Bible Dictionary: Nursing

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Nurse.

2. (a.) Supplying or taking nourishment from, or as from, the breast; as, a nursing mother; a nursing infant.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

NURSE; NURSING

nurs, nurs'-ing: "Nurse" in the King James Version represents two different Hebrew words: In 8 passages (Genesis 24:59; Genesis 35:8 Exodus 2:7, 9 2 Kings 11:2 2 Chronicles 22:11 Isaiah 49:23) the word-noun or verb-renders some form of the verb yanaq, "to suck." The feminine causative part. of this verb is commonly used to denote nurse or foster-mother. According to Exodus 2:7 Moses' mother-"a nurse of the Hebrew women"-became, at Pharaoh's daughter's request, the foster-mother of the foundling. Joash, the son of Ahaziah, was in charge of a nurse until he was 7 years old (2 Kings 11:2 2 Chronicles 22:11). But it is obvious that the term was used in a more general way, e.g. of a lady's maid or tire-woman. Rebekah was accompanied by her nurse when she left home to be married (Genesis 24:59; Genesis 35:8). In 5 passages (Numbers 11:12 Ruth 4:16 2 Samuel 4:4 Isaiah 49:23; Isaiah 60:4 the King James Version) "nurse" represents the Hebrew word, 'aman, "to support," "be faithful," "nourish." The participle of this verb denoted a person who had charge of young children-a guardian or governess. Naomi took charge of Ruth's child "and became nurse unto it" (Ruth 4:16). In Numbers 11:12 Moses asks whether he has to take charge of the Israelites "as a nursing-father carrieth the sucking child." The same word is found in 2 Kings 10:15 (the King James Version "them that brought up," i.e. "guardians of the sons of Ahab) and in Esther 2:7 (the King James Version "and he brought up," i.e. he (Mordecai) adopted, his niece). Deutero-Isaiah uses both terms together (Isaiah 49:23) to describe the exalted position of Israel in the future when foreign kings and queens will offer their services and wait upon the chosen people.

In the solitary passage in the New Testament where "nurse" occurs, it renders the Greek word trophos. In this case the word does not mean a hired nurse, but a mother who nurses her own children (1 Thessalonians 2:7).

T. Lewis

Greek

2337. thelazo -- to suckle
... See 2338 (). Word Origin from thele (a nipple) Definition to suckle NASB
Word Usage nursed (1), nursing babies (4). to suckle, suck. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2337.htm - 6k

5162. trophos -- a nurse
... [5162 () is used in ancient Greek of a , holding her child in her arms (see ).].
Word Origin from trepho Definition a nurse NASB Word Usage nursing (1). nurse. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5162.htm - 6k

2338. thelus -- female
... 2338 (from , "the breast") -- properly, a woman with nursing breasts ("one who gives
suck"); (figuratively) a mature female who exhibit "," glorifying God by ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2338.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

3243. yanaq -- to suck
... root Definition to suck NASB Word Usage draw (1), infant (3), infants (2), milking
(1), nurse (11), nursed (3), nurses (1), nursing (1), nursing babes (1 ...
/hebrew/3243.htm - 6k

5763. ul -- to nurse, give suck
... 5762, 5763. ul. 5764 . to nurse, give suck. Transliteration: ul Phonetic
Spelling: (ool) Short Definition: nursing. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/5763.htm - 6k

5764. ul -- a sucking child, suckling
... infant. Word Origin from ul Definition a sucking child, suckling NASB Word
Usage infant (1), nursing child (1). sucking child, infant. ...
/hebrew/5764.htm - 6k

7699a. shad -- (female) breast
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition (female) breast NASB Word Usage breast
(2), breasts (18), nursing infants* (1). 7699, 7699a. shad. 7699b . ...
/hebrew/7699a.htm - 5k

2949. tippuchim -- tenderly cared for
... born healthy (1). span long. From taphach; nursing -- span long. see HEBREW
taphach. 2948, 2949. tippuchim. 2950 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/2949.htm - 6k

Library

The Little Ones and their Angels.
... but the little ones are "the newborn babes which long for the reasonable milk which
is without guile," [5979] such as stand in need of nursing-fathers and ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of matthew/26 the little ones and.htm

The Fifth Commandment
... among the lesser stars. The Scripture calls kings, fathers.' Kings shall
be thy nursing fathers.' Isaiah 49:23. They are to train ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 5 the fifth commandment.htm

Home as a Nursery.
... in speaking of the coming Messiah and the glory of his church, says, "Thy daughters
shall be nursed at thy side." "Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/philips/the christian home/chapter xiii home as a.htm

The Genesis Picture.
... In speaking of God's early care of the Hebrews Paul says, "as a nursing-father bore
he them in the wilderness."[1] That word "nursing-father" is peculiar in ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks with world winners/the genesis picture.htm

Millenarians.
... And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers, [they
shall become good themselves, and be the protectors of religion and liberty ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hayward/the book of religions/millenarians.htm

Home as a Stewardship.
... In nursing him for the queen, that devoted mother nursed him also for herself; and
in doing this, she was also promoting the welfare of her son, and executing ...
//christianbookshelf.org/philips/the christian home/chapter vi home as a.htm

