). Esau transferred his birth-right to Jacob (Ge 25:33).
(3.) The first-born inherited the judicial authority of his father, whatever it might be (2Ch 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 (Ro 8:29; Col 1:18; Heb 1:4-6). As first-born he has an inheritance superior to his brethren, and is the alone true priest.
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And Jacob said, Swear to me this day. And he swore to him, and he sold his birthright to Jacob.
Unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it. He went up to my couch.
And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the first-born that open the womb from the sons of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine. Because all the first-born are Mine. On the day that I struck all the first-born in the land of Egypt I set apart to Myself all the first-born in Israel, both man and animal. They shall be Mine. I am Jehovah.
And I have taken the Levites for all the first-born of the sons of Israel.
If a man has two wives, one beloved and another hated, and they have borne him sons, the beloved and the hated; and if the first-born son was of her that was hated, then it shall be in the day when he makes his sons to inherit what he has, he may not cause to inherit the son of the beloved first-born before the son of the hated one, he who is truly the first-born. read more. But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the first-born by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the first-born is his.
And their father gave them great gifts of silver and of gold and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah. But the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, because he was the first-born.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers.
And He is the Head of the body, the church, who is the Beginning, the First-born from the dead, that He may be pre-eminent in all things.
being made so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He say at any time, "You are My Son, this day I have begotten You?" And again, "I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?" read more. And again, when He brings in the First-born into the world, He says, "And let all the angels of God worship Him."
Fausets
A double portion fell to the firstborn, compare De 21:15-17, whence Joseph's two sons, who received the birthright forfeited by Reuben the firstborn, were counted as heads of the tribes Ephraim and Manasseh (Ge 48:5-6,22; 49:4; 1Ch 5:1). The "princes" of the congregation were so probably by primogeniture (Nu 7:2; 21:18). The rebellion of the Reubenite leaders, Dathan and Abiram, may have arisen through jealousy at the preeminence which others enjoyed above them, Reuben their first father baring had originally the primogeniture; compare Nu 16:1-2, with Nu 26:5-9. Esau transferred his birthright to Jacob for a paltry mess of pottage, profanely setting at nought what was the spiritual privilege connected with it, the being progenitor of the promised Messiah (Ge 25:33; Heb 12:16-17).
It is striking how often God set aside the birthright, in order to show that the objects of His choice are "born not of bloods (Greek natural descents), nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (Joh 1:13).Thus Isaac is preferred to Ishmael, Jacob to Esau, Joseph to Reuben, David to his elder brothers. Solomon to Adonijah the elder of the two (1Ki 2:15). Ordinarily the firstborn inherited the throne (2Ch 21:3), typifying Messiah the "first begotten" of the Father, "the Firstborn among many brethren," and Heir of all things (Ro 8:29; Heb 1:6). All the firstborn of Israel were claimed by Jehovah as His, He having saved them when Egypt's firstborn were slain (Ex 22:29). He allowed them to be redeemed, and the tribe of Levi to serve Him in their stead (Nu 3:12-13). The whole nation was God's firstborn among all the peoples (Ex 4:22). The spiritual Israel in a still higher sense is "the church of the first born written in heaven" (enrolled as its citizens in the book of life) (Heb 12:23; Jas 1:18; Re 14:1-4).
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And Jacob said, Swear to me this day. And he swore to him, and he sold his birthright to Jacob.
And Jacob said, Swear to me this day. And he swore to him, and he sold his birthright to Jacob.
And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who are born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; like Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who are born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; like Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. And your issue, which you father after them, shall be yours, and shall be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
And your issue, which you father after them, shall be yours, and shall be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
And I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
And I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
Unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it. He went up to my couch.
Unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it. He went up to my couch.
And you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord: Israel is My son, My first-born.
And you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord: Israel is My son, My first-born.
You shall not delay giving the fullness of your crops and juices of your vintage. You shall give the first-born of your sons to Me.
You shall not delay giving the fullness of your crops and juices of your vintage. You shall give the first-born of your sons to Me.
And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the first-born that open the womb from the sons of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine.
And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the first-born that open the womb from the sons of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine. Because all the first-born are Mine. On the day that I struck all the first-born in the land of Egypt I set apart to Myself all the first-born in Israel, both man and animal. They shall be Mine. I am Jehovah.
