Thematic Bible: The First-born


Thematic Bible



Reuben, thou art my firstborn, My might, and the firstfruits of my vigour: Excellency of dignity, and excellency of strength. Impetuous as the waters, thou shalt have no pre-eminence; Because thou wentest up to thy father's couch: Then defiledst thou it: he went up to my bed.

And the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn; but, inasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; but the genealogy is not registered according to the birthright, Verse ConceptsConcubinesBirthrightsFirstborn Sons

Judah as to thee, thy brethren will praise thee; Thy hand will be upon the neck of thine enemies; Thy father's children will bow down to thee. Verse ConceptsBowingCommendationSalutationsOvercoming EnemiesShowing Forth His Praiseserenity

They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them; I will cause them to walk by water-brooks, in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble; for I will be a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. Verse ConceptsGod, Fatherhood OfAdoption, nature ofFirstbornIntimacyPeople Of God, In OtSpring Of WaterWeepingAnswered PromisesSpiritual AdoptionFirstborn SonsStraight PathsNot StumblingBrookssupplication

Is Ephraim a dear son unto me? is he a child of delights? For whilst I have been speaking against him, I do constantly remember him still. Therefore my bowels are troubled for him: I will certainly have mercy upon him, saith Jehovah. Verse ConceptsGod, Joy OfGod, Compassion OfGod, Suffering OfIntimacyRejection Of God, Results OfBowelsSpiritual AdoptionIsrael As Sons Of GodGod Remembering His PeopleGod Will Show Mercy

And Isaac loved Esau, because venison was to his taste; and Rebecca loved Jacob. Verse ConceptsFathers, Examples OfPrejudiceTastePartialityThose Who LovedMan's FavouriteDeergames

And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn that breaketh open the womb among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine; Verse ConceptsCovenant, God's with Israel's priestsVicarious Substitution

And Jehovah said to Moses, Number all the first-born males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am Jehovah) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites, instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel. And Moses numbered, as Jehovah had commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel. read more.
And all the firstborn males, by the number of the names, from a month old and upward, according to their numbering, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

And I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel. Verse ConceptsSubstitution


And as to me, I will make him firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. Verse ConceptsFirstbornBrothersChrist The Firstborn


And it came to pass, when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, that Jehovah slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of men and the firstborn of cattle: therefore I sacrifice to Jehovah all that breaketh open the womb being males; and every firstborn of my children I ransom. Verse ConceptsStubbornness, Consequences OfDeath Of The FirstbornGod KillingMale AnimalsBoth Men And Animals KilledHindering God's WorkGod Killed The PeoplesRegulating Sacrifices

for every firstborn is mine. On the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and beast; mine shall they be: I am Jehovah. Verse ConceptsClaimsDeath Of The FirstbornI Am The LordPeople Belong To God

For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both of man and beast; on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I hallowed them to myself. Verse ConceptsDeath Of The Firstborn

Reuben, thou art my firstborn, My might, and the firstfruits of my vigour: Excellency of dignity, and excellency of strength. Verse ConceptsFirstborn SonsStrong IndividualsPowerful IndividualsFamily StrengthPowerExcellencemanhoodstrenghdignity

but he shall acknowledge as firstborn the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that is found with him; for he is the firstfruits of his vigour: the right of the firstborn is his. Verse ConceptsHeirsDouble Portions

it was said to her, The greater shall serve the less: according as it is written, I have loved Jacob, and I have hated Esau.

And Jehovah said to her, Two nations are in thy womb, And two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels; And one people shall be stronger than the other people, And the elder shall serve the younger. Verse ConceptsBabies In The WombFavouritismJacob, The PatriarchSubjectionTwo GroupsFreshness Of YouthWombServing PeopleStrong NationsOvercoming Adversity

Likewise shalt thou do with thy calf, with thy sheep: seven days shall it be with its dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me. Verse ConceptsCowsDay 8Seven DaysYoung AnimalAnimal MothersLess Than A Year OldSeven Days For Legal Purposes

An ox, or a sheep, or a goat, when it is brought forth, shall be seven days under its dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering by fire to Jehovah. Verse ConceptsSeven DaysYoung AnimalAnimal MothersLess Than A Year OldSeven Days For Legal PurposesRegulating Sacrifices

Let peoples serve thee, And races bow down to thee. Be lord over thy brethren, And let thy mother's sons bow down to thee. Cursed be they that curse thee, And blessed be they that bless thee. Verse ConceptsJacob, Life And Character OfServing PeopleSalutationsBlessing Through God's PeopleCursing Israel

and said, Let me go, I pray thee; for we have a family sacrifice in the city; and my brother himself has commanded me to be there; and now, if I have found favour in thy sight, let me go away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. He has therefore not come to the king's table. Verse ConceptsBrothersethics, personalTown

And Jacob said, Swear unto me now. And he swore unto him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Verse ConceptsOaths, HumanYielding To Temptation

And Jacob said, Sell me now thy birthright. Verse ConceptsBirthrights

And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and has taken away thy blessing. Verse ConceptsInjustice, Examples OfPeople BlessingThose Who Deceived

and prepare me a savoury dish such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, in order that my soul may bless thee before I die. Verse ConceptsTasteRequesting FoodSavourinessBefore DeathLoving Other ThingsPeople Blessing

But the firstling of an ass thou shalt ransom with a lamb; and if thou ransom it not, then shalt thou break its neck. All the first-born of thy sons thou shalt ransom; and none shall appear before me empty. Verse ConceptsDonkeysLambsRansomRedemption, In Everyday LifeDislocatingEmpty HandedRules About Killing Animals

Everything that breaketh open the womb of all flesh, which they present to Jehovah, of men or of beasts, shall be thine; nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou in any case ransom, and the firstborn of unclean beasts shalt thou ransom. Verse ConceptsFirstbornAnimals, religious role ofWomb

And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel had set their faces on me that I should reign; but the kingdom is turned about and is become my brother's, for it was his from Jehovah.

