Man-Child
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The term "man-child" appears in the Bible and is often associated with prophetic and symbolic meanings. It is primarily found in the Book of Revelation, where it carries significant eschatological implications. The concept of the man-child is rooted in the imagery and symbolism of biblical prophecy, reflecting themes of deliverance, authority, and divine purpose.

Biblical References:

1. Revelation 12:5 : "And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was caught up to God and to His throne."

In this passage, the "man-child" is depicted as a male child born to a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. This imagery is rich with symbolism, often interpreted as representing the nation of Israel or the Church. The male child is understood to be a messianic figure, commonly identified with Jesus Christ, who is destined to rule the nations with an iron scepter, a reference to Psalm 2:9. The child's being "caught up to God and to His throne" signifies divine protection and authority.

Theological Interpretations:

· Messianic Fulfillment: The man-child is frequently seen as a representation of Jesus Christ, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. His birth, ascension, and future reign are encapsulated in this imagery, highlighting His role as the sovereign ruler over all nations.

· Symbol of the Church: Some interpretations extend the symbolism of the man-child to the Church, which is seen as the body of Christ. In this view, the Church shares in Christ's victory and authority, being "caught up" with Him in spiritual triumph and ultimate glorification.

· Spiritual Warfare: The context of Revelation 12 includes a cosmic battle between the forces of good and evil. The birth of the man-child signifies the triumph of God's redemptive plan over the adversary, often identified as Satan. The protection and exaltation of the child underscore the ultimate victory of God's kingdom.

Historical and Cultural Context:

In the ancient Near Eastern context, the birth of a male child was often seen as a sign of strength and continuity for a family or nation. This cultural backdrop enhances the significance of the man-child in biblical prophecy, as it symbolizes hope, deliverance, and the fulfillment of divine promises.

Related Themes:

· Divine Sovereignty: The man-child's role in ruling the nations underscores the theme of divine sovereignty and the establishment of God's kingdom on earth.

· Redemption and Salvation: The imagery of the man-child is closely linked to the themes of redemption and salvation, as it points to the work of Christ in delivering humanity from sin and establishing eternal peace.

· Eschatological Hope: The prophetic vision of the man-child offers believers hope for the future, assuring them of God's ultimate victory over evil and the establishment of His righteous reign.

The concept of the man-child in biblical literature serves as a powerful symbol of God's redemptive plan and the assurance of His sovereign rule, providing a source of hope and encouragement for believers throughout the ages.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
MAN-CHILD

man'-child (American Standard Revised Version; "man child," the English Revised Version; not in the King James Version; mashtin beqir): The expression is used with the meaning of "male," but is found only in the description of the extermination of a whole family, where it is employed to express every male descendant of any age. It occurs in 1 Samuel 25:22, 34 1 Kings 14:10; 1 Kings 16:11; 1 Kings 21:21; 2 Kings 9:8.

Strong's Hebrew
2145. zakar -- male
... him, male, manchild,. From zakar; properly, remembered, ie A male (of man or animals,
as being the most noteworthy sex) -- X him, male, man(child, -kind). ...
/hebrew/2145.htm - 6k

376. ish -- man
... male (2), man (746), man against another (1), man of each (1), man the men (1),
man your husband (1), man's (21), man's are the men (1), manchild (1), mankind ...
/hebrew/376.htm - 7k

Library

Of the contemporary term of the Interior Court, and the Battle ...
... Of the contemporary term of the Interior Court, and the Battle between the Dragon
and Michael concerning the Man Child, with the first Six Seals. ...
/.../mede/a key to the apocalypse/synchronism ii of the contemporary.htm

The Woman and Dragon.
... the woman, analogous to that sustained by the nondescript beast (of Dan.7:7), to
the saints of the Most High; and his position respecting the man-child is like ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the woman and dragon.htm

Chapter iv
... She said, "I have gotten a man-child." The Hebrew verb for this is qanah; the ... We
believe we have caught the spirit of the word in rendering "manchild." Eve in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter iv.htm

Confessing Christ an Indispensable Duty.
... This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you, and thy seed
after thee: Every man child among you shall be circumcised. ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon xix confessing christ an.htm

Covenanting Enforced by the Grant of Covenant Signs and Seals.
... "This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you, and thy seed
after thee: every man-child among you shall be circumcised. ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter xi covenanting enforced by.htm

