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 Luke 2:12 ). 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 John 16:22 ). The natural birth is referred to as the emblem of the new birth (
John 3:3-8 ;
Galatians 6:15 ;
Titus 3:5 , etc.).
These dictionary topics are from
M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.