Greek word · G4415

πρωτοτόκια

prōtotokia

birthright

The rights and privileges of the firstborn son. In Israelite and wider ancient Near Eastern practice these included a double share of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17), headship of the family after the father's death, and in the patriarchal stories a share in carrying on the covenant promise.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

πρωτοτόκια, -ων, τά

(πρωτότοκος) [in LXX (with seel. -εῖα, -εία): Genesis 25:31 ff. Genesis 27:36, Deuteronomy 21:17, 1 Chronicles 5:1 (בְּכוֹרָה) * ;]

the rights of the first-born, birthright (= cl. ἡ πρεσβεία): Hebrews 12:16.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Hebrews 12:16

Range of meaning

The rights and privileges of the firstborn son. In Israelite and wider ancient Near Eastern practice these included a double share of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17), headship of the family after the father's death, and in the patriarchal stories a share in carrying on the covenant promise. In Hebrew it is בְּכֹרָה (bekorah).

Against the English

'Birthright' is accurate in older English, but today it can sound like any vague entitlement that comes with being born. NIV ('inheritance rights as the oldest son') and NLT spell out the specific content.

Used elsewhere in the period

Greek Genesis 25:31–34; 27:36 ('he took my birthright, and now he has taken my blessing'); 1 Chronicles 5:1–2 (Reuben's birthright passing to Joseph). Tablets from Nuzi (Mesopotamia, 15th century BC) record inheritance shares passing between brothers in exchange for goods, which shows such a transfer could be a real legal deal. Scholars debate how closely these parallel Genesis.

Similar words

Where it appears

Hebrews · 1

  1. Hebrews 12:16 πρωτοτόκια birthright

    See to it that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his birthright.

    Here: A plural in Greek: the bundle of privileges belonging to the firstborn son, such as the double share of inheritance and leadership of the family. In Genesis these were tied to God's promise to Abraham. Hebrews will soon call its hearers 'the assembly of the firstborn' (12:23), so it is their own birthright that is at stake.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.