πρωτότοκος,
πρωτότοκον (
πρῶτος,
τίκτω), the
Sept. for
בְּכור,
firstborn;
a. properly:
τόν υἱόν αὐτῆς τόν πρωτότοκον,
Matthew 1:25 (where
τόν πρωτότοκον is omitted by
L T Tr WH but found in the Sinaiticus manuscript. (see
Tdf.,
WH., at the passage));
Luke 2:7;
τά πρωτότοκα αὐτῶν (genitive of the possessor ((?);
αὐτῶν is more naturally taken with
θίγῃ (
Winer's Grammar, § 30, 8 c.), as by Prof. Grimm himself under the word
θιγγάνω)), the firstborn whether of man or of beast,
Hebrews 11:28 (
πᾶν πρωτότοκον...
ἀπό ἀνθρώπου ἕως κτήνους,
Exodus 12:29; Psalm 104:36 (
Ps. 105:36); (
Philo de cherub. § 16;
Pollux 4, 208)).
b. tropically Christ is called
πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως (partitive genitive (see below), as in
τά πρωτότοκα τῶν προβάτων,
Genesis 4:4;
τῶν βοῶν,
Deuteronomy 12:17;
τῶν υἱῶν σου,
Exodus 22:29), who came into being through God prior to the entire universe of created things (
R. V. the firstborn of all creation) (see
κτίσις, 2 b.),
Colossians 1:15; — this passage does not with certainty prove that Paul reckoned the
λόγος in the number of created beings (as, among others, Usteri, Paulin. Lehrbegriff., p. 315, and Baur, Das Christenthum der drei ersten Jahrhh. 1st edition, p. 295, hold); since even
Origen, who is acknowledged to have maintained the eternal generation of the Son by the Father, did not hesitate to call him (cf. Gieseler, Kirch.-Gesch. i., p. 261f edition 3; (i. 216 English translation, of edition 4, edited by Smith))
τόν ἀγενητον καί πάσης γενετῆς φύσεως πρωτότοκον (c. Celsus 6, 17), and even
κτίσμα (a term which
Clement of Alexandria also uses of the
λόγος); cf.
Joan. Damascen. orthod. fid. 4, 8
καί αὐτός ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ καί ἡ κτίσις ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ; (others would make the genitive in Colossians, the passage cited depend upon the comparitive force in (the first half of)
πρωτότοκος (cf.
πρωτότοκος ἐγώ ἤ σύ,
2 Samuel 19:43); but see
Lightfoot at the passage (especially for the patristic interpretation)). In the same sense, apparently, he is called simply
ὁ πρωτότοκος,
Hebrews 1:6;
πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, the first of the dead who was raised to life,
Colossians 1:18; also
τῶν νεκρῶν (partitive genitive),
Revelation 1:5 (
Rec. inserts
ἐκ);
πρωτότοκος ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, who was the Son of God long before those who by his agency and merits are exalted to the nature and dignity of sons of God, with the added suggestion of the supreme rank by which he excels these other sons (cf. Psalm 88:28 (
Ps. 89:28);
Exodus 4:22;
Jeremiah 38:9 (
Jer. 31:9),
Romans 8:29;
ἐκκλησία πρωτοτόκων, the congregation of the pious Christian dead already exalted to the enjoyment of the blessedness of heaven (tacitly opposed to those subsequently to follow them thither),
Hebrews 12:23; cf. DeWette ad loc. (
Anthol. 8, 34; 9, 213.)
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