First-Begotten, First-Born (Bekor, πρωτότοκος)

From: Concise Bible Dictionary: F By: George A. Morrish

• 1 min. read • grade level: 8

1. Moses was to say to Pharaoh, "Thus saith the Lord, Israel is My son, even my first-born" (Ex. 4:22²²And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: (Exodus 4:22)). God called him out of Egypt, which is applied also to the Lord Jesus (Hos. 11:1¹When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. (Hosea 11:1); Matt. 2:15¹⁵And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. (Matthew 2:15)).

2. Because Pharaoh refused to let God's first-born go, all the first-born of Egypt were slain (Ex. 12:29²⁹And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. (Exodus 12:29)).

3. God claimed for Himself all the first-born of the children of Israel, and of their cattle. The first-born of Israel were redeemed by the sons of Levi, as far as they went, and the remainder were redeemed with money (Num. 3:12-51¹²And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; ¹³Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the Lord. ¹⁴And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, ¹⁵Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them. ¹⁶And Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded. ¹⁷And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. ¹⁸And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; Libni, and Shimei. ¹⁹And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ²⁰And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers. ²¹Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites. ²²Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred. ²³The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward. ²⁴And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael. ²⁵And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, ²⁶And the hangings of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof. ²⁷And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites. ²⁸In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary. ²⁹The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward. ³⁰And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. ³¹And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof. ³²And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary. ³³Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari. ³⁴And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred. ³⁵And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward. ³⁶And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto, ³⁷And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords. ³⁸But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. ³⁹All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand. ⁴⁰And the Lord said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. ⁴¹And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the Lord) 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. ⁴²And Moses numbered, as the Lord commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel. ⁴³And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen. ⁴⁴And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ⁴⁵Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the Lord. ⁴⁶And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites; ⁴⁷Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:) ⁴⁸And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons. ⁴⁹And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites: ⁵⁰Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: ⁵¹And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses. (Numbers 3:12‑51)).

4. To the first-born son in a family pertained the birthright. Esau was called a profane person for selling his birthright: it was despising the gift of God. The first-born son was to inherit a double portion of his father's property (Deut. 21:15-17¹⁵If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated: ¹⁶Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn: ¹⁷But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his. (Deuteronomy 21:15‑17)).

5. In the N. T. the term is applied to the Lord: He was Mary's first-born (Matt. 1:25²⁵And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. (Matthew 1:25)). He is also called, in pre-eminence, “the first-born of every creature” (Col. 1:15¹⁵Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (Colossians 1:15)); “the first-born among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29²⁹For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)); and “the first-born from the dead” (Col. 1:18¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18); Rev. 1:5⁵And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5)). In bringing “the first-begotten” into the world, God says, "Let all the angels of God worship him" (Heb. 1:6⁶And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. (Hebrews 1:6)).

In the O. T. also the title had the force of pre-eminence, irrespective of the time of birth. David, though the youngest, was made the firstborn: (Compare Psalm 89:27²⁷Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. (Psalm 89:27)). Christ also in every relationship must have the first place, as is manifest in the above passages.

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