Bible Dictionaries
Birth
Easton's Bible Dictionary
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; Compare 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.). Copyright Statement
These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.
Bibliography Information
Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Birth'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/b/birth.html. 1897.