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Abraham then interceded with God, and God restored health to
Abimelech, that is, to his wife and his maidservants, so that they
could bear children; for God had tightly closed every womb in
Abimelech's household on account of Abraham's wife Sarah. [GEN
20:17-18]
Isaac entreated the LORD on behalf of his wife, since she was
sterile. The LORD heard his entreaty, and Rebekah became pregnant.
But the children in her womb jostled each other so much that she
exclaimed, "If this is to be so, what good will it do
me!" She went to consult the LORD, and he answered
her: "Two nations are in your womb, two peoples are
quarreling while still within you; But one shall surpass the
other, and the older shall serve the younger." When the
time of her delivery came, there were twins in her womb. The first
to emerge was reddish, and his whole body was like a hairy mantle;
so they named him Esau. His brother came out next, gripping Esau's
heel; so they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they
were born. [GEN 25:21-26]
When Rachel saw that she failed to bear children to Jacob, she
became envious of her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me
children or I shall die!" In anger Jacob retorted, "Can
I take the place of God, who has denied you the fruit of the
womb?" [GEN 30:1-2]
But as they were bringing her out, she sent word to her
father-in-law, "It is by the man to whom these things belong
that I am with child. Please verify," she added, "whose
seal and cord and whose staff these are." Judah recognized
them and said, "She is more in the right than I am, since I
did not give her to my son Shelah." But he had no further
relations with her. When the time of her delivery came, she was
found to have twins in her womb. While she was giving birth, one
infant put out his hand; and the midwife, taking a crimson thread,
tied it on his hand, to note that this one came out first. But as
he withdrew his hand, his brother came out; and she said,
"What a breach you have made for yourself!" So he was
called Perez. Afterward his brother came out; he was called Zerah. [GEN
38:25-30]
Harrying and attacking, the archers opposed him; But each
one's bow remained stiff, as their arms were
unsteady, By the power of the Mighty One of
Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, The God
of your father, who helps you, God Almighty, who blesses
you, With the blessings of the heavens above, the
blessings of the abyss that crouches below, The blessings of
breasts and womb, the blessings of fresh grain and
blossoms, The blessings of the everlasting
mountains, the delights of the eternal hills. May they
rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among
his brothers. [GEN 49:23-26]
The LORD spoke to Moses and said, "Consecrate to me every
first-born that opens the womb among the Israelites, both of man
and beast, for it belongs to me." [EX 13:1-2]
"When the LORD, your God, has brought you into the land of
the Canaanites, which he swore to you and your fathers he would
give you, you shall dedicate to the LORD every son that opens the
womb; and all the male firstlings of your animals shall belong to
the LORD."
[EX 13:11-12]
'When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed
every first-born in the land of Egypt, every first-born of man and
of beast. That is why I sacrifice to the LORD everything of the
male sex that opens the womb, and why I redeem every first-born of
my sons.' [EX 13:15]
"To me belongs every first-born male that opens the womb
among all your livestock, whether in the herd or in the flock." [EX
34:19]
The LORD said to Moses, "It is I who have chosen the
Levites from the Israelites in place of every first-born that
opens the womb among the Israelites. The Levites, therefore, are
mine, because every first-born is mine. When I slew all the
first-born in the land of Egypt, I made all the first-born in
Israel sacred to me, both of man and of beast. They belong to me;
I am the LORD." [NUM 3:11-13]
Thus, then, shall you have the Levites stand before Aaron and
his sons, to be offered as a wave offering to the LORD; and thus
shall you set aside the Levites from the rest of the Israelites,
that they may be mine. "Only then shall the Levites enter
upon their service in the meeting tent. You shall purify them and
offer them as a wave offering; because they, among the Israelites,
are strictly dedicated to me; I have taken them for myself in
place of every first-born that opens the womb among the
Israelites. Indeed, all the first-born among the Israelites, both
of man and of beast, belong to me; I consecrated them to myself on
the day I slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt. But in
place of all the first-born Israelites I have taken the Levites;
and I have given these dedicated Israelites to Aaron and his sons
to discharge the duties of the Israelites in the meeting tent and
to make atonement for them, so that no plague may strike among the
Israelites should they come near the sanctuary." [NUM 8:13-19]
So angry was the LORD against them that when he departed, and
the cloud withdrew from the tent, there was Miriam, a snow-white