A Bottle in the Smoke
... Until happier times come, when kings shall be their nursing fathers, and queens
their nursing mothers, it must still be true that "God hath chosen the poor in ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/a bottle in the smoke.htm

The Church and Other Rural Agencies
... United States Bureau of Education, United States Department of Labor, Children's
Bureau; National Organization for Public Health Nursing, National Child Labor ...
/.../vogt/church cooperation in community life/chapter ix the church and.htm

Letter vii. You are Now, My Dear Friend, in Possession of My Whole ...
... Certain it is, that since kings have been her nursing fathers, and queens her nursing
mothers, our theologians seem to act in the spirit of fear rather than in ...
/.../coleridge/confessions of an inquiring spirit etc/letter vii you are now.htm

Of Civil Government.
... In like manner, when Isaiah predicts of the Church, "Kings shall be thy
nursing-fathers, and their queens thy nursing-mothers" (Isaiah 49:23), he does not ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 20 of civil government.htm

Thesaurus

Nursing (14 Occurrences)
... & vb. n.) of Nurse. 2. (a.) Supplying or taking nourishment from, or as from, the
breast; as, a nursing mother; a nursing infant. Int. ... NURSE; NURSING. ...
/n/nursing.htm - 13k

Nursing-mothers (1 Occurrence)
Nursing-mothers. Nursing-fathers, Nursing-mothers. Nursling .
Multi-Version Concordance Nursing-mothers (1 Occurrence). ...
/n/nursing-mothers.htm - 6k

Nursing-fathers (1 Occurrence)
Nursing-fathers. Nursing-father, Nursing-fathers. Nursing-mothers .
Multi-Version Concordance Nursing-fathers (1 Occurrence). Isaiah ...
/n/nursing-fathers.htm - 6k

Nursing-father (2 Occurrences)
Nursing-father. Nursing, Nursing-father. Nursing-fathers . Multi-Version
Concordance Nursing-father (2 Occurrences). Acts 13:18 ...
/n/nursing-father.htm - 7k

Mothers (27 Occurrences)
... He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. (WBS). Matthew 24:19 But woe
to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days! (WEB NIV). ...
/m/mothers.htm - 14k

Nurse (23 Occurrences)
... national resources. 11. (vt) To caress; to fondle, as a nurse does. Int.
Standard Bible Encyclopedia. NURSE; NURSING. nurs, nurs'-ing ...
/n/nurse.htm - 17k

Queens (4 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 49:23 Kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their queens your nursing
mothers: they shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the ...
/q/queens.htm - 7k

Nurses (2 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 49:23 And kings shall be thy foster-fathers, and their queens thy nursing
mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their face to the earth, and lick ...
/n/nurses.htm - 7k

Lick (8 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 49:23 Kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their queens your nursing
mothers: they shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the ...
/l/lick.htm - 10k

Foster-fathers (1 Occurrence)
... Isaiah 49:23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing
mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their faces to the earth, and lick ...
/f/foster-fathers.htm - 6k

Bible Concordance

Nursing (14 Occurrences)

Matthew 21:16 and said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" Jesus said to them, "Yes. Did you never read,'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing babies you have perfected praise?'"
(WEB NAS)

Matthew 24:19 But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days!
(WEB NAS NIV)

Mark 13:17 But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babies in those days!
(See NAS NIV)

Luke 21:23 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land, and wrath to this people.
(See NAS NIV)

1 Thessalonians 2:7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother cherishes her own children.
(WEB NAS)

Genesis 33:13 Jacob said to him, "My lord knows that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young, and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die.
(See NAS NIV)

Numbers 11:12 Have I conceived all this people? Have I brought them forth, that you should tell me,'Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which you swore to their fathers?'
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS)

1 Samuel 22:19 He struck Nob, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing babies, and cattle and donkeys and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
(WEB)

Psalms 8:2 From the lips of babes and infants you have established strength, because of your adversaries, that you might silence the enemy and the avenger.
(See NAS)

Isaiah 11:8 The nursing child will play near a cobra's hole, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den.
(WEB NAS)

Isaiah 40:11 He will give food to his flock like a keeper of sheep; with his arm he will get it together, and will take up the lambs on his breast, gently guiding those which are with young.
(See NAS)

Isaiah 49:15 Will a woman give up the child at her breast, will she be without pity for the fruit of her body? yes, these may, but I will not let you go out of my memory.
(See NAS)

Isaiah 49:23 Kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers: they shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am Yahweh; and those who wait for me shall not be disappointed."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV NIV)

Joel 2:16 Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who suck the breasts. Let the bridegroom go forth from his room, and the bride out of her chamber.
(See NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Nursing

Related Terms

Nursing-mothers (1 Occurrence)

Nursing-fathers (1 Occurrence)

Nursing-father (2 Occurrences)

Mothers (27 Occurrences)

Nurse (23 Occurrences)

Queens (4 Occurrences)

Nurses (2 Occurrences)

Lick (8 Occurrences)

Foster-fathers (1 Occurrence)