Maternal Side of Christ

[firepatch36]

This is what I've been studying since COVID broke out. If anyone has any verses/commentary to add, I'd appreciate it. I suspect there could be more using Hebrew or Greek, but I can’t do any of that.

 

This comparison between mothers and Christ is present across the scriptures, with Christ being described in maternal terms many times. These references are sparse individually, but when collected together show a different way to look at Jesus.

Perhaps the most common term, although usually not thought of as such, is that of rebirth. In John 3:3-7 Jesus tells Nicodemus baptism is being born again. Portraying baptism as being born again is omnipresent, although linking it to mothers is typically not done. However, Christ potentially did right before the atonement. In John 17:1, Jesus states that “the hour has come,” which was a phrase used for when labor started. This link shouldn’t be surprising, in John 16:19-22 the disciples were confused about his death and resurrection, and Christ compared himself to a mother giving birth. This is done in the Deuteronomy as well in 32:18 (use the footnote translation).

Christ giving birth is in Isaiah. In chapter 46 there is a switch from is maternal to paternal:

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3 Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:

4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.

 

 

This notion of deity giving birth to us appears potentially at the beginning of the Bible. Genesis 14: 19 and 22 in the KJV has God as the “possessor” of the earth, with the footnote giving an alternate translation of “creator” The word used in Hebrew is the same word used when Eve gave birth to Cain in Genesis 4:1. [I found this on a web page; I don’t know any Hebrew]

This notion is echoed later in James 1:18 "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."A different translation changes the gender neutral begat to “he gave birth to us.” The NIV renders it “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.”

After having given birth to us in a spiritual sense, Christ refers to himself as a mother, typically as an animal metaphor. The most frequent maternal image of Christ is Jesus as a mother hen. This occurs in Matthew 23:37. Luke 13:34, 3 Nephi 9:4-6, D&C 10:65 and D&C 43:24. The comparison is to a mother eagle in Deuteronomy 32:11-12, and a bear in Hosea 13:8. Hosea 11:4 is also maternal, although harder to see in the KJV. The NIV has

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I led them with cords of human kindness,

    with ties of love.

To them I was like one who lifts

    a little child to the cheek,

    and I bent down to feed them. [like a mother bird bends down]

 

 

This imagery potentially goes back to the second verse in the Bible. Genesis 1:2 can be translated as: “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). The KJV uses the word “moved” instead of hovering.” This word in Hebrew is rachaph means “to move or shake or flutter or brood over.” The verse in Deuteronomy 32 describing the eagle uses the same word. [I found this on a web page; I don’t know any Hebrew]

The imagery of God as a bird in used several times in Psalms. “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings” (17:8), “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast” (57:1), and “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler (91:4). While none of these give a gendered image of the bird, it is consistent with the Christ as a mother bird symbolism.

Isaiah deviates from animal imagery to a direct comparison to a mother. In Isaiah 49:

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15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

 

and then in Isaiah 66

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12 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her alike a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.

13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

 

It is of note that the Hebrew word for compassion, el rachum, derives from the word for womb.

This imagery was picked up on by others. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2:6-8 compares the apostles to nurses of children and Paul compares his work to giving birth to those he preached to in Galatians 4:19.

 

I've read through a lot finding this verses but feel like there's no way I've found them all. Any help on these would be appreciated. Especially why a mother hen so many time. 

[firepatch36]

Two other comparisons are of note but difficult to see: the flood and Eve. These are longer so I'll spin them off from the above.

 

One famous baptism imagery is that of the Great Flood. Noah’s flood is discussed as a symbolic baptism of the Earth (e.g. 1 Peter 3:20–21). Anne Kilmer in her article “Of Babies, Boats, and Arks” relates the flood to human gestation. The length of the flood is given as:

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150 days (Gen. 7:24) = 5 months (including the 40 days), calculated

as 1 January to 1 June of Noah’s 600th year.

121 days = 4 months (Gen. 8:5) when the flood waters receded, calculated

as 1 June to 1 October.

