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Bible Dictionaries
Birthright
Smith's Bible Dictionary
or Birthright. The advantages accruing to the eldest son. These were not definitely fixed in patriarchal times. Great respect was paid to him in the household, and, as the family widened into a tribe, this grew into a sustained authority, undefined save by custom, in all matters of common interest. Thus the "princes" of the congregation had probably rights of primogeniture. Numbers 7:2; Numbers 21:18; Numbers 25:14. Gradually, the rights of the eldest son came to be more definite:
(1) The functions of the priesthood in the family with the paternal blessing.
(2) A "double portion" of the paternal property was allotted by the Mosaic law. Deuteronomy 21:16-17.
(3) The eldest son succeeded to the official authority of the father.
The first-born of the king was his successor by law. 2 Chronicles 21:3. In all these, Jesus was the first-born of the father.
These files are public domain.
Smith, William, Dr. Entry for 'Birthright'. Smith's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/sbd/b/birthright.html. 1901.