leper! When Aaron turned and saw her a leper, "Ah, my
lord!" he said to Moses, "please do not charge us with
the sin that we have foolishly committed! Let her not thus be like
the stillborn babe that comes forth from its mother's
womb..." [Taken from NUM 12:9-12]
Every living thing that opens the womb, whether of man or of
beast, such as are to be offered to the LORD, shall be yours; but
you must let the first-born of man, as well as of unclean animals,
be redeemed. [NUM 18:15]
"As your reward for heeding these decrees and observing
them carefully, the LORD, your God, will keep with you the
merciful covenant which he promised on oath to your fathers. He
will love and bless and multiply you; he will bless the fruit of
your womb and the produce of your soil, your grain and wine and
oil, the issue of your herds and the young of your flocks, in the
land which he swore to your fathers he would give you. You will be
blessed above all peoples; no man or woman among you shall be
childless nor shall your livestock be barren." [DEUT 7:12-14]
"Thus, then, shall it be: if you continue to heed the
voice of the LORD, your God, and are careful to observe all his
commandments which I enjoin on you today, the LORD, your God, will
raise you high above all the nations of the earth. When you
hearken to the voice of the LORD, your God, all these blessings
will come upon you and overwhelm you: May you be blessed in the
city, and blessed in the country! Blessed be the fruit of
your womb, the produce of your soil and the offspring of your
livestock, the issue of your herds and the young of your
flocks!" [Taken from DEUT 28:1-4]
Provided that you keep the commandments of the LORD, your God,
and walk in his ways, he will establish you as a people sacred to
himself, as he swore to you; so that, when all the nations of the
earth see you bearing the name of the LORD, they will stand in awe
of you. The LORD will increase in more than goodly measure the
fruit of your womb, the offspring of your livestock, and the
produce of your soil, in the land which he swore to your fathers
he would give you. The LORD will open up for you his rich treasure
house of the heavens, to give your land rain in due season,
blessing all your undertakings, so that you will lend to many
nations and borrow from none. [DEUT 28:9-12]
"But if you do not hearken to the voice of the LORD, your
God, and are not careful to observe all his commandments which I
enjoin on you today, all these curses shall come upon you and
overwhelm you: May you be cursed in the city, and cursed in
the country! Cursed be your grain bin and your kneading bowl!
Cursed be the fruit of your womb, the produce of your soil
and the offspring of your livestock, the issue of your herds
and the young of your flocks!" [Taken from DEUT 28:15-18]
You, however, must again heed the LORD'S voice and carry out
all his commandments which I now enjoin on you. Then the LORD,
your God, will increase in more than goodly measure the returns
from all your labors, the fruit of your womb, the offspring of
your livestock, and the produce of your soil; for the LORD, your
God, will again take delight in your prosperity, even as he took
delight in your fathers', if only you heed the voice of the LORD,
your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are written
in this book of the law, when you return to the LORD, your God,
with all your heart and all your soul. [DEUT 30:8-10]
There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites,
whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren and had borne no
children. An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to
her, "Though you are barren and have had no children, yet you
will conceive and bear a son. Now, then, be careful to take no
wine or strong drink and to eat nothing unclean. As for the son
you will conceive and bear, no razor shall touch his head, for
this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb. It is he who
will begin the deliverance of Israel from the power of the
Philistines." The woman went and told her husband, "A
man of God came to me; he had the appearance of an angel of God,
terrible indeed. I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he
tell me his name. But he said to me, 'You will be with child and
will bear a son. So take neither wine nor strong drink, and eat
nothing unclean. For the boy shall be consecrated to God from the
womb, until the day of his death.'" [JUDG 13:2-7]
She importuned him continually and vexed him with her
complaints till he was deathly weary of them. So he took her
completely into his confidence and told her, "No razor has
touched my head, for I have been consecrated to God from my
mother's womb. If I am shaved, my strength will leave me, and I
shall be as weak as any other man." When Delilah saw that he
had taken her completely into his confidence, she summoned the
lords of the Philistines, saying, "Come up this time, for he
has opened his heart to me." So the lords of the Philistines
came and brought up the money with them. She had him sleep on her
lap, and called for a man who shaved off his seven locks of hair.
