THE FIRSTBORN SON
by Giuseppe Monno
Luke 2:7
“She gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the living space.”
In the Jewish Law, the firstborn is the child who opens the womb and must be presented at the Temple:
“Consecrate to me every firstborn, the first issue of every womb among the Israelites, both of human beings and of animals: it is mine”
(Exodus 13:2; Numbers 3:12–13).
The firstborn also holds specific inheritance rights:
“He must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved wife, by giving him a double portion of all he owns; for he is the first issue of his strength, and the right of the firstborn is his” (Deuteronomy 21:17).
This shows that the firstborn is not simply one child among others, but one who holds a distinct legal status within the family.
When Luke writes that Mary “gave birth to her firstborn son” (Luke 2:7), he is using a legal and liturgical term rooted in Jewish tradition.
The expression does more than describe the mere fact of birth; it identifies the child as one who must be presented and consecrated to God according to the Law.
Thus, “firstborn” does not merely mean “the first child,” but refers to the child who bears specific rights and responsibilities under the Law.
It is both a legal designation and a liturgical one, tied to the practice of presentation in the Temple.
For this reason, Luke 2:7 does not imply that Mary later had other children, but affirms that Jesus holds the status of the firstborn consecrated to God.
In biblical language, a child can be called “firstborn” whether or not there are other siblings:
“And again, when he brings the Firstborn into the world, he says: Let all the angels of God worship him” (Hebrews 1:6).
The only Son of God is called his “Firstborn.”