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FIRSTBORN
(
'
, 1060), “firstborn.”
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appears about 122 times in biblical Hebrew
and in all periods. The word represents the “firstborn” individual in a family (Gen.
25:13); the word can also represent the “firstborn” of a nation, collectively (Num. 3:46).
The plural form of the word appears occasionally (Neh. 10:36); in this passage, the word
is applied to animals. In other passages, the singular form of
signifies a single
“firstborn” animal (Lev. 27:26;
KJV
, “firstling”) or collectively the “firstborn” of a herd
(Exod. 11:5).
The “oldest” or “firstborn” son (Exod. 6:14) had special privileges within the family.
He received the special family blessing, which meant spiritual and social leadership and a
double portion of the father’s possessions—or twice what all the other sons received
(Deut. 21:17). He could lose this blessing through misdeeds (Gen. 35:22) or by selling it
(Gen. 25:29-34). God claimed all Israel and all their possessions as His own. As a token
of this claim, Israel was to give Him all its “firstborn” (Exod. 13:1-16). The animals were
to be sacrificed, redeemed, or killed, while the male children were redeemed either by
being replaced with Levites or by the payment of a redemption price (Num. 3:40ff.).
Israel was God’s “firstborn”; it enjoyed a privileged position and blessings over all
other nations (Exod. 4:22; Jer. 31:9).
The “first-born of death” is an idiom meaning a deadly disease (Job 18:13); the “first-
born of the poor” is the poorest class of people (Isa. 14:30).
$
(
, 1061), “first fruits.” This noun appears 16 times. The “first grain
and fruit” harvested was to be offered to God (Num. 28:26) in recognition of God’s
ownership of the land and His sovereignty over nature. Bread of the “first fruits” was
bread made of the first harvest grain, presented to God at Pentecost (Lev. 23:20). The
“day of the first fruits” was Pentecost (Num. 28:26).
TO FLEE
(
, 1272), “to flee, pass through.” Some scholars see this word, which is
used throughout the history of the Hebrew language, reflected in ancient Ugaritic as well.
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occurs about 60 times in the Hebrew Bible. The word first appears in Gen. 16:6,
where it is said that Hagar “fled from her [Sarah’s] face” as a result of Sarah’s harsh
treatment.
Men may “flee” from many things or situations. David “fled” from Naioth in Ramah
in order to come to Jonathan (1 Sam. 20:1). Sometimes it is necessary to “flee” from
weapons (Job 20:24). In describing flight from a person, the Hebrew idiom “from the
presence of” (literally, “from the face of”) is often used (Gen. 16:6, 8; 31:27; 35:1, 7).
In its figurative use, the word describes days “fleeing” away (Job 9:25) or frail man
“fleeing” like a shadow (Job 14:2). A rather paradoxical use is found in Song of Sol.
8:14, in which “flee” must mean “come quickly”: “Make haste [literally, “flee”], my
beloved, and be thou like to a gazelle.…”
$
( , 5127), “to flee, escape, take flight, depart.” This term is found primarily in
biblical Hebrew, where it occurs some 160 times.
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occurs for the first time in Gen.
14:10, where it is used twice to describe the “fleeing” of the kings of Sodom and
Gomorrah.
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is the common word for “fleeing” from an enemy or danger (Gen. 39:12;