Then she began to mistreat him, for his strength had left him.
[JUDG 16:16-19]
"Go back, my daughters!" said Naomi. "Why should
you come with me? Have I other sons in my womb who may become your
husbands?" [RUTH 1:11]
So he called his son Tobiah; and when he came, he said to him:
"My son, when I die, give me a decent burial. Honor your
mother, and do not abandon her as long as she lives. Do whatever
pleases her, and do not grieve her spirit in any way. Remember, my
son, that she went through many trials for your sake while you
were in her womb. And when she dies, bury her in the same grave
with me. Through all your days, my son, keep the Lord in mind, and
suppress every desire to sin or to break his commandments. Perform
good works all the days of your life, and do not tread the paths
of wrongdoing. For if you are steadfast in your service, your good
works will bring success, not only to you, but also to all those
who live uprightly." [TOBIT 4:3-6]
Most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance was the
mother, who saw her seven sons perish in a single day, yet bore it
courageously because of her hope in the Lord. Filled with a noble
spirit that stirred her womanly heart with manly courage, she
exhorted each of them in the language of their forefathers with
these words: "I do not know how you came into existence in my
womb; it was not I who gave you the breath of life, nor was it I
who set in order the elements of which each of you is composed.
Therefore, since it is the Creator of the universe who shapes each
man's beginning, as he brings about the origin of everything, he,
in his mercy, will give you back both breath and life, because you
now disregard yourselves for the sake of his law." [2MACC
7:20-23]
Antiochus, suspecting insult in her words, thought he was being
ridiculed. As the youngest brother was still alive, the king
appealed to him, not with mere words, but with promises on oath,
to make him rich and happy if he would abandon his ancestral
customs: he would make him his Friend and entrust him with high
office. When the youth paid no attention to him at all, the king
appealed to the mother, urging her to advise her boy to save his
life. After he had urged her for a long time, she went through the
motions of persuading her son. In derision of the cruel tyrant,
she leaned over close to her son and said in their native
language: "Son, have pity on me, who carried you in my womb
for nine months, nursed you for three years, brought you up,
educated and supported you to your present age. I beg you, child,
to look at the heavens and the earth and see all that is in them;
then you will know that God did not make them out of existing
things; and in the same way the human race came into existence. Do
not be afraid of this executioner, but be worthy of your brothers
and accept death, so that in the time of mercy I may receive you
again with them." She had scarcely finished speaking when the
youth said: "What are you waiting for? I will not obey the
king's command. I obey the command of the law given to our
forefathers through Moses." [2MACC 7:24-30]
While he was yet speaking, another came and said, "Your
sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of
their eldest brother, when suddenly a great wind came across the
desert and smote the four corners of the house. It fell upon the
young people and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell
you." Then Job began to tear his cloak and cut off his hair.
He cast himself prostrate upon the ground, and
said, "Naked I came forth from my mother's
womb, and naked shall I go back again. The LORD gave and
the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the
LORD!" In all this Job did not sin, nor did he say anything
disrespectful of God. [JOB 1:18-22]
May that night be barren; let no joyful outcry greet it!
