בְּכוֹר

“Firstborn” in Hebrew is Bechor (בְּכוֹר), pronounced “be-KHOR.” Bechor comes from the root ב-כ-ר (bet-kaf-resh), meaning 'to be first, to bear early fruit.' The related word 'bikkurim' (firstfruits) shares this root, connecting the firstborn child to the firstfruits offering — both are the 'first and best' dedicated to God.

Bechor (בְּכוֹר) means “Firstborn” in Biblical Hebrew. Bechor appears approximately 122 times in the Hebrew Bible. It describes the firstborn son's rights (double portion, Genesis 25:31-34), God's claim on Israel as His firstborn (Exodus 4:22), the consecration of firstborn (Exodus 13:2), and the tenth plague (Exodus 12:29).

Bechor is pronounced “be-KHOR.” The word comes from the Hebrew root ב-כ-ר.

The bechor received a double portion of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17), family leadership, and a special blessing from the father. He was considered sacred to God and had to be 'redeemed' (Exodus 13:13). The firstborn's position was so significant that the sale of Esau's birthright to Jacob (Genesis 25:29-34) shaped the destiny of nations.

Throughout Scripture, God bypasses the bechor: Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Joseph over Reuben, Ephraim over Manasseh, David over his older brothers. This pattern demonstrates that God's blessings are based on grace, not birth order. It subverts the ancient world's emphasis on hierarchy and shows that God's choices are sovereign and often surprising.

Paul calls Jesus 'the firstborn (prototokos) over all creation' (Colossians 1:15), not meaning He was the first created being, but that He holds the supreme position of the bechor — preeminence, authority, and inheritance over all that exists. He is also 'the firstborn from the dead' (Colossians 1:18), the first to be resurrected with an eternal body, guaranteeing our own resurrection.