[B-Greek] Mary's PRWTOTOKOS
Iver Larsen
iver_larsen at sil.org
Tue Dec 23 08:20:14 EST 2003
> I was just reading an article on a certain John Tvedtnes who is
> quoted as saying that "It says in [Gospels of] Luke that Jesus was
> Mary's firstborn, which suggests she had other children."
> (http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Dec/12202003/saturday/121596.asp).
>
> Luke 2.7: KAI ETEKEN TON hUION AUTHS PRWTOTOKON
>
> So I'm wondering whether PRWTOTOKOS would suggest further children.
> I'd have thought that one might say firstborn without that necessary
> implication, especially if one were narrating the birth of the
> firstborn. It would be different to describe someone as "firstborn"
> at a subsequent stage, I'd have thought. But I just don't know what
> the background is. Does anyone have any ideas?
>
> Mark
> -----------------------------
> Dr Mark Goodacre mailto:M.S.Goodacre at bham.ac.uk
Mark, you are quite right, and Tvedtnes is wrong. The term "firstborn" does
not suggest that there are other children, although it was common in the
culture to have as many children as one could get, so in most cases the
firstborn is not an only child. Since Biblical culture is very different
from modern Western culture, but close to traditional African cultures, I
just asked my Kenyan co-worker about the concept of "firstborn" in his
language and culture. They have a special word for "firstborn", and it
refers to the child that opens the mother's womb. He (or she) is "firstborn"
whether other children come later or not. They also extend the word
metaphorically to refer to the first in other contexts.
Likewise, the Hebrew word (bekur) refers to a "first-fruit", that which
opens the mother's womb, but in OT culture it appears that only a son is
counted as firstborn, maybe because of the inheritance question. At least I
could not find references to a female firstborn, cf. Ex 13:15.
Ex 13:2 says (NRSV) "Consecrate to me all the firstborn; whatever is the
first to open the womb among the Israelites..." There are many similar
verses, (e.g. Num 8:16, 18:15).
Deut 21:17 says: "He must acknowledge as firstborn the son of the one who is
disliked, giving him a double portion of all that he has; since he is the
first issue of his virility, the right of the firstborn is his."
2 Ch 21:3 "Their father gave them many gifts, of silver, gold, and valuable
possessions, together with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the
kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn."
The firstborn son had rights and privileges that no other children had. He
was given a double portion of the inheritance (and if an only son, the whole
inheritance, of course). He was the one to carry on the father's work and
take over his status.
When our queen Margrethe (of Denmark) had her firstborn son, he was from
birth called the "crownprince", regardless of whether other children were
born later. This is the same concept as the "firstborn". (The second son was
just a prince).
There are a couple of interesting passages in Job 1,13, 18 where the
"firstborn" is compared to younger brothers. In that context, the same
Hebrew word (bekur) is used, but the LXX translates with PRESBUTEROS. So, in
Greek, one can use a different word if the relation between brothers is in
focus. The word "firstborn" first and foremost describes the relationship of
the child to the mother (or father) as the first-fruit of her womb and/or
the first-fruit of his virility.
The special position of the "firstborn" has given rise to metaphorical
usages where the position of honour and "crownprince" is in focus.
Ex 4:22-23 says: "Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD: Israel
is my firstborn son.
23 I said to you, "Let my son go that he may worship me." But you refused to
let him go; now I will kill your firstborn son.' "
We can safely assume that even if Pharaoh or an Egyptian family had only one
son, he would still be killed, because he was the firstborn.
The LORD did not have other "sons" besides Israel. In fact, if the firstborn
remains the only son, he becomes so much more precious, since everything
hinges on him. The pain of losing a firstborn son is equal to the pain of
losing an only son as Zech 12:10 indicates.
Iver Larsen
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