Let them curse it who curse the sea, the appointed disturbers
of Leviathan! May the stars of its twilight be darkened; may
it look for daylight, but have none, nor gaze on the eyes of
the dawn, Because it kept not shut the doors of the womb to
shield my eyes from trouble! Why did I not perish at
birth, come forth from the womb and expire? Or why was I not
buried away like an untimely birth, like babes that have
never seen the light? [JOB 3:7-11,16]
You renew your attack upon me and multiply your harassment
of me; in waves your troops come against me. Why then did you
bring me forth from the womb? I should have died and no eye
have seen me. I should be as though I had never lived; I
should have been taken from the womb to the grave.
[JOB 10:17-19]
Had I refused justice to my manservant or to my maid, when
they had a claim against me, What then should I do when God rose
up; what could I answer when he demanded an account? Did not
he who made me in the womb make him? Did not the same One
fashion us before our birth? [JOB 31:13-15]
If I have denied anything to the poor, or allowed the eyes
of the widow to languish While I ate my portion alone, with
no share in it for the fatherless, Though like a father God has
reared me from my youth, guiding me even from my mother's
womb - If I have seen a wanderer without clothing, or a poor
man without covering, Whose limbs have not blessed me when
warmed with the fleece of my sheep; If I have raised my hand
against the innocent because I saw that I had supporters at
the gate - Then may my arm fall from the shoulder, my forearm
be broken at the elbow! For the dread of God will be upon
me, and his majesty will overpower me. [JOB 31:16-23]
And who shut within doors the sea, when it burst forth
from the womb; When I made the clouds its garment and thick
darkness its swaddling bands? When I set limits for it and
fastened the bar of its door, And said: Thus far shall you come
but no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stilled!
Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning and
shown the dawn its place [Taken from JOB 38:8-12]
Has the rain a father; or who has begotten the drops of
dew? Out of whose womb comes the ice, and who gives the
hoarfrost its birth in the skies, When the waters lie covered as
though with stone that holds captive the surface of the deep?
[JOB 38:28-30]
Yet you drew me forth from the womb, made me safe at my
mother's breast. [PS 22:10]
Upon you I was thrust from the womb; since birth you are my
God. [PS 22:11]
The wicked have been corrupt since birth; liars from the
womb, they have gone astray. [PS 58:4]
On you I depend since birth; from my mother's womb you are my
strength; my hope in you never wavers. [PS 71:6]
Children too are a gift from the LORD, the fruit of the
womb, a reward. [PS 127:3]
You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's
womb. I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are
your works! My very self you knew; my bones were not hidden
from you, When I was being made in secret, fashioned as
in the depths of the earth. Your eyes foresaw my actions; in
your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before
one came to be. [PS 139:13-16]
There is a group whose incisors are swords, whose teeth
are knives, Devouring the needy from the earth, and the
poor from among men. The two daughters of the leech are,
"Give, Give." Three things are never
satisfied, four never say, "Enough!" The nether
world, and the barren womb; the earth, that is never
saturated with water, and fire, that never says,
"Enough!" [PROV 30:14-16]
The words of Lemuel, king of Massa. The advice which his mother
gave him: What, my son, my first-born! what, O son of my
womb; what, O son of my vows! Give not your vigor to
women, nor your strength to those who ruin kings. It is not
for kings, O Lemuel, not for kings to drink wine; strong
drink is not for princes! Lest in drinking they forget what the
law decrees, and violate the rights of all who are in need.
Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to the
sorely depressed; When they drink, they will forget their
misery, and think no more of their burdens... [Taken from PROV 31:1-7]
As he came forth from his mother's womb, so again shall he
depart, naked as he came, having nothing from his labor that he
can carry in his hand. [ECCL 5:14]
Just as you know not how the breath of life fashions the human
frame in the mother's womb, So you know not the work of God which
he is accomplishing in the universe. [ECCL 11:5]
I too am a mortal man, the same as all the rest, and a
descendant of the first man formed on earth. And in my
mother's womb I was molded into flesh in a ten-months' period-body
and blood, from the seed of man, and the pleasure that
accompanies marriage. And I too, when born, inhaled the
common air, and fell upon the kindred earth; wailing, I
uttered that first sound common to all. In swaddling clothes and
with constant care I was nurtured. For no king has any different
origin or birth, but one is the entry into life for all; and in
one same way they leave it. [WISDOM 7:1-6]
The beginning of wisdom is fear of the LORD, which is formed
with the faithful in the womb. [SIRACH 1:12]
A great anxiety has God allotted, and a heavy yoke, to the
sons of men; From the day one leaves his mother's
womb to the day he returns to the mother of all the living,
His thoughts, the fear in his heart, and his troubled
forebodings till the day he dies - Whether he sits on a lofty
throne or grovels in dust and ashes, Whether he bears a
splendid crown or is wrapped in the coarsest of cloaks - Are
of wrath and envy, trouble and dread, terror of death, fury
and strife. Even when he lies on his bed to rest, his
cares at night disturb his sleep. So short is his rest it seems
like none, till in his dreams he struggles as he did by
day, Terrified by what his mind's eye sees, like a
fugitive being pursued; As he reaches safety, he wakes
up astonished that there was nothing to fear. So it is with
all flesh, with man and with beast, but for sinners seven
times more. [SIRACH 40:1-8]
Beloved of his people, dear to his Maker, dedicated from his
mother's womb, Consecrated to the LORD as a prophet, was Samuel,
the judge and priest. At God's word he established the kingdom and
anointed princes to rule the people. [SIRACH 46:13]
Except for David, Hezekiah and Josiah, they all were
wicked; They abandoned the Law of the Most High, these
kings of Judah, right to the very end. So he gave over their power
to others, their glory to a foolish foreign nation Who burned
the holy city and left its streets desolate, As Jeremiah
had foretold; for they had treated him badly who even in the womb
had been made a prophet, To root out, pull down, and
destroy, and then to build and to plant. [SIRACH 49:4-7]
And now, bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on
earth; Who fosters men's growth from their mother's womb, and
fashions them according to his will! [SIRACH 50:22]
I am stirring up against them the Medes, who think nothing
of silver and take no delight in gold. The fruit of the womb they
shall not spare, nor shall they have eyes of pity for children. [ISA 13:17-18]
Hear then, O Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have
chosen. Thus says the LORD who made you, your help, who
formed you from the womb: Fear not, O Jacob, my
servant, the darling whom I have chosen. [ISA 44:1-2]
Thus says the LORD, your redeemer, who formed you from the
womb: I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out
the heavens; when I spread out the earth, who was with me? [ISA
44:24]
Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD
called me from birth, from my mother's womb he gave me my name. He
made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of
his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. You
are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my
glory. Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing,
uselessly, spent my strength, Yet my reward is with the LORD, my
recompense is with my God. For now the LORD has spoken who formed
me as his servant from the womb, That Jacob may be brought back to
him and Israel gathered to him; And I am made glorious in the
sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! [ISA 49:1-5]
But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has
forgotten me." Can a mother forget her infant, be
without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she
forget, I will never forget you. See, upon the palms of my
hands I have written your name; your walls are ever before
me. [ISA 49:14-16]
Before she comes to labor, she gives birth; Before
the pains come upon her, she safely delivers a male child.