Because all the first-born are Mine. On the day that I struck all the first-born in the land of Egypt I set apart to Myself all the first-born in Israel, both man and animal. They shall be Mine. I am Jehovah.
and the rulers of Israel offered, the head men of their fathers' house, the rulers of the tribes; these were they who stood over the numbered ones.
and the rulers of Israel offered, the head men of their fathers' house, the rulers of the tribes; these were they who stood over the numbered ones.
Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, took both Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben;
Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, took both Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben; even they rose up before Moses with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty rulers of the assembly, elect men in the congregation, men who were well-known.
even they rose up before Moses with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty rulers of the assembly, elect men in the congregation, men who were well-known.
The well which the rulers dug, which the nobles of the people dug with their staves by the word of the Lawgiver. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah,
The well which the rulers dug, which the nobles of the people dug with their staves by the word of the Lawgiver. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah,
Reuben, the first-born of Israel, the sons of Reuben, of Hanoch who came of the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu the family of the Palluites;
Reuben, the first-born of Israel, the sons of Reuben, of Hanoch who came of the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu the family of the Palluites; of Hezron the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites;
of Hezron the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites; these are the families of the Reubenites. And their numbered ones were forty-three thousand, seven hundred and thirty.
these are the families of the Reubenites. And their numbered ones were forty-three thousand, seven hundred and thirty. And the sons of Pallu were Eliab.
And the sons of Pallu were Eliab. And the sons of Eliab, Nemuel, and Dathan and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram who were famous in the congregation, who fought against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they fought against Jehovah.
And the sons of Eliab, Nemuel, and Dathan and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram who were famous in the congregation, who fought against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they fought against Jehovah.
If a man has two wives, one beloved and another hated, and they have borne him sons, the beloved and the hated; and if the first-born son was of her that was hated,
If a man has two wives, one beloved and another hated, and they have borne him sons, the beloved and the hated; and if the first-born son was of her that was hated, then it shall be in the day when he makes his sons to inherit what he has, he may not cause to inherit the son of the beloved first-born before the son of the hated one, he who is truly the first-born.
then it shall be in the day when he makes his sons to inherit what he has, he may not cause to inherit the son of the beloved first-born before the son of the hated one, he who is truly the first-born. But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the first-born by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the first-born is his.
But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the first-born by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the first-born is his.
And he said, You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me that I should reign. However, the kingdom is turned around, and has become my brother's. For it was his from Jehovah.
And he said, You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me that I should reign. However, the kingdom is turned around, and has become my brother's. For it was his from Jehovah.
And their father gave them great gifts of silver and of gold and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah. But the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, because he was the first-born.
And their father gave them great gifts of silver and of gold and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah. But the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, because he was the first-born.
who were born, not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were born of God.
who were born, not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were born of God.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers.
And again, when He brings in the First-born into the world, He says, "And let all the angels of God worship Him."
And again, when He brings in the First-born into the world, He says, "And let all the angels of God worship Him."
(lest there be any fornicator, or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.
(lest there be any fornicator, or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he did not find any place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears).
For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he did not find any place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears).
to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are written in Heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are written in Heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Of His own will He brought us forth with the Word of truth, for us to be a certain firstfruit of His creatures.
Of His own will He brought us forth with the Word of truth, for us to be a certain firstfruit of His creatures.
And I looked, and lo, the Lamb stood on Mount Zion. And with Him were a hundred and forty-four thousands, having His Father's name written in their foreheads.
And I looked, and lo, the Lamb stood on Mount Zion. And with Him were a hundred and forty-four thousands, having His Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from Heaven, like the voice of many waters and like the voice of a great thunder. And I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps.
And I heard a voice from Heaven, like the voice of many waters and like the voice of a great thunder. And I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps. And they sang as it were a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousands who were redeemed from the earth.
And they sang as it were a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousands who were redeemed from the earth. These are those who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, as a firstfruit to God and to the Lamb.
These are those who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, as a firstfruit to God and to the Lamb.
