Definition and Significance:
Pregnancy, the condition of carrying a developing fetus within the womb, is a significant event in the Bible, often seen as a blessing and a fulfillment of God's promises. It is a time marked by anticipation, hope, and the continuation of God's covenant with His people.

Biblical Instances:

1. Sarah and Isaac:
Sarah, the wife of Abraham, is one of the most notable figures in the Bible concerning pregnancy. Despite her old age and initial barrenness, God promised Abraham that Sarah would bear a son. Genesis 21:1-2 states, "Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him." This event underscores the miraculous nature of God's intervention and the fulfillment of His promises.

2. Rebekah and the Twins:
Rebekah, the wife of Isaac, experienced a challenging pregnancy with twins, Esau and Jacob. Genesis 25:22-23 describes her struggle: "But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, 'Why is this happening to me?' So she went to inquire of the LORD, and the LORD said to her, 'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.'" This passage highlights the divine purpose and prophecy associated with her pregnancy.

3. Hannah and Samuel:
Hannah, initially barren, prayed earnestly for a child, and God answered her prayers. 1 Samuel 1:20 records, "So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, 'Because I have asked for him from the LORD.'" Hannah's account is a testament to the power of prayer and God's faithfulness in granting the desires of the heart.

4. Mary and Jesus:
The most significant pregnancy in the Bible is that of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The angel Gabriel announced to her that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:31-32 states, "Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High." Mary's pregnancy is central to the Christian faith, marking the incarnation of Christ.

Theological Implications:

· Blessing and Heritage:
Children are often viewed as a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Psalm 127:3 affirms, "Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward." Pregnancy is thus seen as a divine gift and a continuation of God's creative work.

· Divine Sovereignty:
The Bible frequently emphasizes God's sovereignty over the womb. Instances of miraculous pregnancies, such as those of Sarah and Elizabeth, highlight God's control over life and His ability to bring about His purposes despite human limitations.

· Sanctity of Life:
The Bible upholds the sanctity of life from conception. Jeremiah 1:5 reflects this belief: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations." This verse underscores the belief that life is sacred and known by God even before birth.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In biblical times, pregnancy was a highly valued state, often associated with a woman's worth and status within her community. Barrenness was considered a source of shame and distress, as seen in the accounts of Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah. The ability to bear children was seen as a sign of divine favor and blessing.

Moral and Ethical Considerations:

The Bible encourages care and protection for pregnant women, recognizing the vulnerability and importance of both the mother and the unborn child. The narratives surrounding pregnancy often call for faith, patience, and trust in God's timing and purposes.Jeremiah 1:5
Before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet to the nations.
Topicalbible.org

Psalm 51:5
Behold, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
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Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
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Job 10:8-12
Your hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet you do destroy me.
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Genesis 25:22
And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the LORD.
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Psalm LIII.
... For he also was himself afterwards enlightened, and grafted on those members which
he used to persecute; being pregnant with the same love, he said, "My little ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm liii.htm

An Hymn of Heavenly Love
... To tell the marvels by Thy mercy wrought. Yet being pregnant still with powerful
grace,. And full of fruitful love, that loves to get. ...
/.../palgrave/the treasury of sacred song/iv an hymn of heavenly.htm

Argument. Secundulus Dies in the Prison Felicitas is Pregnant, but ...
... great grief lest on account of her pregnancy she should be delayed,"because pregnant
women are ... Why do you not at least permit us to be refreshed, being as we ...
/.../chapter v argument secundulus dies in.htm

If the Members Rise, must they Discharge the Same Functions as Now ...
... discharge them (since we see many women who do not become pregnant, as those ... even
who are not barren abstain from sexual intercourse, some being virgins from ...
/.../chapter iii if the members rise.htm

Of the Section Where it is Recorded, that Being Moved with ...
... Now this question admits of being solved on the principle of understanding that
the ... 979] For here is a sentence which, in a brief and pregnant form, might have ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter xxx of the section where.htm

Second Tractate. On the Kinds of Being (2).
... adduce the pregnant words of Plato: "Inasmuch as Intellect perceives the variety
and plurality of the Forms present in the complete Living Being...." The words ...
/.../plotinus/the six enneads/second tractate on the kinds.htm

Seventh Tractate. How the Multiplicity of the Ideal-Forms came ...
... will give herself no foreign name, not "man," not "living being," not "being," not
"all ... In this seeing of the Supreme it becomes pregnant and at once knows what ...
/.../plotinus/the six enneads/seventh tractate how the multiplicity.htm

While These Things were Doing, Joseph was Occupied with his Work.. ...
... And after nine months he came back to his house, and found Mary pregnant. Wherefore,
being in the utmost distress, he trembled and cried out, saying: O Lord God ...
/.../unknown/the gospel of pseudo-matthew/chapter 10 while these things.htm

God Alone Creates those Things which are Changed by Magic Art.
... the cattle conceived should be in any degree influenced by the variety of the rods,
came to pass through the soul of the pregnant cattle being affected through ...
/.../augustine/on the holy trinity/chapter 8 god alone creates those.htm

Whether Christ Should have Been Born of an Espoused virgin?
... If she had not been espoused when pregnant, she would seem to have wished to hide
her sin by a lie: being espoused, she had no motive for lying, since a ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether christ should have been.htm

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