H6363b H6363b
That which opens; the firstborn as opener of the womb
Used in the construct form in Numbers 8:16, this term designates the firstborn as 'opener of the womb.' It's part of the theological rationale for consecrating the Levites—they serve as substitutes for all Israel's firstborn, who belonged to God as the ones who first opened their mothers' wombs. The concept ties biological primacy (being first) to covenantal obligation. The multilingual translations preserve the opener/opening imagery, emphasizing the act of breaking through, inaugurating life.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Refers to the firstborn as 'opener of the womb' in Numbers 8:16, where God claims every firstborn Israelite as His own because they were the first to open their mothers' wombs. This construct form emphasizes the act of opening or breaking through, connecting biological firstness with sacred obligation. The Levites are given to God as substitutes for these firstborn 'openers,' a key element in Israel's cultic system. 1×
AR["فَاتِحَةِ"]·ben["যা-খোলে"]·DE["opener-von"]·EN["opener-of"]·FR["opener-de"]·heb["פטרת"]·HI["खोलनेवाले-के"]·ID["yang-membuka"]·IT["opener-di"]·jav["kang-mbikak"]·KO["열림-의"]·PT["o-que-abre-de"]·RU["разверзающего"]·ES["abridor-de"]·SW["ufunguzi-wa"]·TR["açanı"]·urd["پہلوٹھے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [פִּטְרָה] n.f. id., פִּטְרַת כָּל־רֶהֶם Nu 8:16.