And king Solomon answered and said to his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah. Verse ConceptsBrothersThe Kingdom Of Others

And every firstling of an ass shalt thou ransom with a lamb; and if thou do not ransom it, thou shalt break its neck; and every firstborn of a man among thy sons shalt thou ransom. Verse ConceptsRedemption, In Everyday LifeDislocatingRules About Killing Animalsredeemed

But the firstling of an ass thou shalt ransom with a lamb; and if thou ransom it not, then shalt thou break its neck. All the first-born of thy sons thou shalt ransom; and none shall appear before me empty. Verse ConceptsDonkeysLambsRansomRedemption, In Everyday LifeDislocatingEmpty HandedRules About Killing Animals


Will Jehovah take pleasure in thousands of rams, in ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? Verse ConceptsFirstbornBodyRamsA Thousand AnimalsSacrificing The Firstborn

Thou shalt not delay the fulness of thy threshing-floor and the outflow of thy winepress. The firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. Verse ConceptsFirstbornChild sacrificeTypes Of ChristProcrastinationFirst fruitsTithes And Offering


If a man have two wives, one beloved, and one hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated, and the firstborn son be hers that was hated; then it shall be, in the day that he maketh his sons to inherit what he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, who is the firstborn;

And the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn; but, inasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; but the genealogy is not registered according to the birthright, for Judah prevailed among his brethren, and of him was the prince, but the birthright was Joseph's),

If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no son, the wife of the dead shall not marry a stranger abroad: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him as wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her. And it shall be, that the firstborn that she beareth shall stand in the name of his brother who is dead, that his name be not blotted out from Israel.

Every firstling that is born among thy kine and among thy sheep that is a male, thou shalt hallow to Jehovah thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy kine, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep. Verse ConceptsFirstbornBullsSheep Shearing

Every firstling that is born among thy kine and among thy sheep that is a male, thou shalt hallow to Jehovah thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy kine, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep. Verse ConceptsFirstbornBullsSheep Shearing

And their father had given them great gifts of silver and of gold and of precious things, besides fortified cities in Judah; but the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, for he was the firstborn. Verse ConceptsFirstbornGoldInheritance, MaterialBirthrights

but he shall acknowledge as firstborn the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that is found with him; for he is the firstfruits of his vigour: the right of the firstborn is his. Verse ConceptsHeirsDouble Portions

And it came to pass when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before him. But Jehovah said to Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him; for it is not as man seeth; for man looketh upon the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh upon the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one. read more.
Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one. And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, Jehovah has not chosen these. And Samuel said to Jesse, Are these all the young men? And he said, There is yet the youngest remaining, and behold, he is feeding the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and fetch him; for we will not sit at table till he come hither. And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy, and besides of a lovely countenance and beautiful appearance. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him; for this is he.

And God said, Sarah thy wife shall indeed bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac; and I will establish my covenant with him, for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. And for Ishmael I have heard thee: behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful, and will very greatly multiply him; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to thee at this appointed time in the next year.

And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God that shepherded me all my life long to this day, the Angel that redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the land! When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it was evil in his eyes; and he took hold of his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. read more.
And Joseph said to his father, Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn: put thy right hand on his head. But his father refused and said, I know, my son, I know: he also will become a people, and he also will be great; but truly his younger brother will be greater than he; and his seed will become the fulness of nations. And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee will Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and Manasseh! And he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near to him. But Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim's head now he was the younger and his left hand on Manasseh's head; guiding his hands intelligently, for Manasseh was the firstborn.

Only the firstling which is offered as firstling to Jehovah among the cattle, that shall no man hallow, whether it be ox or sheep; it is Jehovah's. Verse ConceptsClaimsAll Things Belong To God

and thou shalt give the money unto Aaron and unto his sons for those in excess among them who are to be ransomed. And Moses took the ransom-money from them that were over and above those who were ransomed by the Levites; of the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, a thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. read more.
And Moses gave the money of them that were ransomed to Aaron and to his sons, according to the commandment of Jehovah, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.

And for those that are to be ransomed, the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are in excess over the Levites, thou shalt take five shekels apiece by the poll, according to the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them, twenty gerahs the shekel;

and the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the law; and to bring the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks to the house of our God, to the priests that minister in the house of our God; Verse ConceptsFirstbornClaims

And to Shem to him also were sons born; he is the father of all the sons of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder. Verse ConceptsAncestors

And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat. And Jehovah looked upon Abel, and on his offering; and upon Cain, and on his offering, he did not look. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

And their flesh shall be thine; as the wave-breast and as the right shoulder shall it be thine. Verse ConceptsBodies Of AnimalsAnimal Sacrifices, Wave OfferingSwingingThighs Of AnimalsFood For Priests DefinedOther Right Parts


And those that are to be ransomed from a month old shalt thou ransom, according to thy valuation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. Verse ConceptsCoinageLess Than A Year OldValuation Of PeopleRight Measuresredeemed

But the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat, thou shalt not ransom: they are holy. Thou shalt sprinkle their blood on the altar, and their fat shalt thou burn as an offering by fire for a sweet odour to Jehovah. Verse ConceptsFatnessAromasSmellsSprinklingFat Of The SacrificesRefreshing God

Everything that breaketh open the womb of all flesh, which they present to Jehovah, of men or of beasts, shall be thine; nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou in any case ransom, and the firstborn of unclean beasts shalt thou ransom. Verse ConceptsFirstbornAnimals, religious role ofWomb

And Jehovah said to Moses, See, I have made thee God to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.

And when the days were fulfilled for their purifying according to the law of Moses, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord: Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord),