Thematic Bible: The First-born


Thematic Bible



Reuben, my first-born, thou, My vigour, and the first-fruit of my strength, - Pre-eminence of elevation and pre-eminence of power: Boiling over like water, thou mayest not have pre-eminence, Because thou didst mount the bed of thy father, - Then, wast thou profane - My marriage-bed, he mounted!

And the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, for, he, was the firstborn, but because he defiled the couch of his father, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, - and he is not to be enrolled in the place of firstborn,

Judah, as for thee, thy brethren shall praise thee when thy hand is on the neck of thy foes, - The sons of thy father, shall bow them-selves down to thee:


With weeping, shall they come in, And with supplications, will I lead them, I will bring them unto rivers of waters By a smooth way, wherein they shall not stumble, - For I have become, to Israel, a father, And as for Ephraim, my firstborn, is he!

Was Ephraim, a very precious son to me? Was he a most delightful child? For as often as I have spoken against him, I have, remembered, him again! For this cause, have my affections been deeply moved for him, I must have, compassion, upon him, Declareth Yahweh.

And, Isaac, loved, Esau, because of the game he put in his mouth, - but, Rebekah, was a lover of Jacob!.


I, therefore, lo! I have taken the Levites out of the midst of the sons of Israel, instead of every firstborn that a mother beareth, from among the sons of Israel, - so shall the Levites be mine;

And Yahweh said unto Moses: Number thou every firstborn male belonging to the sons of Israel, from one month old and upwards, - and reckon up the number of their names; then shalt thou take the Levites for me, me Yahweh, instead of every firstborn among the sons of Ishmael, - also the cattle of the Levites, instead of every firstling among the cattle of the sons of Israel. So then Moses numbered, as Yahweh commanded him, - every firstborn among the sons of Israel. read more.
And it was so - that all the firstborn of the males in the counting of names from one month old and upwards of such as were numbered of them, - were two-and-twenty thousand, two hundred and seventy-three.

Therefore have I taken the Levites, - instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel;



Yea, I, will appoint him, firstborn, Most High to the kings of the earth!



And it came to pass when Pharaoh had shown himself too hardened to let us go, then did Yahweh slay every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of men even unto the firstborn of beasts. For this cause, am, I, sacrificing to Yahweh whatsoever is born first, of the males, and every firstborn of my sons, must I redeem.

for, mine, is every firstborn, in the day when I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt, hallowed unto myself every firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast, - mine, did they become, and belong unto me, Yahweh.

For mine, is every firstborn among the sons of Israel, among men and among beasts, - on the day when I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt, did I hallow them unto me.


Reuben, my first-born, thou, My vigour, and the first-fruit of my strength, - Pre-eminence of elevation and pre-eminence of power:

but the true firstborn the son of her that is hated, shall he treat as firstborn by giving him double out of all that is found to be his, - for, he, is the beginning of hi strength, his, is the right of the firstborn.


It was said unto her - The elder, shall serve the younger; Even as it is written - Jacob, have I loved, but, Esau, have I hated.

And Yahweh said to her. Two nations, are in thy womb, And two races, from thy body, shall be parted, - And, one race, shall be stronger, than the other race, And the elder, shall serve the younger.


Thus, shalt thou do with thine ox with thy sheep, a seven days, shall it be with its dam, on the eighth day, shalt thou give it to me.

When, a beeve or a sheep or a goat, is brought forth, then shall it be seven days under its dam, - and, from the eighth day and onwards, it shall be accepted as an oblation of an altar-flame unto Yahweh,


Let peoples serve thee And races bow down to thee, Become thou lord to thy brethren, And let the sons of thy mother bow down to thee, - He that curseth thee, be accursed! And he that blesseth thee, be blessed!

and said - Let me go, I pray thee, for, a family sacrifice, have we in the city, and my brethren have commanded me, now, therefore, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me slip away, I pray thee, that I may see my brethren. For this cause, hath he not come in unto the table of the king.


And Jacob said, Come swear to me just now! And he sware to him, - and sold his birthright to Jacob.

And Jacob said, - Come sell, just now, thy birthright unto me.


Then he said, Thy brother came in with deceit, - and took away thy blessing.

and make for me dainty meats, such as I love and bring in to me, that I may eat, - To the end my soul may bless thee, ere yet I lie!


But the firstling of an ass, thou mayst redeem with a lamb, and if thou wilt not redeem it, then shalt thou break its neck. Every firstborn of thy sons, shalt thou redeem, and he must not see my face, with empty hand.

every thing that is born first of all flesh that may be offered unto Yahweh among men and among beasts, shall be thine, - only thou shalt, redeem, the firstborn of men, and the firstborn of unclean beasts, shalt thou redeem.


And he said - Thou, knowest that, mine, was the kingdom, and, on me, had all Israel set their faces, that I should become king, - howbeit the kingdom, hath turned about, and become my brother's, for, from Yahweh, became it, his.

Then answered King Solomon, and said to his mother - Wherefore, then, art thou asking Abishag the Shunammite, for Adonijah? ask, then, for him the kingdom, because he is mine elder brother, - even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab, son of Zeruiah.


But every firstling of an ass, shalt thou redeem with a lamb or if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck, - but every firstborn of men among thy sons, shalt thou redeem.

But the firstling of an ass, thou mayst redeem with a lamb, and if thou wilt not redeem it, then shalt thou break its neck. Every firstborn of thy sons, shalt thou redeem, and he must not see my face, with empty hand.



Will Yahweh, be pleased, with thousands of rams? with myriads of torrents of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression? the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?


Thy fulness and thine outflow, shalt thou not delay, - the firstborn of thy sons, shalt thou give to me.



When a man shall have two wives - the one beloved and, the other hated, and they have borne him sons, both she that is beloved, and she that is hated, - and it shall be that the firstborn son belongeth to her that is hated, then shall it be, that in the day when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, he may not treat the son of the beloved, instead of the son of the hated, as the firstborn;


And the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, for, he, was the firstborn, but because he defiled the couch of his father, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, - and he is not to be enrolled in the place of firstborn, for, Judah, prevailed over his brethren, so that, even the prince, is from him, - although, the birthright, pertaineth to Joseph;


When brethren dwell together, and one of them dieth, having, no son, the wife of the dead shall not marry outside to a stranger, - her husband's brother, shall go in unto her, and take her unto him to wife and do for her as a husband's brother. And it shall be, that, the firstborn which she beareth, shall succeed in the name of his brother who is dead, - so shall his name not be wiped out from Israel.


Every firstling that is brought forth in thy herd and in thy flock that is a male, shalt thou hallow unto Yahweh thy God, - thou shalt not work with a firstling of thine oxen, neither shalt thou shear a firstling of thy flock:


Every firstling that is brought forth in thy herd and in thy flock that is a male, shalt thou hallow unto Yahweh thy God, - thou shalt not work with a firstling of thine oxen, neither shalt thou shear a firstling of thy flock:


and their father gave them large presents - of silver and of gold and of precious things, with cities of defence, in Judah, - but, the kingdom, gave he unto Jehoram, for, he, was the firstborn.


but the true firstborn the son of her that is hated, shall he treat as firstborn by giving him double out of all that is found to be his, - for, he, is the beginning of hi strength, his, is the right of the firstborn.


And it came to pass, when they entered, that he looked upon Eliab, - and said to himself, Surely, before Yahweh, is his Anointed. But Yahweh said unto Samuel - Do not regard his countenance, or the height of his stature, for I have rejected him, - for it is not what man looketh to but what God looketh to. For, man, looketh to the outward appearance, but, Yahweh, looketh to the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel, - and he said, Neither of this one, hath Yahweh made choice. read more.
Then Jesse made Shammah pass by, - and he said - Nor of this one, hath Yahweh made choice. So Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, - and Samuel said unto Jesse, Yahweh hath not made choice of these. Then said Samuel unto Jesse - Are these all the young men? And he said - There yet remaineth, the youngest, but lo! he is tending the sheep. Then said Samuel unto Jesse - Do, send, and summon him, for we cannot sit round, until he cometh in hither. So he sent, and brought him in. Now, he, was ruddy, a stripling with handsome eyes, and noble mien. Then said Yahweh - Rise - anoint him, for, this, is, he.


