Firstborn (Judaism)

The firstborn or firstborn son (Hebrew בְּכוֹר bəḵōr) is an important concept in Judaism. The role of firstborn son carries significance in the redemption of the first-born son, in the allocation of a double portion of the inheritance, and in the prophetic application of "firstborn" to the nation of Israel.

The semitic root B-K-R means "early" or "first" in Ancient Near East Semitic languages.^{[citation needed]} Biblical Hebrew contains various verbs from the B-K-R stem with this association. The plural noun bikkurim (vegetable first fruits) also derives from this root. The masculine noun bekhor (firstborn) is used of sons, as "Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn", while the feminine equivalent is bekhirah (בְּכִירָה), firstborn daughter. Derived from bechor is the qualitative noun bekhorah (בְּכוֹרָה) ("birthright"), related to primogeniture.

The earliest account of primogeniture to be widely known in modern times involved Isaac's son Jacob being born second (Genesis 25:26) and Isaac's son, Esau being born first (Genesis 25:25) and entitled to the birthright, but eventually selling it to Jacob for a small amount of food (Genesis 25:31–34). A similar transfer appears in 1 Chronicles 5:1–2 where, although the tribe of Judah prevailed above their brethren, nevertheless the birthright (the double portion of two tribal allotments) was Joseph's.

According to the Law of Moses, a father's firstborn is entitled to receive a double portion of his father's inheritance (compared to the other siblings). Deuteronomy 21:15–17 prohibits a husband with more than one wife from declaring the first son of the favoured wife to be his firstborn, if the unfavored wife has an older son.

Firstborns had a special role in the sacrificial service. The Torah requires firstborn humans and animals to be "sanctified". Abel brought the firstborns of his flock as a sacrifice, and the Torah requires firstborns of the flock and herd to be brought as sacrifices. Firstborn humans and firstborn non-kosher animals, being unsuitable for sacrifices, were to be redeemed; Levites received the priestly role which originally belonged to firstborns.

In Exodus, Moses is instructed to say to Pharaoh "Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, my firstborn." The death of Pharaoh and the Egyptians' firstborn sons at the first Passover is direct recompense for God's identification of Israel as his own firstborn.

The understanding of Israel as the national firstborn of God is found in the Dead Sea Scrolls 1Q/4Q "Instruction," and probably 4Q369 the "Prayer of Enosh", as well as in Ben Sira.

The concept of the firstborn was heavily present in Hellenistic Judaism among the Second Temple Jewish diaspora. In the Septuagint, Israel, then Ephraim, are God's prototokos (πρωτότοκος) "firstborn." The use of "firstborn" is taken further along figurative lines. In the pseudepigraphical Testament of Abraham disease is personified as the prototokos "firstborn" of Thanatos, the personification of death. In Joseph and Asenath the converted Egyptian princess Asenath prepares to marry Joseph, the prototokos "firstborn" of the god of Israel. Philo of Alexandria comments on the inheritance rites of the firstborn in Deuteronomy, greatly emphasizing and embellishing the superiority of Mosaic Law over Egyptian models.