1 Firstborn
Firstborn
I. Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
The Hebrew word bĕkōr (LXX πρωτοτκως) refers to
firstborn sons and animals (e.g., Gen 10 : 15; 4 : 4)
while bĕkîrâ refers to firstborn daughters (Gen
19 : 31, 33–34, 37; 29 : 26; 1 Sam 14 : 49). A mother’s
bĕkōr is often called peṭer reḥem “that which opens
the womb” (e.g., Exod 13 : 12) and a father’s bĕkōr
is sometimes called rēšît ôn “first of vigor” (e.g.,
Gen 49 : 39). The bĕkōr is both conceptually and ety-
mologically related to the bikkûrîm “first fruits” (see
there). Cognates for bĕkōr exist in all of the Semitic
languages except Akkadian (Tsevat: 121).
According to a number of pentateuchal passa-
ges, the bĕkōr is to be “sanctified,” “given,” “of-
fered,” or “brought forth” to YHWH (Heb. roots q–
d–š, n–t–n, –r–b, q–r–b; Exod 13 : 2, 12–13; 22 : 28–
29; 34 : 19–20; Lev 27 : 26–27; Num 18 : 15–18;
Deut 15 : 19–23; also see Neh 10 : 37). These passa-
ges each consist of one or more of the following
units: (1) an introductory formula, (2) the law of the
firstborn clean animal, (3) the law of the firstborn
unclean animal, and (4) the law of the firstborn hu-
man son (Brin: 170). While most of these passages
do not specify why the bĕkōr is sanctified, Exod
13 : 14–15, Num 3 : 13, and Num 8 : 17 explain that
YHWH acquired the bĕkōr when he killed the first-
born sons and animals of Egypt (see Exod 11 : 5;
12 : 29). According to Num 3 : 12 and 8 : 16, YHWH
exchanged the firstborn sons and animals of Israel
for the Levites and their animals.
When compared to one another, the passages
about sanctification contain a number of different
details. Regarding clean animals, some verses men-
tion bĕhēmâ “animals” (Exod 13 : 2, 12; Num 18 : 15)
while others specifically refer to sheep, oxen, or
goats (Exod 22 : 29 34 : 19; Lev 27 : 26; Num 18 : 17;
Deut 15 : 19). According to Exod 22 : 29, the bĕkōr is
given to YHWH on the 8th day of its life, and Deut
15 : 21 says that a defective, lame, or blind bĕkōr may
not be given. According to Num 18 : 17–18, the
blood of the bĕkōr is thrown on the altar, the fat is
burned there, and the meat is given to the priests
as food (also see Neh 10 : 37). This seems to contra-
dict Deut 12 : 17–18, 14 : 23, and 15 : 20, which ap-
portion the meat to the offerers themselves. Deut
15 : 19 adds that before it is eaten “you may not
work your firstborn ox or shear your firstborn
sheep.” Regarding unclean animals, some verses
mention a bĕhēmâ ṭĕmēâ “unclean animal” (Lev
27 : 27; Num 18 : 15) while others specifically refer
to the donkey (Exod 13 : 13; 34 : 20; LXX to Exod
22 : 29). This group is to be “redeemed” or “ran-
somed” (Heb. root p–d–h) and Exod 13 : 13 and
34 : 20 specify a lamb as its substitute. Interestingly,
these verses give the owner a second option: “if you
do not redeem it, you must break its neck.” When
it comes to the sanctification of a human firstborn,
Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception 9 (© Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/Boston 2014)
2
Exod 13 : 14, 34 : 20, and Num 18 : 15 insist that the
bĕkōr must be redeemed. According to Num 18 : 16,
this is done on the boy’s thirtieth day with five
shekels of silver (also see Lev 27 : 6; Num 3 : 47). The
bĕkōr in all of the aforementioned laws is presuma-
bly the firstborn of the mother and not necessarily
that of the father (Levine: 45; see peṭer reḥem in Exod
13 : 2, 12–13; 34 : 19–20; Num 18 : 15).
Because the laws of sanctification appear with
differences in a number of pentateuchal passages,
various attempts have been made to reconstruct the
historical evolution of the institution. These at-
tempts usually focus on the roles of the priests, the
Levites, and the Israelites as cultic servants, as well
as the species of firstborn animals and the ways in
which they would have been sanctified or re-
deemed. Gershon Brin has paid particular attention
to these studies and has put forth a number of re-
constructions himself (Brin: 180–237). Yet, as with
other reconstructions based upon pentateuchal crit-
icism, a number of scholars remain circumspect (see
“Pentateuchal Criticism”).
Aside from sanctification, the bĕkōr is distin-
guished in a number of other contexts, the most
prevalent being genealogical lists (e.g., Gen 10 : 15;
22 : 21, etc.). According to the narratives of Genesis,
the bĕkōr is entitled to a fatherly blessing (Gen 27;
48 : 13–20). As bĕkōr, Esau is entitled to a bĕkōrâ
“birthright,” which he sells to his younger brother
Jacob (Gen 25 : 31–34). This “birthright” may be the
pî šĕnayim “double portion” of inheritance that
Deut 21 : 15–17 allots the paternal firstborn son.
This law, called mišpaṭ habbĕkōrâ “the law of the
birthright” (v. 17), has parallels in ANE documents
from Nuzi, Larsa, Mari, Nippur, and Egypt, which
grant the bĕkōr anywhere between ten to fifty per-
cent of a father’s inheritance (Brin: 240–47; also see
1 Chr 5 : 1 and Levine: 45). According to the narra-
tives of Kings and Chronicles, the bĕkōr is supposed
to inherit his father’s throne (see 1 Kgs 2 : 22;
2 Chron 21 : 3; 22 : 1; 2 Kgs 3 : 27), but there are ex-
ceptions (1 Kgs 1–2; 2 Chr 11 : 18–22, 12 : 16; 2 Chr
22 : 1). Aside from the contexts mentioned above,
the bĕkōr is distinguished in passages about Cain
and Abel (Gen 4 : 4), the exodus (Exod 11 : 5;
12 : 29), the Levites (Num 3; 8), and the battles for
Jericho and Kir-Hareseth (Josh 6 : 26; 2 Kgs 3 : 27).
The bĕkōr is used as a metaphor in Exod 4 : 22, Jer
31 : 9, Zech 12 : 10, and Ps 89 : 28.
Bibliography: ■ Brin, G., Studies in Biblical Law (JSOT Sup-
plement Series 176; trans. J. Chipman; Sheffield 1994).
kōr, bekōrâ,” Encyclopedia Mikrait 2 (Jerusa-
■ Hartom, A. S., “be
lem 1954) 123–26. ■ Levine, B., “Firstborn: In the Bible,”
Encyclopaedia Judaica 7 (Detroit, Mich. 2007) 45–46.
■ Tsevat, M., “bkhôr,” TDOT 2 (Grand Rapids, Mich. 1988)
121–27.
David Moster