Total number of days = 271. If we add the 7 days (Gen. 8:12) after

which the dove landed for good, the total is 278 days. (page 159)

 

 

Forty days is highlighted as the length of time of the rain and the flood (Gen 7:12, 17). In ancient lore, the soul entered the body during the first 40 days of pregnancy (Stol, Birth in Babylonia and the Bible, page 17-19).

The 150 days is most likely the maximal reach of the flood. In human pregnancy, 150 days, or 20 to 22 weeks is significant as

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it is then that the fundus of the uterus reaches the umbilicus; this is measured by palpation and permits the midwife or obstetrician to determine whether the size of the fetus and progression of the uterus are adequate and “healthy.” The umbilicus is the fixed reference point by which one can measure the height of the fundus and is used as a benchmark by which to estimate the day of birth. Thus when Gen. 7: 18 tells us that “the water swelled and increased greatly,” it seems to be reporting that all was well “with mother and baby” at close to the halfway point in a normal pregnancy. (page 161)

In Genesis 8: 4 the ark rests secure on the mountain in the seventh month (and 17^th day). This is significant as before modern medicine a birth would be viable only after seven months had passed, before then it would have been a virtual guaranteed death. Here we have the inhabitants of the arc resting on land where it would be feasible to leave, but they remain inside the safety of the ark for some time more.

All together, when they do leave the ark, the final time enclosed is 278 days, or 9 months and 1 week, which is the normal length of human gestation.

After leaving the ark, the ground remained wet for an additional amount of time:

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In Gen. 8: 13 we are told that, after an additional 36 days, “the earth was dry.” I would suggest that this could well refer to the normal period of postpartum menstruation, which, maximally, is considered to end at six weeks, or 42 days, after which the new mother may resume all normal activities. (page 162)

Additionally, in Gen. 7:16 God “shut Noah in” (the ark) with the verb sgr, which is used in 1 Samuel l:5 and 6 to describe Hannah’s womb. In Genesis 8:16 the verb ys’, or “to come out,” is used to describe leaving the ark. This is the same verb used in the Old Testament to describe babies being born.

All told, the typical approach to Noah’s flood as being akin to a baptism sells the story short. If we approach baptism as a rebirth, then we see that the significant dates of the flood – 40 days, 150 days, 7 months, 9 months and a week – all correspond to gestation.

*****

The last comparison between Christi and mothers is with Eve. In the creation story Eve referred to as a helpmeet. This phrase can come across as condescending; Eve was made to help out Adam. But an analysis of the word you get an opposite sense – a helpmeet is someone with a superior strength.

The word used in Hebrew for help is 'ezer, which appears 19 other times in the Old Testament. Three times the help comes from a man, (Isaiah 30:5; Ezekiel 12:14, Daniel 11:34) but the help is ineffective. In Psalms. 121:1 it is used a question, and the answer is given that helps comes from the Lord. The remaining 15 times help comes from God. Thus, 'ezer, relates to only two people in the scriptures – Eve and Jesus Christ (God of the Old Testament). To reiterate this point:

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The other usages of 'ezer in the Old Testament show that in most cases God is an 'ezer to human beings, a fact which makes us question whether “helper” is an accurate translation in any of the instances it is used. A more accurate translation in this context would be “strength” or “power.” Evidence indicates that the word 'ezer originally had two roots, each beginning with different guttural sounds. Over time, the two gutturals were merged into one word, but the two meanings, “to save” and “to be strong,” remained. Later, the meanings also merged into one word, “to help.” Therefore, if we use the more archaic meanings of 'ezer, and translate 'ezer as either “savior” or “strength,” we clarify not only the context we are discussing but also the other passages in the Old Testament where 'ezer is used, especially when 'ezer refers to God in his relationship with humankind. 'Ezer translated as “strength” or “power” also fits in nicely with the second word in the phrase, kenegdo, which has traditionally been translated as “meet for” or “fit for.” Because kenegdo appears only this one time in the Old Testament, earlier translators had little upon which to base their translations. An important clue to the meaning of this word is found in its usage in Mishnaic Hebrew, where the root means “equal.” Kenegdo, then, means “equal to” and the entire phrase 'ezer kenegdo means “power or strength equal to.” Thus, when God makes ha-'adam into two beings, he creates woman, a power or strength equal to man. (Jolene Edmunds Rockwood “Eve's Role in the Creation and the Fall to Mortality” in Women and the Power Within, 1991)

  

Using the Hebrew, if you translate the word “helpmeet” as Savior it follows that the word would be used for Christ. It is profound that the only other person to whom this relates to is Eve.