And God said - Truly, Sarah thy wife, is about to bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name, Isaac, - and I will establish my covenant with him as an age-abiding covenant, to his seed after him. Yet as for Ishmael, I have heard thee; o! I have blessed trim and will make him fruitful, and multiply him, exceedingly, - twelve princes, shall he beget, and I will grant him to be a great nation; But my covenant, will I establish with Isaac, - whom Sarah shall bear, to thee, by this set time, in the next year.


Thus blessed he Joseph, and said, - God himself - before whom walked my fathers. Abraham and Isaac, God himself - who hath been my shepherd, since I came into being until this day; - The Messenger - who hath been my redeemer from all evil - bless the lads! And may there be called upon them, my name, and the name of my fathers. Abraham and Isaac; And may they swarm into a multitude, in the midst of the earth! And Joseph saw that his father had laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim and it was displeasing in his eyes, - so he took hold of his fathers hand to remove it from off the bead of Ephraim, on to the head of Manasseh. read more.
And Joseph said unto his father - Not so, my father! for, this, is the firstborn, lay thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said - I know - my son, I know! He also, shall become a people, and he also, shall become great, - but nevertheless, his younger brother, shall become greater than he, and his seed, shall become a filling up of the nations. And he blessed them on that day, saying - In thee, let Israel bless himself saying, God set thee as Ephraim, and as Manasseh! So he set Ephraim before Manasseh.


And Joseph took them both, - Ephraim in his right hand on Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand, on Israel's right hand, and drew them near unto him. Then Israel put forth his right hand and laid it upon the head of Ephraim, though, he, was the younger, and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh, - crossing his hands, although, Manasseh, was the first-born.


Only the firstling which is born a firstling to Yahweh, among beasts, no man shall hallow it, - whether ox or sheep, unto Yahweh, it belongeth.


and shalt give the silver to Aaron and to his sons, - as the ransom of them that are in excess over them. So Moses took the redemption silver from them who were in excess over them who were redeemed by the Levites: from the firstborn of the sons of Israel, took he the silver, - a thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary, read more.
And Moses gave the redemption silver to Aaron and to his sons at the bidding of Yahweh, - As Yahweh commanded Moses.


and as the ransom of the two hundred and seventy-three, - who are mere than the Levites, of the firstborn of the sons of Israel, thou shalt take five shekels apiece by the poll, - by the shekel of the sanctuary, shalt thou take it, twenty gerahs to the shekel;


also that, the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, - and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, we would bring in unto the house of our God, unto the priests who should be in attendance in the house of our God;


Now, to Shem, father of all the sons of Eber, elder brother of Japheth, to him also, were children born.


Abel, also, even, he, brought in of the firstlings of his sheep, and of their fat, and Yahweh approved of Abel and of his present; but of Cain and his present, he approved not, - and it angered Cain greatly, and his countenance fell.


and their flesh, shall be thine, - as the wave-breast and as the right leg, thine, shall it be:




And, as to the redemption price thereof, from a month old, shalt thou redeem, by thine estimate five shekels of silver by the shekel of the sanctuary, - twenty gerahs, it is.


Only a firstling ox or a firstling sheep or a firstling goat, shalt thou not redeem, hallowed, they are, - their blood, shalt thou dash against the altar and of their fat, shalt thou make a perfume, an altar-flame, for a satisfying odour unto Yahweh:


every thing that is born first of all flesh that may be offered unto Yahweh among men and among beasts, shall be thine, - only thou shalt, redeem, the firstborn of men, and the firstborn of unclean beasts, shalt thou redeem.


Then said Yahweh unto Moses - See! I have appointed thee to be God unto Pharaoh, - and, Aaron thy brother, shall be thy prophet! Thou, shalt speak all that which I may command thee, and, Aaron thy brother, shall speak unto Pharaoh, and he shall let the sons of Israel go out of his land.


And, when the days of their purification, according to the law of Moses, were fulfilled, they took him up into Jerusalem, to present him unto the Lord, - according as it is written in the law of the Lord - Every male that is a firstborn, Holy unto the Lord, shall be called,