Topical Encyclopedia
In the biblical context, the term "nursed" refers to the act of breastfeeding or providing nourishment to an infant or child. This concept is often used both literally and metaphorically throughout the Scriptures, illustrating themes of care, sustenance, and spiritual growth.
Old Testament References1.
Moses: One of the most notable instances of nursing in the Bible is the account of Moses. After his birth, Moses was hidden by his mother to protect him from Pharaoh's decree to kill all Hebrew male infants. When she could no longer hide him, she placed him in a basket on the Nile River. Pharaoh's daughter discovered him and, moved with compassion, decided to adopt him. Moses' sister, Miriam, offered to find a Hebrew woman to nurse the child, and Moses' own mother was chosen for this task. "Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, 'Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.' So the woman took the boy and nursed him" (
Exodus 2:9). This account highlights God's providence and the preservation of His chosen leader for Israel.
2.
Hannah and Samuel: Hannah, the mother of Samuel, also plays a significant role in the theme of nursing. After praying earnestly for a child, she vowed to dedicate him to the Lord. Once Samuel was born, Hannah nursed him until he was weaned. "When she had weaned him, she took him with her to the house of the LORD at Shiloh, though the boy was still young" (
1 Samuel 1:24). This act of nursing and subsequent dedication underscores the importance of nurturing children in the faith from an early age.
New Testament References1.
Spiritual Nourishment: In the New Testament, the concept of nursing is often used metaphorically to describe spiritual nourishment and growth. The Apostle Paul uses this imagery to convey the idea of spiritual maturity. In his letter to the Corinthians, he writes, "I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready" (
1 Corinthians 3:2). Here, milk symbolizes the basic teachings of the faith, suitable for new believers, while solid food represents deeper, more complex doctrines for the mature.
2.
Gentle Care: Paul also uses the metaphor of nursing to describe his gentle and caring approach to ministry. In his letter to the Thessalonians, he writes, "We were gentle among you, like a nursing mother caring for her children" (
1 Thessalonians 2:7). This imagery emphasizes the tender and nurturing nature of pastoral care, reflecting the love and patience required in guiding new believers.
Theological ImplicationsThe act of nursing in the Bible carries significant theological implications. It symbolizes God's provision and care for His people, as well as the responsibility of parents and spiritual leaders to nurture and guide those under their care. The imagery of nursing underscores the importance of foundational teachings and the gradual process of spiritual growth and maturity. Through both literal and metaphorical uses, the concept of nursing in the Bible highlights the intimate and sustaining relationship between God and His children, as well as the communal responsibility to foster faith and discipleship.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
imp. & p. p.) of Nurse.
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.
...5142. trepho -- to make to grow, to nourish, feed
... verb Definition to make to grow, to nourish, feed NASB Word Usage brought (1), fattened
(1), fed (1), feed (1), feeds (2), nourished (2),nursed (1)....
Strong's Hebrew
5134. nuq -- to suckle, nurse... to suckle, nurse. Transliteration: nuq Phonetic Spelling: (nook) Short Definition:
nursed.
... root Definition to suckle, nurse NASB Word Usage
nursed (1). nurse.
...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...
Library
Home as a Nursery.
... Isaiah, in speaking of the coming Messiah and the glory of his church, says, "Thy
daughters shall benursed at thy side." "Kings shall be thy nursing fathers...
Of the Kings of Latium, the First and Twelfth of Whom, ??neas and...
... who conceived twin sons by Mars, as they will have it, in that way honoring or excusing
her adultery, adding as a proof that a she-wolfnursed the infants when...
That Rome Made Its Founder Romulus a God Because it Loved Him; but...
... For as to that wolf which is said to havenursed the twin-brothers, and which is
considered a great marvel, how does this prove him to have been divine?...
Dwight -- the Sovereignty of God
... He isnursed, if he can be said to benursed at all, on a coarse, scanty and precarious
pittance; holds life only as a tenant at will; combats from the first...
The True Christian Life
... injured. These were borne into the hospital that they might benursed back
to strength, and one of them was given to this young girl....
In the Homes of the People
... she prepared. Again, a drunken woman, whose body shenursed to health, while
she brought her soul to the Great Physician. An outside...
The Mothering Heart
... Her own converts shenursed tenderly and guarded with unremitting care; but none
the less the converts, the weak souls, and the young people she found at any...
Home as a Stewardship.
... In nursing him for the queen, that devoted mothernursed him also for herself; and
in doing this, she was also promoting the welfare of her son, and executing...
Paul's First Prayer
... I have not many relations in heaven, but I have one whom I dearly love, who, I doubt
not, often prayed for me, for shenursed me when I was a child and brought...
On the Festival of the Nativity, viii.
... understand unity of Godhead except in unity of Person, have maintained that the
Father is the same as the Son [839] : so that to be born andnursed, to suffer...
Thesaurus
Nursed (13 Occurrences)... (imp. & pp) of Nurse. Multi-Version Concordance
Nursed (13 Occurrences).
... Acts
13:18 and for a time of about forty years he
nursed them in the desert. (DBY).
...Breasts (39 Occurrences)
... things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said to him,
"Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts whichnursed you!" (WEB...
Nurse (23 Occurrences)
... Exodus 2:9 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away, and nurse him
for me, and I will give you your wages." The woman took the child, andnursed it...
Bore (221 Occurrences)
... things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said to him,
"Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts whichnursed you!" (WEB...
Blessed (338 Occurrences)
... things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said to him,
"Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts whichnursed you!" (WEB...
Naomi (25 Occurrences)
... bitterness"), "for," she said, "the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me."
She advised Ruth in her dealings with Boaz, and afterwardnursed their child...
Nurses (2 Occurrences)
Nursling (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) One who, or that which, isnursed; an infant;
a fondling. Multi-Version Concordance Nursling (3 Occurrences)....
Lifted (466 Occurrences)
... things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said to him,
"Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts whichnursed you!" (WEB...
Weaned (9 Occurrences)
... Wait until you have weaned him; only may Yahweh establish his word." So
the woman waited andnursed her son, until she weaned him....
Resources
Who was Absalom in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Herod Antipas? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about the virgin Mary? | GotQuestions.orgNursed: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
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