A last comparison can be found in the names. Jesus’s name was Yeshua, (Joshua). The name means “Jehovah is salvation.” Eve (Chawwah) comes from the word to breath or to live; that is it relates to physical life. From the very names, we get that Jesus is the source of spiritual life, and Eve (mothers) the source of physical life. We can see that throughout the scriptures, Christ and other authors relate spiritual life with physical, perhaps as a way to show the two should not be separate, but one.

[Bernard Gui]

11 hours ago, firepatch36 said:

Using the Hebrew, if you translate the word “helpmeet” as Savior it follows that the word would be used for Christ. It is profound that the only other person to whom this relates to is Eve.

Very interesting thoughts that require further contemplation. The yin and yang of Christ?

On a side note, the unfortunate word "helpmeet" is not really a noun. The antiquated adjective "meet" (suitable or fit) modifies the noun "help." Eve was a "help" (partner, assistant) "meet" (suitable or fit) for Adam. At some distant time in the past, the King James "help meet" was conflated to produce the word "helpmeet," and sadly, it has stuck. The Spanish bible makes this clear. There is no conflated Spanish word "ayudaidónea". I'm sure this is true in other languages.

Quote

18 Y dijo Jehová Dios: No es bueno que el hombre esté solo; haréle ayuda idónea para él.

   https://blog.oup.com/2009/01/helpmeet/

Edited April 27, 2020 by Bernard Gui

[Garamond]

This makes sense. As much as Christ is masculine and male, and certainly his temporal incarnation was, as a divine being he is just as much feminine and female by necessity.

[mfbukowski]

On 4/29/2020 at 12:02 AM, Garamond said:

as a divine being he is just as much feminine and female by necessity.

Why?

[RevTestament]

On 4/26/2020 at 12:05 PM, firepatch36 said:

This is what I've been studying since COVID broke out. If anyone has any verses/commentary to add, I'd appreciate it. I suspect there could be more using Hebrew or Greek, but I can’t do any of that.

 

This comparison between mothers and Christ is present across the scriptures, with Christ being described in maternal terms many times. These references are sparse individually, but when collected together show a different way to look at Jesus.

Perhaps the most common term, although usually not thought of as such, is that of rebirth. In John 3:3-7 Jesus tells Nicodemus baptism is being born again. Portraying baptism as being born again is omnipresent, although linking it to mothers is typically not done. However, Christ potentially did right before the atonement. In John 17:1, Jesus states that “the hour has come,” which was a phrase used for when labor started. This link shouldn’t be surprising, in John 16:19-22 the disciples were confused about his death and resurrection, and Christ compared himself to a mother giving birth. This is done in the Deuteronomy as well in 32:18 (use the footnote translation).

Christ giving birth is in Isaiah. In chapter 46 there is a switch from is maternal to paternal:

 

This notion of deity giving birth to us appears potentially at the beginning of the Bible. Genesis 14: 19 and 22 in the KJV has God as the “possessor” of the earth, with the footnote giving an alternate translation of “creator” The word used in Hebrew is the same word used when Eve gave birth to Cain in Genesis 4:1. [I found this on a web page; I don’t know any Hebrew]

This notion is echoed later in James 1:18 "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."A different translation changes the gender neutral begat to “he gave birth to us.” The NIV renders it “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.”