The Fourth vision "In Heaven"
... The Structure shows that the Woman and the Dragon are the two great subjects of
the Vision, the "Man-child" occupying only one verse (the sixth). H4, xii.1-12. ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the fourth vision in heaven.htm

Christ is Glorious --Let us Make Him Known
... stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child
as soon as it was born." The man-child who is to rule all nations with a rod of ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/christ is gloriouslet us make.htm

Bear up the Hands that Hang Down, by Faith and Prayer...
... The joy of answered prayer is the joy of a travailing mother when a man child is
born in to the world, the joy of a slave whose chains have been burst asunder ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bounds/purpose in prayer/chapter ix bear up the.htm

Two Scenes.
... wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget
thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I ...
/.../byrum/the value of a praying mother/chapter i two scenes.htm

Introductory
... vii.) is the Church; the "woman clothed with the sun" (ch. xii.) is the Church;
the man-child (ch. xii.) is the Church; the bride (ch. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bullinger/commentary on revelation/introductory.htm

Thesaurus
Manchild (1 Occurrence)
...man'-child (American Standard Revised Version; "manchild," the English Revised
Version; not in the King James Version; mashtin beqir ...Manchild (1 Occurrence). ...
/m/manchild.htm - 7k

Man-child (11 Occurrences)
Man-child. Manchild, Man-child. Mandrake . Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia
MAN-CHILD. ... (ASV JPS). Manchild, Man-child. Mandrake . Reference Bible.
/m/man-child.htm - 10k

Manas'sites (10 Occurrences)
Manas'sites. Manassites, Manas'sites. Manchild . Multi-Version Concordance ...
(See RSV). Manassites, Manas'sites. Manchild . Reference Bible.
/m/manas'sites.htm - 9k

Kinsfolks (2 Occurrences)
... it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he
smote all the house of Baasha: he left him not a single man-child, neither of ...
/k/kinsfolks.htm - 7k

Withholden (12 Occurrences)
... me from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there
had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light so much as one man-child. ...
/w/withholden.htm - 10k

Impurity (42 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 12:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman conceive seed,
and bear a man-child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days ...
/i/impurity.htm - 21k

Mandrake (1 Occurrence)

/m/mandrake.htm - 7k

Male (303 Occurrences)
... books of Samuel and Kings, mashtin beqir; ouron pros toichon, which the Revised
Version (British and American) euphemistically renders "man-child" (1 Samuel 25 ...
/m/male.htm - 43k

Baasa (26 Occurrences)
... it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he
smote all the house of Baasha: he left him not a single man-child, neither of ...
/b/baasa.htm - 13k

Resources
Does the Bible say anything that would apply to paying child support? | GotQuestions.org

How can I become a child of God? | GotQuestions.org

Total depravity - is it biblical? | GotQuestions.org

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Man-child (11 Occurrences)

Leviticus 12:2
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman conceive seed, and bear a man-child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of the impurity of her sickness shall she be unclean.
(ASV JPS)

1 Samuel 1:11
And she vowed a vow, and said, O Jehovah of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, but wilt give unto thy handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto Jehovah all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
(ASV BBE JPS)

1 Samuel 25:22
God do so unto the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light so much as one man-child.
(ASV)

1 Samuel 25:34
For in very deed, as Jehovah, the God of Israel, liveth, who hath withholden me from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light so much as one man-child.
(ASV)

1 Kings 14:10
therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every man-child, him that is shut up and him that is left at large in Israel, and will utterly sweep away the house of Jeroboam, as a man sweepeth away dung, till it be all gone.
(ASV JPS)

1 Kings 16:11
And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he smote all the house of Baasha: he left him not a single man-child, neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends.
(ASV JPS)

1 Kings 21:21
Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will utterly sweep thee away and will cut off from Ahab every man-child, and him that is shut up and him that is left at large in Israel:
(ASV JPS)

2 Kings 9:8
For the whole house of Ahab shall perish; and I will cut off from Ahab every man-child, and him that is shut up and him that is left at large in Israel.
(ASV JPS)

Job 3:3
Let the day perish wherein I was born, And the night which said, There is a man-child conceived.
(ASV JPS YLT RSV)

Isaiah 66:7
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man-child.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS)

Jeremiah 20:15
Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man-child is born unto thee; making him very glad.
(ASV JPS)

Subtopics

Man-Child

Related Terms

Mandrakes (4 Occurrences)

Man-child (11 Occurrences)

Manchild
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