Who ever heard of such a thing, or saw the like? Can a
country be brought forth in one day, or a nation be born in a
single moment? Yet Zion is scarcely in labor when she
gives birth to her children. Shall I bring a mother to the point
of birth, and yet not let her child be born? says the
LORD; Or shall I who allow her to conceive, yet close
her womb? says your God. [ISA 66:7-9]
The word of the LORD came to me thus: Before I formed you in
the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated
you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you. [JER 1:4-5]
Why did I come forth from the womb, to see sorrow and pain, to
end my days in shame? [JER 20:18]
Like grapes in the desert, I found Israel; Like the
first fruits of the fig tree in its prime, I considered your
fathers. When they came to Baal-peor and consecrated
themselves to the Shame, they became as abhorrent as the
thing they loved. The glory of Ephraim flies away like a
bird: no birth, no carrying in the womb, no
conception. Were they to bear children, I would slay the
darlings of their womb. Even though they bring up their
children, I will make them childless, till not one is
left. Woe to them when I turn away from them! Ephraim,
as I saw, was like Tyre, planted in a beauteous
spot; But Ephraim shall bring out his children to the
slayer. Give them, O LORD! give them what? Give them an
unfruitful womb, and dry breasts! [HOSEA 9:10-14]
Ephraim chases the wind, ever pursuing the gale. His
lies and falsehoods are many: he comes to terms with
Assyria, and carries oil to Egypt. The LORD has a grievance
against Israel: he shall punish Jacob for his
conduct, for his deeds he shall repay him. In the womb he
supplanted his brother, and as a man he contended with God;
He contended with the angel and triumphed, entreating him
with tears. At Bethel he met God and there he spoke with him:
The LORD, the God of hosts, the LORD is his name! You shall
return by the help of your God, if you remain loyal and do
right and always hope in your God. [HOSEA 12:2-7]
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.
But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear
you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and
gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great
in the sight of (the) Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong
drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his
mother's womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to
the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power
of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the
disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a
people fit for the Lord." [LK 1:12-17]
And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God
into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a
man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's
name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail,
full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among
women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought
with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the
angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with
God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth
a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and
shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall
give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign
in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be
no end. And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done,
because I know not man? And the angel answering, said to her: The
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High
shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be
born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin
Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this
is the sixth month with her that is called barren: Because no word
shall be impossible with God. And Mary said: Behold the handmaid
of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel
departed from her. [LK 1:26-38]
During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country
in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of
Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's
greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled
with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit
of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of
my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your
greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the
Lord would be fulfilled." [LK 1:39-45]
When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was
named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was
conceived in the womb. When the days were completed for their
purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to
Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the
law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be
consecrated to the Lord" [Taken from LK 2:21-23]
While [Jesus] was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out
and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that carried you and
the breasts at which you nursed." He replied, "Rather,
blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it." [Taken
from LK 11:27-28] [Note: The above stresses that observance of God's word is more
important that a biological relationship with Jesus and should not be considered a reproof of his mother.
Of course Jesus faithfully kept all God's commandments, including that of honoring thy mother and father.]
As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a
Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the
cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus. A large crowd
of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and
lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of
Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for
your children, for indeed, the days are coming when people will
say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the
breasts that never nursed.' At that time people will say to the
mountains, 'Fall upon us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!' for if
these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when
it is dry?" [LK 23:26-31]
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know
that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do
these signs that you are doing unless God is with him." Jesus
answered and said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one
can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."
Nicodemus said to him, "How can a person once grown old be
born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born
again, can he?" Jesus answered, "Amen, amen, I say to
you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of
water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born
of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, 'You must
be born from above.' The wind blows where it wills, and you can
hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from
or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the
Spirit." [JN 3:1-8]
He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become
"the father of many nations," according to what was
said, "Thus shall your descendants be." He did not
weaken in faith when he considered his own body as (already) dead
(for he was almost a hundred years old) and the dead womb of
Sarah. He did not doubt God's promise in unbelief; rather, he was
empowered by faith and gave glory to God and was fully convinced
that what he had promised he was also able to do. [ROM 4:18-21]
Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by
me is not of human origin. For I did not receive it from a human
being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of
Jesus Christ. For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism,
how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to
destroy it, and progressed in Judaism beyond many of my
contemporaries among my race, since I was even more a zealot for
my ancestral traditions. But when (God), who from my mother's womb
had set me apart and called me through his grace, was pleased to
reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him to the
Gentiles, I did not immediately consult flesh and blood, nor did I
go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; rather, I
went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus. [GAL 1:11-17]
Also try:
female
[W9a]
pregnant
[P12]
mother
/ mothers [M6a]
birth
/ born [B4]
fertile
[B]
sterile
[S]
unborn
[U]
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