After having given birth to us in a spiritual sense, Christ refers to himself as a mother, typically as an animal metaphor. The most frequent maternal image of Christ is Jesus as a mother hen. This occurs in Matthew 23:37. Luke 13:34, 3 Nephi 9:4-6, D&C 10:65 and D&C 43:24. The comparison is to a mother eagle in Deuteronomy 32:11-12, and a bear in Hosea 13:8. Hosea 11:4 is also maternal, although harder to see in the KJV. The NIV has

 

This imagery potentially goes back to the second verse in the Bible. Genesis 1:2 can be translated as: “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). The KJV uses the word “moved” instead of hovering.” This word in Hebrew is rachaph means “to move or shake or flutter or brood over.” The verse in Deuteronomy 32 describing the eagle uses the same word. [I found this on a web page; I don’t know any Hebrew]

The imagery of God as a bird in used several times in Psalms. “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings” (17:8), “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast” (57:1), and “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler (91:4). While none of these give a gendered image of the bird, it is consistent with the Christ as a mother bird symbolism.

Isaiah deviates from animal imagery to a direct comparison to a mother. In Isaiah 49:

and then in Isaiah 66

It is of note that the Hebrew word for compassion, el rachum, derives from the word for womb.

This imagery was picked up on by others. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2:6-8 compares the apostles to nurses of children and Paul compares his work to giving birth to those he preached to in Galatians 4:19.

 

I've read through a lot finding this verses but feel like there's no way I've found them all. Any help on these would be appreciated. Especially why a mother hen so many time. 

Genesis 49:25

25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the ^aAlmighty[El Shaddai], who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the ^bwomb:

 In the Book of Mormon Yeshua says He will succor us - as does El Shaddai in the OT.

[Garamond]

On 5/3/2020 at 1:32 AM, mfbukowski said:

Why?

Christ is God. God by very definition is male and female. Therefore Christ without a divine maternal feminine would be like a black hole without density.

[mfbukowski]

11 hours ago, Garamond said:

Christ is God. God by very definition is male and female. Therefore Christ without a divine maternal feminine would be like a black hole without density.

Uh, not everyone sees it that way

"By definition?"

In what dictionary?

 Obviously that is your personal belief. Fine.  It is most certainly not LDS doctrine.

What is your religious background ? Sounds interesting!

 

[Garamond]

10 hours ago, mfbukowski said:

Uh, not everyone sees it that way

"By definition?"

In what dictionary?

 Obviously that is your personal belief. Fine.  It is most certainly not LDS doctrine.

What is your religious background ? Sounds interesting!

 

Sure, it seems not everyone does...but it is the doctrine to my understanding. From non-ambiguous declarations of apostles and revelators of the Lord, to it being the reason exaltation requires marriage sealing. 

I am a lifelong member of the LDS church through Brigham Young.

[mfbukowski]

21 minutes ago, Garamond said:

Sure, it seems not everyone does...but it is the doctrine to my understanding. From non-ambiguous declarations of apostles and revelators of the Lord, to it being the reason exaltation requires marriage sealing. 

I am a lifelong member of the LDS church through Brigham Young.

Interesting idea, thanks.

On the other hand I will have to find someone more experienced in LDS jargon to figure out what "through Brigham Young" means.  I have only been a member 40 years after all, and Mormonese still gets me confused on a regular basis

Aren't we all "through Brigham Young" in some sense?  So subsequent prophets got it wrong and you are a polygamist?

[Garamond]

19 hours ago, mfbukowski said:

Interesting idea, thanks.

On the other hand I will have to find someone more experienced in LDS jargon to figure out what "through Brigham Young" means.  I have only been a member 40 years after all, and Mormonese still gets me confused on a regular basis

Aren't we all "through Brigham Young" in some sense?  So subsequent prophets got it wrong and you are a polygamist?

Sorry, I'm specifying that I am a member of the main church, which draws its lineage through Brigham rather than one of the offshoots such as CoC/RLDS, FLDS, Rigdonites, Strangites, Snufferites etc.

 

And no, I'm pretty ardently anti-polygamy.

[mfbukowski]

2 hours ago, Garamond said:

Sorry, I'm specifying that I am a member of the main church, which draws its lineage through Brigham rather than one of the offshoots such as CoC/RLDS, FLDS, Rigdonites, Strangites, Snufferites etc.