Hastings
Smith
the advantages accruing to the eldest son. These were not definitely fixed in patriarchal times. Great respect was paid to him in the household, and, as the family widened into a tribe, this grew into a sustained authority, undefined save by custom, in all matters of common interest. Thus the "princes" of the congregation had probably rights of primogeniture.
(Gradually the rights of the eldest son came to be more definite: (1) The functions of the priesthood in the family with the paternal blessing. (2) A "double portion" of the paternal property was allotted by the Mosaic law.
De 21:16-17
(3) The eldest son succeeded to the official authority of the father. The first-born of the king was his successor by law.
In all these Jesus was the first-born of the father.
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and the rulers of Israel offered, the head men of their fathers' house, the rulers of the tribes; these were they who stood over the numbered ones.
The well which the rulers dug, which the nobles of the people dug with their staves by the word of the Lawgiver. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah,
And the name of the Israelite who was killed, he who was struck with the woman of Midian, was Zimri, the son of Salu, ruler of a chief house of the Simeonites.
then it shall be in the day when he makes his sons to inherit what he has, he may not cause to inherit the son of the beloved first-born before the son of the hated one, he who is truly the first-born. But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the first-born by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the first-born is his.
And their father gave them great gifts of silver and of gold and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah. But the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, because he was the first-born.
Watsons
BIRTHRIGHT, or PRIMOGENITURE, the right of the first-born or eldest son. The birthright, or right of primogeniture, had many privileges annexed to it. The first-born was consecrated to the Lord, Ex 22:29; had a double portion of the estate allotted him, De 21:17; had a dignity and authority over his brethren, Ge 49:3; succeeded in the government of the family or kingdom, 2Ch 21:3; and, as some with good reason suppose, in ancient times to the priesthood or chief government in matters, ecclesiastical. Jacob, having bought Esau's birthright, acquired a title to the particular blessing of his dying father; and, accordingly, he had consigned to him the privilege of the covenant which God made with Abraham, that from his loins the Messiah should spring; a prerogative which descended to his posterity. Reuben forfeited the blessings of his birthright, as we see by the express declaration of his father Jacob, in his benediction of his children, Ge 49:1, &c, for the crime of incest with his father's concubine, on account of which his tribe continued all along in obscurity; while the priesthood was conferred on Levi, the government on Judah, and the double portion on Joseph, to descend to their respective tribes. And this preeminence of the first born took place from the beginning, and as much belonged to Cain, before his forfeiture of it, as it did to Reuben before his. See Ge 4:7; 49:3. Thus the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, offered sacrifices, and were priests as well as kings in their respective families, Ge 12:7-8; 13:18; 17:7; 26:25; 31:54; 35:7. Job, in Arabia, acted in the same capacity, Job 1:5; and it is highly probable that, among the ancient Heathen nations in general, the first-born were entitled not only to the civil authority, but also to the priesthood. This seems to have been the case in Egypt, in the time of Moses: and hence Jehovah's destroying their first- born, as it was the last miracle wrought in that country before the Exodus, so was it the most dreadful, and most effectual in prevailing on Pharaoh and the Egyptians to dismiss the Israelites.
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If you do well, shall you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin crouches at the door; and its desire is for you, and you shall rule over it.
And Jehovah appeared to Abram and said, I will give this land to your seed. And he built an altar there to Jehovah who appeared to him. And he moved from there to a mountain on the east of Bethel. And he pitched his tent with Bethel toward the sea and Hai on the east. And he built an altar there to Jehovah, and called upon the name of Jehovah.
And Abram moved his tent and came and lived in the oaks of Mamre, which is in Hebron. And he built an altar to Jehovah there.
And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you.
And he built an altar there, and called upon the name of Jehovah, and pitched his tent there. And Isaac's servants dug a well there.
And Jacob offered sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brothers to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night in the mountain.
And he built an altar there and called the place El-bethel, because God appeared to him there when he fled from the face of his brother.
And Jacob called to his sons and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in the days to come.
Reuben, you are my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.
Reuben, you are my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.
You shall not delay giving the fullness of your crops and juices of your vintage. You shall give the first-born of your sons to Me.
But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the first-born by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the first-born is his.
And their father gave them great gifts of silver and of gold and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah. But the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, because he was the first-born.
And when they had gone around the day of feasting, Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. So Job did always.