Birth: 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 2:7,12) 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) comp.
(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 16:21,22) The natural birth is referred to as the
emblem of the new birth
(John 3:3-8; Galatians 6:15; Ti 3:5) etc.