 

And no, I'm pretty ardently anti-polygamy.

 

Perhaps you will understand why I was confused.  I made the text color change, obviously.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_denominations_in_the_Latter_Day_Saint_movement#Additional_churches_claiming_lineage_through_Brigham_Young_or_founded_in_the_U.S._Intermountain_West

This is my favorite:

Perfected Church of Jesus Christ of Immaculate Latter-day Saints[49]	William C. Conway	1955	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Unknown	Also called "Restored Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ of Immaculate Latter-day Saints"; Conway claimed to be the reincarnation of Moroni and to have been visited by a reincarnation of Joseph Smith.

 

But this is the real list

 

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Additional churches claiming lineage through Brigham Young or founded in the U.S. Intermountain West[edit]

Several small churches rooted in Mormonism; formed under the belief that their leader was inspired to restore a new religious tradition in the mold of Joseph Smith

Name	Organized by	Date	Split off / continuation of	Current status	Notes
Church of the Potter Christ[46]	Arnold Potter	1857	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Defunct	Potter wore a long beard and white robes; his followers wore black robes; followers emigrated from California to Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1861.
Church of the Firstborn (Morrisite)[47]	Joseph Morris	1861	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Assumed defunct	Remnants of this organization survived into the mid-20th century. Involved in the Morrisite War; believe in reincarnation. Morris claimed to be the successor of James Strang, though his organization broke from the LDS, not the Strangite, church.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Gibsonite)[48]	Walter M. Gibson	1861	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Defunct	Organized in Pacific Islands; sold leadership offices to native peoples; gathering place established on Lanai, Hawaii.
Kingdom of Heaven[49]	William W. Davies	1866	Church of the Firstborn (Morrisite)	Defunct	Lived a communal life near Walla Walla, Washington, from 1867 to 1881.
Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Most High[50]	John R. Eardley	1882	Church of the Firstborn (Morrisite)	Disbanded in 1969
Order of Enoch[51]	James Brighouse	1884	Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and Church of the Firstborn (Morrisite)	Continues into the 21st century	Believe in reincarnation; rejected plural marriage; believe that Jesus reincarnated as Brighouse and again in 1909 as Dr. Dahesh and that the millennium will commence in the 24th century.
Third Convention[52]	Abel Páez	1936	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Continued into the 21st century[53]	Formed by Abel Páez and a dissident group of Mexican Latter-day Saints who broke away from the main body of church authority in 1936 over a dispute about local governance and autonomy of the church in Mexico.
House of Aaron[49][54]	Maurice L. Glendenning	1943[54]	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Less than 1,000 members	Also called "Aaronic Order" and the "Order of Aaron". Religious researchers have categorized The House of Aaron as part of the Latter Day Saint movement, which this denomination disputes.[49][54][55]
Zion's Order, Inc.[49]	Merl Kilgore	1951	Aaronic Order and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Headquartered in Mansfield, Missouri; approximately 100 members	Formerly known as Zion's Order of the Sons of Levi; use all of the scriptures of the LDS Church except section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants, plus 650 revelations to Kilgore.
Perfected Church of Jesus Christ of Immaculate Latter-day Saints[49]	William C. Conway	1955	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Unknown	Also called "Restored Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ of Immaculate Latter-day Saints"; Conway claimed to be the reincarnation of Moroni and to have been visited by a reincarnation of Joseph Smith.
Church of Jesus Christ (Bullaite)[49][56]	Art Bulla	1983	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah	Bulla taught other Latter-day Saints that he was the "One Mighty and Strong" that Joseph Smith prophesied would come to set the church in order. Bulla was interviewed in the anti-Mormon movie The God Makers II with the title "Mormon Prophet" under his name.
The Restored Branch of Jesus Christ[57][58]	Matthew P. Gill	2007	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Headquartered in Derbyshire, England	Met informally as "The Latter Day Church of Christ" until formal organization. Added the Book of Jeraneck to scriptural canon.[59]