The firstborn male child (Exod 13:12-15; Num 18:15-16), the initial seasonal produce of agriculture (Exod 23:19; Lev 23:10; Num 15:20-21; Deut 26:1-11) and food products (Num 18:12-13; Deut 18:4; Ezek 44:30), and the first offspring of domesticated pure and impure animals (Exod 13:12-13; Lev 27:26-27; Num 18:16-18; Deut 15:19-23). These three “firsts” are all accorded a sanctified status in the Hebrew Bible. The first fruits of agriculture are given to God, and the male firstborn of humans and beasts are dedicated to God. The firstborn son inherits a double portion of his father’s estate (Deut 21:15-17; Isa 61:7), the paternal blessing (Gen 27), and succession to authority (Gen 27:29; Gen 27:37; Gen 37:21-22; 2Kgs 2:9). The Davidic king is also viewed metaphorically as God’s firstborn (Ps 89:28), an appellation the NT applies to Jesus (Heb 1:6).
